Page 39

A Hero’s Choice

“ E

LLA!” I heard my name being roared, as the venom working its way around my body was not enough to cut out the sound of desperation from the man I loved.

I forced my eyes to stay open, as my body fought even harder to hold on.

The sight of Jared as he battled the God, and despite the odds stacking against him, his rage and anguish at losing me, gave him the strength he needed.

He was winning.

The god couldn’t keep up with the speed of Jared’s demonic form, as it slashed out in a blur of motion.

The God kept trying to protect himself as blood seeped out of each slice to his flesh.

The liquid fire dripping down his body, making him roar out in pain.

But Jared was a machine who wouldn’t let up.

He was slowly killing him and when he tried to morph into another form, Jared got there first. An orange bird tried to escape, but Jared reached up, jumping just high enough that he ended up slicing through the wing of the eagle Loki became to escape.

As a result of this he ended up falling from the sky, and being unable to fly with only one wing, he went crashing into the side of the mountain. Jared wasted no time in getting to me. He came skidding to my side, now lifting me up in his arms.

“Hold on baby, I’ve got you, I’m gonna get you out of here.” But I started shaking my head, telling him,

“No… I… I have to finish this.” I told him.

“Ella please, we have to leave! The cave is not going to last much longer!”

“Not until its done… I have to send him back… it’s the only way to end this.” I told him, now reaching up with my uninjured hand, cupping his face and pleading with him.

“It’s the only way.” He looked back at the heap that was Loki, who was now missing an entire arm. With gritted teeth Jared nodded before carrying me over to the portal, one that was only half there.

“Do it Ella, destroy it once and for all, and I will protect you.” He told me after placing me down.

My weakened state told me there was only one way I was going to do this.

I needed the book of souls. So, hoping that they weren’t still needed on the battlefield, I summoned the book and with it, my collection of souls.

They had all returned to the book, making it glow brighter with the power that fueled it.

Then with my bloody hand in its pages, I reached out with my right hand towards the portal.

I then closed my eyes and let myself be consumed with power.

Now becoming a conduit, drawing in the souls back into the book.

I knew I wasn’t strong enough to do this by myself, so I made myself a weapon from its making.

“It’s working! Ella, keep going, there is not much left!

” Jared encouraged and I could feel it for myself.

Each Hellhound soul flowing through me and out again.

But what I didn’t want to tell him was that with each one that passed though me, it took with it a piece of me also.

A piece of my power that the book was now keeping for itself.

Which meant I knew that by the very last soul, I would be left mortal once again.

The Summoner Queen no more. Because this was the test I had to pass, one set by the fates.

The one the book of souls had also given me.

The test of what I was willing to sacrifice like no other Summoner had before.

To give up the need for supremacy, the addiction for more power that the book offered you.

This was my sacrifice.

Because I knew with it, it would only mean one thing with Loki’s venom in me.

I would die.

And more heartbreaking, so would my child.

Both of us giving our life so as everyone else may live. My future nieces and nephews, my aunt and uncle, my cousins, my mom and dad. Every friend I ever made, Orthrus who was a brother to me, Lerna my sister, and Marcus who was a best friend.

But most of all,

The man I loved.

So, with tears in my eyes, I thrust out my hand one last time and just as Loki had gotten to his feet.

I could hear him roaring, at the same time Fenrir shook the mountain in anger.

But it was too late, as I finally dragged in the very last soul from the portal.

The one that meant that Loki had no power left in this realm, the connection severed for him being allowed here.

Which meant I looked back just in time to see him cry out as he fell to his knees. The ground then started to open up beneath him. Hands bursting free from the earth of his realm at the ready to drag him back to the prison from which he came.

Each one clawing at him, and the more he fought against them, the more that rose up to consume him.

Black, charred skin cracking at the knuckles as each dug their talons into him.

Doing so before he could no longer fight against them as they dragged him back.

Leaving nothing but his severed limb behind as a reminder not to fuck with,

A HellBeast’s Queen

“Ella! God’s baby, you did it… you did it!” Jared shouted but when my body deflated back to the ground, his concern for me grew. His form now returning back to the Jared I knew.

“Ella! No, what’s wrong, what’s happening?” He asked looking down at me, cradling my head in his lap. Which was when I couldn’t hold it back any longer, as I started to cry, as tears filled my eyes.

“It looks like our date will have to wait, handsome.” I told him in a weak voice, making him shake his head,

“Hey, what are you talking about, Ella you did it and now we can go home… wait, Ella, what’s wrong…

what are you saying here?” he asked and oh gods, the sound of his voice breaking was too much to bear.

Because he didn’t know. He didn’t know what I just did.

But when his head turned to watch the book starting to fade away, he finally started too.

“No… no, Ella you can’t give up! Listen to me, You can’t! I won’t let you!”

“I’m sorry Jared. I tried… I tried so hard to keep my promise to you, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.” I said between my tears, feeling my body as it was trying to shut down. The poison in my veins too much to fight against.

“No, baby no… please… please don’t do this…” he said in desperation as he lifted me into his arms and held his forehead to mine. Then he told me with tears now streaming down his face,

“Please don’t leave me.” I cried harder at that and forced myself to lift my hand to his face so I could tell him,

“I will always… be with you, Beastman.” At this he sobbed, pulling me closer to his chest,

“Please… I can’t live without you… I don’t want to.” He cried, hot tears falling through his words,

“This is all my fault. I should have done more, should have protected you, I should have never…”

“No… no please, don’t blame yourself. I couldn’t pass knowing that.” At this he cried out at the word pass, as if me saying it made it all the more real. But then I tapped my fingers against his neck so he could pull back.

“Kiss me… please… it’s how I want to go, with the memory of you on my lips.” I said, making him sob once more whilst trying to hold it back enough so as he could place his lips to mine, our tears soaking our skin and merging as one.

My beautiful goodbye.

The only way I wanted to die.

But I knew that he would never let me go. So, when the cave started to crumble around us, I knew he didn’t have much time left to escape. I also knew that he wouldn’t want to. That he would rather die in here holding me than live another day. But that wasn’t what I wanted for him.

“Do me a favor. Forgive me for what I am about to do.” I said, and when he pulled back, I heard him say my name for perhaps the last time,

“Ella?” And I closed my eyes and used the very last of my strength to draw in the last soul in here. Because the book, the first in Summoning history may have been full, but it had left me with something.

A gift.

It had left me with enough power to do this one last thing. To make this very last sacrifice for the man I loved.

I knew that, because it told me, that this was my reward.

So, with chaos erupting all around us and the cracking of the cave, I pulled in the remaining life of Fenrir.

A once mighty beast who now lay defeated on the ground, unmoving.

I drained him of what I had been forced to give, now gifting it to another freely.

And I used it to force Jared to leave me, but more importantly,

To live for me.

“I’m sorry.” I told him as a portal opened up behind him, one I was using the last of Fenrir’s soul to power,

“Ella what are you doing…No, no don’t do this!

” He shouted when he realized why I was saying sorry.

Making me cry harder as he tried to grip me tighter, but the portal was taking hold of him.

Wrapping itself around him and pulling him in.

A sob tore through me as I felt his touch leave me for the last time, as his body was forced backwards. His hand reached out to mine,

“Don’t do this… I love you! Ella, I love you!” So, I told him,

“And now I can die happy, for I… I love you too! Goodbye… My HellBeast.” I said and just before he could beg me to let him stay any longer, I closed my eyes as the sight of him disappeared for the final time.

For I knew that I would never see him again.

My cry of anguish rang out in the cave, echoing louder than the destruction of falling rock.

And just as the last of the cave above me started to collapse, my last thought was that I hoped that one day he would…

Forgive me.