Star Warden: Slayer of Evil. Chapter 17

 

17

“And like a prize fish, you bit on it hook, line and sinker.” Sam opened fire with his fusion cannon blasting the Dark Lord through the wall. While the cloaking device faded away he fired away with his ray gun releasing Kaguya from her restraints with unerring accuracy. He tossed her the staff while he engaged Daimos' personal guard.

Not wasting a moment, he summoned one of Dawnbringer's runes and sent a wave of holy fire at them. The speed of that spell outclassed the robots' own, and they were liquefied by the heat. He needed to save all his strength for when Daimos came to and did not need to waste time fighting the Dark Lord's more elite machines. He already had enough trouble with the normal SWAT-bots.

Suppressing any pain he felt with adrenaline he checked on Kaguya. Seeing she was unharmed, he rushed out of the room blasting his ray gun at full power. His focus was entirely on the lighthouse tower. He carved his way up the stairs with Kaguya's barriers absorbing the enemy fire and using the blinding light from her staff to confuse the robots Sam had not yet reached.

Everything had gone according to plan. Using Kaguya as bait to keep Daimos distracted, aided by the cloaking devices the Order of Lancelot had refurbished. The cloaking devices were actually the item that Bridget delivered to the Order hoping they could use their skills to repair them where Camelot failed. Due to the Dark Lord being unaware of their existence it made it easier for the SWAT-bots and Daimos to be fooled, as they had no reason to scan for such devices being used.

Meanwhile, the rest of the plan was unfolding. Balthazar's roars could be heard across the sky and the castle rumbled as his fire scorched the external defenses. In his ear he heard reports of Gareth and the other knights attacking the Domain's forces, tying them down to prevent reinforcements from coming. But a pitched battle favored the enemy in the end and so Sam and Kaguya needed to quickly dispel the curse before superior numbers won the day.

As the last few steps came into view, a blazing red light washed over them and the stone steps transformed into twin-headed hounds with fiery mouths. Flame traveled down Dawnbringer and he slashed the first one in half. The light from Kaguya's staff turned into a bolt and slammed into the gaping jaw of the demonic canine. The light spread into the creature exploding it into ashes. The walls attempted to halt their advance turning into giant arms covered in reptilian eyes. Kaguya in a booming voice commanded the walls to return to their shape and they did so.

Their troubles did not end when they entered the room as one of the one-eyed crows smashed through the windows for an attack. Black winds blew as it flapped its wings which were then blown back by the holy winds from Kaguya's hands. The winds cut the infernal bird's wings to ribbons and Sam finished it by sending a bolt of white flame from Dawnbringer. The other crows looked to enter the fray only to run when Kaguya's angelic voice commanded them to be gone from this plane.

The source of the curse was a strange device; a spherical orb covered in exposed circuitry. Each circuit was interconnected with each other and by the look of it appeared almost like runic characters. On the ground was appeared to be some sort of magic circle with similar runes embedded in the ground humming with electronic energy.

He ran at the orb and swung to destroy it. A wind pulled him back as something exploded where he just stood. The Star Warden had no time to figure out what happened as a metal fist sent him across the room and hitting the glass. His reflexes allowed him to evade the next punch.

If it was not for Kaguya deflecting it with a blast of light, a buzz saw made from plasma would have jammed into his neck as he dodged the second punch. Sam wanted to be anywhere but here, he could feel himself wanting to break down. He was face to faceplate with Daimos and he could feel the phantom flames dance upon his skin. He felt it earlier while he was hiding in the throne room as well. He summoned all his heroic resolve to stand this ground and see this through.

“Before you die,” said Daimos. “Know that you were the first being in life to successfully ambush me in such a matter. Clever move for an insect.”

“Not a five-star review but I'll take it.” Sam's remark helped blunt the trauma in the back of his mind. He would show no weakness in front of him, he was more determined to not show weakness to him now. He heard every word of his speech and reasoning and it was sickening. Daimos's arrogance, sociopathy, and his pride in both of those things ignited a cold burning anger in him.

“Not clever enough to see through the trap but that was expected.”

“Yes it was a 'trap' and not you just covering your backside after getting outsmarted.” Behind Sam, Kaguya began to cast her spells preparing him for the fight of his life.

The Dark Lord made a low and sinister chuckle. “Ask yourself why would I have my device here out in the open when I could have used it in the Stygian Islands? I drew you out to a location of my choosing, one that was outside the Enchantress's safe range. Avoiding a repeat of the Everglade forest. Killing the Order of Lancelot was a bonus.”

Sam was not convinced. He was sure that Daimos's claims were an attempt to demoralize him and play upon his fears.“You can put up all the words you want. But you can't hide that bruised ego!”

“And you can't hide your fear from me!”

Two blinding lights emerged from beneath the mask and Sam felt the phantom flames grow all around his body. His visuals changed no longer in his armor or the lighthouse, he was in some sort of mental arena. He visualized the walls which represented his mental defenses, his own psychic static, and the Enchantress's wards. The walls were denting and cracking under a strong and relentless attack by shadowy hands, as they held with all the might they could muster.

“I can see your fear, boy.”

Daimos's voice had become a guttural chorus in Sam's mind. Small shadowy hands slipped through the cracks and slithered up his body, each one was colder than the void of space. The flames around him still burned with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. One of the hands made a makeshift mouth and came up to his ear.

“You still fear me, still feel the flames. Each night the memories of that day haunt your dreams, your imagination reminds you of the horrors I can inflict on you and your wife. You know you are not strong enough, you don't want to be here but honor demands you fight me.”  

Mocking laughter echoed in the mental battlespace, they were in.

“Drop your sword fool! All your efforts will only make you a martyr. You'll never see Kaguya or the Earth again. Do you wish to lose everything because you are honor bound to oppose me? Is honor really worth dying for?”

Sam fell to his knees and ghostly images of Castle Bailey and his father's body started to fill his eyes. His father's body was broken and emaciated with cold dead eyes looking right at him. The image then switched to Sam in the same position, his body filled with scars and his arms contorted in ways the human body could not naturally create. It was a haunting image and it was the truth, Sam acknowledged this could be his fate one day. But it was only one possible future, it was not fate and he knew It. Taking a deep breath he blew out the flames and cast away the shadows.

The effects of Daimos's attack were pushed back as Sam's heart began to glow. Right behind him in a loving embrace was Kaguya who added her mental strength to his. Her spiritual body shimmered with divine golden light and her presence caused the walls to repair themselves. An even greater light flooded the battlespace made from the feelings of love, family, and honor. The Dark Lord's mental image was repulsed by the light and banished him from Sam's mind. Back in the physical plane, Sam stared down Daimos his own eyes radiating determination and strength.

“So you are made of sterner stuff than I thought,” Daimos said.

“It doesn't matter what you do to break me in my mind or body.” All levity in Sam's voice vanished. No loud confidence that hid his fear for others. Now it was a quiet professional confidence. “No matter what pain you inflict upon me or what fears you awaken inside me. I will fight you till the bitter end! I'm going to knock off that smug grin behind your mask and send you to the scrapyard in hell!”

Daimos sighed like a parent with a stubborn child then laughed dismissively.

“Such heroic nonsense,” He said condescendingly. “but I see there is no getting through to you.” Daimos yawned and put up his fists. “Well come on, let us put an end to this little pissing match shall we.”

The Warden lunged forward for the first strike that was blocked by a sword Daimos materialized from his own hand. Both of them clashed while Kaguya used her light in an attempt to blind Daimos, The Warden's eyes were protected from the flashes and he assumed Daimos had so as well. As he did not slow down for an instant as the clash of swords continued.

Then in the middle of his next swing Daimos' sword vanished from sight, throwing Sam off balance as he over swung. A strange glow appeared around Daimos's fist as he drove it forward slamming into Sam's stomach. He felt the blow directly, but he found no hole or damage in his armor from the attack. As he was sent flying through the tower's glass he figured out the fist was bypassing his armor somehow.

He activated his rocket pack and managed to stabilize himself in the air. The regeneration spell healing him and keeping the pain of the last hit at bay. Before he could think of his next move, red flames streaked across the sky and knocked him to the ground at high speed. He did not waste a moment and summoned three runes on Dawnbringer, vitality began to drain from him replaced by the healing energies infused within him. Blue flames surrounded the blade and the Star Warden stood defiant as the Dark Lord dived toward him.

“Grovel for my amusement!” The Dark Lord fired a stream of dark energy from his palm, but the Warden did not flinch. For on his right arm was a new buckler, like his old one but with two differences. One, it had a well painted red cross on white like the Templars, and two, when Daimos' attack struck, the energy bounced back and hit Daimos. Kaguya's reflection spell she had placed long before the battle began.

The Princess spotted the gash created by the hit and summoned small gusts of wind to fly in. Each one was in the form of a bullet and was filled with tiny particles of light imperceptible to mortal eyes. The bullets exited his body leaving behind the light particles, without the winds to keep them apart they clashed. Which resulted in multiple explosions occurring throughout the metal body.

The legs and an arm were blown off and holes were made in the torso. The Warden flew straight toward him with a finishing blow to the face. A cold laugh emitted from the mask and a telekinetic force blasted him back. The dismembered arm moved on its own firing a ball of electricity from its hand and flying to Kaguya. She screamed as she was enveloped in an electrical cage forcing her to fall to the ground.

The Warden once upright rushed over calling out her name only to be stopped by Daimos moving in front of him. Sam saw some sort of liquid metal re-connecting parts of Daimos' body and repairing him. He fired his ray gun at the exposed metal while he started to fly overhead. The air shifted as a barrier absorbed each shot with ease, Daimos leaped into the air, and with the same glow around his fist landed a direct hit on Sam's chest. Ribs cracked from the punch and the Warden suppressed a scream.

He returned the gesture in mere seconds thrusting Dawnbringer in Daimos' repairing chest. The evil one's body froze as his operating systems began to crash, the abyssal energy in his data disrupted by the holy magic of the blade. The Warden had one more trick transferring one of the runes to his own hand surrounding it in flame. He smashed Daimos' faceplate in quick succession knocking the body back into a wall. It did not come without cost as Sam could feel the skin start to peel off under his gauntlet and his own blood began to boil.

He hoped Daimos' mind was going through a painful reboot right now. Sam flew over to his wife. Hearing her agonized voice nearly caused him to panic, but his mind was calmed. Filled with an unknown instinct, he managed to absorb the energy of the cage into Dawnbringer. He picked her up holding her close and hoping she was okay.

“Behind you,” Kaguya said weakly as her hand glowed with light. The barrier was raised in time to take the blow of dark fire, but it could not hold and the couple was blown back from the shock wave. In the midst of being blown away, the Warden felt a cold grip all around his legs and chest as he stopped midair. He was frozen in some block of ice that appeared to have formed from nowhere, he figured that Daimos managed to conjure it with a built-in freeze ray.

“Now for the coup de grace.”

Sam noticed a blank shadow underneath the plate where a face should be. It lasted only for a moment before the liquid metal repaired the mask.

“It's unfortunate for you that the Enchantress's wards are so strong, otherwise I would just use my telekinesis to crush your heart. Swift and painless compared to feeling your skull shattering into pieces!” With the last word, Daimos leaped toward him his right hand glowing.

Helpless and powerless like all his nightmares staring down certain death. Another man might have a panic attack at this moment, as their entire trauma began to repeat itself. As the Dark Lord grew closer a rune appeared on Sam's neck, the muscles in his throat were in searing pain as the fire began to build up. In the last possible moment he roared and fire spewed forth from his mouth piercing his helm as it streamed to the Dark Lord.

But the fire only made a glancing blow as Daimos evaded the flames and then smoothly moved in to punch the side of Sam's face. He braced for impact only to feel the heat of a greater fire near him and Daimos hurtling backward. The ice melted quickly and the fire did not harm his body. A great roar rang in his ears as Balthazar's voice entered his head.

“We cannot drag this battle out any longer,” yelled Balthazar. “Destroy the device, now!”

The Warden would have thanked him if his throat wasn't in pain. He took flight back to the lighthouse tower. Daimos, who was flung into the castle courtyard, came flying back at top speed.

“He will die first!”

“Never!” Kaguya low on energy nevertheless fired arcs of purple lightning. Red flames appeared where Daimos' eyes would be and returned fire. Balthazar flapped his great wings causing the wind to knock Daimos back along with the fire. Allowing Kaguya's attack to strike and ground him.

Her breathing got heavier, every part of her body was sore and she could still feel the stings of the electrical cage. Lightning was not as familiar to her as wind and light were, and as a consequence, a headache began to assault her. But her resolve kept her on her feet and charged another spell. She thought of her husband, her mother, and father, her brothers, her sister, and her soon to be nephew as well. Anything to keep her on her feet long enough to give Sam enough time.

The second, she saw Daimos rise up, she unleashed another torrent of lightning at him, with the dragon adding his fire to it. The flames were cut short as Balthazar roared to the heavens when he felt his eye explode with great force. Kaguya's attack was also halted as Daimos had caused each bolt to stop in mid-air in front of him. The Dark Lord flung the frozen bolts at the dragon's broken eye causing the dragon's scales to fly off as Balthazar was knocked back into the walls. Blood flowed out from his wound and he began to pass out, leaving Kaguya alone against the Dark Lord.

Meanwhile, in the tower, Sam rushed to the device. A black wind attempted to push him back but he defied it. The rainbow eyed snake demon popped out but he punched it back into the Abyss. Putting more strength into the flames and aided with righteous anger in his veins, he crushed the sphere in a single swing. From its destruction, a ghostly wail cried out. The portal to the Abyss was closed and the sky started to brighten up changing from red to a light gray.

He rushed outside back to the fight, Balthazar was wounded and Kaguya was engaged in the sky running on fumes. Sam rocketed to Daimos entering the fray against him, he was running on fumes himself. He could feel his muscles straining to keep him in the fight not to mention the internal burns from using Dawnbringer's magic.

Sam moved to strike the Dark Lord while he was distracted and went for the head with a strong swing. But he missed as Daimos descended and his strike hit Kaguya's staff slicing it in two. In their brief moment of panic, Daimos hit them with a paralyzing beam from the palms of his hands and swung them into the ground.

Sam fought to stay awake but that was all he could do as he had little feeling in the rest of his limbs. Kaguya moaned in pain, her wings damaged, yet she tried to reach over to Sam in an attempt to heal him. Small sparks leaped between her fingers desperately calling to her gifts. He reached over and took her hand, symbolically reciprocating her gesture.

He then heard someone clapping, it was golf clap by the sounds of it. “Bravo, Samuel, you and Kaguya did much better than our last encounter.” He laughed mockingly. “But the outcome of this fight was never in doubt. You were hopelessly outclassed by the Dark Lord, you let your foolish honor blind you and this is the consequence of your hubris.”

“You did your best,” Kaguya managed to say.

“You gave him hell out there,” Sam responded in a hoarse whisper.

“Ah, the young couple comforting each other in the end. How monotonous.” With a flick of the wrist, Kaguya was thrown from Sam.

“So, insect. A year of effort and this is all you have to show for it. You destroyed the Erebus Device, even though I can rebuild it whenever I choose. I still rule the world and once again I have defeated you. A failure on two counts and your only success is quickly invalidated. You are very much your father's son as foolish and stubborn as he was.”

“Man do you love to hear yourself talk.” Sam coughed up bloody ashes.

“I do like to hear an intelligent conversation once in a while, yes. Now, this is the part where you renounce your faith and beg for my mercy. If you wish to live it will be through my grace.”

“Get bent, you walking garbage can,” Sam said in place of a certain finger gesture he wanted to use.

Daimos chuckled.“I honestly didn't expect you to agree in any case. Otherwise, I wouldn't have burned you at Castle Bailey. You share your father's heroic spirit and I wanted you out of the way. My only mistake was not confirming you were dead. Now with the Enchantress unable to rescue you, I'm going to rectify my past failings and end you here and now.”

A small ball of light fell next to Daimos and shattered into sparkles. “Get away from him,” shouted a crying Kaguya as she crawled with all her remaining strength to Sam.

“Kaguya, I'm sorry,” yelled Sam. “I couldn't keep my vows. Forgive me.”

“You kept your promise! You are the best husband on any world. I love you!”

“I love you too!”

“Enough with the saccharine nonsense!” Daimos sent a piece of rubble flying and smashed it on Kaguya's back. Tears poured down her face as she screamed. The righteous fury returned life to Sam's limbs and he tried to rise. A metal foot stomped him flat on his back making blood fly from his mouth.

“This farce ends now! All systems full power!” The Dark Lord's hand glared bright red as the energy from the palm and fingers merged. He reached down to Sam's face. “Thank you for marrying Kaguya, by the by. Now I get to kill another family member in front of her!” He slightly tilted his head in Kaguya's direction “But don't worry your sister is next!”

The Dark Lord's laugh drowned out all other sounds as Sam watched his fate unfold before his eyes. Once again he was knocking on heaven's door. “God,” he thought. “please forgive your humble servant. I failed you, my parents, and the world. I couldn't fulfill my duty, I'm sorry and I make no excuses. Just please protect Kaguya, Reiko, and her son.” As the hand of death closed in, a tear fell down his face.

The clouds above began to part and the rays of the sun shined down on the destroyed palace. The Dark Lord's once proud laugh turned into a fearful and desperate scream as his body began to combust on contact with the light. “THE LIGHT! NO! NO DAMNIT!” Something then burst forth from the body. Something that Sam couldn't describe, he had no concept of what he was looking at. The thing made an electronic shrill which sounded like a horrifying fusion of TV static and dial-up internet, it caused his bones to rattle.

He felt his skin try to crawl off his body while sharp pain manifested in his eyes. He could feel blood pouring out of his ears. It was like his body was trying not to see or hear the abomination now before him. His very soul knew that whatever this AI had become it was wrong, unclean in the most biblical sense of the word.

Daimos took a new form one of a winged serpent and flapped his wings for dear life as he fled from the holy light of day.

“Kira's Grace,” Kaguya cried out.

“God is Good,” said Sam. Tears of joy came down his face and he began to laugh.

“Run, Daimos, not talking tough now are you!”

He felt the pain all of his body but he couldn't stop laughing. To see Daimos in such a panicked state was just too good. Kaguya joined in on the laughter. They were alive and they gave a good showing in their fight. The curse was removed as well, all in all, a victory. It wasn't a clean victory but it was a victory and that was enough.

Chapter 18

Chapter 16