Beyond the Rabbit Hole

True Monsters

Silence strangled the air, and every breath caught in every throat choked down words the living were too afraid to speak.

And the silence persisted.

For one moment, and then two.

Until the dreadknight, Kokabiel, stepped further out from the darkness and announced, his voice booming through the haze, "OATHBREAKER!!!"

Remiel grimaced as he locked eyes with the other dreadknight, whatever thoughts whirled in his head were silent to the world.

Morgyn's mouth hung open, and confusion furrowed his brows, while the three injured warriors stood paralyzed by fear and shock. Prey trapped between two monsters, unsure whether to run or wait for the storm to pass.

"What sayest thou, cur?" Kokabiel continued in a low voice. "What hath compelled thee to abandon the very castle from which we have been banished. Didst thou think we would but turn our gaze from one who hath forsaken our vow?"

Remiel lowered his gaze, a sly smile curving one side of his lips. "You accuse me?" He let slip a conceited chuckle and shook his head. "Yet those of us up above know it was you who broke our oaths first." He raised his head until his sneering ruby eyes gazed upon Kokabiel from the height of his nose. "We all know you lot have been fornicating with the humans. And yet, you dare chastise me, Kokabiel? Ah, but don't get the wrong idea. It's not as if I blame you. Believe me, I am well versed in succumbing to temptation."

Kokabiel's hands shook with rage as he slammed the butt of his halberd onto the ground. "Lies!" He roared. "I have ne'er broken mine vows. I cannot speak for every Watcher, but our queen doth know I have ever stayed true."

"Seriously?" Remiel's eyes widened, and his lower jaw dropped in a breathy laugh so hard he nearly fell off his horse. "You can't be serious!" Remiel gripped his stomach as his laughter eased. "I've been down here nary a week, and haven't slept one night by myself." He wiped a slight tear from his eye and flashed a nasty smirk. "Girls love my boyish face," he chuckled. "Turns out there are benefits to eternal youth."

Kokabiel's rage soothed into a cold calmness that coated every word with quiet venom. "Thou dost mock our oath and disgrace the other Thrones, nay, thou shameth every one of us."

Remiel rolled his eyes. "Ugh, you've always been too uptight for me. Life in the castle hasn't been great since you all left. Halls filled with men with nothing better to do and all the time in the world to waste. Every one of us bored out of our minds, and even the dead have needs, you know? We've had to. . . make do with what we have." He let out a deep sigh. "And I'm no prude, but no variance in centuries is. . ." He shrugged and shook his head.

Kokabiel stood silently, struggling to contain his fury.

"And when I finally descended after so long," Remiel continued, smiling to himself. "And saw a human woman after centuries? It reminded me of when I was alive, girls from the kingdoms I conquered would flash me their tits as I marched my victory parades down their streets—whores mostly, I'm sure, but you can never tell in some places." He let out a boisterous laugh. "Anyways, I couldn't help myself!"

A thunderclap shook the darkness, parting the black clouds and knocking the haze away like a sweeping gust. In the next moment, Kokabiel appeared just in front of Remiel with his halberd mid-slash—a charge so quick, Morgyn's thoughts traced the origin of the reverberation back to the armored behemoth himself. . .

. . . no. Not him. A sharp chill gripped Morgyn's spine, and he shuddered as a flash of light overtook his vision.