Underside Chapter 26

Mitch sat there for a moment, letting the information sink in. After pausing for a long time, he looked at her.

“How many?”

“Almost all the coven I was a part of. A few of them made it out, but I don’t know what happened to them. I’d like to believe they might have set up somewhere else. That’s another reason that I’m here.”

“What do you mean?”

“That residual magic went to you. You were the closest one to me I felt could bear the weight of its power. Had that happened before I saw what you could do, I don’t know that I would have been as inclined to pass it to you.”

“What would have happened then?” Mitch asked.

“That’s not as important. What is important is that you wake up, you destroy Ganith. To do that, you’re going to need my power. I instilled it in you, hoping you could do what I couldn’t.”

Mitch looked down at his hands and then back up to Amy. “It’s not working now, though.”

She laughed a little. “That’s because you’re overthinking it. Your body isn’t ready to rely on that power that way. It will come with practice, but for now, I’m going to be the hand that guides you to make sure it works.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“The last bit of stored energy I have. I’m going to pour it into you, and I’m going to charge the battery that maintains the magic. After that, though, you’re going to have to figure out how to use it for yourself.”

The gravity of the situation sat in on Mitch as he noticed tears forming around Amy’s eyes. She looked away from him. He could hear small sobs coming from her. He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Does that mean you’ll move on once the energy is gone?”

“I don’t know,” she said through sobs. “I hope so, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I’ll end this.”

“Good.” Amy said. She reached up and dried her eyes before continuing. “When you do, I need you to seek someone out for me. Her name is Racheal Marta. I need you to make sure that she knows I sent you. She can help you get the magic under control.”

“What happens if I can’t control it?” Mitch asked.

“Well, one of two things. It will either consume you, devouring you from the inside out. The other option is that it will fizzle out and the power will die away. For your sake, let’s hope it’s the latter.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think either of those things will need to happen.”

He stared into her eyes and saw relief. It brought a weight down on him he hadn’t quite intended.

“I know it’s asking a lot, but I believe that you’re the only one who can stop Ganith. I don’t know what comes after that, but for now worry about one problem at a time.” Amy said.

Mitch turned his hand over and was examining his fingers, trying to figure out if they were going to fail him again. He thought about the power coursing through him and saw a few sparks leap from each of his fingertips. Then he turned his attention back to Amy.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” he said. He hadn’t expected the wave of fear and anxiety to wash over him, but now that it had, it was hard to shut it away.

“You can. I know it. Somewhere in your heart you know it,” Amy said.

Mitch thought about it for a long moment. When he looked back at her, she was smiling, though a tear was still rolling down her cheek.

“Let’s wake you up, and remember, you’re stronger than you think you are,” Amy said.

Mitch blinked a few times. His head was against the wall and he saw Ganith standing, leaning back on his haunches in front of him.

“Nice to see you’re awake.” Ganith said. He raised up and took a couple of steps back. Mitch attempted to move his arms, but realized they were suspended above his head. His legs swung out below him.

Ganith took a few steps around and then looked back at Mitch. “I debated killing you. However, I felt you need to see a few things first.”

Mitch struggled against the binds. Ganith turned, slithered to the center of the room, and sprawled his hands outward. Mitch recognized the gesture as the same one he’d seen in his memories. The viewing window opened and peered onto a battlefield. Mitch saw John, Stil, and Boba leading charges against hordes of demons.

He watched as the reapers continued to fight against the demons slashing, parrying, dancing around the field. Ganith let out soft laughter.

“Soon, we will shut down the reapers, tip the power, and break the walls.” Ganith said. “I want you to watch it all burn. When that happens, Mr. Benton, I will allow you the mercy of death.”

Ganith turned back to him. As he did, the window changed. This time, it was a view of the room Alexis was in. He felt his body struggle against the binds. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t.

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend to kill her,” Ganith said.

The door of the room opened and Mitch watched as another demon entered. It slithered its way up to the bed and raised its hands above his head. As it went to make another move, something came out of the side of the screen and slammed into the demon, knocking it to the ground.

Mitch felt his heart lurch as someone came onto the screen. He blasted the demon in the chest and the light flooded out of it. The mystery figure turned to the door and began uttering something while pointing palm out at the door. On the other side, Mitch heard the faint sounds of fighting. A loud thud slammed into the wall. As it did, Ganith turned, flipping his wrist causing the screen to drift away.

Mitch’s heart thundered in his chest as Ganith re-approached him.

“You see, Mr. Benton, this happens when demons want the world. This happens when a Demon King is crowned. Ganith stepped forward, and as he did, Mitch flung himself out. His foot landed flush with Ganith’s ribs. The demon stopped and then peered at Mitch.

“Always going to fight. I respect that. Perhaps in death you’ll be more apt to fight along side me than against me.”

Mitch’s heart thundered louder. As it did, a warming sensation rolled through his body. A voice came from inside his head.

You’re stronger than you think you are. Amy’s voice echoed in his mind.

The power surged through his arms and he felt it course down into his stomach before spreading down to his feet. It rocketed upward, back into his arms, seeming to gain steam and strength with every passing second. Mitch reached up, grabbing the bands he was being suspended by. He screamed inside his mind. Ignis!

The flame erupted from his hand. The flames poured into the band, and Mitch felt them fraying before letting loose, and one of them gave way. He poured as much power as he could into the flames, feeling the heat swell into his hands. The flames danced out in a white fiery light. Mitch felt one arm drop to his side.

He swung around, wrapping both hands in the vine like bindings. He poured the spell, and the fire shot up the vines. Then he heard Ganith scream. In that moment, he realized that somehow; the vines holding him were connected to the demon. It took only seconds before the other binding let him free.

Mitch turned and saw the flames circle around them and shoot outward. In the back of his mind, Mitch felt the pang of the power pulse outwards from the circle. He didn’t quite know what it meant, but the feeling was unmistakable.

Ganith turned and looked at Mitch, snarling as he did so.

“What did you do?” Ganith spat.

“This is where you end,” Mitch said, charging toward the demon.

He felt the bones forming in his hand. As he neared the center, and Ganith, Mitch swung. He shot every ounce of power that he could into the punch. Ganith stepped out of the way of the shot, knocking it down, and Mitch’s momentum carried him into the ground. He rolled through and bounded to his feet before spinning back to face the demon. His breath was catching in his throat as the heat from the circle intensified.

“This is pointless.” Ganith said.

Mitch looked at him. “Without me, you’re going to fail.”

“You might have right once upon a time, but now, now, the rules don’t apply.” Ganith said. He charged forward and Mitch was ready, swinging one of the bone covered fist down at the demon. It caught him in the side as Ganith reached him. It knocked him sideways and onto his back.

Mitch followed him toward the sprawling circle of fire. As he got to the prone body, he flung a kick connecting with the side and sending Ganith skidding closer to the fire. He reached out and stop momentum just before he reached it.

“Glacies!” Mitch howled. The ice erupted from his hand and flew out in thousands of dagger shaped shots all aimed directly at Ganith. The demon tried to move but couldn’t roll quick enough as the small crystals drove into him. Mitch watched as droplets of the black blood leaked onto the floor, hissing as they made contact. The demon shimmered out of focus and then back in. Mitch didn’t have time to react as a cold iron like hand was now wrapped around Mitch’s throat.

“You’ll have to forgive me that this has taken so long,” Ganith said. His voice came out calm. “I know you didn’t think that you were going to die, but then again, neither did your reapers.”

“John?” Mitch said through a choked breath. The demon shuttered just enough that his grip on Mitch wavered. Mitch took this chance and threw both his hands out. He felt the cold aura as his hands slunk into the demon’s outer layer. As he reached closer in, he felt the bones forming claws, which drove into the stomach of the demon. When they had been sank in all the way to the knuckle, Mitch pulled one out and slammed it home again. Ganith howled with pain and stumbled backward.

Mitch was ready this time and had the other claw sunk into the side of the demon’s neck before it could get out of arm’s reach. With the free hand, Mitch thrust out a palm and screamed. “Exorcismus!”

The light flooded out of his hands. From that point blank range, the blast hit Ganith in the area that his ribs should have been. Mitch waited for a while, expecting the brilliant light to burst out of the demon, but it never came. Instead, all Mitch could see was a burned area where the blast had hit. The demon kept moving.

“What the hell?” Mitch asked.

“Being King has its perks.” Ganith said. “One of the best is that you can no longer ill me the same way you can lesser demons.”

Mitch stared at him in disbelief.

“You can’t kill me, Mr. Benton. I’m already dead.”

Mitch wasn’t prepared, and Ganith slammed a foot into his chest. He rolled backwards four or five times before coming to a stop. It took him a moment to realize that he was now only inches away from the fire circle. The heat licked out toward the back of his pants. Mitch tried to get to his feet before Ganith was on him again. The demon reached out with a long fingered icy hand and wrapped it around Mitch’s throat. He coughed out a breath as seconds stretched. Mitch struggled to catch his breath.

Glacies. Mitch thought. The ice shards that came out this time were just as sharp, but fewer pieces. Ganith batted away some of them and again slammed Mitch’s head back against the rocks. Mitch’s breath caught in his throat as spots swam in his vision. The blackness of unconsciousness pushed at the edge of his vision when he heard Amy speak inside his head again.

Use it, she said.

Mitch struggled against Ganith, who was arching his other hand down toward Mitch’s face. He could see the pulsing between them and realized that Ganith was absorbing the energy from him. Mitch used the last bit of strength he had to raise his hand up, pointing ahead of him. Ganith’s face stretched into a smile that would haunt Mitch for the rest of his life. Mitch took a breath and screamed out.

“OBLITICUS!”

There was a loud pop across the room. The surrounding fire went out and in darkness, Mitch could feel the rush of wind behind him. Ganith glanced over his shoulder and saw the now swirling black hole that was drawing in power from the energy in the room. Mitch took advantage of the distraction and threw a knee up before sinking his claws into the side of the demon’s head.

It pushed him off balance. Mitch took that one moment to take a huge breath before turning to his side. He thrust a kick out filled with all the force and strength he could muster in his leg. It knocked Ganith entirely off balance. The demon struggled against the swirling winds around them.

As he did, the pulling force of the hole swirled higher and higher, and the strength pulled inward. Mitch focused on the black hole and the strength that it was taking to keep it spinning.

Ganith had slid backward. Mitch pointed one hand at him while Ganith looked up at him and hissed.

“You can’t kill the demon king!”

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be here.” Mitch raised his hand and threw both fire and ice out of his hand simultaneously. They both hit Ganith, causing him to lose the little grip he had. The wind whipped up even stronger than before. As it did, it pulled Ganith to a point where he lost his footing. The shift threw off his balance. That combined with the force pulled him backward, flipping end over end until he slammed into the swirling hole in the center of the room. Another pop echoed through the room as the hole disappeared as quickly as it had formed.

Mitch felt rumbling, faint at first before thundering, and the ground beneath him shook. The pain and exhaustion had caught up with him, and he didn’t know what was coming next. Part of him didn’t care. He was ready to let the pain take him as the room around him swam in and out of focus before completely fading.