Chapter Nineteen: Rise of the Protector

    The black-pelted, imposing form of the Protector under the dim light captured Jarell's full attention when he arrived in a cloud of dust stirred by the blast of his superhuman speed. He stopped at a safe distance away, leaving Sodi as a barrier between himself and the agitated, snarling alternate form of his prisoner. Jarell noticed the ruined cage and broken shackles at the feet of his prized captive, as well as the unconscious body of Shade that the Protector stepped in front of to keep even Jarell's gaze away.


    "What are you waiting for? Subdue him!" Jarell barked at Sodi, who was lost in an upward stare at the angry beast before him.


    Jarell's ruthless command animated Sodi, who transformed into a massive Bengal tiger and leapt at the Protector, sinking fangs and claws into the mighty beast's shoulder and arm upon impact. Jarell watched as the Protector rolled It's head with a howl, then grabbed the mauling tiger by the back of it's neck with It's free arm and ripped it away, holding it's dangling body  up high. With another ferocious roar the Protector slammed the tiger down into the concrete floor of the warehouse with devastating force, sending cracks running throughout the floor in all directions from underneath the crushed tiger, whose lifeless body reverted back to Sodi's form. The Protector then eyed Jarell with the same intent.


    "Impressive Corbin, very impressive," Jarell praised as he walked dauntlessly up to the Protector, who growled deeply at his presence.


    "Come now Corbin, end this before others get hurt..."


    A punishing blow to the chest from Corbin ended Jarell's speech and sent him flying backward into the darkness of the warehouse where he landed on the floor with a thud. Corbin's broad chest heaved with anxious breaths as he looked down on Shade for a moment, then began to march toward the darkness for Jarell.


     After a few steps Corbin stopped when Jarell returned, tossing his hat away and unbuttoning his long coat to reveal a body clad in an unearthly suit of armor that wrapped every inch of the angel's  tall frame. Discarding the coat to his side, Jarell let a pair of large, eagle-like wings that had been folded up against his back stretch out from behind him then fall in place, tucked behind his shoulders.


    Corbin snarled in readiness for a fight, but Jarell again strode confidently up to him. "You cannot possibly hope to defeat me Corbin. End this now and I will let your sister there go free," he bargained, motioning to Shade.


    The mere mention of Shade by his abductor infuriated Corbin and he swiped at Jarell's chest with his huge claw. Jarell stumbled backward, looking upon the deep claw marks in his armor with shock. "Impossible...," he mumbled to himself.


    Seeing the surprise in Jarell's eyes at the damage done, Corbin advanced at him with a flurry of clawed swings that Jarell ducked and dodged with fear, trying desperately to get away. Corbin was relentless in his pursuit, thwarting his prey's retreat with a merciless barrage of swipes that Jarell barely managed to escape, until finally Corbin vaulted into him with the full force of his mass. The two rolled end over end as Corbin clawed away at Jarell's armor while snapping repeatedly at his face with his wolf-like muzzle. 


    As they tusseled in the darkness, Shade began to come around. Pushing herself up off the floor while rubbing her aching head, she heard the growls and grunts of the scuffle near her in the opaque darkness. She tried to focus her shaky vision in on the sounds, but the slight concussion she was suffering from made the whole warehouse seem confusing.


    Jarell finally managed to seize an opportunity to free himself from Corbin's savage clutches with a kick that sent Corbin sliding across the floor, back into the light near Shade. Corbin shook his head from the blow, then began to rise, unaware that Shade was conscious and watching. 


    Jarell became the pursuer this time, following Corbin's trail back under the light where his shredded armor, tattered wings, and heavy breathing told his side of the battle. He paid no attention to Shade, only Corbin as he held his right hand out from his side as if he were holding something, then a golden hilt materialized in his hand and a pure, luminous blade grew out of it.


    "Last chance Corbin, stop this right now or I'll be forced to do so myself," Jarell cautioned.


    Corbin, taking the glowing sword into consideration, began to move slowly in a circle that Jarell matched. The two stalked each other round about, each calculating their next move; Corbin waiting to strike and Jarell plotting his counter.


    "I mean it Corbin, I'd rather not kill you, but I will do what I must," Jarell assured.


    Corbin responded with a determined snarl, keeping his purple eyes trained on Jarell as they circled like predators vying to survive one another.


    Shade remained propped up and motionless on the floor, watching the scene unfold with a slowly clearing mind that reminded her of the situation she was in. The battered figure of Jarell was new to her eyes, but his identity was as familiar as the many tales Gideon had told her when she was young, then later for Lydia's sake. She swelled with an urge to aid her brother in his struggle, but knew she had to plot her move carefully.


    The circle between Corbin and Jarell began to shrink, meaning someone would soon have to risk the next move in a deadly match. Jarell's closeness made Corbin anxious, his  inexperience in combat made him impulsive. He finally lunged hard at Jarell, who side-stepped to avoid the attack, then swung around to bring the blade of his sword down the middle of Corbin's back.


    The unearthly weapon opened the flesh of Corbin's back, causing him to fall heavily to his knees with a yelp of severe pain. Instantly he slumped forward, catching himself with his clawed hands on the floor and hanging his head in anguish.  Jarell closed in behind him, ready to deal his finishing blow. 


    Shade got to her feet, wobbling a bit as she stood, but she forced herself steady as she watched Jarell raise his sword beside Corbin in a motion to cut off his drooping head. In a zip she shot herself at him with all she had, crashing into him with bone crushing force that sent him sailing through the air into the darkness and her reeling to the floor beside Corbin.


    The collision had separated Jarell's sword from his hand. It landed out in front of Corbin, who noticed it's softly glowing blade, then looked back to see what had happened. Seeing Shade writhing on the floor pushed Corbin past the pain of his wound, back to his reason to fight until his last breath. He reached for the sword, then climbed to his feet with a pain-filled grunt and stood protectively in front of her, waiting for Jarell.


    Jarell emerged from the darkness, the wear from the battle showing in his sagging posture and dragging walk. Disgust curled his upper lip, but frustration burned in his eyes. Heeding his sword in Corbin's huge hand, and the obvious intent of it to repel any threat to Corbin and his fallen sister, Jarell berated,"Corbin, you fool! You're really willing to give up your destiny for her, for them? How pathetic! Chivalry died a long time ago!"


    "But not the chivalrous!" a scorched voice proclaimed from behind Jarell as a badly burned Gideon appeared from the darkness and secured Jarell with an arm-locking bear hug.  Jarell tried recklessly to rock his way out of Gideon's binding embrace, but couldn't. 


    "Corbin, pierce his heart with the sword!" Gideon commanded over the struggling grunts of Jarell.


    Corbin stepped forward purposefully with the sword, then jabbed it into Jarell's chest as he unleashed all his fury, all his cage induced anguish through a fang revealing bellow. He kept his hand firmly around the sword's hilt while he stared directly into Jarell's stunned, hurting eyes.


    Gideon cautiously removed himself from Jarell, who'd become almost limp once the sword found it's mark, and Corbin pushed the sword on through until the hilt stopped it. Then Corbin and Gideon both backed away defensively, waiting to see if the strike was a fatal one. Jarell slumped to his  knees where his upper body arched back until the point of the blade dug into the concrete floor behind him, keeping him propped up in a bent position. His arms dangled lifelessly beside him while his head fell back with a gaping mouth.


    Wanting a more sure confirmation of Jarell's demise, Gideon marched over to the seemingly dead angel, snatched the sword out and cut off his head before the body had time to fall over. Almost instantly, flares of light raced out of Jarell's open neck to the high ceiling above where they exploded with ethereal screams into blinding flashes.


    Corbin and Gideon shielded their eyes from the dazzling display that illuminated the empty darkness of the warehouse brighter than the sun or any electric light ever could for what seemed like minutes, but was over in just a few arcing seconds. When the darkness once again claimed the building, the body and severed head of Jarell were gone without a trace, and the sword in Gideon's hand vanished into a powdery dust that was swept away by an uncanny fleeting breeze before it could settle on the floor.


    Before they could properly consider what they had just witnessed, a moan from Shade summoned them both to her side for the sake of her wellbeing. She was squirming on her back, trying to pull herself out of her hurting, injured state with a closed-eye grimace. With Corbin watching him closely, Gideon gently scooped up Shade's head under his arm, then he bit into his other wrist to start a trickle of blood flow. Holding his dripping wrist over Shade's mouth, he advised her to take the drops of blood that fell onto her lips.


    "Do not worry Corbin, in small amounts a vampire's blood has strong healing properties for humans; but is otherwise harmless," he assured. "Shade and I have done this before,"he added somewhat regretfully, to assure Corbin further.


    After Shade had taken several drops of Gideon's blood, he removed his wrist and carefully lowered her head back down, sliding his arm out from under her neck. He turned to Corbin, who was watching over his sister with a soft concern that was clearly evident even on the features of his beastly form. Placing a seared hand that was already healing on Corbin's massive shoulder Gideon said,"Fear not, she will be much better in a few minutes."


    Corbin's eyes went from Gideon's burnt hand to all around his burnt face, then settled on Gideon's gray eyes with more silent concern.


    "I shall be fine too Corbin, and as for you, when you change back your wound will leave with the Protector," Gideon consoled.


    Corbin returned his watchful gaze to Shade, who seemed to be resting now without any visible agony. He eased into a comfortable sitting position beside her and waited for the change.



Comment