Knock Three Times

35. A Mother's Love

                        FIRE RIPPLED LIKE DRAGON'S breath across the plump cheeks of the young Oracle, the wind pressure alone enough to sear meat from bone, but the flesh of Jean D'Arc would not burn. Caine held her tight in his massive demon grasp expecting the child to char to a crisp, but her screams came from the crushing pressure around her legs. She gritted her teeth, feeling her bones compress in his mighty grip, but a split second before she was positive both of tiny legs would break at once, a lone figure leapt onto his back with a cry of primal war.

    The towering Caine let out a huff of annoyance, the attack of a mere human like the buzzing of flies around his head, but before he could reach his demon claws for the Templar Knight, Abraham jammed his blessed crucifix down his blackened throat.

    The Dark Man felt a searing pain at the base of his tongue, like molten steel burning a hole through his innards, and he released his captive in a frantic grasp for his own neck, the pain unbearable.

    Abraham pulled sword from scabbard as Jean staggered to her feet to retrieve her staff, and they watched as the beastly man spewed Black Matter all about, spaying his demon blood in every which direction.

    The Oracle lifted her weapon, a light beaming forward that seemed to freeze her enemy in place for a split second as the Templar sword lunged forward, and sunk it's enchanted steel deep into Caine's chest. Jean closed her eyes, linking herself kinetically to its steel, and pushed her divinity into the blade. A beastly roar ensued as light surged inside his chest, revealing a skeletal form within. The sizzling crucifix fell to his feet, burned through his flesh like acid, and two hulking knuckles like solid rock hit the floor with a thunderous clap, and a wave of black shadow blasted both his enemies off their feet.

    'Fucking Templars!' Caine yanked the enchanted steel from his chest, his grip smoking with the grasp of its hilt. He lunged forth toward Abraham, his war cry furious with blinding hatred and pure malice. He rolled to his side just in time, his own blade lodged into stone and nicking his cheek, barely missing his head and severing a lock of grey hair.

    'Spry for an old man,' said Caine, coming at the crusader with his own weapon, and Abraham dodged several blows from above, and one that would have run him right through if he wasn't so swift. Jean swiped her staff through the air many feet away, pushing her divine light into the Templar weapon until his demon skin singed and sizzled around the grip, unable to grasp its divine steel. Caine quickly tossed it away, but with a quick incantation, it's hilt was redirected back into Abraham's grasp.

    The floor shook as he went for the child in a frantic fit of madness, and even though Jean was reciting Magi incantations as fast as her tongue could manage, he was too quick and powerful, his attack fierce as a stampede.

    Caine moved like a swift shadow, dodging and swerving her streams of magic until he reached the girl, and just as his massive claw came at her like a speeding locomotive, an ignited dagger was jammed hard into the back of his head, its tip protruding between his dripping black teeth and slithering serpent tongue.

    The Templar Knight reached for the Oracle and pulled her behind him, and they watched as the Shadow Man scrambled, his fury alone pushing the blade out.

    'Now!' Yelled Abraham, and Jean reached her staff forward, feeling her magic grip the tip of the sword, and with a swift jolt, she tossed the ignited dagger toward the swirling vortex, taking Caine along with it into the madness.

    The Dark Man felt hundreds of bodies beat against his immortal flesh as the two crusaders rushed forth, Jean keeping the dagger tight in his skull as his own dark curse beat him within the walls of the swirling dead. A raging fury belted from his throat, and the dagger was pushed out and lost within the whirling twister. Caine pulled his head from the madness with surging red eyes, his ambitions turning to sheer bloodlust and an unquenchable thirst to kill. Dead and missing flesh quickly grew back, the efforts of the divine seeming futile as no amount of damage seemed to stop the demon madman.