Demon Singer II (15 page)

        Ligny gestured to the dust cloud settling toward the people below. The crowd looked up in confusion and quieted down for a moment. A moment that passed as soon as the dust cloud touched them.

        Then they screamed. Ligny winced at the noise. He didn't mind loud suffering, but this was a bit much.

        The shimmering dust rose back into the air, and one by one the screams stopped. Ligny held a small bottle out and muttered some more gobbledy gook. In response the dust swirled into the bottle which Ligny promptly sealed and offered to Gar.

        "What you have here is a variation on what you just saw in the office. Three hundred souls are inside that vial and will stay there until you use them. And I have the perfect proving ground.”

        He could see the gleam in Gar's eye. The Lich said,

        “You have my complete attention.”

        “Just outside the city walls is one more cemetery that holds the four kings and all of the soldiers who died in the fight against Melody’s army.” Ligny said. “Here,” he shook the vial, “you have fresh human souls that you can use to raise those soldiers and send them against their brethren. That should be more than enough to absorb the attention of the Milleytes Lux.”

        “That's sick,” the zombie boss growled. “I love it.”

        “You will set that attack in motion, while I will lead the city's loved ones you raised from the cemeteries inside the city through the tunnels to the public service buildings. While Markhato deals with the chaos, I will deal with my weak minded brother and meet you out at your encampment immediately afterward.”

        “To be clear,” Gar said, “I will take both the dust and Tansyon's formula.”

        “Of course, let's go make an army.”

        Ligny led Gar and Zombie Dean away from three hundred fresh corpses.

*   *   *   *   *

        Noale Sabre seemed like a decent enough guy.  Upon discovering Ruby was the granddaughter of Markhato's favorite king, he begged her to stay at the palace. She politely, but firmly, declined, wanting to explore her grandfather's city. Sabre insisted on sending a protective detail with her.

        She had to hand it to them, they were hard to shake. She had been taught to evade the authorities by two kleptomaniac Knockers,  so shake them she did.

        Ruby wandered the streets of Markhato in a daze.  Her parents were missing, her brother didn't want her help and she just discovered her grandfather recently died fighting for this city. A place that she grew up associating with judgmentalism and intolerance, two things she detested.

        Joss and Anaya recognized their friend's need to be alone. She appreciated that.  She also knew them. They may have respectfully left her to her thoughts while exploring the city, but in the process she was certain they were casing several locations they intended to treat
dis
respectfully later.

        Looking to the top of the mountain, Ruby could see the Light of Markhato beaming into the sky. So many theories had been put forth to explain the phenomenon.  She didn't find any of them satisfying. How do you explain the mystery of a light strong enough to be seen from miles away in broad daylight - if you have the second sight that is - yet soft enough that you can be within a few yards of it and not feel any heat?

        Ruby knew she had visited the light once as a child in her mother's arms, but had been too young to remember. According to Emma, if you saw the light from more than about thirty feet away it was white. If, however, you stood closer you were able to see every color imaginable and a few never not seen anywhere else.

        Ruby's desire to be alone led her to the outskirts of the city. Soon she encountered a large cemetery. There were only a handful of people here, a young couple walking hand in hand, an old man sitting on a bench reading a book, a bald woman with a pretty tattoo of a fleur de lis.  Ruby headed for the cemetery entrance.

        The Gates looked brand new and the grass was young enough to indicate it had only recently been planted.  This was likely the resting place of those who died in Markhato's war. Ruby entered the into the quiet. The only other living things here were a fat chipmunk and a cluster of pixies tending some flowers. Ruby looked for her grandfather's headstone.

        She didn't have to look for long. Just inside the gate were four graves marked by a monument of four men.  She recognized her grandfather immediately.  Whoever the artist was that created the sculpture captured in the strong features of a man all the grace and joy of her mother. She had never met him face to face, at least, not that she could recall, but Ruby knew without a doubt this was the man she came to see.  A plaque rested on a stone pedestal before the statue. Tears sprang to her eyes as she read what was identified as an excerpt from her grandfather's own journal written on the night before he died

"My fellow kings and I agreed unanimously for the first time tonight, with war storming our gates and loved ones trembling upstairs.  Whether our last breath be quietly given many years from now, or violently taken in mere hours, our thoughts, our hearts and our breath, belong to the city we serve, the people we love, the people of Markhato."

David Westfall

King of Markhato

        "Grandpa," she knelt before the headstone that read David Westfall. Feeling a little foolish she had difficulty starting. "I don't know if you know me, but I'm your granddaughter, Ruby.  I'm so sorry that you...that you..." Tears threatened again and Ruby took a deep, calming breath and tried again.  "I read the plaque they put up by your statue. You died a hero, loving the people of this city. It's weird, I didn't even know you, what you liked, what you didn't, your favorite kind of ice cream or whether you had a favorite football team. Mine's Notre Dame, but really just because I heard they wear gold helmets.”

        She allowed a tear to ruin a path down her cheek.

        "David Westfall, for all the things I didn't know about you, this is enough.  You died protecting the people and the city that you loved and I'm proud to be your granddaughter.   I'm sorry I never got to know you."

        The tears were sliding down in earnest now, unchecked by silly pride.

        "I don't even know why I'm talking to you. It's not like we had a relationship. But for some reason, when I found out you were dead - I've always felt like there was this whole mysterious and exciting chapter of my life starring you and your city, and now it's closed and I missed it."

        "Miss Rain, you'll be wanting to leave this place."

        Ruby jumped and whirled in surprise at the strange voice. Two men stood not far away looking at her. One was unremarkable, average height, average build, average face.  The other was short, hairless and twitchy.

        "Who are you?" She asked the strange men warily.  "How do you know my name?"

        The average man smiled kindly. It made her want to trust him.

        "There really isn't time for introductions right now, Miss Rain. Within a few minutes, things are going to be getting considerably livelier and you will not want to be here."

        Ruby's scathing retort was cut off by an eerie chanting that suddenly filled the air. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and a chill caressed her spine.

        "What is that?" She directed her question at the men but looked around the large cemetery for the source of the chanting. The only person she saw was a large man at the far end of the graveyard, facing her direction. He was distant enough that she couldn't have heard him unless he was yelling.  So where was the chanting coming from? Looking closer she saw what appeared to be a shimmering cloud heading in her direction. Turning back she saw the two strangers hadn't moved.

              "Go find your friends, Miss Rain, you do not want to see what's coming." The average looking man said seriously.

              His tone was calm; even friendly.

              A feeling of dread overcame Ruby and she immediately sprinted for the entrance to the cemetery. Motion in the corner of her eye, churning sod and toppling floral arrangements, indicated something she refused to accept. 

              There was no way the dead were rising from their graves.

*   *   *   *   *

        Lyric looked to the side of Leviathan's head and saw a pair of blue jean clad legs disappearing into his right ear.

        "You think you can take me?" Acheron shouted boldly. "Remember the last time we wrestled? It didn't end well for you, Levi."

        "Vividly, lovely Acheron, but today is different."

        "How so?" The demoness demanded.

        "I know where your magic is."

        Acheron did not respond.  Lyric felt how unsettled she became.

        
HA!
Cadence's jubilant thought cracked across the tie.  Lyric focused on what she was seeing just in time to watch her hurl her spear into something soft and grayish pink. The red eyes suddenly grew very wide and the monster began thrashing and roaring.  

        Leviathan was in an agonized rage and determined to destroy everything and everyone present. Lyric listened closely and matched the monster's pitch and tone and sang carefully into the score.  Lyric's song was not the blunt hammer type he was often fond of. This monster was too big, too powerful for that. Instead it snaked around the snake, throwing back echoes and images of the ship it sought to destroy.

        The serpent began striking with teeth, lightning and its giant coils at the water where it perceived the carrack to be, which Lyric ensured was in the opposite direction of where it really was.

        Struggling to maintain a steady vocal line while trying not to fall down on the pitching deck was no small task.  Lyric sang carefully though, directing the Leviathan further away from their ship.

        He dimly perceived the captain shouting new orders and was suddenly shoved to the deck by Acheron.  The demoness lay her body across his, commanding him to keep his head down.

        A loud cracking behind him caused the Singer to look over his shoulder.  Two of the five large masts had been stripped of their rigging and their tops sharpened.  Lyric watched in awe as the Blue Men worked their magic and caused them to fall.  He saw then that rows of the ocean dwellers were standing with their arms up to catch the masts as they landed.  Suddenly the captain's boots were next to his head.

        "Your turn, singer.  We've provided the ammo, you be the gun.  Maybe that foul punk will go ahead and make our day."

        Acheron groaned as she got off Lyric's back.

        "Too much tv, captain, too much."  The demoness helped Lyric stand and smacked his ass.  "Alright dirty Harry, make me proud."

        Lyric looked out to where the Leviathan had finally managed to calm down enough to figure out it was attacking nothing.

        "ACHERON!" Its voice lost all trace of beauty. "You will come!"  It began moving toward the carrack, but Lyric was already singing.

        Closing his eyes he searched along the tie for Cadence.  As the original Verger, her strength was close to Acheron's, but it wasn't inexhaustible so he needed to draw on it carefully. He found Cadence, in darkness and moving quickly.  What was she doing?

        
Cadence, I'm going to attack. Can you get away?

        Do what you gotta do, Lyric, I'm working on something.

        Reaching out with his song and Cadence's strength, he hefted one of the enormous ice spears from the shoulders of the crew and launched it at the Leviathan.

        The beast didn't even flinch as the projectile shattered on his chest.  He opened his mouth wide and Lyric quickly threw the other spear at the deadly cavern.  And missed completely.

        "How the hell did you miss that?" Acheron yelled in his ear.

        "Not helping!" Lyric shouted back.

        The Blue Men stared grimly at approaching death and prepared to rush forward.

        Lyric's near miss had caused the serpent to close its mouth in reaction.  It didn't slow down though.  It raised itself high out of the water above the ship.

        
How big is this thing?
Lyric wondered.

        "You're seeing less than half." Acheron replied. "Why are you still singing?"

        
Plan B.
He answered.

        Before Acheron could ask what plan B was, the Leviathan struck.  Lyric's song jerked in response and the foremost mast snapped off and hung for a moment in the air at a slight angle.  His aim was excellent this time, the Score of Creation guided the mast exactly where it needed to be. The beast couldn't course correct in time and drove its left eye down onto the enormous ice spike.

        Rearing up in shock, the monster bellowed loud enough to deafen the entire crew.  Black blood poured from the injured socket and Lyric watched in amazement as Cadence appeared over the top of its head.  Leaping down to the mast poking out of the Leviathan's head she sprinted to the end and leaped off, trailing something behind her.