Episode 26: Rule of Thumb

“Bugger!”

The mad magician known as Carrington Primross found himself in the clutches of a mighty fist, log sized fingers crushing around his body to hold him prisoner. He could hear bones creaking within his deceased yet functional form but even that was manageable. With all of his sharpened senses how could the magician have been so careless not to know he was being stalked? Something as massive as Malcolm Malibu Brand was, noticing him should have been a simple task.

“How’s that for a slight of hand?” He heard the thunderous words of a colossus. “This what they refer to as a dead man’s hand?”

Hordes of winged bats came divebombing to his aid. Some attempting to pry Primross free, others storming the eyes of Malcolm. The giant merely annoyed by their constant scratching at his stone like body shrugged them off like fleas. As they drew near his forehead the rune upon his brow began to glow, forcing bats to realize its magic. Deathly squeals fought amongst themselves to flee. One such bat thrown directly at the rune screamed while resuming his human form. In doing so the poor man dropped 70 feet to impact hard on the hull of the Ganthorian ship. Returning to his undead form within minutes he revived and was back in action.

Between bats and dodging drones battling them back, Malcolm found it difficult to see. He was trying his best not to damage the ship while leaning over it. While not at any peak height he still worried that his increased mass could easily rupture the hull if he lost balance. Not likely but it was a worry, nonetheless. Choosing to step away at a safe distance he found himself literally bringing 60% of the legion along for the ride. Swarm all over!

Below on the ground Jack Ramse and Elle Franklin pounded on the cargo container holding Sabbath Black and their friend Cameron Scott. Cameron had been drug under and within while vamps attempted to topple the container. Jack dropping his gun began trying to lift the container. His lapse in judgment was abruptly halted by Gaicazar the Roman, throwing his back into the container so that he could still defend himself.

“You would release even more evil upon the world?”

“Our friend is inside. We have no idea what Sabbath might do to him.” He had no knowledge that Sabbath had been controlled by the mother of all vampires Lilith. Torn between helping Malcolm and the scene below their friendly ghost Madigan Ridge decided that Malcolm could handle his own environment. Choosing to swoop down to the container in hopes to intervene she felt compelled to try.

“Jack! Let me step inside and see if I can get through to Sabbath before we judge too harshly.” Maddy immediately phased through the steel confinement. Once within she found Sabbath Black holding Cameron up off of the ground with one hand, hissing as their new guest arrived.

“Sabbath! Please do not do this. Cameron is your friend. We are accepting you as one of us.”

“My daughter is not here. Her fondness for this man Is forbidden.” Mother recited through Sabbath’s blood red lips. “Go away lost spirit.”

“I will not abandon Cameron. Release him.”

“How noble you are phantom, so dedicated to the living.”

“I live as well. Take me instead.” Maddy concentrated with her eyes wide open. Her body reverting to her solidified humanity in front of the vampire. Her act forced Mother to comprehend what had just occurred.

“Maddy! No!” Cam barely able to speak warned her.

“How interesting that you live between life and death. I would know how you do this.” As if vampires didn’t cross between. Intriguing nonetheless!

“Only if you release Cameron and let him out of this container.”

“I would have both.”

Insistent Mother snatched up Madigan by her own throat hauling her from her feet to join Cameron in the air. Her concentration lost Maddy turned intangible once more. Merely floating where she had been suspended left Mother grossly annoyed. While sneering at her misfortune the container creaked around them. “Freedom comes!”

To everyone’s surprise the steel burden was cast aside leaving the Mother and her subdued pilot out in the open. Maddy turning her gaze to see her daughter Sophia observed her hurl the massive container twelve feet away to a crashing thunderous downfall upon the soil. Sparks from an impacted bonfire were sent skyward like fireflies.

Mother now revealed to the battle zone discovered herself surrounded. The crew unaware of Mother inhabiting Sabbath Black were presuming Sabbath had gone insane. Gaicazar stepped gallantly forward to face Sabbath, Mother smiling at his bravado.

“The immortal. How delicious.”

“That’s not Sabbath.” Jack instantly picked up the change in tone and warned his companions.

“Of course not. Dear Sabbath has been sent to her room. My children have enlightened me of your crusade to slay my most loyal. They rather liked their home. Unfortunate it is that the centurion has been lost to us. I cannot have this. I will not welcome you to serve me. All must die before the sun rises.”

“Not going to happen lady.”

Sophia started for the shell of Sabbath Black. To her misfortune the merest wave of Mother’s abducted hand cast Sophia into a tumble across the dirt directly into an open fire pit. Sophia regaining her footing stand tall amid the fire without harm, her flesh impervious to heat and pain. Thank goodness for her little friends, those invincible suckers living within her. Oddly enough, Sophia danced in the coals with hands in her hair. Belting out the song Hot Child in the City made her chuckle under pressure. Nobody seemed to care.

“Sophia! Stand down.” Jack pointed while holding his other palm up toward Mother. “We can talk this out.”

“I think not.” Mother sighed at Jack’s attempt. Antonaeus Gaicazar had, had enough. Without further consideration he thrust his blade deep into Sabbath Black, expecting Mother to scream out at his sword’s mystical properties.

Instead, she stepped back letting the blade ease out of Sabbath’s body, her flesh healing instantaneously. Once relieved of the Roman’s burden Mother stopped to turn with an expression of surprise. She discovered something in the atmosphere that forced her to ignore everyone.

Antonaeus stood vigil with awe. His sword normally slew vampires quite easily. What was Mother? Not even Sabbath seemed affected. Preparing a retaliation Gaicazar and the others around her were flung aside by an invisible force, just as Sophia had been. Mother needed space.

“It is here. I can feel it.” Mother walked about dragging Cameron along for the ride, her search for something calling out to her. Never had she been this close to the one thing that meant so much to her. Her mental call drew her faithful children to run interference against the survivors.

Overwhelmed yet again Jack and his group struggled. Jack was forced into hand-to-hand combat, his fist slamming hard into a vamp’s fangs, knocking teeth out only to have them return as if never damaged.

All around them the fastball drones James Ian Pryce had sent to their aid were zigzagging about doing the most destruction using ultraviolet lasers to downsize the bat armada. Sophia choosing to trail behind their gravitational weights dropped vamps to the ground, racing from one to the other ripping heads off and tossing them at their brothers and sisters. In many cases heads were retrieved and transplanted back upon lonely shoulders. Vamps were not so easy to end.

Mother stalked the perimeter of the Ganthorian ship eying the ground. Sniffing! Looking for a sign as to what called out to her. Dogging her heels was Madigan Ridge keeping an eye on her, fearful that Cameron Scott would perish in Mother’s grasp. He merely hitched a ride unwillingly. Aware of everything but unable to fight. His strength was nothing to Lilith. He was obviously being used as a human shield. Keeping him alive meant his friends would maintain distance.

Elle in her own battles realized the direction Mother was headed. “Shit! She’s after the amulet I buried.”

“Go!” Jack overheard her. “Keep her from reaching it.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Utilizing her diamond-like eyes Elle Franklin focused on thin lasers of stored solar energy from earlier in the day. Her interior battery was running low, however. In her assault fiery vamps flew about blinded in their torture. A blizzard of blazing bats made things feel like the Super Bowl in trying to evade the opposition. Resisting further waste of her solar build-up she fought primarily with her hydraulic spear and her light sword. That blade however was also depleting her stash of sunlight.

High above them atop the Ganthorian Hilton, Carrington Primross delighted in Malcolm Brand’s distraction. The giant’s grip wavering slightly tried to swat away his assailants. Taking a deep breath the mad magician forced his way out of his prison. Unlike vampire mythology he could not alter his form into any mist or become a smaller animal. This situation took time. Once prying himself loose he launched himself into the sky and morphed into the only other form he could, a humanoid bat.

Swooping into a downward spiral he located his fallen top hat on the hull of the Hilton and spied upon Sabbath Black, knowing well that Mother had taken over her body. Seeing Elle inching closer to Mother the magician chose to engage. Taking flight in a low-level soar he flew directly toward Elle crashing head on into her. Their impact turned into a tumble. Cautious he veered away swiftly to avoid her touching him yet again and risk her healing powers urging his humanity to return. He was rather fond of his own immortality.

Mother continued her search, listening for whispers that only she could hear. “I am coming, Beloved.” She muttered as Cameron did his best to stay conscious.