On the Evil Scale: Keeper of La Tecla (The Key) Book Two

In a private hospital room, Sarah held Lucy as she laid in the bed with her, warming her with the three blankets wrapped around her small shivering shoulders. Despite the trauma she had gone through, Lucy was in good health, just a little dehydrated and hungry but she was safe to go home. She sat in the bed, humming a soft tune that her parents and Jonathan had sung to her many time, oblivious to the changes of the world around her.

“Thank you.” Sarah appreciated.

“It is no problem.” Matthews replied. Leaning in, he whispered as he looked into Lucy’s big blue eyes, “No more running off now, okay?” he grinned, “You had everyone on edge.”

Sniffling, Lucy looked into the Wraiths’ red eyes.

“The edge of what?” the small child answered innocently.

Matthews and Sarah chuckled softly, when a nurse stepped into the room, carrying a tray of hot chocolate and donuts, that immediately caught Lucy’s attention as her eyes grew wide.

“Just one.” Sarah reached for one on a napkin, handing it to Lucy.

“Thank you.” she giggled.

“You’re welcome.” Matthews smiled, then glanced toward the door where Susan and Jonathan Sr rushed into the room, dressed in their lounge wear, coats and winter boots, “Shh…” he turned to them, as he placed a finger to his lips.

Seeing her daughter’s face peeking around Matthews’ shoulder, Susan cried as she rushed forward, pulling the small child into her arms with Jonathan Sr not too far behind.

Sarah slowly climbed off the bed, allowing the parents to lay with her.

“Oh, my baby girl…” Susan cried, looking at her face, combing back her wet hair that was washed clean of the thick, black dirt and filth, “my baby-baby girl.”

“Mommy…” Lucy cried, holding her close, “daddy.” she reached for her father.

“My baby.” Jonathan Sr hugged her tightly as she crawled forward into his embrace, “Thank you god…” he closed his eyes, “thank you.”

“Sarah…” Susan turned to the young woman, “thank you.” she lept off the bed, reaching for the young woman’s hands, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Sarah cried.

“Wh-where’s Jonathan?” Susan looked around, hoping to see him.

“Sarah…where’s my son?!” Jonathan Sr pestered.

“He’s uh…” she looked at Matthews.

“I’ll be out in the hall.” the Wraith nodded, then slipped outside.

“Jonathan is…” Sarah sniffled, telling his parents that he remained behind to help his friends, “but he promised me that he will return. And you know Jonathan always keeps his promises, within reason.”

“Johnny?” Lucy cried, hearing her brother’s name mentioned loudly, “Where’s Johnny?!” she whimpered.

“Shh…” Jonathan Sr held her close, “it’s all right, shh….here, have a donut.” he handed her the sweet treat, “It’s jelly, just the way you like them, hmm?”

Lucy was too innocent to know how to react, seeing the glaze over the round pastry, she smiled then bit into it, feeling the sweet jelly and fresh dough fill her mouth.

Susan nodded, then turned, rushing back toward the bed, holding her.

Sarah retreated outside, stepping into the hall where Matthews stood, leaning against the wall with passing nurses, signing paperwork. After the nurses walked away upon his dismissal, Sarah approached him.

“How is she?” she wondered about Lucy’s overall health, “I mean…” she rubbed her arms, feeling an unsettling shiver.

“Considering everything she’s been through, physically she’s fine.” Matthews answered, “Just minor cuts and scrapes that were cleaned, we administered antibiotics but psychologically?” he shrugged, “That I don’t know, she’s home now.” he peeked through the window that overlooked the room, “Listen…” he heard a loud beep, “I have to go. Let me know if they need anything.” he patted her shoulder, “And as far as Jonathan, he’ll be fine. They all will.” he nodded.

“Yeah, I know they will.” she bit her lip, nodding quickly with tears. Watching as the Wraith strolled down the hall, she leaned her back against the wall, then slid down, sitting on the floor, crying heavily for she worried about her friends, Nathan and Jonathan.

“Sarah?! Nathan?!” a male voice shouted.

Sarah raised her gaze, glancing to her right, hearing the voice. As she stood, she watched as her uncle rushed toward her in large strides.

“Sarah!” he held out his arms, feeling her fall into his embrace, “Oh my god…” he prayed, “bloody hell, let me look at you.” he gently pulled away, looking into her blue eyes, “Are you all right?” he cared for her, as if she were his own daughter.

“Mm-hmm.” Sarah whimpered with nod, “Just shaken up.” she fell into his arms once more, “Uncle, it was horrible.” she shut her eyes.

“Shh…” he slurred, rubbing her small back, “shh, it’s all right now.” he looked around, “Where’s Nathan?” he expected to see him, but he was nowhere around, “Sarah, where’s Nathan?” he pulled away once more.

Looking into his eyes, Sarah bit her lip.

“He’s still there…” the words barely escapes her lip, “with them.”

The fatigued and injured warriors listened as the loud vibrations and thumps continued, waiting in anticipation. With whatever weapons that were still in tact held in hand and glow sticks or flashlights, both Zanzabarr and Abraxas gathered around Yzavela who limped next to Anthony.

Aiming all available light toward the tunnel, we watched as whatever it was, emerged.

Massive hands with sharp claws protruding from its long fingers, grabbed hold of the side walls, supporting its unknown weight. Shards of stone chipped from the surface as its claws deeply dug into the rock, screeching like nails on a dry chalkboard.

Covering our ears, closing our eyes, even Leonus felt unsettled by its presence.

Emerging from the pitch blackness of the tunnel was a horn attached to a massive head that was held low. Pushing itself from the arched curve of the tunnel, enormous cloven hind feet thumped against the stone. Keeping its head held low, it fully revealed itself standing at a menacing 15 feet tall, possibly more as it began straightening its bulk, and hunched posture. Huffing deeply, steam escaped from its nostrils and mouth. Raising its head, standing completely straight and tall, it was more than 15 feet, it was at least 17, not including the height of its horn that protruded from its massive, bulbous head. Standing on its cloven hind feet, its shifted in place in an awkward stance.

All of us remained silent, raising our gaze toward its full height that menacingly loomed above.

Squinting its red eyes, leering down its long tapered snout, it snarled its large boar tusks and deformed teeth, flexing its herculean build and long arms that looked as if it were pieced together from parts of Lycynians. It twitched its long fingers, before cracking them in loud, unsettling clenching of its fists. Its muscular legs bent at the knees, and cloven feet, supported its weight while its long boar’s tail flicked behind it, with a tuft of fur at the tip. Short black bristly fur covered its body, and as it panted slowly, its large skeletal rib cage protruding through the thick layer of skin stretched across the bones, heaved in and out heavily. As it turned for just a moment, its profile revealed a bone-like spinuous bulge of what looked like bone, running down the length of its back, disappearing just above the base of where its tailbone.

“Oh my god…” I stuttered, slowly stepping back with everyone.

“It’s…” Erik mumbled, “what is it?!” he couldn’t finish.

“Their leader?” Caleb rasped fearfully.

“That’s what we’ve seen from the wall but…” Nick hissed, “not like this, never this close.”

“It’s the devil, that’s what it is.” Leonus groaned, and in that moment, he wasn’t kidding, this monster was something you’d find in Hell.

Standing there in all its menacing and foulness, it eerily turned, and it shifted its large feet, the sound of its hooves clacking against stone, it only added to the horrific moment. Veering downward, its red eyes scanned the piles of its kin before nudging their lifeless corpses with its nose and tusks. Grunting, hoping its presence would cause them to stir, he snorted deeply as it raised its gaze toward the figures that stood frozen. Sniffing the air, catching the scents of men, it then let out an ear piercing squeal-like growl before gazing upon just a petite figure among them. Releasing deep grunts and snorts, followed by its squeals that echoed off the walls, its eyes glared toward the wolf and dragon, but it was unable to comprehend their species, however, that didn’t matter for lowering its horned head, and flicking its tail, the beast lunged forward, swinging its head and swiping its clawed hands.

Barging through the men, sweeping the bodies of its dead offspring out of the way with its tusks or hands, it gave itself ample room for its bulk to move around. As the bodies thumped against the walls, or thrown into the large pit, it lunged again but missed as all of the men, and woman, wisely dodged its claws and tusks. As its hooves slid on the sleek stone from splashed soiled water and blood, it grabbed hold of the large boulders, bracing its weight then turned. Despite its size, this f*cker was fast and agile, knowing how to maneuver around the cavern, as if it had done this before.

“Its legs, go for the legs!” Leonus shouted, pointing his axe forward.

Adhering to the Scotsman’s orders, the warrior with weapons tight in hand, lunged forward, trying to hack and slice as its legs but it knew to dodge the advances, throwing the bodies of the dead Boar-wolves around like rag dolls, avoiding their blades. As the bodies continued being flung around, they bounced off the thick barriers that Erik and Jonathan put in place; the eerie thumping and violent sparks against the shields were something that couldn’t described. Sneering, the tall beast squealed loudly as it lunged forward, pounding its hands down up the barrier that weakened quickly from its aggressive swings and attacks.

Weaving my fiery Aura into the barrier seemed to work but only for a little while before the magic needed to be renewed; there were many cracks appeared in the dome, like that of glass beginning to shatter.

“It’s not going to hold!” Derek grunted, crouching down as the beast continued pounding against the barrier.

“Do you have a better idea?!” Nick hissed at the Lycynian.

“Magic, can’t you use your bloody magic against it?!” Leonus’ loud voice barked at the Demons and half-breed that struggled to keep the shield in place.

“What do you think we’re doing?!” Jonathan argued bluntly over his shoulder, feeling the magic weaken, “We can’t…do this much longer, he’s right…” he looked at Erik and Yzavela, “on the count of three!”

“Three!” both Erik and Yzavela shouted, and just as the barrier had been dismantled, dodging the creatures’ large hands that pounded against the stone, the two pureblood and half-breed released blasts of their magic but as the beast stumbled in place, it seemed to have just absorbed the energy.

“Stop, stop!” Anthony called out, “It’s not working, you’re feeding it!” he shouted, pulling Yzavela and Jonathan back, “Look!” he pointed toward the creature that flexed its hands and muscular body in places that seemed to do just what he had observed, as the magic seemed to have soaked through the thick, tough layers of its hide.

“Now what?!” Derek leered at Leonus.

“How are we going to destroy it?!” Thomas rasped.

“It was created by dark magic and only level 5 Demons can be the ones to destroy it!” I shouted over its heavy panting, before it let out another series of squeals and grunts.

“Well, there aren’t any level 5 Demons here girl, so you tell me what we’re supposed to do!” Leonus growled at her, pointing his axe at the beast, “Unless you wolf and dragon have any ideas!” he mocked their presence as they roared and growled, keeping their promise to protect her at all costs.

“I don’t know, god damn it!” I spat, engulfing in my Aura.

“I didn’t sign up for this!” Nathan complained, and lowering the hilt of his sword, he was about to turn and flee but a large hand grab him by his wounded arm. As he turned, there stood Leonus with anger in his piercing blue eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going, eh?!” the Scotsman growled.

“Let go of me!” Nathan barked, “I’m getting out of here, that’s what I’m doing and you’d be smart to do the same!”

“He’s right, we’re not equipped for this!” Nick hissed, backing away.

“Less talking, more fighting!” Caleb shouted, “Move!” he pushed his friend out of the way as the boar sovereign threw more of the bodies toward them.

Lunging, it hunched downward, sweeping its head side-to-side as it attempted to thrash around the figures that hacked and stabbed with their weapons that felt like pin pricks against its hide. Sweeping both Italian brothers in its tusks, it threw them across the pit near the left tunnel, only adding more injuries to those they had already suffered. Thomas suffered a broken arm on the same side as his dislocated shoulder with a deep scratch across his chest from one of the boars’ tusks, while Anthony suffered a fierce break to his ribs as he slammed against the wall, falling roughly.

“Thomas, Anthony!” I called out worriedly, then screamed as one of its hands tossed me backwards to the ground. Grunting deeply, I lay still feeling all of my own aches and injuries consume my thoughts. I glanced Zanzabarr and Abraxas who crowded around me, roaring or howling as they snapped as its massive hands; the large wolf managed to bite off two its fingers of its left hand, before thrown against the wall, “Zanzabarr!” I shouted, quickly crawling toward the wolf that whimpered loudly, with Abraxas landing on my shoulder.

“You can’t do this, Mother…” Abraxas roared, “you will die.”

“Thank you for that, Abraxas…” I complained, turning to watch as the sovereign boar continued thrashing the men around, “Derek!” I called out to the Samoan that was swept in its right hand, thrown to the pit, almost splashing into the thick pool.

Leonus was caught between its tusks because of his own bulk but as he somehow managed, after hitting the wall, to catch his breath with ease.

Nick and Caleb were thrown across the pit toward the tunnel leading out of the cavern, healing in seconds from broken bones in their legs and wrists.

Erik and Jonathan continued blasting the creature with their magic, despite the revelation that it made it stronger but just as they too had been thrown across the cavern, pounding against the bodies of all of the dead Boar-wolves, their landings were less violent as they rolled on the thick hides before landing on the rough stone.

Standing to my feet, looking around, I stood vulnerable while all of the men laid scattered and injured, trying to recuperate from having the wind knocked out of them. Panting, I couldn’t do this anymore. I looked around, then shouted worriedly as Zanzabarr lept from the ground, pouncing forward, sinking his teeth deeply into the boars’ lower leg just above the knee.

“Zanz, no!” I shouted, watching as the sovereign backed away, before it reached down, pulling the large wolf from his grasp, squealing as a large chunk of its flesh was torn from its place, “Zanzabarr!” I let out a deafening scream, as the wolf was thrown across the cavern again, but this time, he didn’t whimper or move, “Zanz, no…” then just as Abraxas hovered from my shoulder, he was swept from the air, “No, Abraxas…” I cried, unsure of what to do, watching as the boar held the small dragon close, examining it, “don’t move, he probably thinks you’re one of the bats!” I pleaded telepathically.

Pulling its hand close, its nose sniffed the small dragon but withdrew its head, for its scent wasn’t that of any bat it had seen, or eaten for that matter.

Roaring loudly, Abraxas ignited his scales, causing the boar to release its grip suffering from a blistered palm, and just as he flapped heavily, the sovereign moaned, licking the wound momentarily. As Abraxas, in a swift blur through the air, flew into Yzavela’s arms, it attracted the boars’ attention.

Standing in complete fear, trembling in place, I held my breath as it leaned in close, shoving its large tusks in my face. Feeling it sniff my hair and face, seeming to like my scent despite being covered in all of the scents of its kin, my eyes widened as its took his hands that could easily crush me like an egg, grabbing me by the waist, and because of my petite height and frame, its hands wrapped completely around me. Pushing Abraxas out of my arms, watching as he clung to the rock like a bat with his claws and wings, I screamed as the sovereign lifted me off the ground, holding me close as if it wanted to examine me, and for what purpose, I don’t think I wanted to know.

Roaring loudly, Abraxas worried about its intentions, then flew and landed near Zanzabarr, wrapping his wings around him in a gestured of protecting the wolf.

“Get him out of here!” I demanded telepathically, catching the small dragon’s movements nearby in the corner of my eyes.

“But, Mother…” Abraxas argued.

“Abraxas do it NOW!” I ordered.

Abraxas purred then lowered his head, teleporting the wolf in a swift, bright burst of flame that attracted the boars’ attention as it created a disturbance in the darkness. Appearing outside, releasing the wolf, he listened as the hellhound growled, turning to him, shaking his fur of his touch. Stretching out wings, roaring aggressively, he kept the wolf from venturing back down underground, swinging tail outward many times, blocking access. Growing larger, the Zyphyn roared once more, but this time, it was more dominant and powerful in a commanding demeanor that sent the wolf into submission, panting and whining.

Glancing back, hearing the commotion echo from underground, the Zyphyn squinted his Amber eyes, worrying greatly about his mother that he swore to protect by all means, and in that moment, he felt as if he, and the hellhound failed in that promise.