Part 11 - We Could Burn It All Down

Chapter 194 - King of the Dark Below

The team stared in awe at the ancient Daevite city. Stone pillars rose high into the air with buildings constructed into the sides of them. At what seemed to be the centre of the city was a palace of some kind constructed from a type of red stone.

"And I thought we'd be trekking through streets full of people and horse shit." Teresa mused.

"Where do we start?" Asked Jacob.

"That temple. Anything red is probably related to Khahrahk, so we burn it."

Conall looked at Jacob's cloak.

"Hold still, Jake. There's something red on your back."

"Uh oh. Is it worshipping Khahrahk?"

"Could be. Let me burn it just to be sure."

"Focus. The Daevites aren't human, and they'll gladly kidnap you for the next holy feast if you don't stay on your toes." Edward interrupted.

Venom emerged from his body.

"Fortunately I am at the top of the food chain."

"I imagine you'd be a little rubbery." Miles replied.

As the team made their way through the city, Miles and Gwen began to wonder if the Daevites were actually human. Their skin was extremely pale, almost as pale as 096's. In addition, their teeth were razor sharp, likely so they could tear any flesh from any bone. To put the cherry on top, they stood about as tall as Venom, nearly a foot taller than a normal human. Gwen slipped her hand into Miles' for comfort as she accidentally made eye contact with one. He glanced down and frowned, wondering why she'd done it when she'd made her feelings perfectly clear before. But he didn't complain; he was beginning to realise the scope of his own feelings on the matter now. The team climbed steadily towards the palace which they reached just in time to see a woman drive an excessively sharp dagger through a body lying on an altar at the centre of the front courtyard. They raised a goblet a few seconds later and drank the blood from the corpse making everyone except Venom feel more than a little nauseous. Teresa turned away from it supposedly to give orders to the team, but Miles could see in her eyes it was more out of disgust.

"Conall, Jacob: you'll work with Group A to keep watch for more Daevites coming up the stairs. Miles, Venom: go with Group B and sweep the left wing. Gwen and Group C are with me to sweep the right wing. Kill every Daevite you meet, then we meet back out here and work from there. The more of these guys we kill, the less power they give Khahrahk. Good luck."

"Can't Gwen come with me?" Asked Miles.

"No. She's with me so I can make sure she's dead if she decides to try something. Move out."

Gwen gave Miles a sad smile and followed the commander and small group of soldiers towards the altar. A series of gunshots rang out and the Daevite was killed. Miles looked at Venom.

"You just not looking away is making me worried right now." The spider remarked as he double tapped the side of his head to raise his mask and hood.

He set off after Teresa.

The inside of the palace was lit with flaming torches and was filled with a rancid smell. Venom claimed first blood for group Group B by tearing a Daevite's head off and eating it, before promptly spitting it out again.

"That tastes…bitter."

"So does the puke in my mouth." Replied one of the soldiers.

The team fought through the wing of the palace, slaughtering every Daevite they met. However, Miles couldn't shake the constant warning from his spidey sense. Suddenly, he discovered what it was warning him about. As the group entered a large chamber, the doors slammed shut and seemed to lock themselves. A deep haunting laughter filled the room, but it wasn't coming from any of the nine women sitting on thrones at one end of the chamber. One stood, staring down at the group with hungry eyes.

"I am Queen Orovice, a Daeva of the Khnith-hgor. He has warned us of your coming, and he has gifted us the power to slay you."

The soldiers began to step back as Orovice walked towards them. Miles held his ground, as did Venom.

"However, we Daeva are extremely particular about our meat. It must be tough and rare. You, creature, are too slimy. You, lesser creatures, are too weak."

"Let us go, then." Miles replied.

"Ah, alas. You have the strength we desire. Your friends may leave, but only on a single condition."

"What?"

"You will struggle as we feast on your flesh."

"If it means they can go, fine."

"How noble."

One of the doors creaked open. Venom retreated into Edward to let the admiral talk.

"Miles, don't give them what they want. We can take them."

"We can't. They want me, and if that means I die then fine."

"If you die then Max can never be born and never become a High Elder God."

"It'll be too late by the time he's ready. This is where my bit in all this ends."

"Miles…"

"No. I've made my choice. Go before she changes her mind."

Edward looked Miles in the eyes for a second then nodded and began to run with the soldiers. The door slammed shut, locking itself so the spider was trapped with the nine Daevas. All but the one in the centre stood up, brandishing the same daggers the Daevite at the altar had been using. Orovice went to grab him, but he leapt back.

"Yes! You will make a fine feast!"

She lunged at the spider, aiming to hit his shoulder and incapacitate him instead of kill him. Miles dodged the strike and caught her wrist, blasting her with venom energy that sent her flying at her comrades. He threw a punch as the next came for him, but to his surprise it was stopped in mid-air. The Daeva still on her throne was chanting quietly, watching his every move intently. He withdrew his hand just in time to avoid the slice of another dagger. A backflip helped him dodge the next, then he swept the feet out from under the next one. She dropped her dagger as she hit the floor and the spider grabbed it, hurling it straight for the Daeva on her throne. She chanted some strange words and the blade disappeared into a red void only to shoot out another and embed itself in a wall missing Miles' head by inches. It was good to know there was a wall behind him, and he planned to use it to his advantage. He leapt onto it and scrambled up onto the roof. The Daevas began to howl in anger, but the spider ignored the eight that were standing and dodged the dagger thrown up at him. Instead, he crawled so he was above the Daeva still on her throne. She began chanting, and he made to fire a web over her mouth. However, just as his finger touched the button, he found himself plummeting into the middle of the other eight. Before he could react, he cried out in agony as Orovice drove her dagger into his shoulder. She picked him up by the throat and began to drink the blood that ran from the wound. When the flow began to slow, she twisted the blade so that more came. Miles closed his eyes and accepted his fate, wondering how long he had left before he was carved up like a Christmas turkey. Suddenly, he was dropped and hit the floor hard. The Daevas were screaming angrily, but he didn't dare open his eyes in case he caught a glimpse of the knife that would take his life. However, he heard furious yelling in a language he was almost certain was Elder Tongue. He dared to open his eyes and saw Jacob slash the head off the Daeva on her throne. Conall was herding the others into a corner where he blasted them apart with a single beam of golden energy. Knowing he might be OK now, Miles began to focus on staying conscious. Conall lifted him telekinetically and took him outside where the TARDIS and the rest of the team were waiting. However, there would be no such luck today. The world seemed to be stretched and the blue police box only went further and further away as Conall tried to get him to it. There was an ear-splitting crack as a red tear in space appeared. From it emerged the Scarlet King in all his seventh phase glory. The King didn't care what people he stepped; only those who'd destroyed his most loyal servants.

"Did you truly believe you could sneak behind my back and destroy me in such a way? My reign is eternal; I cannot be destroyed."

Jacob muttered some words and the world seemed to ping back into place like an elastic band. Conall hurled everyone into the TARDIS with his telekinesis. As soon as the door closed, the Doctor pulled the levers. However, the grating sound only lasted a second before it began to fail. The time machine shook violently before there was an enormous shockwave and crash. Everyone who was standing was thrown to the ground as the doors opened. They weren't in the Daevite city anymore, but in a volcanic wasteland.

"You cannot escape. I was made at the dawn of time, and I have consumed he who controls its flow."

Conall spread his golden wings as everyone vacated the disabled time machine, preparing for a fight the immortal knew he couldn't win. Jacob drew his sword again as well and spoke some words of Elder Tongue that caused most of the team to cover their ears in pain:

"Natåranür trezþ!"

A fissure opened up beneath the Scarlet King's feet, but he floated above it with little care. Instead, he drew the Scarlet Crucible from his back and began to swing it down towards the team. However, before it hit, something strange happened. A blazing vortex of light and energy blocked the attack.

"Zhiþ norst, Fusis Natåranür Kartchuntar! Thou shoulds't never hath come here!"

An old man appeared before the team, cloaked in blazing white robes that flapped in the wind.

"What care do you have for this Creation? It is not yours, Refur." Khahrahk challenged the High Elder God.

"Twas this Creation that gaveth thee purpose, Khahrahk."

"I am the King of the Dark Below. I vowed to destroy the Tree, the Creator and Creation. The Moon will shine no more."

"The Moon shalt shineth forevermore. Thine reckoning hath cometh!"

The team saw nothing more of that battle, and wouldn't know it's outcome for a while after. A vortex consumed them, dragging them back through time to where they belonged. By now, Miles was out cold. Fortunately, Anonymous seemed to have known he needed medical help as they were in a hospital. Gwen helped the nurses lift him onto a stretcher where he was carried away. The team exchanged looks, not sure how to react to what had just happened. Anonymous may be a High Elder God, but he was frail and had little fighting spirit left. Time would tell who was the victor.

Crossovers in this Chapter

- SCP Foundation
- Doctor Who