Burning Road

Hell's Fury- Part VII

Prince unclasped his cloak and swung it in a wide fan smacking dozens of insects aside, but there were still hundreds more feasting on the troll. Golan swatted at the pest, killing as many as he could with every attack, but he slowed with each pass. The sound of the bugs consuming the monster was disconcerting, soliciting an image of fear older than Khouri, older than spoken word. The undulating mass smelled of bottomless pits where life vanished under the crush of mortality. The troll dropped to his hands and knees, and spewed the contents of his stomach. Most of it bile covered nightcrawlers.

Khouri reached into the folds of his cloak, wrapping his fingers around the vial within. He popped the plastic stopper and splashed the insect covered creeper with holy water. The black bugs liquified on contact, melting like flesh dipped in battery acid. Their sinister nature was no match for blessed. Golan screamed a long and ragged screech as if he'd been holding in all of his pain for that moment. His arms gave out and he collapsed in a pool of black ichor.

Khouri tried his best to ignore the harsh chill in the air as he searched for Mimi. Muggle fought a pair of wailing spirits only feet from Prince. The brimstone warhammer in his hands proved the perfect weapon for the dwarf. Cyril fought alone against two warriors who seemed to be his match in martial prowess. One not only looked like him but fought like him as well. The doppelgänger wore the white robes from his youth, the uniform of The Knights of Easter.

Loc went after the darkling guards like a weird little Terminator from one of Cali's movies, punching mechanically as he walked. A massive monstrous centipede encircled the fighting and at their center was Mimi. Khouri's skin rebelled at the sight of the creature, it's many legs making his skin crawl. Behind him The Cauldron was the epicenter of a massive upheaval, it's destruction spreading in ever widening circle.

He reached the others as the centipede shrunk in on itself, its momentum setting it on a course to collide with Mimi. The rear segments compacted into a single mass that rolled into a chitinous ball and out to the shape of the tall countess. The jet black exoskeleton changed colors until she was once again a long red and gray gown.

She came to a halt five feet from them. Her housefly face was screwed into that of a sadistic player holding all of the cards. The odds were in her favor and it made her cocky. Khouri was no booky, but her math seemed sound.

Mimi was in bad shape. Her face, covered in scrapes and bites, looked marginally better than her broken arm. She stood defiant as ever, dagger clutched in hand. Rag Doll stood beside her, one arm the color of pyre ash. He waved his strange hand back and forth, and a wave of powder swept before them in the same pattern. Ingrid stood in front, her cape gone and her armor covered in ichor stains. Val stood beside her, the pixie's armor leaking blood freely.  She'd torn her stitches and was likely running on adrenaline alone. Her thin length of silver chain glowed with a violent purple light and a soft warmth he could feel a foot away.

"Come, come," began the demon. "I want you all to hear this for it concerns you." Her tone was that of a teacher speaking to a class full of adolescents. "Bring him, Warden."

The Warden limped over, his right leg bleeding. Behind him an abomination dragged Cyril through the dirt. Prince had once helped a team from The Order defeat one such monster. This version of the beast had three tentacles in place of arms, and was covered in thick coarse hair on shoulder and knee. Where its eyes should have been was a wide toothy mouth, and in the place of a traditional mouth was a row of four eyes. Deep within those eyes was a neon yellow light. Around it was a black mist. Despite his eyes, Prince knew this creature for the nightmare it was.

The beast tossed the old creeper at Val's feet. A second head burst from the creature's shoulder as Muggle approached from its blindside. The dwarf held his warhammer non-threatening as he joined his allies. The Countess grinned and flies escaped from between her needle-like teeth. She put her six arms behind her back.