In the times where violence wasn’t the answer, it was at least adjacent to it. I had ruefully accepted the last-ditch powers that seemed to pluck me from death’s grasp at the final second, despite it being a cop out. It turned out that it was just fate trying to shake me and wake me up - an alarm warning me that the Big Picture was looming outside the window. Just turn and look at it. If only I could just concentrate and ignore the vibrations that blurred my vision.
I held the small demon by the neck, shoved the barrel of my revolver in his mouth, and pulled the trigger. The last firework for the evening’s display. I dropped the motionless corpse and sighed, unsure as to why I had left the translator till last. Pain wracked at my lungs, and I turned lazily to see Wight sitting at the edge of the stage.
//All hostiles neutralized. Return when ready.
//Org has signed off.
My legs were combative to complete the movements, but with bleary eyes, I shuffled over and sat down with him. He looked to be staring off - either at the multitude of Helper demon corpses, or the small fires my skills had set off around the ruined wreckage of their ramshackle structure. Parts of his feathered form were soaked in blood, but he didn’t look damaged.
He turned to look at me, eyes of bright crimson impassive.
[You should remove those bolts before you heal over the wounds fully, Eric.]
I released my mask so I could look down at myself better. I had a few crude bolts still lodged in me. Another ruined jacket. Two in my right leg, one in my left arm, one in my chest, and I think the last was in my neck. Not a great place to have a shard of Hell-wood.
With clenched teeth, I put my revolver down and gripped at the bolt in my thigh. Pain shook my body as it slowly withdrew. “Ah, fuck!” I growled as it popped free. “Fuck! Why does that hurt so much?”
Wight continued to watch me impassively as I dropped the bolt to the floor below us.
[Allow me?]
Exhaling through my nose, I nodded and closed my eyes. I felt his clawed hand press against my arm and then a cooling energy flooded through my body. Probably partially possessing me before- ah! There it was. Tendrils of his power pushed at the remaining bolts at the same time, expelling them from my body. Certainly, the pain was worse - but the relief was worth it - and I gasped out for air as they dropped from my body, my eyes streaming from holding the screams in.
“Thanks, Wight.” I gave him a weak smile. There was still a mote of his energy left holding the wounds closed. No doubt pulling the offending shaft from my neck would have been a death sentence in a different world, or with a different patron.
[It is okay… I have been thinking, Eric…]
“Yeah?” I raised an eyebrow as I watched him idly kick his little legs alternatively back and forth over the edge of the stage.
[About your new powers.]
Maybe he didn’t like them? Was this his jealousy or resignation that he needed to share my mortal form with other powers? “Go on.”
[You said you needed strong demonic power to use Last Light, correct?]
“Yeah, using the Rat God power I can… hold on to strong attacks to convert demon power to divine power - I think…”
[Then what do I give you?]
My first thought was to the potential jealousy. Maybe his self-confidence had taken a knock because of… but then I understood his train of thought. I stretched out my aching neck and deflated. We should have probably gone back home by now. Still, the questions began to bubble in my mind.
“How does… you said when I took some of your power you stayed at the same level - is that how your attacks work too?”
[I believe so. If you take water from the sea, eventually it evaporates and rejoins the system.]
That made a lot of sense, for how his powers used to drain us both - we needed to wait for his natural energy to be restored from wherever the demonic clouds grew up. As he was allowed to be stronger, we had not been so easily tired of expending abilities.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Huh. I can see where this is leading.”
[I have used
“Oh. I… forgive you? Is that why we are still sitting here?” I feel like this would be the time I’d lit up a cigarette and languish in my bruises and malaise whilst we reflected. If I smoked, of course.
[Correct. Two sharp edges clashing together. The sword of our revelation, against the sinister dagger of our shadow.]
That was remarkably poetic coming from the demon. It wasn’t often he would spin something so flavorful toward me. Perhaps this lifeline was worthy of being a bit extra though, the guiding line that joined all the powers together, and-
The sound of slow clapping drew our attention.
From behind the burning wreckage, a large figure emerged.
//One hostile approaching, be wary.
Dark red skin, long horns, and a gray toga. The smirk across his face gave no doubt as to who had chosen to darken our doorstep.
“Joxx’un,” I murmured, my eyes narrowing. This was what Wight had meant.
“Eric the Red and his little bird,” the demon cooed as he made his way to the center of the ruined amphitheater, where we had stood no long prior. “My, how you’ve both grown.”
“Come to finish the job that your pet Hunter couldn’t?” I replied. He didn’t seem too taken aback that we knew of their partnership - although he had a remarkably good poker face, anyway.
“That would be a shame, wouldn’t it? You are such a fun little human - a lot stronger than most. It’s no wonder you caught the eye of… the one you call Pearl.”
I worked my jaw, but gave no response. Eric Redd knew when he was being manipulated. He was trying to get a rise out of me, but if anything, I was just too exhausted for mind games.
[Looks like he has your eye too.]
Joxx’un grinned widely, exposing his sharp fangs. “Perhaps. It is true that Eric here would be a much better tool than Gunther. However, I wouldn’t dare insult him by making him such an offer to join me.”
“Second smartest thing you’ll say to us.” I gave a brief whistle.
His curiosity got the better of him. “What will be the first?”
“Oh, it’ll be when you say ‘goodbye.’ Then turn around and fuck off.” I animated my fingers like little legs walking away, in case he didn’t get the point.
[Fuck really off.]
He opened and closed his mouth. Perhaps not quite expecting the blase attitude from the two delinquents he was trying to harangue into joining his after-school Destroy All Mortals club.
“How big some boots can get,” he tutted.
I felt warm. Not just from the healing wounds, or the lethargy calling out for a good night's rest. There was the soft massage of corruption touching at my worn muscles - and it felt good. It had been a long day, and we had endured quite a bit of horror.
“Wrong line,” I smiled.
Wight knew what was coming. I knew what was coming. Joxx’un was left out of the inside joke and it was visibly prickling at his patience. To be so powerful and yet so clueless. There was practically static in the air, a foreboding presence of the absolute unimaginable about to occur.
“Perhaps you’d still be useful without your tongue,” the demon hissed back. “You’d do best to know your place, human.”
//Keep him busy.
I raised my eyebrows at my patron. He could hear Rodney, too - and whatever the Blank had planned, we were onboard with playing along. “I think he is threatening us, Wight. Do you have energy to…?”
[Only if you have enough willpower to…]
My head gave a brief nod. Same page. We had become bound in more ways than one and as our strengths increased, so did our bond. Other Hunters used their patrons as tools, but Wight and I had become a partnership. The two that could rise from the edge of death to fell gods should we have enough pancakes and marker pens.
Joxx’un paused and looked around in the air. “What are you two doing?”
“Just trying to relax after a bit of… hostile negotiations. What were you doing here, Joxxy?” I tilted my head to the side.
“Don’t call me that,” he snapped, his eyes glaring back at me. “Something is odd about this area, and I don’t like it.”
[Fuck off then, Joxxy.]
How I wished I had the energy to laugh. Or have some way to record this all for later viewing.
A blazing sword burst into reality into the demon's hand, and he leveled it toward us. “Enough of the games, Hunter. Cease the insults, otherwise I will cleave you limb from limb no matter how useful you may be.”
With a smile, I lowered the brim of my hat and tutted. “Seems you are mistaken, buddy. You’re the one who has walked into our trap.”
“What? You dare to-“
Pitch black encircled the area, plunging everything into night. I pushed my glasses up as I stood stiffly to my feet. Feathers swirled around the vortex that surrounded us both.
Joxx’un looked briefly shocked, looking around at the large sphere of deep void now containing us. “This is… but how?”
I chuckled. “Tell me who else you are working with, and I’ll let you go.” Cold wind buffeted my body.
“Never, you insolent wretch, you think this intimidates me?” Fury blazed in the back of his eyes and he readied his sword to attack.
A burst of crimson appeared above me as two large circles bore themselves through the void - easily a dozen feet wide - and a large beak pierced through between them. The smooth black-blue mouth opened as my patron's voice thundered through the area.
[WE TOLD YOU TO FUCK OFF.]
As particles of the surroundings were stripped, atom by atom, I did not allow myself to suffer the same fate.
The massive energy of Wight I allowed to enter my body - swirling the power around like a blender until it threatened to rend my insides to mush. Would it be enough? There was truly only one way to find out.
Wings burst from Joxx’un’s back and he launched himself into the air, right before pushing forward to strike straight at me.
I let the energy go, converted it into what I wanted with it. Made things balanced. Golden light illuminated my wide grin.