CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

The fog was so thick that neither Gabriel nor Asha could see what was going on, but Rogue could. He’d heard stories about the goblin hordes but never thought he’d ever encounter them, especially topside. The Inquisitors and their allies fought valiantly, but they were no match for the ferocity of the goblins.

“What do you see?” Gabriel asked. All he could make out in the fog was shadows and the screams of the dying.

“It’s bad,” Rogue said, drawing his remaining revolver.

Asha stopped using her physical eyes and let her magical senses roam. “Looks like the shit is getting thick,” Asha said, drawing her knife and smearing leftover blood on the blade.

“Thick ain’t the word.” Rogue mowed down an unsuspecting goblin with the Viper.

“What the hell was that?” Asha craned her neck to try to see what they had hit.

“You don’t wanna know,” Rogue told her.

“My grandfather is in there, isn’t he?” Gabriel was getting agitated.

“Gabriel, just be calm,” Rogue tried to soothe him.

“I’m tired of being calm; being calm has gotten me nothing but my ass kicked all night.” The Nimrod appeared in his hand. Gabriel reached for the door handle.

“What the hell are you doing?” Rogue spared a glance over his shoulder.

“Finally taking responsibility for the mess I created.” Gabriel pushed the door open and threw himself out of the speeding car. His body never made a sound when it hit the ground and disappeared into the fog.

“Damn that kid!” Rogue swerved the Viper. He was so busy scanning the fog for Gabriel that he didn’t see the two bodies directly in front of him.

“Rogue, look out!” Asha grabbed the wheel and yanked it to one side. The Viper fishtailed and slammed into a parked car.

“Are you crazy? I should blow your head off for that.” Rogue aimed the gun at her.

“If you shoot me, then I won’t be able to save you from him.” Asha pointed out the window. Rogue turned in time to avoid Illini’s spear that was crashing through the window. While Rogue and the goblin struggled for the spear, Asha climbed out the window and stood on the hood of the car. She raised her hands to the heavens and shouted, “Azuma, be my strength!” From the monkey’s hiding place on an adjacent rooftop he answered his mistress’s call, adding his power to her own as she rushed Illini.

The goblin abandoned his spear and turned his attention to the hurling witch. He deflected her blade’s strike and placed his palm on her stomach. Pain shot through her body as he burned a print of his hand into her gut. Asha hit the ground and looked up at the goblin in shock. In all that she had learned about the warrior race, she’d never known them to have a hand of power.

Illini flexed his smoldering hand and answered the question in Asha’s eyes: “It was a gift from one of the fire elementals. I took it as my own after I ate him. I wonder what I’ll be able to salvage from you when you’re reduced to bones.”

“You won’t be finding out anytime soon.” Rogue appeared behind Illini, holding his spear. Rogue drove the spear through the goblin’s stomach and tossed him into the fog.

“On your feet, girl; that little nick won’t keep him out of our hair for long.” Rogue helped Asha up.

“You drove a spear through his stomach. I don’t think he’ll be a problem for anyone anytime soon,” Asha said, gently prodding the handprint on her stomach. The skin was blistered and raised, but she would live.

“That’s because you don’t know jack shit about goblin anatomy. Now, let’s go find Gabriel.” Rogue pulled her deeper into the fog. Rogue did his best to avoid being stabbed, shot, or bitten as he navigated the mist. He spotted a girl lying prone on the ground, aglow with magic … mage magic. His eyes whipped back and forth in search of the mage who had cast the spell, and Rogue’s blood went cold when he laid eyes on Flag. Asha took a step forward, but Rogue held her back. “Tend to the girl. I’ll handle this.” He moved to meet Flag in the center of the fog.

Asha carefully approached Lydia, as she knelt with her blades gasping for breath. “Are you okay?” Asha called to her.

“Who’s there?” Lydia raised one of the blades and turned in the direction of Asha’s voice. She didn’t look like she had the strength to swing it, but Asha wasn’t taking any chances.

“My name is Asha and I’m on your side, so can you put away the blades so I can see how badly you’re hurt?” Asha said. Lydia hesitated for a minute, but she let Asha examine her. The girl was still crackling with mage magic, but she would be okay. “How many of them are there?”

“I don’t know; it seems like they’re coming from everywhere,” Lydia told her. Lydia felt around for the second blade and put the two back together again. “I have to go; they’ve got Redfeather.” She used the spear to pull herself to her feet.

“Sister, you gotta let that magic bleed off before you do anything.” Asha touched Lydia’s shoulder. Flag’s magic felt vile when it touched Asha’s, but she let it seep into her from the girl. “Who’s got him and where did they take him?”

“The goblins. I heard the mage say something about taking him to a mountain,” Lydia recalled.

Asha didn’t know what Lydia meant by the mountain, but she knew what goblins were. The elders would tell them horror stories about the tunnel dwellers when she was a girl. If they were what were lurking in the fog, then Asha knew that it was the last place she wanted to be. “Come on; we’re getting the hell outta this fog.” Asha grabbed Lydia by the hand and led her off.

“You know, I knew if I looked hard enough I’d find a murdering sack of shit like you tied up in this. There’s a king’s ransom on your head.” Rogue raised his gun.

Flag waved his hands through the air and called up his power. “You’re welcome to try and collect the bounty, freak. Rogue, if you try to stop me, Lord Titus will make sure that the demon who pulls your strings suffers for it. I’d like to see what would happen if he decided to take more than your eyes this time.”

“To keep the likes of you from bringing about hell on earth it’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Rogue fired his weapon at the same time Flag released his power. Rogue managed to raise a magical barrier, but it only slowed the blast. For the third time that night he found himself airborne. Rogue righted himself just in time to see Flag rushing him with one of the goblin’s discarded swords. Against his better judgment Rogue again called on the shadows and sent a pillar of darkness swirling at Flag. It staggered the mage, but Rogue didn’t have the strength to make the blow a fatal one

In a fair fight, taking down Flag wouldn’t have been easy, but as injured as Rogue was it was almost suicide. He dropped to one knee and with shaky hands tried to reload his revolver, but Flag was on him. Rogue was barely able to duck out of the way of the swinging blade. Using the empty revolver, he backhanded the blade away and punched Flag in the nose, breaking it. Rogue followed with a spinning kick that put Flag on his back. Before he could get up, Rogue hog-tied him in shadow. Flag opened his mouth to work a spell, but Rogue gagged it with another shadow patch.

Rogue leaned over Flag and smiled. “It ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun, is it?” Rogue had barely had time to savor his victory when pain shot through his skull. A hulking goblin lifted him from the ground by his dreads and shook him violently before tossing him to the ground like a piece of trash. The goblin raised his battle-ax over Rogue’s head for the killing blow and suddenly found his leathery hide pierced with dozens of needle-thin shadows. “I’ve spent more time on the ground tonight than a homeless person.” The shadows lifted the goblin from the ground. “And frankly, I’m tired of it.” At Rogue’s command the shadows tore the goblin to pieces. Unfortunately, the distraction had allowed Flag time to escape.

Gabriel hit the ground in a roll and was back on his feet before he had come to a complete stop. In the dense fog he couldn’t see his hand in front of him, but all he needed was his ears to know what was going on. People were dying left and right and it was all because of him. He wanted to curl up into a ball and pity himself, but the Bishop wouldn’t let him.

“Licking your wounds in the dark will do nothing to help them, Hunter,” the Bishop whispered.

“But what can I do?” Gabriel asked in a defeated tone.

“What you have been chosen to do. Stop fighting your destiny, Hunter. Take up your weapon and bathe your enemies in the cleansing light.”

Gabriel looked at the relic in his hands, which was glowing in anticipation. Images of what he was hearing flashed through his mind like a movie reel. One by one he watched them fall, the elemental, the thug, the demon. The goblins overtook them all. “My will be done,” the Bishop said before going silent again.

“Show me what to do,” Gabriel said to the Nimrod. In response the relic flared to life and turned night into day.

Jackson had long been knocked out of the fight, leaving Morgan alone to face off against the goblin prince. The Irishman was bloodied and he felt like he could no longer lift his arms, but he would not let the evil win.

“You are a brave soul, elemental, but your bravery will not save your kin. Lay down and die like the rest of your miserable race.” Orden lashed out with his sword, only to have it blocked by Morgan’s hammer.

“For as long as there is breath in my body I will fight, goblin.” Morgan launched a two-handed strike that Orden easily swatted away. Morgan was so preoccupied with keeping Orden in front of him that he didn’t notice Gilchrest sneak up behind him. The smaller goblin tripped Morgan, making him vulnerable to Orden. The goblin prince made to dispatch Morgan was suddenly blinded by light.

“The sun, impossible!” Orden shrieked, shielding his eyes from the blinding light. Sunlight was the greatest enemy of the goblins, for its rays could turn them to stone.

“Not the sun, goblin, but its rays burn just as bright.” Gabriel walked towards them, dissipating the fog as he went.

Orden tried to take a step towards Gabriel, but the light was too much to bear. “Back, my brothers, back to the tunnels.” Orden slammed his swords against the ground, splitting it open. The goblins reluctantly abandoned their feeding frenzy and heeded their prince as they escaped into the sewers. Orden looked at Gabriel and warned him, “We will meet again, man-thing.”

“And when that day comes, all who serve the dark lord will feel my wrath.” Gabriel fired a blast of lightning, but Orden had already disappeared down the hole.

“No, not leave Gilchrest!” The smaller goblin pounded his fist against the rubble.

“Not so fast.” Asha worked a binding spell on the goblin. Her clothes were torn and she looked tired, but she had enough strength left to bind the goblin.

“Filthy witch, I’ll eat your eyes!” Gilchrest squirmed.

“I’m sure you’ll try, but not before I pry what I need from you.” She tightened the bands.

“Granddad!” Gabriel called out. He frantically searched the bodies looking for his grandfather. “Has anyone seen Redfeather?”

“They took him,” Lydia said. The girl was still shaken up, but the magical stain had faded.

“What do you mean, ‘took him’? Took him where?” Gabriel asked frantically. He took a step towards Lydia, but Asha stepped between them.

“Calm down, Gabriel. From what she’s told me the goblins took him to someplace called the mountains,” Asha said.

“If he’s a prisoner of the goblins, then my guess is the Iron Mountains,” Rogue offered. He was limping and bloody, but he would heal and when he did he was going to hunt Flag down.

“Fine, then let’s go get him,” Gabriel said.

“You don’t just rush into the mouth of hell half-assed, young man.” Morgan came over. “But rest assured you’ll have another crack at them.”

“I’m sorry, who the hell are you again?” Gabriel snapped.

“They saved our asses when the Stalkers rushed the house looking for you,” De Mona added.

“And had you not dumped this thing in my lap they wouldn’t have been looking for me and my grandfather would still be here!” Gabriel shot back.

“Hey, don’t act like you’re the only one who’s lost something because of the Nimrod. Your grandfather might be missing, but my father is dead thanks to the Nimrod. Had I known what that thing was capable of, I’d have gotten rid of it the moment I laid eyes on it,” she said emotionally. Her eyes welled with tears, but she wouldn’t allow herself to cry in front of the strangers.

“The both of you need to shut up.” Rogue stepped in between them before things could get more heated. He was hurt, tired, dirty, and overall pissed off at the night’s turn of events. “Arguing like two kids isn’t going to find your grandfather, Gabriel. Or bring your father’s killers to justice. We’ve all got a reason to want to be rid of the Nimrod and see Titus’ efforts fail. I think our best bet is to work together to sort this mess out.”

“I agree.” Morgan stepped forward. “The dark agents have taken everything and everyone I’ve ever loved. If for nothing else I will fight in the name of my family.” He put his hand out and looked at the others.

“For my father.” De Mona added her hand.

Gabriel stepped forward and placed his hand on top of hers. The two looked at each other and there was an unspoken truce established. “For my grandfather.”

Asha thought of Dutch and his promise. The mission they were about to undertake would be dangerous, but for what Dutch had promised it would be worth it. “For my coven.” She placed her hand over theirs.

“For Angelo,” Lydia and Fin said simultaneously, adding their hands to the pact.

“For the hell of it.” Jackson placed his hand in.

This left just Rogue. The mage stood with his arms folded. He had never been a team player, but in light of everything going on, everyone would have to make allowances if they wanted to stop Titus. His eyes lingered on what was left of his Viper for a few moments before adding his hand to the pile. “For my car.”