Unbinding the Demon

The Battle of Evil and Corruption (pt. 2)

The freezing wind blew through my wispy bangs, as I stood among the sea of burning corpses and scorched earth. Belzar stood protectively beside me, with black putrid blood dripping from his muzzle and soaking through his fur. Sparks crackled up from the chard human remains around us, swirling brightly up into the deep midnight blue sky, until the dark frigid air mercilessly extinguished their fiery lifeforce. 

The front of the church was slowly burning, casting a warm glow across the ground. The barren branches of the small Japanese maple swayed in the breeze, while the flames flickered and licked at the wood with their scorching tongues behind it. Shadows from the branches ominously danced upon the dead, like the grasping fingers of eldritch wraiths attempting to snatch up their souls.

I watched with apprehension as the alien godzilla looking creature screeched and snapped it's mighty jaws at Azathoth, while he tauntingly flew by it to lure it away from us. It's massive hind legs shook the ground, as it took a powerful step towards Azathoth and began chasing him. 

The moment Azathoth was a good distance away, more corrupted began slowly emerging out from the soughing trees. It seemed as if they had been patiently waiting for him to leave, like opportunist ticks hidden within the tall swaying grass. There weren't as many as before, but certainly a lot. Fear and dread came over me. My gaze shifted from the corrupted and over to Lacey and William, who were still watching in disbelief. They stood hand in hand, completely stunned by sight of the beast that they just witnessed. 

Fuck, they need to snap out of it!

"Guys!" I yelled to get their attention. I started running over to them while waving my arms in the air like a lunatic. 

As I jumped over and around the crispy bodies, relief from the immense fear that I had been unwittingly suppressing washed over me. Lacey and William were alive! They weren't corrupted nor among the dead. Tears of gratefulness trickled down my cheeks, as I hurried over to them.

William warily turned around and saw me, then excitedly nudged Lacey. She whipped around, and they both began running over towards me as well. "Gwendolyn!" Lacey shouted as she stumbled over a blackened corpse. 

"Gwenylove!" William frantically grabbed my shoulders and shook me like a madman the moment we were reunited. Little cuts peppered his face and his appearance was wildly disheveled, making him look like a filthy paranoiac crackhead who'd just been attacked by a mob of angry raccoons. "I think someone laced my weed!" His crazed eyes darted all around my face. 

"For the millionth time, no one laced your goddamn weed!" Lacey hissed, then quickly latched her arms around me in a panicked hug while panting from breathlessness. "Oh my god! I'm so glad you're okay!" She tightly squeezed, then desperately looked into my eyes. "Do you know what's is going on!? Or what that thing is!?" She pointed to the.. lloigor? I think that's what Azathoth had called it? "And what's the deal with Ashton turning into a fucking demon!?" 

They were both desperately clutching onto me with suffocating grips. I normally would have been perfectly fine with it, but a bunch of corrupted were slowly approaching. We didn't have time for explanations or a heartfelt reunion. 

"I'm really really glad that you guys are okay too..." I gently shook them off. "But there's no time to explain anything!" I quickly said, but then proceeded to explain anyways as I pointed to the creature off in the distance. "I'm not sure what the fuck that thing is, but I'm sure that Ashton's going to kill it! And yes, he's secretly a demon. His real name is Azathoth. Aunt Elowynn summoned him out of The Abyss!" They both stared at me with confused and down right dumbstruck expressions. Then their gazes awkwardly shifted back and forth to one another.