Fury and Flame

Looking down upon the battlefield, it seemed like only a minute had passed. Demetra was still locked in combat with the queen, while many of the Hidden Grove members were fending off the royal guards of the palace. Tuuli, Sullivan, Lockheart, and even Aurora of all people looked scorched and wounded from a spell. Hito, meanwhile, was walking to the edge of the rooftop he was on, looking at a wounded Iris, who was still holding onto Jabez’s original body, which was covered in a golden protective aura.

“Poor miserable child, don’t you realize? Your papa is dead. He and I are nothing but ghosts...”

“That’s not true!” shouted Iris. “He’s in there somewhere! I’ll keep him safe as long as it takes!”

“Still believing in a beautiful lie? Well it’s time to wake up!” Hito pointed his staff at Iris. “I’ve already shielded his body from possession. That which you know as Jabez can no longer awaken! He’ll remain a corpse forever!”

“Jabez...” a voice echoed in his mind.

“Lucifer?!” Jabez replied.

“This is bad. Your first host body is the only one you’ve properly attuned to. If you can’t get back inside of it, you won’t be able to use my power. Find a replacement in the meantime.”

“A replacement?” Jabez then looked down at the dead guards below. “Do you mean...?”

“It shouldn’t be difficult. Think of it like putting on someone else’s socks.”

Before Hito could hurt Iris, a bolt struck him in the shoulder. A bloody royal guard stood on the palace stairway, pointing a crossbow at the inspector.

“You!” Hito glared at the guard.

“Leave my daughter alone, you freak!”

“That voice... Jabez?” muttered Iris.

By this time, the others had recovered and caught up. Tuuli leaped into the air, bringing her axe to bear on Hito. He narrowly dodged, using his staff to block subsequent strikes, all while keeping his hand over his face. Jabez didn’t fully understand it, but he could tell Hito was expending great effort to maintain his current form.

His body keeps writhing. Whatever Hito is, it must be a lot bigger than a human.

“What are you doing?!” shouted a royal guard behind Jabez. “Get up there and defend the queen!”

“Sure.” Jabez turned around, kicking the royal guard down the stairs. “I’ll take good care of her in your place.”

Jabez abandoned his crossbow, picked up the closest sword, and ran up the stairs. He’d catch up to Iris and the others soon enough, but first he’d help Demetra.

Jabez hacked and slashed his way through the royal guards fighting the Hidden Grove. Up ahead, the queen managed to push back Demetra, whose weapon of light had long shattered.

“You honestly think you can win?” scoffed the queen. “I have an army at my disposal. You have nothing but scraps. Give up now, and I promise to make your death mostly painless.”

“If I was the kind of person to bend beneath adversity, I’d be you, Claricia.”

“Then die, you whore!!” shouted the queen.

Before she could strike Demetra down, Jabez blocked the attack, holding his sword up with both hands. His whole body felt like it had cracked from the blow.

“What in the blazes are you doing?!” hissed the queen.

“Saving my friend!”

“Jabez?” Demetra muttered. “But your body...”

“Don’t worry about me. Grab something to defend yourself with!”

With this opening, Demetra took a pair of great shields from fallen guards and used her immense strength to bend them into metal cestuses. Jabez’s body eventually faltered and was crushed by the queen.

“Damnable wretch!” growled Claricia.

Demetra then came in swinging, punching the queen across the face and drawing blood. “Don’t forget about me now, sister.”

Now bereft of a body, Jabez flew away, seeking the closest corpse to his other friends. As he glided through the air, he couldn’t help but think about the exchange happening behind him.

Sister? Is that why the queen is so big? But then...

It didn’t take long for Jabez to put two and two together. Realizing the betrayal Demetra and her tribe must have experienced, it motivated Jabez even more to help grasp victory.

Up ahead, Jabez saw his friends doing battle with a distracted Hito. Sullivan was further away, shooting rays of light that flew through the air like homing arrows. Having possessed a new body, Jabez moved up to Sullivan.

“Don’t be alarmed, but I need you to dispel an effect on the body Iris has!”

Sullivan hopped away like a frightened cat. “Who are you?! Why do you sound like Jabez?”

“It’s because I am.”

“What? But how?”

“Hito kicked my soul out of my original body and shielded it from me. I’m possessing this one, but it won’t last.”

“Do you speak true?” Sullivan looked over the body Jabez was in. “You don’t look so good... Follow me, then! I’ll do what I can!”

The pair ran across the rooftops, circling around the fight with Hito. The inspector was quick to notice, though, and lost his composure.

“Away with you all!” Hito screeched. A powerful burst of wind pushed everyone back, and even Jabez was forced to kneel so he could catch Sullivan. “I tire of this game... Enough blood has been spilt for the ritual. I need only eliminate these... Distractions.” Hito then let go of his face, letting the rest crumble away. “Your journey has come to an end. But mine... Has only just begun.”

Leathery wings sprouted from his back, and Hito dropped his staff. Finally letting go of his current form, the inspector’s body violently exploded.

“What is that?!” Aurora exclaimed.

“That smell...” said Lockheart. “The smell... Of a Xangi!”

The shadowy silhouette of Hito’s true form rose up. Jabez stared at the giant in horror.

“Sullivan...? What’s a Xangi?”

“Alien things from another world... Nightmares made flesh!”

The shadows around Hito fell away like a discarded robe. The creature was 20 feet tall, with a smooth azure body. It had huge batlike wings, stocky clawed arms, and backwards-jointed legs that ended in sharp talons. But his most monstrous features were the fang-filled maw on his stomach and his head, which was like a writhing, yellow-eyed octopus.

“Jabez!” cried Sullivan. “We have to go now!”

As Hito raised up his arms into the air, his bubbling, gurgling voice shouted a single word.

“Obliterate!”

The sky up above was obscured by a miasma of stars. Meteors fell in droves, crashing into the city of Leonia mercilessly. No longer was there any hint of cunning or subtly in Hito. His true form was a being of malice and destruction.

Jabez ran with Sullivan in his arms. Something about the Xangi’s very presence was weakening his friends, causing them immense pain. Feeling a burning sensation on his neck, Jabez realized it was Lucifer’s influence that kept him safe. As the city around him went up in flames, he dove off the roof, narrowly dodging a falling meteor.

Jabez crashed into an alleyway below, using his body to shield Sullivan from harm. Stone rubble fell upon them, but the catkin caught it telekinetically, straining from the pain.

“Jabez... Get going! I can’t hold this forever!”

“No! I refuse to leave you behind!”

“But your legs...”

“I can still crawl! Get on my back!”

Sullivan did so, and Jabez crawled away, using only the strength of his arms. They covered enough distance that Sullivan could release the rubble. After the dust settled, Jabez saw an injured Iris nearby, pointing his sword at him.

“Who are you? Why do you sound like papa?!”

“Iris...” Before Jabez could explain himself, a guttural voice shouted from up above.

“There you are!” Hito loomed over the alleyway, and the pain Sullivan and Iris felt intensified. He scooped up Jabez and Sullivan both and leered at them. “Time to die, worms.”

A wave of fire shot out of the alley, scorching Hito’s hand and loosening his grip on the pair. It was Iris who struck the Xangi, fighting through the pain. With this distraction, Sullivan cast one last spell, breaking the enchantment on Jabez’s body.

“Go now!” shouted Sullivan. “While you still can!”

He didn’t want to leave his friend behind, but Iris and Sullivan had given their all to give Jabez this chance. Not wanting to waste their efforts, he left his current body and flew into his own. In that moment, he felt the mark of Lucifer flare up.

“Jabez...” Lucifer’s voice returned. “Your only hope is to use my power. But... You won’t last.”

“I don’t care!” Jabez shouted in his mind. “I won’t let Hito destroy this world!”

A fiery aura exploded out of the alleyway. But rather than harm, it was like a soothing flame, beating back the pain Iris and Sullivan were feeling.

“Iris... Hand me my sword.”

“Papa?”

An intense energy was emanating from Jabez, keeping Hito at bay for the moment. Iris, tears of joy in her eyes, gave the sword back. Runes flared to life along the blade, revealing its true name, Devil Tongue.

“Heh... Fitting.”

Jabez then leapt from the alleyway, his body reshaping itself into a scaley red demon with a sharp-horned nose and draconic wings. He rammed into Hito and pushed him into the sky. The Xangi retaliated with a wind burst, shoving Jabez back.

“You!” shouted Hito. “You’ll sell your soul to anyone, won’t you? I was a fool to think we were equals!”

“We never were,” flame hissed from Jabez’s maw. “That was your first mistake.”

The two titanic figures flew through the air, striking each other with earth-shattering force. Clouds parted and windows exploded from the rippling sound waves. Hito drew his claws through the air, and torrents of ice, water, and wind fired from magic circles. Jabez flew into the heart of the storm, using his sword to evaporate the incoming debris. After slashing Hito across the chest, steaming purple blood hissed from the wound.

“So you can bleed,” grinned Jabez.

“This is nothing compared to the agony of my home realm,” said Hito. “You can’t hurt me in a way that matters.”

“Is that a challenge?”

The two continued to clash, and the sky lit up with fury and flame. After Hito summoned his staff to his side, it grew in size, and he used it to keep the demon’s sword at bay.

“What are you fighting for?!” shouted Jabez. “You played pretend as an inspector, but you didn’t catch me when you had the chance. Why?”

“You helped me shake off my stupor. I had my fun in this world, but it was always Earth I desired!” Hito then summoned a gigantic pillar of ice to shove Jabez back.

“You got bored?!” Jabez roared, slicing through the pillar.

“I wanted an escape! I wanted to have fun! But this world is miserable! You should know that better than anyone!”

The titanic clash intensified. Jabez tried drawing the fight further up to spare the city from further harm.

“Just because it’s miserable doesn’t mean you can walk away from your problems! You have to fix them! If you bury your head in the sand every time things get difficult, you’ll always be miserable!”

“Shut up!” Hito summoned the star miasma once more, blasting Jabez with a volley of meteors. “I don’t need to fix anything. There are infinite realms for me to enjoy! My brethren can have this one, though. It’ll keep them distracted while I partake of Earth’s bounties!” Hito then pointed his staff at the courtyard. “Blood of man, blood of despair, open the door to Xang! Bring forth the Nightmare Sea!”

Down below, blood pooled together on the palace courtyard, shaping into a giant mirror. Even as it was forming, countless monstrous faces and hands pressed against the mirror from the other side, aching to burst through.

“I won’t let you!!” shouted Jabez, tearing through the last meteors. He charged Hito, stabbing his sword through the Xangi’s chest and kept going. “Go play pretend in your own realm, asshole!”

Flame erupted from Jabez’s sword, enveloping Hito. As the portal was completed, Jabez spun around, using the momentum to fling Hito right through it. He then spread his wings as wide as he could and braced against the mirror.

“Someone! Anyone! Destroy the portal now!!”

Jabez felt countless monstrosities bear down on his backside. The pain was like nothing he had ever experienced before, but he didn’t care. No matter how much he hated the Kingdom of Ramtha, he couldn’t let it be destroyed. Too many lives could be lost. It didn’t matter if the Ramthians were awful. Deep down, he knew change was possible. Why?

Because he had changed...

“Everyone!” shouted a wounded Sullivan. “Focus your auras on me! I can destroy the portal, but I need more mana!”

“I’ll never help a mar!” shouted a cowering nobleman. “This is all your fault!”

“Are you mad?!” a royal guard shook him. “If the Xangi break through, we’re all going to die!”

“Where’s the hierophant?!” another noble shouted. “He should be the one doing that!”

“It doesn’t matter who does it!” Aurora picked the man up by the collar. “If we can’t put our differences aside, we’re never going to make it! Not now, not ever!”

“But...”

The frightened masses then saw a towering figure focusing her aura towards the catkin. Despite the fact that she was doomed to execution minutes prior, Demetra was doing her best to help everyone. The sight of the Ajinian rippled through the crowds, and slowly but surely, everyone raised up a hand. Mana flowed like a river, coursing its way towards Sullivan. With this great boon, he fired a prismatic beam at the portal, and the blood mirror started to crack. Blood and flame leaked from Jabez’s body as he continued to hold back the tide of Xangi.

“Everyone... I’m not long for this world. Before I go, listen to me. No matter how different someone else is from you, you can’t give in to fear and hatred. We all feel pain, we all shed tears. Life may be hard, but you can’t take your problems out on others. Help you give is help you receive. Nothing will change overnight, but if you just try, then maybe... Maybe one day it won’t be so bad. So let love be your guide. We’ve already seen where hate leads us.”

“I’ll do my best,” another voice called out. It was the princess, holding both hands up towards Sullivan. “Mother, join us!”

“Evaline...” Claricia slammed her fist into the ground, gritting her teeth. “Dammit all!”

The queen finally relented, joining the others. With this last push, the prismatic beam shattered the blood mirror. The Xangi disappeared, and Jabez fell to his knees. He could feel his life force fading and his body petrifying. His friends came running, putting their hands on him.

“Jabez, hold on!” cried Demetra. “We’re saving you too!”

“No...” said Jabez. “You’ve already done enough.”

“Papa!!” cried Iris. “Don’t leave me! Didn’t I already tell you? We’re finding mother together!”

“Don’t worry, Iris. You won’t have to go it alone. You have Demetra, Tuuli, Sullivan, Kela... Even Serena.”

“But I need you too!”

“You don’t,” Jabez smiled. “I returned your freedom. Now it’s up to you to use it. Just... Don’t let your heart be filled with hatred.”

“I’ll try,” Iris wept. “I’ll do my best... For you.”

“Then be safe, my daughter.” Even as his body petrified, he wrapped his arms around the kortu, hugging her. “Even when our loved ones die, they’re never really gone. As long as you remember them... They’ll be by your side forever.”

With those final words, Jabez turned to stone. His soul floated up from the statue, lacking shape and definition. He had given his all to those he loved. Now he was just a wisp. Then, he heard a door open up behind him, and a familiar voice called out.

“Jabez... It’s time. Are you ready?”

The man looked at everyone one last time, wishing he could stay just a little while longer. But he knew he couldn’t stay. His family was waiting for him.

“Goodbye, everyone. Be good... For me.”

Casting off his lingering regrets, Jabez walked willingly into Hell. As the doors shut behind him and his whole world descended into darkness, he couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m really looking forward to those fireworks.”