Chapter 29
Traitors and Treachery
It was Belldandy's fault. If she hadn't interfered at just that moment, then Cool Mint would never have died. Then again, if she hadn't then Jago would have died instead. And if he had died… well that would have been the end. And It was just as much Jago's. If he hadn't been so overconfident and sure of himself then NOBODY would have died. But he was and so, they faced the Gleaners. And they lost.
Death Gleaners. The Watchers. The Dark Guardians. Monstrous bats, four of the, each the size of a giraffe, with thirty foot wingspans and huge snouts that were covered in a foul green slime. They chittered and bayed like a pack of hyenas as they approached, snapping at each other as they came. And they stank. It was similar to that of the Angel-Eater; burnt tin and rotten meat. But many times worse. It was a smell that polluted the air and seemed to kill whatever it touched. For this was the stench of Death himself.
"HURRY MASTER! WE MUST FLY!" Cool Mint clutched at Jago's arm, trying to drag him away but he shook his head.
"It's too late for that; they'll be on us in seconds. No, we must stand and fight". He turned to face the nearest of the beasts as the creature lunged at him. He dodged and swung his right fist around in a great hay-making sweep, to crack hard into the Gleaner's head and send it sprawling. "I can take three of them. Can you get the forth?"
"LISTEN JAGO, THESE THINGS ARE EACH STRONGER THAN GANDAMAK! WE CAN'T FIGHT THEM!" But Jago ignored her.
"Trust me to be without my weapons at a time like this!" he said and then turned to face Cool Mint. "I'll take the three on the left if you can get the one on the right".
"Wait Jago!" They both turned to see Belldandy as she vaulted from the balcony of the first floor of the hotel and come racing over towards them. "You don't understand what you're facing! You can't fight them!" But still Jago ignored them.
"Three on four? Sounds like a fair fight!" And without another word, he launched himself at the bats. And with that, the trap was sprung.
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Jago tackled the lead Gleaner in the stomach and bore it to the ground, kicking it in the snout as he went. He didn't stop however, just raced onward and launched himself at the next beast and grabbed it by the head. The creature reared, lifting him high into the air and started to shake its head from side to side, snapping at him as he clung onto its nostrils. A third gleaner attacked and tried to bite him only for him to release his hold on his current target, kicking it in the ribs as he dropped and the third Gleaner bit it on the nose, aiming where it had been. So stated a battle royal, as the two Gleaners started rolling across the ground, snapping a clawing at each other.
"These things are dumber than the Jötunn Inquisitor!" Jago shouted, laughing as he fought. But then he turned and saw Belldandy and Cool Mint locked in desperate battle with the forth Gleaner, as the first recovered from its original attack and charged him, loping towards him on all fours. He casually side-stepped and tripped it, catching its delicate wing-membrane in his hand as it stumbled past. Using his body as a pivot, he spun the monstrosity around himself and tossed it into the one that the girls were struggling with, knocking it aside. "You two alright?" he asked them but didn't wait for their reply, just turned to face the regrouping Gleaners. The four of them were stood a little way off, hissing and snarling at him as he squared off, ready for the next round. "Well come on then! COME AND HAVE A GO IF YOU THINK YOU'RE HARD ENOUGH!" He laughed and watched as the beasts backed off a little. Only then did he hear the shouting. Belldandy and Cool Mint. Warnings. Shit. Because it was then that the fifth Gleaner attacked, biting down on him from above and tossing him aside like a rag doll.
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"JAGO!" Cool Mint shouted as the big man's body was tossed aside. She was beside him in seconds, ignoring the crowing Gleaners and lifting his head from the ground. There were ragged punctures all along his torso where the Gleaner had bitten into him, tearing the flesh and leaving deep wounds. "JAGO! JAGO, SPEAK TO ME!" Cool Mint said desperately, slapping his cheeks and checking his breathing. Then she jumped as he gave a gasped and clutched at her with his hands. He quickly calmed and then gave weak grin.
"Bugger. This is twice this has happened now! And I really liked this shirt!" Cool Mint shook her head and then turned to Belldandy as the goddess swiped at the approaching Gleaners with her staff.
"Is he alright? Can he fight?" Cool Mint gave a pause before answering.
"Five minutes! I need to patch him up!" Belldandy gave a grim look.
"That's too long! I can't hold off five Gleaners on my own!" But it was then that Jago grasped Cool Mint's hand and forced her attention back onto him.
"Help her. I've got this".
"But Master Jago-"
"I'm gonna call out Pluto. He's got more than enough power to stop these things. But I need time to do it and Belldandy needs your help. Now go Cool Mint! GO!" Reluctantly, Cool Mint turned away from Jago and then, changing into her full angel form, she drifted over to Belldandy.
"Cool Mint? I thought-"
"He's going to use Brother Pluto. But he needs time. We just have to give him that". And with that, she shot forward, calling on one of the spells she had learnt from Lamb as she roared into battle; "RAZOR WING STRIKE!"
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They fought hard. Cool Mint shared one-third of Lind's total power and as such, was as strong on her own now as herself, her sister and her Mistress had been during the Angel-Eater incident. And Belldandy was with her. The most petite picture of content and happiness she may have been but Belldandy had once held a Valkyrie licence before retiring to become a become a wish granter. Between them, they were a powerful team. But they were not enough. For the Gleaners were the Guardians of Ginnungagap, the mightiest prison in all of creation and the tomb of the Titans. And against them, even a pair of First Class goddesses with combat training were no match. Cool Mint grunted as she was tossed aside, holding a hand to her side where a claw had opened her abdomen, soaking her wrap with blood. Belldandy landed beside her, her gold, white and blue gear battered and torn, her body covered in bruises.
"This is hopeless!" Cool Mint gasped, pushing herself up and onto her elbows. "We can't hold them back any longer!" Belldandy nodded.
"You're right" she said and glanced back toward Jago. His eyes were closed in intense concentration as he searched for Brother Pluto. However, unlike Jupiter, Pluto was much harder to find and with his injuries, he was struggling to maintain his focus. "It looks like there is only one thing I can do". The goddess stood, leaning on her staff and faced the Gleaners. Cool Mint paled, contemplating what Belldandy was planning.
"Don't be a fool! Removing your limiter won't-"
"But if I use a powerful purification spell simultaneously, then there is a good chance I can either weaken or destroy the Gleaners. And that should be enough for either you or Jago to defeat them!"
"But Belldandy, it'll kill you!"
"No it won't! Trust me!" And with that, Belldandy began to chant.
"BELLDANDY!" Cool Mint turned to see Keiichi come running from the hotel, covering his face against the golden light and strong winds that were now gusting from Belldandy and she grasped by the shoulders trying to stop him.
"You mustn't interfere! You could kill her!" But Keiichi couldn't understand her, not with her disguised removed.
"Cool Mint! Let me go! I know that spell; the Ultimate Demon Destruction! She used it once before and it nearly killed her, even with her power limiter!" Cool Mint nodded and tried to pull Keiichi away but he continued to resist.
"But she survived!" Cool Mint said, resorting to a hurried mental link in order to get through to Keiichi. "She just has to hold them off long enough for Jago to call out Brother Pluto and then-"
"You don't understand! Belldandy's pregnant!" And Cool Mint's blood ran cold. For if Belldandy really was pregnant, with three times her usual strength and she used such a powerful spell, she could very well shatter the planet, ESPECIALLY if she removed her power limiter at the same time. Therefore there was only one thing that she could do… and as an angel, only she could do it.
"Stay with Jago!" she said. "I've got this!" And with that, Cool Mint shot forward. She soared straight towards Belldandy, even as the Gleaners closed in on them. And all Keiichi could do was watch… as Cool Mint reached out… and with one hand… she pulled Holybell right out of the goddess's back.
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Belldandy screamed in agony as Holybell was torn from inside her, mingling with those of the angel herself.
"I'm sorry" whispered Cool Mint. And in a final gesture, she wrapped herself around the other angel, shielding her from the blast that was about to come. Because at that moment, Belldandy's power limiter collapsed and the half-formed spell was released in a searing wave of heat and light. The Gleaners shrieked as the pure light energy ripped through them, scorching them in mind, body and soul. But it was not just them who suffered. In the same way that a human being, made of seventy per cent water, could be drowned, an angel could be destroyed if exposed to an excess of light energy. And Cool Mint, busy protecting Holybell, took the full force of the blast as it tore through the area. She screamed as she felt her flesh burn and her feathers singe, but she hung on grimly, refusing to release her grip on Holybell, even as the pair of them fell to Earth with a sickening crash.
"COOL MINT!" Keiichi shouted and moved to approach the fallen angels. But then he was forced to stop as Belldandy also dropped to the ground. He crouched beside her, shaking her, trying to wake her. "BELLDANDY! BELLDANDY! PLEASE! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
"She's alright". He turned to see Cool Mint struggle to her knees, releasing her grip on the comatose Holybell.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"You saw what I did. I pulled out her angel… and it saved her life". She struggled to her feet and grinned weekly, cupping her hands to her burned skin. "Don't worry. Just give me a few minutes,then I'll restore her and she'll be fine". And then she gasped. Looking down, she saw a blood stained claw sticking through her midriff. And then, as the claw was withdrawn and a thin trickle of white blood leaked from the corner of the mouth, she turned and looked up into the face of a Gleaner. The beast was battered and beaten, its skin torn and ragged, ribs exposed. But it was grinning. And with a shriek, it leaned forward and chomped down on the angel.
"COOL MINT!" Keiichi shouted in dismay as the angel was tossed aside, to land in a bloodied heap to one side. And the creature let out a victory shriek, a crow of victory and savagery that was taken up by the other Gleaners. But then the shriek was ended as it was challenged by a new sound; a roar of challenge and defiance.
"AYO GORKHALI!"
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The Gleaners never saw him coming; three-hundred pounds of enraged Opal-essence, with a ten-and-a-half inch khukuri in hand. And Pluto was angry. He bellowed his Ghurkha's war cry and tackled the Gleaner who had just wounded Cool Mint, bowling it over and punching it in the snout. It scrabbled to right itself but with a shout, Pluto hacked downward, severing the Gleaner's wing, soaking his front with black-red blood. The Gleaner gave a gurgling shriek as Pluto leapt over the crippled monster and hurled himself into combat with the remaining four. They snapped, clawed and shrieked while he hacked, slashed, kicked, punched and roared, fighting off the toughest beasts in all of creation on his own. With a shout he disembowelled one and then beheaded a third before turning to face the remaining two.
"So who's next?" he demanded, flashing his huge knife at them. The bats looked at one another and then, unanimously, they turned and started to run, galloping in terror as they tried to escape from Pluto. Pluto wasn't done yet; with a yell, he hurled his boomerang shaped khukuri blade overhand and the rearmost Gleaner went down, gurgling as the blade split its spine. But the final one then veered to one side… straight towards Keiichi and Belldandy.
"NO! STAY AWAY!" Keiichi bellowed, rising to his feet and preparing to protect Belldandy, even if he had to fight the Gleaner with his bare hands. But the Gleaner simply ignored him, brushing past and knocking him over. And then, without pausing in its step, it stooped and opened its mouth. "BELLDANDY! NO!" But it was too late; the Gleaner snapped her up in its mouth and then leapt into the air, carrying the goddess in its mouth. All Keiichi could do was watch as the horrifying monster carried away his young wife, weeping as they disappeared from view. But then he turned as a loud snap echoed across the ground; Pluto had broken the neck of the final Gleaner, the one he had cut the wing off of, using nothing but his hands. But then the big man stopped in his tracks. For Cool Mint was down. And she wasn't going to be getting back up.
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Cool Mint was cold. She was bleeding. And she knew she hadn't long left. She held a hand to her ruined chest as her life-blood pooled around her. No amount of magic could fix a wound like that. But then she felt warm hands around her and she opened her eyes, looking up into the stained face of her Mistress's lover… her lover… Jago.
"Cool Mint?" he asked softly.
"Master" she said, lifting her hand and gently brushing his face. "I'm sorry. I failed you. I should have seen that coming".
"You and me both lass". Jago then leaned forward, placing a hand on her chest and preparing to pour his magic into her. But she grasped his hand in hers and shook her head.
"No. I'm too far gone". But then she pulled him closer. "So take care of my Mistress and my sister… and our baby. Keep them alive".
"Oh no you don't!" Jago said. "That there's dying talk! And you're not dying on me!" Cool Mint smiled weakly.
"Just like you… you never give up, no matter the odds. But these odds are too long even for you to beat". But then she pulled him tight and whispered to him. "But I have no regrets… and… I am glad to have met you… Jago Finch..." And then she chuckled. "I just hope… that they have caramels… wherever I'm going next". And she continued to chuckle. But then the chuckle became a cough. And then the cough faded away. She sank back. Her wing drooped. The sparkle went out of her eyes.
"Cool Mint? COOL MINT?" Jago said, shaking her. But it was too late. Cool Mint was dead. And slowly, almost in a whisper, she dissolved, her body breaking down into tiny blue forget-me-nots that gently blew away in the breeze. He tried to catch them as they blew off but they slipped through his fingers before he could do so. And so he just sat, letting the remains of the beautiful angel blow away, weeping silently as he watched them go.
"What happened?" Keiichi asked, coming to stand beside him.
"She's dead… Cool Mint's dead". Jago then stood, realising his folly. "But now is not the time to weep! We've got bigger problems!"
"How can you say that?" Keiichi demanded. "You just said so yourself; Cool Mint is dead! Not only that but Belldandy has been taken… and our baby! So how can you say that this is not the-" Jago didn't answer him, just punched him in the face.
"Think you fool! Why didn't the others come to help? They had more than enough time and we weren't exactly quiet!" Keiichi paused, rubbing his chin. And then he realised what Jago was talking about.
"Oh no…"
"Yep. They're under attack too!"
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They were forced to their knees, hands behind their heads as the Praetorians crowded around, laughing at the humiliation of the little band. Lind and Spear Mint were held apart from the others, not because they were a threat but more because they were now almost comatose following Cool Mint's death and were being used as leverage to keep the others at bay. And then, Deaderuss strode forward, chuckleing to himself.
"Looks like I've won" he said, turning to Lind. "You see Lind? This is the price of your greatest joy; weakness once separated. Although, the fact that you are still conscious is nothing short of a miracle". He then paused and then looked down at Spear Mint, who was held in her Mistress's arms, her new, second wing twitching slightly as she wept into Lind's chest. Lind however was blank faced, almost as if she were brain dead and barely able to respond either the mocking words of her former Lord or the anguished tears of her angel. Deaderuss then snorted. "Perhaps I should take this other one too, just to see what happens?" Then Lind's face twitched and her arms tightened around Spear Mint, holding her closer to herself as Deaderuss chuckled, taking a step forward and drawing a short knife from his belt.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Deaderuss turned calmly to Lamb who was being clubbed back to her knees by a pair of Praetorians.
"Quiet yourself my dear" he said. "I'll have plenty of time to deal with you later". He then turned back to Lind, smiling. "Now where was I? Oh yes!" He knelt down and lifted Lind's chin gently in his hand, staring into her blank, blue eyes. "Now my dear, I want to make a deal with you. You see Lind, I have always liked you, even after you turned down my offer of joining me in the Praetorians. So I have deal I want to make with you…" He stopped, gently spinning the knife around his fingers. "I will let you live. Not just you but all of the rest of them; the Almighty's girls, the Nightmare and Spear Mint of course. Oh, the Fighting Arch will have to die but that is unavoidable. I return, I just want you to surrender yourself to me. Mind, body and soul. Then Lind, you and I, we will take Heaven as our own. Wouldn't it be glorious? The Wingless and the One-Winged; rulers of all of creation. So what do you say?" Slowly, Lind looked him straight in his face.
"No" she said simply. "Lamb is a friend and Jago is my lover. I carry his child and I would never betray him". And she gave a little smile, a spark in her eyes, making Deaderuss grit his teeth in frustration.
"Well then, perhaps this could change your mind!" And with that, he spun and he hurled the knife he had been holding in his hand, sending it sailing through the air and into Lamb's left wing. She shot to her feet, screaming in agony, clutching at the knife and with one hand, she yanked it free of her wing, revealing a terrifying sight; the wound was black and dusky, almost as if it had been poisoned. But most terrifying, the darkness was spreading. Slowly, creeping like a disease, a wave of darkness pushed along her veins and her entire left wing seemed to wilt, slowly burning and dropping off, until her entire left wing had been burned away. But it didn't stop there; it quickly spread to her right wing and this went through the same process. Within a few seconds, her beautiful twenty foot wings had been completely burned away, leaving nothing but blackened nubs at her spine. That was the curse of a de-winging blade; it stripped an angel of her wings and would leave them to die slowly as their magic slowly drained away.
"Now then" Deaderuss said as Lamb finally fell to the floor and was kicked aside by a Praetorian, "I think that should be enough incentive. You know what will happen to her without her wings, so I suggest that you change your mind Lind; join me and I will kill her fast. Resist me and I will kill you ALL slow". Lind looked across at Lamb, her heart breaking as the angel writhed on the ground, clasping her hands to her shattered wings. But then, she caught Lind's eyes and just before Deaderuss leaned forward, Lamb shook her head. She didn't want Lind to save her. But then Deaderuss blocked her view and grasped her chin. "So? What do you say?" And he kissed her. Lind stiffened as she tried to resist but she did not have the strength to fight him any longer. Then a hand came around and slapped Deaderuss, making him break contact.
"Don't you dare kiss my Mistress! Not while Jago is still alive" Spear Mint snarled, looking up from Lind's arms, glaring at the Lord.
"You still have some spirit I see" Deaderuss said with a chuckle. "But I see that you aren't aware of your lover's fate". Lind bristled as the others whispered to one another.
"What have you done Deaderuss?" Lind asked slowly. "Where is Jago? Where is my fiancée?"
"Fiancée huh?" Deaderuss sneered. "Well let me tell you; whilst I have been busy dealing with you all, I sent the Death Gleaners to deal with him. By now he will be dead". Lind looked blank for a second.
"Gleaners? You set the Gleaners on him?"
"Yes. It seems likely that your other angel simply got in the way when the Gleaners tried to kill him. An unavoidable consequence of interference I think. But-"
"You killed Jago? Jago and Cool Mint?" And Lind chuckled. "I'll kill you. I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" With a roar, Lind leapt to her feet, withdrawing Spear Mint back inside herself to protect her and summoning her halberd. And she swung…
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Lind stopped. And she looked down from Deaderuss's frowning face to her stomach. Deaderuss had his hand on her seax knife. And he had stabbed her in the stomach with her own knife. No not the stomach… the womb.
"YOU BASTARD!" Urd was up and on her feet, blasting aside the nearest Praetorians with a wave of her hand and then summoned her huge hammer, swinging around to strike down her captor. Damascus then leapt up and let out a shriek that shattered ear-drums and cracked teeth, slicing at her enemies with her claws. Within seconds, they were all up, fighting, hacking, spiting. But it was all for nought. Before Lind had even hit the ground, they had all been subdued once more. Deaderuss spat and snarled to the little group.
"You all still dare to resist! Very well then; you shall suffer for your foolishness! Praetorians; to arms!" In a single move, every Praetorian had her weapon drawn, every blade levelled at the group. Deaderuss was about to give the word but then paused. "Weth, come here!" Reluctantly, Weth approached her Lord, Jago's sword in hand and she bowed her head.
"Yes my Lord?"
"You did well in bringing them here. So I give you an honour afforded to few; kill Lamb". Weth paled as the Praetorians dragged Lamb forward and forced to kneel before the apprentice.
"You want me to kill her my Lord?" Weth asked nervously. Deaderuss nodded.
"Yes. Now do it. We don't have all night". Weth looked down at Lamb. The curly-haired angel had her head down, her wrap stained with the blackened remains of her wings. And then Weth looked around. Lind, lying on her side, tugging the knife from her womb with a shout and clasping a hand to herself as blood and amniotic fluid soaked the front of her Valkyries uniform. "Get on with it Weth". Urd and World of Elegance looking proud and indignant before the Praetorian blades. Beside her, Skuld and Noble Scarlet were knelt, faces stained with terrified tears.
"Come now Skuld" Urd hissed through her teeth. "Don't let these bastards see you cry".
"Get on with it Weth". Damascus growled as she was held down, snapping and snarling at the nearest warriors, struggling to break free from them but unable to escape their vice like grip. "Weth…" And then she looked down. Lamb was looking up. Their eyes met. Lamb's turquoise. Weth's brown.
"Kill me or don't. I won't blame you either way. You're just following orders".
"WETH!" Weth jumped at the sound of her Master's shout, Weth raised the blade. And then stopped. Lamb was crying. The mightiest fighter in all of history, weeping like a little girl. Slowly, Weth lowered the sword and sighed before turning to face Deaderuss.
"I'm sorry Master" she said. "But this is going too far. I know we want to overthrow Heaven but..." She stopped and then steeled herself. "But killing her is wrong! She does not deserve to die, even if she does know too much. So I will not kill her. I will not kill Astrakhan Lamb". Deaderuss looked as if he was about to explode.
"YOU DARE TO DEFY ME WETH?! MY OWN APPRENTICE?!" He stopped and then grasped his katana, pulling it from his sheath. "Very well, I'll kill her myself!" He stepped forward but Weth moved to block him.
"You will not touch her Master! I will not allow it!" The other Praetorians backed away, shocked by this display of defiance from Deaderuss's apprentice. The Lord himself however, was unconcerned.
"Very well. I will strike you down first!" With a sudden blur of motion, he shot forward, slicing with his blade. Weth leaned back, blocking with Jago's ever-sharp claymore and then heaved forward, trying to shove Deaderuss back off of her. Deaderuss was stronger however and simply shoved her back and thumped her hard in the face, breaking her nose with gauntleted fist. She yelped and then back-swung her blade, trying to catch Deaderuss in the side. Deaderuss had a lighter sword however and was the faster of the two, sweeping under her guard and opening up the back of her right arm. Finally, he hooked one leg behind hers and then forced all of her weight onto one foot, forcing her to fall backwards and onto her back. Before she could recover, Deaderuss had snatched up her sword and jammed it into her other arm, just below the shoulder and pinning her to the ground. Weth shrieked as Deaderuss took a step back, kicking the new wound in the process.
"You should know by now Weth; you can never beat me! Nobody can beat me!" He then leaned forward and pulled her up, on handed and by the throat. "And now I shall deal with you myself". Still holding Weth by one arm, he turned to face a Praetorian Captain from one of Hell's cohorts with dark green hair and pale yellow eyes under his skull-masked helmet. "Captain Dagr, I'll be leaving for now to deal with this traitor. Kill the others while I was gone. But leave Lamb alive. I want to have some fun with her before she dies. And don't bother with Lind. She's dead anyway". Dagr nodded as Deaderuss dematerialised into darkness and then turned to face the rest of the forces.
"Well you heard his Lordship" Dagr said. "Kill them!" The Praetorians stepped forward, preparing to strike and raised their weapons. But then a noise made them stop. The deep honk of a massive truck's air-horn. And then, with the roar of a massive diesel engine, Jago's Unimog came slaloming across the beach and into the ranks of the Praetorians.
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The Praetorians scattered as the armoured behemoth tore through their ranks, killing and maiming at least a dozen who weren't fast enough to escape its wrath. With a final lurch and blast of its horn, the truck slewed to a stop, as the wavering Praetorians attempted to regroup. And then, climb down out of the cab, his Stetson tucked down over his eyes and a frown over his face, came Jago.
"Well, well, well. Starting up a butt-whooping without me?" Captain Dagr gulped a little and licked his lips, nervous in the presence of the Paladin.
"Twoarchs, I'm glad you've come. I-"
"Save your bluster and bravado; I can see that you're shitting in your pants. Now I suggest that you let the others go and see how you fare against a REAL challenge". Dagr glanced to his side and tried to smile.
"You? Haven't you realised that we have your friends as hostages? Even the mighty Captain Lind was no match for knives-" But then he realised his mistake as Jago raised his hat, revealing it Pluto's copper-coloured eyes.
"You stabbed Lind? You… stabbed… my… Lind?" Dagr tried to swallow again as Pluto started to grin. "Right then" he said slowly. "Looks like… I'm gonna have to fucking kill you". Dagr tired bravery one more time, hoping to dissuade Pluto once more.
"Surely you don't think you can fight us all? There's a hundred of us and only one of you!" Pluto grinned and rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.
"True… even for me, a hundred to one is no fair fight…" But then he grinned wider and his eyes flashed, going from Pluto's copper to the red of Jupiter.
"But me plus Gandamak? Now that's just about right!" And with that, Jupiter dropped to the ground as the huge, four winged dragon bellowed into the skies, belching liquid fire down on them from above.
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The dragon smashed into the ranks of the Praetorians, knocking them aside like skittles as Jupiter leapt into battle, swinging his khukuri to hack down one of the guards. At the same time, Keiichi, who had been hidden in the cab of the truck, kicked the Unimog into reverse and spun it around, reversing it into the enemy ranks and straight into the path of the little group. This time, it was Skuld who led the counter attack, calling out to her weapon of choice;
"BANPEI!" she shouted and the robot leapt from the back of the truck, knocking aside Praetorians with his stick as the little group was loaded into the back of the Unimog. In the meantime, most of the remaining Praetorians were in trying regrouping, forming a wall of sharpened blades and Aegis Shield spells to drive back the dragon. Jupiter on the other hand was laughing and hacking away at the Praetorians, his heavy blade shattering the haft of a long pike before ducking under a hurled axe and slicing clean through the blade of a falchion. Another enemy struck at him, her rapier stabbing deep into Jupiter's thigh but he simply grunted, tensing the muscle and trapping the blade within his leg. He hacked at the wrist of his attacked, forcing her to release the blade. He then grasped the sword by its hilt and pulled it from his leg before turning it and using it against its former owner. By now, Lind had been collected and loaded into the back of the truck, with the survivors ready to depart.
"Jago! We're ready to go!" shouted World of Elegance from the car.
"You go Ella!" Jupiter called back, ignoring the fact that the wrong name had been used. "I'll keep them occupied here as you get away! Now go!" With that, the truck started to move once more and before long, it had disappeared from sight, leaving Jupiter and Gandamak fighting alone against the remaining Praetorians. Now for some pay-back!
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"Sir! We can't hold them! They're too powerful!" Dagr ground his teeth at the Lieutenant as he watched his precious unit being hacked apart by the combined powers of Jupiter and Gandamak. He had failed. But they had to escape.
"Sound the retreat" he said. "Get the survivors out of here". The horns were blown. And then, as quickly as they came, the Praetorians simply faded away into the night. Panting, Jupiter came to stand before Gandamak, looking up at the huge monster's eye.
"Thanks mate. I owe you one". Gandamak blinked slowly, his wings torn and his heavy scales dented and battered.
"No Opal-essence. I owe you my allegiance and as such, I am duty bound to come when you call. However, I must ask that the next time that you summon me, please ensure that you warn me that we'll be facing a Praetorian unit BEFORE I get here". Jupiter nodded.
"Deal. Now get you gone. I wouldn't hang around in case more show up".
"My Lordship" the dragon said and then, while bowing his head, he disappeared.
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Jupiter ground his teeth as he pushed he hand against Keiichi's stomach. He gave a grunt and then with a final sigh, he sat back and grinned.
"That should do it" he said. "Holybell, you make it across?" The angel suddenly appeared from Keiichi, her eyes downcast and her wings sad and limp.
"Yeah… I'm here. Thank you for helping me". Keiichi reached around and tried to smile up at Belldandy's angel.
"Don't worry, I'm sure that Jago… er, Jupiter has a plan to get her Belldandy back". He paused and turned to look at Jupiter. "You do have a plan right?" Jupiter frowned, wrinkling his brow but before he could answer, Urd opened the door to the room that they were using to treat the wounded.
"Are they alright?" Jupiter asked. "Can I see them?" Urd frowned.
"Not like that you can't". Jupiter gave a confused look and then twigged.
"Really?" he said, exasperated. "You realise that even though I talk a good talk, I was never really planning on hurting anyone… unduly. I may be an evil, nasty, sadistic bastard but I you guys were never really in harm's way with me". Urd raised an eyebrow. "Alright, fine!" Jupiter gave a quick shake and his eyes went from red to Jago's brow.
"Alright, there!" said Jago. "Now can I see them?" Urd nodded.
"Alright. You can see Lind. But Lamb.. she's out cold. So I suggest that you bring her inside you and prepare for the worst. She hasn't got long left now".
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Jago closed the door quietly behind him and then turned to see Lamb and Lind each laid out on a futon in the centre of the room. Lamb was as still unconscious, her back towards the door, her back blackened where her wings had been burned away by the de-winging blade. Quietly, he touched her one the shoulder and slowly, quietly, she retreated back inside his mind. Then he turned to Lind. And he felt like weeping. Her front was stained red with blood, with the front of her uniform torn open just above the waist. And although Urd's magic had been enough to heal her so that she would never carry a scar, he could see clearly that she would carry one scar that they must both bare forever. But for now, he had to be strong.
"Lind?" he asked quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lind slowly opened her eyes and she looked up at him. Then silently, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Jago, I'm sorry" she said. "I was too weak to stop them. I was too weak to fight them". And then, with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Lind pulled him close and whispered in his ear; "I'm sorry Jago… but I lost our baby".
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Jago simply lay still and let Lind hold him, hugging her back and crooning softly to her, gently rubbing her belly with one hand. But now, her belly was flat once more, the tiny bump and the equally tiny heartbeat now gone. Between them, they had lost so much. Cool Mint was dead. Their unborn son was gone. And Lamb was dying. So all they could they could do was lie still and hold each other. Slowly though, they released each other.
"Cool Mint?" Lind asked. "How did she…?"
"We were attacked by a group of Death Gleaners; five of them. I tried to take them all on my own but was attacked from behind while I wasn't looking. I then tried to use Pluto to fight them off but he was taking too long, with her and Belldandy fighting against them. Then Belldandy tried to give us a few more seconds by using a powerful purification spell but…" He paused and cleared his throat. "Apparently, she was pregnant and she miscalculated her new powers, so Cool Mint tried to pull out Holybell in order to stop her killing herself. But in the process, she was badly injured and just before I could attack, the Gleaners… they killed her". He leaned forward and lowered his head, crying softly. "She said she had no regrets. But I'm sorry… I couldn't save her". Lind laid her hand on his head and gently ran his hand through his hair.
"It's not your fault" she said. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save Lamb either. I was…"
"No tears" Jago said, gently wiping Lind's cheek, while ignoring his own. "But tell me; who did this? Who was the traitor?" Lind paused and then looked Jago straight in the eye.
"There were two; Weth was one. She led us into the trap and has probably been spying on us since the beginning". She paused before continuing. "However, she appears to have had a change of heart… she fought to save us from the real traitor".
"And who is this traitor?" Jago asked softly.
"Who do you think?"
"Deaderuss?"
"Yes". It was then that the door opened and Urd entered, carrying Jago's phone.
"Jago, Lind, I'm sorry to disturb you… but you need to take this call".
"Who is it?" Jago asked, taking the phone from her.
"It's Peorth. She says we have a problem.. a big one".
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Jago took the phone and answered it.
"Peorth? What's up?"
"Jago, you need to get out of there!" Peorth said. She sounded desperate.
"Why? What's happened?"
"It's Deaderuss! He says that you and Lind called up the Gleaners and tried to kill Belldandy! The other goddesses aren't convinced but he's called up both the Valkyries and the Praetorians and is he's coming after you in force!"
"What about the Almighty? Surely he must-"
"Deaderuss has cut all access to the Almighty until further notice! We can't get through! Now you need to get out of there! They're coming!" Jago paused, thinking hard.
"Alright Peorth, listen carefully; I'm going to ground but I need your help to pull it off. Contact Mara and tell her I'll meet her at the All Saints Park, Oxford Road, Manchester, in ten minutes. Tell her make sure she's not followed and that I'm going to her to bring her car and some supplies".
"Ok but… why? What are you planning?"
"Believe me, the less you know for now, the better. Just suffice to say, I have a safe house there and I'm going to need some help getting to it. Once that's done, keep safe and see if you can find a way to ferry info to me. I'll let you know when I'm set up, alright?"
"Alright" Peorth said. "Now get going!" With that, the phone clicked off and Jago pocketed it. He then scooped and picked up Lind.
"Sorry lass, we need to go" he said and carrying her in his arms, he headed for the door. Urd however, blocked his path.
"No way! You two aren't going anywhere! Neither of you are fit to travel and besides-"
"Urd, Lind and I have been declared traitors. We need to go NOW. Now either you get out of the way or I kick you out of the way". Urd looked as if she was going to argue but then saw the fire in Jago's eyes and thought better of it, steeping aside and allowing him to carry Lind form the room.
"Hey Jago, what's going on? Where are you taking Lind?" Skuld demanded as they entered the room.
"I can't tell you kid, it's on a need to know basis". Before Skuld could say anything about being called a kid, Jago had turned away to face Keiichi and Holybell. "I'm sorry I couldn't help Belldandy but I promise, I'll have her back in… three days tops. Until then, don't do anything I wouldn't do". The pair nodded and Jago over to a small bowl of water he had left on the windowsill for just such an occasion, then used the Dimensional Slide spell to instantly transport himself and Lind away. There was a moment of silence as the occupants of the hotel room tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"Ok, I have two questions" Skuld said. "What just happened and how are we getting home?"
"Well Jago left me the keys to his truck" Urd said, entering the room and spinning them around her finger. "As to the other thing, well… that could take some explaining".
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With a gasp, Jago and Lind emerged from a puddle and into the streets of Manchester. It was raining, as it always was but the sky shone dimly in the pre-dawn light. The start of a brand new day. Taking shelter in the lee of a building, Jago continued to hold Lind, wrapping her in both his and her jackets as she began to shiver. Presently however, the peace of the cool morning air was shattered by the sound of a seven litre V8 engine and pretty soon, a black and white Dodge Challenger rolled in through the morning fog. It pulled up at the curb beside them and the door flew open as Mara stepped out, her usual replaced by black jeans, a black tank-top and a fur lined denim jacket. She growled irritably Jago as the rain slowly trickled down her face.
"This had better be good!" she demanded. "I was just going on my break when-" But she fell silent when she saw how serious Jago's face was. Then she saw that what she had taken for a simple bundle in his arms was actually Lind, her uniform soaked with blood. "Holy shit, what happened!?"
"No time to explain" Jago said and with as much care as possible, he placed Lind in the back seat of the car before climbing in on the passenger side. "You know your way around this town?" he asked as Mara climbed in beside him.
"Sure I do! Manchester is one of the favourites for demons! That is apart from Glasgow of course".
"Good" said Jago. "Then drive. I'll fill you in on the way". He then turned to look at the back seat, see how Lind had fallen asleep there. "Don't worry lass" he said softly, caressing her cheek. "I can still fix this".
Authors Note: what happens when you have to live with your grandmother while looking for work and as an added bonus, your two year old cousins come to visit but scream every time they lay eyes on? You lock the door, put your headphones in and knock out a chapter as fast as you can bloody type! Fun no? Well I think this is the second fastest I ever updated so I hope its ok!
