Chapter Seventeen: Ferocious Gez

Chichi and Sketta didn't let me out of their sight, even when I had to use the bathroom. Chichi was talkative as she yapped about how excited she was to work with everyone. Sketta was quiet, but her expressive eyes showed hatred for Hekin. She bit him, clawed him, drank his blood like a vampire, but he didn't complain. Did she have him under some sort of spell?

Once the girls were busy collecting firewood for the night, I poked Hekin to grab his attention. He seemed drained of energy yet content as he sat on a rock, watching the sunset. The ocean waves glittered the orange glow of the sun as the relaxing sound of the waves calmed our souls.

"Is everything all right?" I asked. "Sketta has been treating you badly, hasn't she?"

Hekin stared at the bite marks she left on his arm. "Tark, have you ever loved someone?"

The question caught me off-guard. "Well, sure. Is that how you feel about Sketta?"

Hekin worked his jaw. "I don't understand it. She hates me, but I can't give up."

I tapped my chin as I glanced at Sketta whom was approaching with a bundle of logs. "Sketta, sit down and chat with us." She scowled at first, but once I gave a stern look, she obeyed. "Why are you biting Hekin, hmm?"

She stared at the ground and grumbled.

"What was that?" I blurted.

"His blood tastes good," she admitted. Her cheeks flushed as Hekin gazed at her in surprise.

"You were human before, weren't you, Hekin?" I queried. "She's like a giant mosquito."

She grunted in annoyance.

"From now on, you have to ask me to drink his blood," I told her. "Once a week, and that's it!" She pouted at first and eventually nodded.

Hekin chuckled and sighed. It made him appear even more exhausted.

"Is that agreeable?" I asked him.

He nodded and continued gazing at the shore. A minute later, he bolted to his feet and dashed to the ocean.

"What's up with him?" I muttered. I stared in the direction he was facing. A huge shadow the size of a skyscraper was flowing through the water. I rubbed my eyes and focused. It was hard to tell what it could be with the fading sun. "Chichi! Sketta! Get over here! Quick!"

"What is it, Master?" Chichi blurted as she bumped Sketta aside with her hips. Sketta hissed at her and bared her fangs. "Chill, sista."

"What's that shadow over there?" I pointed out.

Chichi squeaked in alarm as Sketta flew for the shore.

Hekin was running towards it. Wasn't he controlling fire spirits? They would be useless in the water. Sketta flew after him and hovered at his location. It all seemed strange; I didn't recall the water being so far out before. I scratched my head as I figured it could be low tide.

The shadow's true form emerged, revealing a giant lizard creature that had maws in the place of its claws. Black scales shimmered with the crimson glow of the moon as it approached, a tsunami following right behind.

Sketta grabbed Hekin by the arms and carried him back to the cliff. The tsunami roared as it brought debris of broken trees where they had been just moments earlier.

"Hekin! Are you all right?" I started as I helped Sketta lower him. He was shaking and seemed pale. I warmed him with a fur blanket and kept him near the campfire. Sketta stomped out the flames, and I was about to reprimand her when the giant lizard creature's thundering footsteps caught my attention.

Chichi and Sketta pulled us behind the tree line and into a den.

"Stay here, Master," Chichi whispered. "We'll distract him and keep him away."

"Please! Be careful!" I told them. They flew off into the night, and I couldn't help but wonder if they'd survive. The lizard creature was the stuff of nightmares.

"It's-it's Gez," Hekin muttered. "Don't let them . . . go near him."

"They've already left," I whispered. "What'll happen if they go near?"

Hekin groaned in pain and curled into a ball. Could this creature cause pain without physical interactions? Why was he affecting Hekin?

The footsteps sounded much closer, and it made me feel like a fool to think we could survive a world of power hungry demons. I patted the feather in my arm brace, wishing for any solution that could get us out of this alive.

"What do you think you're doing, Gez?!" Jopp shouted.

I gasped and peeked out the den. I couldn't see a damn thing in the dark.

"Ah, so you're alive," a rumbling voice answered.

"Your damn death eels wanted us dead!" Jopp accused. "I thought we were friends! You're nothing but scum to me, now!"

Gez roared with laughter. "I don't plan on sharing the world, Jopp. You're too weak to defeat me!"

There was a loud crash, and the earth caved in beneath us. I fell on my bum in some sort of cave, and Hekin fell on top of me. I winced in pain as I moved him off me and got to my feet. I rubbed my aching backside as I glanced above us. I was about to shout for help when Hekin grabbed my leg and gasped for air. "Hekin!" I cried. "What's happening?"

"Shut the hell up and listen!" Hekin blurted. Gez can control the dead and he's poisoned the air! The feather is protecting you, but we don't know for how long." He gazed at the hole that bled the crimson glow of the moon. "Damn Jopp ruined Sketta and Chichi's plan."

A hiss from behind made my hair stand up. Hekin reacted with his flames, and they revealed a huge black eel the size of a polar bear with a gaping maw of long, sharp teeth. Hekin collapsed in front of me, and the eel slithered closer, using its front fins to climb towards us. I pulled Hekin away from its reach until my back hit a wall. We had nowhere else to go but up.

An explosion sounded from above, and I gulped. Maybe not up.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. Hekin was under my control; does that mean he can do whatever I command?

"Hekin!" I began. "Become immune to poison, now!" There was a shimmer of blue light that washed over him, and his tense muscles relaxed. He breathed deeper and seemed unhindered by pain. He opened his eyes and stared at me for a moment.

Once the eel hissed again, Hekin blasted it away with a fire spell. He got to his feet, his eyes revealing murderous intentions.

"Gez is so damn dead!" he muttered. "This way, Tark." Sketta was hovering above us, and she pulled me up and onto the cliff. She dove back for Hekin. I glanced around for Gez and Jopp, but they were nowhere in sight.

I yelped when something sharp pierced my foot. I had to squint to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

There was a tiny black lizard, not any bigger than my nuts. It was holding a sword and swinging it at me.

Jopp's red claws captured it, and his dark eyes glimmered with malice.

I looked away as he crunched into the creature, swallowing after a few chews.

"How-how did you?" I started, unable to find the words.

Jopp grinned at me before he revealed two kids, human kids, that stepped out from behind him.

I kneeled before them, and they seemed frightened by the whole ordeal. The younger child ran to me and hugged me. His light blond hair almost covered his hazel eyes. The older one studied me at first with curious green eyes. His blond hair was darker and longer. When he realized I meant no harm, he stayed close. Their clothes looked like they had bleached in the sun, and speckles of blood stained them.

"Don't tell anyone your names," I warned. "You're not going to fatten them up and eat them, right Jopp?"

He licked his chops, as if contemplating. His dark eyes caught my daring stare, and he smirked. "The last angel wants them alive."

I gasped when a redhead angel with golden wings drifted to the ground beside him. "The boys call her Mil. The younger one is Rif, and the older one is Golir."

"Nice to meet you, everyone," I offered.

Their stomachs growled with impatience.

I laughed as water and dried fish was passed around.