The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage

[37] Father

The door was nearly carved to pieces. Each swing of the long scythe-like appendages crashed into the portal with angry determination. The monster clicked, its body writhing in anticipation and taking up nearly all of the hallway beyond and stretching into the lower floor. With the wood offering no more resistance the blades began slicing at flesh.

The mother held the door and makeshift barricade with all of her might. A finger gone with one strike, an ear with another, one of her eyes gouged, slashes across her breasts and stomach. Her right arm right above the elbow fell to the ground with a sickening thud. It didn’t matter to her; all she knew was that she would not let this creature have her son. Not as long as she had breath. It would not get even one step closer.

The boy with sandy brown hair cried from beneath the pile of items his mother placed over him to keep him hidden. Clothing, mattress, comforters, anything that would obscure his form from the eyes of the monster. He could see her through the smallest opening in the pile, and prayed they would be saved. That the divine people his mother believed in so adamantly would come to their rescue.

All the boy could hear were the screams of the monster inside and the others flooding into the city. The crashing of aether against an endless wave of abominations. Finally the sound of his mother as she screamed in pain and defiance at the creature that would soon be the death of them both. 

Then, abruptly, it all stopped. The creature’s scythe arm hung loosely in the last spot it penetrated. The world was completely quiet, as if someone had simply turned off the sound. Aether so thick it nearly choked the boy permeated the surrounding world in a constant pulse.

Heavy unknown objects hit the roof and road with a dull thud, one after the other like rain. It continued for a few minutes. The boy’s mother seemed undeterred, and continued to hold the barricade with her battered body just in case the creature on the other side resumed its assault.

The heavy objects stopped falling, and after a few more minutes the mother collapsed. The boy frantically dislodged himself from his hiding spot. Unable to stand, he crawled towards his mother on all fours. She was breathing despite all of the damage to her form. The aether seemed to be slowly repairing her body.

The boy cried out. “Ma…”

He stopped as the roof and the entire third story above them was peeled back and crashed to the ground behind the building. Aether became even thicker as the world thrummed with power. A person descended into the room from the sky, which was again blue and peaceful. The gate was active again, sealing out the hordes.

The visitor was tall, easily ten feet with a skin that looked more like marquina marble than flesh. He wore odd, skintight metal that shimmered like liquid with cloth interwoven throughout. Holographic screens around his head appeared to be neither magic or aether but technology of some kind. The aether warped around him, creating a halo behind his head that seemed to crystalize the light itself. Behind him were six wings of various colors; none seemed to be required for flight as all were folded as he floated down.

The man looked at the woman on the ground for a long time. He pressed something on his arm, and the screens around his head vanished. He finally reached the floor, his metal shoes not making a sound as if he were weightless. He walked towards the pair, eyes never leaving the woman's form. The boy with sandy brown hair stood between the figure and his mother. He stretched out his hands and stood tall and defiant.

“You can’t have my mom!” The boy yelled.

“Isin,” the man spoke, and his voice resonated in the aether like a gentle melody. “It is alright, my son.”

The man’s eyes looked like jewels glimmering in the sunlight as they focused on Isin. He walked to the boy and knelt down. He had a sorrowful smile across his face as he reached out to touch Isin’s hair.

“You have grown so much in such a short time,” the man said. “I am sorry I couldn’t be here sooner.”

Isin could feel the aether as the man touched him. His own aether reacted as if remembering him. His eyes opened wide. This was a divine person from the sky. The same one that made the gate; the one his mother believed in and loved. The one that was his…

“Father?” Isin questioned.

“We will talk soon, son,” the man said as he stood up.

He walked around Isin as the holographic screens reappeared. Seventeen metal orbs materialized, each with a small black glass which shot out a green light that scanned the unconscious woman on the ground. Once again Isin saw not aether or magic but something totally different. After the woman was scanned, she was lifted into the air with aether. The blood on the ground as well as all of the severed body parts were picked up with her. The blood entered one of the orbs which connected to a tube in the woman's chest.

The aether, following the will of the man, placed the severed limbs and skin back in place while metal arms reattached each one. They rebuilt her lost eye and closed every wound. In a matter of seconds she opened her eyes, coughing up blood which was also collected by the orbs. The woman looked around frantically for a second, and when she saw her son tears formed. She then looked up at the man and covered her mouth with her hands.

“Bazaath?” she questioned softly, as if saying it too loud would cause him to disappear.

The woman was slowly lowered to her feet. Isin ran up to hug her and she held him for a long time. 

“I am home, Eliska,” Bazaath responded. 

He shrunk in size, going from a ten foot tall behemoth into a more reasonable six foot tall man. His wings vanished and his skin became a deep bronze. Eliska embraced Bazaath and the two shared a kiss. As they did the roof and the third floor were reformed. In the blink of an eye the room they were in was back to normal; everything in its proper place. The door was open and the monster in the hall was gone without a trace.

“Are you here for good my love?” Eliska asked.

“No, things have gotten worse up north. We will talk about that later,” Bazaath said as he caressed Eliska. “But I can stay for a while this time.”

The two turned to Isin, and Eliska motioned for him to step closer. She got on her knees so they could talk face to face.

“Isin, this is your father Bazaath. He is an angel, the Divine that created us,” Eliska said with joyful tears. “He loves us, and I am so happy you finally get to meet him.”

“I may have been gone for a long time, son, but I was never too far… I will have to leave again soon but I am with you always.”

“My dad is a Divine?” Isin asked.

Bazaath stepped forward. “I am, and you are something special, Isin. Everyone here is special, but you are even more so. You are my son, you are nephilim, greater human. In time you will know what that means, but for now there are many that need my help. Would you like to come?”

Isin looked to his mother for confirmation, which she gave with a nod.

“Y-yes,” Isin said.

The family followed Bazaath as he walked out of the room, down the stairs, and opened the front door. Outside they saw the bowed heads of David the heavily armored warrior with an aetheric hammer, Veronika the female wind magecrafter, and Patr the greatest magecrafter. All around the town were thousands of dead bat monsters, each with a single hole through their head in the same exact spot. Every monster that made it into the town and through the gate were slain.

“Lord Bazaath,” they proclaimed.

“Find the injured and bring them to me quickly,” Bazaath said, his voice stern. “Prioritize the critical ones. If anyone is too injured to move, mark them with aether. I will go to them.”

Isin immediately thought of Martin and hoped he was still alive.

“Da-father.” Isin hesitated. “My friend was injured, he lost his leg and was bleeding a lot. I know where he is. Can you help him?”

“Take me to him,” Bazaath said without hesitation.