"He came to see me this morning."
"Well, where is he?" Haim asked.
"I don"t know exactly," Dina answered.
"So, he is missing," Uri insisted.
"He"s not missing, he needs a break," Dina argued.
"A break from what?" Uri grew impatient with the back and forth.
"From you!" Dina shouted, wishing she hadn"t said it. "Not just you, but from Rampart and everything else. He"ll be back ... eventually."
"What?" Uri gasped. "You let him go out there by himself? Do you realize Baal"s forces have been spotted in the area? Are you trying to get him killed?"
"I gave him potions-"
"Are you freaking kidding me? You gave him potions? I can"t believe what I am hearing from you. Every tracker in the world is after him, Dina! What were you thinking?"
Realizing the truth in Uri"s words, her heart sank. She feared that she, in fact, had been led astray by Calysta. "I guess I wasn"t."
Uri rushed to the door. Looking back at Dina, he said, "You better hope he"s all right when we find him."
"I"m so-" Dina"s tear filled apology was interrupted by a blaring siren.
Uri looked to Haim in a panic.
"The perimeters!" Haim shouted.
Before Uri said a word, Dina was suiting up in her leather and armor. "Go!" she shouted. "Find out what"s going on, I"ll catch up."
Uri and Haim were out the door in an instant.
Entering the area outside Dina"s door, it was as if a tidal wave of sounds had knocked into them; panicked cries could be heard all around. Fighting their way down the crowded halls, Haim and Uri could not imagine what awaited them in the courtyard. Uri called out in a booming voice, demanding someone in the crowd tell them what was happening, but n.o.body answered. Whatever was happening, people were more worried about their own welfare in that moment. Looking towards the opening at the end of the corridor, instead of the usual daylight greeting them, all they saw was a heavy gray smoke with random dark figures milling about within the cloud.
Emerging from the building, the larger picture came into focus. Across the courtyard there was a fire burning, Uri realized it was the great hall. Dozens of people were running past them, fleeing from an unknown force. Uri recognized a face in the crowd. Reaching out with his large and powerful arm, he stopped the small girl dead in her tracks, the force at which she struck his arm sent her flying backwards.
Haim reached down, picking up the girl with one hand, careful not to release his grasp on her.
"I know you," Uri said, staring at her for a moment longer, still unable to place the face. "Where do I know you from?"
"I"m in some of your friend"s cla.s.ses," the scared girl answered, her raven hair sticking to her soot stained face.
"That"s right; you"re the girl who has a crush on Gabe." Uri added, remembering suddenly.
"What? No-" the girl shrieked at the idea of her secret being revealed. That terror quickly faded away as she glanced over her shoulder and remembered what was chasing them. "We have to get out of here."
"What"s your name?" Uri pushed.
"Did you not hear me? We have to get out of here or we"re all going to die." The panic made her voice strain and sound as if at any moment she might burst out weeping.
"You"re going to die a lot sooner if you don"t tell me your name!" Uri barked, loosing what little patience he had.
"Uri," Haim moaned before shifting his attention to the girl that was struggling to release herself from his grasp. "Look, he"s in a mood, I would just tell him what he wants to know."
"Neru. My name is Neru. Now, will you please let me go?" she begged.
"Not before you tell us what"s going on," Uri demanded.
"Didn"t you hear the sirens?" the girl questioned, puzzled at how they did not know what was happening.
"Yes, of course, the perimeters. I am not an idiot. I"m asking who is attacking us!" Uri shouted.
"Demons- hundreds, no- there have to be thousands of them; they"re everywhere." Neru cried.
"That can"t be, our scouts would have seen a force of that magnitude and reported it ..." Uri"s argument was interrupted by a fireball rocketing past them, smashing into a fleeing herd of students. The cries of pain caused Uri"s spine to stiffen.
"Listen carefully," Uri began, reaching out and grabbing hold of the small girl, seeing she was distracted. "Are you listening? You need to go and find Dina. Do you know who Dina is?"
Neru nodded, her eyes filling with tears.
"Tell her Rampart has been compromised and we need to evacuate. Do you understand what I"m telling you to do?" Uri watched the girl for some sort of response, but she offered him nothing. "I said, do you understand?"
Forcing the paralyzing fear down into a hidden place, she at last acknowledged him. With the gravity of her mission sinking in, she stood up tall. Haim released his hold as she did. "I"ll do it."
"Then go, she should be near her chambers," Uri added. Neru turned and ran from where they were standing.
"We need to make sure Bishop knows," Uri said, looking at Haim.
"How can he not know? All h.e.l.l is breaking loose," Haim countered.
"You know what I mean, he needs to know it"s Baal."
"Baal? How can you be sure?"
"He is the only one who could gain command of a legion this size."
"Oh, G.o.d. What about Gabe?" Haim gasped.
"The best place he can be right now is as far away from Rampart as possible. We"ll have to worry about him later," Uri rea.s.sured his distressed friend.
Haim pulled the battle hammer from his belt. "So what do you want me to do?"
"Uri! Haim!" Raimie"s voice called out from behind them. "What in the h.e.l.l is going on?"
"Baal"s broken through the perimeters of Rampart," Haim answered, completely confident in Uri"s a.n.a.lysis.
"That"s impossible. The scouts-" Raimie began.
"That"s what I thought, apparently it"s very possible," Uri explained.
"Where"s Dina?" Raimie asked instantly.
"She"s fine, we just saw her. I sent Neru to tell her what was happening and that she needs to start evacuations," Uri explained.
"Who?" Raimie asked confused.
"n.o.body, just some girl. Does anyone know where Sophie is?" Uri inquired, the previous evening"s kiss no longer anywhere in his thoughts.
"Uh- yeah, I think," Raimie answered, shaking his head as if physically trying to get his thoughts in order. "I saw her this morning and she said she was going to the infirmary, she had a terrible headache."
"Ok, good. That will be the first place they evacuate, so she should be fine," Uri continued. "Raimie, we have to get word to the council about what is happening here. Can you get to Bishop and tell him he needs to contact them? Haim and I will do our best to help hold them off while everyone evacuates."
"Of course," Raimie answered. Immediately, he turned and began pushing his way through the crowds towards Bishop"s office, calling out over his shoulder. "I"ll be back to help you guys as soon as I can."
Haim looked at Uri, a question in his eyes. They had fought side by side for so long that it didn"t need to be spoken. Instead, Uri knew Haim was asking if he was ready. Gripping his weapon, which was now glowing brightly, was all the answer he needed.
Running forward into the smoke, a hundred yards in, their weapons were met with a clash of steel and tearing flesh. The demons burst into fluttering piles of ash and flame as their swords sliced through them. Confidently, the men bounded further into the battlefield.
The earth began to shake and tremble beneath their feet. Uri thought perhaps it was an earth quake until he heard his friend"s voice.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Haim groaned.
"What is it?" Uri called back, squinting as the smoke stung his eyes.
"They have a hydra!"
"Huh?" Uri gasped in disbelief. Taking a step closer in Haim"s direction, he peered into the distance, trying to make out the dark figure that loomed above them. As the air began to glow orange, Uri soon realized that what he saw were the flames coming from one of the beast"s five heads.
"Oh, s.h.i.t!" Uri cried.
"What do we do?" Haim asked, his brutish tactics no match for a hydra.
"This is the stuff Sophie"s good at, d.a.m.n it!" Uri grumbled. "Just kill as many of them as you can. Love you, brother!"
With those final words, Uri pushed deeper into the mob of demons. It was hard to determine where one monster ended and the next began. Their eyes glowed, their teeth gnashed, hungry for flesh. It only took a moment for Uri to be lost in the sea of unholiness, losing any sight of his friend.
Uri took stock of his situation. Circling above his head was an alp, a trail of smoke streaming behind it. Alp"s were known for haunting one with nightmares. Uri knew he had to keep his guard up and not allow the creature into his thoughts. A bajang was creeping closer to his left. Its feline features did nothing to soften the glare of its exposed fangs. He knew, given the chance, the bajang would suck every last drop of blood from his body. Behind the bajang was a cl.u.s.ter of cambion, their skin blue in color, their skeletal-like frames shaking as they screeched a high-pitched battle cry. A cambion was the offspring of a human and succubus; they had always turned Uri"s stomach.
To Uri"s right were three goblins; their skin was a putrid green, which appeared to always be secreting a slimy fluid of some kind. The goblins clutched their daggers tight, cackling as they prepared to attack. Directly in front of him stood a rokurokubi, which caused Uri to do a double take, at first thinking perhaps Baal had recruited a human.
The male foe was the first to attack, running towards Uri and swinging wildly. As Uri brought his green, glowing blade towards the man"s throat, he was surprised to see its neck flex backwards and to the side, growing at least six feet in length. The being laughed at Uri"s failed attempt to slice its jugular. Uri quickly realized he was not dealing with a human. Instead, he had come face to face with a being he had only ever read about in books. A rokurokubi by all appearances was merely a human, a character trait that allows them to blend into society on Earth. They have an amazing ability to extend their necks to unnatural lengths, a handy trick they use to spy on the humans and report back to their demon masters.
Uri stumbled, careful to avoid the swiping blades of the goblins. After a.s.sessing the dangers, Uri was prepared to destroy the ravenous cl.u.s.ter of demons, and they were all prepared to do the same to him. Lunging forward at the rokurokubi, this time Uri was prepared for his evasive maneuvers. He watched as its neck stretched, the shades of its flesh turning an eerie white as it did. Uri was not trying to slash again at the man"s throat; instead he had his aim focused on the creature"s chest. Pushing his blade forward, the heel of his hand thrusting at the b.u.t.t of it mightily, Uri knew exactly where to penetrate to slide between the ribs. Slicing into his chest with great precision, Uri pulled the blade back out and brought it to rest at his side. His movements had been too quick for the rokurokubi to see.
Thinking the Guardian had foolishly missed again, he started to laugh, but instead of laughter exiting his mouth, there was simply a gurgle. The monster"s blood had already begun to seep into the lung Uri had sliced. Rather than wait for the being to die the slow and agonizing death it deserved, Uri stood and swiped at it"s now exposed, lengthened throat. Cutting clean through, a spurt erupted from the beheaded neck before the body fell to the ground with a thud. At the sight of the fallen demon, the cambion increased the intensity of their shrieking. Uri fought the urge to cover his ears.
Looking in their direction, a glare in Uri"s eyes caused them to hiss as they coward briefly. He was prepared to put an end to them, but the bajang had other plans. The creature moved as though he were floating. He swiped at Uri"s chest, and though he missed his target, his claws managed to grab a piece of Uri"s arm as he pulled away. Uri winced, the wound only angering him.
The goblins were too hungry for Uri"s flesh to resist the fight any longer. Seeing their opportunity after Uri was injured, the three moved in for their attack. Sensing the blade as it sliced through the air, Uri fell to the ground under its reach. In only a moment, he was back on his feet; it was as though his injury did not faze him. The goblins growled with fury at the failed attempt.
"He"s mine!" the bajang shouted furiously at the goblins. They hissed and howled in contempt at the command, but it was clear who ranked higher as the threesome backed away. Their attention was quickly refocused on a group of freshman guardians that were fleeing.
"Run!" Uri bellowed as he saw the beings give chase, unable to shift his attention away from the bajang.
"Are you ready to die, Guardian?" the creature proposed.
"Not today. But you"re about to meet the end," Uri replied, his arm finally beginning to sting from the scratch.
"The Guardian is going to die, he"s going to die- yesss- he"s going to die," the cambions taunted from behind the bajang.
"Will you shut up already!" Uri shouted back as he dodged another attempt from the bajang. "If anyone wanted your opinion, they would ask."
The cambions cry reached a feverish pitch in response to Uri"s words. The bajang didn"t hesitate to move in, piercing Uri"s side with its claws. The shallow wound was not life threatening but painful enough.
"d.a.m.n it!" Uri growled, climbing back to his feet.
"What"s wrong? Not up for the challenge? What a disappointment you are. I"ve heard all these stories about what great warriors Guardians are. I must have run into the underachiever," the bajang laughed.
Ignoring his words, Uri looked at the cl.u.s.ter of cambions. Without hesitation, he stood tall, paying no attention to the pain from his arm and side. He placed his hands into a circular shape, thrusting forward. With a mighty jolt, Uri shouted, "In ignem." His voice echoed as a fireball shot from his hands, engulfing the cl.u.s.ter of cambions.
Their flesh consumed with the flames of his mighty spell, the cambions cried out in horror before they disappeared in a cloud of dust. Weakened by the powerful spell, Uri fell to the ground heaving in pain. Seeing its opportunity, the alp attempted to penetrate Uri"s thoughts, and with great success. As hard as he fought, he could not avoid the images that invaded his mind. The alp showed him glimpses of h.e.l.l, of all the souls Uri had failed to save. He could feel them clawing at him, trying to pull him under into the unearthly abyss. The terror and overwhelming heartbreak he felt made him want to give into the mobs desire to consume him. In his state, he did not see that the bajang was coming in for the final blow.
The bajang leapt on to Uri"s chest, violently striking him. It wasted no time sinking it"s fangs into Uri"s throat; it drank a deep and satisfying gulp of the hero"s blood.
The bajang released his bite for only a moment, throwing back his head and preparing himself for the final draining blow. Uri, still lost in his hallucinations, did nothing to defend himself. The bajang swooped down, and just as his fangs were about to pierce a fresh piece of flesh, its head was removed from its shoulders, courtesy of a mighty swing of Haim"s hammer. Haim then thrust the same, blood-drenched weapon into the air, rocketing towards the alp. Though it missed, the near contact sent the alp fleeing towards the next helpless victim.
"Uri!" Haim shouted, shaking his friend who was still consumed by the lingering horrific visions. "Can you hear me?"
"Haim?" Uri coughed. "Is that you?"
"Man, we got to get out of here! The hydra is burning everything in sight and nothing we throw at it is working. We"re too outnumbered," Haim explained.
Uri realized his friend was right; there was no way this was a fight they were going to win. "Help me up."
Haim did as his friend requested. Dodging attacks, the pair made their way back to the temporary safety of one of the nearby stone structures.
"Now what?" Haim asked, ready to follow whatever his trusted comrade suggested.
"Now, you get out of here," Uri commanded.
"What?" he asked confused.
"We"ve lost this battle. Go help Dina get as many out as she can," Uri answered.
"What are you going to do?" Haim asked, not pleased with his orders.
"I promise, I"m not far behind. That hydra is moving in towards Michael"s office, I just need to make sure Bishop and Raimie get out of there, and then I will follow. Be sure everyone is using different escape paths. The trackers will be looking for our trails and trying to follow us. No one goes directly to any of the manors. Follow protocol and after the danger pa.s.ses, we"ll meet up at Iron Gate."