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Hell’s Fury-Dark Armed
Chapter VIII
Iron Feet
The first day of flight went as planned. The great piece of machinery, the Zeppelin which has come to be called Los floated through the sky at 30 knots. Kalbe had set the ship on course. It floated gracefully through the sky, grasping an 100 foot shadow over the land.
There were three separate chambers, for resting. Then there was the cockpit, an 8’ by 8’ graffiti engraved compartment. It was aerodynamically placed under the front breast of the air ship. There was also the cargo bay, which was given a refrigerator unit large enough to stow six boars. An extremely small bathroom as well. Lastly there was a small recreational area, fit with a television that hadn’t been used in a century and a music system.
Sleep came easy in the three chambers. Kalbe and AnRak shared their own chamber, so did Tamoka and Yazl. Shielsia received her own chamber, given because she demanded. She did want Yazl to spend time with her, he declined because she snored. However Tamoka’s sleep habits hit literally hit Yazl in the face as she slept.
Night came, but peace didn’t. Shielsia only got along with AnRak and Yazl. She was terrified of Kalbe and simply couldn’t stand Tamoka. Eventually Shielsia remained alone in her brightly lit chamber. She was reviewing her golden bound bible for strength. She was in the midst of Galatians 6:Sow and Reap, when a knock jingled at her door.
She was sitting on her bed, and it was too much work for her to lift
her large bottom. “Yes?” She realized her saint’s cap was not on her head. Her long black hair flown nearly over her eyes, and down her back.
“It’s me Kalbe.” It was at first an arrogant tone through the metal door. “But, if you’d like I can leave you be…” He shown some remorse.
She shown him kindness and allowed him to come in. “It’s alright, just don’t try anything tricky!” Still with warning.
Slowly the metal door clicked and wavered open. Out step the tall, dark fleshed man. He was nearly blinded by the bright light of the room. Kalbe lived all his life in the dark slums of Yubel and never really cared for artificial lighting. His hand immediately grazed the light switch making the room pitch black.
“How dare you! Turn my light on this instant!” Shielsia thought she was at his mercy.
“Relax babe, we‘ll be to Everest by morning.” He had a twinkling smile, but that was all that twinkled. Through the slit shades of the window came in the moonlight. Kalbe told her to lift the shade completely.
The moon was large at this altitude and bright enough to cast shadow in the room. The sight so lovely Shielsia forgot about the frightening man. That is, until he sat beside her in the bed.
She went for her golden bible, but he placed his hands on hers, gently keeping it down. “I mean you no harm.” His demeanor calm and honest. He was finding she was harder to win over than the Hellian. “AnRak said you guys are like a family, constantly running from the law’s helm. Well I hate to break it to ya, but there’s no way to reverse that tide…” His glasses dipped to his nose as he looked at her.
“I’m not running.”
“I know babe, but-”
“Stop calling me babe!”
“Ms. Shielsia, then?” He titled his head, giving her a kind smile.
“That’s an improvement.”
Kalbe ruffled his hands through his grungy hair. “I just can’t figure you out, why ya so distant toward me?”
She had no answer she just looked away. They both knew the answer to that anyways.
“Right, cause I’m pure evil. Well ya know, maybe it’s just that I need a little bit of this stuff.” He smirked picking up the golden bible, single handedly. The book was heavier than he thought and it wobbled about in his one hand, tilting side to side, until it finally fell over his arm, flipping off the opposite of his elbow, hitting his cheek. A perfect mistake. “I meant to do that…”
Shielsia picked up the bible with both of her hands, opening it. “Are you truly willing to learn from it?” She opened the first page. Though he was a sinful wretch the word of the lord had to be passed onto all of those that listen.
Kalbe dipped his chin in a nod. Her soft voice began reciting the opening gospel according to St. Mathew. He thought it was angelic, bringing back memories to when his own grandmother attempted to teach him.
Mean while, dozens of feet away in the recreational room, Tamoka came in arms twisted behind the back of her head. Her elbows hugging the two horns above her ears. While the spikes of the elbows seemed to rest downwards toward her bicep. She just came from her room, attempting to wake Yazl, but the kid was like a rock.
“You know how to wake an 8 year old?” She asked AnRak stumped.
“Ha, let him sleep.” He was sitting back on a couch eyes shut, sleep came sparingly to him.
“Kay, lazy kid.” She noticed Shielsia and Kalbe were nowhere to be seen. “So where’s bubble butt and bubble brain?”
“Getting acquainted.” He smiled to her.
“Really? I didn’t hear any crashing sounds yet…” She shuddered thinking about that stupid golden bible. She was now on a quest to get rid of it.
With a welcoming smile AnRak gazed up at her, then patted his seat. “Perhaps we should as well, come sit.”
Tamoka couldn’t process these words properly. She looked away laughing. “Why, ya gonna pull my tail or something stupid.” That was how he treated her, like a child he could tease, but with these antics they built their friendship.
AnRak smiled standing up. His towering frame walked toward her. He too was amazed how far their relationship has come. From being locked up in Tendo, to spending nights in caves, trees and churches, even he grew. Not all Hellians were evil. Especially this one. Tamoka… Tamoka… “Tamoka…” He gingerly moved over her, wrapping his arms around her. He was careful to embrace her because of all her sharpness. However for such a fierce little creature she was warm.
“Ah-AnRak…” Tamoka squeaked, her tail fluttered upwards nervously, from the hole she had ripped in her cargo shorts. His massive chest, pressed against her warmly. Her own arms came up and wrapped up to his back, gently not to stab him. She cautiously, but instinctively relaxed her head on his chest, pressing her long ear against his heart. The beat was calm and collected, but with an awesome triumph.
For the first time in years, perhaps maybe the second time in her life Tamoka felt love… Before she was loved by her mother. Now there was this human, this strange righteous hero. He was not only like a lover though, he felt like a protector. Though it was Tamoka who occasionally protected him.
AnRak’s right hand lowered down Tamoka’s back, caressing the stiff limbs of her cape like wings. He went lower! Though it stopped at the small of her back. His other hand took her hand.
“Wha… What are you doing?” Her head backed away from his chest, gazing up with clueless crimson eyes.
His smile was reassuring as he held her hand upwards in his left at their shoulders. His thighs pushed into hers and led her into a careful waltz. The girl had no idea how to dance, but AnRak was always a just leader, teaching her as they went.
Her tail wrapped around both his right leg and her left leg. This gave her support and he smiled at this. Soon they were moving all about the room in the dance. Her three toes could barely be kept on the ground, which was okay, because AnRak lifted her up off the ground many times.
Soon the blue grey eyes and the crimson eyes met with an equal confidence. AnRak modified his own stepping for her clumsiness, but she complimented his kindness with sharp attention, getting the dance down to less than a stumble ever so often.
A metal door opened and out stepped Yazl. “Hey you guys!” He wanted to be part of the dance too. Tamoka and AnRak broke apart their hands, each one catching Yazl’s. Now they just traveled in a goofy looking circle, but it was fun for the whole family. They all ended up laughing at each other’s silliness. These laughs weren’t unnoticed.
Shielsia and Kalbe stepped in, astounded to see what was taking place. The saint couldn’t tell if it was considered a sin, while Kalbe couldn’t decipher the fun of it. He however turned to her, offering her a hand.
“Shall we?” He gave her a slick grin, but saw that it was not appreciated. “I mean, only if you’d like.” He held back, gasping the last of his sentence.
She shyly shook her head, keeping with the usual declination. The joy was great, but as you know, could never last. For within the cargo hold there was a man stowed away. He was the same person from the changing room, who had suggested Tamoka’s top. This man was staged in the freezer, his metal mouth piece completely soldered to his face.
He got out of the freezer, making a small thud. “Excellent, they are heading for the proper coordinates…” He had a small global positioning system in his hand. He then opened the screen to speak into it. He gave their coordinates and soon a black face appeared, veiled in shadows.
“Ah, it couldn’t be a better time.” The cruel voice of Lucifer spoke.
“They are a Wiley bunch, awake at night, so they will be-”
“No time for excuses, you’ve done well Ducard, pin pointing my prey.” There was actually a sound of joyful satisfaction in the hateful accent. “Now night is upon them and no creature shall up heave my demonic hordes!”
Ducard’s eyes became determined. “Don’t forget what you promised me!” He wanted to be cured of his leprosy.
“Yes, you’ll soon be like all the other worthless humans.” Twisted words as Lucifer ended his transmission.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Tamoka opened the cargo bay doors, finding Ducard.
“You were right?” AnRak was in disbelief to see they had a stow away.
Kalbe demanded the man give his name. “Who are you?”
“You don’t know, he was the changing room attendant?” She half asked.
“Sorry girl, but we didn’t have changing room attendant’s back in Yubel.” He chuckled.
Ducard backed against the wall defensively. “Stay away from me now!” He was filled with fear, since he was a child he constantly was met with misunderstandings.
“He’s a leper!” Shielsia announced accusingly.
“Ew…” Kalbe cocked an eye brow hiding behind both of the women.
“So?” Tamoka didn’t care to know what a leper was, she slowly approached him. “I knew something was suspicious about you… The changing room, hiding in the cargo bay.”
“Yes and I did it all for you Tamoka!” Ducard admitted.
“They’re in love?” Shielsia dim wittingly asked AnRak, who was an inch from slapping her.
“He must be after the bounty…” AnRak drew his sword. “Isn’t that right?”
Ducard pulled a handful of powder from his pocket. “I’m not a worthless mercenary-”
“Worthless huh…” Kalbe dipped his head, oddly being comforted by Shielsia.
Ducard continued. “No, I work for a greater power.” He tossed the powder at Tamoka, she slashed through the dust with her claws, but it seeped into her eyes blinding her.
“Argh! Why you little!” She slashed at the man blindly, hitting the walls, tearing them apart like tin foil.
“You should be out cold!” Ducard exclaimed.
Soon many screams were heard from the outside. These screams were soon followed by scratching sounds at the hull.
“Hellians…” Kalbe and AnRak both knew. The horrid sounds were as clear as all their memories of the war.
Quickly AnRak drew his gun and shot Ducard in the arm. The leper fell over grasping his wound tightly. Shielsia and Yazl helped the blind Tamoka out. Kalbe sealed the door trapping Ducard within.
The five of them went to the cockpit where they got a good few of the swarms of Hellians. They were flying about like idiotic insects. Their bodies red covered in black, or the other way around. They were constantly moving. They had horns some place on their head. The lucky ones had them above their ears, while others had them protruding their throats, making it a short life. Some were Cyclops, while others had extra limbs including more than one tail.
“Dammit, haven’t we got any weapons?” AnRak furiously asked.
“Well yeah, but they haven’t been in use for so long, it’s like…”
“Use’em now!” He pulled his black friend by the collar, then pushed him into the control.
“Yeah, yeah… I’ll try…” The ship de-cloaked itself. The large sheets falling onto many of the Hellian’s below, dragging them to their death. “Well that was a start… s**t on a s**t burrito…” His eyes became beads of fear.
“What is it?” Yazl asked.
“Well little man, does that look good?” He pointed to an oncoming storm.
“That’s Everest!”
“We’ve made it?” Tamoka sat up, her eyes blood shot and crimson, so they were just faded balls of pink.
“Nope…” Kalbe frowned. The ship was struck by lightning, but there was no damage.
“What the hell was that?” AnRak looked at the screen Kalbe was operating, seeing that they took any damage.
“Idono, but we have no guns… None of the computers are responding… They won’t activate!” Kalbe was fidgeting with the machine. Demons scraping against the window frightening Shielsia.
“Fine, I’ll just have to grab them myself…” AnRak was about to open the hull.
“Like heaven you are!” Tamoka reached for his wrist stopping him. “I’m going!”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Hello, wings?” Her wings twitched upwards slightly.
“Yo, blindness!” AnRak slowly pushed his hand against Tamoka’s nose, she didn’t see it coming as he nudged her.
“Nobodies going out there. Move!” Shielsia pushed Kalbe out of the way with her enormous hip and took the control throttle. She pushed it forward into full speed, ramming several of the oncoming Hellian’s into the front, squashing them as a ford F-150 would take out bugs.
“Well… That works too…” Kalbe admitted with a sigh. There was still many creatures scraping at the hull.
The bolt of lightning that struck Los, was not atmospherically discharged. However it did send a jolting current of darkness within the recreational hall. A man of evil, he was like a vortex of black, his cape cloaking his whole body in darkness. Slowly he was hovering toward the cargo bay. He opened it, seeing the pathetic and injured Ducard. “Where are they!?” Lucifer demanded to know. The tall man bending over, to step in.
“Cure me please…” Ducard begged, avoiding the obvious answer, but Lucifer was a cruel creature who demanded to be given an answer.
“Pitiful little whelp!” Lucifer lifted him by the neck as if he were a rag doll. He gazed into the man’s frightened yellow eyes. With this glare he was able to extract information from Ducard’s mind. “Well if it wasn’t that obvious.” He threw Ducard to the back and went to leave, heading for the cockpit.
“Wait… My cure…?”
“They are in my garden of darkness and you think you deserve blessing? It just so happens that I created this fate, you did nothing!” Lucifer claimed he had the powers of god, and left Ducard to die.
In the cockpit Kalbe was watching the camera screens, but not on the ones outside that the Hellian’s were ravishing. He eyed the recreational hall screen. It was completely black, with a grey apparition walking out of the cargo bay.
“Guys. We’ve got more company…”
“We’ll be sitting ducks in here!” AnRak drew his sword and opened the door, met by the tall, dark figure of Lucifer. AnRak lunged the sword at him. Lucifer hovered backwards away from him.
“You must be AnRak, killer of Tendo.” His ruby lips grinned, two large fangs baring over his bottom lip.
“Who the hell are you?” AnRak gripped his sword with both hands in front, tightly, glaring up at him.
“The Devil.” Lucifer grinned, lifting his arms outward, his cape bursting around him, wrapping the thick garment over AnRak’s sword so that it clung. He pulled the man toward him.
AnRak fought against this. He bit his lip questioning the ‘devil.’ “What do you mean you’re the devil?”
“I am Lucifer!” The darkness of Lucifer’s bearing cape overcame AnRak’s sword, now clinging to the man’s actual flesh, burning him.
The pain didn’t hurt as much as the name. Lucifer, the man who had torn AnRak’s life apart. The creature who killed his family. This was impossible, Lucifer died!
“So Creed actually succeeded in reviving you!” Tamoka leapt over AnRak, still over come by blindness she struck, but slashed at the hem of Lucifer’s sleeve.
Immediately Lucifer’s hand was around AnRak’s throat, crushing his wind pipe. Tamoka grabbed onto that arm and elbowed it. Her spike protruding right through Lucifer’s arm. In agony the hand around AnRak’s neck released, his sword was also freed too.
“You are a feisty one, your blood will be delicious!” With his other hand Lucifer pulled Tamoka to him, his face nearing hers, but went for her jugular. His mouth opened wide, massive fangs so close he could taste her.
But… Her own teeth clenched down on his ear.
“Ya gonnar pway durtee hugh?” She growled a mouthful, blood dripping down her cheek.
Shielsia and Yazl came in, but they hid behind the door after seeing what was happening.
“They gonna need our help?” Yazl asked her.
“No, no, no. They’ll be fine…” Her voice filled with uncertainty.
Lucifer pulled Tamoka’s face away by her hair, but she was latched on hard. “Get off of me, you brat!” His voice had an painful whimper to it. He eventually just pried her jaw open and threw her off.
Tamoka was nearly blind, but her nose still had it’s own keen sight. The blood in her mouth was not human blood. She backed away, dark blurs swarming at her. The light of the room provided a shadow of Lucifer. What ever came at her she avoided.
“Damn poison!” she cursed under her breath rubbing her eyes. In her right hand she held a small puddle of Lucifer’s blood. Blood of ultimate darkness, of unrivaled evil. With it she had no idea what kind of weapon she could conjure.
“I’ve got you!” Lucifer punched the light above, and glass rained in the room. Tamoka could not even see his shadow of a blur. He struck at her with his fist, but a bright rope caught his arm. “What?” He growled turning to see that he had been bound by a faithful holy woman.
“You-you stop this, stop hurting my friends!” Shielsia whimpered holding him back from striking the blind Tamoka.
“Shielsia…” AnRak pulled held his hand out to her.
Lucifer grinned pulling the girl towards him. “My, what a thoughtful little… big girl you are.” She was heavier than he thought, he grasped the white rope and swung her away.
Yazl went after the tall man. Lucifer picked him up by the back of his sweat shirt as if he were holding a stray cat. “Children too? HA!” He begin to clench the clothing, pressing it around the small boy suffocating him.
“Who’s next?” He grinned gazing about, eyes looking back to Tamoka. “How much do you care for this boy?”
“Yazl! Leave him alone!”
“I’d rather him die-” Lucifer suggested as he was about to pop the boy’s head off, but the whole ship began to tremble. The flying monsters outside had torn it apart and it was slowly heading for a crash landing.
Tamoka jumped Lucifer, she could only feel around, but managed to free Yazl from his grasp. “Run!”
“Impudent cretin!” Lucifer struck her in the face, but a crimson whip wavered around his body.
Tamoka managed the blood into another weapon, but it was the same whip she used against Creed. She hadn’t known that it was the same blood. She backed away and swung the whip toward Lucifer. He didn’t move or bother to dodge. He opened his mouth and blew out a gust of wind, reflecting the whip back to where it came.
“The crimson whip, Creed used such a technique against me as well, but he, like you under estimated my power.” He gloated. Crossing his arms over his chest. “Darkness come forth!” A mass of black materialized, it shrouded over Lucifer’s body.
“Tamoka watch out!” AnRak managed to gasp, holding his hand out to her.
“Cure me…” Ducard came from out of the cargo-bay. He was staggering toward Lucifer, his left shoulder still a bloody mess.
“Muahahahaha, you deserve to die with the rest of them!” Lucifer’s face was the only thing visible, the rest of his body enveloped by the shadows.
Kalbe walked into the shadowy room. “Hey guys, we’re crashing right into the storm, we got to aband…on…” He saw the shadow man and became silent with fear.
Lucifer launched the black mass at Tamoka. His obnoxious laugh was intimidating. Tamoka saw nothing, but the whole ship suddenly nosedived and she crashed into Ducard. The black mass slammed into the edge of the ship where Tamoka had been moments before and the whole wall of the recreational room exploded, becoming a moon roof.
Rain poured in from the storm. Shielsia, Yazl, Kalbe and AnRak held on tightly to the emergency doors. The bits of furniture slammed all about. Tamoka held onto Ducard, tumbling around the twisting room. Lucifer who regained his ability to hover escaped from the hole. His insane laughter was heard from outside. It was as loud as the pounding rain and thunder, it was part of the storm.
“We’re all gonna die!” Kalbe shouted, clinging to Shielsia’s hips, who clung to her golden bible. AnRak held Yazl protectively.
Tamoka escaped through the hole. She clung to the ship, trying with all her might to lift it. Her wings beat against the harsh winds, but it was an impossible feet, for a flea to lift a cat.
The great ship sank towards the ground. From the now flooded and sideways recreational hall, Kalbe managed his way to the cargo-bay by floating on Shielsia’s massive mound of rear. He climbed into the bay, the parachutes were on the side of the door, he reached and grabbed as many as he could.
Outside Tamoka, with all futility still trying to lift the ship, was suddenly assalted by many different blades. Her wings suffered many puncture holes. “Dammit, why always my wings!” She turned facing the grinning Lucifer.
The hovering man’s cape was wide open, twisting and floating like a sheet of blood. In his hand he held several black spikes. “This is how you use demon blood!” He let the spikes gingerly hover out of his hand, placed his hand over his lips and held his hand out, blowing Tamoka a kiss. The spikes came at her. Four arrows of darkness.
Two hit her shielding right arm, while the blade of her elbow sliced through the other two. “It’s still just blood…” She cringed in pain. Her feet clenched to the torn sheet metal.
The opposing darkness placed his right hand onto his wounded ear, soaking up the gushing blood into his glove. “Now you will face the sword of blood!” He formed a blade melding, it with his hand. Tamoka didn’t let him finish. She had to abandon her friends for her fight…
A terrible mistake, she flew from the falling ship, wind blasting at her, causing her own mind to quiver with uncertainty of her course of action. “Just die!” She swung, the rain cleaned her eyes a bit, so she had better view, but was sluggish. Lucifer backhanded her face, causing her to fall back.
“Time to harvest!” Lucifer’s sword of darkness was flowing, but the concentration disappeared as he took a shot in his chest.
“You cheated me!” Ducard was lifting himself with one arm, aiming a pistol with his other, shooting again.
Before Lucifer could make his next attack, the storm swallowed up the ship. Ducard and Tamoka were blown away from it. Both falling up and down from the powerful winds.
“Not her no!” As if Lucifer was debating with the storm. He lost sight of her and the ship. “I will take my leave…” He was certain they would meet again.
The large storm at the base of a previous Everest swallowed up Los and it’s crew. Tamoka and Ducard were blown from the ship by the storm. As her body was torn away, her heart clenched. Arm reached out, her three fingers stretching as far as they could. She saw AnRak consumed by darkness…
 Shielsia · Sat Sep 25, 2010 @ 08:10pm · 0 Comments |
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