The Infernal Aether (First Draft)

Chapter 40 - Forelorn Hope?

"No!" I shouted, once again aiming the weapon at Andras, who in turn raised an eyebrow in my direction. Before the Demon could react further and more substantively, the wall exploded.

A thick dust filled the room; I pointed the weapon at where Andras and N'yotsu had been locked together, just moments before. As I tried to make sense of what had just happened I discerned a large silhouette rising out of the wall's wreckage, hazily framed in the half-light. As the dust parted I recognised the massive bulk of the Golem, Kate astride its back. A smaller figure walked next to them; with a sigh of relief I recognised a stumbling and slightly damp Maxwell.

"Afternoon all," shouted Kate. "Hope we've not missed anything!"

I pointed at the mound of rubble which stood where N'yotsu and Andras had been. Before I could say anything a scrabbling sound emitted from the pile followed by a slow cascade of stones as the rubble shifted to reveal N'yotsu, gripping a stunned Andras.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," said N'yotsu and then began to chant, a rhythmic onslaught of sounds which rose to an ear-splitting crescendo. I shielded my eyes against the resultant sight which threatened to blind me even though there was no actual light; the sheer power of the spell was akin to staring into a hurricane.

I was knocked to the ground and lay there for a moment, stunned and unfeeling. When I looked back the two separate forms of Andras and N'yotsu were no more, replaced by a creature which was shaped like a man, but slightly taller and more angular than N'yotsu. I remembered that I was still holding the weapon and raised it, pointing it at the man who in turn started to walk toward me.

"N'yotsu?" I asked. "Is that you?"

The man-creature did not answer and continued to advance, its features shifting as it walked, the effect not unlike trying to view a person through a waterfall.

"Use it," shouted Kate. "He's not disabling the portal. Kill him!"

I wavered. The face which approached took on an aspect not unlike N'yotsu's and this made me wonder whether the same goodness remained within him. I could not strike him down until I was sure that N'yotsu's gamble had definitely failed. But then again this was a perfect opportunity to destroy the creature which had caused all of this agony, the creature which had killed my parents, and left me an orphan.

"Use it!" screamed Kate.

The creature stood in front of me and then its eyes shone like the bloodiest fires in Hades. A hideous grin twisted its face as it snatched the weapon from my hands and crushed it. "We will not be needing that," it snarled. A back-handed blow threw me across the room. The world flashed hotly as I hit the wall but somehow maintained consciousness, although I wished I had not.

"Never, ever, point a gun at me," continued the creature. It stood and cast that terrifying glare around the room, daring us to attack.

“Kill the Demon,” said Kate and the Golem started to advance.

Andras -- for it could be no other -- turned and barked out a word which sounded to my ringing ears and befuddled brain like "Bacharack". The Golem froze.

"I created these things," said Andras. "Did you really think I would be so stupid as to not build in a fail-safe?" He said another series of words, which I did not recognise but guessed were Hebrew in origin. The Golem turned jerkily in response to this apparent command and picked Kate up by the arm, swinging her like a rag doll and throwing her against the wall.

Maxwell and I both ran to her aid; unfortunately my path took me directly in front of the Golem, a fact which I only noted when it was too late. A massive stone fist descended on me, followed by a flash of red and then all went black.