Of Kings and Demons (26 page)

A lull followed before tremours shook the
building. Floor tiles popped like ripe popcorns as the pillars squeaked and
wall-mounted lights fell. Eugene held his breath and kept up his prayers.

Bruno joined them in with one audacious dive. He came to within a yard of
Eugene but was immobilized, glued to the spot.

“Never knew you know trickery,” Bruno grimaced as he tried to break free.

Eugene ignored the remarks and focused his
energy on his final summon for help, his last distress call. Blood was now
streaking from the corner of his mouth.

“I remembered what you did to me,” Bruno
said, as his wings flexed. With a roar, the Demon raised his claws, ready to
crush the Guardian Angel. His talons were just inches away from Eugene’s
silvery hair when something grabbed the creature’s arm.

Bruno was stunned. He swung around to see
the statue of John Winthrop, one of the eminent Americans honoured at the
Congressional building, alive! Bruno received a disapproving glare before he
was thrown to the floor. All around, statues had come to life and joined in to
battle the gargoyles.

Eugene grinned. The guardians of congress
had responded to his call for help! Eugene had heard about the Guardians of Congress
from senior Angels. They acted as custodians of the venue, asleep but vigilant
and ready to help. When the statues were first constructed, they were all
blessed with the powers by the Angels, who bestowed on them the powers to guard
the sacred venue of the legislative power, Congress.

Eugene had a showdown with a startled
Bruno. His hands were steady and his faith like rock as he smashed the torso of
Bruno and crushed the head of the demon like a nutmeg. The dissipation of the
Demon’s life was accompanied by a long groan and a whiff of darkness that
spiraled into the air.

 It was a long battle and when the hour
lapsed, the guardians eliminated the battalion of gargoyles, smashing the last
of them to fragments. Eugene dropped his head in relief and slumped to the
ground. He turned to Walter, who had had extended his arms. Blood streaked from
governor’s temples and his nose was swollen from punches. He had survived, and
flashed the winner’s grin despite the ugly wounds.

The pair embraced. They had survived.

  “Thank you, Angel” Walter grimaced.

  Eugene nodded and remembered an unfinished business. He stood by Walter
and turned to face his savior, the traditional Guardians of Congress. In
unison, they bowed their thanks. Eugene’s back ached, his limbs were numb and
his face wet with blood and sweat. His white eyebrows were stained red and
grey. He was spent but he held his bow, a gesture of deep thanks. The statues
of great men, who all had rendered exemplary service in their life, had saved
his in their afterlife.

“Thank you Gentlemen, it was a great honour
to fight alongside you.”

They acknowledged in unison and returned to
their anointed positions and froze. Eugene patted Walter on the shoulder.

  “Governor, now do what you came here to do.”

Maganus the Wise struggled to his feet like
an aged man. For the first time in ages, he felt ache in his limbs; the price
to pay for walking on earth as an Angel. He took a long moment to align his
senses and gather his powers, that familiar warmth in the chest. Then he heard
the familiar deep-throated laughter that turned his stomach cold.

Before him stood the Amazonian Eberhard,
whose sinewy limbs swung like iron clubs.

Maganus shook his head. “You sure have timed your appearances well.”

“I had been waiting, Maganus.” the gargoyle
roared as he flexed his hands with a crackle of the knuckles.

Maganus unclenched his fleshy fist and
murmured in concentration. His trustworthy shimmering battleaxes materialized
in his hands.
I’m not sure if I have the strength, my choices are limited. I
might have to sacrifice myself to save the rest.

“There has to be an outcome today,” Maganus
whispered as belligerent Eberhard glared. “May there be a surviving victor to
announce the outcome.”

#

With aplomb and poise, Jin marched to the
front, shoulders squared and chest firm. His sinews pulsated with adrenaline as
he wielded the indomitable Adam’s Bow. With an icy-cold stare, Jin positioned
his bow and aimed at the advancing columns. Gently, he wrapped his fingers on
the string and pulled. Upon his release, trails of fire raced across the fields
and sliced through the Demons’ formation like a knife into melting butter.

Dozens fell and the hysteria led to a
stampede with Familiars and Demons of all sorts dispersing. Count Raum remained
steady and cracked his whip a lash of which turned countless beings into ashes.
Calm returned as the Demons gruidgingly regrouped with speed.

“Bravo, Jin.” Gwyneth cheered like a little
girl despite her injury.

Jin had no time to join her celebration as
Count Raum taunted him from afar. “Anymore tricks, Jin?” With a calm purpose,
Jin looked to the sky and commanded,

“
Incendia of Polus. O commodo mihi
vestri vires
.” Fires of Heavens. O’ lend me strength
.

Strong winds raced across the plains as Jin
lifted his bow. With steady hands, he aimed once more at the Familiars. As he
released, a blanket of fire spammed from his weapon and descended on the armies
of Demons, setting them ablaze.

The dark field turned into a sea of furious
orange which allowed Jin to gauge the size of the army of Demons. He shook his
head at the sight. “If there had been a full charge, there is no way we could
withstood the onslaught,” he said.

“But your heroic act won a reprieve,”
Gwyneth said.

“Only a brief one,” he replied as he turned
around to face his companions.

Gwyneth gasped. The sheen on his face had
transmuted into a deathly grey. “Your powers …” she said.

Jin nodded. “I am spent. I can do no more.”

“I will take them out,” Mathew said.

To which Jin whispered, “Just stay alive. I
beg of you”

Jin’s plea stopped Mathew in his theatrics. In strained calmness, Mathew
asked

“Are we going to have more help?”

Gwyneth turned to Marz. “Our friends?” she asked and the white wolf
responded with a powerful howl that pierced the eerie silence.

“What is that for?” Mathew asked.

“Our friends are here!” Father Bellator exclaimed.

As if on cue, a beating of drums erupted,
followed by a chorus of blaring horns.

Gwyneth’s was full of smiles as she declared“The
Dwarf Lords.”

“Dwarves? Is this a joke?” Mathew blurted.

“Do not be rude, Mathew. They are Allies of
the Angels,” Father Bellator explained. “It is a friendship that dates back to
the first civilization of mankind.”

The nearby trees begun to stir and a stream
of light shone through the woods as the ground quivered with the wild thumping
of galloping horses. Mathew stood mouth agape as shapes materialized and
gradually columns of friendly forces filled the field around them. The boy
stared in wonder at the dwarf lords who came on their trained ponies and wild
boars.

#

As the new arrivals turned up, Mathew was
floored. Before he asked, an equally surprised Jin had turned to Gwyneth. “It
cannot be. They had sworn seclusion centuries ago.”

        “They came to honour their promise to an old friend.” The White
Angel explained.

“They had vowed never to meddle in the
affairs of mankind,” Jin reminded her.

“A vow,” Mathew repeated. “Why?”

Gwyneth explained. “They used to be close
friends with the humans, many ages ago. They fought alongside your ancestors,
the Kings and nobles of the human race. They bled for your race and fought
without asking for a reward. However, in the moment of victory, man turned
ungrateful.

“That hurt their trust and the alliance
crumbled.”

“What did we do?” Mathew asked innocently.

“A foolish act of grievous proportions for
everybody. In their pursuit of mindless developments, man had forgotten about
their friends and destroyed the natural habitat of the dwarves, nature, and the
very yoke of Earth. Their homes were crushed with their clans shattered. But
their dislike for man has not disrupted their bond with the Angels. It was I
who summoned them, not the man. They will serve our cause, my friend.”

As she spoke, legions of dwarves formed up
in columns.

“There aren’t very many of them,” Mathew
said. “How are we—”

“Be considerate, Mathew!” Gwyneth said.
“There may be only about a hundred or so, but their presence alone is a boost
to our strained morale. Do you think you can defeat the Demons singlehandedly?
Careless remarks were not what we looked for in a future King.”

Mathew felt dumb and wished he had a hole
to hide. His words had earned him looks of disdain. Mathew murmured his
apologies as he studied the newly-arrived army. The riders were rotund figures,
no more than five feet tall and their rides were sturdy ponies of brown and
black, and the boars.

The dwarves carried proud expressions
befitting their ancient warrior class and were dressed in silver armour and
seasoned robes of gold, black, white, and blue. Their accoutrements of war, the
repertoire of swords, battle-hammers, and battleaxes lent them an air of
formidability. They had stolen the moment with their gallantry and the Demons
came to a standstill, unsure about their next move.

A figure with elaborate armoury and sword
in hand steered his mount towards Gwyneth and Mathew. He dismounted and bowed
in deference in front of the White Angel, then nodded at the boy.

Gwyneth returned the gesture and said, “My
friend, your arrival is timely.”

“Alfred, Lord of the War Dwarfs at your
service, Lady Gwyneth.”

“My gratitude is deeply felt, Alfred,” she
said and touched her chest with a fist.

        “We are honoured as always,” the dwarf lord declared before he
offered his humble greetings to Jin and Father Bellator. He turned to Mathew
and casted a wary scan.

“A kingling?” Alfred asked, his moustache
fidgeted as he scanned Mathew with his sapphire-blue eyes.

Mathew shuffled his feet but said nothing.

“They are still worth your labours?” Alfred
said.

“They are the hope for humanity.”

The dwarf lord shrugged. “That fact is not
worth verifying. I came because of you.”

Mathew cringed and recalled Gwyneth’s story
about how badly the forefathers of humans had treated the dwarves. He opened
his mouth to speak, but a war cry signaled that the battle was about to begin.

#

“Your friends have brought reinforcements,
Sarah,” Lord Barbatos said in a crisp voice as he watched battle scene unfold
from his study.

Next to him, Sarah was a trembling doll.
Barbatos whispered her name and she jumped.

“I am sorry I’d frightened you.” He
apologized with a smirk.

“Don’t hurt them, Lord Barbatos.” Sarah
pleaded.

“It is war. It is unavoidable.” Barbatos
explained with tight smile.

Sarah pleaded but the dark lord was peeved,
always so with tears which was a sure sign of human weakness. He put his hands
on Sarah’s shoulders and gently massaged them.
It will be a real shame if
you have to die tonight.
I have had such fun with you, like a conjurer
with a wooden puppet and twitching its limbs at my whim. However I need to know
your prowess. Show them, Sarah. Show them!

“Your brother is with them,” he said, his
voice like silk.

Her eyes roamed the fields as Barbatos bent down. “There is t one full
legion of Demons down there.”

Sarah shut her eyes and then lowered her
head in silent prayer.

“Prayers are for losers, Sarah.”

Sarah stopped, befuddled and searching for
words.

“Prayers cannot save your brother. Once
Count Raum gives his order for a charge, it will be all over.”

The tears continued.

“Your tears burn my heart.”

“Don’t hurt my brother.”

“You want him to live?” Barbatos asked, his
hands stroking her hair.

“What is it you want?” she asked as rolls
of tears wet her cheeks.

“Save him. Show me your prowess. You must
have some powers?”

Sarah wiped her cheeks.

“ I don’t…I don’t understand.”

“Your powers.”

“What powers?”

Barbatos found a stream of acid fury
creeping up his throat.

“You should know.”

“I don’t.”

Barbatos clenched his fist and rose to full
height. His face is now a mask of scathing indignation.

“You are lying!”

Sarah shook her head.

“I will be your catalyst, Sarah.” he said as
the girl broke in loud sobs.

He would have delivered a firm smack if not
for an incident on the battlefield.

#

As the dwarves lined up for war, commotion stirred
within the woods. A shroud of blue light grew over the ominous trees into a sea
of illumination. Gwyneth crossed her heart in thanks. Hundreds of Tree Fairies
had arrived. Dressed in resplendent robes of flowing blue and yellow, their
flipping wings formed a sea of glitter that held the dark vibes in check. One
of the fairies, a lady larger than the rest, flew over and curtsied to the
White Angel.

        “Catherine, Queen of the Tree Fairies, thank you.”

“Gwyneth, it is our honour to fulfill this
agreement.”

The Queen glanced at the hordes of demons and
registered a worrying frown.

“They are on the rise again. My heart
trembles at their ascent.”

“The human race is weak,” Gwyneth said.
“They need us.”

Catherine smiled. “Intelligent beings but
they are too selfish and ungrateful. Only adversity will refresh their memories
of friends,” she said, her eyes running over to Mathew. “Who is behind all
these madness?”

“Barbatos,” Gwyneth said.

The mention of the name immediately dimmed the illumination emanating from
Queen Catherine.

“You fear? You are not alone,” said Alfred,
who joined them.

“Alfred?” Catherine said. “Alfred of the
Ancient Dwarves? The A
ntiquus?
”

“Queen Catherine, I am glad you came.”

Jin stepped up. “My friends, your arrival
matters to us. Now let our fighting do the talking,” Jin commanding voice
resonated through the air as he drew his sword. The Angel cupped a palm to his
mouth and unleashed a roaring call to rally the forces. “Friends of Angels,
this battle concern the future of the Earth; the future of human civilization.
We have been through such darkness before and triumph. We will triumph today.”

#

Maganus stood in awe of Eberhard’s
strength. Fighting on the demons’ terrain is always disadvantageous for the
Angels, a painful handicap while the dark ambience nourishes the Demons. He
stiffed his torso ready for Eberhard’s next move. The Demonic gargoyle was
enjoying every moment of superiority over the Angel. Drooling with sickening
satisfaction, Eberhard launched a leg into Maganus who doubled over to break
the impact. He recovered with a proud grimace.

“Is this your best?” Maganus taunted.

Eberhard crackled his knuckles. “The best
punches are coming.”

The beast shut his eyes, absorbed in the
murmurs of an ugly tongue. A horrific physical transformation, much to
Maganus’s disgust, ensued—
mutatio
vox
—the transformation that
Angels and Demons can perform to raise their powers to their highest potential.
However, the
mutatio
vox
can only be executed once every sixty
days, as it takes two full moons for Angels, or Demons, to replenish their
energies after such an excruciating transformation.