Chapter Nineteen
Reine spread his wings wide in an attempt to hide Mystique from the creatures coming in their direction. She would not be able to see them, but their mere presence would have an effect on her. He hoped she was fast and had gotten away.
He held his breath as he saw the giant monsters approach. The Pitiless Underlings were the body guards of the Sin Lord himself. The size of small giants, they were not lanky and bony but thick and muscled. Their flesh resembled torn ligaments and their eyes were bright as the fiery pits of hell. Their mouths had been sewn shut and had become grotesque, swollen meat. They had no armor or weapons. They didn’t need them. Their sharp claws and strength and the fear they induced by their appearance protected them and their leader.
Reine had told Mystique he would be all right, but he had lied. He had no armament and he was missing an arm. Body-to-body combat against the Underlings was like signing a suicide note. To make matters worse, as soon as they had appeared, the rest of the Inferums hiding in the wreckage had come forth.
Cold sweat dripped down Reine’s back and he knew a Sin Lord was near. Guardians were strong but no one, except the gods themselves, were immune to the Sins. They were immortal, which was why the Guardians only fought for balance and not for eternal good.
Reine planted his feet apart and clenched his teeth. He would not run. He had to make sure Mystique escaped. He beat his wings in challenge as the Pitiless Underlings moved closer.
“Go back to your lair, creatures,” he said in an unnatural pitch. His muscles tensed, but he stood his ground.
“My Lair?”
Reine’s blood turned cold. A shudder ran down his spine. The voice was not unpleasant per se, but the deep timbre held beneath its friendly innuendo a bottomless promise of horror and sin.
“Why, Guardian, this is my lair.” The voice chuckled and Reine’s knees weakened. He took in a deep breath. He would not succumb. “You’ve been here a month and you haven’t heard? A wealthy landowner, a good friend of my dear Greed has bought this land. They are to start construction here soon. We just had to settle first.”
“You do not belong here, Sin.” Sweat dripped over Reine’s eyes. “This is Earth. It is not your home,” he said.
Wrath laughed. The sound grated on Reine’s nerves and he took a step back, instinctively distancing himself from the Sin. He could not see him yet, but he heard him loud and clear.
“How rude of you, Guardian. And here I was, about to invite you to join us. Although, you are almost one of us, are you not, Reine?”
“What do you mean, devil?”
“Reine, Reine, Reine, I thought you were brighter than that. Haven’t you looked at yourself in the mirror recently?”
“You mock me.” Reine took another step back. Perhaps, if he could flee to the house at the top of the hill, he would be able to call for help. Surely, someone would be there.
“Not at all, I am simply stating that which you refuse to see. It is, as with this town, you and your Guardian friends have been blind to my plot. Soon, this will be my home once more.”
“Once more?”
“Must I explain everything to you?” the Sin snapped. “Remember the history of this town, Guardian. My brothers and I have been here from the start, but it is I, Wrath, who has always commanded over Lance and will soon do so again. Look around you, my Inferums, my beloved minions, are everywhere. No human will be able to escape our clutches, including your precious Mystique.”
“Don’t you dare touch her,” Reine ground out the words.
“Or what? You’ll kill me? With what? Your stump?” Wrath laughed cruelly. “We both know you’re useless, Guardian. You cannot protect yourself and you most definitely cannot take care of your girlfriend. Your soul is mine and hers will follow.”
“No,” Reine screamed.
Wrath’s laughter echoed in his head. Reine’s skin turned clammy.
“No? We’ll see about that. Have some fun boys.”
Reine’s eyes widened as the Underlings narrowed their eyes and moved toward him. His heart constricted. His legs began to tremble. This was how it would end.
“Vince malum, defeat evil.”
Reine’s legs almost buckled under him as he heard the Guardians’ battle cry. Men came swooping from the sky, their dark wings blocking the moonlight and creating a delusion of shadows and light that momentarily confused the Inferums and the Underlings.
“Splendid. Just what I needed to baptize my new home, a blood offering. Annihilate them.” Wrath’s voice resonated in the air like a thick rainfall of stones coming from the heavens.
War cries rang all around as Guardians and Inferums joined each other in a battle for not only life, but also to restore the lost peace of Lance. A creature came running toward him, ready to split him open with its nails. Survival instinct kicked in and he kicked the beast, which tripped backward and it fell onto the sharp edge of a sword. The Inferum screamed as the swordsman twisted the blade and pulled. Reine grinned as he recognized his savior.
“Max, I never thought I’d be so happy to see you.”
