As I Lay Dying (12): Corona (992 hits)
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Submitted by Axolotl || ltoloxA (View user info) at 2006-10-23 11:13:52 EDT
Beneath the eaves of a thick forest, a guarded stretch of roadway glowed under the night stars. It seemed randomly placed there, in the middle of the wilderness, but the guards bustled with activity. The asphalt was cut off with pillboxes, barbed wire, and police barriers, and a dozen riflemen manned the posts.
It was deathly silent. From a distance, Virgil smiled darkly, nodding to Sophopyron. "Twelve soldiers."
"Cut 'em apart," Sophopyron ordered to Shakhor. Shakhor gave the signal, and sixty demons loosed their bows, sending a wave of barbed arrows at the guard post. They never saw it coming; half the guards fell dead, arrows sticking at odd angles through their bodies, and the other half screamed and began firing wildly.
With a dire hiss the demons surged forward, barely visible in the darkness. Arrows and spears hurtled at the soldiers, striking them down. The demons dispatched the survivors with swords and axes.
"Soldiers of the Authority, so far into the woods," Virgil remarked. "So far into Siberia. This is an excellent place to support the rebel army before we make the main attack."
"Careful, boy," Sophopyron warned. "People will think that you're running the operation instead of Lucifer."
"Shall I start calling the demons and rebel-humans?" asked Qataniysh, a dark-skinned Arabic demon.
"No. Tell Baraqqel and Asael we've found a suitable location, and let them approve of this place first. And find me three worthy demons, we must take Virgil for his next assignment."
Qataniysh barked out orders to the host of demons in the demon-language, which sounded like some dialect of Latin. Virgil cracked his knuckles, trying to calm his fear and embrace reality. That's what Sophopyron had been telling him—
"The ones who fight are the ones who live," Sophopyron said, feeling his long fingers up Virgil's neck. "When you have a hole in your guts from a hollow-point bullet, what do you do?"
"Keep fighting," Virgil snarled.
"When you lose a finger or a hand, or take a sword to the chest, what do you do?"
"Keep fighting,"
"When you have your neck sliced, when you get a mortal wound, what do you do?"
"Keep fighting until you drop," Virgil said surely.
"And when you drop?" posed the demon.
Virgil thought for a fraction of a second and spat back, "Keep fighting."
"I've done all I can for you, child," Sophopyron said, and the first inklings of what might have been a fatherly instinct entered his eyes. "You're ready. This Adam...he's a pussy, and not a fighter. Cut him down quickly, and never hold back an attack."
"Shakhor, Tummiel, and Zeqiel reporting for duty," Qataniysh said to Sophopyron, presenting three squat, spear-carrying demons.
"Ready?" Sophopyron asked, clasping Virgil's hands. Virgil gulped.
"Do it."
The ground fell away from under their feet, and four demons and Virgil jumped through the particles into another world.
******THE WORLD OF OPPRESSION: DEPARTED DECEMBER 9 2143 10:13*****
******OUR WORLD: ENTERED NOVEMBER 2 2006 15:48*******
"El is watching," Enoch said to the crowd of six humans and four angels. The angels had their heads bowed, for Enoch was the Chamberlain of Heaven, and one of the Almighty's advisors. "El is watching you right now. The demon scourge must be eradicated, and Virgil Kasabian must die."
Adam was bound in shackles, under the swords of Opaiosaita and Amaliel, his once-trusted protectors. The horns of the New Jersey Turnpike were audible past the rocky hill and natural marshes of the Meadowlands.
"There's nothing I can do, Adam," Opaiosaita whispered, her voice regretful.
"Don't apologize, Opai," Amaliel grunted. "This was coming for decades, for hundreds of years before. Adam must fight Virgil, and one must win and one die. You act like one more death out of billions is going to matter."
"You bastard," Opaiosaita hissed bitterly, clutching Adam's shoulder.
Amaliel's fist hurtled through the air onto Opaiosaita's cheek, and she reeled back, her feet stumbling. Below her, Adam saw through his tears the herald of the demons; the light of the sun bent in the air, and the universe's particles broke apart to usher in the demonic host.
"There they are!" Enoch screamed with the fervor of a preacher. All eyes turned to the guard of demons with spears bristling out, daring any to perturb them. "Attack them!" Enoch shouted. "Spawn of the unholy! Attack them and send them into the hell from which they came!"
"Let's go, lads!" Jackie McCoven said, leading the humans and two angels forward, guns and swords out. Two demons threw spears, blocked by the angels, and the third loosed a bow into the pack of humans.
"The boy!" Amaliel said, as though sniffing him out. He pointed way from the fight and down below a highway overpass, where the demon Sophopyron waited with Virgil. "The demons are a distraction! Lord Enoch!"
"Get him! Get them both!" Enoch roared, his eyes burning into the overpass where the real fight would be decided.
"Adam, it's time," Opaiosaita said, her eyes moist. "Come, follow me. Under this bridge."
Enoch shrieked, his wings silver and high, as Opaiosaita led Adam down the hill beneath the Turnpike overpass, by a swampy body of water. Underneath the bridge it was dark and dank, and Adam drew his sword, staring at Virgil and the demon below him on the other side of the creek.
"Stand back, angels," the demon Sophopyron hissed, patting Virgil's back as if he were an attack dog. "You don't know what kind of human you're dealing with."
Enoch reared up, screeching, shouting "Demon, I have power beyond your pathetic dreams! I have the ear of El, the Almighty, the God of Gods whose attention you so obviously crave for! Give up and die in the shadows, creature of the night!"
Pyron laughed clearly, echoing in the darkness. "Send the boy forward, and stand back. This is between the two of them, though why Adam fights I do not know..."
Adam braced himself, stepping into the swamp and staring into the pinpricks of light that were Virgil's eyes. If he lost, he died, and if he won...Enoch would execute him, and he would join Elizabeth, his mother, and his love in the afterlife, wherever that might be.
"Not too bad odds," Adam breathed to himself.
Virgil grinned, and raised his sword.
The fight began.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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User Reviews
Submitted by St_Jimmy (user info) at 2006-12-18 16:35:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ripple (user info) at 2006-10-25 16:16:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
the way this one unfolded felt contrived to me.
still good, but not quite +2.
the relationships between the characters need some work...
Submitted by JoeyG (user info) at 2006-10-25 14:05:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-10-23 21:24:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-10-23 16:23:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Part 13 is the final fight...
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2006-10-23 14:29:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2006-10-23 14:23:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Poor Adam.
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-10-23 14:19:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Hmm...
Submitted by hour_man (user info) at 2006-10-23 11:31:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I 'm only +1ing because this made me smile. Very 'Kaos-King' who clearly has the dark sci-fi market cornered. This was good, but shouldn't have been written in two parts in my opinion.
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2006-10-23 11:14:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
BORING