Just Checking Up! Part Seventy-Four: Seeking Out My Queen!

Rip:

Picking up on Silks’ disappearing energy, protests fell on deaf ears as I tumbled into the bathroom. Drops of her blood glittered on the tile, a strange magical energy swirling around the mirror. Tapping it a couple of times, the surface rippled a couple of times before a strong energy yanked me in. Splashing face first into a puddle of silver water, angelic energy annoyed me to no end. Black and golden feathers floated on the surface of the water, a raw rage boiling in my veins. Could the bastards stop kidnapping her! Several doors lowered themselves down, one key landing in my palm. Scanning the skeletal design, a matching black iron claimed all the doors. Grunting in disbelief as I hoisted myself to the heels of my dress boots, a clue had to be somewhere around here. Others banged on the surface, the mirror not giving in. Kicking at the water, a drop of her blood bounced against the toe of my boots. Pouring from the second door from the last, panic nearly shortened my breaths. Please don't be dead! Sprinting towards it, the key shattered in my quaking palm. Inky ribbons cascaded from my eyes, the stone from that magic shop glowing in my pocket. Digging it out, one press against the door blasted it to pieces. Iron shards bounced off the mirror, any breath leaving the second I crossed the threshold. 

Stepping into a sea of tombstones, a lone church taunted me at the top of a hill. Muddy gray grass swayed in an icy breeze, dark angels brushing past me in a frenzied manner. Walking with them, no one paid any heed to me. Entering the church behind them, an irked Silks sat next to a fully armored dark angel. Leaning against the closest wall, her eyes flickered over to me. Distress wrote itself into her features, jet black fear and grief dribbled off of her chin. Don't you dare harm a hair on her head!

“Tell them what you desire to say!” A deep male voice boomed next to her, her body trembling away. “Please entertain them with your falsehoods. Twi will always adore and stand up for us.” Poking her back with a straight silver blade, the pearl covered hilt shimmering in the flickering torches. Again, this dog knows how to bite any threat to his queen.

“Twi, as you desire to describe her, is devouring you to survive.” She uttered dejectedly, protests erupting in the crowd. “Silence! Do you really wish to be fish chow for a damn shark? Open your damn eyes!” Hush whispers replaced the protests, minds shifting their views. Shoving her around for a bit, a flood of water from my palm silenced them. Glaring back at me, black lightning crackled around her fiery orange blades. Flipping the curved blades over her fingers, a devilish grin danced across her lips. 

“If my calculations are correct, the rest of you are here.” She mused darkly as she hoisted herself to her feet. “One shock and you are cooked into piles of ash. Listen up or perish. Technically I don’t need any of you. The deal I am offering you is this simple. Open up your heart to me or suffer to your short end for the freaking one who only thinks of herself. With my contract you get freedom as long as you follow the laws of good energy. One bad action and you drop like a damn fly. Am I understood? One more thing, you deliver all of your dragon demons to me and me alone. One more time, is that part of the contract understood?” Contemplation mixed with fear, a dangle over the deepest part had them scrambling back. Doors clicked shut, orange flaming vines creeping up their legs. Holding them in place, a couple cracks of her neck woke up a bigger fear in their widening eyes. 

“Make your decision! Die or live by your pointless values.” She snapped vehemently, the floorboards creaking as she prepared to leap into the air. “All I have to do is drop this lovely blade here.” Pretending to lower it, gasps echoed in the air. Tossing it into the air, abrupt bows sent her flying up to catch it. The tallest one charged at her a flick of her wrist sent the other blade into the hilt of the other, the blade zooming towards his soul. Latching onto his soul, flaming lilies devoured his body. Time slowed down, her words not entering my ears. Bursting into a cloud of ash, a flip on the floor helped her catch the blade. Shutting down my water, flames appeared on the chest of their armor before sinking into their corrupted souls. Hanging back, tortured cries erupted from their tongues as her magic worked to cleanse Twi’s magical signature.

 Smelling the air, her look of concern unsettled me. A hulking shadow beast burst through a window, one immense roar dissolving them to ash. Tripping backwards, pure horror withdrew any colors from her cheeks. Ash drifted like snow, her order for me to run did not fall on deaf ears. Leaping out of the closest broken window, my body practically did the same. Sprinting next to each other, the knowledge that no more dark angels but one existed tore her to shreds. A wave of energy knocking her into my arms, a dark blizzard coming our way. Sensing the high level of power, neither of us could win. Shivering in our place, wicked laughter bounced all around us. The edges of the dimension began to fray, the bottom giving out. Burying her in my body, the rough rocks of Hell captured us. Various lightning strikes of agony jolted my body, a pale scarlet water splashed onto the icy slate gray cavern floor. Wiggling out of my arms, exhaustion showed in the deep black bags under her eyes. Her blades hissed out, devastation writing itself onto her features for a quick second. Leaning her head back, a jet black stream poured from the corner of her quivering lips. Sorrow and anger cascaded from her eyes, a broken wail bursting from her lips. Screaming into her knees, every breath began to shorten in front of me. Clawing at the dirt, a loud thump prevented me from comforting her. The monster lunged for her, a blast of dragon magic striking it dead in it’s chest. Nothing happened, a mumbling Silks barely moving out of the way in time. Skidding over to her, my arms placed her on my back. Crashing away from the beast, help would be nice at the moment. Our current issue was not leaving enough wiggle for either of us, her mind not able to formulate a plan fast enough. Preparing another roar, terror planted itself onto her features. Summoning a flurry of her petals, they whisked us away. Tossing me into the center of a busy pizza parlor, an eerie silence devouring the space. Glasses shattered inches from us, a flurry of apologies escaping my lips. Stumbling out of the restaurant, that damn beast growled from the other side of the bushes. 

“The soul glows in between its eyes.” She wheezed through a coughing fit, blood painting the back of my head. “Make me the bait and aim true.” Hating her plan to my core, my instincts told me not to do it. Lowering her down against my better judgement, her blade crumbled to ash. Bounding towards her, the perfect shot presented itself. A gust of wind blew it off course, Electrox popping up behind it. Jamming his staff into its forehead, a building of a ball of her lightning cooked it to a pile of dark gray ash. Landing gracefully next to her, bushes rustled next to her, the Sins came into view. Shame dimmed Silks’ eyes, her form disappearing in a furry of her petals. Shit, trauma had her running away to comfort herself. Splitting up to find her, a disheveled version of myself paced away next to Electrox. Her spirit guides bounded up to me, eager eyes glittering with hope. That damn hellhound expanded into that majestic form, her phoenix shooting off into the sky.  

Sniffing the ground, a wag of the tail sent him away with her spirit guides. Electrox and Kaw took to my side. Cal marched up to my side, everyone seeming ready to help. Thinking carefully, one place stood out. Soaking in my background, a nearby beach stole my attention. Motioning for them to follow, the hike to the beach felt hollow. Reaching a set of concrete stairs, relief dawned in our features at Silks laying in the crashing waves. Curling into a ball, a cloaked figure seemed to be chatting to her. Proper anger returned, sand crunching made that figure fade away as fast as I witnessed her.  

“Give me a minute alone!” She snapped hotly, her petals whisking her away. Clenching my fists several times, the corner of my lips twitched into a snarl. Frustration splashed onto the sand, Cal catching up to me. Nudging my shoulder, his presence wasn’t so bad at the current batch of horrible luck. 

“Do you mind me asking what is making her lose her composure?” He inquired fairly, his hand running through his hair. “Do we think she will come home on her own?” Squinting in my direction, his uncertainty didn’t aid me in the slightest. Swallowing the lump in my throat, our failure slapped us in the chest twice as hard. Not only did we lose the cult members, the dark angels became a distinctive tax in our mission. 

“If every dark angel dying in front of you doesn’t do the trick, I don’t know what would.” I answered dejectedly, Cal working through my words. “Did she bring up anything in terms of a hiding spot for you? Silks loves playing hide and seek with me as of late. How do I repair what I keep breaking?” Massaging my forehead, Kaw plucked a piece of bone off of the beach. Examining it closely, a delightful smirk danced across his lips. Cocking my brow, he pressed it into my palm. 

“She might just be in the land of the dragons.” He assured me warmly, a bit of relief finding my soul. "He talks about her all the time as if she is her own daughter. Do you wish for me to take you there?” Shaking my head, Silks needed a moment, something eating at me. A dark ancient door groaned into place, the damn thing swinging open. Crossing over the threshold together, the door slammed shut behind us. Too many creatures had entered the chat, a quick research was in order. Running into Silks, her puffy wet face shattered my soul. A heavy book hung underneath her arms, the leather smacking the floor.  

“I got them killed!” She panicked between the usual coughing fits, her claws scratching away at her neck. “Maybe death should befall me.” Burying her in a bear hug, her arms hung limply by her side. Clutching her ever tighter, Cal mumbled something about finding more material. Dragging a protesting Kaw off by his horn, their brotherly vibe granted me a shadow of my smile.  

“No, fate dealt its hand. Working with that monster placed them in such danger.” I comforted her tenderly, my thumb lifting up her chin. “Those who live by the sword can most likely die by the sword.” Kissing away her tears, her body shook in my arms. Cupping her hands around mine, her breathing steadied. Silks had a habit of presenting herself as a stronger individual but inside that building was held together with the weakest glue. Why couldn't she share this side of her more often?

“Sorry for failing you. All I desired was for them to have a life of freedom like our angel friends.” She sobbed freely, a golden glow humming to life. “How do I stop her now? How do I save the world? No one should have ever relied on me. Not a damn soul!” Carrying her to the closest chair, my arms placed her on my lap as I plopped down. Grasping her by her waist, my chin rested on her shoulder. Healing herself from within, mixed emotions flashed in her eyes.  

“At least you cared.” I whispered gruffly into her ear, her loving gaze meeting mine. “Most people would slaughter them mindlessly. Not you though. A kind soul like yours desires to be the lantern in everyone’s darkest nights. So what if you want to be that? Let that guide you through life. My heart belongs to you and you alone. Well, to our family of course.” Hopping off my lap, devastation had her pacing back and forth. Kicking up the dropped book, her trembling fingers clung to it as if her life depended on it. 

“How can we beat those monsters if they keep popping up like that?” She panicked out loud once more, her breath shortening again. “Not to mention, the dragon demons are left unguarded. Rescuing them is going to put me back in the open. Choosing dark angels or those monsters, the dark angels were a far better option. I knew how to kill them if they stepped out of line. Starting at square one shatters any confidence I had.” The flames flared up before blowing out, her emotions controlling them. Crackling back to life, a long sigh drew from her lips as she steadied her breathing. Leaning on the closest shelf, her forehead rested on her arm. Screaming into the ancient wood, books shot into the air. Settling back onto the shelf, a low growl rumbled in her throat. Digging her extended claws into the wood, the book hit the floor. Fluttering open to a page on shadow creatures, our heads cocked to the left at the same time. Crouching down to the book, her finger traced the old Elemental symbols. Grimaces became that devilish smirk, hope returning light to her eyes. Scooping up the book, a snap of her fingers summoned a pad of paper and a pen. Scribbling away the second everything hit the table, something about this picture had my breath hitching. Her beauty knew no bounds, a dull ruby painting the tip of my ears.  

“Thank you, Mr. Good Luck!” She chirped brightly, the tip of the pencil slowing to a stop. Tearing off the used page, a neat fold had her tucking it away. Offering me her hand, petals began to swirl around her. Snatching her hand at the last second, her petals stealing us away. Throwing us into the garden in Purgatory, a quick message through a piece of parchment paper sent back to Cal and Kaw covered our bases. Marching with a purpose, she stopped short of a sea of smoky black flowers. Plucking one of them, she twirled it over her fingers.  

“Those monsters are made of this!” She blurted out proudly, her slender hand presenting it. “We figure out how to kill it or its base, victory is that much closer! Hooray for reading!” Picking a few more, the glowing orb center mesmerized her. Poking at it, an angry wiggle bemused her. Sitting on the rusty metal fountain, an extension of her claws permitted her to dissect an orb. An actual soul drifted out, her palm cupping it. Curiosity brought her back to normal, a shadow of my smile returning.  

“So the monsters are powered by a soul.” She pondered out loud, the puzzle pieces coming together. Tossing it into the air, the soul shot up towards Heaven. Releasing them one by one, they almost looked like stars in a muddy gray sky. Laying in the sea of crumbling petals, a yawn slipped off her tongue. Curling into a ball, snores sang with the wind. Crouching down to her level, a long breath drew from my lips. For the first time in a long time, no nightmares haunted her. Yanking me down next to her, my body hugged hers perfectly. Draping my arm over her waist, the swell of her bump had pride glittering in my eyes. Exhaustion weighed down my eyelids, a serene slumber stealing me away. 

Summer sunshine flickered in a field of dancing flowers, Silks stood sadly in the distance. Claws curled around her body, a dark force whisking her away. Calling out to her, sorrow and panic stained my cheeks. The endless play of her getting kidnapped eating at me.  

“Tough shit, kiddo!” The dark side of Silks shouted sarcastically, her arms folding across her chest as she took her place. “Albeit, your new problem is the master controlling them. A dark elemental or a corrupted one would play that card.” Fluttering her darkened eyes, her fingers slid up to the back of her head. 

“What does it matter to you and why are you h-?” I demanded hotly, panic still rounding my eyes. Raising her hand, the carbon copy quality threw me off to this day. A fit of wicked laughter burst from her lips, her head cocking back. What was going to slip off of that damn tongue?

“And lose out on the best gig I have ever had the privilege of experiencing. Ask her about her death scenes before I make her blurt them out?” She snorted happily, her devilish grin refusing to leave her lips. “Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I were to abandon her? Pure evil courses through my sister’s blood, not one cure existing.” Bowing on the way out, a drop of rain pulled me out of the conversation. Death scenes, I queried to myself. What was she talking about? 

Stirring awake, the songs of the garden hummed away. Sitting up while yawning, Silks was nowhere to be found. Perhaps those death scenes were the shadows cast upon her aura. Stress stole that clarity quite a bit, my own soul cracking at her breaking down at every hidden moment. Please help me out, Big Guy!