Accidental Demon Slayers: Daughter of Darkness pt. 37

Kurt could feel the muscles in his back tighten as he walked through the entryway and entered the large, stone room.  He could feel his heart pounding, and a cold sweat had broken out on his forehead. 

Was he really ready for this? 

He had survived the attack on his office, and he had been involved in his fair share of battles, thanks to Bobby, but now he wasn’t just someone caught in the crosshairs.  He was an active warrior, thanks to the new guest that had taken up residence in his head. 

Doctore. 

He didn’t even know what he looked like yet.  He had no real idea of how this whole arrangement worked.  Ashtyn had seemed to adjust quickly, but she hadn’t had to do it while running head long into a battle against Grath and God knows what. 

Calm yourself.  Panic will only put you, and the others in jeopardy. 

Easier said then done. 

The sight of Grath made him pause.  The once imposing goliath was now bound to a stone throne, thrashing and tugging at his stone shackles. 

“What the hell is this?”  Clare glanced around the room, and Kurt could see the confusion in her eyes. 

“I… I don’t know.”  Bobby was looking pale, with sweat dripping down his face. 

Kurt glanced at Ashtyn.  She didn’t look much better.  He had to admit; he wasn’t feeling so hot himself.  It was like something inside of him was being tugged at.  His stomach was now just a series of knots, and he could feel a headache creeping up the back of his skull. 

Steady yourself.  This is not just nerves.  The temple is calling us out.

“Calling you out?”  Kurt’s voice was weak. 

“You heard it, too?”  Bobby glanced at him. 

Kurt nodded. 

Ashtyn was the first to fall to her knees.  She screamed in agony as a bright, white light erupted from her back. 

You can’t fight it.  Just understand that when I leave your body, we are still connected.  While our connection is not the strongest, it will be enough to aid you in battle. 

Kurt nodded.  Then his needs gave out from under him, and he fell to the floor.  Moments later, Bobby did the same. 

The white light was blinding, and when it was gone, and old man, with a long, white beard and wearing a brown monk’s robe stood in front of him. 

Glancing at Bobby he saw Juktha, her familiar form, now in flesh, and looking over at Ashtyn he saw a tall woman, with shimmering, cocoa skin with long, flowing red hair.  She was clad in a purple, toga style dress; a wide, metal belt was wrapped around her waist. 

“What is going on?”  The young woman looked around, confused.  When she spotted Grath, her eyes went wide.  “Father…” 

“Tabitha, don’t.”  Juktha looked at the young woman.  “This… this is out of our hands.” 

The old man standing in front of Kurt looked down at him.  It was Doctore in the flesh. 

“Remember, even though I may not be able to fight, we are still connected.”  He smiled at Kurt, then turned, walking towards the throne on the far end of the four, the farthest away from Grath. 

Juktha and Tabitha did the same.  The second they were seated, they too were bound by the stone shackles.  Unlike Grath, though, the others didn’t fight their bindings.  They just watched them, telling them through their looks that this battle was not lost. 

“Good, the gang is all here!”  A booming voice drew all their attention.  “I think it’s time we get this started, don’t you?  I’ve made Rita wait long enough.”

A skinless man descended down the wide, stone steps towards them. 

“Where’s your blonde friend?”  The skinless man glanced around. 

Kurt did the same.  Clare had seemed to disappear. 

“Too bad.  I wanted her to see me in my true form.  Ujin made man!”  He laughed, throwing his head back.  “And what a man I am!” 

Kurt could feel his strength returning, and he stood.  He spotted Clare as he did so.  Somehow she had managed to get behind Ujin, and was standing next to the altar. 

“I don’t think you’re all that impressive.”  Clare took a step towards Ujin.  “You have a flat ass.” 

Ujin turned, looking at Clare, “Oh, dear, I’m so glad you’re here.”  He smiled motioning towards Grath.  “Look, I’ll even give you a welcoming gift.” 

Ujin snapped his fingers, and two seconds later, Grath started to scream, and buried underneath his howls of pain, there was a faint whirring sound. 

Kurt watched in shock as a drill bit burst out of Grath’s chest, spraying him, and his friends, in dark blue, black blood. 

In moments, Grath went still.  A blue aura lifted off his body, dissipating into the stone walls of the temple. Instantly the energy in the room seemed to change.  It was like electricity was coursing through the air.  When Kurt looked at his arm, he found that the hairs were standing on end. 

“The problem with flesh is that it can be so easily destroyed.”  Ujin giggled.

“You son of a bitch.”  Clare seemed to radiate anger. “You rob me of the chance to avenge my friends death, you kidnap my boyfriend, and now you mock me?”   

Kurt had honestly never her seen her that angry.  It also gave the three of them a chance to regroup.  Quickly, they crawled to their feet, making sure not to draw Ujin’s attention. 

“What do we do?”  Ashtyn kept her voice a soft whisper. 

“This isn’t our fight.  Not yet.  We support Clare, and we try to get the three deities out of those damn thrones.  Got it?”  Bobby was eyeing the three chairs. 

Kurt and Ashtyn nodded. 

Kurt turned, his vision shifting, the same way it had shifted when he had spotted the demon seed in Megan.  There was nothing.  There was no weak point, no glowing anything.  The thrones were solid stone. 

“Shit.” Kurt mumbled the word under his breath. 

“Oh look!  Your friends are back in action.”  Ujin turned towards the three of them.  “How about we keep them entertained.  Oh little ones!” 

There was a soft rumble, and before anyone could react, a sea of small elf dolls seemed to rush the room.  

Accidental Demon Slayers: Daughter of Darkness pt. 36

Rita watched as Grath stomped back into the temple.  His smile was gone, and there was blood on the blades that jutted out of his wrists. 

“Where’s Elizabeth?”  Ujin stood just to the right of Grath’s throne, watching him. 

“Dead.”  Grath growled. 

“And the demon girl?” 

“I took care of her!”  Grath turned towards Ujin getting inches from the small elf’s face. 

The elf didn’t flinch. 

“The others are near,” Ujin walked towards the opening to the room.  “I think it’s time we prepare you for the ritual.” 

Grath sat in his throne.  “What?” 

Ujin smiled, and Rita slowly backed way, pulling Max with her as she did.  From the look on that little demon’s face, she knew something bad was about to happen. 

Ujin raised his arm, and clenched his fist.  Suddenly, stone clasps sealed Grath’s wrists and ankles to the throne. 

“What is this?”  Grath tugged at the stone clasps, but he couldn’t break free. 

“The energy from the gods created from the Light Scribes are required to open the gateway, and you Grath, my dear boy, are still a creation of the Light.  No matter how perverted you have become.”  Ujin turned towards Rita.  “Are you ready to take your place?” 

“No.” Rita shook her head, trying to move farther away, but the thick, stone wall stopped her. 

“To bad.”  The smile fell from Ujin’s face. 

He held out his hand, and slowly raised it.  Mimicking the motion of the elf’s hand, Rita found herself being lifted off the ground.  With a flick of his wrist she was sent flying across the room, her body crashing down onto the stone altar. 

The blow from the landing knocked the wind out of her, and she winced in pain.  She tried to rise, but some force was holding her down. 

She turned her head, and she could see Ujin walking towards her, taking each step slowly as his little legs made the climb difficult. 

“I swear this won’t be painful.”  Ujin began to pull off his shirt.  “It might be pleasurable, if you allow it to be.” 

As Ujin began to undress, he started to grow.  His doll façade fell away, and was replaced by glistening red muscle.  When he removed his pants, his legs thickened and lengthened, and she could see that he was anatomically correct. 

“Did you think I would continue this ritual in my earlier form?” Ujin laughed, his voice now deep, masculine.  “I doubt it would have been very useful.  My elf form is hung like a thumb tack, but as you can see, now I’m fully equipped to do my duty to the Nameless.” 

He reached out, his glistening, muscular hand touching her face.  “Oh, my darling daughter.  Your mother had tried to keep you away from me.  She knew the power our union would bring.  You, the last surviving Nameless, and me, their chief servant.” 

“Dau…Daughter?” Rita’s eyes went wide. 

“When I chose my path, I gave up my earthly body, instead taking a form that could easily watch this temple.  Now, though, that form is not needed.  This temple, and the two of us, will finally fulfill our duty to your ancestors.”  He smiled, and Rita could see the muscles in his face pull as his lipless mouth pulled into a sickening display of joy. 

“Rita!”  Clare’s voice echoed through the chamber.  “Rita, where are you?” 

“Don’t let your friends come in here!”  Rita screamed as loud as she could.  “Don’t let them…” 

Ujin gave her a hard crack across the face, and her vision went blurry.  Then he turned, looking at the entryway.  “Hurry!  Please, hurry!  All of you, hurry up!  Grath has me cornered!” 

When Ujin spoke, he sounded exactly like Rita. 

He leaned close, his face inches from her ears.  “You will not ruin this for me.  Now, lay back and enjoy as your father takes good care of you.”  

Accidental Demon Slayers: Daughter of Darkness pt. 35

Clare could see Brittany standing on the lip of temple, waving her arms over her head.  She couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but it looked like she was smiling. 

“How’d she get here so fast?”  Bobby was on his feet now, walking to the front of the boat. 

“She had a head start.  Guess she didn’t feel like waiting for you guys like I did.”  Clare turned towards Bobby and the others.  “You guys sure you’re ready for this?” 

“Yeah.  I think I’ve got a good enough connection with Tabitha.  We should be able to hold our own.”  Ashtyn gave Clare a half smile. 

Kurt didn’t speak. 

“Kurt, are you okay?”  Bobby walked over to him, placing his hand on Kurt’s shoulder. 

“Huh?  Yeah… I just have to get use to having another voice in my head, I guess.”  Kurt still seemed lost in his own mind. 

“You’ll get use to it eventually.”  Ashtyn gave him a pat on the shoulder.  “It helps to have a healer around.” 

“A healer?”  Clare looked a little closer at Kurt. 

“Yeah, back at the car Elizabeth cut some guy’s throat.  One of Max’s guys I think.  Kurt healed him right up.  Like nothing had happened.”  Ashtyn was nearly bouncing her seat as she described the gruesome scene. 

Clare felt her body tighten at the mention of Max.  When they had told her that Elizabeth had taken him she nearly freaked out.  She had left him by the van to make sure he wouldn’t be in danger.  She wanted him out of the way because she didn’t want to worry about him, but fate, and Elizabeth had other ideas. 

Clare turned back towards the temple, and suddenly her blood ran cold. 

Brittany was still standing there, just in front of the temple entrance, waving her arms over her head, a big smile now clear as day on her face.  That wasn’t what made Clare freeze, though.  No, it was large, hulking figure coming down the long, backlit corridor that led into the temple. 

“Oh God.”  Clare leaned over the front of the boat.  “Brittany, behind you!” 

Brittany was too far away.  She couldn’t here her.  Clare started waving her arms, motioning for Brittany to turn around. 

“What’s going on?”  Bobby was by her side.  “No…” 

Grath was closer now, almost to the entrance of the temple.  Clare kept screaming, “behind you!  Get out of there!” 

Finally they seemed to be close enough, and what Clare had been screaming finally registered on Brittany’s face. 

It was too late. 

Brittany turned just in time to come face to face with Grath.  With one forceful jab of his wrist he slammed the bony blade jutting from the top of his hand into Brittany’s gut. 

Brittany’s scream could be heard all the way on the boat. 

“No!”  Clare watched in horror as Grath lifted Brittany off the ground, suspended by the blade in her gut. 

***

Brittany’s whole body was wracked with pain.  Even with her demonic powers she knew that she wasn’t going to be healing from this wound. 

“Where’s my Elizabeth?”  Grath’s face was inches from hers.  His breath smelled like death. 

“Bitch is fish food.”  Brittany spit a glob of blood into Grath’s face.  She knew she was done for, so she might as well make it hurt him just as much as it was hurting her. 

Grath let out an animalistic howl, and raised his other arm, the bony blade seeming to glitter in the moonlight. 

***

“Kurt, we need to you to her!  You need to heal her!”  Clare couldn’t take her eyes off of Brittany. 

Kurt moved towards the edge of the boat, and was ready to jump into the water, when he froze.  Starring up at him was five set of little, glassy black eyes, attacked to porcelain white faces with rosy cheeks.  They’re heads poked out of the water just enough where he could see their razor sharp smiles. 

“Kurt!” Clare turned to him, catching a glimpse of the elf children watching them from the water.  “Son of a bitch!  Get out of here!  Leave us alone!” 

Clare grabbed an oar from the side of the boat, and started smashing the little elves’ heads in.  Even when she managed to destroy one, two more would pop up.  If Kurt jumped into that water, healing deity or no healing deity, he would be devoured in seconds. 

All four of them turned at the sound of Grath’s howl. 

“Oh God…” Clare’s eyes went wide. 

Grath’s free blade slashed through the air, hitting Brittany just above the hip.  In one smooth stroke Brittany’s body was sliced in half.  Her legs flopped onto the stone lip of the temple, her insides splashing next to them.  Her top half jerked once, and then went limp.

Grath kicked Brittany’s lower half into the lake, before flinging her torso off of sword.  Her upper half made a loud splash as it broke the surface of the water.  The water where her body parts landed began to foam and bubble as her still warm flesh was quickly eaten by the demonic, elf children. 

“No!”  Clare was screaming now, unable to control herself.  “You son of a bitch!  You fucking son of a bitch!” 

Grath looked at them, and smiled.  Then, without a word, he turned and walked back into the temple. 

It took all three of them to keep Clare in the boat.  She was out of control.  She didn’t care if she lived or died.  She just wanted to get to that island, and rip that motherfucker’s throat out. 

“Clare!”  Bobby was shaking her now. 

She turned to him, and saw the tears streaming down his face, down everyone’s face.  She wasn’t the only one who had just lost a friend.  They all had.  They had all watched as someone who they had worked with, lived with, and survived with was cut down in a brief moment. 

“Clare, listen to me.  You need to control yourself.”  Bobby was looking right into her eyes.  “Do you want to waste all your energy freaking out, or do you want to save it so you can kill Grath, and make him pay for what he just did to Brittany?” 

Clare looked at him, her eyes red and puffy.  She gritted her teeth, and stood up.  “He’s going down.” 

They all sat in silence as the boat neared the island. 

Accidental Demon Slayers: Daughter of Darkness pt. 34

Brittany stood, hidden in the entryway to the temple.  She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed.  Sure, she had an idea of what Grath was like from what Bobby and the others had told her.  She had seen first hand what he was capable of in the way Bobby had shut himself away from the world, but she had no idea that he could be that sick.  She still couldn’t scrub the image of Jean’s face from her mind.  He was insane, his body out of his own control.

Part of her wanted to rush inside, to start the attack now, but she knew that she didn’t stand a chance.  Even with her demonic powers, she was no match for whatever Ujin was, and she sure as hell didn’t want to end up on the business end of one of Grath’s tentacles. 

She did need know one way to help, though.  She could take out Elizabeth.  That crazy bitch was basically human.  Brittany could sense some of Grath’s energy on her, but not enough to make her a real threat. 

All she had to do was get her away from the others, and out of the central chamber. 

Brittany felt around in her pockets for something to throw.  All she had to do was get them to send Elizabeth outside to check things out, and she would have her chance. 

Her hand wrapped around something small and slimy.  She pulled it out of her pocket, and examined it.  It was the eye ball of one of those little demon/elf children that had attacked her and Rico in the Security Room.  She gave it a squeeze, and just as she had expected, it was solid. 

She bent down, and rolled the slimy, black blood covered eyeball into the temple, then ran for the entrance. 

She stood outside of the temple, pressed against the wall, listening. 

“What the hell is that?”  It was Elizabeth’s voice.  It sounded breathy, like Grath was already getting to work on her. 

“Damn it!  I had hoped my servants would have take care of the demon and her companion.”  That was Ujin’s voice.  “Elizabeth, go out there and make sure that demon bitch isn’t going to get in the way of our little… ritual.” 

“Now?”  Elizabeth again.  “I’m kind of busy!” 

“You can serve your master later.  Do your job, girl.” 

Bingo. 

Brittany pressed herself tight against the wall, slipping sideways just a bit, letting the shadows hide her.  She could hear Elizabeth’s shoes as she walked down the long, stone corridor that led outside. 

Brittany watched as Elizabeth stepped outside. 

“Why the hell do I have to…”  Elizabeth was mumbling to her self, kicking stones off the lip of the temple, and into the lake. 

Moving quickly, Brittany went in for the attack.  First, smashed her fist into Elizabeth’s windpipe, making sure that the bitch couldn’t call for help. 

Elizabeth turned on her, swinging wildly, gasping for air.  Brittany easily dodged to attacks, moving smoothly from side to side.  Elizabeth had some fight in her,  and even as she was gasping for air she was able to throw some pretty solid kicks towards Brittany’s head. 

With a thwack one of those kicks connected, the heel of Elizabeth’s boot catching Brittany in the temple.  She stumbled, nearly falling off the lip, and into the murky water below.  She had gotten cocky, and paid the price for it. 

“I am going to make you bleed.”  Elizabeth’s voice was a painful rasp. 

She held out her arms, her hands clenched into fists.  Two bony swords burst from the tops of her hands, ripping open the skin.  Elizabeth didn’t seem to mind though. 

“Shit.”  Brittany rolled as one of Elizabeth’s wrist blades came crashing down, nearly splitting her skull in two. 

Brittany spun around, kicking Elizabeth in the stomach, sending the woman flying back, and crashing into the side of the temple.  The kick threw her off balance, and Brittany fell, her face just inches from the water. 

The water began to move, then bubble.  Something was down there.  Brittany pulled back just as a smiling, snapping face shot out of the pitch black lake.  It was a swarm of those little elf dolls, and they were hungry. 

Brittany was able to get back on her feet just in time to see Elizabeth rushing at her, blade extended.  She had to think fast. 

Quickly, she dodged, grabbing Elizabeth’s wrist, and twisting it behind her back.  Then, with a swift kick, she kicked out Elizabeth’s feet, bringing her to her knees. Before Elizabeth could react, Brittany dunked the woman’s head into the lake. 

The water bubbled and frothed as the little elf demons devoured Elizabeth’s face.  Elizabeth’s body jerked as her flesh was ripped from her bone.  After a few minutes Brittany pulled Elizabeth’s head from the water. 

The woman’s face was almost completely gone, replaced by a partially chewed flesh and muscle.  One small, eager little elf child still clung to a flap of flesh that dangled from Elizabeth’s neck. 

“Eat up!”  Brittany kicked the rest of Elizabeth’s body back into the water. 

When she looked up from the bloody cloud forming in the lake she could see one of the ride’s small boats floating towards her, Clare at the helm, and Bobby, Kurt and Ashtyn sitting right behind her. 

The fight was about to start, and after that little tussle with Elizabeth, Brittany felt ready to go.