Katherine’s descent felt like sinking into the black abyss of a vast unending sea.
A veil had been cast before her eyes, obscuring the dark night above her even further. The green and black waves seemed to surround and envelop her as she fell, further and farther down. Oh so gently she seemed to fall from the back of the moving vehicle. Ice encroached upon the body of time itself, freezing it to near stillness. As the seconds seemed to stretch further and further on, Katherine’s mind began to wonder.
Is this it? Is this where the thread of my life ends? Defeated by a demon-no, less than one even. My mother... she’d be so disappointed in what I became... Her vision turned hazy as she was trapped in her own mind. Mom… I lost… my halberd… my mother’s heirloom… the one thing I had left in this cursed existence, now in his filthy undeserving hands. How dare he lay a finger on it. How dare… I lose it? What did I do wrong… was I just not powerful enough? Not skilled enough? Was it… my anger? Was it not enough…? Katherine closed her eyes, and her thoughts raced some more.
But then came a spark of realization. That’s it isn’t it? That’s always been it. I’ve always held back.
Her body fell upon the ground with a thunderous thud of metal on rock. But the instant Katherine touched the ground, she swung back onto her feet, pirouetting in the air as she did so. Her second landing was much more graceful than the first. Her eyes opened, and her soul was devoured by her fury. The tranquil ocean that was her right iris was gone, leaving only the pitch-black sclera underneath, while the red maelstrom that was her left iris enveloped her entire eye, drowning it in a blood-red pool. Her head snapped upwards, sensing the oncoming danger. A massive enemy van was barrelling towards her. A smirk crawled across her lips.
“The first test!” She said gleefully, leaping high above into the air and cracking the ground beneath her boots.
The demon inside the car was shocked by the blur that shot up in front of him. What shocked him even more was when Katherine’s heel came crashing down into the engine hood. He was thrust forward in the air along with the car. The sound of metal exploding out under unbelievable pressure and force was like the roar of a furious God. His screaming could barely be heard under it. The unfortunate demon did not know how high his car flipped into the air, nor how long it was before it plunged back down to the ground, roof-first. He was dead on impact.
Katherine seemed satisfied with the results, but she could not wallow in her newfound strength for long, as many more vehicles rushed straight for her. She deftly dashed and bolted out of the way of one, and then another. For the last one however, she jumped on top of the car, clinging to it. She punched down once, denting the roof, before savagely punching again and creating a hole through the metal. She grabbed the driver by the head and pulled him straight up, concussing him. Then, she reached further down, grabbing the demon by the chin as her fingers dug deep into his neck.
“Graaaaah!” She bellowed as she pulled the demon’s head through the hole, tearing his skull from the rest of his spine. The vile squelching of his muscles and arteries scraping against the metal roof and the demon’s shrill screeching went unheard by Katherine. Her ears were deaf to all sounds but the sound of her unnaturally rapid heartbeat, pumping that intoxicating demon blood into her veins and arteries. Veins and arteries that turned her skin a black and red shade wherever they bulged out. Blood shot up like a fountain from the torn neck-hole when she finally ripped the head off fully. She did not seem to mind the newfound coat of paint all over her face, hair and armor. Katherine took a quick glance at the severed head, and a smile crawled across her face.
The strength I had before was not enough. This… is the strength I need. This is the true nature of power. This world cannot harbor hope, only despair. It never could, and I was an idiot for believing otherwise. No life, only death. No peace, only rage.
She then noticed the car wobbling underneath her. She looked down, noticing the perilous direction the car was taking now that the driver had been incapacitated. Farther up the road however, out of the corners of her eyes, Katherine spotted a flaming line. It coiled through the air, spinning and whipping all over the battlefield, smashing into cars and unfortunate demons. With closer attention, she realized the line was a chain. She traced the chain back to its origin, and noticed an all too familiar hair-do on a bike there.
Making her decision, she looked down at the road, the lines on it whizzing by still at great speed. She waited for the car to start veering leftwards before she took a running start and leapt from it. She did not stop when she viciously fell to the ground with a stumble. Instead she used the momentum to start running after the bike. Her legs whirring forward, one in front of the other. She kept running, faster, faster, her muscles straining and bulging under her armor as she ripped the very ground under her with every step. Katherine pushed every ounce of her demonic and human force into this desperate sprint, her eyes locked on the motorbike just barely out of reach. She wheezed and gasped and took massive breaths as sweat poured from her head.
Just… a bit… closer… NOW!
The Huntress’ thoughts raced faster than her as she got close enough to attempt a maddened leap. Using the last of the force her legs could muster, she long-jumped, reaching for the back of the motorcycle. She barely managed to cling to the back of the bike, her legs scraping against the ground as she got dragged along. Sparks flew from her armor and boots.
“THE FUCK!?” She heard Kaidan scream followed by a swift boot to her shoulder.
“Its me you fucking imbecile!” She yelled back at him. He immediately winced, eyes wide as he helped her up on his bike. The death glare she shot him did not go unnoticed.
“Katherine? Fucking shit, have you gone insane? Were you running? Fuckin’ hell is that someone’s head?”
“I-Insane?” She said, gasping for air with large, loud gulps. “No, no… my head’s never been clearer.”
“And... the head?”
“I’d bet his is... pretty clear right now too. Hold it for a second… I need it… gotta catch my… breath…”
Kaidan first pulled back the chain that was attached to him, a chain that was currently still flying through the air. It retracted, the entire line rapidly spinning like a wheel and coiling around his body from his right shoulder to his left hip. There was a loud clinking from the red chains whipping violently back like a spring that had been pulled too hard. The chain ended in a massive spiked morningstar with holes from where fire boiled, which Kaidan wrapped against his left wrist.
“I’m gonna take us out of their bullet-range.” He said, as the explosive noise of bullets fired in their direction rang out.
“No!” Katherine yelped. “No, keep us close. Get me as close as you can to the prisoner van.”
“Its a ways off, their gunfire is keeping us at a distance. Dudael is coming fast Katherine, we won’t get the prisoners in time like this.”
“Shut up. Give me that head and keep driving. We’re not leaving without my halberd, nor the prisoners.” She shouted, as she yanked the bloody head from Kaidan’s hand. He simply shook his head, sighed and kept driving. He avoided the raining bullets as best he could.
Katherine clasped her hands on the skull’s ears. The unfortunate demon’s rolled, bloodshot eyes looked up at her, his mouth still hanging into a scream. She closed her eyes, and began reciting a profane prayer.
Serpent of Thorns, hear this prayer of mine. Feast on the blood that I offer, and be birthed in this foul world of ours. Take this skull as yours, and cleanse the demons that dare stand before you.
Her hands glowed with the same crimson energies as her left eye, and all the sinews and skin began to melt from the head, leaving only the blackened skull underneath. Thorny vines burst from Katherine’s hands, painfully slicing them open and bathing the skull in her blood. The vines coiled and wrapped around the skull, taking a primordial sort of shape. Katherine felt herself suddenly drained of energy, collapsing forward against Kaidan’s back. The skull dropped from her hands and rolled off into the distance.
“Woah, easy there.” He said as he looked back and kept her from falling off. “I guess there goes that guy’s head?”
“Hehehe…” Katherine laughed meekly. “Ye of little faith…”
“Wha-”
A deafening bestial howl emerged from behind as an unending wall of thorns whizzed past Kaidan’s bike. He looked up with fear in his eyes and saw a massive serpent born of branch and thorn, spinning as it coiled forward through the air. It dived downwards into the ground, crushing the unlucky men and demons underneath as it tunneled deep. Then, it erupted further up the road, shooting a meteoric rain of rock and stone up and then down.
All the while, its almost human-like head devoured everything in its path, demon or man, car or rock, friend or foe. Its eyes were a bundle of scarlet petals, void of all thought and desire but the will of its master. The screams of those that got shredded apart were swallowed by its monstrous howls. Blood rained from the unholy beast’s body, staining the sands with red roses.
“A thornwyrm…” Kaidan said, voice full of awe. “Never thought I’d see one and live...”
“You’re lucky you’re next to me.” Katherine said softly. “My mother bound this one… Our blood gives me control over it.”
Blood… blood that I’ve always relied on, but always hated and never willingly embraced… Such a hypocrite. I’ve always been afraid of what might happen if I push myself too far. Afraid of pricking myself on this thorn. The demon blood in my veins, I was always afraid that it would consume me. Afraid that I’d become one of them. Perhaps I should let it. Perhaps I should stop believing myself to not be. I’ve fucked my whole life up anyway and I was deluded for thinking I didn’t. No longer, I am Devilsbane, Arch-Demon of Roses. Witness my thorns.
Katherine watched starry eyed as the monstrous behemoth caused havoc on both sides of the battlefield. She relished in the sight of ghosts being mercilessly ripped from their bodies. “Look upon its majesty, isn’t all that carnage magnificent?”
“Katherine those… are also our men.” Kaidan said with a pang of worry in his voice.
“Haaaw, a lowly demon from hell worried for his teammates? Adorable. That’s the best part! Human or demon, what’s the difference in the end? I told you I’d kill you all when I got the chance.” She laughed sadistically. “Now listen, I instructed it to avoid the prisoner car and you. You’re going up ahead and getting the prisoners, while I finish my business with Mephisto, got it?”
“Y-yes ma’am.” Kaidan nodded, not daring to argue with Katherine while the beast of thorns was still very close behind her. He looked up at her and saw a visage in her eyes that terrified him.
“Good. Don’t disappoint.” She said as she reached up to her summoning and whips of thorns wrapped around her arm. The monster pulled her along and up onto its back as it undulated forward across the canvas of the desert.
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Kaidan immediately revved up his engine and blasted forward across the road. His thoughts lingered on Katherine, and his worries only amplified.
Katherine was always an icy, hateful bitch… but that wasn’t her… something’s changed. He pondered. Killing was always more of an evil necessity to her than something she reveled in… Hmph… Whatever Kaidan, keep your head down from this fuckin’ thing and maybe you’ll make it out of here alive. With the prisoners if you’re lucky... I hope Sammy and Ron are keeping low too…
His bike whizzed past a couple cars on the road. Almost everyone was busy avoiding the massive thornbeast, but there were still a few demons here and there that noticed the fast-moving threat that tried to sneak by unnoticed. They unleashed salvo after salvo of bullets in his direction.
Heh, your funeral. Kaidan smirked to himself, spinning his morningstar in his fingers to build up momentum before throwing it off to his left, away from the shooters. The chain around his body spun and spun with orange flames sparking out as the morningstar flew further and further out. When the force he had applied to it finally reached the apex, the ball stalled in the air, slowly beginning to curve to the right. It then rapidly snapped back in that direction, slicing through the air with perfect aim towards the attackers. The fiery morningstar smashed into them and their car like a wrecking ball, their gurgled screaming drowning beneath the blast of metal scraping against metal. Kaidan whipped the chain back before he flicked it forward, sending it to ravage other foes in his path.
Kaidan rampaged through the battlefield, his ball and chain clearing the way towards the all-important van. He pulled his bike closely, and once he was in range, retracted his weapon. He then reached forward towards a socket close to the front of the bike, and pulled out a hook on a very thick wire. With the same efficacious aim displayed earlier, he snared the hook on the back of the van, letting it pull his bike along even as he prepared to disembark. Waiting for the opportune moment, he leapt onto the backdoor of the van, quickly climbing on top of it. He immediately ducked, as the thornwyrm’s massive body flew overhead.
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“Fuckin’ hell that thing is big.” He murmured to himself as he crawled towards the hatch. A rifle bullet ricocheted against the lid, barely missing his fingers. “Son of a FUC-” He yelled, falling back as another shot whizzed through the air, taking off a sliver of his left ear. Then another bullet whizzed past him, barely missing his head. He furiously clutched at his bloody head, pulling out his flaming chain and spinning it rapidly. The shield he made deflected any further attempts on his life. This did not stop the bullets from coming, however that was exactly Kaidan’s plan. As the bullets rained against his chain, he peered forward, trying to spot where they were coming from.
There, that flash of light. He thought, his face grimacing with fury. I really liked that piercing… Say your fuckin’ prayers kid.
Kaidan continued spinning the ball and chain, waiting for the perfect moment between shots. A reload, a pause for breath, the thornwyrm knocking into the car on accident, anything. And the moment arrived. Kaidan quickly used the force built up in his weapon, spinning his whole body and unleashing the morningstar with a devastating flick of his chain. As the chain uncoiled from his body, he unhooked a link, detaching the morningstar and turning it into a projectile.
Andras saw the flaming black orb of death coming towards him, and managed to avoid it as it smashed into the back of his open van. His sigh of relief was short lived however, as a few moments later the flames all self-extinguished and the morning star exploded, shooting out hundreds of long, sharp spikes. Andras’ lifeless body slumped down against the car door, his body riddled with dozens of holes. Black blood slowly began pouring from them.
Kaidan smirked, noticing the sudden lack of bullets in his direction. He took a moment for himself, noticing that the shootout had grown significantly quieter. Many of the forces that remained in the initial attack had been razed by the thornwyrm, the beast now somewhat farther from the main road, moving across the desert to his right. He could spot Katherine on it further up ahead, and remembered his task. He rushed back to the hatch, and pulled a knife from his leg strap. He stuck it between the lid and the car, slowly prying the top open with whatever force he had left before looking inside.
“Rise and shine you fucke-” He said before his words froze in his throat.
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Mephistopheles laughed when he saw the shadow that approached him on the back of the monstrous thorn behemoth. He gripped the branches underneath him, keeping himself from falling off. He was high up in the air. Looking around, he considered jumping back onto the cars that still remained on the road, but the distance was a bit too far for his liking. His grip tightened, the thorns digging deeply into his palm but the beast seemed to move with little care for his comfort. With his other hand, he clutched Katherine’s precious Jawbone.
“I was wondering why this thing didn’t immediately kill me like everyone else. Am I that special to you Kathy?” He called out to her.
“No.” She said calmly. “I just wanted the pleasure of tearing you to bits myself.” Katherine, for contrast, seemed to move with great ease on the back of the thornwyrm, as if its monstrous hide altered itself before her every step.
“Is that so?” Mephisto said. “That sounds to me like some special treatment after all.”
Katherine did not entertain him with response, instead lunging towards him with the igneous rage of the demonic blood that coursed through her veins. Mephistopheles barely managed to dodge the full brunt of her flurry of blows by blocking with her halberd. One of her fists pushed their way through however, grazing past his right shoulder and tearing off his clothes, skin, and muscle in that area from sheer force alone. Panicking, he swung the halberd, trying to buy himself space, but Katherine was unphased. She blocked and deflected all his blows with a single leg, all while balancing on her moving monster with the other.
“Hahaha…” She gloated. “You’re like a child with that thing. Swinging wildly, no finesse, no grace.”
“Oh yea?” Mephisto said, gasping for breath. “And where’s your finesse and grace Kath? Look at yourself. Look at the monster you’ve turned into. For what? For the sake of whoever’s controlling you? For your pride? For your mother’s precious halberd?”
“SHUT UP!” Katherine yelled, bursting forward and clamping her fist against his throat, slamming him down against the thorny spikes underneath.
“Aaaaargh.” He screamed back in pain, as well as he could with a vicious grip blocking his windpipe.
“You have no right to speak about my mother, about me, as if you know me. I’ve had enough of you.”
“Katherine…” He choked. “I… know you… I can see… the same fear I have… in you. You crave power… but… forsaking yourself… that’s not power, that’s desperation.”
“I said, SHUT UP!” She yelled in his face, her grip tightening around his neck. “You made a grave mistake, trying to protect your friends from me. It would have been much easier had you just stepped aside and handed them over. Now, you’re going to die, and I still got them.”
“That’s… funny…” He gurgled out, trying to speak. “You act like… this is already over!”
With the last of his strength, Mephisto activated the weapon’s mechanism making the halberd smaller. He then threw it overhead, letting it fall off the thornwyrm and onto the dark sands below.
Katherine was caught completely off guard by this move. She desperately rushed over to catch it, but it was way out of reach. Mephisto, freed from her grasp, used the opportunity to jump as far back as he could, massaging his throat and aching body.
“Hah… hahahahaha…” She laughed, but there was a trembling in her voice, a crack in her facade. “What the hell were you trying to achieve with that? Congrats, you bought yourself a few extra seconds to live.”
“Take a moment to smell the roses Kath. Look around you. Look back at your friend.” He croaked to her. “This is over.”
“What?” She said, shocked and confused, as her head snapped back.
In the distance she saw Kaidan on top of the prisoner’s van, the hatch was open, but he was empty handed. He waved his arms, shouting something at her, and what he said made her blood freeze.
“Katherine! Katherine, they’re not here!” His voice propagated towards her like an ill omen of death.
Her gaze turned, first at Mephisto, and then back at the highway. Her eyes peered across the road, desperately seeking an answer. Far near the horizon, she spotted one inconspicuous black and green car. One car that had broken away from all the others, and was now almost completely out of reach. But worst of all, behind that car, carved into a mountain that seemed to jut out not from the desert, but from the night itself, loomed the towering dome of Dudael. The mountain range swallowed the edge of the world, massive and imposing as it was. An affront to God himself. The very thought of all that dwelled within filled her with dread.
“Did you really think I was just going to keep them in the most obvious place imaginable? While trying to fight you? You’d beat me everytime, but you let your rage blind you Katherine. A couple tricks was all I needed. I had Andras move them to our fastest car the second I saw you coming.” Mephisto smugly chuckled.
“You... you…” Katherine said simply, empty of words. Her face was blank, vacant, her expression signifying pure defeat.
“Now the choice is yours, try and get the prisoners in time, or recover your precious halberd while you still have some vague idea where it is.” He said, stepping towards the edge of the thornwyrm’s back. He looked back at her, his eyes betraying mercy instead of any satisfaction or happiness in his victory. “Remember yourself, Katherine.” With that, he leapt off.
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The distance to the road has shrunken, but it was still large enough to be dangerous. Luckily for Mephisto, he had timed his jump perfectly to land on one of the last trucks his troupe had left, passing by in that exact moment. The speed at which Mephisto hit the back of the car gave him additional pains he would have hoped not to add to the rest in that moment. His body rolled against the car floor, and when he stopped, he was helped to his feet by a battle-weary soldier, a lucky survivor of tonight’s slaughter. Katherine stalled, watching with unblinking eyes as Mephisto made his way towards the gates of Dudael.
I could… kill you so easily right now. Katherine thought atop her beast, as she watched his shape becoming smaller and smaller. Why? Why aren’t I moving? I’m… stuck… I’ve lost… control… Hm. You’ve outsmarted me every step of the way tonight Mephisto... How? Was it all not enough? When… did I become so… foolish. She thought. Remember myself…? What is there to remember… I’m… hollow inside… its all just cold… and empty…
She turned around, staring into the darkness for her halberd, its crimson sheen guiding her to it.
My mother’s halberd… to hell with the prisoners, you’ve earned your victory tonight Mephisto… I… need it more than victory. Bend don’t break… but I… broke. I bent so far that I broke without it… Mother… I’m sorry... The thornwyrm replied in kind to her will as it turned and slithered back towards Katherine’s halberd. On the way, Katherine’s rage subsided, and her eyes turned back to the normal black and blue she knew. Her hand melancholically reached to touch her cheek, feeling the binding mark that Octavian had placed over her. Of course, you’re gonna force me to fight to the bitter end no?
Some time later, Katherine’s leviathan found itself approaching the borders of Dudael. On one side, approaching the gates of the prison, stood what was left of Mephistopheles’ convoy. On the other, stood a fleet of demon raiders, beaten and defeated, weary of the one that stood between them. Katherine disembarked her monstrosity, and dismissed it. The thornwyrm began to wither away, the branches and vines that made up its body turning gray and frail. Rapidly it crumbled into dust, leaving nothing but a broken skull that shattered when it hit the ground.
“Kath...!” Kaidan called out to her as she walked over. She clutched her weapon tightly, keeping it close to her body. “The prisoners… they weren’t there.”
“I heard you.” She said meekly as she walked forward through what was left of those under her. They all watched her, their hateful eyes blaming her for the horrors they went through. She could not bring herself to hate them back, for her rage and resentment had all been consumed that night.
Katherine made her way to the front of the group, where she found herself face to face with someone she had met so very long ago in her past. A very tall man, nonchalantly levitating a slight distance off the ground with both of his arms hidden behind his back. He was dressed in a fanciful bleu marine vest with a white button-up underneath. Frills adorned the neck collar and wrists of the shirt.
“Greetings Devilsbane… Katherine was it? It has been a while. You were much younger the last time we met.” His deep, soft-spoken voice called out to her. It was a cold softness, one that hid no emotion or warmth underneath. That same lack of humanity was also visible in the demon’s eyes. Two bright yellowish-orange eyes, lacking any eyelids. Eyes with long, black slits for irises. His lengthy jet black hair flowed down his shoulders, emphasizing the handsome features of his face. Features that gave him both a very masculine and yet a very feminine beauty in simultaneity. The final striking detail of this demon were the three black horns that protruded from his head. Three thin, tall horns that shot straight up, each perfectly spaced from the other.
“Warden.” She said, barely a whisper.
“Has it been that long? Perhaps you do not remember my name Katherine. I am As-”
“I remember you, Asmodeus. Why are you here?”
“Why am I here?” Asmodeus rhetorically asked, although his blank expression did not match the intonation he was trying to bring across. “Why, you’re in my territor-”
“Your contract with my father specifically forbids you from interfering with our business. So yes, why are you here in my fucking way?” She said, trying to channel her intimidating nature, but the weakness that festered within her was too overpowering.
“I would appreciate it if you stopped interrupting me when I’m speaking. Also, there is no need to be rude to each other.” He said. “I have received prisoners, and our agreement was to retain all the unholy creatures you and your family bring here, and in return I refrain from interacting with the rest of the demon world.”
“Those prisoners are not yours to keep.”
“Prisoners are prisoners. No matter who brings them to me.”
“I demand you to hand them over Asmodeus, now.” Katherine threatened, pointing the triple-spear tip of her halberd at him. There was no reaction, no change in his unnaturally still expression. His face was frozen, like a mask that one could pull off it they’d just reach.
“Katherine, I watched your battle tonight. You and your crew fought valiantly, but in your current state, I could eviscerate all of you without pretending to blink once. The prisoners were no longer yours the second they crossed the borders of this land. They are now part of my collection.” He said, sounding almost delighted at the thought.
“My current state? What’s… that supposed to mean?” Katherine shouted, suddenly becoming aware of the pain that radiated through her body.
“You’ve summoned a very powerful creature tonight… for the first time too if I had to guess? I’m not sure if your parents have lectured you on the nature of blood summonings, but they can be especially dangerous if you’re not careful.”
Almost as if on cue, Katherine’s extended arm began to tremble. Her heartbeat thumped, slowing to a crawl as blood began dripping from her mouth, her nose, and her eyes. Couple droplets at first, and then steady streams.
“You’re… doing this to me…” She spat out between loud, hoarse coughs.
“In addition, despite your best efforts, you suffered a crushing loss. Your will is no longer resilient enough to keep your ailing body from breaking down. I assure you Katherine Devilsbane, I am not affecting you in any way.”
“Sh-shut up… I know… your powers…” She said, stumbling down to her knees.
“Do not accuse me of being a liar.” Asmodeus said back at her, his piercing unwavering gaze staring her down. Even though his voice was unchanging throughout his speech, the last phrase he said felt more like a threat than anything before. “I assure you this is a mere coincidence. If I wanted to hurt you, believe me, I could do so with extreme ease. This is all your own doing.”
My own doing… once again…
“You have pushed your body beyond its limits tonight. Accept the defeat that’s already taken hold in your heart, and graciously turn back. Do not proceed further lest you not value your life.”
Katherine looked up, and her soul ached. It ached for she desired to kill him, to rid the world of the unholy filth that stood before her, mocking her. But he was right. The strength in her body had all but seeped away. She lifted one trembling arm, in one ultimate defiant attempt before her consciousness faded, and she collapsed on the ground.
Asmodeus stared at her. No one behind Katherine’s limp body dared take a single breath. The demon’s legs floated back from under him, his body floating lower and lower to the ground, until his face was near Katherine’s fingertips. He inspected how far they reached, and, arriving at a satisfying conclusion, stood back up. He uttered one final phrase before he turned and glided back towards his prison:
“How fortunate for you, Katherine Devilsbane.”