The Freer's Stone

Acknowledgements 


I'd like to acknowledge my late father, Kevin James Wilkinson, who with patience and love taught me how to spell, read and write.
Additionally my acknowledgement goes out to my mum, Diane Kentish who encouraged me to read and taught me from a young age to put love into everything that I do, with all my heart.
To all the people who know me: “Yes it's finally here … I hope you enjoy reading this. I have learned that with imagination and patience there's nothing you cannot conquer.”
Finally big thanks to the Novum team for making this happen.



Chapter 1 - Asillian and Jacobi


Asillian was an angel who played it by the book, but looking into his eyes made him question his own integrity.

Asillian was an angel of the highest order … an archangel. And these angels didn’t fuck around, he stood just over seven foot tall, and his physique was muscular, lithe and slender. He was extremely agile, his weapon of choice was a katana and his trusty desert eagle, Ebony, which had nickel plating all over it. It also had crosses intricately placed all over the weapon which made it pretty damn lethal to any creature or demon from hell.
His katana blade was that sharp the saying was that if God were to look upon it, he would be cut! The pommel and handle were carved ivory and polished to a creamy white brilliance.

Asillian was not on his own when it came to dealing with the creatures and evil that had spewed up from the bottomless, fiery pit. On his head he wore the helmet of righteousness which could stop a blow from any evildoer’s claw or weapon. Across his chest he had armour that too shined blindingly in the sunlight. Across his shins and elbows he had greaves and braces of power.

This angel wasn’t just equipped with demon-slaying weapons and armour he was also taught in the way of fighting styles such as tai chi and ju-jitsu. Yes, indeed, pretty nasty stuff if you were on the receiving end.

His companion and mentor was Jacobi. He had no upper armour as he wasn’t scared of taking a wound from anyone although he did have sheet metal gloves named Colossuses, because of the way they could crush a demon’ s skull like crushing a pizza box under foot. Jacobi was no joke; he stood a foot taller than Asillian and was heavily thick set in his own right. He carried just one weapon that he called the staff of righteousness. This weapon was imbued and bound with holy incantations and blessings of strength.
Not much on a katana blade or a desert eagle, but what the katana blade and Ebony didn’t have was the experience of the archangel that wielded it.
And now, trust me that was real power.
Jacobi did have a slight disadvantage though when it came to sight.
The older and much wiser angel had a patch over one eye, where the demon filth Ragnor had snatched it out.
Jacobi was different to Asillian in the way of the arts. He was quite slow but meditation was his weapon; he could resist the call of a wailing banshee.
He could concentrate and slowly but surely enter any mind that he wished, all the while turning their brains to mush within an instance.
Sometimes it would take longer if the victim put up more of a fight but if they were mere runabout creatures such as a lava imp or vampire bat, or something miniscule, you could be sure they would just keel over and die right there and then!

As the pair gentle flew down from Annahiem Asillian wondered what the much older angel was thinking. So he asked as another one of the angel’s talents was that they were telepathic and could communicate without speaking. They could also do this with anyone they so wished such as a person or another being.
“It’s time we paid Garga a visit,” said the much older and wiser angel.
“So it’s the badlands then,” replied Asillian.
“Yeah,” grunted Jacobi.
As the angels touched down on the deserted soil of the badlands, a couple of tumble weeds rolled carelessly on making their endless journey across the landscape … or what could be recognised as landscape!
As the two angels crushed minute little specks of sand under their boots they made their way towards a little purple painted shack which looked sort of like an oasis.

“This is where the famous Garga … the notorious Garga, merchant of all things weird and wonderful resides?” asked Asillian.

“Yes,” replied Jacobi, “but don’t let his appearance fool you, and when we get there let me do the talking!”

As they drew closer to the shack Asillian started to feel as though they were being watched, even though there was no one within a hundred clicks.
As they entered the shack which was made of rotting, sceptic wood.
There was a smell of pure ammonia, a bell rung and a green, slim, angular demon with horns on its head which made it sort of look like a goat, came into view!
From Asillian’s point of view the demon seemed to float not walk as it greeted Jacobi.
“Welcome to Garga’s shop of the weird and the wonderful … how may I be of assistance?”
“Knock it off, Garga. You know why we’re here … the seal it has been broken!”

“Broken?”

With this Jacobi grabbed the demon creature and pulled him clean across and over the desk he was behind.
“Don’t fuck with me, Garga, not today!!”

“All right, I might know a little bit of information. Ease up, will ya?’”

“Well?”
“Well … there’s talk of the anti-Christ … I mean there’s whispers from the underworld. Also, well … I can’t really say.” Garga stuttered.

“How about I knock it out of you then? How’s that for a start?”

“Jacobi,” Asillian butted in.

“Silence, Asillian this is a matter for me and the plagiarist to work out!”

Jacobi reached to the side of his belt and unhooked a small glass bottle, “Well if you’re not going to talk then I suppose I’ll accidentally spill a little of this holy water on you?”
Garga was silent for a split second then just as Jacobi was about to pour the solution onto his skin he cracked.

“Okay, okay, there’s going to be an uprising. He has found a way around the seventh seal and he’s planning on moving up the ranks. First Earth, then Heaven, and well if the seal isn’t mended … I’m afraid it’s a free for all!” Garga forced a chuckle out. “And there’s nothing you can do about it!”

As Asillian unsheathed his sword and held the blade to the plagiarist demon’s throat … it sang, anxious to be bathed in the demon’s blood.

“You think He can stop us?” How about I slay you where you stand and not have a second thought about it?”

Garga winced.

Jacobi shook the demon again. “Where is he and how do we find him?”

“If you’d let me go then I can tell you!”
Jacobi nodded at Asillian and he retracted his katana.
Jacobi reluctantly let the ugly looking demon character go.

“Ye-e-ess,” he said and floated over to a shelf, which was on top of a cupboard.
He rummaged around for a couple of seconds then brought out a glass cylindrical tube.
“Ahhh, here it is, the foreseers map, you’ll need this to get you where you’re going.”
“And how is that thing going to help us? We already know where He is?”
“Ahhh, but you’ll need something mightier than just that flimsy sword or holy handgun, young one!”
“He’s right, Asillian. We need this map to show us where the Freer’s Stone is.”
“Yes-s-s, yes-s-s, you’re going to need that Jacobi and this will guide you!”

“Why is it so important, Jacobi?” questioned Asillian.

“Ha!” Jacobi belly laughed that’s because it’s a magician’s map. Holy as well, that’s why old Garga here has got it in a tube!”
“Here, let’s have a look,” Jacobi said pulling the map out and unfurling it.
As he did this Asillian started to cough because of all the dust and mites that came off it.
“And that thing’s meant to help us? Huh … needs burning more like.”
“Hush,” said the wiser angel, “and watch.”

As Asillian looked deeper into the map there appeared to be nothing on it except brown flecks of mud. But then just as Asillian was about to speak the map started to glow, a gold shiny brilliance.

Just then the badlands came up and a pair of tiny looking angel wings appeared.
They floated across the page to where a title of letters started to appear. THE PIT in bold letters came through.
“Whatever does that mean?” uttered Asillian.
“It means that’s where we go next, and it’s going to get dangerous Asillian.”

“Let us go then, master.”

“Would be nice if I didn’t see you in like a thousand years,” Garga hissed.

“Yeah, likewise asshole!” retorted Asillian as they turned on their heels and left the shack.



Chapter 2 - The Pit


As they pushed through the purple, revolving old saloon doors, a whirling dervish blew up a heap of sand in their faces.
Something hit Asillian hard in the chest instantly knocking him onto the floor.
As this happened Jacobi was swept off of his feet by a tail of some kind.

So the most famous arch angels, Asillian and Jacobi what a pathetic set of fools you both are don’t you know the end is coming? Or can you not see it?

As the whirlwind settled a red, imp like creature appeared it could be seen holding a pair of lethal looking daggers.

Asillian got to his feet and readied himself drawing his desert eagle.
Oh came another voice, so you think you’re ready to test me do you? Come son of Aron let’s see what you’ve got.
Show yourself demon why do you hide? Are you too scared to cross paths with me? Asillian shouted.
No young one but why toy with me when you can toy with my understudy?

The red imp moved in a blur cutting Asillian across the arm.

“Guess you’re mine then speaker of deception?” said Jacobi rising to his feet. He drew his staff of righteousness and stood ready for action.
The invisible demon spoke softly into Jacobi’s ear. With that Jacobi jumped and turned a full 180 degrees, but saw nothing.

As Asillian recovered from his cut, the demon imp, ugly looking as he was, smiled devilishly As he did this it flicked out its green, slimy tongue every few seconds tasting the little bit of fear that Asillian had shown.
“My turn now, imp!” Asillian spat.
He fired his desert eagle three times in a row. The bullets just seemed to pass through the imp as sand swirled all around him.
What trickery is this, Asillian thought.

Jacobi remembered that he had his holy water on him and was prepared for the next time the invisible foe would strike!
As Jacobi looked around keeping his wits about him he glimpsed footsteps in the sand. As the footsteps edged closer he pulled the cork out from the bottle of holy water and spread it where the footprints were. Suddenly there was smoke and a screaming … not much but slightly a clothed green figure could be seen. “I have you now,” Jacobi said calmly.

He pulled out his staff of righteousness and brought it down in a very wide arc.
Crunch!

He split the invisible demon’s head in two. Nothing but steam and air came out and with that, the demon was no more.

Asillian shot again at the little red imp demon but once again it dodged the holy rounds.

“Use your katana, young one,” shouted Jacobi.

Asillian reached to the back of his shoulder, he could hear the blade sing as it wanted to be bathed in demon’s blood because that’s what it was made for.
“He, he, he,” laughed the red demon.

“Come now,” screamed Asillian.

The imp swam in and out of Asillian’s vision, but the youngish angel tracked the imp with his hawk like eyes, watching his every move. As soon as the imp was about to loop an attack around Asillian’s left knee he brought his glistening katana down and around, deflecting the attack.

“Ha!” laughed Asillian, “now we are equal. I will send you from whence you came, monster.”

Asillian knew the imp would still be hard to kill as of his speed, but he knew if he let loose with a round from his desert eagle that it would give him a split second chance to slice the demon in two.

With this he let loose a round aiming straight for the imp’s head. Just as the mutant, inbred imp brought sand up, Asillian dived on the chance, and with one flap of his wings closed the distance like lightning.
“He, ya,” he bellowed, and with one mighty roar he lobbed the demon imp’s head clean off, in one fell swoop.

As the corpse of the imp lay on the barren landscape, it charcoaled and turned into flames. It sank into the sand and disappeared leaving a horrid, acrid smell of ammonia.

“Jesus wept! He must have sent those, Asillian,” said Jacobi.

“Yeah but they were no match for us.”

“Ah, yes but they at least slowed us down, and I think that’s what He wanted.”

“So I guess we go to the pit, huh?”