The Night Train (Patreon)

Matthias Walker kicked in the window and jumped into the night-covered train car. With a crash, glass shards spilled over the red felt carpet of the car’s interior. Clair de Lune, from the 19th-century Suite bergamasque by Claude Debussy, continued to play over the loudspeakers in the background. Despite the soft piano coming through the surround-sound, the unsettling silence of the train’s atmosphere sent a chill down Matthias’ spine.

Looking around, he curiously observed the hollow emptiness of the coach. Peeking through the doors on both ends of the car, he noticed the adjacent cars were also completely empty. As far as Matthias could see, there wasn’t a single living soul aboard the entire train.

“Shit.” He puzzled skeptically.

This was the busiest train in Paris. Its seats were typically packed tighter than a sardine can every single ride throughout the week, but tonight they were barren. 

It wasn’t just eerie. The situation reeked of supernatural influence.

Matthias’s new partner, Vivien Chase, climbed in through the shattered window. Broken glass crunched beneath her black boots as she jumped down onto the carpet. Her long, Tower of Merlin overcoat fluttered in the air as she landed.

“Damn, the report was right. They really were taken.” She said inspecting the empty cars as Matthias had done before her.

“What I want to know...is how?” Matthias replied kneeling down and checking under the seats. “The demonic energy readings the Tower picked up were far too faint for a mass-abduction of this scale.”

Vivien nudged his arm and winked, “Looks like our first case together might actually turn out to be an interesting one.” 

Matthias replied with a fake smile. Here we go. He thought.

“I’m just...I can’t believe I’ve the opportunity to work alongside the Matthias Walker.” Vivien replied gleefully. “You’re a legend!”

Matthias rolled his eyes.

“You’re one of the foremost scholars of magic!” She exclaimed. “I mean, you practically wrote the current foundation for three of the nine new schools of magic.”

“Half of the strength magic I use is based on your principles.” Vivien added, flexing a prominent bicep.

She placed a hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow.

“The Tower even offered you a seat on the Grand Jury!” She added. “But you had the balls to turn them down.”

Matthias pinched his brow. And I specifically asked them NOT to sign me up with another fanatic. They were supposed to be hunting demons, not gossiping about his work history. 

He sighed in frustration. “Please, can we just do our job?” 

“I...uh, sure. My apologies.” Vivien replied with disappointment, scratching her head. “I’ll go look for clues.”

Moving to the door of the next train car, she ran a hand up its metal frame. There, her fingers found five deep symmetrical holes. They pierced the steel as if sharp digits had gripped the spot tightly. 

“Claw marks.” Vivien said back to Matthias, tapping the spot to show him. “Could be a werewolf.”

“I doubt it. These cars are spotless.” He replied, motioning around at the untouched upholstery. “A werewolf would’ve left this train a shredded meat wagon.”

Vivien puzzled, staring at the claw marks in deep thought, “Maybe a vampire then? Could’ve snuck on board and posed as a human.”

“Possibly.” Matthias nodded in agreement. “France is still the current seat for some of the oldest Vampire families. I’ll try to pull up the full passenger manifest and see what I can find.”

Digging a hand into the deep interior pocket of his overcoat, he rummaged around and quickly produced his cell phone. As he began typing, soft clicks filled the silent train car.

“Are we going to get to see some of your famous identification magic?” Vivien asked excitedly. “I hear it’s wicked cool!”

Matthias narrowed his eyes and wiggled his phone at her. The bright phone screen had the schedule pulled up on the train company’s website. 

He wasn’t using magic; he was looking it up on the internet.

“Lesson number one, rookie: Not everything requires magic. Don’t use it unless you have to.” Matthias said with a dismissive tone. “Keep looking for more clues. I’ll get us the passenger information we need.”

“Oh, sorry.” Vivien looked away, embarrassed. “I didn’t mean-”

She hung her head and moved into the next train car.

Fuck. He probably thinks I’m the world’s biggest groupie. She thought, staring down at her feet.

I can confirm, he definitely does. An unfamiliar voice whispered inside Vivien’s head.

Looking up in alarm, her eyes met with an icy-pale figure lunging at her with razor sharp claws. Its red eyes screamed death and blood.

“Shit!” Vivien shouted.

She drew her silver sword just in time to stop the spear-like hand from piercing her chest. It deflected the blow and spun Vivien off her balance.

In a blur of lightning-fast movement, the pale stranger kicked her square in the chest and sent her flying back through the open door. Vivien gagged, spitting up blood.

Her crumpled body slammed into Matthias, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

The pale figure entered their train car and smiled down at them with long, white, menacing fangs. A second fanged man entered the car behind him. Together, the two hissed at Matthias and Vivien, flaring their elongated canines.

“Fucking vampires! I called it. You owe me a beer after this, Matthias!” Vivien said triumphantly, lifting her sword just in time to block a second vicious claw strike.

Picking herself up on one knee, she pushed back against the vampire’s claws with both hands. The clink of the silver-metal sword against the vampire’s bone-talon fingernails sent sparks flickering in the air. 

“Let’s focus on the task at hand first.” Matthias replied, drawing a silver pistol and firing at the vampires over Vivien’s shoulder.

The silver bullet struck one of the vampires in the chest. He cried out as his flesh instantly began to melt and burn.

“Matthias Walker. Finally you have arrived.” A deep voice with a heavy Slavic accent spoke from behind the two vampires. 

A third vampire stepped into the train car with thick steps like iron boots. He seemed different than the other two. More reserved and composed. He wore an old, solid black suit with a blood-red tie. His hair was fashionably slicked back behind his head.

Flexing his fearsome claws, the suit vampire eyed the two detectives with a hollow thirst.

“And who the hell are you?” Matthias asked, cocking his silver gun in line with the suit vampire’s face.

“I am Demetrios. A pleasure to finally meet you.” The vampire said seductively as he introduced himself. 

Demetrios dipped his torso slightly in a cordial bow. Matthias felt the vampire’s blood-red eyes pierce his chest with keen interest.

“I require your strong witch blood, Mr. Walker.” Demetrios growled.

“Physical Alter: Increase Strength!” Vivien chanted, releasing her specialized strength magic.

Vivien’s limbs glowed green as her muscles increased in size. Pushing back against the first vampire, she broke their deadlock and threw him back on his ass. Looking back, she groaned in frustration as a fourth vampire entered the rear door, blocking the only other true exit that wasn’t a window.

Matthias’s hand touched Vivien’s shoulder and instantly his mind entered her own.

Telepathic Link. Matthias’s mental chant activated his spell.

They were waiting for us. His thoughts echoed in her head. It’s four against two. We should retreat.

I agree. Vivien replied, eyeing the vampires surrounding them.

“You two aren’t going anywhere.” A jolly, malicious voice said as a hand plunged through the rear vampire’s chest. 

With a sickening squelch, the hand pulled from the gaping chest cavity and pulled out the vampire’s heart. Demetrios and the other two vampires hissed in rage as their comrade’s body quickly crumbled into a pile of gray ash.

Standing in the rear doorway holding a bloody vampiric heart, was a blonde-haired, goat-horned demon. His yellow, glistening, horizontal pupils pierced through their minds like a searing knife.

“I am Belphegor of House Astaroth, son of the current reigning King of Hell.” The demon smirked.

Demetrios’ eyes widened in fear. His vampire thugs looked to their boss with anxious concern.

“Leave or die, vamps.” Belphegor chuckled malevolently to the remaining three vampires on the other side of the train car. “Walker is mine.”

Blood oozed out of the expunged heart in his hand, coating his sickening claws in hot crimson fluid.

With a defiant collective hiss, Demetrios and his vampires flared their long, white fangs and vanished into the shadows.

Belphegor relaxed his grip and the bleeding vampiric heart fell to the floor with a wet, squishy thud. A moment later, it and the blood pool surrounding its flesh crumbled into dust.

Ah, alone at last. He sighed happily in both of their minds. Vivien recognized the voice as the strange voice in her mind from before.

Belphegor turned to address the detectives with a wicked grin.

Vivien and Matthias locked eyes. The unspoken words between them reflected in their gaze.

What the hell was a greater demon, a member of the demonic royal family, doing on the material plane? 

More importantly, HOW had it escaped the Tower’s notice?!

“Matthias Walker.” The demon cooed. “At last.”

Matthias’s eyes narrowed in frustration, “Fucking hell! Is the entire underworld after my miserable ass?!”

He sized Belphegor up and anxiously clenched his teeth. This situation just got much worse.

We can take him! It’s two against one. Vivien whispered confidently to her partner with her mind.

No, don’t think! He can- Matthias thought back to her.

“Two against one?” Belphegor laughed, interrupting Matthias's thought.

He locked eyes with Vivien. “As if you ever stood a chance, human.”

Matthias cursed under his breath. The demon could read their thoughts.

“Word on the grapevine is you’re an expert at information-based spells.” The demon stated, turning to Matthias.

He tossed a printed dossier of Matthias’s Tower of Merlin file on the open seat next to him.

Matthias eyed the stack of papers nervously and glared at the demon. A small bead of sweat dripped down his temple. Vivien shot him a look of disbelief.

“How did you get this file?” He asked, visibly shocked as he combed over the dossier.

The Tower of Merlin’s database was protected by both physical firewalls as well as magical enchantments. There’s no way a demon, a being who can’t even wield magic, could’ve breached their security.

“I called in some favors and tortured some resistant individuals.” The demon shrugged. “Seems there are some in your organization that owe more than just their souls to my father.”

His goat-like eyes flickered with excitement. Pain shot through the back of Matt’s mind. It felt like he was being ripped apart by a pack of starving wolves. He cried out and fell to his knees as thousands of claws raked over the inside of his skull.

“Matthias!” Vivien shouted. 

She jumped to her feet and swung her silver sword at Belphegor.

Catching the blade in his hand, Belphegor’s eyes locked with Vivien’s. The flesh touching the silver began to smoke and melt, but Belphegor seemed unphased. Behind them, Matthias continued to cry out and writhe from the unseen force attacking his mind.

“I’ll kill you!” Vivien shouted, pouring all of her mana into her strength magic. Her muscles glowed bright green as they grew to an obscene, rippling size. Using all of her might, she pushed into her sword, trying to cleave through Belphegor’s hand to cut him in half.

But the blade wouldn’t budge. The skin around Belphegor’s hand continued to smoke and melt against the sharp silver.

“Quiet down.” Belphegor snarled with contempt.

Vivien’s body stiffened and froze. Her eyes grew blank and lifeless as if she was suddenly unconscious. With a clang, her silver sword dropped to the ground and her arms swung limp to her sides.

“That’s better.” Belphegor sighed, cradling his burned hand. The burned flesh, no longer in contact with the cursed silver, started to regenerate and stitch back together.

Meanwhile, Matthias had started foaming at the mouth as he clawed at the flesh around his scalp and eyes.

“Easy now.” Belphegor chided. “Can’t have you killing yourself.”

With a snap of his fingers, Belphegor pulled his Sin out of Matthias’s mind. The hysterical detective immediately crumpled in a sweaty, disoriented mess.

“Now, Matthias, you and I have business to attend." Belphegor grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him completely off the ground.

“First, I need you to locate a special someone for me.” Belphegor chuckled, showing his terrifying smile again. “A brother of mine. Here on the Mortal Plane.”

“His name is Caliban.”

Matthias choked and gripped Belphegor’s sleeve. Blank. Keep your mind blank. He thought desperately, trying to conceal any hidden mental information from the demon.

Belphegor’s face became serious, “Second, I want any information you have on Demon Keys.”

Matthias stopped. At the mention of the last two words, sinking terror and dread consumed him.

“So that’s what you’re after.” He narrowed his eyes at Belphegor.

“More specifically…” The demon continued. “The location of Demon Key Baphomet.”

Matthias’s widened, fearful eyes betrayed his blank thoughts. A flicker of a triumphant smile crossed Belphegor’s lips.

© James Schleisman February 2020 All Rights Reserved