Children of the Apocalypse Complete Trilogy, page 34
part #1 of Children of the Apocalypse Series
“That was my theory.” Pete looked around. “But this...”
“It’s a training ground.” A male voice echoed through the empty room. “It’s where I teach the troops to harness their inner anger and make them believe that attacking other human cities will make their lives better. Teach them to place blame on a physical target.”
Chills marched up my back, feeling more like little stinging ants than anything else. My gaze swept over the empty area looking for the source of the voice. He stepped into the light of the opened doors.
His graying beard made his wrinkled face seem even older. The lines at his eyes did nothing for the strange clouds of red and green swirling in his irises. We were looking at Wrath. I had expected him to appear younger, but I wasn’t going to nitpick his chosen appearance.
“Little Death, I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve heard great things about you and the other Children of the Apocalypse, but you...I hear you’re a lot like your father.” He smiled and held his hand out. His hand wrapped around the hilt of a war hammer. The light glinted off spikes and nails that covered the head of the weapon.
“What the hell is that?” I gripped my scythe a little tighter.
“That would be Wrath’s hammer. I suggest you don’t get hit with it.”
No kidding. I looked at Zachariah who summoned a bow and arrow. Ruthie stepped up to my side with her bostaff and I wondered how effective her staff was going to be against a giant spiky hammer. Pete shot an arrow at Wrath and the demon knocked it out of the air.
This was going to be tricky. “Same plan as last time?” I glanced at Zachariah and he nodded.
“Don’t get hit though. I don’t know if you’ll be able to heal from a blow with that.”
I glanced at Ruthie and Pete. “Cover me.”
I rushed towards Wrath and he brought his hammer down at me. I jumped away and the thing hit the ground next to me, cracking and shaking the Earth around it. I lunged towards him and swiped my blade behind his leg, but he simply jumped casually like he was skipping rope. He spun and his hammer came with him, the momentum of it carrying his body in a 360 spin. I ducked and felt the whooshing of air over the top of my head. I let my scythe disappear and I drove my shoulder into his stomach, driving him back a few feet. Zachariah appeared behind Wrath and reached out, but the Sin disappeared right before he could be touched.
I summoned my weapon again and waited. The others took a few steps forward so we were all spread out some. Shadows appeared on the ground and I prepared myself for hellhounds, but when the shadows formed they stretched out into humanoid figures. Arms with long fingers reached towards us and gaping holes in the head reminded me of a scream mask.
My heart skipped a few beats at the new creatures in front of us. One reached out and their fingers caught against my shirt, tearing the fabric.
“Damned souls.” Ruthie hissed. “Cut them down, they should disappear like the hellhounds.”
I sliced at the few that surrounded me. Burning pain made its way down my back and I spun to see one standing there with my blood dripping from its claw hands. My blade sliced through its neck without resistance and I looked around to see where Wrath might be hiding.
“Behind you, Sammy.” Ruthie called and I looked over my shoulder just in time to see the head of the hammer coming down. I dove to the side, rolling across the ground and landing in a crouch. I summoned my scythe again and met Wrath’s gaze.
He smiled at me and I caught a glimpse of insanity in his eyes. The world around him was nothing but pure hate and rage and I could feel it coming from him. It tried to weave its way into me. I heard rushing footsteps coming from my side and I turned to see Ruthie coming straight towards me, her bo staff raised in attack. I cursed as I realized that she was attacking me and not Wrath.
I blocked her attack and pushed her away. “Ruthie, focus, please. It’s me.”
“I know.” She spun around and her staff took me in the side. I grunted at the impact, but held my stance. I flipped my scythe around so that I could block her attacks with the handle and not worry about the blade. She came at me again and her staff made a dull noise against the metal of my handle. I shoved her away.
“He’s getting to your mind Ruthie, please. It’s me. Sammy, the person you roomed with, the person who is your friend, not just your job. We shared meals, laughter, you were there when my mother died. You were my rock when my father was locked away.” I didn’t want to hurt her and I was lucky that it was her and not Pete with his bow and arrow that attacked me. We’d gone through too much for me to hurt her.
She growled at me and attacked. I dodged and brought my handle down across her wrists, knocking the staff out of her hands. “I trained with you in Death’s realm as we nursed Pete back together.”
She blinked a few times and a horrified look crossed her face. “I’m sorry.”
I motioned to Wrath. “Let’s focus, okay?”
She summoned her staff and we both faced an irritated Wrath. I assumed he was used to his ability working for him. I jolted forward and looked down at the arrow in my shoulder. Wrath’s laugh echoed through the warehouse as he faded into the shadows again. Ruthie spun around and blocked another arrow. “Pete.”
I pulled the arrow out and flexed my hand. I still had movement, but I wasn’t sure how long that would last. I turned to see Pete aiming again. I met his gaze. Black had taken over his eyes as he drew his bow back, the tension creaking in his bow.
My heart pounded as I looked at the anger enraged version of my friend. My companion and the man I helped nurse back to heath was trying to kill me.
Wrath appeared behind me, his strong hands pinned my arms behind my back, holding me there. I snarled. Slamming my foot down on his foot, I channeled all the energy and hate I had for him into my attack. His arms loosened and I twisted to break free. I summoned my scythe and dodged Pete’s arrow.
It whizzed by me and struck Wrath in the neck. My eyes grew wide and I saw my chance. “Zachariah?”
“I’ve got you!” He called back. I didn’t know exactly where he was, but I had to trust. I slammed myself into Wrath, taking him off his feet and into the hard ground. We both grunted as we hit the ground. Zachariah grabbed my shoulder and the world around us melted away.
When the world reappeared we stood in front of a cave. Wrath threw me off and to the edge of the cliff. Rocks tumbled off the edge and into a dark abyss. I took a deep breath and scooted forward a little, my hands tightening around the scythe as Zachariah started his spell. Wrath swung his hammer against the shield as it appeared. The symbols shuddered and threatened to shatter with each strike. The world around shook as Wrath gave a warrior’s cry. The red and white seal swirled and shrank. The pop it gave echoed from the cave and the seal appeared against the wall.
“How’s your shoulder?” Zachariah glanced at me. I let my scythe disappear. “Hurts less than the fact that it came from Pete.” I put my hand up to the bleeding would. “Though it sucks that’s the shoulder I took a hit from Camille in.”
“Let’s get back.” He put his hand on my shoulder and we reappeared in the training warehouse.
“On your knees.” A voice called out. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dark, but someone grabbed my wrists and forced them to the top of my head and shoved me down to my knees. My eyes finally adjusted and I could see Pete and Ruthie kneeling with their hands on their heads and looking straight ahead.
I found the gray eyes of Pete to be a comfort now that I knew he wasn’t influenced by Wrath anymore. He mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ to me and I gave him a small bob of my head.
The grip on my wrists tightened. “Fighting in the city is forbidden by civilians. The punishment for the crime is exile out into the wastelands.”
It didn’t matter. Zachariah and I would be on our way to Hell soon enough, but the others would have to survive in the wastelands until we were able to bring Death back and regroup. Aeron and Kaleb weren’t here. They’d have no idea what was going on.
“Search them for weapons, they all have some peculiar wounds. Certainly they weren’t trying to fight without something.”
I was pulled up and frisked. The guard came up empty handed and I had to smile. I could fight my way out, but I wouldn’t, because the others were taking this calmly. They wouldn’t find my weapon; they couldn’t even touch my weapon. They weren’t worthy of it. They wouldn’t find weapons on the others either, but it didn’t matter. The others weren’t able to wield them properly and they had turned on me. They would deserve their exile and it would serve a purpose for Zachariah and I.
I shook my head. What the hell was I thinking about? Ruthie and Pete, they were my partners in this, not people to be just tossed aside. Pete was smart and cunning on the battlefield. Ruthie had saved my ass many times, including the first time I’d seen a demon. Wrath...even now his influences whispered through my mind, trying to get me to turn on my friends. I would be nothing without them...or I could be everything. Maybe they were only holding me back and I just didn’t want to admit it. Maybe I was scared of what my full potential could be.
“Focus, Little Death.” Zachariah whispered when he was shoved past me.
I closed my eyes as my feet stumbled over the doorway of the warehouse. I took a deep breath. I would be dead if it wasn’t for Ruthie. Pete had been kind to me from the start. I wouldn't let Wrath tear us apart. When I came back from Hell, they’d be waiting for me. I opened my eyes and continued to move with the others towards the city gate.
In silence we were tossed from the city and into the dirt. I looked up at the guards that stood there with their AR-15s aimed at us.
We all climbed to our feet. I rubbed my hands over my eyes. “This was not how things were supposed to go.”
“Most of the city officials are demons, it was just a matter of time until they found a way to kick us out.” Zachariah crossed his arms. “The problem is, now we’re split up again and there’s no way for us to tell the others.”
Why hadn’t he said something earlier? “They’re smart. News will get around and they’ll figure out that we’ve been kicked out. For now, I know a place we can stay.” I put a hand to my shoulder and cringed. “We have no supplies and we all have wounds to patch up. The sooner we get to the church, the better.”
There was a sound of agreement from every one and we started in the direction of the deserted town. The sinking sun cast long shadows over the land and in a strange way showed us our new path to safety.
Nothing had changed since the last time I’d been there, but I hadn’t expected it to. The city was deserted except for a handful of walking dead. The government had already done their raids and didn’t want to take on any more healthy people in the city. May was dancing through the pews as the Father bowed his head and prayed. She hummed a little song that buzzed through the empty church. She stopped when she noticed us walk in.
“Sammy has returned.” She started to run towards me but tilted her head to the side. “With two angels and...?”
“This is Pete, he’s like me.” I squatted so I was eye to eye with her. “We don’t mean you any harm. Remember?”
“Angels.” The priest approached us. “How on Earth is this possible? In all my years I’d only heard stories of such creatures and now I have a church full of them.”
I stood back up. “Father, meet Ruthie, Zachariah and Pete.” I motioned to each person as I named them. “Guys, this is May.” I motioned to the little girl. “And this is Father...come to think of it, I never got your name.”
“Father Bill.” He bowed his head. “I didn’t think you’d be returning. I assumed that once you were in the city that you would stay there.”
“There were complications and we were removed from the city. I was hoping that your offer for shelter and supplies still stood.” I sat down on a pew. “We were in a fight that wasn’t pretty.”
“Of course. May, go get the first aid kit.”
The little girl ran off with a bounce in her step. The others all sat on the edge of a pew while the priest looked at us all. “Were you able to accomplish what you needed while in the city? You were traveling with a different companion when you left here a few days ago.”
“He’s still at the city, but yes, we managed to do what we needed. Zachariah and I are going to go complete another part of our mission. I would be forever grateful if you allowed Ruthie and Pete to stay here while we are gone.”
He nodded. “An ally of the daughter of Death will be trusted allies of my church.”
May returned with a big red box. “I hope this is going to be enough.”
“You are an adorable girl.” Ruthie smiled. “You’ll make a wonderful angel.”
She frowned at Ruthie. “An angel?”
“When children die, they become angels. Because they are the most innocent of souls.” She explained and touched the girl’s face. “You, despite everything, have remained innocent.”
I pulled my shirt over my head and took a deep breath at the stabbing pain in my shoulder. Pete came over to me and started to look at the wound. “I can’t believe I let Wrath get to me like that. I should have known better. This was inches from your heart.”
“Lucky me.” I bit out and took the box from Father Bill. “I owe you one.”
He took the box from me and opened it. He dug through it and sighed. “Nothing for stitches, you’ll have to deal with gauze and a bandage.”
“It was going to scar anyways. That’s where Camille’s sword plowed through me.” I took a deep breath as he put pressure on the front and then leaned over me to put pressure on the back.
He wrapped a bandage around my shoulder. It limited my movements, but only if I paid attention to the pull. If I lifted my arm up too much, I could pull the bandages off, so if I needed, I’d be able to fight. He moved from me to Ruthie. Zachariah stood up. “Are you ready then, Sammy?”
I looked at the ground, weighing his words. Was I ready to return to Hell and face the demons? Would I be able to lead him where we needed? I tried to push the doubt away from my mind as I pulled myself off the pew. “The sooner the better.”
May looked concerned and I pulled her into a hug. “I may not see you when I get back. So if I don’t, I want to tell you to keep being brave and strong.”
She nodded against me and wrapped her tiny little arms around me. “Be safe.”
“May God bless you in your journey and if it be his will, you will succeed in whatever task is at hand.”
I gave Father Bill a hug as well. “Thank you. The same goes for you, keep your faith Father, it won’t steer you wrong.”
He nodded and Zachariah grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. I didn’t get a chance to say anything to Pete or Ruthie as the church doors shut behind us. “Could you not wait a couple minutes? It’s not like we can go straight there without your angels.”
“You’re right. We need to travel to the next city again and meet with them. Only once we are together will we be able to leave. The sooner we free Death, the better. It will take some of the horror out of this apocalypse.”
I spread my arms out. “How do you suggest we get there? You just dragged us out of the church, we have no supplies, no water, no food to make the journey back to your angels.”
He smirked and swept me off my feet and into his arms. My heart skipped a beat at the sudden motion and I clung to him. “We fly.”
24
Zachariah landed in front of the house that he and his angels had been using as a base. My hair was wind blown and as I tried to flatten some of the awkward pieces I swore the first thing I was going to do when the human world got back into shape was get a haircut. I straightened my pants and shirt and glared at him.
“I don’t think I was meant to fly.” I took a deep breath and took a moment to savor the solid ground under my feet.
“It was the fastest way.” Zachariah knocked on the door.
Another angel opened it and relief was clear in her eyes. “Oh good, you’re back. We were starting to get worried that the great Zachariah wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”
She looked at me. “And of course Little Death to lead us into Hell.”
“My name is Sammy.”
“I’m Mary, glad to meet you and I hope you don’t get us all killed.” She spun on her heels and disappeared into the house.
I looked at Zachariah and raised a brow. “They think we’re going on a suicide mission, don’t they?”
“They do.” He motioned for me to enter the house. “You fought Sloth not long ago, he’s been keeping tabs on you so I’m sure they know that we’re coming.”
“I haven’t seen him or sensed him. I don’t think he’s keeping close tabs on me.”
Zachariah spun around and slammed me against the wall. My breath caught in my lungs and I tried to shove him away. He met my gaze and summoned a knife. With a careful, steady hand, he used the blade to lift my shirt. The red lines were back with a vengeance. They curled down my side and over my ribs to my back. “These lines, they are from Sloth’s knife. His blood can enter your system and be used to track you. All he has to do is coat one of his knives.” He pulled away.
“So they will know we are coming.” He let the knife disappear. “You are lucky he didn’t join Wrath or Lust when we were fighting them.”
I took a deep breath and tried to calm the shaking of my body. “How come the others didn’t know what it was?”
“Because they are still young. The horsemen would have known what it was on sight, but they are trained and more studied than the children. I know because I’ve dealt with Sloth before.” He paced the front room of the house. “We’ll expect a welcoming party when we get to Hell.”
“How did you know I was being tracked? Why didn’t you say something sooner?” I crossed my arms.
“I saw it while we were at the church.” None of us had noticed that they’d come back, too distracted by the wound in my shoulder. “But it was too late to change plans. I can get the blood out, but they probably know where we are going.”
