Here Comes The Son (Ghost Band / Papa Emeritus fic)

Your Zenith Fades Into Eternity

Amanda barely had time to step from the car before a second car drew up alongside, forcing her back against the door. Within moments she was surrounded by four ghouls and behind them, Papa Nihil.

"Where is he?" The lead ghoul, Cumulus, snarled baring her teeth as Amanda pressed herself back even further.
"Inside, I think," Amanda stammered. "I don't know where. I brought the others."
"What others?" Cumulus leaned in. "Who has him?"

Only at that moment did Amanda realise the misunderstanding between them.

"No, I brought the other ghouls," she explained. "They've just gone inside. Something's in there, it roared and blew out the windows."

All four ghouls looked up at the church as another roar erupted from deep within.

"Thank you!" Cumulus replied as the others ran towards the door. "Keep yourself safe. Papa," she turned towards Nihil, "perhaps you should stay here?"
"Go," Nihil waved for her to follow her fellow ghouls.

Nihil waited until she had caught up with the others, heading deep inside the church towards the sound of the thunderous malevolent bellowing.

"Saltarian," he began, "I suggest you stay here, I have to go inside. I have a task to perform. Miss, you may want to leave, this could be... messy."
"Can I help?" She asked, but even as the words emerged, she realised her tone sounded fearful.

Shaking his head, Nihil began to walk towards the church, a determined expression fixed on his face.

"Papa!" Amanda called.

Turning, Nihil tilted his head as he looked at Amanda, curious as to the purpose of her intervention.

"Isn't it dangerous for you?"

He frowned as he gave the impression of being uncertain over her concern for him.

"Of course, but it is much more dangerous for... for Copia. I have to help him, even if..."

He shrugged; a helpless, forlorn shrug suggesting an acceptance of a possible fate he didn't intend to consider. Without finishing the sentence, he addressed Amanda, possibly even Saltarian.

"I don't want to jinx it," he nodded. "But I have a sense that I can help and only I can provide that help."

Turning, Nihil walked towards the church.

Amanda stared; he was certainly brave to walk into what literally sounded literally like all Hell breaking loose. As he disappeared through the doors, left wide open by the ghouls, Amanda slipped back behind the wheel of her car. Pushing the keys into the ignition, she paused before putting the car into gear.

Uncertain how her loyalties had grown towards them, she allowed the engine to run setting the car back into park. She had only that night thought this was a cool band and little more. Now she had been introduced to their true natures and found herself keen to help. There wasn't much she could actually do and, having watched Nihil's slow walk into the church it seemed almost hopeless. Summoning her own reserves, she was resolved that at the very least she would wait for them. If they lost whatever battle was currently raging in the depths of the old church, she dearly hoped she would have time to get away before something happened to her too.

*

Down in the crypt, a battle was indeed raging.

Still attached to the wall by the chain around his neck, Copia floated in mid air, his back arched in agony and apparently balanced on the tip of a broadsword, its heavily engraved silver blade glistening in the dim light. The jewel encrusted hilt steady and firm despite nothing visible holding it in place. Copia's arms and legs extended as far as they could with his fingers clawing at the air as if the sources of safety and relief were just beyond his reach. As he hovered in place over the tip of the sword desperately trying to keep himself from plunging down to its hilt, light beams shone from beneath his sleeves, pouring out into the space around him. Wisps of light dancing and chasing around him as he forced himself to maintain his composure against the torment ripping through his body - every inch of him feeling as if he were being crushed in the grip of some vise, while simultaneously being torn apart. He screamed in pain and gasped as he felt his back slip down onto the razor sharp point of the blade. Even the slightest doubt in his mind, the faintest quiver in his self-belief could send him dropping like a stone onto the jewel encrusted sword killing him outright. He had no choice but to believe he could survive the torment he was currently enduring.