Risen: Beginning of a Legacy

Chapter Thirty Four: DeeDee

They needed help. DeeDee tumbled to her ass behind the desk as across the room, Gabe and Kleio panted. A brief respite from the onslaught was almost humorous. The legion of Horde just kept coming. Once one wave fell to their weapons and barricade, another filled its place.
     'Still alive you two?' DeeDee called from her spot.
On hearing Gabe's dark chuckle, DeeDee let the panic and terror fade away for a moment.
     'Enough,' Gabe responded.
     'DeeDee, how are the spasms?' Kleio asked.
Her face appeared next to DeeDee as the scream of the next wave of grotesque daemons advanced. DeeDee glanced at her hands, they weren't shaking as much now but if she had another fit, they would be seriously screwed.
     DeeDee raised her hand, a smudged healing symbol was etched on her inner palm. She ran it over the gash on Kleio's arm, the seeping blood slowed a little and the injury scabbed over a touch. Not her best effort, clearly her healing summons needed work.
     'I'm so sorry.' she murmured.
Kleio grasped her shoulder for a second and shook her head just a fraction. DeeDee tried to get to her feet but Kleio pushed her back down.
     'You'll stay here this round. Gabe, DeeDee is suffering. This wave, we defend her.'
     Gabe nodded at the words and marched to them. The pair took positions defending the desk, pushing it into a corner and creating a slight blockade around DeeDee. The one at the main door was a splintered, battered mess, DeeDee was sure after the next attack it would be all but useless against the onslaught.
     DeeDee leant her head back against the cool stone wall. She was exhausted. Not only from the fighting, which she had to admit she was slowly getting worse and worse at, but the Divinare visions that still lingered.
     Horde descended. A hideous symphony filled the room, as crashing metal and inhumane shrieks and growls collided together and stifled the air. DeeDee screamed and rammed her battle axe into the skull of a Horde that had slipped through, what she took to be its head appearing above her like it was playing peek a boo.
     It grunted and let out a gurgle as tarry blood gushed from its mouth, a backlash of it splattering her face and neck. DeeDee almost retched, the stench of death filled her nose and the rotten flesh scent of it nearly tipped her stomach over the edge.
     Gabe's howl made DeeDee stand. Kleio was already by his side as he grappled with the skӧll that was on top of him. The monster swiped at Kleio catching her with its razor clawed paw.
     DeeDee used her draining energy to swing her remaining axe hard and embedded it into the creature's neck. Kleio was down and Gabe was torn up. The line of Horde to their left inched closer as DeeDee fell back watching them slink forward, a victorious glint in all the sets of eyes looking at them.
     'We might be in a bit of trouble now,' Gabe gurgled.
Blood caked the edge of his mouth. Kleio gripped him, her hands staunching the blood seeping from his abdomen. DeeDee lay her hand over Kleio's forcing the fading rune on her palm to do what she needed, the heat grew uncomfortable but DeeDee knew the torn-up skin under their hands was knitting itself back together. If only as a patch job for now.
     She withdrew her hand as a skin crawling howl filled the room. DeeDee gripped onto her battle axe, she wasn't one to depend on others, not fully, but now she really could do with some extra help. A weapon that could eradicate more than one of these fuckers at a time would be really good about now.
     DeeDee felt a tug in her chest. She panicked, if she went Divinare at this moment, they were dead.
     'No no, I don't have time for visions now!' she cried out.
Then, madly, unbelievably, in a painful wrench of her mind and soul, she was watching the advance of Horde in slow motion. As if the world was winding down, at the end of her life.
     'No, you're not dying, I brought your soul into Limbosi, I wanted to speak with my new Divinare prophetess.' said an elegant, almost ethereal voice behind her.
     DeeDee turned her head and met the molten silver, curious gaze of an ArcAngelus. She blinked, her mouth moving like a fish out of water. The man in front of her was light and power and grace at once. No, DeeDee internally corrected herself, this was no man, but an ArcAngelus... An immortal of the highest regard.
     The physical appearance of a man, mid thirties perhaps, with a strong jaw, broad shoulders and long, elegant legs. Yet also emanating something altogether immortal, unearthly. For once in her life DeeDee was stunned into silent reverence.
     'It's alright, DeeDee, great grandchild of Evelyn, you don't need to be nervous.'
     'It's an honour... ArcAngelus Jeremiel.'
His name came on instinct and the smile he gifted DeeDee with made her blush from cheek to cheek. He was an ArcAngelus after all.
     'You're in quite a tight spot, so I thought now was a good time to meet you. Officially.'
     His smile was radiant and DeeDee felt a little breathless, her mind thrown into something totally new and different from where it had been only a moment ago, as if it caused her to lose control of her conscious thoughts.
     'Nice to meet you?' she said, her voice oddly detached and confused in one.
     'As my next consort, I want to help. As you will have to sacrifice much in my service, and in that of my brother's consort.' ArcAngelus Jeremiel continued, his silver gaze assessing her.
     'Consort. Your brother?'
DeeDee's mind wasn't ready for all this information, she glanced back at the Horde still advancing towards herself and her two allies. 'I'm a little occupied right now... can we save the important chitchat for later?' she asked without thinking.
     Her hand came up to smack her mouth closed; she couldn't believe what she had just said to the immortal before her. An ArcAngelus for crying out loud!
     'You are right of course; your Warrior and Demi God are in danger.'
DeeDee knitted her brow... did that mean- - 'I want to gift you with this,' Jeremiel waved his elegant fingers and instantly a solid silver cuff melted onto DeeDee's left wrist. 'This is Koredélla. Simply utter the name while tracing the image with your fingertip, and this ancient weapon of Greece will come to your aid.'
     The silver cuff was light, about two inches wide and held against her skin firmly but not painfully tight. On the bracelet was an etching; a straight thick line that had a swirling thin line curling around it before looping around the cuff. DeeDee traced it with her fingers, looking up into her consort's dazzling, angelic face.
     'And it will protect them?' she asked.
     'If you believe in it, it will.'
     'Thank you.' DeeDee whispered.
Her gaze did not break with his until the face faded and sound and time snapped back into regularity.
     'What do we do?!' Kleio muttered brokenly.
Her sai blades bloody, her shoulders beginning to slump. DeeDee shook herself and struggling back to her feet, she covered the symbol on her new accessory and commanded.
     'Koredélla. To me!'
A shuddering came from the etching, a clink of metal and flutter of silk echoed as an almost nun chuck style rod appeared in DeeDee's right hand. Flowing from the rod was a dark purple ribbon, soft and smooth to the touch.
     As DeeDee followed her instincts and whipped it towards the closest Horde scum it lashed out, cleaving the creature in half. Willing the ribbon to twirl and obey her vision of it, she cut down the latest legion, its length expanding and receding with each need.
     A smile tilted DeeDee's lips. This gift was amazing. Like an extension of her arm, Koredélla was an elegant weapon she alone could control. It moved with her mind, obeying the moves DeeDee wished to exact. Almost as though she was performing a dance, that had deadly precision and finality in each fluid movement.
     Now she could protect others.
     Now she would be strong.

                                                               ~