Levi yawned, a nervous sort if yawn, shifting restlessly. How long had they been waiting? It seemed like hours. For better or worse, when Ravea and the others came through that door he figured they'd likely have minutes left to live. The first half hour he'd been so wound up he couldn't stay still. Now though, he looked across the room to where Paul was napping, now he wasn't sure anything at all was going to happen. Worse, what if Surtr had figured out their plan and called things off till tomorrow, after Beltane, after Easter; orthodox Easter, he reminded himself. It really was odd that there were two Easters. But, compared to everything else, what’s an extra holiday or two?
He looked over to Liz, who was hanging on her father's arm, and felt a twinge of jealousy? Really? I'm jealous of her hanging on her dad? Not that she shouldn't be that way around her dad, or that he had a problem with it. He just wished she were hanging on his arm and laughing at his jokes right now.
Yeah, I'm an idiot.
He knew deep down what the real problem was, of course. He knew it but he didn't want to think about it. His stomach churned as he sat there, wondering when the guillotine would fall. At least when Liz was there he didn't think how it would end.
I can't be relying on her to make me feel better, he thought, I've got to deal with this like a man. He clenched his fist as he thought this, digging the nails into the skin of his palm, the pain cutting through his fears like a soothing balm. At least it was something.
But what if Surtr didn't show? What if he waited till dark and came at them while they slept, what if... he hammered the cement floor with his fist in frustration; he was doing it again.
"They're coming! They're coming from the north!"
A collective sigh could be heard, as the tensions of every man and woman there were released in that moment. As if to say, finally.
Within moments Ravea was up yelling commands.
"How many? Don't leave your station, who told you you could leave your station? Kanji, let them know on the rooftop. Vera, we need you and that big gun of yours over here. Levi take her spot on watch."
Levi did as he was told, sitting at the South facing windows, scanning for movement. It was hard with everything going on behind him, but he didn't want to be the one to let some monster sneak up on them. Besides, he didn't think he'd be much good in a fight.
Soon the gunfire began; so much different than at the range, or being out deer hunting. Ravea's people were shooting in short bursts, conserving ammunition, he thought; at least that's what Liz had said to do. But the bursts were getting longer and the yells were getting louder.
Boom!
An explosion from outside shattered the north facing windows, releasing a cloud of dust from the brick walls.
Levi coughed, trying to breath through the stirred up dust. Staying put was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He'd changed his mind. He wanted to help, to fight. At least he didn't want to be stuck with a fight going on behind his back while he looked the other way.
BOOM!
Another explosion shook the building, this time closer and much louder, and this time he looked. He wished he hadn't. Through the dust, the twisted shape of the north door could be seen, silhouetted against the outside light. Not that there was much of it, everything was overcast, raining. Ravea's fighters were still there, most of them bloodied from the shattered windows, but no one was down that he could see.
A minotaur leapt to frame the doorway briefly before Ravea's hammer found its skull, sending it crashing to the ground. More monsters were pushing in, though each time they were repulsed. Liz was there too, dashing about with spare guns and ammo, her copper hair flashing in the faint light.
He was transfixed by the scene, and would have stayed that way if not for the burning on his forearm as a voice cried in his head.
"Look to your window."
He looked back and let out a cry. “They’re coming here too!” From an alleyway across from him, a hundred or more monstrosities were pouring out.
Hearing his cry, Ravea looked back from where he stood, legs planted, hammer raised.
"They're coming from the south!" he cried. "Rearguard let them have it."
Fifteen of his people had held back from the fighting to the north, and now they sprang to the southern wall, unloading on the approaching tide. Levi too was up, after his first fright.
At first he'd been too scared to move, but hearing Liz's dad; confident and in command, his heart rose. Gripping his shotgun he let fire. He was firing through a broken pane till one of those blasts went off in front of him, shattering the window around him. He felt something sharp tear at his cheek, and another hit just above his eye. Something wet was on his face. He wiped it with his hand, not noticing that it came back red with blood. He fired until his shotgun was empty, then he reloaded. Or he tried to, his fingers refusing to do what he wanted, dropping the shells more often than not. This wasn't anything like his old break action back home.
It seemed like it took forever to load the thing, but the attackers were still only half way across the intervening parking when he popped his head back up.
BOOM!
Another explosion.
What were those? Grenades? At least there was no more glass to shatter.
He kept firing but there were too many of them. No matter how many went down there were two more to take their place and not enough were going down. The accuracy of the defenders improved as their foes drew closer, but still it wasn't enough. A fanged, snakelike creature reared up outside the broken window. Levi screamed as he fell back, firing by reflex. It jerked back, hit in the chest by the slug. Immediately it was replaced by an ogre.
Levi screamed again, face to face with the creature from his nightmares. He fired again, and this monster too fell back. Then came a third, then a fourth, but now he had to reload. One of Ravea's people, an earth colored man, seven feet tall, pulled him back from the window and a wild looking, green skinned girl took his place; taking out the next two attackers. Then there was silence.
"Did we do it?" he heard Paul say, "Did we win?"
"Not hardly," said Ravea. "That was just the first wave, there'll be more."
The defenders seemed to mostly be on their feet, though many of them were bloodied. Fortunately, most of the attackers didn't seem to be using guns, instead wielding axes or clubs. Still, some were shooting back, and something out there was tossing explosives.
He looked around frantically for his friends. Paul he'd already heard, and Alice was still up above in the loft, but where was Liz? She bounced up right in front of him, only inches from his face.
"Levi, are you okay?" her face was lined with worry.
"Woah. Don’t do that. Yeah, of course I am. What's wrong?"
"Your face," she said, doing her best to daub it with a cloth. "You're covered in blood."
"Oh, that," he said, only now remembering the glass, it seemed like hours ago. "It's no big deal, just some glass."
"No big deal? you're bleeding all over. Look at that cut too, it almost took out your eye. Hold still so I can clean it, quit squirming will you."
He felt a flush rising as Liz insisted on cleaning his face in front of Ravea and the others. She was just about to start searching him for other injuries when Ravea intervened.
"Liz, let the boy be. He's well enough and if you’re going to put your gun down, we've got those who need your help far more than he."
"But Dad," she began, but Ravea overrode her. "There will be time for you to fuss over this one later, Nashi willing, but we've only a few moments reprieve. The next one, if I'm not mistaken will be the real thing. Everyone reload, brush yourself off, and look out. We've still got work to do."
She sulked for a moment before turning to Levi. "You hear that? Dad says I get you later so you better not die okay."
Then she was gone, off helping some of the more badly wounded, leaving him once again speechless.
"Come on boy. You want my approval you better not die today." Ravea boomed as he slapped him on the back from behind, making him jump.
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"Uh, sir, I uh, me and Liz, we haven't done anything."
"I know, she would have told me if you did. Your fault for being too slow. Now put your head back on, I think the big guy's getting ready to show himself."
###
They didn't wait long. A wild battlecry shrieked out from the shadows across the way. He jumped, clutching his shotgun to his chest. From all directions issued well over a hundred monstrosities. Behind them a haze billowed, darkening the daylight till everything in that direction was hidden in the twilight. It was soot, and flame, and darkness.
He had no more than a moment to react; they were halfway across the empty yard before he had the sense to raise his weapon. His first shot went wild, though other shots were surer. The first wave of attackers went down under a rain of bullets, only to be overtaken by the main body of the foe, many of whom leapt or climbed over their fallen comrades. Many of these went down too, but many got up again too, only injured..
Levi shot everything he had as the wave approached. it wasn't enough. A wild surging mass of the monsters were still bearing down, the first few reaching the warehouse. Levi heard gunfire from the other end of the warehouse and knew they were engaged there as well. He fumbled to reload, knowing he was too late. He braced himself, gripping the shotgun like a club, not sure if it would do any good.
The wave never hit them. The attackers were swept away by a hail of gunfire, raining from above as it cut them down, like grass before the scythe; driving the rest back to the shadows. A cheer rang out from the defenders and Levi couldn't help but join in, saved as they were from a tide of death. The cheer, died on their lips as the looming twilight began to grow embracing the retreating stragglers in its shadowy embrace.
Levi's arm burned; a hot, angry burn which spread up his arm to his shoulder, and from there threatened to consume him. Deep red hatred. There in the center of the swirling black flame stood a figure around which the darkness clung like a shroud. 'Surtr' the voice in his head whispered, a whisper filled with age old malice. It was all Levi could do not to get swept away in Baldr's anger. He held his ground though, clenching his jaw till it hurt as he rode the waves, his fingers reloading as if on their own. Snarling, he took aim, firing into the darkness, again and again.
As the storm grew before him, behind was quiet. He glanced back for a moment, Miss Farr had standing with Ravea, speaking earnestly. A moment later Melanie burst through another door, off to the side.
"Melanie," said Ravea. "What are you doing here? and why did you give way your position early? You were supposed to strike when Surtr was in the open. He hasn’t moved yet."
"They were about to break you. You wouldn't have lived long enough for him to show," she said, as she closed the distance. "That's not why I'm here. I'm here for the traitor." she said, raising her gun toward the other woman.
"What do you mean?" Miss Farr demanded, backing behind Ravea to shield herself. "I'm no traitor. What is wrong with you? I almost died coming here."
"Yes," said Ravea, stepping away from Miss Farr, looking from her to his wife. "What do you mean? Tell me quick, we've got a demon to deal with. She almost died cutting her way through to us, we all saw it."
"You saw what she wanted you to see," said Melanie, keeping her gun raised, moving to get a clearer shot of the hunter. "I was up above and saw her speaking with the beasts. They let her through. She didn't start running till she came around the corner. Now let me shoot her."
Ravea turned back but Miss Farr raised a hand, blasting everyone around her with gust of wind, flinging them to the ground. Ravea cursed and Melanie screamed, fire in her eyes as she launched herself at the traitor.
"To the south, to the south!"
A cry from Alice, perched up above, snapped Levi back to the greater threat. The storm had finally broken. Surtr and his hoard were moving deliberately, not like the frenzied rush before, encompassed by the swirling dark flame. Still, they had gained almost the whole of the distance to the warehouse while everyone had been distracted.
"Everyone to the south wall" Ravea could be heard to shout above the cries of confusion. Still, Levi glanced behind to see Ravea and Melanie fully occupied with the Farr woman, as she hurled blast after blast of cutting wind through the confined space. The rest of the defenders rushed to shore up their defenses to the south, while snipers on the roof continued to pour lead down on the advancing army.
To Levi’s dismay, whether the darkness itself deflected the bullets, or just made the figures harder to hit, not nearly as many of the attackers fell as they should have. Still, by the time they'd reached the warehouse, their number was cut in half. But that wasn't enough, not nearly enough. With wild, inhuman cries, the hoard of ogres, minotaurs, imps, hags, and worse reached the warehouse.
"Fall back!" Someone yelled, Levi couldn't tell who.
Then the scene became chaos. The defenders fought valiantly, but they were overwhelmed by the ferocity and sheer number of the attackers. Levi emptied the last of his shells into a beast with an eagle's head when it leapt to fill the window. It fell forward into the warehouse, pushed by creatures behind.
Levi, turned and ran for the stairs. He wasn't the only one; all of the defenders who still stood were being pushed back till they made a small ring with their backs to the stairs.
At the last the two vulfnar brothers, Gunr and Bragh, held the bottom of the stairs, buying time to let the others up. They’d looked fierce back at Taambervol, with their tattoo masks and wild hair. Now they were transformed into fury itself. Levi glanced at them for just a moment before hurrying past; ashamed he wasn't staying to fight. Soon it was just them fighting side by side as they backed up step by step; a swath of clear floor between them and even the bravest adversary.
Levi watched helplessly from the safety of the loft, clutching his now empty weapon with white knuckles, as he watched the brothers retreat.
“They’ll do it, they’ll make it up. Come on.” Quietly he urged them on.
Many of the defenders still had ammunition and had taken position above; shooting into the snarling throng below which stopped the pursuit at the foot of the stair. They were almost halfway up and it seemed like they would make it to the relative safety of the command platform; when the demon himself appeared at the stairs. The lesser beasts fell back as it approached, howling in anticipation. Contemptuously, Surtr raised one ebony fist, and lashes of dark flame struck out at the pair. Gunr, flung his brother aside, catching the flames on his arm and side. The vulfnar grunted as he was struck, the smell of burnt flesh filled the room. He still stood, but the damage was done, his arm hung at his side, lifeless. Bragh tried to help his brother up, but Gunr pushed him back.
"Go," he cried, "This demon is mine to hunt."
The lashes came again, but Gunr deflected the worst of them, though the smell of burning flesh rose again and again as acrid smoke filled the air.
"Agrt Grah Arru" Gunr cried, leaping down upon the demon, javelin raised. It seemed for a moment that both warrior and javelin would find their target, so swift was his strike. But, with inhuman speed, the demon slid past the javelin at the last moment, running Gunr through with a blade as dark as was the demon himself. Bragh groaned as he saw his brother fall, grasping his weapon as if to spring to his aid. A half dozen hands reached out from behind to pull him back despite his protest. Instead of Bragh, a hail of their now precious bullets, each a bloody prayer of revenge, came showering down about the demon. Yet somehow, though those around him fell, not a single missile found its target in its flesh.
"You cannot kill me; I am a god." Surtr said, laughing a bone chilling laugh. "Come down and I will make your deaths easy."
No one moved, they all waited in tense silence as the sound of fighting from outside reached them. Ravea and Melanie must still be fighting the Farr lady Levi thought; he couldn't call her Miss Farr any more, it seemed too respectful for the traitor.
With a gesture from Surtr, his minions rushed the stairs. They seemed about to overwhelm the defenders, nearly reaching the platform before they were pushed back. A second and a third time they rushed, each time taking casualties. Finally, Surtr's impatience seemed to outweigh his caution. Moving faster than thought, he leapt past their defenses, his foot resting a moment on the rail before leaping again and landing in the center of the loft.
He was standing face to face with Liz, who stood stone still with shock.
It raised its arm to strike, but Levi was there, smashing the monster with his shotgun. The gun shattered as it hit Surtr’s back but the demon barely flinched. Turning, made as if to come at Levi, then it stopped short. Recognition and shock crossed the demon's face as it stared at Levi; then it started to laugh.
"Baldr? Truly? This is what you have become? You are nothing more than a shadow of a shadow."
The hatred Levi felt from Baldr before was nothing compared to what he felt now. He barely stayed himself from lunging at the demon with his bare hands, so powerful was the emotion. The power he had felt before too was surging through his veins like a blazing river.
"Still not one to speak I see,” said Surtr, “Well, don't worry, I will soon free you from this unfortunate little human you seem to be bound to."
The demon lashed out with its sable blade, too fast to be seen as Levi jerked back in reflex, far faster than he should have been able to react. Still, the weapon burned as its tip managed to cut a furrow across his scalp. Twice more it lashed out and twice more Levi dodged, Baldr's added strength keeping him ahead of the blow. Then Levi stumbled, tripping over something behind him.
Raising its blade again, Surtr's arm swept down with frightening speed, this time intent on slicing Levi from top to bottom. But it never fell. A burst of flame from behind Levi struck the thing's sword arm, sending the blade flying. Surtr cried with pain and anger; wrapping his injured hand in his cloak to quench the flames.
"You don't get to hurt any more of my friends today." Cried Liz, now recovered from her shock. She sent flaming bolt after flaming bolt down on the demon. It snarled in surprised anger, raising his other hand to ward off the flames.
"So you think you can take me on little hobgoblin?" Surtr said, snarling. Let me teach you a lesson in fire.
It raised its hand again, sending tendrils of dark flame shooting at Liz, sizzling with dark energy. Liz sent her own flames to ward of the onslaught, barely blocking the attack. Surtr sent more tendrils, faster than before, but was again repulsed. More and more came, driving everyone back against the rails with their heat, till Levi was sure Liz would be overwhelmed.
A cry of desperation from the corner surprised everyone. Paul had been standing near the stairs and had been knocked over as Surtr pushed past him. Now a darkness surrounded his friend, akin to, but colder than that around the demon. Paul seem to grow, his face became gaunt, his eyes burning with a dark fury.
A black lance shot from Paul, striking the demon in its back, seeming to catch it in its step. Surtr stood there frozen, arm half raised for another strike, muscles clenched as it tried in vain to move. Levi saw the opportunity and yelled,
"Now Liz, hit him with everything."
She saw the opening too, and took it, slamming bolt after bolt of crimson fire into the thing's unprotected chest. It moaned and began to smoke, gnashing its teeth as it struggled to break free. Paul was on his knees now, sweat pouring down his face as he reached toward the creature, desperately trying to keep it in place.
He can't hold it much longer. Levi thought.
"Liz, give it everything you've got," he yelled. But Liz too looked tired. Her red hair was loose, clinging damply to her flushed face as the sweat dripped down. The flames weren't as steady as before, some almost missing. Finally, with a heave, Surtr broke free, as Paul collapsed on the ground with a moan.
Liz screamed defiance, sending a final blazing ball at the demon. It was bigger by far than anything she'd sent so far, and must have taken everything she had left as she fell to the floor as it left her fingertips. The blast hit the demon squarely, blasting the demon as well as the floor surrounding it so that a large portion of the loft gave way. Down went Surtr, clawing at the air as he fell.
Levi was too close to the blast, a moment after Surtr fell, the metalp lating he stood on lurched and he felt himself sliding down after the demon into the smoke.