Burning Road

Broken Halls- Part V

"Is that it?" Khouri asked. He moved as close to the glass as he dared.

"Sure is, boy. The ancient texts in all their unfathomable glory. I saw them once during a meeting of The Elder Council. No one can read them, but they bring em out and place them before the elders."

"How do we get in?"

"We break the glass," Mimi answered. She pulled a small heavy-headed hammer from her pouch.

"No!" Helsing said as he leaned over the case.  "I once heard Melbourn say the keys are upstairs in a smaller display case."

Mimi looked to DotPrince.

"We don't have time for this, Helsing," Khouri growled. "Fine. I'll get the keys, you stay here and guard the door."

"Shit... maybe we should break the glass."

"Okay!" Mimi exclaimed, tugging him aside.

"Wait! That case is older than the guild itself... Okay. Okay. Go get the keys."

Prince handed Helsing his gun. He nodded to Mimi then ran through one of the doorways. Mimi helped Helsing to a pillar and eased him down to a seated position. She hadn't appreciated her natural strength until she'd lost it. It was nice not to be so soft and weak anymore.

Above her, DotPrince rushed down an aisle of books. Mimi drew her letter opener and the knife Khouri had gave her. She gripped them tightly and put her back to a pillar offering a view of the display case and the entrance. The stink of darkling grew stronger. Sweeney was coming.

"I once fell in love with an elf, you know," Helsing offered. "It was just after Mina's mother left me. I was alone, and that monster was the most beautiful creature I'd ever set eyes on. Neither of us could speak the other's language, but there was something between us. You could feel it... Anyway, I'd taken her back to my home and we gave each other comfort... for a week or so I think we were happy. Then one morning I woke up and she was gone."

"Sounds like she was Sun Stone Court." Mimi thought about his story. "Everyone knows their love is only for a season, then they break your heart. The more painful the break, the more they revere the affair."

The door shook violently, shadowy black smoke seeped through the cracks. DotPrince was on his way, but Sweeney was already making his appearance.

"The pain in my chest was so terrible I thought I might die," Helsing said as he sighted towards the door.

"Then she must have really loved you."

"That's strangely comforting."

"Good. In the future do not give elves your heart. They are not the gentle."

The door swung open and Sweeney slithered in. From the waist down he was a thick serpent with stony scales. His upper half was what was left of his whip thin host. His shirt was stained with black ichor and one arm hung limply. His eyes were empty pits and blue flame blazed in their depths.  His hand morphed into a massive talon. Sweeney smashed a table, reducing it to splinters.

"Mimi! It's time to go!" the darkling shouted.

"Go home without me, Sweeney. Look at what being in The World Above is doing to you," Mimi responded. "You look like dragon dung!"

"You heard the little green lady."

"I need you alive, creeper bitch, but your meatbag friends are fair game," Sweeney hissed.

He lashed out at Helsing's pillar, raking a ragged furrow through the wood. The hunter leaned out from cover and fired. The first shot hit smoky nothingness but the second blew a hole through the darklings outstretched arm. Sweeney roared and snatched it back. The hand returned to its original shape but the wound remained.