The Chaos of Azazel

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Lilura - 

Erika speared out of thin air by my side. Azazel was now in front of us. He appeared much the same as the last time I had interacted with him. An All black suit, with matching black eyes. Somehow though he seemed taller and more fierce in the set of his shoulders. 

“Mother.” He said, inclining his head toward Erika. 

Erika was tight but she was able to grit out a response, “Son. I don’t remember inviting you here.”

Azazel ignored this and turned toward me, “and of course my daughter. Our family is back together again.”

“We were never a family and never will be.” I spat. Azazel just smiled wickedly.

“What hope do you really have of stopping me? Besides if you want me to go back to whence I came then you’ll be coming with me Lilura.” Azazel purred. My stomach turned. 

“Lilura will be going nowhere. And you are going back to your hell Azazel. I bound you once and I will do it again.” Erika said fiercely. Her dark eyes crackled with fury. Her vampire aura radiated off her body and I could feel the rage and power. 

Azazel's face twisted into the wrath of a fallen angel. It was both beautiful and terrible to behold. From his right hand sprung a flaming sword and he swung it at Erika's face, but the blade met with another sword, this one long and thin but pulsing with strange black light. The changing of metal rang in my ears as their swords parried and swept at one another. Unsuccessful in beating back Erika, Azazel swung wildly at me and the flames from the blade scorched past my face but missed their target as I had tripped over a tree root. 

Erika ran toward me but a hellhound knocked her to the ground and now Azazel stood over me with his blazing sword. 

“I told you either join me or I take you for myself. Your beating heart brings me power and strength, if I cut it out you will belong to me forever.” Azazel said. 

He raised the sword above his shoulder and then brought it down in a powerful sweep. Time seemed to slow and a felt my right hand fly out to my side and a sword of my own flew into my open palm, I looked in that direction and saw that Tyr had thrown his own sword at me right before he was tackled by a horde of zombies. I brought the sword in front of me and blocked Azazels killing blow. 

Azazel roared with anger, he pulled the sword back preparing to strike again I scrambled to my feet and rolled away when he struck at me again. Erika grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me to my feet. Both of us armed with a weapon we face Azazel. He was furious and he thrust out a hand to send a fiery bolt in our direction, I released my own spell and my shield blocked the arrows of fiery protecting me and Erika. 

In his rage, Azazel was distracted and Erika and I advanced on him. She stabbed at his leg and brought him to his knees. I held my sword at his throat.

“You will not be permitted to release your vile army and darkness on this world,” I said.

“You shall be bound again Azazel and cast into the abyss where you will find no creatures or powers to call upon,” Erika said standing behind me.

“If you bind me then you bind Lilura. All the gifts I have given her will disappear with me.” Azazel replies.

“You can keep your gifts. I will be fine without them.” I snarled. 

Before he spit out about their poisonous word a vine wrapped around Azazels face covered his mouth. Tyr stood behind him helping to hold the demon in place. 

Erika and I dropped our swords and both reached out with our power. We drew magic from deep within the earth. Erika began chanting in ancient Sumerian and I copied her enchantments. The power of Azazel began to seep out of him in black smoke. It was collected in the palms of mine and Erikas outstretched hands. Azazel's figure shriveled and decayed rapidly. Finally, when all his power had been withdrawn he was nothing more than a living skeleton with paper-thin skin stretched across his bones. 

Erika stepped aside and together we flung Azazel back into the rift. Erika cried out one final enchantment and the rift between words began to see itself back together it thin threads of bright blue gossamer the same as my shield. There were still creatures now trapped in our world but they started to scatter once they realized their master was gone. 

With the rift closed and Azazel gone, I felt an emptiness myself. Erika held a ball of black smoke in the palm of her hand. It was what remained of Azazel's power. She looked at me, “I breathed life into this smoke and made Azazel. Now it seems so delicate.” She said.

“What will you do with it?” I asked her.

“I will hold onto it. Until you are ready to have it again.” She explained.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“This is the power of Azazel. You are his daughter, it belongs to you. But I think you need time to find yourself and you need to feel the freedom of being your own creature. You will know when you are ready I will be waiting.” Erika said.

I didn’t know how to feel about this but I nodded in agreement. She quashed the ball of smoke in her hand and I saw the veins in her arm turn to black before turning back to blue. She turned and walked away without another word.

I turned to Tyr who still stood outside the witches circle Florence had made. In two long steps, he was in front of me and pulling me into his arms. I felt lighter than I had in months and so relieved to have Tyr in my arms. Without speaking, he pressed his lips to mine. They relayed his relief that I was safe and his unwavering love. I kissed him back just as passionately.