The Warriors of Light
Chapter 20

My hand touched the book before I could process what I was doing. The glow, the pull, my destiny, even if I wanted to believe it wasn't meant for me, I had to do it. I heard Brad calling my name from hell, Agares nearly killing me with his laughter, everything I had been through in this past month that led me to this exact moment. The demons must've known and wanted to prevent me from doing this. It would definitely be a loss on their side. I wondered if Gregory knew, too, before all of this.

At the moment, it didn't matter what he knew or didn't know. What mattered was me, doing the right thing... me becoming who I was meant to be. Another explosion sounded. Agares was

close now. He was through the barrier Kukulkan set. I couldn't let him get the book.

The book first started to glow blindingly. Then it went up my arm, like a tattoo, moving, worming its way through my body. I contorted, jerking back as my body wanted to reject the flowing power, the heroic responsibility. I hit the ground hard, my back arched, my mouth flew open trying to scream, but nothing would surface. The Kukulkan made its way through my mind and my body levitated as flashes of knowledge filled my brain in strong bursts of light.

The page with Agares stopped and my body instantly knew what I had to do to destroy him. My eyes', even the white part, pupils grew black like the Kukulkan's wings. My, once broken, arm was now repaired and ready to fight. My body felt anew as I looked down at my hands and my body. I tested my arm by squeezing my hand into fists.

"This is..."

"You don't have much time to waste now, Ray. Agares is close." I heard him in my mind. That sort of freaked me out.

"Hey, get out of my head. If we're going to do this let me..." Before I could finish, a sword was thrown at my head. I quickly caught it, without question, in midair and threw it back at whoever was attacking. That move shocked me. I hadn't been so fast before. So aware. My senses were on high I never knew this was humanly possible.

"I am you now, Ray. We are one."

"Yeah, I was afraid of that." I replied back as I watched Agares walk around the corner, now, clapping. There was no way he didn't sense that the book was gone now. I'm sure it bothered him that he was far too late and in the end, what he didn't want to happen, did.

"Well-done. I thought I killed you."

"Not quite." I replied, watching Agares circle me while I stood still, only my eyes glancing at his position.

"It doesn't matter. I still have my bargaining chip." Agares showed Brad again, this time, with Johnny Stan's soul right next to his. Brad looked through the portal and reached for me, again. My eyes softened reaching for my brother.

"Release him. You got what you wanted." I replied, voice not my own.

"I actually got the opposite of what I wanted. I want the book, too. I got Johnny, but what good will that do if I can't use him to replace what I was looking for." He let the portal stay open as he cracked his neck. "This pyramid has a barrier that no other creature can penetrate-not even humans can get in here- but you did because they let you in."

"What is your point?"

"My point is, Ray Segal, or should I call you the Kukulkan? You are now their puppet. You think Gregory led you all the way here because he cares like some big brother or something?" Agares shook his head. "They knew you were it. You and your brother's bloodline were it. They are using you, just like I know you know it to be true."

"Release my brother. He is all I care about."

Agares made a crooked smile. "Hand over the book to me and you can have Brad."

I shook my head. "No. I already won this deal. It was you who went back on it." I attacked quickly, faster than I thought I could move. I slammed Agares to the wall crashing it into bits as he went through it.

I hurried and ran over to the portal. I hesitated for a moment reaching for Brad, not sure if my hand would go through, but it did fairly easily. I almost had Brad's hand. Agares grabbed me by my neck pulling me back as he choked me with his left forearm. His wind powers now circling me again but, this time, not phasing me at all. I elbowed him in his side. It must've hurt because he shimmered into the wind like a coward.

A punch came out of nowhere to my jaw first, which turned my head slightly to the opposite side. Then another punch to my stomach, followed by a kick as I hit the wall. The next attack I dodged by ducking down, moving away from his wind form. I turned quickly unable to punch the air he was creating, so, I had to improvise my next move. In my mind, already, were the steps to destroy him. I just needed the right time.

Agares continued his attack, a jab here and there; one to my chest as an uppercut that knocked me over to the fire lamps. I grabbed one, not waiting any longer, as my eyes glowed and I started to chant. The words just coming into my mind as I said them perfectly...the Kukulkan. The fire turned into a soft blue and once it was met with Agares's wind, the blue flame swirled all around him until he turned back into a solid form, using his human glamour.

He screamed as the purifying fire burned his flesh more than it would a regular human. He continued to try and fight me, even in his weakened state, but I just dodged. My head leaned slightly to the right then left before I kicked him in his stomach throwing him down on the floor with the blue flame tornadoes surrounding him.

"You should've given up when you had the chance. Now, look at you, withering in pain, full of fear because you know you will cease to exist."

"Lucifer needs me. You can't do this to me. I carry the souls." Agares pleaded as he spat and started to choke.

I shook my head. "You were one of many Soul Collectors. This will send a message for the next one to follow the rules next time." I reached into the tornado as Agares screamed pushing it down on him as it seared his skin. I took great satisfaction in watching his forms change. He withered and disappeared into dust.

My celebration was short-lived as I had to quickly hold the portal open myself. My other hand reached for Brad, again. "Ray! Please help me!" Johnny screamed for me as demons were coming to tear his flesh apart. I grabbed on to Brad hooking my hand into his as I pulled him out the portal and into the living realm. The portal disappeared with a screaming Johnny.

"I feel terrible for that guy." Brad said, looking into the portal as it disappeared. I could only look at him in disbelief. A tear fell from my face as I quickly wiped it away. Brad turned to me with a bright smile as he engulfed me and hugged me tight. I was still the Kukulkan so I could feel him as if he was living. I wrapped my arms around him and held him, holding him into a bear hug that caused him to laugh.

"Somebody has gotten stronger there."

I laughed, "Must be all the time I spent at the gym." I was speechless other than that. I wanted to say so many things. I wanted to tell him so much. I just didn't know how.

"I suppose I should be going where I really belong. I knew all that time I spent praying was worth something. I wouldn't wish for anyone to suffer down there." Brad sighed looking down to the ground then back up to me. "Tell Mallory and the girls I miss them so much. Now, I can watch over them."

"They know that but, of course, I will tell them."

"Protect them okay, Ray. You are all they have now." I could only take a deep breath as I nodded. Brad hit my shoulder. "Tell Gregory it's not his fault. It took me dying to get you to finally come to church. It was worth it, but all jokes aside, he needs you now, Ray. Now more than ever. Don't give up this fight. This is what you were meant to do. Who you were meant to be. I hear demons in hell fearing your name. Give them hell brother because only you can." Brad placed his fists on my chest as he did when we were little.

The small sentiment gave me far more hope than his words. I sniffed as I watched my brother start to fade into a bright light. It engulfed him and took him in. Brad was back where he belonged. With that, my mission was over, but I knew I still had much to do. Kukulkan powered down going into silence, and my body gave out from the weight of everything that had happened.

Two Months Later...

"Brother Gregory, this trial is being held due to your negligence of, first of all, bringing back the book, but you have broken our most sacred rule. What do you plea in the trial of the Order?" A man in a cream robe had the room. Gregory sat in the middle of it in handcuffs, looking more determined than ever.

"Guilty," Gregory replied, head hung low, but his eyes darted straight to the Chancellor. With that, there was an uproar of chatter in the room. Serene even tried to get in the middle of the room to speak. Gregory had done nothing wrong even if he didn't show any regrets. "Silence!" The Pope stood with a disappointed look. Once everyone quieted down, he spoke, again. "Chancellor, please proceed," he hesitated. One of his best, most disciplined, warriors was now on trial for doing the unthinkable. It was obvious that this was the hardest trial the Pope had to watch.

"What more is there to say? Clearly, our brother has gone rogue and should be dealt with like The Forgotten."

"No!" Serene called out, interrupting him. "Agares was going to kill Ray. Gregory saved him. Johnny's soul was already bargained for."

"That doesn't give him the right to take matters into his own hands, does it? Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord. You don't have the right to be judge, jury, and executioner."

"Says the very people who do the same thing." Everyone looked around for the voice. I walked forward into the light, shocking everyone as I made my way over to the balcony and jumped down in front of Gregory. Even Gregory and Serene looked surprised, at first, but happy afterward. I winked at her and then nodded to Gregory.

"Ray?" he stood from the chair. "We thought... We went looking for you for days. We couldn't replace your body..." he started to explain, but I laid my hands on his shoulders.

"How dare you show your face here like this?" The Chancellor looked appalled as I lifted my eyebrows. Elias walked over with his sword at the ready. "You aren't even a part of this organization."

I waved my finger back and forth. "That's where you are wrong." My eyes turned black and I was able to use them as projector screens, showing the book of Kukulkan. "The Book of Monsters chose me and if you want my help, you will release Gregory now or I will go away, forever." "Are you threatening The Order? We will take that book from you..." Elias took several steps towards me, but was stopped by some of the Warriors of Light.

"Elias!" The Pope had spoken. "It seems Gregory did complete his mission after all. This is very rare for the book to have chosen a human host. One can only be so lucky." He walked down the long-spiraled staircase to the middle of the room. "Ray has truly accomplished the impossible. God chosen." The Pope smiled a bit relieved. "State your terms, Ray." "Gregory and Serene go free and will become part of my team. I will agree to help you fight these monsters, but only on my terms. I will pledge myself to The Order, but I need to know you or anyone else in this unit will not try to use this to their advantage. This is why it has to be on my terms. No negations on that."

"We don't negotiate with outsiders, fiend." Elias replied angrily.

The Pope was silent as he thought it over. "Gregory's crimes can't go unnoticed. For now, I am relieving you of your priestly duties." Gregory looked disappointed. "But, while on this leave, you may follow the Warriors of Light with Ray and Serene. You three have started quite a stir in this monster-hunting organization of ours. I look forward to what you all do next."

I turned to Gregory who was still in amazement that I was in front of him. "Where have you been?"

"I got stranded in Africa so, I took the opportunity to learn everything I could about the

Kukulkan. I'm sorry it took me so long to get back."

"What matters is that you are here now." Serene said as I turned to her.

I hid my smile. "So where to next?" I asked once I looked up at both of them.

"I have a friend in the blood-sucking department down south. She tells me they have been

having problems with their monster predecessors for some time now. Should we go help them out?" I only smirked.