In The Dark Of Night

Chapter Thirty - End

Chapter Thirty

End

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or demons, or by Heaven or Hell.

~Buddha

The last thing Cale remembered seeing as himself - and wholly himself - was blood spurting from Wynella's neck, at the exact same time that Damien's hand had come down and slashed him across his abdomen - a mirrored cut to Gyrad's. 

Then something shimmered before her, and then he saw it - that smile he'd grown so used to, tears falling down her fading face, and her mouth forming words that he could barely make out.

And it was then that he sprang into action - just as the roof shattered and something came growling through. 

His hands shot up and grappled Damien's wrist, just as the man was moving away, twisting it to the knife clattered to the ground, full of split, blackened blood. 

The flames roared and something shifted in them, as the earth beneath them trembled and suddenly, everyone was springing into action. 

Gyrad's angry cry sounded out over the wailing of something beyond this world, and out of the corner of his peripheral vision, Cale could see him ripping free of the constraints, cut and all, something sharp in his hands as he sprinted towards him, across the blood-soaked, trembling ground. 

He got barely six feet when Faye's leg whipped out, catching him alongside his face and sending him crashing down. 

Cale managed to release a smirk - thatta girl. 

Damien's gut-wrenching scream hit the air only seconds later and Cale released him, just in time to watch his abdomen impale on itself, pressing against his ribs and his spine so that his very skeleton was outlined, just before it popped apart, spraying Cale with blood in the process.

He didn't even blink as from within the now screaming man, something dark and splotchy crept forth, moaning and clawing at the ground that it slopped at.

Damien reeled back, eyes so wide they looked like they were popping from his skull, and his back slammed against the fire-consumed tablet - subsequently catching fire himself.

Gyrad's yell sounded, causing Cale's eyes to flicker to him just briefly, before turning back to Damien - just then, something reached itself out of the flames, and pulled him into them. And just like that, Damien was gone from sight.

Something loud cracked through the air, and suddenly, everything was shattering - deep breaks in the roof appeared, and beneath them, instead of the second landing of the mansion, there was roiling darkness, hands caked in blood reaching up through the fissures and moans of the damned screeching through the air. 

One caught hold of Cale's leg, but he kicked it loose, eyes trained on the flames, the plan he'd formulated since Damien had released him from the cell earlier that night coming to fruition.

He only had one shot at it - and it had to be done to perfection.

If not, they'd all be screwed. 

Before Cale could make it two steps, something came whirling through the air at him, and he spun to see a large, calloused hand hurtling towards him. 

He bent, and sprung out to the side, catching the arm in a lock and encircling it, bringing his foot up and out into a powerful jaw-breaking kick, sending the large troll reeling away.