Against the darkness

Lightning flashed across the sky as a young woman emerged from a small wood lot on to a rain soaked field. As she ran the pouring rain it assaulted her washing some of the grim that covered her flame red hair and the tatters that were suppose to be her clothes. As another flash of lighting lit up the sky the young woman took a panicked look back to the tree line. There she saw the silhouette of her pursuer emerge from the woods and started walking towards her as if he had all the time in the world. Who he was and why he was after her were just two of the many questions that filled her head. Her name was Stephanie that much she knew about herself, but that was all. It was a frightening situation that she had awoken in a short time ago. Awakening all alone in a pool of mud amidst the current downpour with no memory of who or where she was. She could remember the names of places and things like mathematics and science, famous people and important historical figures like Julius Caesar. However any personal memory other than her name eluded her. As she tried to not only find her bearings to where she was, but also tried to wretch some hint of who she was from the depths of her mind he had appeared. Wearing chain mail armour like he was out of a story about knights and warriors from hundreds of years ago he wordlessly attacked her trying his best to strike her down with his sword. Even with his attire being several hundred years out of date whoever he was his intent was plain, and she had barely managed to escape with her life.
Now Steph was on the run from this maniac, with now idea at whom she was or why this man was after her. The only thing about the situation that gave her any hope was a vague feeling that somewhere ahead of her was a place where she would be safe. Steph clung to that hope, and used it to quell her fear, even if this unseen sanctuary was nothing she wanted to die with the thought that there was a place where she belonged.
Once again she took a look over her shoulder at her attacker and was dismayed by the fact that even at his leisurely pace he was able to close the gape between them. While looking back at him she stumbled on the uneven ground. She took the fall hard landing face down in the mud. All rational thought was thrown from her head as panic over. Crawling forward on her hands and knees in a desperate attempt to get away, she once again looked behind her while he made his first sound, that of laughter. “I have chased you across entire worlds,” he taunted her, his baritone voice cutting through the noise of the raging storm. “Did you really think that this feeble attempt to escape would work? Accept your fate, and die with some dignity.”
His words brought the mud caked girl to a halt, what did he mean by chasing her across worlds? Was he truly deranged, was she at the mercy of a madman. “Why?” She cried out, “why, are you trying to kill me?”
Their eyes locked in the gloom of the night, and he actually came to a brief halt. “Enough of these games hell's spawn,” he murmured so softly that with the storm she should not have been able to hear him. “Your existence is crime enough, but your kind always leaves atrocities and worse in your wake.” Once again he started toward her with an even more determined stride his moment of hesitation gone.
Fear once again taking over Steph started the useless process of crawling forward her dim light of hope dwindling and with it any energy to run so crawling was her last fleeting gesture of survival. Keeping her eyes locked on him Steph was surprised when the mail clad madman came to a sudden stop, not only halting his advance but he also readied his sword as if he were preparing to defend himself.
Still crawling forward, her heart jumped and she let loose a primal scream as her hand clasped onto a leg. Slowly and with great trepidation she brought her gaze forward. Standing over her was a young man wearing nothing more than some shorts. His large muscular frame was made more imposing due to the fact that his arms and chest were covered in tattoos and his long jet black hair was blowing freely in the wind. In his one hand propped up against his hip almost lazily was a massive axe made for war as much as the maniac’s sword. For all of the harshness of the new individual’s appearance he gazed down at her and she could see a swirl of emotions in his eyes, sadness, joy excitement and dread. Raising his eyes from hers the young man knelt down and placed his free hand gently on her shoulder. “Your safe now,” he whispered his voice betraying a bit of confusion.
This ones appearance was so shocking that she had nearly had forgotten her attacker however, she was reminded of his presence as he shifted in the distance causing his armour to jingle. Her saviour rose and took a step over her to put himself between the two of them. “Don't know who you are, and to tell you the truth I don't really care, if you leave now, we won’t have a problem, stay and try to finish what it looks like you're trying to do and there will be.” The gentleness his voice held for her was now gone replace by such hostility that it sent a chill down her spine.
The armoured man was not shaken however and his look of surprise at the others appearance turned into amusement. “You would defend that?” He spat out, making each word drip with scorn. “Do you not realise that she would feel no guilt about brining this world to ruin. SHE IS A DEMON A FOUL CREATURE THAT MUST BE HUNTED DOWN!” That last came out as such a passionate yell that her defender took an involuntary step backwards nearly stepping on her.
“Demon, probably,” those words coming from someone who was ready to fight for her sent Steph for a mental loop. A demon her mind told her that demons were sadistic creatures that wanted nothing more than to bring ruin to all they encountered. Yet she did not feel evil but than again would she if she were a demon, if she was would not the world be better off with her dead. As these dark thoughts consumed her attention she missed her defenders next words. “She was not always a demon, and more importantly she’s my friend, she is a good person and has done more to help others than you would be willing to believe.”
“Walk away, I have no wish to kill men but if they stand with demons than that leaves me little choice.” The warrior sounded as if the thought of fighting another man regrettable but he was resolute on her destruction.
“This could go on all night,” her defender said with a mocking air. “I’ll ask again leave now or shall we dance Ahab?”
A puzzled expression crossed the armoured one's face for a brief instant as he wondered about the name that he was just called. As fast as it happened however it was gone and he lunged across the space separating them driving his sword toward the others chest. The handle of the axe came across and deflected the strike. Almost if that was expected the swordsman reversed the arc of his blade and sent it toward the others head. The big man dropped quickly to one knee and let the sword pass above his head, at the same time he brought his axe down in a vicious chop at his opponents legs. The swordsman jumped back to avoid the swing and as the axe travelled past he quickly darted in and hit Steph's defender in the face with the pommel of his sword. After the sickening crack of several bones breaking from the force of the blow, Steph's defender went limp and crumpled to the ground.
The swordsman casually stepped over the others form so that he was now standing directly over her. Steph held her breath in anticipation as he raised his sword with both hands readying himself to drive it through her. She did not even try to move, if she was a demon and evil she knew that she had to die. She would not be able to exist if she was the cause of others suffering, having somehow managed to gain another’s devotion.
As she accepted her fate a new voice called out. “Ahh Corean” the warning seemed to have come from the sword itself. “He's not exactly finished.”
The warrior whirled around and as he did Steph looked past him to see a werewolf crouching where her defender had fallen.
“You, you are not tainted by a demons essence.” The swordsman named Corean stammered. “How can this be if no demon resides within your soul?” He was obviously shocked by this turn of events, to the point where he seemed to have forgotten her. As for Steph with all of the bizarre things that seemed to be happening to her tonight this seemed to fit right in. Yet she was a little disturbed if a werewolf was her devoted defender than it was another argument on the side of her being evil.
It came out in a guttural mess but her defender did manage to answer. “I have faced the demon inside of me and destroyed it.”
“Knowing first hand their natures, and you still choose to defend this thing?” Corean exclaimed obviously taken aback, “a willing servant is always worse than the master.”
“She's the reason that I am still as much of a man as I am.” The werewolf grunted quietly, “and it’s too bad you are such a fanatic on the matter because there is a story here that would open your eyes.”
“You are no man,” the swordsman snarled as he lunged forward once again trying to impale her defender.
As he lunged the werewolf stepped forward and caught the swordsman's arm to divert the strike then almost gently he grabbed him by the throat and lifted him clean off of the ground. With a growl the werewolf tossed the man aside sending him sprawling through the air, the force of the toss making him lose his grip on the sword sending it in the other direction. The werewolf than leapt so that he was on top of Corean one hand pinning him down while one clawed hand was raised ready to slash down. Steph had brought herself to her feet watching the fight with a swirl of emotions not fully knowing if she wanted the werewolf to be the winner. Her defender hesitated before striking and looked over to her as if seeking her approval. As their eyes met she knew that he was truly a friend, she could also see in those inhuman eyes that he did not want to kill his opponent but would if she needed it to be done. In that moment of understanding unnoticed by the pair of them Corean's sword slid across the ground and into it's masters outstretched and waiting hand. Steph watched in horror as an arc of electricity ran down the blade and shot up and enveloped the werewolf. The blast hurled him a short distance away, and left her defender writhing on the ground as the blue glow of electricity pulsed visibly all over his body.
The swordsman slowly regained his own feet and moved so that he was standing over the incapacitated beast. With a snarl Corean raised his sword to drive it into the werewolf when another blast of lightning came from behind her to strike the swordsman in the chest making him take a couple of steps backwards. “What now?” he exclaimed with a grunt. “How many servants do you have in this world?”
Steph wished that she knew the answer as she looked over her shoulder. Now entering the fray was another young man as well as a young woman both dressed for sleep. The man briskly strode by her to put himself between her attacker and her. The young woman put her arm around her shoulder and tried to lead her away. “Come on Steph; let’s get you out of here.”
“Who are you?” Steph asked quietly, receiving a look of confusion in response. “He,” pointing towards Corean “says that I am a demon.”
The young woman let a grimace pass over her face giving Steph confirmation. “Steph,” was all that the girl got out before Corean let out a primal scream of rage right before unleashing a stream of fire from his sword meant to burn the three of them to cinders. With a quick hand gesture the blonde haired young man did something, and the inferno was diverted harmlessly around them as if it had hit some unseen force. Steph was once again awed by what was going on around her for her mind told her that all these things that were happening were impossible.
The fanatical swordsman wore a shocked expression after the flames died off and he saw his targets standing there unscathed. “What does it take to kill you hell spawn?” He demanded in utter disbelief.
The voice that seemed to come from the sword once again called out, “I'm sorry old friend but we are outmatched.” To emphasize the warning the werewolf took advantage of the fact that he was now being ignored he took Corean by the shoulders flinging him to the ground. As soon as he landed the werewolf pounced down on him once again pinning him to the ground. This time however he made sure to restrain the hand holding the magical sword.
“Strike then and end it beast, and may the abyss consume your soul.”
“Don't kill him,” Steph said quietly pulling away from the other young woman. “You all seem to know who, what I am. I need to know is what he says true, am I a demon am I evil?”
For a moment everyone stood there in the downpour frozen in place. Even the swordsman seemed to be taken back by the lack response. After what seemed like an eternity for Steph the other girl once again put her arm around her and looked into her eyes. “You don't remember us?” she asked receiving a shake of the head as a response. “Oh my god Steph. You don't know us;” Steph shook her head unable to speak. “My god I didn't realize, we were just so happy to see you again and you were in trouble that well, never figured you wouldn't know us.” Taking a moment to embrace Steph fiercely she once again started to lead her off into the night.
This time Steph did not resist. “Where are you taking me, why won't you answer me?”
This brought the girl to a halt. “Its complicated,” she hesitated. “The demon thing I don't know, it is probable, but you are not evil if you were would it really matter to you if you were or not?”
“Steph, we are your friends.” The werewolf said as he slowly shifted back into a man. With a quick jerk of his arm he flung Corean's talking sword toward the other man, “and we are not evil.”
He than stood back and pulled the warrior to his feet. “My name is Gabriel,” he said to her, “and I have known you my entire life. Come with us and let us tell you about who you are and what you have been through, it might jog something in your memory.” Gabriel then addressed the warrior. “You should come to and find out about the person you are trying to kill. It might change your perspective.”
“Why should I, what about that thing makes it worthy of such devotion, it is a demon.” Corean snarled.
The other young man scooped up the sword and tossed it back to its owner. “Half demon, she is a half demon. Her mother is a demon, and her father was a man, one who hunted demons down and sent them back to the abyss.”
Steph felt relief building within her, she was not a demon, and her mother is but what he meant by her father was a man. All of her past it seemed was known to this group and they were willing to share it with her, and hopefully as this Gabriel said that it would open her memories. “So, what happened to me?” She asked with building excitement.
Again the trio of her defenders exchanged glances unsure of what to say. “You will hear in time,” the girl said then adding to Corean. “Please will you listen as well?”
Corean grunted, “Fine I will come with you and listen, but if I am not satisfied our battle will resume.” He sheathed his sword and it murmured to him unheard by the rest.
Being ignored like that was starting to wear on Steph's patience while she understood the fact that this Corean had to be placated so this did not end in someone's death she desperately wanted to know what her so called friends were avoiding to tell her. “What happened?” Her tone relaying her frustration making the others focus their attention elsewhere.
It was Gabriel who after a moments hesitation gave her an answer, “Steph well, you see, it, well you see, you died.”