The Rescue

Tsengshe Hospital, Tsi Luen, Cheena

***

The Harbinger's mind raced and his heart hammered against his chest as they hurried to the hospital. The demons could get Sho before they could get to him. Dreygo stepped inside the hospital lobby followed closely by Elaine.

'My heart again. Having a mind on its own.' The feeling was unusual.

He ate risky situations for breakfast in hell but his heart said otherwise. But then again, as he assessed, Elaine was the root of his worry. Such a fragile creature, so human. He was not used to caring for another person as He was used to being a lone wolf in Hell.

He could not afford Elaine to be shattered, mauled, or killed, for the thought was unbearable. Every worry that came up with his emotions was new to him. Something had grown inside of him, creeping out from a dark well. It was not his demonic powers but his essence of being human.

Involuntary visions and sudden flashes of Hell, burning, screaming demons, and dark skies, diminished gradually. The irrepressible had minimized as his mind and heart softened with desirable emotions that only humans shared.

They were greeted with a vast hospital lobby and a few people lined up at desks and offices. The large cut white tiles gleamed before the low-hanging lights from a high ceiling. A series of desks and hospital clerks shielded with transparent glass walls were placed on corners that accommodated the people in the lobby. There were no signs of demons in the area. Dreygo sensed them farther, towards the upper floors.

Elaine took the lead to where they could ask for Sho's room number. Zi Lok thugs might have known already.

"Officer Sho's room please." Elaine urgently asked the personnel at the information desk.

A prim-looking woman, wearing glasses, faced up Elaine and responded, "Name, please? His room was guarded by officers, no visitors yet for safety purposes." She said indifferently.

"Elaine Marks. We're friends with Officer Sho." Elaine insisted.

The woman shook her head gently and said, "I am sorry ma'am but we have instructions no visitors for Officer Sho as of the moment. You can wait in the lobby if you want."

"At least tell us what floor he was admitted to. We will just wait in the hallway." Elaine pleaded.

There was a moment of silence and the woman just stared at Elaine. Then she said after a great sigh, "Ok, the fifth floor."

Dreygo and Elaine rushed inside the elevators and pressed the button that said five. Dreygo felt wobbly again as the elevator lifted them, the food he had eaten at the hotel before they came into the hospital also lifted from his stomach. His mouth was wet and a stream of saliva rushed at the sides of his tongue. Nauseated, he holds himself strong not to vomit.

Ding!

The elevator halted as a single bell rang. The elevator doors swung open and they hurried out. In front of them were hospital room numbers embossed with a beautiful marble-like material that hung on the wall.

They surveyed from left to right along a lengthy stretch corridor.

'We are here. The demons are close. I could sense them.' Dreygo thought. His blood boils for action.

His heart raced to the excitement of absorbing again demonic powers or worry that the unimaginable danger that could happen to Elaine, his beautiful creature.

Dreygo pointed to their right.

"This way!" He sensed the Demonic presence was close but moving farther from them. "They are now going to the room." They sprinted along the corridor but with extreme caution. They made stops before corners and peeked behind the corner walls.

A series of doors spaced equally along the corridor, some were opened and mostly closed. Nurses came in and out of the rooms but there were no signs of the demons yet.

"We are close! We are very close." Dreygo stopped and shoved Elaine back as he suspected the next turn would be the location of the Demon assassins.

Peeking, he saw two unconscious officers lying on the floor about thirty meters from their location. One Demon thug stood outside the open door where the officers lay, holding a silenced handgun.

Dreygo took out his purge blade tucked from his back pants. A small metal clicking sound appeared behind him and he glanced at Elaine. A .45 Colt handgun cocked by Elaine's soft but capable hands.

"You stay here. We may be too late but I will handle these demons." Dreygo whispered to Elaine. "At least, we didn't come here for nothing."

Dreygo assessed the situation and concluded stealth attacks were not an option. A long corridor would reveal his attack and no other means of concealing himself from the gunshots. It should be quick, precise, and timely.

Thirty meters. He thought of his past Demonic abilities would be helpful as of this moment, dashing at a very fast speed, for about one or two seconds closing the gap between him and the thug and striking him before the enemy could react. Unfortunately, the ability was not available yet.

More demon souls were needed for him to achieve his full-speed capacity. He was fast but not fast enough that would make the thug react and punched bullets into his chest. Such a risk he could not afford. It would leave Elaine defenseless if he would be unconscious. Dreygo exhaled, compensating for his nervousness.

Finally, Dreygo stepped in from hiding and exposed himself from the peripherals of the Demon thug. Dreygo raised his purge blade and positioned himself for a throw. The Demon thug, wearing a mischievous smile, veered to his position and aimed his gun at him.

But before he could pull the trigger, the Ferrum Minus was buried to the Demon's forehead. The demon's head jerked up and the purge blade lodged in between his brows, slamming his body to the floor along with his handgun.

Blood splattered on the walls and the attack prevented the demon to scream. The blade severed his reflex to alert his comrade and instantly left the demon in a deep abyss of death.

Dreygo sprinted toward the downed enemy and prevented from others witnessing their comrade's death. He assumed other Demons were inside the room, killing or apprehending Officer Sho.

The demon's eyes were wide open and so was his mouth. A burst of yellow light gleamed through them and the demonic ether escaped its body, the faint screeching sound appeared, and the ether was pulled dramatically to the harbinger.

A tingling sensation crept as the ether forced itself to enter through his skin pores right after he dislodged the purge blade from the demon's forehead.

He faced the open room and he quickly glanced at the bed. It was empty but another demon thug, with a larger body frame than Dreygo, stood in the center of the room. The faint screeches of demonic ether alerted the second demon and caught the Harbinger dislodging the blade from the demon's skull.

Apparently, to the demon's rage, he aimed his handgun at the harbinger.

Warrior instincts told him that the reasonable option was to hide behind the wall next to the door. Quickly, the Harbinger veered to his side preventing the Demon to hit his mark.

'You better get this right, Dreygo. You can't afford to die right now.' Dreygo urged himself.

The Demon mumbled inaudible words and reloaded. Dreygo heard the magazine drop to the floor.

'This is it.' Dreygo thought.

In four seconds presented his window of opportunity. He darted inside with his blade ready for a stab. Luckily, the Demon thug had slow hands and had difficulty inserting the magazine into the weapon's chamber.

His blade successfully connected to the muscular chest but he missed the demon's heart for about an inch. He felt his blade graze against the side of his sternum and punctured his right lung. The Demon screamed in pain for a moment and shoved Dreygo pressed to the wall with one swing of his arm.

'This demon is strong,' Dreygo assessed as he removed his embedded back from the cracked wall.

"You are weak, harbinger!" The Demon snared.

Disoriented and wobbly, the Demon crashed himself to the side table, his back leaning against the wall in the hope to maintain his stance. Even though the harbinger missed the heart, the blade caused the demon thug to deplete his fighting spirit.

"What is this?" The Demon referred to the weapon.

"That's the Ferrum Minus. Angels' weapon designed to kill demons."

"This can't be!" The Demon screamed, and blood profusely rushed out from his mouth. With this, the Demon was unable to move, flailing for survival.

The Harbinger pushed the blade deeper into the demon's chest. The Demon prevented the blade as he still managed to grab the weapon so as not to puncture him any further. To his surprise, the demon's other hand grasped the harbinger's throat.

"You still have the strength?" Dreygo gagged but struck a smile as he tasted imminent victory. He twisted the blade and successfully lacerated the heart. Instantly, the demon died as his eyes blanked.

Dreygo gasped for air as the large hand released his throat. The Ethers flowed to the Harbinger's body again.

"I can get used to this."