The City of Eternals - Chapter 1

Friday night, the most social night of the week – although some might argue that could have been a Wednesday night when all the students are out, but none the less, people would be out getting drunk and mating right about now but for some people, tonight will bring monster slaying.

Pushing the wooden door open, Scott quietly stepped into the dust filled hallway of the once public drinking house. His acute eyesight picked up flecks of dust as they flew through the air on the opening of the door. Taking a minute to hone his hearing, he picked up the most subtle of noises and one of those noises was a scared muffled groan – a teenager, about fifteen years old he gathered and the person who he had been tracking for his client for the past few days now. Quietly unsheathing his silver-blessed short sword from his left hip and carrying it in his right hand, he made his way over to the direction of the muffles.

Getting to the wooden door which had subtle candlelight peering under the crack, he took the handle with his free hand and quietly turned it. Pushing the door open, which surprisingly didn’t creak, Scott stood in the doorway and looked in on the room.

The room was small – a living room of a 1 bedroom flat. It had one broken window at the far end, the sofa and chairs had been moved to the one side and in the centre of the room was a table which looked like it belonged in a kitchen. It was surrounded by lit-candles and chanting Asmodens – a sect of Demons with brown skin, yellow eyes and a group of six horns on top of their heads. Tied to the table was, Casandra – the daughter of Scott’s client.

“Doesn’t Hell teach ‘Thou shalt not murder’?” Scott said in a sarcastic tone, interrupting the chants.

Seizing their chants, the six Asmodens turned their gaze upon Scott.
“Who the hell are you?” the lead Asmoden said in an aggressive tone.

Holding his sword down to the side in his right hand, Scott stepped into the room more, keeping a calm domineer and his eyes peeled on any subtle movements made by the Asmodens.

“I’m here for the girl.”
Turning his head back towards Casandra and then back to Scott, the lead Asmoden let out a snarl, “never!”

Before Scott could even respond, the Asmoden far right leaped over the table towards him. Using his supernatural speed and reflexes, Scott stepped to his left and spun underneath the Asmodens attacking arm as he came down towards him. Slicing his silver sword towards the Asmoden’s mid-section, the blessed silver combined with the sharpness of the blade sliced through the skin and bone, the silver burning the flesh and melting away the bone. As the Asmoden fell to the floor screaming in pain as his life quickly slipped away from him, Scott locked his eyes on the other Asmodens.

“Kill him!!” the lead Asmoden shouted out.

Backing up giving himself room to manoeuvre, Scott locked on to the two Asmodens that was coming at him brandishing two small blades.

The Asmodens were known for their skills with the blade, so Scott knew he would have to be on his toes and use his agility advantage he had over them and hope that his own skills with the sword could find an opening.

Seeing a thrust coming at him from the foremost attacking Asmoden, Scott parried to his left causing the attacking blade to push away from his body. As he did, the Asmoden that was slightly behind the foremost one came in with an overhead swing. Bringing his blade round in a crescent moon shape, Scott deflected the blade attack. Using his speed advantage, Scott, who already saw the foremost Asmoden regrouping, jumped up into the air and spun in between the two Asmodens, landing behind them facing away from them. Spinning around to his left, he sliced the Asmoden standing to his right across the back of the knee – the blade cut through the flesh, searing it at the same time and melted the miscues causing the Asmoden to collapse to the ground.

Backing up as the other Asmoden turned to face him, Scott’s enhanced eyesight saw the reflection of an attacking Asmoden coming behind him. Raising his sword up over his head, he heard the clang of steel as blade met blade. Seeing a thrust attack coming towards him, Scott pivoted around to his left causing the one Asmoden stab the other one in the chest. Bringing his sword down across the outstretched arms of the original attacking Asmoden, his ears filled with blood curdling screams as his sword sliced right through his arms.

Three down, three to go.

Backing up and holding his sword firmly in his right hand, keeping his left hand now free but closed into his body, he kept his limbs lose and eyes focused on the three remaining opponents. He knew the Asmodens wouldn’t rush in, since the result of that mentality has caused them to lose three of their men and him, himself wouldn’t attack first since attacking first can open one up to all kinds of follow up attacks, especially if you are skilled in swordsmanship as the Asmodens were – even though it didn’t seem like it at this point in time. Scott knew he needed to do something to provoke an attack.

The Asmodens were a sect of Demons which only believed in one thing – Hell on Earth. They served and gave allegiance to one of the seventh Princes of Hell – Asmodeus and had one very glaring weakness – their tempers. The one thing to rile up their tempers? Making fun of their Prince.

“So, tell me,” Scott started, “Asmodeus, does he pay you in kind for each virgin sacrifice or do you get a group discount?”
The lead Asmoden growled showing his sharp teeth. “Don’t speak on something you have no comprehension of!”
Locking his eyes with the lead Asmoden’s, Scott kept his tone sarcastic and insulting. “I have no comprehension of?” He gave an insulting chuckle. “If having no comprehension of your Prince means I won’t have to pay respect to a Prince which clearly has the sense of a toad, then I am glad!”

That is all it took as the lead Asmoden lunged forwards with an over-the-head swing attack of his blade. Countering with supernatural speed and reflexes into the Lift counter, Scott stepped to the right out of the way of the blade and brought his sword up in an uppercut fashion slicing against his wrist.

Watching the lead Asmoden spin out of the way and droplets of green blood trail his movement pattern, Scott had no time to follow up since the lead Asmoden commanded his flunkies to attack.

Ducking underneath ones attack as they came in with a stabbing attack, Scott lifted his sword up as the ducking technique landed him right in the path of the other Asmoden. Deflecting the attack from the other Asmoden, Scott used his free hand to grab his attacker by the scruff of the shirt he was wearing, and using his enhanced strength, he spun him around into the now turning Asmoden causing them both to fall to the floor. In one strike, Scott raised his sword up over his head and drilled his silver sword through the spine of one Asmoden and the torso of the other one as they were on top of each other.

Turning to his right because he knew he had one more to deal with, Scott was taken by surprise by an uppercut strike by a 2x4 plank of wood, He wasn’t taken by surprise by the attack by the lead Asmoden, because it was only natural to attack someone when their attentions wasn’t solely on you, but by the quickness and strength of the attack.
 
Losing his balance, Scott twirled in the air as he fell towards the ground. Hitting the wooden planks, he knew a follow up attack would be coming, so, on instinct and Intelligence, he quickly rolled to the side and saw the 2x4 smack off the planks of wood where he had fallen. Now on his back and seeing the Asmoden raise the 2x4 up over his head – clearly an act of rage and not Intelligence, Scott saw an opening and took it without a second thought.

Raising his legs up, Scott kicked his legs out forwards, right into the kneecaps of the Asmoden. Hearing a crunch of bone and screams, quickly getting up to his feet, Scott pulled out his silver sword from the now two dead demons and spun around slicing the last demons head off.

Letting a breath out, Scott cleaned his blade of the green blood with a rag cloth he found on the floor. Sheathing his weapon back into its scabbard, Scott headed over to the table and Casandra. Looking down at her seeing she was clearly scared as her blonde hair was stuck to her sweaty brow, “It’s alright, I am here to help you,” he said in a calm tone and a smile.

Reaching down and gently untying her gag, he offered his hand and stepping back a step pulled her up to a sitting position on the table.
“Di-did my Mum send you?” Cassandra asked, her tone shaky.
“Yes. Let’s get you home shall we?” he replied with a soft smile.
Responding with a nod, Scott gently took her hand and helped her up off the table.

Guiding her through the room and back out into the hallway, Scott retraced his steps through the door, down the creaky staircase and to the back door which he had pulled open with his enhanced strength since it was only locked with a single padlock and chain. Coming to a stop before they exited, Scott took off his knee-length black leather coat and offered it to Casandra. “It’s cold out.”
Accepting his coat, Cassandra allowed him to place it around her shoulders and followed him out the door.

Taking her down the small alleyway which lay to the side of the building and across the street, Scott took the keys out of his coat pocket which was bellowing subtly in the wind on Cassandra’s petite body and unlocked his black Peugeot 206. Pulling the passenger seat forwards. “Go on, you will be back home soon” Scott said in a soft tone. Stepping back so she could climb into the back, he replaced the seat and closed the door.

As the door closed the night air suddenly filled with a scream and then a blood curdling howl. Giving Cassandra a quick its okay look, Scott quickly headed towards where the scream and howl came from, unsheathing his sword as he got close.

Getting to an alleyway which sat between a set of maisonettes and a wall with a train track down below, Scott’s blue eyes fell upon a grey furred monster that was hunched over a male bloody corpse. Sending a whistle over its way, Scott held his sword down by his side as the creature raised its head up and its hungry white eyes locked with Scott’s and it was confirmed – it was a Werewolf.

The Werewolf had grey fur and hungry looking white eyes – the lore about werewolves eyes changing colour when they transformed is utter cowpat and originates from an amber reflecting into an eye of a Werewolf sometime back in middle –ages which was recorded down by the legendary Dr. Abraham Van Helsing and over the years it has become a staple in cinema and books, but the true fact is they kept their individual eye colour. Blood tangled with flesh and guts dropped down from the wolf’s mouth as it stepped forwards over the body and gave a challenging snarl.

Keeping his sword steady and his eyes locked, Scott was all about ready for a fight when a noise from the maisonettes startled the creature and it quickly turned and escaped over the wall. Quickly following the wolf’s direction, Scott peered down from over the wall and saw the wolf heading towards the city – damn! He knew he couldn’t let a Werewolf roam free but he also knew he needed to take care of Casandra.

Seeing the darkness light up, Scott looked over his shoulder and saw a light come on in one of the flats. Sheathing his sword and checking on the corpse – it was indeed dead, he quickly made his way back to the Peugeot. Peering in through the window, Cassandra had fallen asleep. Looking up to the night-sky, he saw that the moon was not yet full which meant the wolf would look for somewhere to rest after its feed – he had time to get Cassandra back to her parents’ house and deal with the creature. Swinging around to the driver’s side, he got it, switched the engine on and headed for Cassandra’s parents’ house.