It was completely dark but for a few street lights and the glow from inside the old building I walked up to the abandoned church building. Poor thing was nearly rotten away. I heard a voice come in through the ear piece I was wearing.
“Hey Tiny you there.” It said. It was Jane an associate of mine, she’s a good friend first met when we were both about ten I think, been almost nine maybe eight years since then.
“Yeah I’m here.” I said.
“You think you can do it solo?” She asked.
“Yeah I can do it solo.”
“Will you need to, you know. Use Shay?”
“Probably not, I can take three White Church Regulars no prob.”
“Alright stay safe. See you back at the designated safe spot.” She said.
“No problem Jane.” I said. Jane wasn’t usually this nervous, but then again she wasn’t out here fighting. A first for her, and something she didn’t enjoy.
I know stood at the decayed church door. I felt the hand gun I had holstered, I kept it there just in case. I felt the small book in my pocket.
“Just in case.” I promised myself. I looked down at my hands. I breathed in and out. Relaxing myself. Then my hands muscles tensed, they turned a into a dark black shadow like form, my fingers became like talons. I felt a shadow cover my face, covering me. Nobody could recognize me now. A strength ran through my muscles and I kicked down the door. It flew down the aisle landing near the altar. I look and say two young men standing in the rows of pews. They both had a rifle strapped to their back. Before they had time to act I lifted my left hand and leveled it towards them. A thing jet of blue flam flew from my palm and nailed one of them in the chest. He went down hard. I turned it on the other one before he could grab his gun. I heard them scream. Harsh I admit but you gotta do what you got to do.
I looked around and say an older women standing behind the altar. I readied to burn her till I realized. She had what I was looking for. In her arms she held a bundle of clothes.
“Give it.” I boomed with authority. “Or else.”
“No, I refuse. In the name of the Goddess I can not let evil spread.” She screamed. She slammed the bundle on the table and drew a knife.
“May the Pure Lord forgive me.” She screamed as she raised the blade. I cursed to myself as I reached for the book. I needed Shay. The moment I touched it I heard a voice.
“I got this.” It said. It was a smooth masculin voice with a bit of a strange accent. I ran forward with ease, My strides were so long I might as well have been flying. I was at the altar with time to spare. The dagger plunged down and using my left hand I grabbed the blade with ease. It had no effect on me. I put my free hand to good use. I slugged her across the face, girl went flying and collapsed like two yards away. She wasn’t getting up..
I looked down and say the bundle. Wrapped inside was a little baby with pointy ears and a single tiny horn poking out the right side of its forehead.
There are three pieces of information I should tell you.
There are people in this world that in addition to having human blood they have a little bit of DNA from non human beings.
These people manifest strange mutations like this one.
White Church likes to hunt down and kidnap these people
The nicest thing they do to them is kill them.
At this moment I got very very mad. I clenched my fists. My teeth squeezed so tight that they were in danger of breaking and I began to shake with rage.
“Easy man, you need to breath.” Shay said. I reluctantly agreed and took a moment to calm myself. Afterwords I picked up the baby that began to cry. I snuggled it against me.
“Easy there, easy there. Tiny’s got you.” I said. It didn’t help.
“Thank you for the assistance Shay. You can go unless you have a way to calm the baby down. There are no more White Church here.” I said. I reached for the book.
“Afraid I’m still stuck here.” He said.
“Why?” I asked.
“I smell a lot of a strangely clean and pure magic coming from a lone source.” He said. I muttered out a short string of words that shouldn’t be said in a church or near a baby. That type of magic could only come from one thing. A White Church Blessed was here.
...
I hid behind the altar. Taking the baby with me.
“Shay cover it.” I said. A blanket of shadow smothered the baby blocking out the crying. I didn’t like doing this to the baby. I could feel it squirming, it might hurt itself, but I had to. Better this than dead. Shay and I both knew we could not win this fight while cuddling a baby.
I heard footsteps coming through the door from my door. I heard a women gasp and then someone run through the pews and towards us. They must have seen the women. I looked around in a panic and say the stain glass windows.
“I got a plan?” Shay said. I grinned. The White Church Blessed walked up to the women and bent down on one knee. It wore and all white get up. White pants, white long sleeve shirt, white gloves, white shoes, you get the idea. A white hood covered her head. Holding the baby in one hand I drew the gun with another. Magic wasn’t an option I needed it all for the getaway. It turned to face me. It wore an all white mask, with no eye holes. A plane sheet of white stared back at me. I let it have it. BANG BANG BANG BANG. IT got knocked onto its side with a thud. All the while however it still somehow stared at me.
“Do it Shay.” I screamed. I knew the bullets would only delay The Blessed a few seconds. The deep shadow left my arms and the baby leaving all exposed except the face. They gathered around my legs and all of a sudden I felt a boost of energy. I Jumped towards the stained glass window. I shot up like a rocket. I cradled the baby shielding it from the impact.
CRASH. We broke through with a great force. I flew at least two blocks through the air. I landed on my feet. It probably looked cool but all I could think of was. OW OW OW THAT HURT. I swore a lot that day. I collapsed to the floor. I could barely move. I looked at they baby I held. It cried.
“Will the blessed be after us?” Shay asked.
“No, it’ll stay by her companions till help arrives. They have at least that little bit of honor.”
“Then bruh call the emergency evac.” Shay said. I spoke into the ear piece. Damn thing was god at staying in.
“Jane send a merc.” I said.
“But we need them for defense.” She said.
“Send one over they got a blessed, and my legs don’t work.”
“Oh, Willis is in route.” A minute later a shiny large truck pulled up.
A tall man with brown hair and fair skin stepped out. He had an ugly sneer on his face. He wore dirty black jeans and a black bomber jacket. He held a machine pistol in one hand.
“Any sign of White Church.” He said.
“No Willis.” I said.
“Dang I was hoping to at least get to shoot one of the bastards.”
“Just get us into the truck.” I barked.
He brought us to an old house. Jane was waiting outside. She was a young girl of 18 fair skin with a few freckles and long orange hair she always kept tied back in a braid. Her left arm was in a sling. She wore jeans and a green hoodie. Next to her stood another man named Clement. He was tall with short black hair and sun kissed skin. He wore the same get up as Willis.
“Get in.” Barked Clement. We all did. It was a small house, a few feet bigger than a shack and beaten to all hell. There was a big window with a curtain that was drawn closed. Willis and Clement kept peaking through it, both had guns in hand. The baby slept on the couch, poor thing had cried till it passed out.
“How we gonna get out of here?” Asked Jane.
“We need to grab our stuff and load up the truck and get back to the coast.” I said. White Church was one of the most superstitious groups in the world, I new from fear of the ocean they wouldn’t go near it. I understood why. For most people the ocean was fine but for those who new about magic. You do not touch the ocean.
“What about Skroy?” She asked.
“I’ll call him.” I said. Skroy was one of my best soldiers, or warriors as he liked to call it. Besides Jane he was my only warrior. I called him twice. No pick up. Nothing. We paced around. I took over watch while Jane and Willis watched the baby. Jane was noticeably distressed. Her and Skroy were close. Clement sat against the wall nearby. He held an assault rifle, military grade.
“You about 18 ain’t you?” Clement asked.
“About.” I said. I was 19 but I wasn’t telling him that.
“I was 18 when I started this four, three years ago, maybe about uh, five or so. God I don’t know. Point is I started out like you minus the magic.” He said.
“You go after White Church?” I asked.
“No other groups.”
“Like who.”
“You heard of the Rowyols.”
“A few times, in passing”
“Biggest bastards I know, one day I’ll drive them out one day, but not today.” He said. He rubbed the tired from his face and snickered.
“But one day.” He said as he drove a thumb across his throat. White Church aren’t the only problem the world has but there the one I focus on. My cell phone rang. I picked it up in a hurry.
“Hello.” I said.
“T-t-tiny it’s it’s me.” Skroy said.
“Skroy what happened.”
“They here in force, bad luck, they had a meeting nearby, what rotten luck.” I could hear him wince in pain.
“Do you need an extraction.” I asked.
“N-no, I’m good. I got away, but you got to run they got a small army looking for you.” He said.
“Got it, stay safe warrior. See you at where we discussed”
“No problem Chief.” He said and hung up.
I didn’t much care for the Warrior Commander mentality but he liked it so I obliged him.
“Is he okay?” Jane said.
“He’s fine and safe, we gotta go.” I said. I looked out the window. I say multiple people approaching the door. I counted ten.
“We’ve been found.” I screamed. I looked back to see everyone getting ready to go to war. Guns at the ready. Clement had an evil grin on his face. I began to bark orders. I told Willis and Clement to aim their guns at the window.
“If you’ve got a mask put it on. No one wants to be associated with what happens next.” I screamed. I ripped the curtain of. The ten White Church stood on the other side shock in their face.
“Light them up.” I Screamed. A blaze of bullets sent them all running. With no cover they were forced to flee back to a van parked across the street.
“Full Mask on Shay.” I told him.
“With pleasure.” He said as a cloak of shadow covered my body.
“Jane grab the baby. To the Car.” I said.
We ran to the car. All the White Church laid on the floor.
“They’ll be gunning for us now.” Said Willis.
“Let them.” Said Shay. He was to excited about that aspect. We ran to the car. It appeared we were home free. Then the blessed appeared. It walked up with bullet holes and blood stains in it clothes. It walked up with a vengeance.
“Get in the car I’ll take her.” I said. I closed my eyes.
“Shay we need to do the thing we discussed.” I said.
“You know what to do boss.” He said. I pulled out a small blade I kept for such an occasion. I cut my thumb open at put it in my mouth. I swallowed the blood. Then it happened, like Shay said it would. Power flew through me. The shadows became dark enough to suck in light. I looked at my fingers, they were daggers. I lickedd my teeth, I had grown two fangs. I looked at my body it was all dark. Everything had gone quiet even the blessed had stopped in her tracks.
“You want to fight, you got one.” I taunted. I couldn’t see it’s face but I think it smiled. We charged. I slugged it in the stomach. It felt like punching a brick wall.
“Magic” I cursed. The Blessed’s hand began to grow a radiant white and she grabbed my skull. It felt like a hatched had been cracked into my skull and that I had a hot stove shoved into my face all at once, but worse. I heard guns go of. The mercs were shooting her, hell I bet Jane was trying to through some magic or something at her with a broken arm, but it wouldn’t work here, the element of surprise was the only chance we had and it was gone. This was stupid we were all gonna get killed.
“In the name of all that is pure, you will be purged. Slowly and painfully as punishment for what you have done cursed man. For it is right and just” The blessed said. I screamed it burned. Then Shay chimed in.
“Hey idiot, listen. I know a lot about you, and I know you know what this White Church jerks do to people like the baby and Jane.” Shay said. Jane was good at hiding it but she was of the same breed of the child. If they caught here they’d take her to a camp.
“You’ve seen a camp, makes hell look like a playground. They do the operation you told me about on her and death will look like a mercy. Except she won’t know about that she’ll be singing them prays after that re education class they’d throw her in. Those hooks sink deep, and you know from personal experience.” Shay said. I then became real mad. I force through the pain and reached one hand around the back of her head and pulled her down so that we were face to face. I then put my other hand on top of that one and forced her forehead to my shoulder. I then began to knee her guy mercilessly. I felt the armor crack, I heard her gasp and grunt in pain. I threw her to the ground.
“The one getting justice today is you.” I screamed. I grabbed the mask. One of the superstitions of White Church was that a blessed being damasked in battle is a grave insult. They’d rather have ten blesseds killed then one be demasked. I grabbed the mask and crushed it. On the other side was a girl of about my age. Short dirty blond hair, hazel eyes and white skin. She had a large freckle underneath her right eye. I froze. I let out a lone curse.
“Anne.” I said softly. She lay there heaving unable to move. I got up and walked towards the others.
“You ain’t gonna kill her?” Clement asked.
“Do to her honor this is worse.” I said.
“That’s not why you left her.” Shay said. Shay was a voice that only I could hear so I just bit my tongue and didn’t react. I got into the truck and Willis drove us away. I sat next to Jane who had the baby nestled in one arm. It slept peacefully.
“We have to drop it of at Ms. Jolly’s don’t we?” I asked Jane.
“Unfortunately. Damn White Church” Said Jane. Ms. Jolly ran a small orphanage in a place called See City. It was one of the few places White Church will never touch. The mercs dropped us of at a small apartment we called Other Base before going on their way.
“You get the cash in a week.” I told them.
“We know.” Clement said with a smile.
We went inside to find Skroy was already there. He laid on the floor covered in blood and bandages. Jane let out a scream when she say him. He jumped to his feet in response. He was a tall man with darkish tannish skin, black shaggy hair, brown eyes and two little horns.
“How’d it go.” He said as if nothing was wrong.
“Dude is a tank.” Said Shay. Skroy got washed up in the shower and him and Jane went back to See City. I stayed alone in the apartment.
“So you gonna tell me?” Asked Shay.
“About the Girl?” I asked.
“Yeah obviously.” He said. Shay may reside within me but I usually block him out of my memories but I decide him to let him in on a few.
“Damn.” He said.
“Yeah.” I responded. I new White Church better than anyone on the outside. I had been studying them since birth. Every since they took the baby boy that was me in. They taught me how to walk, read, and fight. I was at the top league. If I hadn’t left I’d be a blessed by now at least. I remember at 16 when they send me out to grab the Corrupted as they called it. I remember dragging them to treatment as they kicked and screamed. I remember running for my life after I found Shay and the book he was in. I remember friends trying to slaughter me because it was “right and just”. But I remember her always by my side with a smile. First classmate I new, first friend, and well first love, and now first ex.
“What you gonna do if you see her again?” Shay asked. I took a deep breath before answering.
“Whatever needs to be done.” I said.