Dream Eater (m|m)

Chapter 28

I walk slowly towards the stone arch.

I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do, but I remember Azael's dream. Astoreth told her daughter she just had to imagine a place and the Door would open.

And suddenly I have an idea. The Throne sounds a lot more pleasant to imagine than the Abyss; and if I'm going to open a Door anyway, I might as well open one to somewhere nice, even if I won't live to see it.

Azael wants to challenge Astoreth anyway, right? So let's see how pleased she is to see him.

I'm only a few steps from the arch, and my heart's pounding with adrenaline and fear. My legs are shaking, and my lungs seem like they're trying to get as many breaths in before their last. But I've made up my mind, and I try to hold myself together for Damien's sake.

I turn to take one last look at him, and give him one last smile.

Almost everyone's eyes are on me, which is a good thing, because what I see at their backs takes my brain several seconds to process.

Yakketh and Maliel are inside the seal with Dante and Damien, and somehow Dante is kissing them both at the same time.

Then Damien has their swords--one in each hand--and swings them in a great slashing arc. The seal shatters. So does whatever spell Dante had on the two Fallen, and they shove Dante to the ground with enraged shrieks, drawing smaller blades from sheathes strapped to their legs.

Damien tosses Dante one of the long blades, and they catch it with surprising adeptness. Even as Yakketh lunges at them, long dagger raised to kill, Dante swings it and cuts clean through Yakketh's arm above the elbow. It falls to the ground, dagger and all, and Yakketh screams.

Damien dispatches Maliel with a move that's too fast to see, and she drops at his feet.

"Never underestimate a sex-demon, bitches," Dante says, standing. Yakketh backs away with a snarl, holding the stump of her arm. Dante nods at it. "That's for cutting me, by the way."

By this time, of course, everyone has turned and realized what's going on.

"Stop them!" Azael barks, and the rest of his minions draw their blades. Damien tosses the other flaming sword to Dante. "Go! Get to the edge of the barrier and destroy it so Oran can get through!"

Dante hesitates, clearly not wanting to leave Damien and me alone.

"Go NOW, Dante! Run!" Damien yells, and his own blade of blue fire forms in his hand. Dante nods and takes off at a sprint.

"After them!" Azael roars, and two Fallen take off in pursuit. I pray that Dante gets more exercise than I do, because Azael's people look fast, and the edge of the barrier seems a long ways off.

At least with those two gone, Maliel dead, and Yakketh literally disarmed, the odds are down to three against two, although without a weapon I don't really count.

Actually, even with a weapon I don't really count.

It doesn't matter. It's clear that this fight is between Azael and Damien now, and the rest of the Fallen stand back.

A chill goes down my spine as Azael walks forward, his own fiery sword materializing in his grasp. It seems he bears a Sephiroth blade as well. If either his or Damien's body dies, then, so will their soul.

"Damien! Be careful!" I shout.

He looks at me and winks, and a half-smile quirks one side of his mouth. I'm not sure it's a look that says 'Yes, of course I'll be careful,' but it's at least slightly reassuring and undeniably hot.