Sick Blood | ✓ (2016)

Part 3

Part 3

The Legend sucked the oxygen out of her lungs and her neck cracked backwards. Skin peeled off, exposing midnight blue scales and the blackest fur.

Her lips opened and released a beastly roar followed by a choir of screams; reverberating through the skies as it struck everyone's hearts with a bolt of fear.

A devilish smile carved on Delilah's lips and her gaze snapped to the first thing she wanted to destroy.

She leaped onto the demon holding the chains around Ryland's neck and wrapped her legs around its scaly neck and cracked it with a twist.

The shackles fell off of Ryland's neck and he gasped, collapsing to his knees.

Delilah landed on two feet, and threw herself to each demon until she dismembered it beneath her. Her blade dance with the sway of her body, sword hungrily taking lives of Abaddon's army.

Bending back to avoid clubs, cutting ankles and leaping for shoulders and dividing winged demon's through the middle.

Sword giving birth to steaming black blood that pushed out of limp, flimsy skin.

She crushed a demon skull under her boot, suppressing the itch to take pleasure in the crunching sound. Soon, the last few body pieces flopped by her feet as she stepped into a pool of bubbling black blood that traumatized any victims feasting their eyes on this savageness.

An eerie silence forced Delilah to pause, blood clinging to her fur and stuck between the grooves of her scales. She heavily breathed through her nose, staring down the final demon left: Abaddon.

She knocked the axe out of the Abaddon's hand with her swinging leg, and latched onto his shoulders, slamming his body down. She heard his head crack back against the ground, and his scaly body tremble under her hands as his gleaming nails clawed for her throat.

She growled and his anger merged into fear.

His prayers were now screaming in her mind and she hissed, the useless pleads to the Almighty Gods aggravating.

His weak gaze failed to meet her eyes and he hissed, "W-Who are you?"

But once stared into his piercing, black, diamond shaped eyes, the shimmer of evil forces that were far greater than her own unfolded the rest of fate.

The Legend didn't like forces more powerful than it.

Her beastly spirit was unleashed.

Abruptly, his heart pumped faster under her hands. He felt the spirit too. His black eyes bulged with realization and he gasped, "No...no...not you."

She lowered to his face, inhaling the smell of death. It was near. As she approached, his filthy demon pleas heightened, wails of lying promises irritating her ears.

He shook his head like a maniac, forcing himself not to believe the truth. The truth all beings of the Universe feared. "It-it can't be. The Legend left us centuries ago. You're not real."

She flashed a wicked grin, inherited from the other Legends before her. Her voice shrunk to a coarse whisper. "Sorry baby, but I'm as real as it gets."

She threw her arm back, and crushed her fist down on his skull, knuckles penetrating then cracking the bone into millions of splinters.

She swung her claws across and scraped out what was left of the Abaddon's face.

Black blood spilled across her fur and pooled around her feet. Claws curved into talons and they—joined with fangs—hacked on warm neck and stomach. Spitting mouthful of throat and slurping on bile. Tearing. Biting. Ripping. Savaging until there was nothing but empty, cracked bones and twitching meat.

The storm cried out in triumph, thunder cackling and white lightning cutting the sky in half.

Knees bent and soaked in a sea of black blood, there was a rumble in the pit of her stomach. It bubbled in her throat, and she threw up a beastly scream, drowning out the pounding rain.

Her face was to the sky, wet hair shaken out of its bands and dangling back, surrendering herself to the darkness.

The skies cried out in return.

The violent rage left the town, kidnapping the leftover cries of the wounded and leaving with soft rain.

Silence descended, drops slowing down as if the curtain of rain fell slowly now, closing the horror show.

Her chest lifted and fell. Lifted and fell. Kneeling in the blood puddle.

Then a snarl rumbled in the back of her throat, trembling through the ground and nearby bodies. Hind legs lowered to spring, eyes shimmering a starry night black.

Ryland made an abrupt step forward and her jaw widened as it was ready to snap. Rushes of energy swirled around her body, pumping heat and hunger through her chest.

He extended a hand. "Delilah. Don't."

The energy flow cracked and the world stilled, Ryland's stare breaking away the dark energy. The Legend roared inside her and she felt her knees hit the mud, palms next, eyes furiously glowing.

The feared eyes of Ryland sent her shoulders rotating, bones moving in reverse.

Her fur eased back into her skin, scales slipping under her flesh along with the remains of the energy. She felt her soul being ripped into two, separating demon and beast.

The warm energy gluing them together faded and her fingers tingled and flexed. Nails replaced claws; the dark power crawling into its cellar and leaving Delilah dry of dark energy.

White lights flashed before her eyes as they shrunk into a normal brown colour.

The beastly growl and demon scream merged into a mirror shattering pitch that sent Ryland back.

The other world was sewn shut and her lungs found air again, her breath coming in short gasps. Then everything was silent as she was left cold and shivering on the ground.

The captain moved first, returning to her side with a look mixed with shock, relief and horror. She heaved another breath and dragged herself to sit up, legs too wobbly to stand.

She reached for her voice. "Ryland," she croaked.

He stumbled back, boot splashing into the puddle.

"Ryland."

"Who...who are you?" he said.

"Don't be like that. It's me."

He shook his head. "No. You should've told me you were the Legend."

"You wouldn't have treated me the same."

"I would so." But even he knew he was lying. "Why should I believe you? How do I know you weren't lying this whole time—about us, just to get closer to me and the Lost Children?"

"Because for the first time, when I saw you looking at me, the reflection in your eyes wasn't a monster. It was a normal, kind being. You see the real Delilah who has a heart bigger than she thought was possible and a smile that she thought she'd never see again."

He swallowed hard. "Maybe you should look again." She slowly glimpsed up to see her reflection in the eyes of Ryland. Blood caked her face, dribbling down her lips. "Because I don't see that beautiful being. I see a liar. A monster even darker than Abaddon. A beast."

He pushed Delilah offand disappeared into the shadows.