Abode of the Damned: A Dark Supernatural Fantasy Read online

  “Our host’s residence,” Clancy said, “ever transforming.”

  “Nice – a little showy, but–“ a blow thundered down on Cole, collapsing his chest to the ground.

  Spitting dry dirt from his mouth and not returning to his knees too soon, Cole watched as the gate to the middle tunnel slowly rose and as the ferry emerged from the demonic fortress. Lucy and Clancy took notice as well and exchanged a look of foreboding, the elation of spotting the cave now evaporated in the face of agonizing sentence.

  Cole cautiously surveyed the scorched creatures towering behind him: wiry, slick and black. With each hiss of expiration, their mouths opened, lips curled back, exposing their tiny sharp teeth. Their luminescent eyes fixed on Pandemonium and the approaching ferry. The flail twirled by the side of one fiend.

  “Clancy,” Cole said under her breath, “where will-“

  Suddenly, from above, a high pitched resonance flooded the atmosphere as a purple vortex formed in the gory sky.

  The fiends were immediately unnerved - the demonic horses startled. The vortex quickly grew. Then, a blinding flash of white light and a swarm of thousands of demons poured out of the vortex and descended upon the golden fortress. A fireball struck the ferry as Pandemonium’s inhabitants took to the sky to meet their attackers. Two monstrous roars ripped into the sky as several black winged beasts approached to join the battle – the sky ablaze in fire and blood!

  The scorched fiends, unable to defend themselves, abandoned their captives and fled toward the mountains, but were quickly consumed by a fireball from the sky. “It’s Dregan’s army! Quickly to the carriage!” Clancy called to Cole, scooping up Lucy in his arms. “They won’t attack us.”

  Cole made it to the carriage and atop, took hold of the reigns. A flaming fiend fell from the sky and struck the ground only yards way. Two others entwined in mortal combat spiraled into Acheron. A great winged black beast torched a half dozen of Dregan’s faithful in a single breath while fending off a half dozen more who hacked and pierced the beast with sword and lance. Clancy and Lucy scrambled atop of the carriage with Cole, and the battle for all Hell at their backs, they raced for the Black Mountains.

  * * * * *

  The carriage took Cole, Clancy, and Lucy well into the Black Mountains, but when the terrain became too steep and cumbersome, they abandoned it. From there, they climbed slowly and methodically over the stone and lava rock, edging their way toward the peak that housed the cave. At times their ascent became inaccessible and they were forced to inch around the mountain face until they could ascend once more. Several times they had to backtrack and search for another route.

  “There!” Cole said as he pulled Lucy up onto the crag he was standing. The cave was now back in view, about seventy meters above and to the right of them. A cave which otherwise would have been nearly undetectable save for the blue-white sheen emanating from it.

  Clancy followed up onto the crag just as the sky trembled with two monstrous roars. “Get down” Cole said as he crouched down, his arms over Lucy. He then peered upward and watched as two of the black winged beasts flew overhead toward Pandemonium.

  “They’re gone?” Clancy asked.

  “Yes” Cole answered, rising and again taking Lucy’s hand – then suddenly dropping to a crouched position once more. “Wait.”

  A demon had come out of the cave and stood at its entrance. The thing stood upright and fanned its wings, then with two powerful steps propelled itself into the sky and took after the black winged beasts.

  “The sentinel’s gone. We must hurry,” Lucy exclaimed.

  “Could there be another?” Cole asked, taking the lead once again.

  “It matters not. There’s nothing left to lose – go!” Clancy said, giving Lucy a boost ahead of him.

  They moved quickly, there eyes on the golden light above them. Suddenly - a nose from below.

  Clancy paused and looked beneath him and spotted two creatures climbing up the face after them – the red exoskeletons unmistakable. “Rycans” he called out, “hurry.”

  They hastened themselves, scrambling to broaden their distance from the advancing creatures. Cole reached the ledge at the cave’s entrance and pulled himself overtop, then quickly spun round on his belly and reached over for Lucy. Below, white fingers and cherry hair, but still out of reach.

  Well beneath Lucy, Cole saw Clancy ascending quickly, frequently turning to gage the rycans’ distance.

  “Take my hand,” Cole said as Lucy approached. And as she grasped his hand, he heaved her up onto the stony ledge.

  “The portal,” Lucy said as they both stood and looked back into the cavern. A pool of azure light lay surrounded by a short barrier of polished granite blocks.

  Just then, Clancy’s right hand reached the lip of the ledge. “Clancy,” Cole called as he lunged for the ledge and extended a hand. Clancy’s head emerged.

  “Hurry, they’re right-“ Blood spewed from Clancy’s mouth in one powerful torrent.

  Lucy grabbed Cole’s hand and pulled him back. “Quickly, we must-”

  Cole quickly turned and scooped Lucy up and ran toward the portal. In one quick instant, looking back at the cave’s entrance, Cole saw a rycan tail extend above Clancy, thrust down and pierce his skull, and fling his head from his shoulders. Clancy’s decapitated corpse dropped beneath the ledge.

  Before them, twelve feet in diameter, the pool shimmered as if liquid and filled the cave with an azure sheen. “Dive in!” Lucy said, as they approached the portal, her arms around Cole’s neck. Cole eyes were open as he fell into the portal, Lucy tight in his arms. Suddenly they were weightless, overcome by concentric waves of cerulean light, and then they were gone.

  * * * * *

  A young physician struggled to maintain his balance as he stood on the last rung of a stepladder and held a stethoscope to the prisoner’s chest, reaching into the standard issue red jumpsuit. He listened for about a minute in the chill cold, then withdrew the instrument from Cole Sunger’s chest and gave a solemn nod to warden Decker. “Bring him down,” Decker directed the executioner upon the gallows, and Cole’s body was lowered into the arms of two attendants who removed the noose from his neck, the black hood placed over his head, and the shackles from his hands and feet. The body was placed into a plain pine coffin and loaded into the back of a hearse, which rolled out of the Arkwood death house into the night and the pouring rain.

  THE END

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  About The Author

  Matt Cole was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1967. He earned a undergraduate degree in kinesiology at the University of British Columbia and a masters degree in exercise physiology the University of Victoria

  He was first inspired to write speculative fiction while in college, during a speculative fiction literature course. Since then, Matt has experimented with writing screenplay and a graphic novel scripts as well as short stories.

  Matt enjoys the company of exotic, smart, confident, and funny women; red wine (or the nectar of the Gods as he believes it to be); time spent with his extended family, IPSC competitions; keeping physically fit; reading dark and epic fantasy, and writing speculative fiction in various forms.

  He currently resides in Burnaby, British Columbia

  His author site and blog is http://talesfromthedark.wordpress.com

  Matt Cole on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/mattdeancole

  Also By Matt Cole

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>   Ghost Drums

  The vampire, Lazarus Kalon, is intent upon stealing the power of a shape shifter, a shaman of the Kwakiutl people. Yet, as Lazarus moves in on the shaman and the Kwakiutl village, another supernatural being comes into play, a demon with his own agenda for the Kwakiutl and who is very aware of Lazarus' presence and intent.

  Now, tormented by this supernatural being and the mystery of a haunted and deserted village, Lazarus must confront this demon and his own rationale for the shape shifter’s blood.