Chapter 8
Alexia cowered against the pile of rubble as her attackers closed in, desperately looking around for some help, but no one was coming. Raising her arms in defence, Alexia yelled,
"don't come any closer!"
The puddles near her feet rose and slammed into the Passus, forcing them to stagger back a few steps. What the...? Alexia sat there thinking she was losing her mind. She repeated the action and again all the water rose and hit her attackers. Okay, this is weird but kind of cool, Alexia thinks, as she climbs to her feet and sends a third wave at the Passus. With continuous flicks of her wrist she sends wave after wave at them, they stagger under the blows but keep on advancing. Looking down at the small puddles Alexia thinks. If only they were bigger, I could send a big wave at these jerks and shove them well back. The thought is barely finished when the water starts racing into the puddles at her feet, Alexia imagines a wall of water in front of her and immediately one starts to form. Water starts pouring down walls and gushing from windows, all of it flowing towards the rising wave.
"Bigger!"
alexia cries and raises her arms above her head. The wave builds to nearly ten feet high and completely blocks off the alley. The Passus shove and push at the wall of water but it is solid and they can't get at her. Alexia makes a shoving motion and the wave surges forward, picking up the Passus and all the debris in the alleyway. The wave rushes down the alley and out into the street until it slams into a building on the other side. The building shudders under the impact, loose glass and masonry shower down. As the water disperses it leaves behind a tide-line of rubble with three smashed and mangled bodies.
"Yes! That was awesome!"
cried Alexia, she was completely elated. All her fear and terror forgotten, Alexia takes one last look at the ruined bodies then turns back into the alleyway to experiment with her new-found power.
***
Tiberius stood rooted to the spot, tears flowed down his lined and weathered face. He had missed his moment and now he surveyed the scene with growing dismay. The crossroads below was a horror scene. Body parts lay scattered on the ground, walls and what windows were remaining, all washed in blood. Near the east gate road lay the sabre-toothed cat pinned amongst the rubble. It was hardly moving now. The warrior twins were slumped against a wall sitting in a pool of their own blood. Near the west gate road was a heart-breaking sight which made Tiberius weep harder, he had thought Eva had been killed outright but now it was clear she wasn't. Jason had a protective arm over Eva and they were clearly talking, offering words of comfort perhaps? Janus stood in the centre of the carnage, sword dripping with blood and his white robe now red, soaked with blood. The demon's attention snapped up to the rooftop, there was a flash of green light and Tiberius appeared out of thin air.
"Conjurer!" Janus growls, "so you are here then?"
In answer, Tiberius pointed his staff straight at the demon and emerald green fire shot from the tip. Janus roars as the fireball hits him. Tiberius sends two more in quick succession, Janus roars again. The fireballs explode loudly and engulf the demon, rubble and body parts are sent flying. Tiberius sends a fourth one then must stop, he leans heavily on his staff, breathing hard. I'm too old to use this much magic, Tiberius thinks as he wipes sweat from his brow.
"No!" Tiberius cries in dismay.
The flames fade and Janus stands completely unharmed, the ground at his feet is blackened. The demon stares up at Tiberius eyes burning with hate "Is that all you've got, conjurer?" Janus shouts.
***
Alexia was sitting in the alleyway and amusing herself with her new power by making water shoot from the tips of her fingers and sending small waves crashing against the opposite wall. From up the street come the sounds of a battle, even explosions but Alexia had absolutely no desire to investigate. Hearing footsteps heading her way, Alexia dived into the shadows at the entrance of the alleyway and watched as a young woman dressed in a black robe limps down the street. A sword hangs limply from one hand, the other clutches her wounded side. A group of Passus shuffle after her. Alexia gasps in horror as the woman collapses and doesn't rise again. The monsters close in. Without even thinking, Alexia starts summoning her element again. She sends wave after wave crashing into the Passus, slamming them against a wall, bones broke and skulls shattered. Alexia was pouring all her hate and fear of the zombie things into the attack. Once satisfied that the things were completely smashed and dead, Alexia cautiously makes her way over to the fallen women. The bodies still twitched slightly but there was no way they were rising again. It looked to Alexia like every bone in the Passus's bodies had been broken. She looked at the woman lying face down in the street.
***
Janus stared up at the old druid. His features began to bubble and shift as his whole-body changed shape. Tiberius recoils in horror as he recognises the female form taking shape below. Twenty years ago, when Tiberius had first come to this city he had been confronted by this monstrosity. Janus finished his transformation and a woman stood in his place, only this was no ordinary woman. She was half living, half dead. Hel stared up at Tiberius. Fury blazing in her one living eye. She was wearing a long black dress which covered all her body. Tiberius didn't hesitate, he launched another fire bolt and scored a direct hit. Hel laughed as the flames did no damage. She raised her corpse arm and pointed it at the old druid. Tiberius had just enough time to dive aside as lighting flew straight at him. The space he had just vacated exploded into dust and rubble. On hands and knees Tiberius was coughing and breathing hard. Lightning struck the roof above him and bricks and dust rained down on him. Oh, this is going well! Just like the last time I fought this thing, I can't see myself getting out alive this time though!
"Come on out coward! I want to watch you die!" Hel screamed.
Two Passus appeared on the rooftop and seized Tiberius by the arms, they dragged him to his feet and towards the edge of the rooftop. Hel looked up with approval on her twisted face. "There that's better, face me like a man!"
Tiberius fought and struggled against his captors but it was no use. The Passus held on firmly. Hel raised her withered arm and pointed it straight at Tiberius.
"Any final words old man? I'm going to..."
Hel gasped in surprise as a sword point erupted out of her chest, as she looked down the point retracted again. Hel turned to face her attacker. Jason was standing there with a bloody sword in one hand and the other clutching his wounded side. It was taking every ounce of his strength just to stand there. His face was screwed up in pain and determination. Hel's features bubbled and changed back into Janus, who had a red patch spreading over his robe. Lightning flashed and the wind began to pick up again.
They stood face to face in the corpse littered street, Janus shook his head sadly and asked,
"how could you stab your god like that? Still, as the good book says, 'an eye for an eye'."
Tiberius cried out as the Passus holding him jumped off the rooftop dragging him with them. The three of them plunge to the ground and landed with a sickening thump. Jason winced at the sound.
"Had enough of this hell yet?" Janus taunts, "do you accept that this is where you are? Do you realise I am your only..."
Another sword bursts through his chest, Jason looks over the demon's shoulder and sees that Eva is back on her feet, her dark eyes shining with pain and anger as she rips the sword free again. Janus coughs and blood flows from his mouth.
"How dare you defy your god! I am the only one who can free you from here!"
"You are not my god!" Jason shouts as he rams his sword into Janus's chest again. "You are just a filthy demon!" He wrenches the sword free and Janus falls to his knees.
"You are wrong... I am a god!" Janus choughs blood and collapses onto all fours, blood pouring from his wounds.
Eva faltered and her sword fell from her hand, Jason raced around the fallen demon and tried to catch Eva as she fell. With his strength failing, Jason can't hold Eva's weight and they both end up crashing to the rubble and corpse-strewn ground. Out of breath and gasping in pain Jason says,
"we really need to get out of here!"
"Yes, I quite agree, I have had more than enough adventure for one lifetime", said Tiberius as he limped over.
The old druid looked like hell, blood flowing from a wound on his head and sheeting down his face. He was leaning to one side like he was protecting damaged ribs and in his arms, he held the lifeless form of a little black cat. Jason struggled back to his feet and helped Eva up.
"Time to go?" he asked. The storm clouds thickened as the light dimmed. A wet coughing laugh came from behind. "Leaving so soon... the fun is... only just beginning!" Janus was still on all fours. His breathing was coming in short and shallow gasps. All over the floor, body parts began to vibrate and shift, the druids watched in horror as the fingers of a severed hand began to flex and move. They looked around and all over the place body parts were beginning to move. Fingers started dragging hands crawling across the floor. Heads began to roll back towards bodies. Legs began to shuffle like some bizarre snake. As the body parts relocated they magically reattached themselves and piece-by-piece the Passus reformed themselves and began to rise.
