Afterlife (Afterlife Saga) (92 page)

At one point I thought Draven had been hit as half his body fell backwards bending at the knees. But I saw the glowing staff swing round and I realised he was just avoiding it as he pushed his torso back upright swinging his swords round in both directions, missing Sammael's throat by inches. Sammael stumbled backwards but regained his footing, which Draven allowed and waited for. I couldn't believe he did this, as I would have used that as my chance to take him by surprise.

“You have learned some more skills since Belphegor's infusion of powers,” Draven said seeming impressed and now I understood why he waited for him to regain his stance....it was out of respect for his worthy opponent.

“That DOG got more out of it than I! My reasons were pure and yet you took his side!” Sammael spat out at him and I didn't understand why but he said it with more pain than hate in his voice.

“You broke the rules, he didn't.” Draven said calmly as he circled him once again.

“And you! What are you doing that is so different from what I did?”

“She is the ELECTUS! She is different!” (Means ‘chosen’ in Latin) He shouted, and it was the first time during this fight that he lost his cool.

“Ah, favoured by the Gods, how convenient for you!”  Sammael said in an ice cold voice that made me shudder to my feet. 

“I do not have to justify myself to you! You had your orders and you chose to deny them for your own gain Sammael” He said regaining his control but this made Sammael's energy turn blood red as his rage doubled.

“I LOVED HER!” He screamed before charging at Draven with his staff held high ready to strike. He ran at him and jumped giving it the extra height for more of an impact but Draven crossed his swords above him counteracting the move making the sky bright with the lightening as the two weapons collided. I couldn't help the little shrieks that came from me as I watched on in horror.

Sammael was getting more frustrated with each attempt at landing a fatal blow on Draven, but he was unstoppable with his flawless technique. Each movement was a dodge followed up by an attack of his own and a lot more got through making Sammael weaker with each strike Draven's swords made. This made Sammael cry out into the night as he had done in the beginning and again I felt the ground vibrate.

More of the same creatures soon appeared and now Draven not only had Sammael to contend with but now a forest floor covered in what they called Gorgan Leeches. Draven's movements got even faster and I could hardly make out the blur of his glowing shape, twisting and slicing through body after body. Sammael looked as though he had something planned as he held out one hand and directed some of the others to try and get past Draven......and straight to ME!

“Electus!”
He shouted at them and they whipped their rotating heads round to me and then came scuttling towards me, making their horrible snapping noises as their monstrous teeth ground together. But Draven saw this and reacted before they could get through. He set his blades alight and cut into the ground making a fiery barricade between them and me. This eliminated most, but one made it through just in time and was now closing in on where I stood, shaking in fear! Ava let out a warning cry to Draven, which made him send out a command of his own.

“
AVA  ANAR
!” (Means “GO” in Catalan) Draven shouted, Ava didn't need to be told twice and she took flight in her Demon form. The Lava that flowed through her wings made her move at an incredible rate and she swooped down and picked off the Leech that was coming closer to me. I could just see the bleeding holes in its eyes disappear as she carried it off into the night sky. Ava then threw it up and played with it before ripping its limbs off to devour. I put my head down and gagged as I thought I was going to be sick at the sight of
its
blood being spilt, spraying out into the night in a red mist.

Meanwhile the fight had become even more intense as I watched Sammael smash down his staff missing Draven, but striking a rock, which then glowed with the same energy from his weapon. It now appeared that it had just erupted from Hell as it bubbled with molten fire. Draven had caught the staff with his feet, balancing on it then using them to grip it before twisting his body violently thus flinging Sammael flying through the air, smashing into the side of the cabin wall. The wood splintered as if a bulldozer had just taken it down.

Sammael in turn picked up the hot boulder and threw it with his powers at Draven who was quick enough to fly out of its path and land backwards behind the destruction it caused. Draven picked himself of the ground where he landed and straightened up his body before walking over to Sammael. He looked possessed by
the Devil himself as he cricked his neck to either side as if getting ready for the next round. Sammael, on the other hand, looked as though he was chanting something I couldn't hear but I could have sworn I saw him touch Morgan's body as it could now be
seen amongst
the rubble.

Then before my eyes could focus Sammael was transported to the other side, next to the forest edge and he swung his weapon round letting it crash into a huge tree trunk causing it to split and jut out on one side making the other side slam down onto where Draven stood! It barely missed but it made him lose his footing long enough to be caught off guard when the tree was sent hurling into him and knocked both his body and tree off the cliff face.

“NO DRAVEN!” I screamed out as I ran from the tree I was hiding behind and launched myself at the edge. I made it only twenty feet before something caught me around the waist pulling me back and stopping me from getting to him.

“NO
!...
LET ME GO!” I screamed at who was preventing me from moving but the hands gripped me tighter until my ribs hurt.

“GET OFF, YOU’RE HURTING ME!” I shouted out through tearful eyes.

“I will do a lot more than hurt you if you don't come with me quietly!” That voice! No...
it
just couldn't be!

“It ...It can't be...NO!” I screamed again as I felt the cold blade of the knife held against my neck once again.

“That's right Catherine...I told you I would be seeing you again soon!” Morgan's voice sliced through my soul making me want to finally give up the fight I n
o longer had the strength for fighting.

Chapter 49 - Draven finds Death at his hands

Morgan's hand clamped over my mouth making it impossible for me to cry out to Ava, who I could no longer see in the sky. Then my heart came back to life with the fight inside me as I saw Draven's body fly up from the cliff face and come crashing down at Sammael's with his swords held out. He came down slicing into Sammael’s body, crossing over his blades first through his head then crossing them back over again cutting through his arms and torso. When Draven landed on one knee, his swords held behind him, he looked up to see Sammael's body fall in pieces to the ground.

This just left his black soul, which was trying to form again into a body but it kept falling in heaps to the ground as it desperately needed a new host. The Tar was all that was left and he was trying to control it. Meanwhile Draven stood back from him and pounded his swords into the ground sending it cracking open once again releasing the tortured souls to take what was left of Sammael. 

While this was happening I got my chance to make my own move. Morgan was moving backwards towards the other side of the cabin but he lost his footing on the rubble making the knife lower from my neck slightly. This was enough for me to stamp down hard on his foot causing his hand to release my mouth.

“DRAVEN HELP!”
I screamed until my lungs gave out. Draven turned in anger at the sight of Morgan dragging me away from him. He let out an almighty growl and I couldn't help but feel for Morgan's shaky hands, as he was most likely terrified at the sight of Draven’s flaming body coming towards him. But then something happened making Draven's body go crashing into where I had been hiding, causing the forest to shake under the exploding impact! 

I screamed under Morgan's hand that clawed to my lips trying to keep me quiet. Sammael had used whatever power he had left and hurled himself onto Draven's body and was now attacking it. The black tar clung onto his skin as if trying to get inside and consume his soul. I could feel the blade cutting my neck slightly as I tried to fight to get away and go over to help him, not really knowing what I would do when I got there. But Morgan was doing everything in his power to try and control me, making my feet bleed where he was dragging me along and tearing the skin on my bare soles.

Meanwhile Draven was fighting Sammael trying desperately to get to me also. His body rolled around and tried to regain control of his own functions as the black ooze was taking over, moving to his front so they were face on. Then Draven seized his opportunity by pounding his fist to the ground making the earth split underneath him once again releasing the tortured hands that reached up to Sammael’s body which Draven had suspended over the gap. The hands found the black soul they had come for and pealed it off Draven like meat from the bone. It was like watching the hands of hungry beasts as their claws dug deep into Draven's body, tearing back out handfuls of Sammael's evil black soul.   

“
Non Omnis
Moriar
!”
( Means
“I shall not die/ Not all of me will Die”, a phrase expressing the belief that a part of the speaker will survive beyond death In Latin) Sammael's black form shouted out into the night!

“NO, BUT YOUR SOUL WILL ROT IN HELL!” Draven shouted back as there wasn't much left of Sammael's infected soul left to be taken. Then Sammael let out a blood curdling laugh as if there was something Draven was missing.

“My soul may be taken but as for your chosen one, well, we will soon see if the Gods favour her mangled body!” Sammael spat out and I could just make out this last threat as I was still in range to hear. Morgan had stopped pulling me as he had reached his destination...the cliff's edge!

“Afterlife
Draven!
The boy has served me well...shame
Is
Reputo
Is Has
Pennae
!”
(Means
“T
he boy thinks he has wings
”
In Latin) Sammael said still laced with laughter in his voice as the rest of his soul was sucked down into the underworld.

“NO!” Draven screamed out as the earth closed over Sammael.  Draven reacted by flipping his body into the air and flying over, opposite to where Morgan had me held. He landed making the ground shake but it wasn't enough to cause Morgan to lose his footing as he planned. The knife started to dig further in and I cried out in pain, preventing Draven from risking coming closer.

“Stay there or I will KILL HER!” Morgan screamed after proving his point and Draven held up his hands as if to try and reason with him.

“Ok...Ok just watch the edge!” Draven warned and it was the first time I had seen fear in his eyes.

“You can't have her! She belongs to me and this way we will be together
forever!” Morgan cried as his voice shook under the strain.

“You don't want to hurt her, not if you love her!” Draven stated but it was no use against Morgan's infected mind, he was too far gone to ever find his way back to the land of reason.

“YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO, RICHARD!” Morgan screamed with his clouded mind consumed by hate. He wasn't looking at Draven...he was looking at Richard and it wasn't me he was holding in his arms........it was his sister Catherine.