The Universe is on the brink of annihilation, and two former humans are chosen to save it. Can evil fight evil? And can they stop bickering with each other long enough to find out?
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Taluus helped his father into the Shadow, the parallel world that lay unseen over the realm of humanity. Here the darkness was warm and deep, comforting like a blanket on what was left of Argus's exposed flesh as Taluus eased him into a cushy worn armchair. Items like this often appeared in the Shadow, cast in here by the Bohgey's, beings who lived dual lives in the human world and the Shadow, using it as a refuge, a pathway, and a collective storage locker.
"Father, I'm going to connect you to the Shadow itself, it will keep you alive, I can't...I can't heal these wounds..."
Argus responded by brushing a fallen dread from his sons cheek with his bony fingers, a smear of gold left on the gods face. Taluus tried to hide his grief as he summoned forth long cables from the surrounding darkness, connecting them to his fathers frail body, silently hoping beyond hope that this would heal him. Argus sighed as the cables began to send their energy into him, and he shakily readjusted his robes as he leaned back against the chair, the book still laying in his lap. Taluus cleared his throat, "Do you think our enemy will be expecting your plan?"
Argus softly chuckled, "No one will be expecting these two..."
That name. It felt like a frozen lead weight had hit Noc in the stomach, memories clawed their way up from the back of his mind and dug themselves in painfully. Her screams as she burned echoed in his head, mingling with his own as he was stopped from running headlong into the burning building. He squeezed his eyes shut against the invasion...the pain that weighed down so heavily he felt like his heart was about to fall down into hell on the spot.
The wriggling of his captive snapped him back to reality, and he realized that its new thrashings were due to the fact his hands were tightening around its throat to the point it was wheezing. He released his grip slightly once again,
"Who are you? What are you? Did you bring us here?"
The thing cackled hoarsely, "I am Surin, servant of the great god Pazuzu. I do not know you, or why you are here."
"Pazuzu? Heh. And I'm the Devil." Chimney had returned and was standing with arms crossed, still smirking.
Surin hissed through yellowed teeth at the new arrival. Noc was growing more impatient, this whole thing was reaching completely new levels of idiocy. He shook the creature, Surin, whatever the fuck it was, and his eyes blazed, "Tell me what is going on here and how I can leave this place?"
"We came only to kill the banshees, the children...that is all."
Nocturne paused, he had no idea what a banshee was but...children? No, there had to be a mistake...
"What children, what are banshees?"
"The banshees are the children of Lilith, we are to kill their offspring. Sacrificed to Pazuzu, their huts burned-"
Nocturne lost his patience, his vision turning black with rage as he slammed a fist square in the center of the thing's face, before following with another punch, and another, and another...with relentless strength, sending bone, blood, and teeth flying as flesh was pummeled into pulp. The demon was already dead, but Nocturne didn't stop until blood mixed with earth and a crater was left where the demon's head once lay.
Chimney watched with detached bemusement as Noc had his frenzy, "Hit a nerve did it?"
"Shut...up", Noc was breathing heavily as he stood up, his knuckles covered in scrapes and gore.
"Let me guess, going to try save their children like you couldn't save your own?"
"Shut...UP." Noc turned to swing at Chim's face, but ended up landing his fist against the side of a tree. The tree cracked, groaned, and fell from the impact, crashing into the undergrowth.
"Oh good job, now everyone knows we're here." Chim snarled from his mist form.
Nocturne looked around, "What happened to the one you caught ahold of?"
"I ate it."
Nocturne shot him an irritated look and then stalked off through the brush. He wanted to find wherever these banshees were at and get the hell off of this planet as soon as possible.
Chimney stayed back a moment, chuckling as he rolled the demon's soul through his fingers. So far nothing had caused him any issue, but in unknown territory he wanted to have something handy to eat if he got injured. The soul was a sickly yellow, tainted with so much vile sin. It was going to be delicious. He slipped his hand into the Void, depositing it for safekeeping elsewhere.
He puffed back into mist and swirled behind Nocturne as the other strode towards...where the hell was he going anyways?
"Do you even know where you're going?"
"There's a light in the distance."
"And?"
"I imagine the banshees the demon was speaking of are there. I want out of here and more importantly I want away from you."
"Hey at least I didn't kill my family."
Nocturne replied through gritted teeth, "I didn't kill them."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night. By the way, how have those nightmares been? You know the ones I mean..."
Noc stopped in his tracks, whispering hoarsely, "Don't..."
"Yeah those ones, the one's where you hug your daughter only for her to turn to ashes and bones in your arms and blow away."
Nocturne twisted around, "You piece of shit..."
Chimney replied with taunting laughter, his form twisting in the air.
"Take a solid form again Chimney, and we will see who ends up laughing."
"Yeah, me. Ha!"
Nocturne snarled and swiped at the mist, but then paused. He smelled smoke. Admittedly he smelled it a lot, it was a common theme in his nightmares. Sometimes he couldn't tell the difference between when his past was coming back to haunt him or when there was an actual danger. In either case, it made his heart stop cold.
Without a second thought to his antagonist he turned and ran up a nearby hill, looking to find a good vantage point to find where it came from. Once he was at the top, he shades his eyes against what he saw.
Hundreds of trees burned out of control in the distance, lighting up the perpetually dark sky and sending up great sparks. The sounds of screeching creatures pealed out over the roar of the flames, echoing through the valley. And underneath of those screams, Nocturne picked up another sound, one he could never mistake for anything else...the crying of a child.
As he stood in stunned silence, Chim snickered next to him,
"Oh I bet this brings back some very fond memories for you...doesn't it?"
