The Case of Notre Dame Cathedral
By evolution-500
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror
Disclaimer: "TimeSplitters" is a property that belongs to Free Radical and Koch Media. I do not own the characters.
WARNING: This story contains violence, coarse language and dark themes/subject matter. Reader discretion is advised.
Chapter Four: The Cropolite
"I have seen the universe yawning
Where the black planets roll without aim,
Where they roll in their horror unheeded,
Without knowledge, or lustre, or name."
- H.P. Lovecraft
The journey was nearing its end - that much Algernon anticipated, and hoped for, yet for him it couldn't come any sooner.
As the door closed shut behind him, he followed his companions to the left, turning a corner before walking down a long, dark passageway, which funneled them to the right at the end. From there, the three of them climbed up a long spiraling staircase, each of them on edge as they all warily watched for movement, some indication of some hidden foe.
The entire area was dimly lit and heavily shadowed, making the detective regret not having his lantern with him.
'Speaking of which, whatever happened to it?' Algernon wondered.
Had he forgotten it somewhere back at the altar.
Wincing, Algernon frowned, mentally kicking himself for such a careless loss.
I should have taken it with me.
"Is everything alright, Englishman?" The harlequin queried. "You look upset about something."
Letting his shoulders droop, Algernon exhaled. "I forgot my damn lantern."
"Ah," she nodded, understanding his frustration. "You should be more careful, Englishman. It is never a good thing to lose one's own tools."
"I know, I know!" He raised his hand in annoyance, his face feeling uncomfortably warm. The detective then glanced over at Father Marcus. "How much farther do we have to go?"
"All the way to the top, Monsieur Underwood," the latter replied. "Jacque is waiting on the roof."
"For these "angels", yes." It was then that Algernon gave a slight pause, his brow furrowing.
"Is something the matter, Monsieur?" Father Marcus asked.
"Out of curiosity," Algernon said slowly, "has de la Morte ever talked about these "angels"? What they might have looked like?"
"He has," Father Marcus nodded, tilting his head slightly as his brow wrinkled, struggling to recall the details. "'Slender and pale, with heads wreathed in a glowing halo of holy fire' according to him. 'Beauty and elegance personified.'"
Algernon blinked, humming thoughtfully. "Hm. Interesting. And he claims that the gate to Heaven would open tonight on the roof?"
"Oui."
"Then let us see to it that we get to him first before any gates are opened," the harlequin spoke up. "Let us hurry, my friends. We have no time to lose."
The three of them continued to climb upward, moving up continuously to the left in spiraling ascension.
Half way up the steps, the three of them came upon a doorway hidden in a little niche greeted them halfway up the steps, but Father Marcus urged them upward.
"What's in there, Father?" Algernon questioned.
"That leads to the kitchen," Father Marcus explained.
A small part of Algernon regretted not being able to visit it, for he was desperately craving a midnight snack.
'Focus, Algernon, old boy!' He told himself. 'You need to focus on the task at hand.'
Find and capture de la Morte.
Then get a snack afterward.
Simple enough.
Nodding thoughtfully, Algernon continued to follow his companions, making note of his surroundings.
Part way upward, Algernon spotted a single stained glass window to his right illuminating the masonry of the stairway ahead of them, causing moonlight to spill in.
"Beautiful work," he commented, almost to himself.
"Indeed," Father Marcus nodded. "It, along with the various other stained glass works within this cathedral, was made back in 1250." The priest shook his head in dismay. "I lament what has happened to our beautiful church."
"You can lament later," the harlequin replied brusquely. "Right now we need to remain focused."
"Agreed," Algernon spoke up. Hurrying their pace up the steps, Algernon barely had time to react when he suddenly found himself bumping straight into a ghoul as it lumbered down toward them. "GREAT SCOTT!"
Letting out a startled yell, the detective was completely unprepared for the creature as it tackled straight into him, causing his companions to cry out and him to roll all the way back down the stairs.
"MONSIEUR!"
Upon reaching the ground floor, Algernon continued to yell, even as he found himself on top of his adversary, pushing down at its rotting head as he sought to avoid its snapping jaws.
Rearing his arm back, Algernon threw a punch, watching in disgust as his fist caved in its skull, leaving only its stumpy neck and mandible.
"MONSIEUR!" The harlequin cried, racing down the steps. "MONSIEUR ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"
Letting out a groan, Algernon called back, "I'm fine!" Pulling his fist out from the creature's skull, he leapt back to his feet, shaking his hand furiously to rid himself of the maggots and worms crawling all over him, his hand stained green blood and brain.
Cursing loudly, the detective took his handkerchief out from his pocket and wiped his limb clean.
"Disgusting business," Algernon muttered. "I have no idea how you manage to deal with all this blood. And that unholy stench!"
The harlequin shrugged. "I'm afraid it is all part of the job. You'll just have to get used to it."
He scoffed derisively. "'Get used to it', you say. Oh no! After this, I am going to be taking a warm bath, and then I'm going to take my suit to be tailored, and I will bill you for the costs! Do you have any idea how much this suit is worth?!"
The harlequin rolled her eyes. "We will discuss it later. Now, if you are done complaining, we have a necromancer to catch."
He watched as the masked woman disappeared back up the stairs, leaving him behind.
Letting out an irritated huff, Algernon glanced back to the body at his feet, giving it a frustrated kick before kneeling down to pick up his bowler hat.
Dusting it off, the detective placed it back onto his head, picking the shotgun up from the floor before following his companions up the stairs.
By the time the three of them reached the top, Algernon felt exhausted, panting loudly like a dog.
Glancing over her shoulder, the harlequin raised a brow. "Are you alright, Englishman?"
Algernon gave a small wave, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Just need to catch my breath for a moment." He then proceeded to wipe the perspiration off from his forehead. "Whoof, that was quite the climb!"
"You should exercise more, Monsieur Detective," the harlequin admonished. "You could stand to cut back on the yum-yums."
He harrumphed. "I'll have you know that I do plenty of exercises, thank you!"
Ignoring the jab, he studied their newest surroundings.
Five steps to the top of the stairs was another stained glass window to the right, but at the top was a short corridor the led with an adjacent archway.
Following his companions through the latter, the three of them rounded to the right and came across a long stretch of corridor with three partial semicircular rib arches stretching from the right floor all the way up to the limestone wall at the left.
At the far end of the corridor, the group spotted an archway that funneled to the right. Like much of the cathedral itself, it too was dimly lit, but a pair of windows overhead illuminated the halfway section of the corridor itself.
However, what caught the group's attention was the large wooden cross the rested against the limestone wall.
Stepping toward it, Algernon studied the wooden cross, his eyes narrowing at the chained cuffs on the upper and lower sections.
"I see small traces of blood on here," the detective noted.
Father Marcus said nothing, his eyes staring to the floor, whether in guilt, shame or to avert his eyes from the red droplets, Algernon couldn't say.
The harlequin, however, was livid; her eyes were practically glowing and rage-filled, looking like she wanted to murder the person or persons responsible.
"Bastards," she growled.
Algernon clicked his tongue, nodding in agreement. "Indeed, what de la Morte has done is nothing short of barbarism. His actions are inexcusable."
Taking out his watch, the detective studied the time.
"Twelve o'clock," he murmured. Putting it away, he readied his shotgun. "Are you ready, Mademoiselle?"
The harlequin answered by lifting her own, her eyes possessing a cold hardness.
"I'll take that as a yes then." Algernon waved Father Marcus aside. "Get behind us, Father." Once the priest complied, the detective then led the way, moving all the way down toward the other end of the passage, followed closely by his companions.
Footfalls echoed through the cathedral as Algernon stepped out onto the second level, his eyes taking everything in.
Greeting the trio was a long, U-shaped balcony lined with brass railings along with a series of stone pillars and columns, each of which were connected by fourteen three-pointed arches. Three large stained glass windows prominently loomed high over the midsection of the balcony itself, overlooking the altar down below as it was flooded with moonlight, while above the arches themselves were ten more stained glass pieces, five of which lined each side.
Looking over the brass railings, Algernon flinched at the sight below, quickly averting his gaze.
"Hope you're not scared of heights, Monsieur," the harlequin teased.
Swallowing, Algernon exhaled slowly, gathering his bearings. "Y-Yes, well, thankfully I'm not. I'm alright. I am perfectly fine, thank you."
CRACK!
Beside him, one of the stone pillars exploded, causing the detective to duck down as he was pelted with debris. "BY JOVE!"
"TAKE COVER!" He heard the harlequin shout, watching as she returned fire, the blasts of her shotgun bellowing out two powerful booms.
Nearby, Father Marcus was huddling low against a pillar, crossing himself furiously as he spoke something in Latin.
Ducking behind a column, Algernon peaked around the corner, spotting several cloaked figures as they all rushed onto the balcony from the opposite end, all of whom were armed with various pistols and shotguns.
Raising his weapon, Algernon met his attackers' blasts with two of his own, catching two of them in the head and torso.
As he reloaded his weapon, the detective nervously glanced over at his companions. "There's far too many!" He cried.
"Keep fighting!" The harlequin retorted, discharging her weapon into the growing crowd of undead priests, some of whom were slowly edging closer toward their section of the balcony.
For fifteen long minutes, the battle waged on within the church, sounding more like a miniature war as bullets were exchanged between the two opposing factions. Black blood painted walls, pillars, floor and ceiling, while heads, viscera and limbs lay scattered and crumbled.
For every undead priest that fell, three to four others would emerge from an adjacent corridor or doorway, joining with their brethren on the balcony, their shots ricocheting off walls, shattering relief sculptures along with some of the stained glass windows.
Slowly but surely, the ever-growing horde was starting to gain on their position, with one rounding a corner onto the defenders' side of the balcony.
Even with their features hidden by the cloaks that they wore, Algernon saw the loathsome, sneering smiles as they all drew near, their forms outlined by the full moon as the latter spilled through the windows, reflecting off of their savage grinning teeth.
Several of the ghoulish beings were starting to lift up their firearms, many of which aimed directly at Algernon himself, and were mere moments away from blowing him and his companions to kingdom come when a sound caught everyone by surprise, forcing them to stop what they were doing.
Giving each other confused looks, the parties glanced around in confusion, listening as the sounds started to grow.
"What in the world?" Algernon muttered. "What is that?"
It was a strange sound - a low, deep, bellowing, whale-like groan that reverberated through the entire cathedral, the sound so loud and powerful that it caused pillars and furniture to shake and tremble, rumbling through the detective's own being.
Every part of Algernon tensed up as he felt the sound vibrate through him, every inch of hair on his person rising in alert.
"W-What's happening?!" He stammered.
None of his companions said a word in answer, both of whom were tense and silent.
At first, Algernon believed the church was groaning from stress, but the more the detective listened, the less certain he became.
All the parties stood on edge along the balcony, all of them too mesmerized by what was happening to even care as the groans rumbled and echoed, before the sounds started caterwaul, the noise producing a miniature shockwave that ripped straight through the church's interior.
Aisle by aisle, section by section, there came a ripple of strange runic symbols that hellishly glowed across, their appearance marked by a loud maniacal laugh as stained glass exploded inwardly into the cathedral from one window after the other.
Letting out startled shouts, the parties raised up their hands to cover their visages as bits and pieces of glass showered and pelted them all, cutting their skin and clothing.
Algernon winced as he felt the sharp stings, flinching at the bits that grazed parts of his arms.
To the detective's startlement, the glass suddenly froze in place, floating freely in the air before suddenly rewinding and reconfiguring back into the windows.
Moving his arm away from his eyes, Algernon froze as he found himself staring at the newly reconfigured stained glass windows.
To his and Father Marcus' growing horror and disgust, every panel of glass had been changed into something gruesome and debased, every panel a grisly mural dedicated purely to pain, suffering, perversion and wickedness.
Images were inverted in content and composition in horrifying ways, twisted in vile and monstrous to such an extent that it made the detective physically ill looking upon them.
For the harlequin, however, it only provoked her fury, prompting her to fire at the most offensive of images, blasting it to pieces.
A loud growling groan from the north end of the building caused the entire structure to shake, drawing the attention of everyone outward as they all stared out from the balcony in growing anticipation and dread.
"What in God's name is happening?" Algernon whispered, his voice so uncharacteristically hushed that it barely even rose.
Everyone stood on edge at the balcony, their eyes staring fixedly outward, the very air tense and ominous.
Swallowing, the detective tugged on the collar of his shirt as he felt the temperature plummet, his heart heavily thudding with ever-growing dread, the blood in his veins frozen.
Seconds turned into minutes, and for a long while, the waiting became unbearable, even agonizing to endure.
Algernon didn't know why none of them moved, let alone tried to turn their eyes away, but something compelled him to watch.
Some deep inner part of him was alert, trying to warn him of something, but what, he could hardly fathom.
He felt the growing anticipation and fear build with each passing moment, and for a time, the church was deceptively still.
It was then that Algernon suddenly detected a change.
Blinking in bemusement, Algernon rubbed at his eyes, his brows furrowing in growing confusion as he started to feel his perspective of the cathedral shift, twist and distort, seeming to stretch and twist before darkening.
"...I think something's wrong with my eyes," the detective spoke.
The changes were subtle at first, barely even perceptible. Over time, however, the room started to change before them all.
Floors twisted and merged with walls and ceiling in ways that both defied logic and physics, while materials such as marble, wood and gold seeped into one another, producing new structures with colors and forms that didn't fit any known criteria or classification.
Sculptures and reliefs rippled, taking on newly-formed monstrous hybrid shapes, their contours, textures, patterns and colors simultaneously simplistic yet complex, beautiful yet grotesque, from inorganic to organic.
All of it defied comprehension.
Just when things couldn't get any stranger, the very air started to ripple and distort, shimmering with a strange light that was almost blinding at first before fading away. What was revealed in its place was a great, gaping chasm or wall of pure pitch blackness to which no light can penetrate, one so dense and great that it concealed entirely the cathedral's nave and crossing.
Swallowing anxiously, Algernon stared alongside the others at the dark shape in front of them, waiting with bated breath for something to happen.
And then it emerged from the black veil, causing Algernon's skin to pale and his heart race and Father Marcus to let out the shrillest scream that he had ever heard a man make.
What emerged was an impossible being, the air reeking of rot and mold as its massive bulk filled up the church.
It was by far the largest creature to have ever existed - far taller than the mightiest lion or bear, far taller than even the largest elephant or whale, perhaps even taller than the mightiest dinosaur, around fifty, perhaps sixty feet in height.
A being of twisted brown and grey flesh, the creature towered over everything within the cathedral on a pair of massive, fur-covered cloven-hooved legs, its head so high up that it was practically level with the tallest window, the air thick with its horrid musky smell.
The line between muscle and bone on the entity's body was a puzzling one, if not blurred, although from careful examination, Mr. Underwood saw that the chest seemed to be some type of chitinous exoskeleton akin to that of an insect's. The arms were similar in proportion to a man's, but the forearms were thick slabs of meat that only possessed two or three barely-formed hook-like clawed "fingers" on each crudely-shaped "hand".
The head itself was long and horse-like, though devoid of either a mouth, ears, or nostrils. On the creature's head was some type of head piece, a horse rein-like set of straps that nestled between the eyes, while a pair of long, thick mastodon-like tusks were protruding down from the sides of its mouthless visage.
From high above, a pair of beady, glowing white eyes like hot lamps stared deeply into him with pure contempt, possessing a cold otherworldliness and a startling intelligence that spoke of countless eons' worth of knowledge just from a single glance.
Letting out a bellowing groan, the creature started to approach the balcony, each step by the beast producing heavy thudding booms that made the church rumble, its mighty arms clutching onto the sides of the cathedral in support of its enormous frame.
Shaking themselves out of their revelry, the two opposing factions started to panic and open-fire on the approaching entity, their battle temporarily put on hold as they all sought to deal with this new threat.
The creature bellowed and groaned as it continued unabated, its eyes shining brightly before unleashing a maelstrom of energy that cascaded into the air and exploded into the mid-section of the balcony, which had been the most heavily populated. Bodies were thrown around like ragdolls, while those that were hit directly were reduced to nothing but burning meat.
Lifting a mighty hand, the entity then unleashed a flurry of spectral skulls, their laughing, chattering teeth gnashing in madness as they flew around the cathedral, seeping into whatever being they could find.
Those that were "touched" glowed and rippled with runic symbols, their eyes possessing a horrible glow as they then turned on their brethren, who retaliated in kind.
"GET DOWN!" The harlequin warned, prompting Algernon to take action immediately as one such skull veered in their direction.
Unfortunately, Father Marcus was too slow in his response, the priest crying "NO!" as the skull sifted through him.
"FATHER MARCUS!" The detective cried, reaching out with an outstretched hand before the harlequin snatched it.
"It's too late for him!" The harlequin shook her head. "He's already lost."
Looking at her in distress, Algernon turned back to the doomed priest, helplessly watching as he transformed before his very eyes.
Letting out strangled cries, Father Marcus' cherubic features twisted in unimaginable pain as they slowly became more sunken in, his face increasingly becoming more emaciated and gaunt-looking. Little by little, his skin started to peel off in flakes, revealing white, ivory bone and grinning teeth, all of which were marked with runes, his once-kind eyes replaced with orbs that glowed even in the dusky gloom of the cathedral.
"Father Marcus?" Algernon whispered.
Turning to face them, the being that once had been their companion let out a feral growl, charging toward the detective with outstretched hands before ultimately being cut down by a loud blast that tore him apart.
Staggering, what remained struggled to pick itself up before another shot silenced it completely.
Algernon stiffly watched as the priest's form dissolved into ash before him, the only evidence of Father Marcus remaining being a few bits of bone along with his torn-up robes.
Blinking rapidly, the detective turned to see the harlequin crossing herself, her shotgun still smoking.
"Forgive me, Mon Père," she bowed her head in regret. "I was too late in saving you. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me most. You shall be avenged."
Looking back to the chaos-riddled balcony, the two of them watched as the creature swiped away at the other undead priests.
"What is that thing?!" Algernon gaped.
"Some sort of Portal Daemon," the harlequin replied. "If I were to hazard a guess, de la Morte had summoned it to stop us."
"But if de la Morte had summoned the creature, why is it attacking his men?" The detective asked, pointing to the undead priests as the beast slammed its meaty fist down onto them.
The masked woman gave a derisive snort. "Obviously the fool has overestimated his ability to control it, and now the creature is loose. We need to kill it now - it cannot escape from this church!"
"And how do you propose to do that exactly?!" Algernon retorted.
She sighed. "Oh ye of little faith." Reaching into her pouch, the harlequin extracted a bottle with a rag inside along with a match. Flicking the latter off Algernon's cheek, she lit the rag, ignoring the detective's glare as she reared her arm all the way back and threw the bottle.
With a loud crash, the bottle broke against the creature's cheek, just underneath one of its great eyes as the beast let out a loud groan. Flames licked at its strange hide as part of its face burned brightly, filling the church with smoke.
Shaking its mighty head to douse the flame, the creature turned in their direction, its eyes narrowing as it lifted a hand.
"MOVE!" The harlequin yelled, shoving Algernon out of the way as they both narrowly escaped being crushed.
Reloading her weapon, she discharged both barrels rapidly into the mighty creature's head as she ran along the balcony, pushing and shoving past undead priests in her way. "KEEP FIRING! SHOOT IT UNTIL IT DROPS! I WILL DISTRACT IT AS MUCH AS I CAN!"
"ON IT!" Algernon called back, discharging two shells into the creature's massive face.
Letting out an irritated groan, the beast slammed its fist down onto a collection of undead priests, leaving a bloody smear before swiping horizontally toward the detective.
Ducking low, Algernon leapt up as high as he could, rolling along its stubby palm before crashing onto the gore-covered floor, the detective letting out an audible grunt.
Rolling to the side, he let out a slight yelp as the creature attempted to crush him, narrowly escaping imminent death.
Pushing himself off the floor, Algernon scowled as he saw the bloodied stains on his sleeves.
"Oh, isn't this just brilliant?!" He remarked.
Hearing a shrill cry, Algernon looked back up to see what the commotion was, only to freeze upon seeing the harlequin leaping onto the creature's back. "What the Devil?!"
To his amazement, the harlequin was climbing her way up using some sort of exotic-looking knife or sword, the small blade stabbing repeated into its flesh.
"I SAY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!" He called out, using his hands as a makeshift megaphone.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK?!" The masked woman retorted, holding for dear life as the creature attempted to shake her loose.
Opening his mouth to respond, Algernon practically jumped as he heard a shot, the detective recoiling as a section of rail nearby was blasted off.
Whirling around, the detective found himself greeted by several ghouls marked with glowing runes, the group darkly chuckling as they started to reload their weapons.
Reloading his, Algernon charged toward them, firing at them with a roar before punching and kicking his way through them all, not giving any of the rogue priests to respond.
He flailed wildly in all directions, his fists and limbs moving with such frenzied motion that even he couldn't tell what was even happening.
By the time he finished, Algernon found himself panting alone on the balcony, his breathing harsh and ragged. On the ground were his enemies, their brittle limbs and bodies reduced to mere scraps.
Panting heavily, Algernon looked around in all directions, his eyes searching for any missed opponents.
Swallowing, the detective relaxed a little, reloading his weapon.
He just finished slamming the barrel back into place when he heard a loud squeal that made him wince.
Turning back to the aisle, Algernon paused in his steps as he watched the scene before him.
The creature was swaying around, slapping its meaty arms against its hide, neck and head, trying to crush the bothersome pest that was cutting, climbing and stabbing its skin, but the harlequin stubbornly refused to let go, avoiding every one of its strikes.
Climbing to the top of its head, the harlequin reached into her pouch and extracted another bottle with a rag.
Lighting a match, she burned the latter, then smashed it straight into one of the creature's titanic eyes, causing it to let out a loud shriek and rear its head back as its head and torso was doused in flames, prompting the masked woman to leap right into the air.
"MADEMOISELLE!" Algernon cried.
He watched as the woman's arms whirled around in the air before latching onto a long cord of rope as it swung past, the harlequin grunting as her side hit the wall.
The beast flailed wildly in rage and anguish as the fire consumed the rest of its body, the cathedral filled with the smell of burning meat, its face a horrible jack-o-lantern as its singed flesh started to peel.
Hearing a loud grunt of exertion, Algernon turned away from the burning creature as he caught sight of the harlequin rocking the rope back and forth, using the momentum to swing herself toward the balcony.
Moving toward its edge, Algernon reached out with one hand. "GRAB MY HAND, MADEMOISELLE!"
The harlequin swung several times, each time rocking herself back and forth, making sure to avoid the creature as it stumbled and clawed at itself.
To the detective's disgust, the beast's talons were clawing away at its own skin, revealing corded muscle and bone.
Averting his eyes, Algernon swallowed, staying focused on the harlequin. "YOU ARE ALMOST THERE, MADEMOISELLE! GRAB MY HAND!"
The harlequin rocked several more times, her gloved fingers brushing just ever so slightly along his. "KEEP GOING, MADEMOISELLE!"
Pews were crunched underfoot as the behemoth staggered, the creature letting out horrible groans and shrieks, its slabby limbs smashing at windows, causing cool air and rain to spill inside.
Raising up his left arm to block out the rain and glass, Algernon strained himself as he reached out from the balcony as much as he could.
"JUST A LITTLE MORE, MADEMOISELLE!" He cried. "JUST GIVE ME YOUR HAND!"
Letting out a loud cry of exertion, the harlequin swung one last time, her hand latching onto his.
"GOTCHA!"
The detective gave a surprised grunt as he was jerked forward, straining himself against the railing he struggled to keep his hold.
"I GOT YOU!" Algernon said with grit teeth, his face flushed and damp. "I GOT YOU! C'MON! C'MON!"
Using every ounce of strength he had, he helped the harlequin climb up back onto the balcony, helping her over the railing.
"THEEEEERRRE YOU GO!" Stumbling backward, the detective panted, wiping his damp face. "Are you alright?"
The harlequin wordlessly gave him a thumbs up.
A loud, rumbling groan nearby drew their attention, forcing the pair to turn back to the balcony.
"Huh?" Algernon ducked alongside the harlequin as they both ran along the balcony, the two of them firing their weapons at the creature as it pursued, punching its fists straight into walls and pillars.
Through the blazing inferno, Algernon could make out the angry glare of its pale eyes as they glowed, the orbs filled with rage and determination.
Shell after shell was discharged into its burning hide, blasting through flesh and bone as pieces of its face gave way little by little.
By the time the duo arrived at the other end of the balcony, the creature's skull became fully exposed to the elements.
Lightning flashed and thunder cracked, illuminating its horrifically marred burning features, doing little to put out the flames.
Lifting its mighty arms up to the sky, the beast let out a defiant groaning wail as it prepared to slam its limbs down and crush them, but both Algernon and the harlequin discharged everything they had into its eyes, causing it to jerk its head back.
Slamming into the opposite wall, the creature struggled to support its massive bulk, its insectoid frame heaving.
Pushing itself back up, it took one ponderous step forward, its movement slow and sluggish, then a second.
Lifting its mighty head to face them, the beast snorted, shakily raising up a limb before collapsing down onto the aisle, crushing everything beneath, causing the whole cathedral to tremble from the impact.
For several long minutes, neither Algernon nor the harlequin moved.
Swallowing, the former stepped toward the edge, then peered down over the railing.
The creature was lying lifelessly on its side, surrounded by broken stained glass and shattered pews, its body bloodied and burning, its goat-like legs twitching sporadically.
Rain freely spilled into the cathedral, while wind caused some of the drapery to flutter, but to the detective's surprise, only the white marble Altar of the Pietà by Nicolas Coustou remained unmarked and undamaged along with the other statues.
Staring up to the sky, the Madonna held her arms out as she demonstrated her anguish the body of her deceased son as he lay there resting on her lap, his stone eyes closed, even as his face stared out toward the rest of the church, the cross looming high behind them.
As the creature's moments stilled, its form started to dissipate.
Algernon could only watch in amazement as its massive body grew more translucent. Little by little, it vanished, leaving neither a trace of blood, nor a single flame.
Taking his bowling hat off in bewilderment, the detective stared down at the floor below, wondering if it all had been a dream, but as he looked back to his companion, the harlequin only silently nodded, as if she were aware of what he was thinking.
Looking back to the spot where he last saw the creature, Algernon shook his head in disbelief.
"...Is this..." he said slowly, finding his voice, "...is this how things usually are in your line of work?"
"Sometimes," the harlequin replied. "And that's just one of the smaller ones."
The detective paled. "Ah, o-one of the smaller ones, you say?"
"Oui. You should consider yourself lucky, Englishman. Not many would have the courage to face down a Portal Daemon, let alone kill one. Even fewer live to tell the tale." The bells jingled on the woman's hat as she tilted her head, her eyes filled with mirth as she patted him on the shoulder. "And wouldn't luck would have it - you are an author to boot! How exciting! I look forward to reading about this adventure in one your books!"
For a long while, Algernon was too dazed to say anything. Gripping onto the railing of the balcony, he steadied himself as best he could, the detective wincing at the oncoming migraine.
"...Monsieur, are you alright?"
Shaking his head, Algernon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Father Marcus didn't make it," he spoke up, his tone regretful.
Hearing a hushed exhale of breath, he heard the harlequin approach from behind before settling beside him, staring out over the balcony at the ground floor.
"It is never easy losing people," she said with a weary knowingness. "For as many devils that are killed, sometimes good people are caught in the middle. Some of them end up dead, some end up worse than dead. All we can do is save everyone we can."
"And for those we can't?"
The harlequin flicked her hand along one of the bells on her hat, causing it to jingle. "Then we make certain that those responsible are punished."
Digesting her words, the detective silently stared at the spot where the Portal Daemon had lain as the masked woman quietly parted from him, retrieving whatever weapons and ammunition she could salvage from the balcony.
To think such horrors existed...
Shivering, Algernon adjusted his coat, placing his bowler hat back on as he followed the harlequin's example.
A few shotgun rounds were scavenged off of one or two bodies, but the vast majority of the weapons were either completely bent or broken.
Once the duo finished collecting everything they needed, the harlequin turned to face Algernon.
"Are you ready, Monsieur?" she asked, her eyes searching his for any hesitation.
Algernon said nothing at first, considering the question.
Finally, he spoke. "...I can't really say that I am," the detective admitted. "But...we've made it this far together...and...I would be a coward to leave."
The harlequin shook her head. "You have nothing to prove, Monsieur. Sometimes running away is the only thing a person can do. You are aware that you could die. Or worse."
Every part of Algernon urged him to run, to flee.
After all, hadn't he already fulfilled his obligation and saved those maidens? Hadn't he already done enough?
He had seen things that would forever haunt his sleep, fought things that would drive men mad.
Wasn't it enough?
For a long time, the detective silently stood in contemplation, his eyes concealed by the brim of his bowler hat as he found himself lost in thought.
Exhaling deeply, Algernon's shoulders sagged in resignation. "I...I plan on seeing this through to the end. No matter the cost. If it will cost me my life...so be it."
Even though his words were softly spoken, they cut through the wind, rain and thunder with such a startling acuity.
The harlequin stared hard at the detective, her eyes searching his, as if testing his resolve.
Steeling his gaze, Algernon lifted his chin, clenching his jaw.
Finally, a wry smirk formed underneath the harlequin's mask.
"...You are either the bravest man that I have ever fought with...or the absolute dumbest," she deadpanned. Clicking her tongue distractedly, the harlequin then shrugged. "I guess we'll have to wait and see." Her eyes softened. "Regardless...it is an honor fighting with you, Englishman."
The harlequin then gave a slight bow. "Thank you for your help."
Algernon tipped his hat in gratitude.
Raising her shotgun, the smile disappeared from the harlequin's eyes. "Come, Englishman - the Portal Daemon may be dead, but its master is somewhere near. Let us put an end to his necromancy once and for all."
Nodding in agreement, Algernon followed the masked woman through an archway, leaving the ruined balcony and cathedral behind them.
