29

The epic conclusion to the first part of the Nightwars Trilogy.

As I lead my party into the depth of enemy territory, I glance over at the Banshee's head and find it watching us menacingly.

"What the hell?! That thing's still alive?" I cry

"Of course, I designed it after all. I build my toys to be sturdy. I simply dismantled it; never touched the brain." Marvick explains patting the head. The Banshee licks the reaper affectionately as the continues, "It just needs to be taught who's boss every now and then. Speaking of..." The Reaper Whistles shrilly, "I'd like to make sure my pet is okay."

The large, tri-headed Helhound comes bounding up to Marvick and hops on it's hind legs excitedly. Marvick makes a kissy face and talks to the Trihound in a way that makes me want to puke if he keeps it up. He does a once over of the canine before sending it away to resume killing.

The courtyard is totally empty, surprisingly. I would think Avengus would have flooded it with soldiers.

A glinting light catches my eye just a my face starts to sting. I find Azmodaus standing atop of a staircase, her whip's razors with a fine coat of blood along the edges.

"That's really annoying." I snarl, "How about I shove that whip up your-"

"Ivan, you go with the others. I'll stay here and take care of her." Saundra says grimly

"You sure? I don't want to leave you here if you're not sure you can take her."

Saundra glares at me. "Go." Leather bat wings sprout from her shoulder blades as her body morphs into something I've never seen before. Just as Wyatt had said when Sauna was first blooded, she was turning into a bat like version of me. Her skin becomes a pale grey. Her ears grow back into a point along her head. Talons grow from her fingertips as fangs protrude from her mouth as she turns to me.

"Not gonna lie babe, I like your human form more. Though you do look like a total bad a*s right now."

She hisses at me, telling me to go.

I turn tail and run with no further persuasion. "Okay, I was wrong." I say to myself, "Hissing can be scary."

We enter through the Hall of Gods and find it empty, all doors open and the rooms dark.

"So...what be tha plan now? We be in with no direction to be goin' in." Patrick scratches his head

"I don't know. I kinda figured they'd  be waiting here for us. A trap. Something. Now I'm not sure." I mumble

"This way boy." A voice beckons with cruel humor from the end of the hall

"That voice..." I begin

"I know Ivan, it's Silvermain." Taylor growls

Taylor and I sprint after the voice; Patrick, Torcon, Maurine, and Marvick are hot on our tails.

We run madly, blindly, down hallways to catch the one who stole the dearest thing we had. Bouncing off walls to get around corners and roaring after him, we look more like a couple of demons chasing lucifer than respected war leaders. We bound around a corner and come out Avengus's throne room.

The beastly, self made god, sits in his chair smiling coldly at us.

Next to him Lucifer stands proudly as he grins like a shark.

Avengus snaps his fingers and four more figures reveal themselves from hidden shadows. The remaining Generals: Mammon, Beelzebub, Belphegor, and Leviathan.

"Welcome back Ivan. I've been expecting you for quite some time. I wasn't expecting your friends however." Avengus greets

"Really? You didn't account for company? That's just rude." Marvick jokes

"Who're you?" Avengus asks nonchalantly

"I am Reaper Marvick, the seven hundred twenty sixth Reaper of Necropolice." Marvick introduces himself

"My lord," Lucifer begins, "what does it matter? Let's just kill them already."

Avengus nods, "Very well, leave nothing left."

Lucifer charges and meets Taylor and myself.

Leviathan runs at Patrick in full gallop.

Not wanting to deal with either of the Necromancers, Mammon decides to battle Torcon who towers over the Goblin.

Beelzebub lumbers over to Marvick, leaving a trail of drool behind him. "Good thing you come mister, Beelzebub hungry."

"I'm glad to hear it, I've got plenty for you to eat." Marvick Chuckles as he heats his scythe onto his shoulder

Beelzebub's eyes grow excitedly as he begins to hop, "Goody goody!" Beelzebub lunges at Marvick

Belphegor loutishly makes his way over to Maurine. "What a pain. Lemme kill you so I can go back to sleep."

"Pain? You know nothing of it," Maurine sneers, "allow me to enlighten you. Mortos!"

Lucifer goes to impale my throat, but Taylor tackles him before he can reach me.

I watch as the two roll on the ground, clawing, biting, and slashing one another.

Taylor has lost all self control and is the the mercy of his rage. It'd be hazardous for me to get in his way while he's like this. I hate Silvermain and want to kill him myself, but if Taylor should kill him that's just as good to me. K can spread his body across the battlefield later or piss on his corpse. In the meantime I've got a bigger problem. I look at Avengus, "You're mine." I growl. I flashstep to him and kick him in the chest, sending him through the wall behind him.

Avengus dusts himself off as he gets up. "At long last." he smiles. He uses his wings to propel himself at me. Picking me up and using my body as a shield, we crash through several walls before he drops me and lands.

I roll over and run at him on all four and leap, eyes locked onto his throat.

Avengus flicks a wind and sends me into a marble pillar.

I pick up one of the chunks of rubble and hurl it at him.

Avengus simply leans to the side and lets the rubble hit the wall behind him.

I run at him again, and this time repeatedly strike at him.

Again he uses his wings to deflect each blow. In between blows Avengus strikes out with a kick and sends me sprawling back through the holes he made.

I'm now back in the throne room.

I see Beelzebub, whos missing an arm, running at Marvick with his mouth ready to bite.

Marvick spins out of the way and says, “Open wide.” as he sends the scythe blade through the troll’s head. “You look pretty battered.”

“What do you expect? I’m fighting a demigod.” I glance over my shoulder and see Avengus walking back into the room. “Back to work i guess.”

“Want some help?” Marvick offers

I shake my head, “This is my fight.” I grab Avengus’s thone and whip it at him

Avengus cocoons himself with both wings as the chair smashed into him and force him to take a step back.

I flashstep behind Avengus and grab his right wing and pull as i push on his body with a hairy foot.  

The wing gives and pops out of socket, but doesn't  come off as i hoped it would. The wing falls limply and throws Avengus off balance. He uses his other wing to bash be into a wall as he tries to fix his wing.

I get up and launch myself off the wall and slam into Avengus. No wing shield to protect him this time. I pin him on the ground and rake his face before he knocks me away.

He gets to his face, leaning to his right with the dead weight of his wing. Blood runs down his face in a steady stream. It turns out that I blinded him in his left eye, as he covers the oozing hole with his hand. “Damn you. Why the hell do you have to be such a nuisance? Why did you have to get in my way? Well no more. Now you will die.” From a hidden pocket in his attire, Avengus pulls out a shiny gun with engraving down the barrel.

         I recall seeing this in one of the weapon magazines I read awhile ago. Avengus has a Pfeifer Zeliska 28mm revolver, the largest handgun in the world.

         Avengus points the super sized revolver at me with one arm and fires. The shot hits wide due to the massive kick of the weapon, and the wall behind me explodes. “Its always been difficult to aim, but when it hits theres nothing left.” Avengus says and fires again.  The bullet goes astray again, this time it finds someone. a giant hole the size of a basketball is punched  in Leviathan’s torso. “Whoops.” Avengus says half heartedly, “Casualties in every war I suppose. Can't say I'm upset though.” Avengus fires another round that whizzes by my head and causes me to duck.

          I dash forward during his recoil and grab his wrist. Before his wing can get me I tug hard and pull the limb loose. I rip the gun out of his disembodied hand and fire to my right. I hit his wing at the top knuckle.

         The wing goes flying away as I ram the gun barrel into his mouth and pull the trigger.

         The back of Avengus’s head explodes in a chunky red mess. He staggers away, holding his head, as to cover the massive hole, before collapsing to the floor. An ocean of red flows from the bullet hole.

          “What do you know, guns kill gods.” I say and toss the revolver away in disgust

          The death of their leader startles both Mammon and Lucifer, causing them to waver in their battles. In one moment both die. Torcon raises one of his powerful hooves and brings it down on Mammon’s tiny, green head. Meanwhile Taylor plunges his hand into Lucifer’s chest and pulls out a heart i didn’t know he had.

         “You don't deserve this.” Taylor snarls

         Lucifer reaches out for his heart, as if he could put it back in if he could get ahold of it.

         Taylor tosses the beating organ aside as the light leaves Lucifer’s eyes. “So i guess the war is over now then. We won.”

         “No,” I start, “We won the battle, but the war has just begun.” I stare hard at the three winged figures standing, watching us. I wonder how the long the brother of Avengus had been there. The whole time?

         The first to leave us is the one with artificial, steampunk looking wings and a gas mask strapped to his face. The same one I'd seen in the Hall of Gods. The other two follow soon after.

         “We’re in over our heads. Aren’t we?” Taylor asks

         “Yep. We’re pretty much screwed.” Marvick cackles

I return outside, to the courtyard, and find Saundra sitting on the steps. At her feet Azmodaus lay dead with a lash of her whip pulled tightly around her neck. She launches herself at me when she sees me and gives me the biggest hug ever.

“I was worried about you too, love.” i smile and hug back. “Just one last thing to do.” i think to myself. I climb the stone stairs to the top of the wall and look out over a sea of dead, undead, and my loyal soldiers. I let out a single, drawn out, victory roar and their cheers quickly follow.

          The battle is ours, but the war is far from over.