Chapter 33: The Dark Angel
Genis built the spell as quickly as he could, then growled, "Burn!"
The ball of red mana dropped into the group of soldiers, exploding as it hit the ground. The soldiers were both thrown and roasted by the blast.
Athan straighteneed and wiped away some sweat. "I think that's all of them." He nodded at Genis and Presea. "You make a good team."
They heard a yawn. "Yes, that's most of my troops. I'll guess I'll have to kill you myself."
The three turned. Saunting down the from the Cool breeze inn was a tall, slim-framed young man. His armor was light, a breastplate, that only covered the top half of his torso, gauntlets, that allowed a full range of hand motion, and greaves, and armored coverings for a pair of boots were all exquisitely crafted and burnished to a silvery sheen. What wasn't covering by armor was covered by a black bodysuit that fit like a second skin.
Athan though him to be younger than himself, but man's eyes glowed golden; no pupils, just the whites and in their center, golden pools. Those unearthly eyes put a slight question mark over any deductions about the man's race and age.
"You'd be Damien," Genis said calmly.
"A pleasure to be known," Damien said pleasantly. He reached to his waist, taking the whip handle and shaking out whip's coils.
Genis focused on the weapon, and fought down a surge of revulsion. For a moment, he wondered if they'd missed a Devil's Arm.
The whip's handle was rigid, almost like black bone. The flexible part was smooth pink taper, narrowing from about three inches thick to an inch at its rounded end. Coming out of that end was a whitened shape, as if an organic creature had grown a natural knife made of bone.
With his free hand, Damien brushed his short blue hair out of his eyes.
The three friends set themselves. Damien, unconcerned, examined each face in turn. "You must be Genis," he said conversationally. "And you're Presea. I don't think Joseph told me your name, though," he added to Athan.
"Not giving it," Athan said.
"So hostile," Damien murmured. "Shall we start?"
Before they could react, he stabbed a finger at Presea. "Dark Sphere!"
Even as the spell surrounded Presea, the man lashed out with his whip, parrying Genis's slice at his midsection. That obscene whip came back spurting from its length, but that quickly subsided.
Athan dashed in, gathering energy for a strike at Damien's unprotected side.
Even as the monk sped it, the whip, seemingly under its own power, flipped back, blurring as its stinger slashed a line across Athan's chest, even as the Dark Sphere burst, drawing a pained grunt from Presea but also releasing her.
Genis lashed his whip again, expecting the parry this time. As soon as he felt the jolt, he brought his other hand around, throwing a trio of fireballs at the man.
Damien, caught off-guard, hissed in a breath. The whip lashed toward the rushing Presea, forcing her to hop back.
Then Athan was there, punching Damien in the shortribs, accept a cut on the shoulder from that whip as it snapped around Damien's side to dig into a shoulder. The cut across Athan's chest seemed to be on fire, but he was too focused on his enemy to worry about it.
Damien tumbled from the force of the blow, but turned it into a roll that ended with a spring. The whip cracked as he swung it down and behind him, spinning a hundred and eighty degrees as he rose.
Athan, rushing after the slim warrior, shied back from that slash. Then a stab of pain had him clutching at the cut on his chest. He gathered his energy for a moment, focusing it towards his wounds. The cuts sealed, and then Athan became aware of the burning in his veins
He figured it out when Damien swung that accursed weapon in an arc, spraying a thin line of liquid out at the other two participants in the fight.
Venom. The damn whip was venomous! Athan took one glance at the reactions of Genis and presea, then he broke and ran for their packs where they'd dropped them inside the gate.
Athan broke a buckle getting a pack open, and then he dug out a tiny little bottle--a Panacea Bottle. He gulping down the contents. He slung the pack over his shoulder and fell into his inner energy. A second later, he felt the acceleration catch and he ran to the battle, which now seemed in slow motion as Presea whirled her great axe around at Damien.
Genis suddenly found an open pack at his feet, and Athan was beside him, saying, "Carry it!" Then Athan was gone and Genis shouldered the pack.
The half-elf built another spell, Air Thrust, but Damien leapt at him, whip coming around. The hit sliced Genis below the collarbone, breaking his concentration.
Then a blur rushed at the devilish warrior. Athan, using his Catquick technique, got full momentum then jumped, twisting in mid-air to catch Damien in the side with his stiffened legs.
The terrific momentum knocked Damien sprawling, though his whip managed to drag a line down Athan's leg as Damien soared away. The monk reverted to his normal speed. "Drink a panacea!" He thundered at Genis, before wrestling one out of the pack for himself.
Genis complied, then got a burst of healing from Athan.
Damien sprang up, crying, "Bloody Lance!"
Both of the men used their defensive shields--Bastion in Athan's case, Force Field in Genis's--taking the edge off the spell.
Damien heard a crack behind him. He turned to see Presea hit a stone stair with the flat of her axe, pulverizing a section of it. Then she spun, bringing her axe around the catch the shards, turning the pieces of broken rock into a spray of missiles.
Damien's eyes flashed, and a green sphere of his own surrounded him, making most of the projectiles skip away so he only gained a couple of nicks.
Snarling, he cracked his whip sending a gob of venom that hit her eyes.
His whip arcing behind him was the only warning he got before Athan spin-kicked him in the ribs.
Damien recovered, and immediately hit Athan with a Dark Sphere. Then he fled up the dais.
Athan watched him ascend from the the bottom of the stairs. He took an opporunity to give himself a basic Healer, then shouted at Genis and Presea, "Follow me!" Then he ran up the stairs three at a time.
Skidding to stop beside Presea, Genis yanked out a panacea, forcing it into her hands. "Drink this," he pleaded.
Presea stopped thrashing and gulped down the contents. She opened her eyes, winced, then opened them completely. Then she did something she'd never done before. She pulled him down to her to plant a kiss on his cheek before saying, "Thanks." Then she was up and running up the stairs, Genis hot on her heels.
Athan's mad rush up the stairs was met with a spell he'd never seen before, a bolt of black lightning. The impact knocked into the air, but Athan caught himself on his hands, powerful arms coiling...then uncoiling like springs, tossing him onto the ground between the stairs and the dais.
Damien stood panting, his whip slowly writhing, its venom etching the stones where it dripped. "You're strong," he complimented sincerely.
Since this seemed to be a momentary break, Athan nodded civilly. "You're as tough as nails, yourself." He eyed the whip. "Where'd you get that thing?"
Damien rolled his wrist around. "In a dark place."
Athan shrugged. He hadn't expected a real answer. "I'm Athan Donu."
Damien flashed a grin and set himself into a stance.
Athan ran forward, dodging to one side as the whip lashed. He dove, scissoring his legs towards Damien's knees.
Damien went down on top of Athan, flailing, and his whip was tangled between two men.
Athan siezed the opportunity twisting Damien's wrist to force the man to let go. The monk headbutted the warrior, then grabbed the whip's handle and flung it away. He heard Genis say behind him, "Don't step it, he's winning!"
Damien, disarmed, gave a rather impressive punch to Athan's eye, his gauntlet adding to its stopping power.
Athan was more surprised than hurt, but surprise was all his spellcasting foe needed. The blast of black lightning blew him into the air, and Damien was up and running towards his still-writhing whip.
He looked up on instinct as he snatched his whip up. he saw the ball of red mana dropping, and again raised his magical defenses.
No sooner than the protection faded than several fist-sized chunks of white stone flew at him. He ducked and learned out of the way, retaliating with a Dark Sphere at the magic-using boy.
Damien saw Athan rise, face grim. He saw Presea ready another swing at one of the pillars at the corners of the dais. He saw Genis casting a spell.
Damien did the only thing he could do at that point. He fell into his own essence, ripping out his full power. The three saw Damien's handsome face twist in pain. He screamed as if in agony, dropping to his knees and clutching his head. His wings burst forth. They were not as the wings of any angel they'd seen before.
Damien's wings were without shine, without substance, mere holes cut out in vision, windows to the void that underlaid the world. They were wide, much wider than he was tall.
Damien rose to his feet. His golden eyes now ruby red. His face now a gray expression of dead-eyed malice. He cracked his whip.
His onslaught came without warning. His eyes flashed the red of dying stars as the dark spell Vengeance shredded the dais around his enemies.
Then he was among them, gripping Genis by the throat to almost casually flin him at Presea. He lashed that evil whip at Athan in two quick snaps, drawing lines of blood across the man's stomach.
Presea pushed Genis off of her, and got to her feet as Athan grabbed the whip behind the sting, holding it useless despite the acidic venom it sprayed on his chest.
She took advantage of the opening and swung her heavy axe into his shoulder.
He flew through the air, the force tumbling him end over end, only for him to teleport in a crackle of that black lightning, and come out upright.
The Dark Angel spread his wings then flapped them, spreading innumerable needles of ice at his enemies.
"Presea!" Athan growled. "Launch him up high!" Athan blurred into near invisibility.
Presea had to trust the monk and she waited with her axe as Damien's whip lashed out again and again, seeming to always be right behind the swift shadow that was Athan.
Then Athan appeared again. He punched Damien in the head repeatedly, ignoring the strikes the whip made to the his side.
The Dark Angel reeled slightly. Athan grabbed his enemy's arm and flung him at Presea. "Uppercut!"
Presea's upswring carried the stunned foe high, high into the air.
"Genis!" Athan called, holding a hand to his stomach. "use Flare!"
Genis caught on, remembering the dragon-killing technique he's used the first time he'd seen Athan fight.
Genis drew upon his ragged reserves, cramming mana into the crackling white ball he formed in front of his hands. He fired at the angel's dropping body.
The sound was like thunder, the thunder that seems to split the sky.
And still the angel survived. Damien dropped heavily onto the dais, armor ruined, bodysuit in tatters.
Athan staggered to Genis. "Panacea.." he groaned.
The realization of how long Athan'd been fighting with poison in him hit him like a thrown brick. Horrified, Genis gave him a bottle.
Athan gulped down the dose, then gritted his teeth. He healed himself repeatedly, forcing his body to repair itself. Still unsteady, he paced over to Damien, who was just now starting to move and groan. Athan picked the slim man up and then threw him towards the stairs.
Athan accelerated in a flash, and caught the man in mid-air, grabbing his leg and using that handhold to slam him into the stairs.
Athan and Damien's descent was, frankly, brutal. Athan threw into the walls on either side of the stairs, bouncing him down, slinging him against a wall only to punch him, which must have felt like being between the hammer and the anvil. And the entire time, Athan used what rudimentary healing sense he had, continually montitoring the man's life force throughout the beating.
And the man still did not die. He'd regressed into his normal form, he was bloody and had several broken bones, but he still hung on. At the bottom, Athan threw the man down at an angle, watching an arm snap as Damien rolled, and the hated whip go flying away. The monk landed in front of Damien, reverting to normal time.
Damien's golden eyes blinked muzzily at him. He tried to raise his good hand, but Athan pointed it away and the blast of dark lightning hit nothing. Athan picked the man up and carried him to the edge of the canyon that bordered Asgard.
Athan wheeled, building momentum until Damien was whirling through the air, casting him down into the canyon at a velocity like a shooting star. Athan watched until Damien hit, then he turned away, satisfied that no one could survive splashing like that.
Athan saw Genis picking up the whip.
Genis walked towards the weapon curiously. It appeared similar to the Devils' Arms. Presea joined him, examining the weapon from a safe distance.
Genis picked it up, and what slammed into his mind was the overwhelming blood lust. The whip was intelligent, but all it wanted was to kill. Kill as many as possible. Genis stared at Presea, horrified at the touch of that awareness.
The thought was a demand. Her!
Every instinct of Genis fought against it, defeating the command to slash Presea.
Genis felt the disgust radiating out. The thought was a scream. UNWORTHY!
The blade on the end of it snapped around, going at Genis' unprotected throat.
And it stopped, a mere few inches from where it would have killed him. Athan's big hand held whip at the base of the sting, the venomous blade pointed away from Genis. He set his other hand a few inches below the other, squeezed, and began to twist. His face was set into an expression of deadly determination as he twisted the obscene weapon's poisonous sting off, its organic substance no match for Athan's savage strength.
He tossed the sting aside, and pulled the spurting end down, to step on it. He gripped the whip in the middle of its length, and again twisted, breaking the strands of its muscles as Genis watched wide-eyed.
"Genis?" Athan asked, almost politely.
"Wh-what?" Genis stammered out.
"Burn this thing while I pass out." He fell over.