Chapter 29
Marcus threw everything he had at the monster. He leapt into the air and flew around the beast in small, tight circles. His scales started to glow a dull red and he began to inhale his own smoke. He was about to swing his tail inward to impale the giant when a massive green-red arm grabbed his neck. The creature’s grip was so powerful; Marcus could not free himself no matter how much he struggled. The fire inside him died as the last of the air left his lungs. Marcus tried to sever the beast’s arm, but the muscle was hard as steel. He looked for an alternative and saw a thick vein coursing up the monster’s chest and ending at its skull, where the blood vessel split into hundreds of inch-thick lightning bolts that coursed across his its skull.
Marcus needed a way to reach the wound, but before he could think of a plan, the monster threw him into the pile of undead corpses and repeatedly struck him in the stomach and chest. Marcus could not take flight, and his vision was blurring due to the gore that covered his eyes. His body went limp and Marcus pretended to be dead. The beast saw that its foe was beaten and picked up the dead thing. It roared in victory and held its trophy in the air by the hind legs like a chicken.
Then, like a flashback from the past, it lifted Marcus higher than before and opened its mouth wider than Marcus thought possible. Just before Marcus satisfied the beast’s hunger, he thrashed to the side and caught it by surprise. Marcus’s tail was released and he spread his wings to stabilize himself. He spun around the beast once and bit into the monster’s neck, where its vulnerability was most open.
Marcus’s mouth filled with blood and he leapt from the beast. He watched with pride as a fountain of gore tore through the skies and cast a shadow on the city. It rained crimson tears as Marcus’s willpower gained strength and he reentered the fight. As his tail, wings, and claws ripped apart the undead, Marcus looked off into the distance to see if any of his friends were nearby. His heart leapt at the fact that none of his friends were over a quarter mile away.
Marcus heard a loud bang and the ground began to shake. The wet roadways cracked and small rivers of bile and gore filled the seams. Marcus turned around and leapt above the pile of gore.
The top lane of the bridge had collapsed and it took the lower half with it. Surprisingly enough, the cables and their attached sidewalks remained unmoved. There was just enough room on the sides for a few people to walk through unhindered.
Technically, their task was done. However, Marcus knew that as soon as they returned they would be sent back to finish the job. Marcus looked around when the shaking stopped and found that his friends were much closer than they were before. The undead rebuilt their ranks and charged once again. Marcus breathed another flame that took out an entire city street. He raised his wings to kill the sickly forms at his side, but one of them caught his eye.
Dem was covered in so much blood, gore, and pus that his gold fur did not shine as it once had. Isaac and Liz were both coated in large blobs of gore. The only trait that Marcus could use to tell Mish apart from Dragoon was the fact that her eyes were at the height of Dragoon’s ears. Karen was a mess, and she could not fly until each of her feathers was washed out. Marcus looked around and noticed how they were the only ones left alive.
They were all smiling; Liz was the first to laugh. In the thick rain of blood, which had yet to end, no undead could be seen. It had seemed as if they had won the fight. With literal million to one odds, no support, and no chance of survival, they had won. Dem was the first to speak. He asked, “So Marcus, can we go home now?”
Marcus could not hide his amusement when he said, “Sure, but I’m giving you a long bath.”
“Where? The water here is filthy and the only running plumbing is back at the island. How the hell are we supposed to get clean?”
“I hope you enjoy fire as much as I do. If you don’t, this may sting a little bit.”
Marcus breathed in and was about to release his floodgates when the hellish rain ended. It was half and hour since the giant among giant’s blood finally ran out and its ability to remain standing was at an end. The collapse demolished another building to the side and Marcus heard a loud roar at a distance. Then the roar became ten, then a hundred, then a thousand, then ten thousand.
It was but a small fraction compared to what they killed before, but they were tired, and the realization that their fight was not over lessened their will to fight. Each of them observed their fellow titanicus as the ranks of undead crashed into them. Marcus had more kills than anyone else as he took them on twelve at a time. Liz came next, as she was quick and clean with her deathly blade. Isaac was next, but only because of his artful approach to killing. The other titanicus were mixed, as each one had to first tackle and then decapitate their foe. The sun started to set as the fighting ended.
When the last undead fell, the group came to Marcus and they sat in a circle. Dragoon asked, “So, did anyone else keep track of their kills?”
Everyone said, “Aye,” with smiling faces. Dragoon said, “I killed four hundred thousand eight hundred and fifty two.”
Karen said, “I killed five hundred sixty four thousand two hundred and one.”
Mish said, “I killed seven hundred thousand two hundred and ninety three.”
Dem said, “I lost track as soon as I passed two million. Sorry.”
Isaac said, “I killed three million eight hundred thousand. It was around there that I lost count.”
Liz said, “Ha! I tied you.”
Marcus said, “I killed twelve million eight hundred fifty two thousand nine hundred and eleven.”
Everyone stared at him. Marcus’s smile grew ever larger until every razor-sharp tooth in his mouth was visible. Liz said, “Like I told you last time, you cheated-”
Marcus let out a flame that consumed her in a field of fire. He let the flame die out after thirty seconds and allowed Liz to stay lit like a candle. He turned to the rest of the group and said, “Does anyone else wish to complain?”
Dem said, “I don’t know, she does have a poi-”
Marcus released another flame that burned him too. Dem yelled out, “What the hell? How do you know my fur wont burn o-”
Again he was covered in fire. Dem shook his massive tail and the charred blood slipped off. Liz’s fire was finally doused; she stood and shook her body. Seconds later, she looked as if the fight had never occurred. She continued to shake until Dem whistled and she realized that her cloths had burned off. She covered herself not because of Marcus, who had seen it before, or Dragoon, who was married, but because Isaac and Dem were both staring at her; despite Dem’s cocky attitude and Isaac’s age, both of them were virgins.
Marcus needed a way to reach the wound, but before he could think of a plan, the monster threw him into the pile of undead corpses and repeatedly struck him in the stomach and chest. Marcus could not take flight, and his vision was blurring due to the gore that covered his eyes. His body went limp and Marcus pretended to be dead. The beast saw that its foe was beaten and picked up the dead thing. It roared in victory and held its trophy in the air by the hind legs like a chicken.
Then, like a flashback from the past, it lifted Marcus higher than before and opened its mouth wider than Marcus thought possible. Just before Marcus satisfied the beast’s hunger, he thrashed to the side and caught it by surprise. Marcus’s tail was released and he spread his wings to stabilize himself. He spun around the beast once and bit into the monster’s neck, where its vulnerability was most open.
Marcus’s mouth filled with blood and he leapt from the beast. He watched with pride as a fountain of gore tore through the skies and cast a shadow on the city. It rained crimson tears as Marcus’s willpower gained strength and he reentered the fight. As his tail, wings, and claws ripped apart the undead, Marcus looked off into the distance to see if any of his friends were nearby. His heart leapt at the fact that none of his friends were over a quarter mile away.
Marcus heard a loud bang and the ground began to shake. The wet roadways cracked and small rivers of bile and gore filled the seams. Marcus turned around and leapt above the pile of gore.
The top lane of the bridge had collapsed and it took the lower half with it. Surprisingly enough, the cables and their attached sidewalks remained unmoved. There was just enough room on the sides for a few people to walk through unhindered.
Technically, their task was done. However, Marcus knew that as soon as they returned they would be sent back to finish the job. Marcus looked around when the shaking stopped and found that his friends were much closer than they were before. The undead rebuilt their ranks and charged once again. Marcus breathed another flame that took out an entire city street. He raised his wings to kill the sickly forms at his side, but one of them caught his eye.
Dem was covered in so much blood, gore, and pus that his gold fur did not shine as it once had. Isaac and Liz were both coated in large blobs of gore. The only trait that Marcus could use to tell Mish apart from Dragoon was the fact that her eyes were at the height of Dragoon’s ears. Karen was a mess, and she could not fly until each of her feathers was washed out. Marcus looked around and noticed how they were the only ones left alive.
They were all smiling; Liz was the first to laugh. In the thick rain of blood, which had yet to end, no undead could be seen. It had seemed as if they had won the fight. With literal million to one odds, no support, and no chance of survival, they had won. Dem was the first to speak. He asked, “So Marcus, can we go home now?”
Marcus could not hide his amusement when he said, “Sure, but I’m giving you a long bath.”
“Where? The water here is filthy and the only running plumbing is back at the island. How the hell are we supposed to get clean?”
“I hope you enjoy fire as much as I do. If you don’t, this may sting a little bit.”
Marcus breathed in and was about to release his floodgates when the hellish rain ended. It was half and hour since the giant among giant’s blood finally ran out and its ability to remain standing was at an end. The collapse demolished another building to the side and Marcus heard a loud roar at a distance. Then the roar became ten, then a hundred, then a thousand, then ten thousand.
It was but a small fraction compared to what they killed before, but they were tired, and the realization that their fight was not over lessened their will to fight. Each of them observed their fellow titanicus as the ranks of undead crashed into them. Marcus had more kills than anyone else as he took them on twelve at a time. Liz came next, as she was quick and clean with her deathly blade. Isaac was next, but only because of his artful approach to killing. The other titanicus were mixed, as each one had to first tackle and then decapitate their foe. The sun started to set as the fighting ended.
When the last undead fell, the group came to Marcus and they sat in a circle. Dragoon asked, “So, did anyone else keep track of their kills?”
Everyone said, “Aye,” with smiling faces. Dragoon said, “I killed four hundred thousand eight hundred and fifty two.”
Karen said, “I killed five hundred sixty four thousand two hundred and one.”
Mish said, “I killed seven hundred thousand two hundred and ninety three.”
Dem said, “I lost track as soon as I passed two million. Sorry.”
Isaac said, “I killed three million eight hundred thousand. It was around there that I lost count.”
Liz said, “Ha! I tied you.”
Marcus said, “I killed twelve million eight hundred fifty two thousand nine hundred and eleven.”
Everyone stared at him. Marcus’s smile grew ever larger until every razor-sharp tooth in his mouth was visible. Liz said, “Like I told you last time, you cheated-”
Marcus let out a flame that consumed her in a field of fire. He let the flame die out after thirty seconds and allowed Liz to stay lit like a candle. He turned to the rest of the group and said, “Does anyone else wish to complain?”
Dem said, “I don’t know, she does have a poi-”
Marcus released another flame that burned him too. Dem yelled out, “What the hell? How do you know my fur wont burn o-”
Again he was covered in fire. Dem shook his massive tail and the charred blood slipped off. Liz’s fire was finally doused; she stood and shook her body. Seconds later, she looked as if the fight had never occurred. She continued to shake until Dem whistled and she realized that her cloths had burned off. She covered herself not because of Marcus, who had seen it before, or Dragoon, who was married, but because Isaac and Dem were both staring at her; despite Dem’s cocky attitude and Isaac’s age, both of them were virgins.