Dying for the Devil

14

Screams were the first sounds to come. Screams not just from our side, but from theirs as well. The screams were followed by the sounds of clashing metal, shouts for backup, weapons moving swiftly as they found their intended mark.

I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. My eyes locked on the two warriors at the front line, slicing their way through anything and everything within their grasp.

"Find your marks!" someone shouted beside us as each bowman lifted their arrows skyward.

"Ready! Hold your aim! Steady!" the commander of this unit shouted again, his voice strong.

"Now!" he yelled.

Evie and I watched a barricade of arrows come slicing down onto the battlefield. Each arrow making its mark in some form of dark creature. Some of the arrows pierced through dark wings while others pierced scaly skin or furred backs.

We watched on in horror as some of our men went down. Watched in pure unadulterated terror as the dark creatures moved swiftly through our army and decimated groups of them at a time. As I watched, a sickening feeling twisted its way up my stomach and into my heart.

I had to do something. Letting go of Evies hand, I turned to face her.

"You keep your promise to me Evie" I said, pulling her in for a quick last moment embrace before sprinting down to the field. The stench of blood was heavy in the air. Leaping over the injured or possibly bodies, I kept my focus directly on two of the creatures currently working their way down the left side of our warriors. Pulling up short, I stepped between the two and pushed out my ability to seize control of their minds. Each beast pulled up, sniffing the air and turning towards me.

A cruel smile found its way to my mouth.

I am your master now I spoke into their minds. Pushing further, I twisted my head slightly, I grasped hold and stepped closer.

Turn to your kind, and kill them I ordered. They did exactly as I commanded. Turning to face a group of dark angels currently fighting against our warriors, the beasts launched, winding their way past our soldiers, they annihilated their way through the dozen of dark wings. Short lived screams gurgled into nothing as the creatures moved on to the next group of dark creatures.

The angels who had been spared turned to face me, fresh determination in their eyes before shouting out battle cries and diving into the crowd. Pulling out my bow, I aimed right between the eyes of one of the witches I recognized. In this moment, I cared very little for who she was. She noticed me at the last moment, her eyes widening a fraction before closing them completely. She stood still, and I knew in that moment, she wanted to die.

She wanted to be free of her bargain to Lucifer.

I let go of the taut string, as my arrow whizzed through the air and struck true; Right in the center of her forehead. She collapsed immediately, and I couldn't help noticing the small smile upon her dead face. A sharp scream pierced my ears as a wendigo headed directly for me. Tugging out a sword from my hip, I swung and my blade swept the things head clean off its shoulders. Swinging around, my instincts brought the blade straight through the heart of another witch. Her gargled scream died out as blood spilled from her mouth.

Tugging my sword free, I didn't so much as pause before her body hit the floor. A banshee was the next to try her luck on me, and she went down just as easily, her body easily split in two under the power of my blade. A soldier close to where I was had found himself trapped underneath minotaur. The horrid creature had its hooves pressed down on the angels wings, and the female soldier was screaming. Without thinking, I swung my bow around, taking aim for the creatures head. The arrow went soaring across the field, straight into the creatures right eye. It howled, pulling away from the angel it had been trampling on, and turned its attention toward me. Pulling another arrow, I let it fly directly into the beasts left socket. It reared once before dropping down onto the floor, kicking its legs wildly. I stepped up to where it was, and my blade found its mark through its neck.