Chapter 20 – Descension

Last time on Bee Tee Ell: Wasser whupped up on the vampires that had invaded Whitehaven and ran the rest that he didn’t kill out of town. Meanwhile our heroes got a loud pounding from fire elementals and Jupe got a pebble pounding from the kobolds. Let’s dig down deep now for…Descension.

********

It was a sight to behold—a tableau of ruin so vast and terrible that it seemed impossible for the human heart to contain. And yet two sets of eyes gazed upon the same scene, each filled with entirely different emotions.

Queen Astrid had not taken more than two steps beyond the castle gates before the devastation struck her with the force of a physical blow.

The air itself felt wounded.

Acrid smoke billowed from nearly every home and shop lining Whitehaven’s main thoroughfare, twisting into dark ribbons that clawed at the sky. The bitter stench of burning timber, scorched cloth, and melted pitch invaded her nostrils and coated the back of her throat. Embers drifted lazily through the air like malignant snowflakes, settling upon shattered cobblestones stained black with soot and red with blood.

Everywhere she looked, her people fought a losing battle against the flames.

Bucket lines stretched from wells and fountains, trembling hands passing sloshing pails from one exhausted soul to the next. Men with blistered palms and smoke-blackened faces hurled water onto burning rooftops only to watch the fires roar back with renewed hunger. Mothers and grandmothers beat at sparks with blankets while coughing so violently they could barely remain standing.

The sounds were worse.

Women newly widowed collapsed beside the bodies of husbands who would never again return from sea, field, or forge. Their grief rose in piercing wails that cut through the crackling inferno like knives. Men who only hours before had shared laughter and morning meals with their wives now carried lifeless forms through the streets with no destination in mind, wandering as though movement itself might somehow delay acceptance.

A blacksmith staggered forward clutching his wife’s body against his chest, her soot-covered hair trailing behind him. His expression was vacant, hollowed out by loss. He walked past neighbors calling his name and never looked up.

At first it was only a faint tug at the edge of her thoughts. Something that felt wrong amidst the devastation.

She scanned the crowds again.

That’s when she noticed.

There were no children. Alive or dead.

Every single one of them.

As the realization spread through her mind, Queen Astrid felt a terror unlike any she had ever known.

Whitehaven had not merely been attacked.

It had been emptied.

Snapping her consciousness to attention and looking closer to the left and right, in the fire lines, on the street. No children were running around, none were killed by the vampires, none were in the arms or holding onto the pantlegs of their parents.

She ran a block up the street to see if the children had just been gathered in one place. No children. She ran through waves of suffocating smoke and by blazing houses.

No children.

She came upon a soldier who was forming yet another fire line.

“Major!” said the queen.

Major Payne turned in haste recognizing the voice of his queen. He stood at rigid attention. “My queen!”

“Have you seen any children, soldier?” she asked looking around and past him.

Major Payne looked down at her, eyes blinking. “Excuse me, ma’am?”

“Children. Have you seen any little ones around at all?”

“N-not that I can recall, your highness. But begging your pardon, I have not been looking for them in particular.” The Queen would have been able to push him down with a finger since he stood at such extreme attention.

“That’s your job now, Major! I want you to scour a five-block perimeter and report back to me at the castle!”

The man-at-arms bowed quickly and took off.

“Find me some children, soldier.” The Queen whispered after him. “Please.”

**********

*zzzzzziiiiiippppp*

I leaned against the wall. “Hhhuuhhnn. God, I’ve been wanting to this for a loooong time.”

“It’s too bad there aren’t weeds down here for you to kill.” remarked Burnsy as he cleaned his two short swords. “You need Butress to heal the cap’n there, stinky? Looks like he got cut in half! Har!”

I bent my knees slightly and let loose a foghorn at him. “Oh, man.”

“God!” yelled Burnsy wafting his arms away from him. “Remind me not to cover your back next time we get in a skirmish!”

“Feels like I drank two pitchers of water!” I said still going.

“Prolly Jupe’s cooking. Since that meal of supposed dumplings, I’ve had to open the vents on my armor several times.” said Gunblaze taking off his helmet and brushing back his matted hair.

Jupe walked up. “You girls just can’t handle a real man’s meal. My mom used to make salsa that would burn the hair off your balls and me…I would drink the stuff for breakfast.”

Gunblaze frowned as he tried to bend the flap of his helmet back into place. “You mean, I thought…I thought it was normal not to have hair on your balls.”

The hallway fell silent as I looked at Jupe, then at Burnsy. “That would explain a lot about him, wouldn’t it?” I said pointing at Gunblaze. Burnsy lifted his eyebrows and nodded.

Chuck walked over to us. “HS has found a defensible cavern two hundred yards down. We’ll camp there for the night.” He looked over at me as I strained to zip up. “You ok?”

“Ribs are still sore, but as long as you order out for a lightweight hooker, I should be ok.”

“Feh. Need the larger women. More cushion for the pushin’,” guffawed Jupe.

“Oh! Skold, don’t listen to the gross hairy man!” Gunblaze covered Lil Skold’s ears.

Chuck just shook his head and walked away from us. Scratching his head he passed Butress who was sitting on the ground reading from his spell book. No acknowledgement came from either one of them.

“Think those two are going to make it?” asked Gunblaze.

“Well, without Butress, I wouldn’t be able to take a piss without screaming like a schoolgirl. And without Chuck, we won’t make it out of here alive, ” I said, starting down the hallway. “So let’s just keep them apart so we don’t have to fight each other and the creatures AND be able to live to tell about it.”

************

Astrid eased herself down into her throne. Several guardsmen were dragging her dead soldiers away from her sight and maids were mopping up the floor as best as they could in-between gagging and fighting back tears. Two of the maids already broke down when they saw they were about to clean up their own husband’s blood.

Astrid rested her forehead on her hand. She had not been feeling very well. She wished that PACK was by her side right now. She was not used to him not being there.

Major Payne ran into the throne room and up to the dais.

“Report,” she stated as he rose from a kneel.

Nervously looking around at the women, Major Payne said quietly. “None. No children to be found.”

Her heart sank. My god. “Take six men, Major, and scour the country. Go to every farmhouse from here to Gor. Find them!” With that she pointed him out the doorway. He bowed and hurried out of the room.

*******

“You know what I would like?” asked Jupe as he laid out his blanket and folded it.

“Someone to shave your belly hair?” replied Burnsy.

Jupe sneered. “Do you know how much that itches afterward? Makes me itch just thinking about it.” So, he scratched his belly.

“Whatchoo want, Grizzly?” I asked as I turned over and planted my chin in my hands.

“A Big Mac. Goddamn I can just taste that processed meat, grease and fat running down my chin, special sauce on my fingers…”

“You want Skold to play porno music, cuz it sounds like you could make love to a burger.” I said.

“What’s a porno?” asked Lil Skold.

“Playground!” Gunblaze’s voice cracked. “Uh, playground, where children go to play.”

“Oh yes,” chuckled Jupe. “It’s where I let out my bad boy to play some teeter totter.”

“In the ole jungle gym,” added Burnsy.

“Where girls slide down the slide.” I remarked.

“Tether ball!” Gunblaze’s voice cracked again.

We all stared at him.

I turned again and laid on my back. “Wish I could see home again. Last vision I saw was a mom and little girl scared to death, alone and nowhere safe to go. Not quite the last thing you want to see as your planet and life are destroyed.”

All was quiet for a moment.

“Bummer,” said Burnsy. “Kinda miss shooting off my babies. And no damn computer games here! That really sucks.”

Jupe tumbled into his bedding. “Doesn’t matter to me. There are girls here, and it doesn’t matter where they’re from…”

“They’re all pink inside.” We all chimed.

Jupe farted.

I turned over in my blanket and felt a shot of pain go through my ribcage and straight down my legs. Although Butress managed to heal the cracks and the internal bleeding, the area was still tender from the beating I received from the fire elemental.

“Don’t look at me for any lap dances tomorrow,” I said.

“Damn,” replied Jupe, “I always look forward to losing my cookies when I see you dance.”

For the first time in hours, Chuck piped up. “You wouldn’t have had those injuries if it wasn’t for our magic-user with a conscious.”

“Oh, man.” I put my hand to my forehead knowing the ensuing flame was about to happen.

Butress shot right up from a laying position. “And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?” He swiveled around and pointed at Chuck. “Are you saying that I’m the cause of the boy’s wounds?! Ha! If it wasn’t for YOU, we would still be on Earth fighting the good fight!”

Chuck stood up and towered over Butress. “If we were still on Earth, we would be dead men, body parts flying all over the place, skin seared, and soul massacred! I saved your asses, the least you could do is fight alongside and kill what is trying to kill us!”

Butress stood up and puffed his chest against Chuck’s. “And just why are they trying to kill us? Because some lame brained idea that the body of mileena is somewhere in this mountain, guarded by a dragon and its minions don’t want our guts to see the light of day? My bet is that she wouldn’t want to see your face for what you’ve done to her anyway!”

With that, Chuck punched Butress square in the face.

**********

Astrid could do nothing but wait. Wait for any word of children. Alive or dead. Her head rested in the palm of her hand as she contemplated the life this town would lead, having no little ones left in it. The whole city, countryside, nay, the whole land would have to start from scratch. With one generation stolen, will mothers and fathers take the chance of birthing again knowing that their child might be taken away some day?

Astrid noticed the throne room started to brighten. Looking up, she saw Wasser walk in and stop in front of the throne. Astrid smiled a giddy smile and got up from her chair and knelt at the angel’s feet.

“Come. There is no need for that,” remarked Wasser.

Tears came from Astrid’s eyes. “Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?”

Wasser cocked his head and thought for a second. “You are the first.”

The angel sat on the steps next to Astrid. “You are afraid for your child.”

Her head shot up with a dumbfounded look. “H-how did you know?”

For the first time since he had appeared, a faint smile touched his lips. It was not the smile of a celestial being amused by mortal concerns. It was the smile of someone who understood them.

Someone who had seen countless mothers standing at the edge of uncertainty.
Astrid lowered her gaze instinctively.

Only then did she place a trembling hand upon her stomach.

The gesture was almost unconscious, protective.
Instinctive.

A mother’s hand.

The queen who had faced armies without flinching suddenly found herself unable to meet the angel’s eyes.

“Tell me your fears.”

Her voice shook.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop whatever it is that’s ravaging my city.”

She looked toward the ruined streets beyond the castle walls.

For all the horrors surrounding them, Astrid still believed the world possessed beauty worth seeing—the golden dawn over Whitehaven’s harbor, the songs of seabirds dancing upon ocean winds, the laughter of children in market squares, the warmth of a family gathered around a hearth.

“I fear she might inherit only the darkness.”

Wasser looked at the window passed the landscape and up to the stars. “You know, when I was in Heaven and overseeing the people of Earth, they had a ritual that I thought for a being in my position would be useless. I asked myself constantly why they performed this conscious act of deprivation almost on a daily basis.”

Wasser got up and went over to stand by the window. “When I was taken hostage, beaten, tortured, and abused, I saw the reason why. It gives one a reason…a reason to stay alive. It provides one with the knowledge that someday you will be in a better place. That someone all powerful is listening and understands what you went through because HE went through it.” Wasser turned back to Astrid and extended his hand.

“I think you need to do this also.”

“What is it?” asked Astrid.

“Pray.”

********

Chuck was on top of Butress strangling him. I had my arms wrapped around Chuck’s chest trying to pull him off. Jupe was trying to pry Butress’s teeth from Chuck’s wrist. Gunblaze was unsuccessfully untangling four sets of legs strewn about. HS stood over us and shook his head. And Burnsy was about to take a wizz.

“You boys go on with your business! Nothing to see here! Please, keep moving!” Burnsy yelled over his shoulder back at us.

“Will you two give it up?!” I yelled straight in Chuck’s ear.

Jupe’s hand slipped from Butress’s mouth and fell backwards onto his back. That gave Butress the green light to chomp down on Chuck’s flesh.

“AARR!” growled Chuck. “I will stop when I can trust this sonuvabitch to cover my back!”

“I’ff got yo’ covfer…righff here!” slobbered Butress still holding on.

********

Our Father, Who Art in Heaven
Hallowed Be Thy Name

********

“That’s my crotch you’re stepping on!” I yelled at Gunblaze.

Chuck started to bounce Butress’s head on the ground.

********

Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will Be Done

********

Jupe, about to get up and try to pry some molars loose, noticed a curious thing. The ceiling started to shimmer as if a rock had disturbed the mirrored surface of a pond.

********

On Earth As It Is In Heaven

********

“Almost there! Couple more gallons of water oughta do me!” yelled Burnsy.

“My finger MY finger! Don’t bite my finger!”

“Um, guys?” Jupe got up on his feet as the ceiling completely disappeared and revealed that the room that used to have a twelve-foot ceiling was actually a huge multi-leveled cavern whose ceiling could not be seen.

********

Hallowed Be Thy Name

********

“Hoo! Man! What a pee! Yup, I can truly say that was the BEST goddamn pee I have ever had!”

“Try it there! There!”

“OW! My ribs!”

“Uhh, guys!” Jupe looked up and sniffed the air. The hairs on his neck and belly tingled and the air had a taste of evil.

********

Give Us Our Daily Bread
And Deliver Us From Evil

********

“GUYS!” Jupe screamed and turned to us. “We have a situation here!”

We all stopped a tangled mess of arms, legs, teeth, and armor.

“What?” growled Chuck.

“Look at the fuckin’ ceiling!” growled back Jupe. As we looked up, from the darkness we heard a man’s voice. Butress was the first one to react.

“Let me up! Let me up!” The light from our torches finally reached the body from which the voice came.

********

For Thine Is The Kingdom…

********

Dark Elf. Magic-User. Ender. He floated slowly down towards the ground as Butress was desperately trying to get up.

********

The Power…

********

“He’s casting a fireball spell!” yelled Butress.

*ZZZiippp!* “Did I miss something?”

********

And The Glory.

********

A wind started rushing around the room. Gusts that pulsed around us as we dashed for our weapons and armor.

“Dispel magic!” yelled Chuck over the wind.

“No time! He will be able to cast first!” replied Butress.

********

Forever And Ever.

The wind grew stronger, almost knocking Lil Skold off his feet.

“What the hell is that?!” yelled Burnsy. “The magic-user?”

HS raised his arm and pointed at the source of the wind.

Streaks of red flashed in our torchlight. Flashes of red with razor sharp tips to them. A golden scaled stomach was illuminated and then a fierce head came down from the darkness with its coal black eyes sparkling in our torch light.

“Oh….god.”

A low growl rumbled from deep within its chest.

The sound vibrated through the ground.

Through their armor. Through their bones.

And somewhere beneath that growl, like the crackling of a forge being stoked to life, they heard another sound.

The gathering breath of a dragon preparing to unleash hell.

The red dragon was upon them. And suddenly every story, every tavern tale, every warning whispered by old adventurers no longer felt exaggerated enough. The monster standing before them was not a beast.

It was destruction given flesh.

Amem.