From Night On: Magdalene

Chapters 27-28

Chapter 27:

Gods or Demons?

As Quaden and Meira mounted the cart to begin their drive toward where Anapel directed them, flashes of red light came from the same direction and the gentle roar of thunder followed. Immediately, Quaden felt the urge to get to the others as quickly as he could and his urgency was only compounded by the sudden streak overhead as Daena flew past them at remarkable speeds. The only recourse left to the two earthbound travelers was to hold tight and hold their breaths.

Centurion and crewman held strong against the beasts, though all knew that their time was limited. Mathew knelt down to feel the face of his friend who lied dead in Khalil's arms. "We will not let your sacrifice be wasted," he whispered before returning his focus to the rest. "Help is on the way," he called out as he heard the first roll of thunder. "Do not waver! Do not give in! Hold your ground! Tonight is not our night to join our ancestors!" With the hope of survival renewed and spirits lifted, the men found a reservoir of strength within themselves to carry on. Spear, sword, knife, and club were then guided by unseen hands, striking targets easily, although their eyes remained blinded.

First, it was the roar, the clap of lightning, then the steady drizzle of rain that grew to a downpour. This was followed by the wail of blusterous winds that hid the voice of a returning ally. It was the sirens to first see the approaching, raging god and they wisely retreated. The hounds, however, cared very little for the warning and continued their assault on the caravan. Among the circling numbers of the hellish beasts who crawled over the surrounding area like thousands of ants moving so tightly in formation to hide the very ground beneath them, a crimson lightning bolt struck down, sending nearly a hundred of these creatures off in a blast. Ba'al Hadad had joined the fight in all his former glory with his godly club in hand.

While his arrival did gain the attention of hundreds of the beasts, the testudo was still being battered by the surrounding waves. Ba'al Hadad spun into a fury, swinging his club in massive arcs. Not a single impact from any of the beasts slowed it down. Yips, painful howls, and whimpers joined the beasts' chorus as he made his way towards the testudo.

"Remove your blindfolds," he called out from within the sea of tar-black creatures, "the sirens have left."

The voice they heard, they had only heard once before. It was the same voice Thomas had used while telling the group the story of the great war and the removal of the gods. This voice caused Mathew to rip his blindfold away before any others to see his friend as he felt he should be seen and the image was all too spectacular. Clad in garb that didn't appear natural by any means to the men, Ba'al Hadad stood, towering over the beasts at nearly three meters tall, in his horned crown and effortlessly swinging a club of solidified lightning as each strike sent out the charge of a bolt with each impact.

Mathew smiled, for a moment, reveling in the sheer awesome power of one of the gods fighting on their side, but then looked toward Thomas out of the reflex to share the joyful experience with his brother. His smile quickly faded and he found it increasingly difficult to look back at the being that had arrived to aid them. Instead, he knelt to console Khalil, who still wept over his action, and to stroke the hair of his fallen friend.

Seconds later, another impact came from among the beasts. This time, the men could see who had joined the fight for their lives. Daena had arrived, fully clad in a silvery armor, her wings extended outward in their full array and blinding many of the beasts nearest to her. Together, she and Ba'al Hadad moved about the churning numbers of enemies, quickly dropping the numbers closest to the testudo and giving much needed rest and hope to the men. While Ba'al Hadad swung his mighty club, Daena's great feathers moved independently as spearheads, skewering beast after beast until, finally, their numbers had dropped drastically enough for the remaining creatures to reason a retreat was in order. As the few that remained to fight as their pack fell back, the men broke their ranks to join in the victory, leaving Mathew and Khalil to morn Thomas.