Duality : Book 1 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 31 (edited)

Chapter 31

Present time: Elysium

Jason turned his attention towards the Passus holding the captive children, his sword burned brightly against the blackened sky. The pouring rain could do nothing to dampen the emerald flames. Sensing that they were in danger, the Passus flung the children down and began to shamble backwards. With Janus dead, his magical hold over them was diminishing. The children began to age and grow withered again until they looked just like the rest of the Passus. The sight angered Jason even more. The flames on his sword grew brighter as he began to advance. The Passus continued to shamble backwards, withered faces slack with fear, even their lifeless eyes held a spark of fear in them. Jason continued to drive them backwards towards the cliff edge, occasionally hacking off an outstretched arm. The sea surged and frothed below, eagerly awaiting the Passus. Jason began to attack with a renewed fury, limbs and heads went raining down into the sea. He pushed and shoved the zombie creatures off the cliff and into their watery graves.

****

Hel was pinned down by the massive sabre-toothed cats and couldn't move or do anything else. She had watched Janus get hacked to pieces and knew the battle was lost. In a final desperate move Hel sent a silent command to the Passus. As one the wasted people came to life and moved in on the cats, Brutus realized what was happening a second too late. He howled in pain as a Passus struck him on the skull with a rusted pipe. The other cats roared their fury and went on the attack. A new battle broke out but Brutus remained on top of Hel, sinking his claws in deeper as she tried to squirm free. Hel cursed quietly, she had hoped the attack would distract all the beasts so she could slip away. She glared up at the beast pinning her down. The other four cats were desperately trying to bat the Passus away from Brutus. It was a losing battle, Hel had ordered them to ignore the others and attack Brutus.

Brutus roared in pain as a rusted blade bit into his flank, he turned and swiped with massive claws, shredding his attackers face. In his mind Brutus was using every swear word he knew. He needed to keep Hel pinned but he needed to fight as well. His friends were sustaining injuries while he just stood there. A rusted pipe slammed into Brutus's nose. That decided it, he roared in pain and fury, leaping off Hel and shredding the Passus with the rusted pipe. The instant Hel was free she began to crawl away towards the ruined city. She issued one final command to the front rows of Passus. Brutus had a Passus in his jaws and was swinging it like a club, battering anything that got in his way. The rage had overtaken him and he didn't see the goddess slowly crawling off into the crowd.

"Oh no you don't!" said Eva as she let an arrow fly.

One of the Passus had been trying to retrieve the severed parts of Janus. It fell backwards with an arrow shaft sticking between its eyes. Eva felt behind her back and counted her remaining arrows. She had six left. These were her special ones that she had made herself and she really didn't want to waste them. Turning to the courtyard she shouted at the remaining keepers,

"I need more arrows!"

The keepers below nodded and quickly ran off. Tiberius watched them go with a suspicious look, clearly there was a hidden armoury on the island but he had no idea where it was or how big it was or what it contained. The rain had eased off, the courtyard below was swimming with puddles. A few moments later the keepers returned, sloshing through the puddles carrying sacks full of arrows.

"Hurry up, for crying out loud!"

Eva screamed as she kept flicking glances back at the mainland. More Passus were trying to retrieve the severed demon parts. A keeper dumped a large barrel at Eva's feet.

"What the hell is that for?"

The keeper retreated without an explanation, a few moments later the point of the barrel became clear. Eva grinned fiercely as arrows were loaded into it, the barrel was the perfect height for her to draw from.