Heaven and Hell

It took twice as long to return to the building where George and the others were than when they had left to find Father Stephens. This was due to Father Stephens not being able to move quickly on his own. He had to lean on Serena for support, while Kaseem led the way. The sun had just about set when they had finally reached their destination.

When they got there, they were greeted by a man Serena didn’t recognize, though Kaseem did. He was another Arabian Knight, who seemed to be of higher rank than Kaseem. Kaseem had knelt before him and kissed a ring on his hand. The man was named Muhammad. He wore the same robes as Kaseem, though his turban was even more decorative than his. Strands of gold dangled from it, a ruby adorned the very centre. His hands and wrists were adorned with jewellery. Muhammad and Kaseem spoke at great length in Arabic, while Serena and Father Stephens were ushered inside the building they had left the others in.

There were a dozen additional Arabian Knights, including Muhammad. Serena noticed immediately that Ahmed was nowhere to be seen. She quickly learned from one of the others that he had been taken away to their headquarters to be properly attended to. George, on the other hand, was being tended to in the corner. He was only semi conscious. His injuries weren’t as serious as Ahmed’s, so he could be treated where he was for now.

Though, Serena figured the Knights were unwilling to take a member of the Order back to their headquarters, but she didn’t voice this theory. Sahib stood guard next to him. When he caught her eye, he beckoned her over and she was with him in a moment, along with Father Stephens. She helped him to sit down against the wall and immediately he was being attended to by one of the medics.

“I’m glad you are here, they have been asking me questions non stop about what all has happened,” he said. “George and Ahmed were in no state to answer, I did the best I could, but I-”

“What have you told them?” Serena interrupted. Sahib glared at her for a moment. He didn’t like being interrupted, especially by a woman. Serena crossed her arms impatiently until he relented and explained. The others had arrived a half hour before Serena’s party returned. Sahib had told Muhammad and the others that a rogue member of the Order had come here and that he, Kaseem, and the others were assisting in his capture. He told them that the rogue agent had taken the lead member of the Order’s squad someplace else and that Kaseem and Serena had gone after him. He explained the deaths of his own comrades and George had helped explain what happened to Ahmed to the best of his capabilities.

“So, what happened when you caught up with the priest?” Sahib inquired after he had finally finished explaining. Before Serena could explain, Kaseem and Muhammad joined them.

“Serena Johnson, Father Darren Stephens, I’d like for you to meet the Grand Imam, Muhammad Abdallah, the second in command of the Arabian Knights,” Kaseem said. Serena bowed her head courteously. Father Stephens stood up, the medic protesting beside him. He knelt before the Grand Imam and kissed the ring on his hand as a sign of respect and deference to him.

“I am honoured to meet you, Grand Imam,” he said in a charming voice. “I do apologize for the trouble that has been brought to your land and for the death of your people. I promise, we will do everything we can to bring Diego to justice.”

“Yes, it seems your people have caused quite a stir in these parts, Father. Nonetheless, your presence here violates our Treaty. I should consider this as an act of aggression,” the Grand Imam said gruffly. “However, seeing as Diego no longer has any affiliation with your Order and you had Imam Kaseem’s consent and aid. You and your party will not be punished, nor shall we consider this to be an act war.” Relief spread across Father Stephens’s face. Serena let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

“You have my thanks, Grand Imam,” Stephens replied, bowing his head.

“So, Kaseem has told me some distressing news. He says that the rogue agent...what was his name?” he paused for a moment as Kaseem whispered in his ear. “Oh yes, Diego, has turned himself into a demon and somehow managed to escape the three of you. How may I ask, could you have let that happen?” Father Stephens opened his mouth to explain, but Kaseem spoke first,

“It is as I have told you, an unnatural dust storm kicked up and blinded us, allowing him to escape. We suspect he may have an ally nearby, but we don’t know for sure.” Muhammad snorted.

“Well I suggest you find out, Imam Kaseem. You have until tomorrow morning to get this mess resolved and these Order members out of our territory. If you fail to do so, you will be dishonourably discharged and these three will be imprisoned for trespassing and executed for failure! Do I make myself clear?”Kaseem grimaced. He bowed graciously. Muhammad didn’t seem to notice.

“Yes, Grand Imam. It will be done by morning,” he said.

“Good. I shall return to the Mosque. I will leave these men at your disposal, Kaseem.” And with that, the Grand Imam left. As Serena watched him go, she realized it had gotten dark outside. She also noticed that the moon seemed slightly different, as if it wasn’t shining as brightly as it usually did. She shook her head thinking it was just her imagination.

“I don’t suppose anyone has a plan?” Kaseem asked. Nobody answered. They didn’t know where to begin.

“Diego could be anywhere by now. His new transformation has greatly increased his speed, he could be miles away,” Father Stephens replied glumly.

“He can’t have gotten too far with that severed arm of his though,” Serena added. “He would lose too much blood.”

“That may be, but he is no longer human. For all we know he can regenerate, I have seen other demons do it.” said Father Stephens.

“But not the kind he resembles, Darren,” Kaseem berated. “Regenerators aren’t feral.”

“He is not a feral demon, Kaseem. He still retains his intelligence, even considering he is going mad,” Stephens said. “He seems to resemble more than one type of demon. His appearance suggests he is turning feral, but he still retains the intelligence of a human. His strength, agility, and reflexes have increased ten fold, not unlike a higher level of demon.”

“It doesn’t matter what he is, Darren. He must be stopped,” Kaseem said exasperated.

“Well if you were fleeing in a dust storm, where would you go?” asked Serena. The two men didn’t say anything right away. She looked from the imam to the priest, but both remained silently in thought.

“Shelter,” a voice said. They all turned to George who was now fully conscious and sitting up against the wall. “If I were fleeing, I would find shelter. Could he be in one of the buildings in the city? Are there any nearby caves?”

“There are a few caves in the nearby mountains,” Kaseem answered slowly, considering the possibilities. He turned away from the group and spoke to a nearby Knight who was standing guard near the entrance.

“You there! I want you and four others to accompany myself and Serena to the nearby caves. Three others will stay in this building and guard the wounded with your lives. The rest of you shall search this entire city for any trace of the rogue Diego or any other demon. They are to be attacked and killed on sight!” The Knights saluted and shouted a chorus of “by the Will of Allah.” Father Stephens stood up, shaking slightly.

“I will lead the group searching the city,” he stated firmly. Kaseem raised an eyebrow.

“You are injured and have weakened in your fight. You should stay and rest.”

“I am fine, Kaseem. I have recovered enough strength to fight and if your men run into Diego in the city they will need my help. You and I both know that no one but the two of us can take on Diego.”

“What if I say no?” Kaseem challenged. The two men glared at each other. Serena could practically see sparks of electricity between them.

“Then I will go off on my own and search for Diego. You will not stop me, Kaseem,” the priest replied. The tension in the air was thicker than the heat they had felt earlier. A smile appeared on Kaseem’s face.

“You’re a stubborn old fool, Darren.”

“Who are you calling old? You’re almost ten years older, Kaseem.” A smile twisted on Father Stephens’s face. Kaseem barked out a laugh.

“Never said I wasn’t old either, Darren. Almost getting too old for the field.” he sighed. “Very well, you may lead the search in the city. We shall rendezvous back here in four hours.” The priest nodded. Stephens turned to Serena. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Watch your back, Serena. You have much power within you, use it well,” he said.

“Thank you, Father. I will do my best,” she said. Then the priest did something he had never done before. He embraced her tightly. She was taken by surprise at first, but returned the embrace. Finally, Father Stephens let her go. The two locked eyes once more and Serena could see a great sadness in them. She could see the guilt and regret he felt. But there was also something else in his eyes. Hope. Hope for an end to this, for his friend’s soul, for his own. He longed for forgiveness for his part in creating Diego. Serena couldn’t explain how she could see all this, but she could. She touched his cheek and whispered softly,

“Forgive yourself and keep faith.” She smiled at him and he nodded. His expression turned solemn as he exited the building, leading five men in the search. Serena turned to Kaseem, who was watching curiously, arms folded. He said nothing however, only nodded his head. Serena then looked over to George. He smiled his silly half smile up at her.

“Give’em hell, Serena,” he said.

“I plan on it,” she replied, withdrawing her weapons. “Ready when you are, Kaseem.”

“Arabian Knights, lets move out!” he shouted.

****
Diego was atop his Flying Feral, surveying the land below. He had ordered Ragar to remain hidden until he called upon him. The air was getting colder, especially as the demon flew higher and higher. The cold no longer bothered him. His fur protected him from most of it. His power was growing; he could feel it. And with it, an insatiable hunger had begun to form. He hungered for battle, for blood, for souls. He knew the one he desired the most was nearby.

“And when I find you, Darren, I will finally have my revenge. I will devour your soul, Darren. I will rip it from your broken corpse and feast!” Diego growled to himself. He licked his lips, drool dripping from his maw.

He noticed movement down below. He could see six figures coming towards the mountains. His keen eyes could pick out who they were and could tell that Father Stephens was not among them. However, he noticed the one who had taken his arm was among them. As much as he longed to take personal revenge, his mind was set on Father Stephens.

“Ragar, can you hear me?” he asked in his mind, opening the connection into Ragar’s.

“I am here, Master. What is your command?” he asked.

“There’s a group of fools heading to the mountains. Slaughter them all, but leave the imam alive, I will deal with him myself!”

“As you command, Master,” the demon replied. The connection closed. Diego could still sense Ragar of course, like he could the Flying Feral, but they could no longer communicate. It reminded Diego much like a doorway when opening the minds of his servants. Though Ferals were much more primitive, only communicated using images instead of words. He ordered the Flying Feral toward the city, to hunt for Darren.

****
Serena, Kaseem, and the four men that were chosen to accompany them finally made it to the mountainside. It had taken them a half hour to get there from the city. The air was cold; temperatures had dropped to almost freezing. The others seemed unaffected by the drops in temperature. Serena had wrapped herself up tighter to try and stay warm. Her hijab rustled in the breeze.

The faces of the Knights were solemn, their hands on their weapons. Kaseem had his drawn. Serena had her hands near her guns, but hadn’t drawn them in case she needed her hands for something. The group had travelled in relative silence. Everyone was mentally preparing themselves for anything.

Dozens of scenarios played through their minds. Serena kept her focus and kept the ‘what if’ thoughts to a minimum. She subtly gathered her chi, incase she needed to unleash it in a moment’s notice. There was no sign of Diego, or anyone who could have helped him escape. Then, a loud bellow echoed all around them, shattering the silence. Serena and the other Knights drew their weapons.

“Up there!” one of them shouted, pointing part way up the mountain.

“He’s huge!” exclaimed another. Serena followed where the first man was pointing, and there standing on the edge of the cliff, glaring down at them was a gigantic monstrosity that she had never seen before. The demon let out a roar that was clearly meant as a challenge.

“I-it cannot be!” Kaseem whispered.

“What is it?” asked Serena, who was standing next to Kaseem. His eyes were wide with fear, his mouth open in surprise. He quickly composed himself. The fear was replaced with determination.

“That is no ordinary demon. That is Ragar the Mighty, one of the strongest demons Hell ever spawned.” he replied grimly. He shouted at the men in Arabic and they manoeuvred into a defensive position.

Serena knew the name. Father Stephens had mentioned it when he had briefed her on the mission before they had left. He had said that he and Diego fought and lost to him. Fear began to grip at Serena’s insides, attempting to twist her mind. Her first instinct was to just run, flee from the giant who loomed above, but she was more disciplined than that. She quickly silenced her fear, gathering her courage. She knew this was to be her toughest fight yet, even more so than Alvora.

Ragar began to hurl boulders at them from his perch on the mountain side. Kaseem had yelled for them to take cover. All but two managed to avoid the first boulder. They were crushed and killed instantly. As the second boulder was hurled Serena aimed her guns and blasted it to rubble, showering them with small rocks and dust. Ragar bellowed from the mountain as he threw a third boulder, which met the same fate as the second. Ragar began making his descent from the mountain, eager to engage his prey in battle.

“He’s coming down!” Kaseem shouted. “Serena, can you shoot him from here?” Serena tried to take aim at the large demon, but he was swifter and more nimble than his size suggested. She took a few shots, but missed.

“He’s faster than he looks,”she responded. At that moment the ground shook beneath their feet. Ragar had leapt off the mountain and landed with such a force that it had caused the ground beneath him to form a large crater. He grinned broadly at his shaken prey, who were stumbling nearby, trying to regain their footing. He lumbered slowly towards them, but was still several feet away. Serena could hear him growling.

“We need to get out of here! We’re no match for Ragar the Mighty. He kills by the thousands! Nobody can stand up to that monster!” one of the Knights screamed.

“If you want to flee like a coward then be my guest!” Kaseem snapped. “If you do, you were never deserving of being an Arabian Knight!” The man gawked at Kaseem, his mouth hanging open. A snarl from the approaching Ragar drew his attention over to the beast. The Knight screamed and ran towards Ragar in a primal panic, hoping to dismember his powerful foe. Once he was within reach of the demon, one swipe and it was the Knight who was dismembered by the massive claws of the ferocious Ragar.

“That one was weak! I hope you’re a lot stronger, otherwise I won’t get to have much fun.” the demon spat. “Then again, I’ll have fun killing you either way!” The demon smiled, showing off his razor sharp teeth, each about the size of Serena’s index finger.

The three remaining fighters stared down Ragar the Mighty. He towered over them, the humans only came up to his knee. His massive muscles, as thick as a tree trunk, twitched in anticipation. His red skin gleamed in the moonlight, his horns faintly reflecting the light. The most terrifying feature of this monster were his eyes. Serena could see the bloodlust in them. A never ending thirst for blood, for battle, for the hunt and the kill. Ragar was born and bred for battle, to kill.

“This battle will not be easy my friends,” Kaseem said sombrely. “But we shall fight this monster and we shall defeat him, or die honourably! By the Will of Allah!” The three gripped their weapons tightly, and began what just may be their last fight...

****
Father Stephens leapt from rooftop to rooftop, searching for any sign of Diego. He had the Arabian Knights spread out in teams across the village. The teams kept in constant contact with each other through their communicators. The priest didn’t have much to say and the Knights needed little direction from him. So far there was no sign of the rogue priest, which perturbed Father Stephens. He felt like he was somehow being watched.

Suddenly, Father Stephens felt a surge of power he had not felt in many, many years. A dark, demonic power that he would never forget. The one who had proven to be too much for him.
“Ragar is here?” he murmured to himself in astonishment. His gaze was drawn toward the nearby mountains, where the energy was coming from. A bellow could be heard and it was unmistakable of what made such a noise.

The priest’s mind began to reel with the possible implications of Ragar being here, none of which were very comforting. His first thought was that Ragar was here on his own and that they were near his lair. But another thought soon occurred to him. What if Diego had him under his control?

So absorbed in his own thoughts, Father Stephens almost missed the object that was hurtling towards him. He dodged at the last second as the knife grazed his cheek and struck the roof, lodging itself deep within the stone.

The priest drew his knives and saw Diego flying upon his demonic mount, circling him. A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. The dark blade had dislodged itself and struck at his face. He managed to parry the blow just in time. The dark blade slashed and stabbed, Father Stephens blocking and dodging each strike.

Finally, Father Stephens had enough of being on the defensive. He gathered his chi into his blades, preparing for the blade’s next strike. The blade lunged, aiming for his left shoulder, he deflected the blow and sent the blade flying away from him. He then sent a chi blast at the dark blade as it spun away, destroying the blade. Father Stephens stood on the rooftop, panting, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Your move now, Diego,” he panted to himself. The Flying Feral screeched and dive bombed. Father Stephens was prepared for this move and as soon as the demon was within range he threw the blade that was in his left hand, controlling it with his chi just as Diego did only moments ago. The blade pierced the demon’s throat. As it died, it crashed into the building that Father Stephens had been standing on, but he was long gone from that rooftop and already three buildings away. He had also seen Diego abandon his mount, but he had since lost sight of him.

The priest recalled his blade and it came to his outstretched hand. Before he could grip it, the whip had lashed out, striking his hand. Father Stephens yelled in pain, his blade dropping to the ground below. He turned around to see Diego on the building behind him. He was looking more demonic than before. The fur had spread and he was much larger than he was before. He gripped the whip tightly with his only arm.

“I’m going to enjoy killing you, Darren! This ends now!” Diego roared. The whip struck at Father Stephens swifter than he had ever seen it. It was clear that Diego’s speed and precision had increased in the short time since they had last fought. He tried to parry the blows, but more often than not, he was struck by the whip. He could feel himself getting weaker with each strike.

I can’t hold out much longer. I better make a run for it, Darren thought. He found an opening in which he was able to escape the onslaught of Diego’s attacks and he leapt from the rooftop to the ground, and ran.

“What’s this? Father Darren Stephens is fleeing from battle!” Diego guffawed. “I always knew you were a coward, Darren!” He leapt from the roof top and landed with a crash. He let out a howl and began the hunt.

****
Ragar was enjoying himself immensely. His adrenaline was pumping, his energy was surging as he traded blows with the three humans, who were indeed quite strong. The two humans with the swords had sent chi blasts at him with their swords. All it did was anger him. He swung his arm at them, but missed. The woman peppered him with bullets. No, not bullets. Chi. They were irritating, leaving marks where they struck him, which was more than what the other two did. He had charged at her, hoping to gore her with his horns, but she was faster than she appeared.

If only I could use more than thirty percent of my power. Then I would have more fun with them, the demon thought to himself. Before he had appeared before the rogue priest, Serin had spoken with him and told him explicitly not to use more than thirty percent. He had said that the order came from the Fiend himself, and he wasn’t about to disobey him. He could care less about Serin, the arrogant fool, who believed he was superior. The Fiend, the Fiend had proven himself to be superior centuries ago. Which was why he had pledged his allegiance to him. But one day, he knew he would surpass even the Fiend. Each battle made him stronger. His power was growing. Soon no one would stand against him.

****
Kaseem noticed that Ragar was distracted by Serena’s attacks. While Ragar concentrated on her, he gathered his chi and charged at the monstrous demon’s legs. He slashed once, then twice, cutting a large gash in both of his legs. The demon roared in pain and turned to him, eyes burning with rage. He swiped at Kaseem, but he blocked the blow, though he skidded several feet from his original spot. He did not go flying or lose his balance, nor did Ragar’s murderous looking claws reach their target. The demon looked at him in surprise. Clearly no one had ever stood against one of his attacks like that. Kaseem smirked.

From behind Ragar, Kaseem could see Serena making her way towards their foe. She leapt high into the air and sent a large chi blast at Ragar’s head. It struck him full force, Kaseem had to dive to the ground to avoid getting hit by the explosion. The dust cleared and Kaseem saw Ragar still standing. The demon stood there, panting, a wide smile on his lips. He turned to Serena.

“That was a good move little girl,” he said. “Too bad it didn’t have enough power to take my head off. Now I’m going to take yours off!”

Kaseem’s comrade took this moment to try and attack Ragar from behind while he was distracted. Unfortunately for him, Ragar heard his battle cry and turned in time to see him charging. Ragar scooped him off the ground, laughing all the while as the Knight screamed. Ragar opened his gaping maw and swallowed the warrior whole.

Kaseem cried out in anger and anguish at seeing his comrade being eaten like that. It was not a death fitting for a warrior. There was no honour in being devoured by a monster! He gathered his chi and charged at Ragar. The demon saw him coming and swung his massive arm at him in an attempt to disembowel him. Kaseem leapt into the air, avoiding the arm and began a flurry of slashing attacks, sending chi blasts with each swing. The massive demon grunted as the chi attacks struck him. Kaseem did not lose momentum. He kept slashing as he closed the distance. He stopped using chi and started slicing the demon with his sword. Again, the demon grunted in pain as the scimitar tore at his flesh.

Finally, Ragar had enough. He bellowed and released a wave of his energy that sent Kaseem flying. Serena managed to defend herself and hold her ground. Ragar charged at the fallen Kaseem, ready to crush him like a bug.

The Imam saw him coming, and felt it. The ground rumbled as he stomped over to where he was. He was too stunned to move, his attack was unexpected and powerful. He could barely lift his head, his scimitar lay inches away from his outstretched hand.
Allah, is this how I die? Without even being able to hold my sword? Kaseem thought. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for his demise.

****
Serena had never fought anything quite like Ragar. On the surface, he seemed like a slow, lumbering brute. In reality, however, he was not only strong, but fast and even cunning when it came to battle. It seemed to her like he was holding back. She hoped she was just being paranoid though. He was already really powerful. Much more than Alvora had been.

Serena kept Ragar distracted with her constant attacks, allowing Kaseem to get in close. Once he did, however, the demon had unleashed a shockwave of his energy. Serena had braced herself for it and stood her ground. Kaseem, on the other hand, was not so lucky. He was sent flying. He struck the ground hard, his scimitar out of his grasp. Ragar began to charge toward him. He was going to trample Kaseem! She knew she couldn’t let that happen. She gathered all the power she could muster, channelling it into her weapons. Ragar was closing in fast; she couldn’t wait any longer. She fired her weapons. Two large blasts struck Ragar hard in the back, stopping him in his tracks. The demon’s back was scorched, he staggered. But did not fall. He turned slowly toward her. He glared at her, and roared a challenge. Serena was surprised he withstood the attack. She panted from the exertion from the attack, but she still had plenty of energy left to fight.

Ragar charged at Serena, once again trying to gore her with his horns like a bull. She shot at him a few times, trying to slow him down, but they had little effect. She was forced to leap out of the way of the lethal looking horns. As she regained her footing, he had turned to face her. Ragar growled and two large, glowing, red fireballs appeared in the palms of his hands. He threw them at her. Serena flipped backwards to avoid the fireballs.

I better watch out for those. They’re a lot bigger than anything that Witch could throw at us, she thought to herself. She began to run as Ragar threw more of the scorching fireballs at her, but she was too fast for him to hit. She returned fire with her guns, but she doubted it had much effect.

Ragar bellowed in frustration. He stopped throwing fireballs and charged at Serena again. This time hoping to slash her with his claws. Serena stood her ground.

“I only have enough energy for one more good shot, I better make this one count or I’m finished,” Serena said to herself. Ragar closed the distance quickly and slashed at her with his left arm. Serena anticipated the move and jumped into the air, landed on the giant’s arm and began running up it. Ragar tried to grab her with his other hand, but she ducked to avoid it. She was on his shoulder now. He made another attempt to grab her, but she had once again jumped into the air, this time landing on his massive head. Before Ragar could do anything, she slammed one of her guns on the top of his head, channelled her remaining energy into.

“Go back to Hell!” she shouted as she fired the massive blast. The force of the attack propelled her high into the air. She landed less than gracefully on the ground. Ragar toppled over in a massive heap, his body still smoking.

Serena grew weak after her attack; her energy was drained. Unlike the last time she used that attack against Alvora, she could still stand, even walk, though not very quickly. I must be getting better at this chi stuff, she thought. Though I don’t think I have the strength for anymore shots.

Serena quickly remembered Kaseem and called out to him. He opened his eyes tentatively. Serena panted heavily, exhausted from her attack.

“Kaseem are you alright?” she asked.

“I’ll live,” he groaned in response. “Question is, will he?” he indicated to Ragar.

“God, I hope not,” she replied wearily. Kaseem picked up his weapon and struggled to his feet. Once he was standing, the two examined the body of the massive demon. By all appearances, he was dead. Miraculously, his head was still intact, except for a smoking hole in the middle. He wasn’t breathing. There appeared to be no pulse or movement. They also couldn’t sense any demon energy off of him.

“And so passes Ragar the Mighty,” Kaseem declared. “Serena Johnson, you really do have much fire in you!” She smiled brightly in response. Maybe I can do this Bellator Dei thing after all. She thought to herself.

“I’m just glad it’s over, Kaseem,” she sighed.

“You saved my life. I owe you a debt, Miss Johnson,” Kaseem knelt before Serena. “With Allah as my witness, from this day forward, I, Imam Kaseem Nassar, hereby pledge my life to your service. Wherever you go I shall follow until either I die or I have saved your life.” Serena said nothing. She had never had someone pledge themselves to her. She didn’t really know how to react. Kaseem looked up to see that she seemed be lost for words.

“That’s not necessary, Kaseem,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

“Oh but it is. Honour demands it! Allah demands it! You have saved my life, so now I must stay by you until I have repaid my debt.” he declared.

“But what about your people? Surely they need you,” Serena countered. Kaseem hesitated. He knew full well he couldn’t leave the Arabian Knights.

“You’re right, I will have to make arrangements with my-” an enormous power surge radiated all around them interrupted Kaseem’s line of thought. The pair turned their gaze back towards the city. A bright light enveloped the city, Serena had to shield his eyes from the brightness. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the light was snuffed out from existence, as if someone had blown out a candle. Serena blinked several times before his eyes readjusted to the darkness.

“What was that?” Serena gasped, noticing that he was likewise blinking his eyes. Kaseem shrugged.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he replied.

“We should probably head back to the city, they may need reinforcements.” Kaseem nodded.

“Agreed.” With that the two made their way back to the city as quickly as they could.

****
Father Stephens wove through the maze of a city, trying to put as much distance between himself and Diego as he could. He knew he wasn’t powerful enough to fight him head on, so he had to rely more on his tactics, stealth, and cunning than his strength and power. He could barely stand up to Diego after he transformed. Now that his power increased in the short time since they last met, he knew he couldn’t defeat him one on one. Not to mention he was beginning to feel his age.

He took a left turn and saw a group of three Arabian Knights, dead. Two of them had slash marks across the chest, the third looked like he had his head bit off. He knew Diego wasn’t too far away. The priest turned and ran off in the opposite direction.

His mind was reeling trying to formulate a plan for defeating Diego. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to see Diego attacking a group of Arabian Knights nearby, until he heard the screams that snapped him back to reality. Diego had just killed two more Knights. He caught sight of Father Stephens. He emitted a low growl, his maw dripping with blood and drool. Diego was now hunched over, almost on all fours. That was when Father Stephens realized that Diego’s arm had grown back.

“Fancy meeting you here, Darren,” Diego growled.

“I see you grew back your arm,” the priest observed. “How did you manage that?” Diego smirked. At least that’s what it looked like to Father Stephens, he couldn’t really tell with his new animalistic appearance.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out, Darren,” he replied. He stalked toward the priest. “Now are you going to fight like a man, or run like a coward?”

“You are no longer the Diego Garcia I used to know,” Darren answered sadly. “I will now do what I must to defeat you, and fight you with everything I have left.” Diego snarled.

“I will enjoy cutting out your heart!” Diego lunged forward, swiping at Father Stephens, but caught only air. He had leapt to the rooftop of a nearby building.

“I hoped it would never come to this, but you forced my hand Diego. I must now unlock my full power,” he said more to himself than Diego. The fact was, Father Stephens had a trump card, one which he had never used before in battle. He never used it because he was not fully trained in the art. But now he was forced into using drastic measures. He began to chant,

“We fight in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so that we may be free. So in return for his sacrifice we fight for him, to protect the innocence from evil. When all seems lost we keep our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

With that chant Father Stephens’s power began to surge. A great wind picked up and a blinding light shone from him. This was Father Stephens’s last resort. The chant unlocks all his power and multiplies it exponentially. Only the most powerful members of the Order are ever taught this technique. Father Stephens had never used it in combat.

“You have forced me to use the Reverend’s Power, Diego,” Darren called above the howling winds.

“But you’re not a Reverend! How the hell can you possibly have their power?!” Diego bellowed. Father Stephens did not reply. He merely gazed down at Diego with a look of determination. The time for words was over. It was now time to end this, one way or the other. The shining light that was Father Stephens snuffed out. He had vanished from his spot on the rooftop and reappeared in front of Diego. Father Stephens stabbed at Diego, but he managed to avoid the attack, barely. The two began their lethal dance, but this time it was Father Stephens who took the lead.

Diego lashed out with the whip, attempting to disrupt the priest’s foot work. He was too fast for him now. His speed had increased so much that Father Stephens looked like he was teleporting. The beast couldn’t hope to keep up, even with his new found power. Every counter-attack Diego tried, the priest was prepared for.

This was the Power of the Reverend. The power of the most elite warriors in all the Order. None were stronger than them within the Order. Only a select few were chosen to serve as Reverends. After the war with the Arabian Knights, Father Stephens had begun taking the initiation. His task, to master the Power of the Reverend technique.

He never got very far however. The Head Father of the Great Monastery of the Holy Light, Darren’s own teacher, Father Cornelius Abreu, had fallen gravely ill. Darren had left the Reverends to tend to his old teacher. When Father Abreu passed away he had named Darren the head Father of the Great Monastery. He could not refuse his old teacher’s wishes, so he never continued his Reverend training. So he could not maintain the power for long, and it was unstable for prolonged use. He knew he had to end this fight and soon.

Father Stephens unleashed a wave of energy, sending Diego flying back. Diego, however, seemed to have anticipated this moved and managed to defend himself. He landed on the ground smoothly and growled.

“I’m more powerful than any human, including a Reverend!” he snarled. Diego opened his mouth, gathering his chi into a large ball of energy, using his mouth as the focal point.

Father Stephens was taken aback by the use of this power, but stood calmly, taking a defensive stance. Diego fired the Chi Ray at him. The priest didn’t even flinch. He caught the Chi Ray with his weapons and deflected it upward.

The Chi Ray faded, causing no damage. Diego began shaking, though whether in rage or fear, Darren did not know. He stood calmly, gazing at his old friend sadly.

“I’m sorry it had to come to this, Diego. But you cannot win, it’s over,” he said solemnly.

“You cannot defeat me! I’m all powerful!” Diego roared, gathering his energy for another Chi Ray.

“Not this time!” Father Stephens moved so quickly he seemed to have vanished, and reappeared beside Diego. Father Stephens sent a shockwave of his own energy with such a force that he sent Diego flying. His Chi Ray misfired, destroying several of the buildings as he slammed right through them. The entire thing collapsed on top of him. Dust obscured Father Stephens’s view. He used his power to blow the dust away. He could see Diego trapped underneath the wreckage, struggling to get up. Darren was over top of him in an instant and held his blade at his throat. Diego stopped struggling and gazed up at the priest, his eyes full of hate and sadness.

“This is the end for you now, Diego,” Father Stephens said coldly. Diego coughed, blood spurted out as he did. His face was changing, he was reverting back to his human form.

“Looks like you are the s-strongest after all,” Diego gasped. “Please, don’t let me die with this wreckage on top of me.” Father Stephens glowered at his fallen enemy, his face was hard as stone. It quickly softened as Diego returned to his normal state, no longer wolf like. He nodded his head and heaved the heavy stone off of him. Diego’s body was battered and broken. There was no way to help him; he was dying. The priest realized that the whip was not within Diego’s grasp, it seemed to have been buried under the rubble. He would search it out later.

“Thank y-you, Darren,” Diego struggled to say. “Before I die, there is s-something you m-must know.”

“What is it, Diego?” he asked as he knelt beside his old friend.

“I went in seclusion, h-hating you. I wanted revenge against you. Something, something inside me snapped. I don’t know what it was, for the longest t-time I haven’t felt like m-myself. I-I-I felt like someone or something was controlling me. That’s when I stole the whip. And after that everything seemed to spiral out of my control. I w-was consumed by my hatred of you, by revenge. I did terrible things, D-Darren. Please forgive me, old friend.” Diego winced in pain. Father Stephens could only watch helplessly as Diego suffered.

“You weren’t yourself, Diego, I could tell that much. If what you say is true then I forgive you, if you can forgive me for what I did to you all those years ago.” he replied. Diego could only nod his head, barely.

“T-there is one more thing, D-Darren,” his voice was barely more than a whisper now. “I was approached by a m-man in rags tonight. He gave me R-Ragar to con-control.” Diego grunted out loud in pain.

“A man in rags? Who was he?” Father Stephens asked. Diego could not answer, his strength was waning.

“Beware, Darren. Dark forces are coming. This was only the beginning...” and with that, the last of Diego’s strength diminished. He let out one last breath, his eyes glazed over, staring off to somewhere far away. A single tear slid down the dead man’s cheek.

Father Stephens knelt there, too stunned to move. Diego, once his rival, his best friend, his enemy, was now dead. The priest began to weep openly for Diego. He wept and mourned the loss of his friend, wishing he could have saved him from this cruel fate. Wishing he could go back and prevent all this from happening. He knew he had to accept the consequences of his actions, then and now. It was over now. Diego could finally rest in peace. Darren hoped that he managed to find his way into the arms of the Lord. He hoped that He would forgive Diego for his sins.

Finally, Darren composed himself enough to close Diego’s eyes, and whisper a prayer for his friend’s soul. He turned and saw Serena and Kaseem standing some feet away, watching him. He stood up and cleared his throat.

“Diego is dead,” he announced, his voice sounded hollow.

****
Serena and Kaseem had arrived just in time to see Father Stephens kneeling beside Diego, exchanging words. Serena had made a move toward the priest, but Kaseem had put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

“Let him get his closure. He will come to us when he is ready,” he whispered. Serena nodded in understanding. They waited while the priest and the rogue talked. They waited while the priest openly wept at the death of his life long time friend. Finally he stood up to face them. He announced that Diego was now dead.

“That means this is finally over,” Serena breathed. “What was that power earlier?”

“That was me,” the priest answered. “I used a powerful technique known to only a few among our Order. It is a last resort only. Diego pushed me to my limits, so I went beyond them.” Serena could only stare in disbelief at how casually he spoke of this ability.

“It was an impressive display, Darren,” Kaseem said, inclining his head in respect. Father Stephens returned the gesture.
“We best be off, Serena,” Stephens said. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground. Serena gasped and rushed to his side.
“Are you alright?” she asked as she knelt beside him. He waved his hand and sat up on one knee.

“I’m fine, just very tired,” he replied weakly. “It’s a side effect of using so much power. There is always a cost, but I’ll be fine.” He panted and knelt there for a bit. Kaseem and Serena exchanged worried glances.

“So what happened with the two of you?” he asked finally.
“Serena managed to defeat Ragar the Mighty. This girl is something special, Darren,” Kaseem said. Father Stephens raised an eyebrow at the pair of them.

“Now that is impressive. How did you do it?” he asked. Serena told him about the battle, Kaseem chimed in every now and them. When they finished, Father Stephens stood up and began to pace. He seemed to be getting back to his normal self again. He was even starting to sound better.

“Are you sure he’s dead?” he asked.

“He must be. He wasn’t breathing and we couldn’t sense any of his energy,” Kaseem replied. Father Stephens didn’t seem fully convinced. “I’ll have my men look into it further, Darren, but you must leave now. The sun is rising.” They all looked up at the horizon and sure enough, the sun was just peeking up.

“We need to get the Demonic Whip first,” Father Stephens said, turning toward the wreckage. The three of them searched the wreckage until the sun was fully up, but they had found nothing. It didn’t seem possible, but the Demonic Whip seemed to have vanished. This perturbed Serena and the others. Kaseem promised he would scour the entire city for it if he had to. It seemed to them that something, or someone must have somehow stolen it. As to how, who or why, they didn’t know.

The three of them returned to where George and the others were. George was already standing up and walking again. He waved at Serena when he saw her. She rushed right to him and gave him a hug.

“Nice to see you’re back on your feet,” she said, smiling at him.

“Nice to see you all in one piece, Serena. Must have been some intense fighting, we could feel it from here. What happened?” Serena recounted the story of her battle with Ragar and explained as best she could what happened to Diego.

“Sounds like it got crazy out there, Serena. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help out more,” George said once she had finally finished talking. Kaseem was now escorting the three of them back to the Archangel.

“I’m sure they’ll be plenty more missions for us after this,” Serena said. She wished she felt as confident as she sounded. She was becoming increasingly worried about the missions, and her own abilities. What am I becoming? She wondered silently to herself, thinking to the amount of power she had just unleashed. She glanced at Father Stephens, marvelling at the amount of power he had just unleashed. She shook her head, pushing her fears aside to focus on what was happening then and now.

“It’s about bloody time!” a voice shouted at them. Dalton was pacing out in front of the Archangel, a scowl on his face. “What the hell has been going on?”

“I’ll explain everything on the way back, Dalton,”Father Stephens sighed. “As much as I can at least.” Father Stephens turned and clasped arms with Kaseem.

“It has been an honour fighting by your side, Darren,” the Imam said.

“Likewise Kaseem. I hope to fight alongside you again someday.” The two old warriors grinned broadly. Father Stephens inclined his head and followed Dalton up the ramp.

“Serena, you are one hell of a fighter,” Kaseem complimented. “I promise you, once I have my affairs in order I will be by your side. So try not to get yourself into any trouble alright?” Kaseem winked. Serena shifted her feet uncomfortably.

She still didn’t know how to handle someone pledging themself to her. And what’s more, she wasn’t sure how Father Stephens or the rest of the Order would react to having an Arabian Knight wandering around the Monastery. But the Imam had been insistent and it didn’t seem like she could refuse him. For now, she just smiled politely and nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll be seeing you later, my fiery beauty!” he shouted as she boarded the plane. He waved farewell then bowed extravagantly and withdrew to his fellow Knights, who were standing several feet away from the Archangel. The mission was over, but Serena had a sickening feeling that things were about to get much worse.