Chapter XI - Guardian angel

There are many thing in life that can be worse than death; paralizis, death of your loved ones, having your dreams crushed above your very eyes.

However, I'm fairly certain that most people don't have “getting their soul devoured by hellspawns” and “total servitude to the princes of the nine hells without hope of getting away” on their list.

This goes to show how much your life is weird when those are not even hypothetical options or even metaphorical.

I was now faced with a choice by a wolf/snake/bird demon, who had generously given me three options. My soul, my life or my freewill. And there wasn't time to carefully ponder the pros and cons of each of them, Which was least important to me?

Think Zeke!

In the few seconds of silence as I went throught my limited options, the creature's tongue roamed upon my body, cutting shallowly into my skin and creating burning cuts on my arms and neck...

“I... I chose my...”

It's face contorded into a sadistic wolfish smile as it could feel me break. It patiently awaited the end of my sentence.

“I decided to... give you my--”

I didn't get to finish the sentence, as a thunderous clap shook the ground, debries and dust flying all over the place, pushed by a massive shockwave of kinetic force.

I saw my partner, the large iron bracelet he wore around his right arm glowing blue. Keith obiviously spoke, but his words were drowned in by the sound of power blasting it's way throught the air and smashing the demon right against the closest wall.

“Zeke! Let get out of here!”

I stumpled back up and began to ran for the exit with the thing right on our heels

We sprinted alongside the outside wall, heading for the streets, where Keith had parked the car. Everything went silent except the sound of our own footstep.

We made it just around the corner when a shower of bricks hit us, the demon going strait throught the wall, cutting us off in the middle of our path. There weren't any way out left, there was no way we could use the warehouse main's door and no other way out in the alley.

Fighting was the last option we could try, but I was down to a baseball bat, my desert eagle and a shotgun, which would've been useful if it wasn't loaded with dragonbreath rounds... Against a fire demon that would do pretty much jack squat.

Keith was in no shape to fight either, he'd blown most of his mojo getting the thing off me and all he had was a knife. His guns were out of ammunition and he didn't have any time to reload.

This was our final stand, we both uttered a prayer, me partly by habbit, it wasn't like I believed in god.

However as Keith spoke, the pentacle he kept around his neck lighted up, shedding a small amount of white light. At the contact of it, the demon screached qand charged toward us.

Altought he was normally fast like a lightning bolt, he moved more slowly, like he was running throught a pool. I didn't think twice before unloading my guns right into the beast, quick fire not even aiming. The shots sank right into it's skin, not doing very much despite having eaten a full clip of .50 silver bullets to the chest.

Keith simply chanted prayers to the wiccan mother godess louder, slightly incresing the light's brightness but not enough to slow the demon.

It pounce at us in our final movement, leaping through the air claws sweaping right at our head. I felt the burning paws of the creature rake the left side my face, burning scars deeply into it.

I felt the claw slowly, sink into the muscles, skin and tendons of my jaw. I was done for. I could already see the highlight reel of my life coming onto my vision, beginning with the words

“TORZU MALPIRG OL PIRIPSON!"

These words echoed all around us, shacking the very fabric of the world. My vision became white, it became all I could see. Flames surrounded us, fire that burned pure white, gold streaks coursing through it.

The demon before us fell to the ground wailing in pain as quintessential power burned it's body and spirit.

“REVEAL THINE SELF SUMMONER!” The thing howled out

Keith and I fell to the gravel ground, just as an angel passed between us, she was wrapped in white flaming robes and etheral wings protuded from her back. She held a staff of wood made of silver, it's sigils glowing bright gold.

Cowed by holy effervesense, I stared at our savior in total awe.

“LEAVE THIS PLACE MARCHOSIAS OR FEEL THE WRATH OF THE ELOHIM.” The angel proclaimed her voice as powerful as a storm yet as gentle as a mother toward her children.

Before us, the demon vanished, no transition was made, one second the was there, the next he was gone. The glowing eloah turned to us and spoke “ARE YOU ALRIGHT SONS OF ADAM?”

With my face, cheeks and jaw mauled I couldn't respond if I had wanted.

Gently, she kneeled down and carresed my visage. I felt the burn and tear go away, healing away instantly and my vital force replenished.

“Thank you...” these words were all I could say, my mind could hardly function, cowed by the being's radiant presence.

Without another word, the Angel spreaded her arm and rose a few feets into the air. She silently screamed as white energy poured out of her mouth, eyes, nose and ears.

A moment later, a completely different woman fell to the cround, she didn't even atempt to break her fall or stand up, she simply fell limply to the ground and crashed onto the floor.

I ran for her, too late to catch her. Her clothes had been torn to shred, her black hair in a sweaty mess. She was unconscious, and she shivered strongly haven fallen in the light carpet of snow that still remained.

I took her in my arm and it was only then I recognised her. “CAMILLA?!” I screamed out in shock.

I carried her with the car, removing my coat and chirt to cover her up. Keith got in the car just as I hit the gas, speeding away into the night.