The Savages

Chapter 18: The Beauty of Contrivance

Gary saw Zavion from where he stood on a flat stretch of the valley, clutching his preferred weapon of choice sturdily by his side. The double-ended lance pulsed in his hand, charged with intense maya blue electrical currents ceaselessly running the length of the pitch-black shaft. Drawn carefully into the side of each pointed tip was an angelic marking from Teemu's hand, placed in those precise areas to help Gary land more effective hits on his enemies. Being human, he could only utilise such a weapon because of the bloodline he shared with Teemu. Any other person who attempted to use the very lance he held would die a painful death after their flesh burnt and rotted off their bones, reduced to nothing more than a pile of smoking ash.

He was pleasantly surprised to see Zavion out here on the field with his small army, shouting out different orders to each individual person. In his eyes, it made him that much more of an easy target. Gary himself was still new to the whole fighting scene, his hands shaking around the long weapon he clasped. There was no time for second-guessing; he knew his purpose, and knew he needed to achieve it before any further harm could be done.

Pushing his legs forward, he charged straight for their leader, lance lagging behind him. A horde of betas quickly advanced in his direction -

Only to be intercepted by the massive jaws of a large grey-white wolf as its teeth sunk into one of the clones. She screamed, the sickening sound fading lower and lower in volume the further away his brother dragged her by the throat, his muzzle covered in arctic blue liquid. Stephen sped by in a blur of motion, grabbing hold of a beta who — up until then — Gary had no idea was poised behind him, ready to attack. He fought and squirmed in his brother's steel-like grip, making a futile attempt to escape his imminent demise. It ultimately failed. Stephen threw him into the dirt, wrapping his hand firmly around the beta's throat, his sharp fingernails digging into his skin.

With a small nod as he passed the twins, Gary reverted his focus back on Zavion. The demon fought off attacks from Clarence and Tully, growling in exasperation the longer their fight dragged on. Gary took the opportunity while he was distracted, leaping from his feet into the air. Spinning the lance around quickly in his hand a small amount of times, he drove it true and deep down into the unguarded part of Zavion's body between his neck and shoulder. Electricity pulsed from the razor-edge upon contact, sending intense waves of mixed angelic and galvanic energy all throughout his body, causing him to yell out in sheer agony. He dropped to his knees at the same moment Clarence followed up with an attack of his own, casting multi-coloured clouds of smoke directly at him.

"Get back!" Tully bellowed, grabbing and pulling his brother by the collar of his shirt just in time.

Zavion exploded into a mess of thick black liquid, splattering their clothes. Gary hissed between his teeth, ripping his shirt off as multiple parts of his body burned and blistered from the demonic bodily fluids. Wincing from the stinging sensation, he lowered his eyes to the ground, watching as his shirt went up in flames, leaving no indication that it had been there at all.

He felt a cool hand on his back, then a feeling of lightness coursed through his body. His wounds gradually healed themselves, until there was not a single mark or trace left on his skin. The familiar tranquil feeling brought him inner peace, for a certain time. Before too long, it faded away completely; merely another memory.

"You're alright now, Gary," Teemu reassured him, bending at the knee and rising back to his feet. "You did good, considering you've never been in this kind of situation before."

"Is it over?" Gary panted, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down the nape of his neck. He was certain a thicker layer of it covered his forehead, due to how inexplicably hot his entire body suddenly felt. "I just want to go home."