Eric and the Quantum Dragon

10th District Sewage Maintenance Workshop, Pan City

Sunday December 23rd, V26 (2046)

Angelina sat on the cold concrete, the thick fabric weave of her grey coveralls doing little to stop the chill radiating up into her slender body. Like Carmody standing at her side, she had the AURA coveralls and heavy boots on, a black utility belt with pouches at her waist and a headlamp strapped over her hair.

She shivered a little and reached for Carmody’s hand, gripping it in both of hers.

“Don’t be frightened” Carmody assured her. “Nata is a Sword and destroying monsters is what she does. Hammers will see her and just go away, never to come back”

The girl gripped her cricket bat in the other hand, comforted by the leather wrapped handle of the mighty Excalibur.

“What if he doesn’t go away, Carmody?” Angelina said softly. “What if Nata and the Bishop aren’t strong enough?”

“That’s why I am here” she grinned to her friend. “Hammers has never had to face a Dragon Slayer before. Some crazy old butler won’t stand a chance against me and Excalibur”

Movement caught their eye and they both looked with startled expressions towards the big open doorway at one end of the workshops. It was just Nata, stretching her arms and legs while she patrolled the reservoir chamber that lay beyond the door.

Out there was the massive bowl shaped water tank, currently empty, that used to store waste water for treatment. A narrow walkway ringed the tank at the midway point, the roof arching up to a central hatch. Much of the structure had been damaged by Rail Gun fire when they fought the Electric Dragon and it was still awaiting repair.

The central hatch had been demolished by Stanley, his Vapora breath blasting it open so he could dive in to rescue them. Carmody and Angelina both remembered that awful night with a fresh shiver and gripped their linked hands a little more tightly.

Nata suddenly sprang into motion, her booted feet throwing up water as she entered the flooded section.

“He’s here!” she yelled and drew her sword, Lacerata, from under her armoured coat. Behind her the girls could just make out a swirling mass of black mist, filling the outer chamber. Nata skidded to a stop about ten meters from the girls and spun about to face the darkness.

All was silent, the only sound the gentle lapping of the water against the concrete platform. Ripples bounced from the edges of the flooded section and formed interlocked patterns around Nata’s booted shins. The doorway was utterly black now, then a man sized shape appeared from its midst. Hammerton walked into the light, his black suit immaculate and his expression unconcerned as he observed what was before him.

“Miss Angelina” his voice echoed in the chamber. “It is time to come home”

Angelina stood and her own expression was cold as she regarded the man she had once trusted implicitly.

“No, Hammers. I won’t go with you” she said defiantly. Carmody hefted her bat and Nata uttered the activation for her sword, Lacerata bursting into brilliant blue light.

Hammerton look confused and walked to the edge of the water filled area, his eyes gazing at the reflecting surface.

“You are promised to me!” he insisted. “You belong to me”

With deliberate steps he placed one foot into the water, the dark liquid covering his polished shoes and soaking his black trousers. The second foot followed the first and with growing confidence he began to stride towards the platform.

“Did you think it was Holy Water?” teased Nata and she charged at him, her sword throwing blue flashes from the pool as she ran. Hammerton lifted his left arm and black shadows boiled from his fingertips, striking at the young Sword.

For a moment they seemed to engulf her, then with a sweep of Lacerata the darkness was dispersed and the glow of her sword blazed forth. She jumped as she closed in, Lacerata swinging in a massive arc to strike into Hammerton’s left shoulder.

He grunted in surprise more than pain as Nata’s momentum carried her into him, her booted feet twisting around to land on his chest with a loud thump. Both of them crashed to the floor, water being hurled up in waves from the impact.

The Sword tumbled clear of her opponent, regaining her feet with easy agility and landing in a protective stance, Lacerata held high and forwards. Nata watched from under her glowing weapon as the water soaked butler slowly got back to his feet. Black blood oozed from the gash in his shoulder area, the flesh pale where it could be glimpsed beneath the torn suit.

Eyes of purest black regarded the Sword as Hammerton faced her.

“Did I get your attention?” she taunted him.

“You know what I am, Sister Impassionata” he said to her calmly. “I am a Lord of the Before and no puny magics or weapons can stop me. Leave now and I will forgive your transgressions upon my flesh”

“My puny weapon nearly took your arm off” Nata smirked, challenging the beast she knew lay inside the shell of the butler. “Surely you won’t let me beat you in front of your beloved Angelina?”

“Nata! Be careful” begged Angelina and Hammerton roared in anger at her favouring of another.

Shadows ripped and tore across the water’s surface, flinging spray in all directions. Nata charged through the maelstrom, sword held forward like a lance. Whenever a shadow struck the blade it broke into fragments that faded away, yet others lashed her arms and body in a torrent of fury.

Rips and tears appeared on her armour and a few sprang forth drops of scarlet blood. Yet Nata ran the last steps into her opponent and drove Lacerata deep into the butler’s side. His arm crashed down, driving her to her knees and the sword was wrenched from the terrible wound it had caused.

Hammerton screamed in fury, his arm clutching at the flaps of torn skin as more black, thick blood pulsed from the injury.

Carmody shouted out in alarm as Nata had been driven to the floor, hearing the awful sounds of a cracking bone. She ran forwards and grabbed the Sister by her right arm, Lacerata still glowing in her hand.

“Nata, come on, that’s enough!” she hollered and managed to get the woman to stagger a few scant meters away from her wounded foe. Hammerton roared again and lifted his left arm towards them both when a girl screamed from behind them all.

The butler lifted his eyes to Angelina as she tore the bandages from her hands and flexed her fingers wide.

“Stay away from them!” Angelina screamed and her hands gestured like she was pushing him backwards. Her Telekinesis picked him up and hurled him twenty meters, water and blood trailing from his body until he hit a concrete wall.

For a moment he hung there, trapped under her Telekinetic strength, then Angelina collapsed to her knees and he was released. The butler fell to the bare floor and lay stunned while Angelina was barely conscious from the effort.

Carmody dragged Nata to the platform, laying her down on the dry concrete and then checking Angelina. The girl felt tears welling up from her eyes as she looked at her two companions, wondering what to do next.

“Do not despair, Miss Brentwood” said the Bishop, walking from the shadowy depths of the chamber. He carried Ferro Mortis in his left hand, still a simple sword with no active enchantment upon the blade. He reached the platform and knelt beside Nata, laying his right hand over her broken left arm.

“Don’t, Bishop” she murmured. “You need to save your power”

“Hush, dear Imp” he told her gently. “You can’t fight a Demon Lord with just one arm”. A pale green glow came from under his hand, spreading across Nata’s arm. There was a faint crack and pop and Nata grimaced in pain for a moment.

“See? All done” he declared. “And I have plenty left for the next stage”

A dark laugh echoed around the chamber and all of them watched Hammerton regain his feet.

“I shall spare none of you for keeping my Beloved from me” he snarled. “She shall watch as I rip your flimsy bodies apart and drink your souls. If she cannot be my innocent Angelina, I shall make her into my bloody Mistress”

Angelina whimpered at the sight of Hammerton, blood spattering his suit and his face contorted with raw anger.

“Please, I don’t want to go with him!”

“It’s Okay, child” the Bishop told her and gathered her into his arms. “Carmody, you need to come too!”

Carmody glared at Hammerton, her cricket bat held ready in her hands.

“I want to fight alongside Nata” Carmody insisted. “I won’t let her fight alone!”

“Don’t be silly, Carmody” Nata said as she got to her feet. “I am the Sword of the Archangel Michael, Lord of the Earthly Host and my Master. He is always at my side, no matter how deep I walk into the darkness”

Nata stood tall and proud and for a moment Carmody thought she saw a ghost like form overlaying the outline of her friend. It glowed a pale blue with outstretched wings of purest white, a sword of fire in place of the bright glow of Lacerata. She blinked and the image was gone, only Nata standing there, facing the creature that had been Hammerton.

“Come child, the Sword needs to do her work” urged the Bishop and Carmody let him lead her deeper into the chamber. Her eyes did not leave Nata until the old man stopped near the edge of the water filled area.

“If you want Angelina, you have to kill me first” Nata called to Hammerton. He laughed, his mouth opening far wider than it should have, his teeth white and sharp in the lights that surrounded them.

“I accept your offer, Impassionata!” he roared and raced across the intervening space. Shadows leapt from his hands as he came, forcing the Sister to dodge and parry wildly, dancing nimbly around the concrete platform. The former butler paused at the last moment, examining the circular plinth for a few seconds.

“Scared, Hammerton?” Nata tormented him, grinning wickedly as she paced at the opposite end of the platform.

“Not of you, mortal child” he answered and stepped at last onto the platform. “There are no Wards or Circles bound into this place. You will have no protection from me, no way to stop me from reaching you!”

Nata nodded her head slowly, as if agreeing with the creature. Yet her gesture was not for him.

Bishop Wainwright knelt and placed a hand into the water, his fingers finding the markings beneath that he sought.

“Sanctuarius!” he intoned and the water began to bubble and boil in a vast circle, easily fifteen meters across. Hammerton turned towards the old Paladin in alarm as a dome of blue light ascended up and over the heads of the butler and the Sword.

“I just need to stop you getting out” Nata told her opponent and screamed a blood curdling battle-cry. Like a Fury she launched herself at Hammerton, her blade describing brilliant blue arcs in the air as she slashed at the stunned creature.

Blood and flesh flew into the air and Hammerton was flung against the glowing dome of energy. He screamed again as the mystic barrier scorched him, leaving smoking burns wherever his flesh touched the arcane dome.

“What is that?” Carmody demanded, then saw the Bishop had collapsed to his knees, his face haggard and grey.

“It is a Protection from Evil barrier” he gasped, gripping onto Angelina now for support. “It took all my power to make it strong enough to contain a Demon, but it won’t hold him for long”

For a moment, Carmody and Angelina thought that Nata was winning the battle. Hammerton was reeling, bloody chunks falling from his staggering body as he barely defended himself. Then he began to laugh, a wet, chilling laugh that echoed from his throat like it was rising from a deep well in the earth.

“Well done, Sword of Michael” he congratulated her with a voice that rasped across their ears like a jagged metal saw. “You have driven me to my final measure. It is time to pay the price for your arrogance”

Nata herself was visibly exhausted, her own body covered in multiple cuts and wounds. She watched numbly as Hammerton finally shed his mortal shell, discarding the guise of humanity. Like a tightly bound coil of blood red springs, what was inside pushed and tore at the body of Giles Hammerton and revealed itself fully in the world of the Light Side.

Somebody was screaming in horror at the sight and Carmody realised it was her. The Lord of the Before was not a thing that any mortal being could withstand the sight of. It defied description, searing her mind with images too confused to make any sense.

A hand closed over her eyes, bringing relief of sorts as the Bishop dragged her and Angelina further away from the conflict.

“Don’t look, Carmody” the Bishop warned her, a little too late. “It is up to Nata now to enact the final scene”

=====

Nata remembered she had something important to do, but she could not grasp what that task was. She opened her eyes, thinking that she was asleep in her old room at the Orphanage. The room looked just as she recalled it did, with her and Sinceritas sleeping on opposite sides of the small chamber.

Nata’s side was neat and orderly as always, the only decoration she allowed herself a framed poster of a band, the Electric Dragon. That made her pause, as she thought they were called something else.

She glanced at her room-mates bed and marvelled again at how messy one girl could be with so few possessions of her own. They were both orphans, Nata’s father killed in a construction accident and her mother and sister killed by home invaders. Sinceritas had lost her single mother in a botched robbery of the pharmacy she had worked at.

Such events had driven both girls to join the Order of Michael, seeking the means to prevent evil being allowed to thrive unpunished.

It was not Sinceritas sitting on the opposite bed. The woman was older, perhaps in her late twenties, with long pale blonde hair and bright blue-green eyes.

“Sister Venerae?” Nata gasped. “Why are you here?”

“I thought it might be easier to see me this way” the woman who looked like Venerae replied gently. “You have faced enough already, dear Impassionata”

Nata felt something in her hand and looked down to see Lacerata glowing blue, her hands stained with blood.

“I’m fighting the Demon, aren’t I Master?” she said and looked back to the woman. “Are you here to help me?”

“No, my child” she replied. “If I intervene, I risk breaking the world apart. It is too soon for such a rash act”

“Then what do you want from me, my Master?” Nata asked the Archangel.

“I have to offer you a choice” Michael explained. “You have seen the true face of the Before, something no mortal should ever have to do. It could break your mind forever and I am loath to lose such a talented Sword”

“I understand. So what are my choices?”

The woman smiled at her, the kind that promises love and loyalty and truth. A smile of a parent, of a lover, of a child you raised as your own.

“You can let go of your sword and ascend to my Heavenly Host. They will welcome you as a favoured child of mine and you will be granted immortal service at my side”

“What if I keep hold of my sword?” Nata pressed.

“Then you return to the moment you left, facing utter destruction by a Lord of the Before”

Nata looked again at her sword hand, Lacerata still whole and its enchantment active.

“Is there a chance I may win?” the Sister asked.

“Not alone” Michael assured her. Nata thought of her friends still in the chamber below the earth. Carmody, Angelina and her oldest friend the Bishop.

“I won’t be alone” Nata answered. “Please let me finish this battle”

“Very well, Sister Impassionata”

Nata grinned at her master, an Archangel hidden behind the form of a woman.

“Call me Nata”

=====

Between one blink of her eyes and another, Nata had spoken to her master. The horror of the Before was nearly overwhelming her, but Nata had faith. Not just the Faith her religion gave her, this was a more earthly kind of faith.

She believed in her friends and the love they shared with her. She trusted in them to stand by her side when she needed them to, just as she would defend them all given the opportunity.

“Go home, Hammerton” she called out in her strongest voice to the abomination that writhed and pulsed before her. Its tentacles and claws lashed and snapped at her constantly, giving no moment of respite. Blood flowed freely from a dozen wounds on her body, her sword hand slick with her own precious life essence.

“Release me from this barrier and I will take Angelina away. I promise to spare your life, sweet Impassionata!” the monstrous form answered her. The blows continued to rain down, the Sister moving and weaving as best she could in the limited space of the barrier dome.

“You are weakening, little Sword” Hammerton taunted her. “Soon the barrier will fall and I shall take what is mine regardless. Yield to me, surrender your blade and I will grant you mercy!”

“No!” Nata shouted and charged once more, Lacerata swinging and cutting at the immortal flesh of the Demon.

The Demon laughed, his powerful voice booming off the chamber walls, scratching at the minds of everyone who heard it.

Beyond the barrier, Nata heard Angelina cry out in anguish and knew she had to find a way to end this battle before they all lost their sanity.

=====

Carmody heard the torment of Angelina and the cries of Nata as she fought the creature who had once been a guardian and even a friend.

“How can Nata hope to win this fight?” she whispered to the Bishop, the old man shielding both girls with his body.

“She can’t defeat a Lord of the Before” the Bishop answered her. “That was never her hope. But if she could bring the Lord out of his mortal shell and into the world, she would try to Exorcise him back to his own realm”

“How? I thought an Exorcism was a long ritual?” Carmody wondered, thinking upon some movies and stories she knew of.

“The Order of Michael is gifted with a unique spell, a powerful one” he replied. “It will take all of Nata’s magical strength to cast it, leaving her with nothing behind”

Carmody understood at last.

“That’s why she needed you to activate the Barrier” she breathed. “It’s why she only activated Lacerata and hasn’t used her Shield spell!”

“You are correct, Miss Brentwood” the Bishop confirmed. “But she needs a few moments to trigger her Exorcism focus and the Demon is giving her no chance. I fear her plan is doomed”

“She just needs a few seconds when Hammerton is not attacking her?” Carmody asked eagerly.

The Bishop met her eyes and nodded slowly, his face a mask of sorrow.

“Yes, but I have no power left to activate Ferro Mortis. There is no way to help her”

Carmody stood, letting the Bishop’s hand fall away from her. She lifted Excalibur in front of her and looked at her best friend, Angelina, barely conscious after all she had endured.

“Please tell her I love her” Carmody asked the Bishop and without another word turned and ran at the glowing barrier of light.

“She knows” the old man assured her but Carmody was already gone, her cricket bat held aloft as she ran into the Protection barrier.

=====

Carmody saw how the massive body and lashing tendrils of Hammerton sparked and burned whenever it struck the glowing blue dome. Her feet sent up showers of dirty water as she ran forwards, screaming her own wordless battle-cry.

She met the dome of light and expected pain or perhaps to be thrown backwards. All that happened was she ran through the wall of blue like it was not even there, just the faintest tingle on her skin as she crossed inside.

“Hammers!” she screamed and poured all her power into the Kinetic Enhancer. Every scrap of energy was drawn into her body and channelled into her cricket bat. She swung Excalibur with all her might against the being whom she had once counted as a friend.

The Demon looked directly at the screaming girl and one man shaped arm blocked her mighty blow. Excalibur shattered into a thousand shards of wood and Carmody’s arms were jarred painfully as she shuddered to a stop.

Pieces of her once magnificent weapon fell about her, bouncing off the raised platform and splashing into the churning water. Only the leather wrapped handle remained intact, held in her numbed hands.

“Did you think such a weapon could harm me?” demanded the voice of the Demon, the face of Hammerton held in the centre of the writhing mass of tendrils and twisted limbs.

Carmody fell to her knees, cradling the broken remains of Excalibur against her body.

“No. It was just an old bat that I found” Carmody admitted sadly.

“So why risk your life to attack me?” the Demon asked her.

“Because Nata needed a distraction” the girl responded.

Hammerton whirled towards the Sword and saw she had lowered her weapon, pulling her tattered armour coat wide to expose her stomach. Beneath the torn and blood stained white shirt could be seen a tattoo, runes inked in concentric circles about her navel.

Nata drew all her power into the spell focus and screamed the triggering word into the face of the Demon.

“Expulsio!” her voice proclaimed and brilliant light filled the whole chamber. Carmody had to shield her eyes from the glare, her last image the form of Hammerton blasted back against the barrier, screaming in rage as he was compressed down to a single point of darkness, then vanishing.

Carmody fell to the ground, her mind finally unable to think any more and she sank into welcoming oblivion.

=====

“She did it” Angelina softly spoke to herself, stroking the face of Carmody as she lay in her lap. They were sitting in the back of a large, unmarked black van as grey uniformed men and women swarmed around the parking lot, dotted in between with the black habits of Sisters from the Order.

“How is she?” asked Bishop Wainwright, climbing slowly into the rear of the van. He still carried his sheathed sword, his face lined with exhaustion. Angelina laid her hand over Carmody’s own and smiled faintly.

“The Paramedic said she will be fine, physically at least” the girl admitted. “We’ll have to see how her mind is when she wakes up. How is Nata?”

“They are still working on her” the old man told her. “She lost a lot of blood and some of the wounds are pretty deep. Sister Adoracion has used her healing charms so she is not going to die but it will take some time for her to recover”

Angelina felt tears start to well up in her eyes and tried to wipe them away. They were persistent and leaked down her pale cheeks, hanging from her narrow chin then falling to her chest.

“Am I worth all this sacrifice?” she asked the Bishop. “Is my life worth the price that Carmody and Nata were forced to pay?”

Bishop Wainwright gave her an encouraging smile, his bearded face reminding her of some kind of veteran Santa Claus, at least if he were a Knight who could cast spells.

“I think you will find any life is worth saving to heroes like them” he told her. “But you are very special to Carmody and I can see she is special to you.”

Angelina nodded her head in agreement.

“Is it over, Bishop?” she asked him. “Will Hammers be able to come back for me?”

The Bishop looked away, unwilling to answer her right then. Which in a way was an answer of its own.

“He will, won’t he” she stated. “The Pact my parents made still remains in force”

“I am sorry, Angelina, but you are right. From what I learned from Nata, the Demon Lord will return in three years to claim you. All that we achieved today was to destroy the host body and force him to return to his own realm”

Angelina smiled bravely to herself and gripped her sleeping friend’s hand tighter.

“That’s fine. It gives me three years to find a way to break the Pact. When he comes for me on my sixteenth birthday, I will be ready for him”