Round 2 – Part 1 of the Fabulous Spec-Fic Smackdown 2024: Picture prompts (shown below).

Word count = 2495

"Damned 'coon," I cursed, surveying the overturned trash can.

Earlier today when I took the trash out, the raccoon watched me from a high tree branch, as if to mock, 'Foolish human, you cannot thwart me.' Sure enough, the heavy cinderblock I placed on the metal lid proved no challenge to the confounded critter.

Losing my factory maintenance job and the resulting money worries had left me in sour disposition. With the local economy downturn, finding another job had been fruitless. I spent much of my free time volunteering at a nearby homeless shelter, mostly doing needed repairs. The work kept me out of trouble and I got free meals.

Grumbling, I angrily tossed the dented can against the brick wall with a clatter, and again for the umpteenth time, I gathered up the widely strewn rubbish. An orange full moon, just above the horizon, cast long shadows across the lonely alley on this warm, humid night.

But strangely, this time edible bits remained, including a half-eaten pizza slice. Usually, the raccoon was more thorough with its scavenging. Maybe something spooked it.

A shiny object caught my attention, discarded among brushy mulberry shoots that poked through cracked asphalt. Coming closer, I gasped at my find: a double-edged broadsword, like a medieval knight might wield, gleaming in the moonlight. Lots of junk gets discarded in the alley, but this was a first.

Odd, unreadable inscriptions, like ancient runes, marked the shiny steel blade. When I grasped the brass hilt and lifted the sword, it hummed, vibrating in my hand and sending electric tingles up my arm to my chest. Gasping at the sensation, I dropped the weapon, sending it clattering to the pavement.

Momentarily stunned, I backed up and tripped over a body.

What the...? Heart suddenly pounding, I crab-walked backwards to get away, while gravel poked at my palms.

How did I miss this? The body was not here just a moment ago. That is, before I touched the sword...

A young woman with long, dark hair and cloaked in a simple white gown sprawled face down on the asphalt. Her slender fingers twitched. So at least she was still alive, but obviously hurt. Regaining my senses, I crawled closer, and something else caught my eye.

Wings.

Gauzy, translucent wings supported with wavering dark veins, like tree leaves, folded half-closed across her back, extending nearly to her sandalled feet. Was this some sort of elaborate angel Halloween costume? Bit early for that. But closer inspection revealed the wings were physically fastened near her shoulder-blades by thick veiny branches. Periodically, they subtly fluttered, as if trembling, to reveal cuts and tears in the thin membrane.

I kneeled beside her and carefully rolled her to a side while lifting and cradling her head. Drying trickles of blood originating from her hairline marred an otherwise perfect tan face. With a startled gasp, doe-like golden eyes fluttered open and focused on my face.

"Soulblade," she pleaded in a barely audible, airy voice. "Is it still here?"

"The sword?" I answered. "I found it."

A relieved breath blew from her lips. "There is danger..." Her words fell away as eyes closed and her head settled back with a faint groan. My many questions would have to wait until later.

The raccoon hopped upon the wall, gazing, and I asked it, "What do you know about this?" But it did not answer beyond a twitch of nose whiskers.

First tucking the sword blade under my belt as a crude sheath, I lifted this strange woman carefully in my arms, and carried her through the creaky iron gate, across a weedy lawn, and into my small, one-bedroom house. Inside, I gently laid her on my bed and covered her with a blanket.

I briefly considered calling an ambulance, but other than torn wings and a small, jagged head-wound, she seemed undamaged. I did my best to clean and treat the cut. Besides, what would I tell the authorities? That I found a fallen angel with a big sword in the alley? Yeah, right... The outcome might not be good for her.

Standing at the doorway, I grinned at the irony. I'm reasonably good-looking, but as an awkward introvert, my attempts at attracting women had been cringeworthy. Now I had an angel in my bed. Then, with a twinge of embarrassment, I gathered a messy pile of dirty clothes and carried them out to the washroom.

A bright beam of morning sun awoke me on the couch. After a stretch and a few moments to clear the brain fog to recall why I was here, I bolted up and rushed to the bedroom. The bed was empty. Was it all a weird dream?

My ear caught a rustling skitter coming from outside. Upon opening the back door, my question was answered — it was not a dream. The strange woman sat on the back porch with her partially tattered gossamer wings laid folded across the porch behind her. The gleaming sword leaned beside her against a railing.

But she was not the only creature here. That infuriating raccoon stood upright before her, trying to look cute. But I knew better.

An empty bread wrapper laid on the porch. The woman offered a piece of bread to that infuriating beast, who gladly accepted it directly from her hand. I glared menacingly at the little monster, but changed my expression to something more pleasant when she turned her head around. The warmest of smiles brightened her beautiful face.

I sat down beside her. "How do you feel?"

"Much better, thanks to you, uhh..."

"Liam."

"Liam, she repeated, "A name meaning brave protector, and so you were for me. My name is Gabriela."

"Umm..." I hawed in my lack of conversation skills. "Want some breakfast? You took the last of bread, but I have some cereal and I think the milk is still good." Internally, I winced.

"No, thank you, Liam," Gabriela answered. "I do not require such sustenance."

Oookay... "If you don't mind me asking, Gabriela, what are you?"

"Ah, I am Seraph," she replied. "What you humans might call a guardian angel. And as such, you should not be able to sense my presence, but I am grateful that you did."

"I didn't, not till I picked up that sword."

Gabriel offered another bread piece to the raccoon, smiling when the critter snatched it from her hand. "Aye. The Soulblade. More is it than a weapon, but a key of sorts, allowing its bearer to pass unhindered between realms."

"Realms?"

"Spiritual dimensions, if you will. It is the Seraphim sacred duty to monitor them and guard the peace. So nearly had the Demonkind taken the blade, and so nearly had they killed me. But somehow, you called us to the Earthly Realm, saving us both."

I wrinkled my brow. "I don't remember calling it? Only cursing that 'coon for dumping my trash can."

Gabriela giggled. "Well, mysterious are the ways of the Soulblade. But I sense a good heart within you, Liam."

A troubling thought occurred to me. "You mentioned danger?"

She dipped her head. "Aye. It is only time before the Demonkind find me again, and I shudder to think the horror if they obtained Soulblade. All realms would suffer their wrath." Gabriela stood, grasping the sword while hunching her wings up. "That is why I must depart now, and return the blade to safekeeping. Before it is too late..."

Gabriela's voice trailed off as the sword emitted a piercing high-pitched hum, and it glowed electric-blue. Gasping, her widened eyes gazed at it.

This can't be good...

"Umm," I muttered, gazing as well, "is it? I mean, too late?"

"They come," she replied, steeling her expression. "Stay behind me, Liam."

Dark roiling clouds, appearing as if from nowhere, blotted out the morning sun, casting us in ominous twilight. A jagged tear appeared beside the alley wall, glowing red as if from the depths of hell. Dissonant static grated my ears from the rending of space-time.

Definitely not good.

Gabriela's wings snapped open, extending into giant veined, translucent screens that dwarfed her diminutive body. Truly an awesome sight.

Hunched creatures poured from the rift that were, well, not awesome. With matted dark fur and glowing red eyes, they looked like equal parts of rabid dog and gargoyle were blended and allowed to ferment. And they had the disposition to match. Snarling in rage, they loped toward us.

Moving with speed and grace I could not hope to match, Gabriela engaged them. In a series of lightning-fast swings, the sword felled six of the foul beasts, collapsing before her feet. Then each dissolved away in puffs of smoke. The other beasts, at least ten more, halted their attack and backed up to form a rough semi-circle.

Then another figure emerged from the rift. Tall, lanky, with claw-like hands, and a confident smirk of pure evil, it was far more menacing than the beasts that preceded. Dark eyes peered from behind a tarnished metal mask fixed with a permanent fiendish grin.

"Salrek," Gabriela hissed with all due contempt.

The demon chuckled, then spoke with many voices. "Did you really think you could escape me, Gabriela? Although, I must admit, I enjoyed the pursuit." Salrek extended a crooked arm. "The sword..."

"Ye shall not have it!"

"Oh, but I shall have Soulblade," the demon replied with another chuckle. "And then I shall have your soul."

Gabriella firmed her stance, raising the sword as Salrek lifted a hand. A swirling red object, like a fireball, formed at its fingertips. With a flick of wrist, the demon flung it. Gabriela blocked with Soulblade, turning the fireball into a hissing shower of red sparks, but the force of it staggered her back a step.

Again and again, Salrek flung the fireballs in rapid-fire fashion. Each one knocked her back further until she crashed through the rotten wood railing, landing with a grunt on the porch. My helplessness in the situation grew like the lump in my throat.

Salrek paused the assault as Gabriela rose to wobbly legs, panting deeply as her wings fluttered back. "And who might this human be?" the demon asked, pointing at me. "A pet perhaps? I do so enjoy tormenting these dull creatures."

I glared. Okay, now it pissed me off.

Twin fireballs knocked Gabriela from her feet, and she slammed against a wooden overhang support beam with a yelp. Soulblade flew from her hands, landing on the ground beside my feet. Bent over, Gabriela trembled on her feet. Without thinking, I snatched the blade up and held it high. Vibrating in my hands, it emitted a pure, piercing tone.

"Silly human," the demon laughed, extending a hand. "Give me the Soulblade, and perhaps I shall spare this miserable world."

I didn't believe that for a moment. "Over my dead body!" I yelled with all the bravado I could muster, hoping to buy some time for Gabriela to recover.

The demon threw back its head and cackled. "How prophetic of you, human."

I gulped, heart pounding. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so specific.

The demon stepped closer, but just out of the sword's reach. A menacing snarl grew on its face and black eyes shot pure contempt. With hands extending sideways, twin red fireballs formed, swirling within twisted claws. Lifting hands high, the demon paused as if to savor the expected slaying. Soulblade hummed in my hands.

But then, help came from an unexpected source. In a growling flurry of gray and black fur, the raccoon leaped upon the demon's back. Claws raked and fangs bit, chomping into the demon's exposed neck. With a wail, the demon staggered and swiped behind at the raccoon, but never quite connected with the agile creature. The fireballs fell to the ground, exploding in bright flashes, leaving scorched craters.

I took advantage of the distraction. Leaping forward with Soulblade extended, I plunged the blade into the demon's chest. As foul, black liquid spilled from the wound, sizzling the weeds below, I let go and backed away, leaving the sword firmly imbedded. With an otherworldly howl, Salrek quaked, body twisting and distorting, finally sublimating into a turbulent swirl of black smoke and disappearing. Soulblade fell, partially imbedding itself upright in the soil, marking a demon's demise.

Everything paused in stillness, as if time itself hesitated in amazement. Eyes wide, I gawked. Gabriel propped herself up with one hand on the support beam and lifted wondering eyes to mine. The remaining gargoyle-dog-beasts froze with indecision, eyes blazing red. And between us all, Soulblade gleamed.

The tentative stalemate ended quickly. Snarling growls rose from the beasts, and several pawed the ground. I burst toward Soulblade as the beasts charged, snatching it up.

Seven flashes of blinding white light between us halted the beast's charge. And from each light, a Seraph appeared, clothed in white with swords in-hand and massive wings extended. One, a muscular man with white hair, tended to Gabriel while the others made quick work of the beasts. Then, by some hand-waving magic, the demon portal closed.

With that, the battle was over. But my heart continued its pounding pulse while my knuckles turned white from gripping Soulblade so tightly.

The white-haired Seraph cradled Gabriela in his arms. "My dear Gabriela, we feared you lost forever."

"And so, I would have been, Micah," she replied with a nod toward me, "if not for my new friend Liam. Soulblade sang for him, and he slew Salrek."

After Micah pulled Gabriela up to wobbly feet, supporting her with a strong arm, they came to me. Micah placed a large hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Liam, we are indebted to your bravery. Countless souls have you saved."

After letting out a long-held breath, I glanced down at the furry creature at my feet. "It wasn't just me. This raccoon, it..." I shook my head.

Chuckling, Micah reached down and gently stroked the raccoon behind the ears. "Miracles sometimes come in unusual forms. You were proof of that."

With the sword laid across my open palms, I offered it to Micah, but he shook his head. "No. Soulblade has chosen you. Guard it well."

Limping, Gabriela kissed my cheek and wrapped me in a tight hug that warmed the depths of my soul. "You were my blessing this day, Liam. As you bless others, so ye shall be blessed."

Stepping back, the Seraphim disappeared in the same white flashes that brought Gabriela's friends here. A wink and warm smile were my last images of her.

Sighing, I sat down on the porch step, turning Soulblade in my hands. It was a cool sword, but what had I gotten myself into? The raccoon settled beside me, looking up and twitching nose whiskers.

"Protectors of the Earthly Realm, that's us. God help us all." I mumbled, offering the last piece of bread to my companion. "We're superheroes now, so maybe you could stop dumping my trash can?"