Rudolph! by Mark Teppo

Author:Mark Teppo [Teppo, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781630230050
Amazon: 1630230057
Publisher: Resurrection House
Published: 2014-10-21T07:00:00+00:00

XIII

The demonic host was caught off guard by Rudolph's surprise attack. Satan staggered back from Rudolph, his forehead bleeding. His grip on his cigar loosened, and the thick cylinder fell towards the deck. Cupid spun and lashed out with a hoof. It was a NFL-worthy kick; the cigar flew the length of the deck, and vanished over the edge of the plate.

Blitzen lowered his head and charged the nearest rank of demons. He caught one in the belly with his rack, and it howled loudly, clawing frantically at his antlers and raking free long strips of velvet. When Blitzen shook his head, the demon popped like a water balloon, dispersing in a smear of dank smoke.

The rest of the team leapt into the fray with equal abandon.

Satan, blood streaming down his face, tried to clout Rudolph with a fist, but the reindeer reared back beyond Satan's reach. I dropped the detonator and tried to grab the harness, but my hand closed on nothing, and I slid off Rudolph. Satan ducked under Rudolph's flailing hooves and drove a shoulder into the reindeer's chest.

Ring got in a good shot, smacking his head against the back of Satan's thigh. Satan stumbled, his center of gravity disturbed, and Rudolph caught him in the face with an upward antler swipe. Satan stood on his toes for a second, his head cradled in Rudolph's antlers, and then he tumbled to the deck.

When he scrambled back to his feet with a roar, the vial was still on the plate. He kicked it accidentally as he sprang at Rudolph, grabbing the reindeer Greco-Roman style, and they strained against one another, titans wrestling for the fate of the world.

I dove for the vial, trying to get my hands on the last of the Spirit of Christmas before someone trampled it. Something grabbed my feet and pulled me back. My chin rebounded against the deck, and I felt a sharp sting as the contact drew blood. I struggled as I felt the thermal suit tearing around my ankles. A gangly demon covered with spikes was clawing at my legs, his cracked nails shredding my thermal suit. Soon, those nails would be doing the same to my flesh if I didn't get him off me.

A large hoof hit the deck next to my head, and I froze. Reindeer, like most four-legged creatures, will instinctively not step on living things in their path, but I didn't want to press my luck. Especially with a reindeer the size of Donner. The demon hissed at Donner, who took it as an invitation and charged. There came a satisfying thud, and the demon let go. Donner lifted his head, the howling demon caught in his rack, and heaved the flailing monster toward the edge of the plate. It scrabbled and flailed as it bounced along, but its nails were no good against the metal, and with a final howl of outrage, it went over the edge.

I stayed low, scanning the plate for the vial as the demonic host went back and forth with the reindeer.

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