The Dracula Chronicles: The Path To Decay Read online

  She used her sticky saliva to mark the spot where his heart rested. “Sleep, sweet boy,” she whispered. “Sleep, while I take you from this world.”

  WALLACHIA.

  THE CAVE IN THE FORESTS NEAR THE

  DIMBOVITA RIVER.

  DECEMBER 13, 1447.

  The words Sonnielion spoke over Andrei caught Michael’s attention. He turned briefly to check her location and, in doing so, allowed Lucifer the respite he needed. The Dark One rammed his forehead hard against the side of his face. The warrior Archangel released his grip on him. With his hands free, Lucifer followed up with a crashing forearm against his neck.

  Michael staggered backwards and crashed into the wall opposite. Lucifer straightened himself up and clicked his spinal column back into place. He retrieved the triton from the floor and braced himself as Michael prepared to face him again.

  Sonnielion raised her fleshless hand to extinguish Andrei’s life. Her eyes glowed red with the excitement. She even felt a twinge between her legs. Were she the one to kill Andrei, it would exalt her status in Hell above even Lilith. That prospect excited her more than anything.

  She stopped suddenly. A force, far stronger than her, grabbed her by the wrist. She looked up and, to her dismay, saw Raphael hovering over her.

  “Damn you!” she cursed him. “Stay out of my way!”

  Raphael did not offer any kind of verbal response. Instead, he punched her full force in the face. The blow smashed her nose and released a stream of dark yellow pus. Bugs and other vermin spilled from the wound, a foul and rancid odour filling the cave. She fought against his grip, but could not match his strength. The ensuing struggle saw her clothing ripped from her body.

  Her every muscle tightened. As she lost control of her temper, she slowly took her natural form. Even in that state, her body remained lithe and toned.

  Raphael grimaced and struck her a second time. He released her wrist to grab her by one of the horns protruding from her forehead.

  Magath opened her eyes again. She looked up to see Raphael grab Sonnielion by one of her horns. Through the darkness, she eyed Michael and Lucifer as they squared up to each other. Behind her, Gabriel and many of the others fought with all their might to protect the entrance to the cave. She suddenly realised the blue circle had vanished. Where is Andrei?

  Fear took hold of her and she forgot the pain in her throat and wrists from her earlier struggle with Lucifer. Then she saw him lying still on the floor. She scrambled across the harsh surface and cradled his head in her arms. He was not breathing.

  In desperation, she beat her fist against his chest. “Andrei?” she cried out, trying to revive him. “Andrei! Wake up!”

  Slowly, he opened his eyes. He looked up to see her face. “Mama?” he said, with a faint voice, though offering a trace of a smile.

  She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her bosom. “Do not be afraid, my sweet boy. Mama is here.”

  The moment was broken soon after. Raphael lifted the demon up by one of her horns and smashed her body into the roof of the cave just above his head. She screamed from the pain in her forehead at the point of impact. As her body fell back down, Raphael drew his blood stained sword from its scabbard.

  Before she was even half way down again he drove the blade deep into her midriff. This time she did not scream. The agony, as it ripped through her, paralysed her whole body.

  Raphael held her there a few feet above the ground. Her eyes widened as she gripped the monstrous blade with both hands. She found any sort of movement near impossible. Impaled on the holy relic, her insides slowly began to char and burn.

  “Raphael,” she gasped. “Do not kill me. You loved me once. Do you not remember?”

  Her pleas did not move him. His face remained a blank even though he saw hers contort with pain. He showed no emotion as she gazed into his beautiful blue eyes. They looked as clear as the brightest sky and disguised the vicious streak that all angels possess.

  Satanachia realised at once the plight of his lover. He forgot the battle outside in the woods and leapt into the air through the driving rain. Raphael sensed his approach and tossed Sonnielion down onto the floor. She lay there prostrate, her body stiff from shock and barely able to breathe.

  On the surface of the earth, both angels and demons had to use their lungs. This was the domain God had given to man and to function here they all had to do so in the same way. Even their powers were not as strong in this realm.

  Sonnielion cupped the wound in her stomach with her hands. She then brought her knees up into the foetal position to try and ease the pain.

  Raphael had a long and uneasy history with her current lover. Before the Great War she had been his closest companion. Then the split occurred between the angels. When the Grand General sided with Lucifer, she went with him and ended their union.

  The Archangel waited now with his sword poised, remembering her past taunts of how life in Hell allowed her to function sexually with her chosen lover. The moment he had longed for had come at last. He quickly relayed a message to Gabriel to allow the Grand General through.

  Michael eyed the triton in Lucifer’s right hand. He clasped the hilt of his sword in both of his and adopted a fighting stance. Without taking his eyes from his brother, he called to Gabriel. “Take Andrei from here!”

  Gabriel obeyed him at once. Still holding his sword in one hand, he scooped Andrei up in the other. His brothers had the most powerful of their enemies contained inside the cave. Content with that, he ran to the entrance and took to the air.

  Lucifer could wait no longer. With Andrei out of the cave, he needed to get past Michael. He launched the triton at his brother with every ounce of strength he could muster.

  A thousand sparks blazed all around them when Michael fended the blow with his sword. The clang of steel on steel echoed far beyond the cave.

  Andrei clung to Gabriel’s powerful arms as the Archangel rose high into the night sky. Hundreds of other angels took to the air also. They surrounded Gabriel to ensure no harm befell Andrei.

  “Look!” Francu exclaimed. “I see Andrei.”

  Antoni followed the direction to where his brother pointed. He saw Andrei in Gabriel’s arms high above the ground. “At least he is safe. It is Tania who concerns me more. We need to find her.”

  Francu looked beyond the edge of the trees. He noticed the form of a girl lying in the grass on the bank. “Tania?” he said in a whisper, walking away from Antoni.

  It was then that Antoni saw her too. He ran after his brother and grabbed him by both arms from behind. “Wait, Francu! Do not be so foolish!”

  Francu shrugged off his brother’s hold on him. “She is my sister! I cannot leave her lying there!”

  “She is my sister, too! But I am not prepared to lose you as well.”

  One of the demon soldiers saw them there. He forgot the battle and moved towards them. The brothers stopped dead in their tracks. They forgot their quarrel and froze to the spot when they saw him approach. The demon grinned at them with real menace and raised his sword to strike them down.

  Antoni braced himself for the inevitable attack. Controlling his own fear, he stood across his brother to defend him against the blow that was sure to come. Acting on pure instinct, he held his hands up before him. The demon’s head flew into the air and landed at his feet. When it rolled against his shins, he lowered his hands again, too stunned to speak.

  Both he and Francu looked up to see one of the angels standing over the corpse of the headless demon. The angel glared at them in anger. Francu’s eyes focused on the sword the angel still brandished in his hands. A black fluid, like blood, trickled along its length and dripped from the tip.

  “You should not be here!” the angel shouted. “Go! Leave this place!”

  The demon hordes followed Gabriel’s ascent with their eyes. In great numbers, they took to the air in pursuit of the one he held in his arms. The angels who remained on the ground abandoned the fight there, ex
cept for a few. Very soon, the battle transferred to a lofty height above the earth.

  Up there, the battle raged on as ferociously as before. The angels had the advantage of height. Despite the rain and poor visibility, they met the new threat. With great precision, they hacked off the wings of those who sought out Andrei.

  By the dozen, the demon soldiers dropped back down to the earth. A mass of blood and feathers added to the deluge. Those angels that remained below wreaked havoc on their enemy. They waded through the mass of bodies, decapitating and slaughtering everything in their wake.

  Satanachia did not care that the angels were crushing his legions. All that mattered to him now was a fight with Raphael. Since his exile from Heaven, he had wanted to kill Lucifer’s youngest brother.

  The Grand General touched down at the entrance to the cave. He flexed his mighty physique as if to gain a psychological edge over his rival. It did not faze Raphael in the slightest. As one of God’s three elite sons, he felt sure of his ability to crush the mighty form in front of him.

  He stepped back to brace himself for the rush he knew was sure to come. Expanding his wings, he dropped to a crouched position. He extended his arms, holding his sword out before him.

  Satanachia did not even stop to glance at his lover. Her groans of pain told him all he needed to know. He moved towards Raphael with real purpose. Lucifer caught sight of Raphael in the corner of his eye and struck him hard in the back with the butt of the triton.

  The blow propelled Raphael forward. It did so with such speed he was unable to avoid the elbow that met him straight between the eyes. It lifted him off his feet and dumped him flat on his back.

  Raphael groaned as his wings crunched beneath him. With the blade of his sword resting flat against his face he looked up at his adversary. Above him, Satanachia removed a mace from his waistband. The ball was as large as his head, with spikes as long as twelve inches. The Grand General swung it about, ready to deliver a crushing and perhaps fatal blow.

  Satanachia stooped forward to bring the mace down on the one he hated more than any other. To his surprise, Raphael made use of his superior speed and lifted his shoulders with his sword clenched in both hands. The tip of the blade made contact with the Grand General before he could release the mace against him. He cried out and dropped it as the blade sliced through his armour. It cut him from his breastbone down to his groin.

  Raphael watched the Grand General sway on his feet and took full advantage of the lull in the attack. He rose up and flew with all his might at his enemy. The force of the collision lifted Satanachia off his feet. They hurtled through the air at blinding speed and out of the cave.

  The Archangel wrapped his arms tight around the demon and held him firmly, as the Grand General tried with all his strength to break free. Raphael received a crushing head butt, but to no avail. The Archangel refused to let go. He moved his wings ever so slightly to set their course.

  Raphael peered over Satanachia’ shoulder to see a mighty oak in their path. With great skill, he changed his grip on the demon. He clutched both Satanachia’s arms while still dictating their direction.

  Satanachia tried to bite his nose, but could not. In the next moment, the Grand General thudded into the huge tree trunk. He almost blacked out as the back of his skull smashed against it. The impact levelled the tree, while hardly affecting Raphael’s speed of flight.

  Satanachia had little fight left in him as Raphael guided him into one tree after another. Each blow caused further damage to his battered torso, and the huge wound across his stomach opened more each time. Soon his entrails dangled down over his groin.

  Cockroaches and bugs of every kind crawled out of the wound and onto Raphael. They gnawed at his skin until he could stand it no longer. He threw Satanachia down hard against the ground. Then, ignoring him, he wiped the bugs away with both hands until they were all gone.

  Satanachia knew he was close to the porthole. With great effort, he rolled his body over several times. In the moment Raphael noticed this, Agaliarept emerged from the ground. Satanachia felt the strong hands of his assistant grab him by the shoulders and drag him down to safety.

  Raphael did not react in time. He gave chase, but stopped at the edge of the abyss. The Archangel knew it was unwise to venture down below. If he did so, thousands of his enemies would have a chance to attack him where they would be at their most powerful. Should he find himself trapped in the bowels of Hell, it would spell disaster. God would intervene and probably begin a second great war. He thought better of it and walked away.

  Sonnielion crawled out of the cave behind them. She left a thick trail of dark blood and abdominal fluids as she moved. Her body slumped over the cave edge and fell against the sharp rocks, landing on the dead soldiers. Their bodies still melted against the boiling mud beneath her.

  Svengali saw her there and raced to her side. She looked up, weak from the assault on her, glad to see a familiar face. He lifted her in his arms and flew into the night sky. He steered clear of the battle to avoid contact with the angels. Then, he dived at speed through the porthole and returned with her to the depths of Hell.

  WALLACHIA.

  THE CAVE IN THE FORESTS

  NEAR THE DIMBOVITA RIVER.

  DECEMBER 13, 1447.

  Michael and Lucifer resumed their battle inside the cave. Each brother took turns launching an assault at the other. The demon legions, not yet dead, fled back to the safety of the porthole. The angels then left them to observe the battle raging inside the cave.

  Gabriel set Andrei down on the ground. Straight away the youth ran to Tania’s side. He burst into tears when he saw the state of her body. Cradling her in his arms, he sobbed for some time.

  His brothers cried too, both at the image of Andrei with Tania and at the sight of their mother.

  Magath knelt down beside Andrei and ran her fingers through his hair. “Do not worry,” she said to her son, in the softest tone. “Lay her down. She shall be fine.”

  Andrei looked at his mother through bloodshot eyes. He did as she said and laid Tania back down. It was only then that he saw Tania’s soul standing beside her dead corpse.

  Tania smiled when his eyes fell on her. “Do not be sad, Andrei. I am happy to pass over.” She looked to the distance at something he could not see. “I am waiting for them to come.”

  Tears welled in Magath’s eyes. She sensed something was not right. The area was swarming with angels. Had the White Ones decided to come for Tania they would have done so by now. They could identify her with ease in this place. It struck her that perhaps the Black Ones had laid claim to her. If so, they would be waiting for the angels to leave. It explained why she was still here beside her corpse.

  “Lie back down,” Gabriel ordered Tania. His voice echoed like a foghorn. “It is not yet your time.”

  Tania looked to him and then merged once more with her corpse. A rush of excitement filled Andrei inside. When he met his mother’s gaze, she could sense the hope in his eyes. A slight nod of her head let him know he might yet get his wish.

  Lucifer felt encouraged that Michael had not yet defeated him. Each time they had talked in the past, his brother taunted him about his powers. It led him to believe Michael could not match his strength.

  This was not the case. The two seemed quite evenly matched. “You are not as strong as you thought,” he jibed.

  Michael circled him slowly. “I am toying with you,” he replied. “For some reason our Father still loves you. Your army is gone; crushed into dust. I am giving you the chance to walk away.”

  Lucifer took his reply as another example of his usual arrogance. “Perhaps it is the case that you cannot defeat me.”

  “Then let us see.”

  Michael launched his most vehement attack. It tested Lucifer to the limits of his ability, but he stayed with his more powerful brother. Every time Michael wielded his mighty sword down against him, Lucifer managed to fend off each blow with the triton.

  On
the last occasion, he countered fast. Michael felt the butt of his weapon full in the face. It knocked him back and allowed Lucifer a chance to move forward and take the fight to him.

  It was a clever ploy. The moment Lucifer stepped onto the front foot, Michael was ready. He dropped to one knee and ran the blade across Lucifer’s stomach. The Dark One stopped dead in his tracks. The blade tore through his armour and sliced a nasty wound across his midriff.

  He swung the triton in desperation. Michael stepped to one side and avoided it with ease and watched the prongs smash into the cave wall. At once, the ground began to rumble and shake. Lucifer lost his balance and the grip on his weapon.

  Michael saw his chance and dived with his shoulder into him. Lucifer groaned hard when his brother pinned him to the wall. He did it with such force that it knocked the wind out of him a second time.

  Behind Michael parts of the roof of the cave came crashing down. Lucifer managed a grin and wrapped both arms around Michael’s neck to keep him there. Then the entire cliff face collapsed. Boulders rolled out through the entrance, followed by a huge mushroom cloud of dust.

  This forced some of the angels to take to the air, though Gabriel stood his ground. When one of the boulders careered towards him, he smashed it with his fist into a thousand smaller fragments.

  Raphael stood beside him. “They are still fighting, then?”

  Gabriel nodded, but did not look at him. He wanted to see the outcome of the fight between their brothers. If Michael needed his help, he had to be ready.

  Millions of tons of rock pinned them to the floor of the cave. They remained locked together in Lucifer’s embrace. Michael growled angrily at the weight pressing against his torso.

  “Are you ready to go on a journey with me, brother?” the Dark One asked, the tone of his voice hinting at his evil intent.