Hopefully this one came a little faster than the chapters before it. ;) I seriously hope everyone enjoys this one, and looks forward to the next. Things are beginning to wrap up, and I personally think it will end with everything that you all hope.
Aedian
"Run faster!" Alex screamed at Richard as he pushed him into one of the few standing buildings. The rot and decay that so signified Silent Hill was abundant, reaching out to them in strands of stripped wallpaper, and shattered drywall.
"How much longer do I have?" Richard asked quietly, raising the two pistols that he'd carried earlier in the night. "Until you decide to kill me I mean?"
Alex looked at a military watch on his wrist. "You've got forty-eight minutes left. At the end of that, I shoot you instead of one of the creatures, do you understand?"
Richard nodded, and pushed away from the wall, firing several bullets into a group of passing creatures. Four dropped lifeless to the ground before Alex joined him, sending just as many volleys into the retreating hellspawn.
"There's more of them now than before." A hard breathing Richard gasped from beside Alex. "What's bringing so many of them to the city now?"
A fast look from Alex made him wonder what he'd missed. Then the agent spoke and removed the doubt. "Two things. Their original God has found another body, and if that fails, then they'll have another one by morning."
Again nodding, Richard closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. When he re-opened them, he pointed to the east. "Walter's that way, and the gate between this world and the demon one is weakening. When it collapses...there won't be any stopping him."
"All that is because of the Medallion, isn't it?" Alex questioned, wondering if he just hadn't gained the ability to do that when he'd worn it. "It gives you the ability to sense Walter and the demonic gates."
"No," Richard disagreed. "It's because I was in The Order, one of the highest ranking they'd known. Now, with all of them dead or scattered, I'm probably the most powerful ritualist still living...and I'm sure as hell the only one that knows how to make Walter a God."
Motioning for the two of them to move east, Alex and Richard made their way out of the building, they ran for a building that Alex had visited earlier, and had sworn he'd never return to. They ran to the dark church of The Order. They ran to Sarah and any one else that might be alive still. They ran to Walter.
"They're coming." Walter said when he re-entered his throne chamber. Belial stood humbly to the right of the throne, trying to show his allegiance to Walter by position alone. If he thought his placement would please the one to be his soon dark God, he was mistaken.
Without acknowledging Belial further, Walter strode up the dias and sat in his throne. Belial gave a low bow before walking to the great stone door that made up the entrance. "Your minions are in place for when they try to enter. Those that were unchanged await further in. The Order has been reborn."
"And where did you get unchanged people?" Walter asked slyly. He wanted to know if the minions were truly human, or had been put under illusion by the lord of lies. "Last I had heard, all but a few people in Silent Hill were either killed or changed when the city fell. Only a handful survived without succumbing to the taint of the city."
Belial stopped suddenly, cursing himself silently for letting on more than he wished. When he turned around, however, he was grinning, and he was also wearing Walter's body having changed from a person Walter had never seen. "Many more were taken to the demon realms and kept by certain demonic lords as sport. Mine enjoyed the ability to fight for their survival. The ones I've brought you are excellent fighters. Consider them a...gift."
Walter noticed the darkening of Belial's voice on the word 'gift' but said nothing about it. His first task would be to rip their control away from Belial and bestow it upon himself. There were rituals that could do the task, but much more powerful were the promises of power. Why possess a man's mind when it would be just as easy to make him a protector of The Order with a share of the powers Walter would soon possess? In under an hour he'd have the beginnings of what would soon be a strong enough force to expand Silent Hill's influence to the surrounding cities.
A slight grin came over his face, mirroring the one on Belial's when he said "I'd like to speak with them...one at a time. I'll trust you can send them in?"
Instantly, Belial's grin faded, replaced by a emotionless scowl. "Of course...Lord Walter." He said reluctantly, his last plan for gaining any more strength in the city failing. If he hadn't have received that wound to his arm from the Sword of Obedience, he would simply pretend to be one of the men talking to Walter and gain power that way, but the wound still bled and would give him away almost immediately.
Walter knew it. Belial could tell by the smirk in the man's smoldering grey eyes that he'd already seen that possibility and countered it. As if to drive the point home that Walter no longer needed him, Belial heard the man rise to his feet and cross around to behind the throne. "When this all began, my dear friend." Walter said smoothly. "I couldn't have been more grateful for your help. In fact, I couldn't have gotten this far without your help, and I appreciate that.
He turned and faced the angry demon lord who was now changing forms without realizing it, anger having over taken any sense. "Now, however, you're simply another demon that can get in my way of becoming the god of Silent Hill. Once I've risen, I'll grant you the power you so desire, but until then I think it only fair you live as I now do...mortal."
"Mortal!" Came the expected gasp of dismay, but Walter quickly pushed it aside. Then Belial was doubling over in pain from the agony of the wound caused by the Sword of Obedience.
"Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that." A suddenly pouting Walter said. "Whatever will you do about that wound...it's almost as if you've never had to live with such pain before...but then again as a human, I can heal that for you." He threw a sidelong glance at the grimacing Lord of Lies. "One last favor for me, and I'll end your pain."
There was nothing Belial wanted more than to kill Walter at that moment, and had he had his immortality, he might have tried. Even with the power of the Ronin Blades on his side, the aged assassin couldn't still be a match for a demon lord. But he put that thought out of his mind as another bolt of pain slithered through his body, feeling as if it would tear the very flesh from his body.
Watching in amusement, Walter wondered just how long his subject would continue to hold out. The wound had been bone deep, and every second that Belial hesitated only caused the pool of crimson around him to expand...killing him by degrees.
It would be long and agonizing seconds until Belial agreed, but Walter finally kept his end of the bargain, striding towards his subject with echoing steps on the stone floor. As he reached him, Belial knew what was going to happen and began to scream.
Gunfire and screams filled the upper level of the church. Alex and Richard had fought their way through the dozens of hate-filled creatures. Back-to-back the two circled, firing and reloading as if they'd practiced the move dozens of times. Blood streamed from wounds caused by teeth, claw, and shards of wood and stone that filled the air. Strapped to Richard's back was the Sword of Obedience, sparkling a pristine white in the darkness and hellish gloom. Both had known that the weapon would be necessary, and could even be used to stop the Medallion's hold over Richard if necessary.
Together, they shot their way through the never ending hordes of demonic creations that Walter and Belial had summoned. Only occasionally were they forced to stop moving, for both knew that if they had to make a stand it would mean their deaths.
It was only when they turned a corner and looked back upon their work that they realized just how much damage the two of them had truly done to Walter's minions. Countless bodies littered the floor, blood and carnage splattered all over the walls. The very air reeked of sulphur and gunpowder, and their gun barrels were nearly glowing white from the constant use.
"Switch!" Alex yelled from behind Richard, causing them both to drop their nearly useless weapons and draw fresh ones. Alex drew another VP70, and Richard drew yet another pistol from Alex's hip.
From behind them, they heard the pounding of feet on the floor, and knew another wave of the creatures were after them. Without pausing, Alex reached into another pocket on his vest and withdrew a piece of what looked like clay. "I need a few seconds!" He shouted to Richard, who immediately pulled a grenade from the agent's belt and threw it around the corner. The explosion brought a chorus of screams and a wave of heat, but accomplished it's job. Alex finished what he was doing to the wall and motioned for Richard to follow them as he again sprinted down the hallway.
A thrown chemical stick sent caused the hallway to suddenly fill with a green glow, and gave the creatures running after them a target which they gleefully charged after. Until Alex hit a button concealed in his hand and detonated the C-4 charge he'd placed on the wall.
Instantly the hallway flashed yellow and the ceiling collapsed in on itself, sealing them off from any attacks coming from behind...and also trapping them from exiting the same way they'd come in.
Breathing hard, but still grinning to themselves, they wiped the dust and grime from their faces and waited for the air to clear before moving. That was when the steady sound of clapping caught their attention from their left.
"Well played." The figure of Belial said, clapping his hands together with just the slightest wince. Unlike his other forms, this one was remarkably similar to Walter, only close cropped hair, even down to the leather coat and black clothing. The only things missing were the Ronin Blades. "Well played indeed. I'd never imagined for you to make it this far without losing someone, but you managed to...in a way."
He stepped aside to reveal a red-haired woman tied with rope struggling wild-eyed on the ground backed by a half dozen humans carrying guns. As Richard's eyes widened, he slid a ceremonial dagger from underneath the jacket he was wearing while reaching down with one long hand. Grasping Sarah's hair, Belial jerked her head backwards and placed the tip of the dagger at her throat.
"How does this effect that Medallion you're wearing Richard?" Came the surprisingly cool question for one dealing with the direct wrath of Sammael. "Does knowing I'm going to kill her if you take a step do anything with it?"
It did, and Alex could see the air beginning to shimmer around Richard, taking on a distinctive smell of burnt flesh and death. He was beginning to lose control, but held enough sanity to murmur a phrase to Alex.
"Once I've saved her, shoot me. I'll be lost." Was all he said, and while Alex was still staring at him in shock, Richard gave fully into the Medallion and exploded into motion, ripping the Sword of Obedience from his back so quickly that it seemed to have just magically appeared in his hand. He dodged the expected bursts of weapons fire and moved supernaturally fast, as fast as Walter had when he'd first met him on that deserted road into Silent Hill.
Even as he did so, Alex was screaming. At first he screamed for Richard to stop, and then in denial of what he would have to do even as he pulled his pistols out and began to pick off the guards around them. He felt a first bullet and then a second slam into his tactical vest, but the bullet resistant plate stopped them. The force of the blows still threw him to the ground, where he bounced twice off the cold stone floor, cracking his head on a piece of rubble and feeling blood begin to freely drip onto the ground. He didn't stop his shooting at the three standing guards, though.
Weapons roared as loud as the voice of Sammael in Richard's ears as he perfectly pivoted to go in between two bullets. It should have been impossible, he KNEW it to be impossible, but he'd seen the trajectory of the projectiles and gone between them. He was still too far though, he saw that now. No amount of speed would save Sarah from Belial slitting her throat.
Alex could though, Richard realized as he felt a bullet pass by his cheek as if it were in slow motion. The shot was perfection in every way, flying unerringly to strike the tip of the pommel that Belial held, throwing his hand wide and only opening a shallow scratch along Sarah's throat. The bullet veered perfectly and opened only another shallow scrap along her brow.
Belial's eyes opened in amazement as he saw Richard in front of him, moving far to quickly to stop. He could only dive to the side as a razor-edged longsword split the air where he'd stood only seconds before. The dodge put Belial off balance, however, and a fast spin (faster still with his enhancements) put Richard in the perfect place to catch him. A fast shift of his footing put a fully extended leg directly in front of the demon lord, sending him sprawling to the ground just as the last of the human guardians dropped to the ground.
Without hesitating, Richard slammed the Sword of Obedience home. The blade sheered through the flesh and muscle of Belial's stomach to pass directly into the stones underneath him drawing a pure scream of unimaginable agony from the prostrate figure.
"I command this Sword of Obedience to hold Belial, demon lord of lies, in Silent Hill for eternity!" Richard screamed hoarsely. "May his days be filled with never ending agony, and may he long for a death he can never have!"
In response to the words, the blade flared a brilliant white-hot and didn't stop glowing. Belial screamed and screamed, words becoming unintelligible and gutteral. Yet one thing was certain...he was in all the hellish torment that Richard had wished upon him.
Turning slowly, Richard saw Alex on one knee pistol still smoking in his hands. He smiled and tossed a small knife from one of his never-ending pockets to Richard so that the man could cut his wife's ropes.
A fast swipe of his hand snagged the knife out of the air, and within the span of a few seconds, Sarah was rubbing her wrists to get the blood flowing to her hands again. As soon as her feet were free, she threw herself up and tried to hug Richard, but he pushed her away. The force of his push nearly sent her all the way back to the now standing Alex, and when she looked at him in bewilderment she suddenly saw the red glow in Richard's eyes and the smoldering air around him again.
"Now." Richard begged Alex, already feeling the demonic taint beginning to take him. "I can't hold it off any longer. Everything Sammael promised me has been delivered."
Sarah looked at Alex in amazement, finally seeing who it was for the first time. "You're alive!" She gasped in awe, reaching up to touch his burnt cheek with her fingers. Then a look of horror came over her face as she saw the pistol raise in his hand.
"No!" She screamed, jerking the arm with the pistol in it just before the shot rang. The bullet skewed and struck Richard in the shoulder, bringing a scream of pain from Alex. Sarah watched in awe as the wound appeared not in Richard, but in Alex, who began to leak blood from the wound. "You can't kill him!" She screamed in anger, trying to wrestle the pistol away from her former friend."
"I know what I'm doing!" Alex screamed back, and sighted in the weapon as best he could on the center of Richard's chest. He blocked everything out then except for the sights on the weapon. Belial's screams, Sarah's attacks, and Richard's glowing...all were shoved to the far corner of his mind. Before Sarah could skew this shot he fired again, praying to whatever god would listen that his shot was perfect.
The bullet threw Richard back, and he screamed only once as he struck the ground very close to where Belial lay unconscious on the ground, the pain having overwhelmed him.
"You son of a bitch you killed him!" Sarah cried, breaking down and falling to her knees only shortly before Alex did, his pistol falling from nerveless fingers and his hand grasping the torn flesh of his shoulder. The bullet had passed cleanly through his arm, not breaking anything. It was an incredible shot that he hoped he'd made again, for if he hadn't, he'd soon feel death's cold hand upon himself.
From the ground in front of him, Richard stirred and tried to sit up. He had stopped glowing, and now his hand went to a leather cord around his neck, pulling it up over his head to reveal Alex's true target, the twisted and broken Medallion that had controlled him. To the far left of it, a bullet remained stuck in the precious metals having saved both their lives.
"One in a million..." Alex whispered quietly to Sarah, echoing her sentiments to him from their earlier journey in Silent Hill. Not wishing to believe it, Sarah turned and saw Richard standing. This time she did hug him, throwing herself into his arms and sobbing wildly.
"Twice." Richard mouthed to Alex, making sure he knew that the agent had saved him from death due to the medallion twice. As if on cue, Alex's watch began to beep, telling him that Richard's hour was up.
He tried to reach up and stop it, but the effort was too much and he collapsed unconscious to the floor. Sarah and Richard quickly ran to him an as Sarah truly saw the wound, her breath hissed out in a worried grimace. The bullet had gone clean through, but he needed medical attention immediately or he most likely wouldn't survive.
Richard was already digging through the man's vest, looking for some kind of medical supplies and finding two bandages and an ampoule-like painkiller. As they worked, Richard removed the weapons and ammunition from the agent, placing them in his own holsters and jacket.
Once they were finished, Sarah took the canteen from Alex and both she and Richard took a drink before using the remnants of it to force Alex to drink. His throat bobbed instinctively as the water ran down it.
"We've got to get him out of here or he'll die." Sarah said sadly, knowing what this meant. Only one of them would be able to battle Walter in his throne room.
Richard nodded and checked the items he'd taken from Alex. They wouldn't ensure he would win, but couldn't hurt. He thought about taking the vest itself, but didn't think that Walter would have any difficulty in slashing through it. Besides, Sarah would need it to get out of the church.
"I love you." He said softly, running a hand through her bright red hair. "And I'll see you when I get back." There were a hundred other things that they wanted to say, but the shallow breathing of Alex told them that time was running out for him and the pull on Richard told him the demon gate was about to open.
Handing Sarah one of the two remaining pistols and half the ammunition, Richard watched as she hoisted Alex onto shoulder and slapped his face until he woke. With a slight nod, Alex began to stagger down the hallway with Sarah. It was only halfway down when he suddenly straightened and turned, whispering words that brought a smile to Richard's face despite the situation.
"I hate this city..." He'd said before turning and continuing his journey outside.
Behind them, Richard straightened and checked the number of bullets still in the pistol. With a final look at the unconscious Belial, he started running towards the throne room.
And in the throne room, Walter waited anxiously for him.