Blood and Sand (20 page)

46

Just imagine putting high caliber bullets and sharpened stone arrow heads in a blender and starting that bad boy up. That’s exactly what’s going on now. Utter chaos. And I’m right smack in the middle of it. Well, technically the statue of Thoth is in the middle of it all. I’m just bobbing and weaving through it all.

BOOM! BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

I turn towards the ear-splitting sound, seeing the carnage left behind. The Tiger-woman is in pieces, Kane standing over her, twin cannons smoking. It looks like he took a claw over the left side of his jaw too, digging in and drawing blood. He’s going to have a wicked scar when it’s all said and done, that’s for sure. I doubt the man cares though. He’ll probably think it makes him look like more of a badass, and I can’t help but agree.

POP! POP! POP! POP!

POP! POP! POP! POP!

Nicole and Dad use shear volume to take out the bat-man, while Kane cuts the gorilla-guy in half with his .50 caliber rounds. They all take off running, reloading in the process, as another of the Nightmares moves in for the kill. The half-human half-hawk swoops down and almost decapitates Nicole, but she masterfully rolls and comes up shooting, twin Rugers roaring to life. Dad and Kane join in and they de-wing the flying freak, which plummets to the ground, smashing to bits.

CRACK!

I get whacked from behind, and forcefully thrown into one of the long standing columns. After blowing right through it, I come to a stop in a very painful and very, very ungraceful roll. I probably looked like one of those cartwheeling skiers who loses all their equipment going down a steep slope. I think the term is called a
yard sale.
Thankfully, I didn’t lose anything, primarily my arms and legs, although they do break horribly. They heal faster than the pain can register, but the sound of my bones breaking is unnerving for sure.

All of this happens while the monstrous Ares stands and watches. It doesn’t move an inch. Just the beast’s eyes move, watching as the fight unfolds. Waiting for his opportunity to join in.

A hand grabs my wrist and yanks me to my feet.

I turn and let lose a punch that would have killed a water buffalo, but hit nothing.

“Dammit, Hank!”

I look down and see Nicole on the ground. She must have ducked my wild strike and hit the dirt. Thank God I didn’t connect.

“Sorry,” I say and help her up.

She gets right to the point, “What do we do now? We need to get out of here before that thing attacks us.” She says motioning to Ares. “We don’t have enough ammo to slow it down, let alone take it out.”

She’s right. I’m the only one that can survive. The last thing I need right now is to watch my friends and father fall while trying to help.

“Fall back to the shaft entrance and get the hell out of here. Have Kane call in whatever heavy hitters he has available. We can’t let either of them make it to the surface.” She’s about to argue. “Blow the damn shaft if you have to. If I survive I will find another way out. I promise.”

I make sure she understands the meaning behind the ‘
I promise.’
I want to make it as crystal clear to her about how I feel.

“If I lost you I—”

“ARGH!”

Nannot screams and leaps straight at Nicole. If he gets to her there is nothing I can do. I do the only thing I can think of—I shove Nicole and send her to a hard, but survivable landing twenty feet away.

He lands in front of me expecting to tear into a very killable human being, but finds me instead. I’m just as invulnerable as he is, and I’m angry.

I land a massive blow to the side of his head, concentrating on a pressure wave between my fist and his head. I increase it exponentially and cave in his skull. I then grab his unmoving body and hurl him into the stone forest, breaking his body in countless spots. That should buy us a few seconds at least. At least I hope.

Kane and my father have joined me, having already helped Nicole to her feet. I notice she’s limping and holding her ribs. Damn. I knew I pushed her too hard.

She sees my concern, “I’m fine Hank. Thank you.”

“You sure?”

She nods, “Could have been worse.”

“Like how?” I ask.

“Like, dead.”

I know she’s right, but I still feel bad about doing what I did. I could have killed her if I reacted with any more force.

Then I come to realize something. Everything I do is basically based on my reactions and my emotions.
Could I use that for a better, greater good
? Something inside me says I can.
But how?

Okay, what are my strongest inner feelings? What drives me the most? I look around at this once beautiful world and then at the people who are with me.

My Dad is an easy one. I mean he’s my Dad. The guy’s my hero, no question. Even though I’ve never told him and would probably be too embarrassed to tell him to his face. The man dug me out of the gutter when I was at my lowest and gave me a job. He gave me new life, a purpose. One that I really love.

Kane has turned into a most trustworthy ally and partner in crime. The man has been by my side from the moment this crap started. He has never once questioned my judgment or stepped over any line.

And then there’s Nicole. The tough-as-nails, blonde bombshell with an iron will. She has forced a new emotion building within me I thought long dead. Love. I think I love the woman. The pain and agony she has felt in her life is like a beacon to me. I want to help her. I want to hold her. I want to tell her she’s safe—not that she can’t handle herself or anything. She’s proven that much and then some for sure.

My father, Kane and Nicole, I love these people. I would do anything for them. My family, my friend and my…something else. They are what matters most. And that emotion is what drives me now.

Love.

I know it sounds pretty cliché, but it’s the truth.

It’s like the way the three brothers loved their sibling, and how the mighty Thoth loved his son even after his treachery. They forgave him for what he has done. It’s blind, unconditional love.

I turn and look towards the very imposing form of Ares. He still hasn’t moved but is now looking in our direction, his saucer-sized black eyes looking at us. Wait, black eyes? They aren’t red or even bleeding. Nannot has no control over him. Come to think of it, his eyes weren’t bleeding when he first emerged from the forest either.

I get an unbelievably crazy idea, but decide to keep it to myself. I don’t think the others would approve.

“Go,” I say, motioning to the courtyard exit.

Before anyone can argue, I turn and walk straight toward Ares. The immense creature is even bigger when you’re less than three feet from its snout, which is eye level with me now.

It doesn’t move, or blink. It just stands there and stares. I lift my hand in a non-threatening posture, like I’m about to pet an unfamiliar dog. The beast lets out an almost nervous snort, but doesn’t attack. I calmly place my hand atop the tip of its nose and close my eyes.

FLASH!

I see more pain and torment. It’s the same as the others. The torture these things must have gone through is almost too much to bare. It’s sickening.  But Ares is different. I can feel something else in there. I can feel another consciousness, like a hidden brain within the monster’s brain. I feel an almost human presence in there. It’s like a person’s consciousness got plucked out of a body and implanted into this one.

I’m not sure if Ares can understand me, but I try anyway, “For the crimes against you, I am sorry, and for your crimes against humanity you are forgiven.” I project my feelings as much as I can into the beast. The love I have for my family and friends and the loss and emptiness I have inside of me for what Nannot has done.

“You are free from his will, you must feel it. He cannot invade your mind anymore. He has taken a new host and doesn’t have the ability to hurt someone of your strength.

He grunts when I say
someone
and not
something.

I continue, “The others fought on pure animalistic instinct, not feeling the difference. But you’re smarter than that. You’re stronger than that. Aren’t you?”

I’m guessing on the
not having the ability
part, but I believe I’m right. I think that’s why Ares never attacked. Plus, he being the
first and best
of Nannot’s Nightmares gives me the belief that he is stronger both physically and mentally, built with no weaknesses. I’m assuming that’s why his eyes aren’t bleeding like the rest and why I could approach him without losing my head.

PFFFF.

I open my eyes at the sound of a relaxing sigh coming from the obsidian bear.

CRASH!

The ground around us buckles and bounces. Columns tip and busts topple to the ground. The only things not affected are Ares and I.

“Is that all you’ve got!”
Nannot bellows, still putting himself back together. He’s standing in an impact crater that’s about two feet deep, having just landed from the air above. 

I look at my friends and then back to Ares. We both turn as one and face our foe. Dad, Nicole, Kane and even Nannot, all give me understandably confused looks.

Glancing back over at the rest of my team, who have since moved farther away, I shout, “Go,
we’ve
got this!”

47

And I thought Kane was an absolute beast! Nope, not even close. Ares is in fact an absolute beast. Literally. The Mac-truck sized black polar bear fights exactly like you’d think. He’s very ferocious and extremely unrelenting in his assault. He starts by running and leaping straight into Nannot, who tries and miserably fails to protect himself with a strong gust of wind. Ares falls from the sky like a giant razor blade missile, tearing into the wannabe god.

I guess finally having the ability to revolt against his creator without fear of reprisal is too much for Ares to handle. He does not stop, he just keeps clawing and slashing and biting Nannot, until there’s nothing left but a smear of gore on the stone floor. The broken pieces of Nannot are indiscernible and impossible to identify. Even the best CSI in the world would have no shot.           

HRRRN.

I glance over at Ares who just grunted in what sounded like concern. I then turn my attention to the direction he is facing and see the impossible. The limp and disfigured form of Nannot is moving. Well, twitching would be a closer description. Still, it isn’t good either way.

It’s then I see a leg start growing back where a bloody stump should be. I gag at the sight. Until now I’ve never actually seen what it looks like when one of us regenerates. It’s as putrid as you might think it would be.

I see thigh muscle weave itself back together, along with bone and other tissue. I can actually hear the slurp as the knee joint reforms and the sound of it audibly popping back into place. The other leg is also re-growing at the same rate, as are the arms.

Okay, this isn’t working. I need to change tactics. But what?

HRRRN.

Ares nudges my hand with his snout and forces his head under it.

HRRRN.

Huh, smart piece of rock. Then I remember that there’s human intelligence in there somewhere.

Maybe I can use the same mental will I tried on Ares, but this time on Nannot. Kind of like the
force
in that movie from a galaxy that was really far away.

I put my hand out and focus. I focus on all the good things in my life and the good things in the world. I visualize an invisible energy beam filled with these thoughts and feelings shooting out from my palm and hitting Nannot square in his ugly mug.

I get slammed back by a gust of wind, knocked to the ground, hearing him cry out in anger.

I sit up with a moan.

“Well,” I say getting to my feet. “It seems like I hit a sore spot. Good, let’s do it again.”

I try again, this time using both hands. I get into a more athletic position as well, digging my right foot into the ground, leaning on my left leg, but this time ready for the fight. I think of Dad and Kane and Nicole. I secretly wish they were here fighting alongside of me giving me strength, but I know deep down it was the right call to have them head back. Only one of us can come back from the dead.

I snap out of my daze as I get hit with a heavy-duty surge of wind, but thankfully don’t lose focus or my footing. I project my will into every ounce of strength I have, which is to say a lot considering I’m basically immortal.

“RRRAR get out of my head!”
Nannot shrieks and curses at me all the while increasing the intensity of his maelstrom. It’s like I’m in the world’s most powerful wind tunnel.

ROAR!

Ares moves in for the kill. I’m still in such awe by his morbid bloodlust. He honestly wants to slaughter his former master. He takes pleasure in it.

CRA-KOOM!

A bolt of lightning—the blood-red kind—hits home and obliterates a chunk of earth just as Ares is about to reach Nannot. The big stone beast gets thrown to the side and skids to a halt, taking out four or five of the royal reliefs that circle the courtyard.

I’m honestly in shock that anything could be powerful enough to take down Ares. The creature has seemed indestructible for the most part.

I continue my attack of
goodwill
, but take a glance over and see the now smoldering giant slowly getting to his feet. I can see a half-dozen fist sized craters in his right flank, but I’m not sure he cares. He just roars again and charges his enemy for a third time.

I can’t let Ares get destroyed. I need him as much as he needs me right now,
I think. I push even harder this time holding my breath, thinking it might help.

It does, but only a little. Another massive bolt of lightning screams down and sizzles past Ares, barely missing him and striking a column. It explodes in a shower of rock, leaving a three foot stump, the other nine feet are gone. Obliterated.

“Dammit,” I yell and flinch. That bolt was A LOT bigger than the last.

Let’s try something different.
I hold my pose, keeping my left hand extended out and bring my right hand up so I can see it. I close my fist and again visualize the energy I’m using. There’s just one change. I will the energy to appear. A strong green aura wraps itself around my hand, making its way up to my elbow and stopping. It moves like water but sizzles like an electrical current.

Just like the three priests used while trying to defend Atlantis from their brother.
I think to myself.
They fought and used a strange energy like this as their weapon
.

With speed that betrays his size, Ares moves in and grabs Nannot’s wrist, clamping down and yanking. Nannot screams in agony and is then thrown high in the air and lands 100 yards to my right. The mammoth beast roars and charges after him, the ground rumbling and protesting after every foot fall.

I hold up my other hand and encase it in the same swirling energy. Feeling bold, I hold out my hand Iron Man-style and try to fire a burst. I send a stream of the energy spiraling out of control and almost decapitate the statue of Thoth. If he had a five o-clock shadow I would have given the big guy a shave.

Okay, so I guess we will just stick with close combat fisticuffs.

I
tell
the aura to stay put and not recede and it obeys. It actually stays put! I even start thinking of random stuff, purposely lapsing in concentration, seeing if it will disappear.

Puppies. Harmonicas. Pizza. Toboggans.

Nope, it’s still there and glowing with the same power as before. I then tell it to extinguish and it does. Flame on, flame off. Despite the danger, I can’t help but smile, thinking this is pretty damn cool.

ROAR!

CRA-KOOM!

I spin and see Ares airborne again, this time landing hard and tumbling into the stone forest, smashing a dozen of the trees.

HRMM.
    

HRMM.
             

Oh damn, he’s hurt. Nannot actually hurt the goliath! I can hear Ares whimpering and moaning in pain off in the distance. Nannot then lifts himself off the ground and slowly drifts over to where Ares stopped. Through the psychotic laughter of the
real
Nightmare of Atlantis, I hear the sparking and popping of electricity. I can feel the static in the air, making the hair on my arms stand on end.

I look up, towards the cavern’s ceiling, and see a swirling cloud start to form, getting bigger and more intense by the second. Miniature crimson lightning bolts crack and shoot out in all directions, threatening to strike anything and everything.

It looks like he’s charging up for one more BIG blast
.

Not being able to do anything about the indoor hurricane, I look back down and see Nannot holding out his hands—one to the sky and the other in Ares’ direction.

I do the only thing I can do…I run.

I run and hope I get there quick enough to save my very unusual comrade.