In Darkness Dwells

"No," she gasped.

Sam shared her sentiment at the top of the ledge, but with much more profanity. The rubble was shifting, and a monstrous roar echoed from below. Then, with a great snarl, Rathodor raised itself up from what should have been its tomb. Its hard exterior was riddled with cracks, but beneath the shredded bark, exposed muscle quivered and twisted. The stiff petals of the flower served as jaws once more, and though it had no eyes, it looked directly at Sam and howled in fury and pain. It began dragging itself forward, refusing to die, despite its roots gone and all of its fruit-bearing branches snapped.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Sam climbed down the ledge and ran to Sorine. "We got to go!" He didn't hear anything she said and hoisted her onto his shoulder once more, then took off in a run down the mountain.

Behind him, Rathodor had dragged itself out of the crater. As the light of the rising sun shone upon it, its body began to burn. These were not the yellow flames of the mortal world, but the black flames of Hell. Its whole body was wrapped in a dark inferno, but the pain and injuries could not trounce the indescribable power of its hatred. It dragged itself down the mountain, sworn to kill those who had so wounded it.

Sam ran as fast as he could, but he was utterly exhausted and battered from fights, old wounds, his recent fall, and everything else his body had suffered these past several days. He also had to watch his footing, as a twisted ankle or broken leg would mean death, but it was far from easy. The mountain's surface had been reshaped, with slabs of rock having risen and fallen and smashed trees everywhere. Still, he sprinted with everything he had, driven by nothing more than pure fear.

Behind him, Rathodor seemed less troubled by the topography. It dragged itself over hills and ravines, smashed through stone barriers, and crushed trees like they were made of cardboard. It paid no attention to its wounds, as while Sam was driven by fear, the beast was driven by rage. The black flames intensified with the rising sun, resembling thick fur swaying in the breeze.

"Sam! Our silver! We need to use our silver!" said Sorine, but Sam was too focused on running. "Sam! Listen to me!" she shouted while slapping him until he stopped.

They had reached a flat open area, and Sam stood Sorine up, though she struggled to remain on her feet. She had lost a lot of blood, soaking both their clothes. Still, she faced the oncoming monster charging toward them.

"Until this bastard is dead, I'll stand on my own two feet, and I won't look away," she cursed.

"One last battle," Sam muttered as he stood beside her, the two of them feeling the sun on their backs.

They removed every piece of silver they still carried, and when Rathodor was in range, they hurled them with desperate strength. After all the wounds it had suffered and was currently suffering, it didn't seem like bits of silver would turn the tide, but they left their mark. Sam took the chain of silver scrap he wore for protection and threw it, getting it tangled in the brain tendrils between the monster's jaws. Rathodor stopped and spasmed in agony, and when it roared, Sorine threw her silver knife and sent it down the monster's throat.

Rathodor halted its advance, shaking all over. Its strength and life were all but expended. It reached out with one arm towards Sam and Sorine, but instead of swatting at them, it kept the limb raised, as though trying to grab something out of the air. They realized it was shaking what was left of its fist at the sun. It glared straight into the light without eyes and released one final snarl, a beastly curse directed at God. Then, finally, it dropped its arm and fell silent and still. Its body continued to crackle and burn, but there were no more snarls, no growls or roars. Throughout the land, all the demon progeny released their death rattles and dropped to the ground. It was finally and truly dead. The nightmare was over.

Like Sam had done prematurely, Sorine raised her arms and released a shout of triumph, then collapsed. Sam rushed over and lifted her head. Now in the daylight, he could see her wounds' true severity and flowing blood. There was nothing he could do to save her, and she saw it on his face.

"It's ok, don't worry," she murmured.

"No, it's not. It's not fair. I should be lying here, not you. I'm the soldier, I'm the one who is supposed to die."

"You're wrong, this is how it's supposed to be. With this, I've made up for the sins of my ancestors. I managed to save some people by hiding in the church, but Runa village will die with me, and I'm fine with that. I can leave this world knowing I saved it, knowing that I destroyed my people's horrific legacy. Whether mankind acknowledges or dismisses what happened here, evil will never again dwell in this valley."

"I won't let you be forgotten, even if you want to be."

"That's right, you finally have a good story to take home with you."

"It just doesn't feel real. So many people died, is this really a victory?"

"It is. Runa may be gone, but the lives you've saved are beyond count. You don't have to fight anymore. Your war is over. You can finally go home."

"When we were in that trance, Rathodor showed me my family's graves and destroyed home, but I know deep down that it wasn't true. I know they're still waiting for me. When I tell them everyone you, do you mind if I say we made love instead of you just giving me a handjob? It sounds better."

"After everything you've done, tell them I gave you the best sex of your life."

They shared a heartfelt laugh, and as the sun rose ever higher, the laughing of two became the tears of one. Sam buried Sorine there in the field. It was a beautiful spot, with a nice view of her vanquished rival. As he stood over her grave, he pulled out his pistol and opened it. He was out of bullets. He gave a soft laugh and threw it aside. He had lived around that gun for years, and finally, he felt like he could let it go. After everything he had been through, he was done being afraid and trying to live up to his grandfather's stories. He had his own story to tell.

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