by Diem, J. C.
Sam rolled his eyes at the theatrics. “This gate is even worse than the others,” he muttered.
“Who are you to judge me ?” the gate responded. “You are a pathetic imp, or perhaps I should say you were once an imp. I am uncertain what you are now.”
“Lay off Sam,” I warned him.
“Or what?” he sneered. “What could you possibly do to me?”
I had no comeback for that one. There wasn’t a damned thing I could do to him. “Just open up and let us through,” I said with a sigh.
“It would be my pleasure,” he said with heavy sarcasm. Metal creaked and groaned as a crack appeared in his middle. I waited for him to be well clear before I started walking through the gap. Sam was huddled at my side, scowling at the gate for ridiculing him. “By the way, I love your jacket,” the gate said and winked at me with one gigantic eye. “I hear that dumpster diving for clothing is all the rage right now.”
How he knew about dumpsters was a mystery. The hellgates seemed to know more about Earth than should be possible since they watched over the inner realms of hell. That reminded me of another question. “Which realm are you guarding?” I asked.
“The fifth,” he replied. “I am sure you will enjoy your stay here as much as I have enjoyed allowing you entry.”
That meant I would hate every moment that I spent here. Catching sight of six pairs of red eyes in the swirling mist behind us, I spoke to my hounds. “Are you guys coming with us or what?”
With low growls of discontent, they slunk through the gates as they began to swing shut. The hellhounds hadn’t grown to like me during my absence. The alpha gave me a soundless snarl then the pack disappeared.
“They are a friendly bunch,” Sam said, which made me smile. “You will be happy to learn that your jacket is already in better shape.”
I looked down to see the rips and tears were mending. It had taken longer than usual, but the wounds on my hand had healed completely. I had a sinking suspicion about why the repairs were being delayed and why my hounds were reluctant to be close to us.
Waiting until we were a safe distance from the hellgate, I told Sam my theory. “I think Raziel is to blame for me healing more slowly.”
“Is that the angel’s name?” he asked. I nodded and he became thoughtful. “It makes sense,” he decided. “Previously, you have only had demonic souls inside you. They are able to boost your power here. Now that you have angelic essence, perhaps it has upset the balance and it has weakened you in this dimension. Angels are not meant to traverse through these unholy realms.”
“That’s just great,” I said morosely. “I need to be strong to take down the princes. The last thing I need is a liability.”
“I am afraid that you have no choice. Until you find a way to release the souls from within you, it would seem that you are stuck with him.”
We’d walked about half a mile away from the gate by now. The air was dry and it was warmer here. Hard and arid, the ground was even more cracked than usual. Moisture had never touched the gray soil. In the distance, an occasional black petrified tree almost blended in with the gloomy gray horizon. There was no sun or moon in hell. There was just an endless twilight that never changed.
Each new dimension of hell grew larger the closer we drew to the first realm. It had taken us several days to reach the palace the last time. I was sure it would take even longer this time. Fortunately, we didn’t have to walk all the way there.
With a thought, I called on the twin nightmares that were tied to me in the same way as the hounds. Glowing crimson eyes appeared a short distance away. The hellhorses materialized, bringing the ornate black carriage with them. When they pulled to a stop, I was dismayed but unsurprised when I saw that my image on the door had changed.
Sam studied the exquisitely painted rendition of me. My horns had lengthened and my fangs had grown longer. My skin had darkened and my face was hideous. The only thing that hadn’t changed was my hair. The twin braids that I favored were still in place and it was still long and blond. “You will definitely be striking if you take on this appearance,” Sam said.
“‘Striking’ isn’t the word I’d use,” I said unhappily. ‘Hideous’ would be more accurate.
He opened the door and we climbed inside before I could burst into tears. Now that we were back in hell again, I could already feel myself changing. I was stronger and faster here. Touching my forehead, I felt twin bumps already starting to form. Mirrors didn’t seem to exist in hell. I was glad I didn’t have to see firsthand what I was becoming. It was hard enough to see myself depicted on the carriage door.
₪₪₪
Chapter Forty-One
Like the hounds, the nightmares were disgruntled that I no longer carried only evil inside me. They were skittish and galloped out of step for the first few miles. They eventually got over it and their soundless strides became synchronized and our ride smoothed out.
We encountered dozens of small villages and towns as we travelled through the wasteland. Following my unspoken command, the nightmares avoided them whenever possible. The last thing we needed was for demons to realize who was inside the carriage and pursue us.
It wasn’t always possible to avoid the towns completely. A few times, we drew close enough to glimpse the human souls that were being tortured. Huddled in the middle of the black stone buildings, they were naked and were on their knees. Wails and moans sounded as the lesser demons used their crude, rusty weapons to torment them.
It was hard to know how much time had passed before Sam eventually elbowed me in the side to wake me up. I’d slept half a dozen times, so we’d probably been here for about a week. “What’s wrong?” I asked when I snapped back to alertness. I winced at the sound of my own voice. It was deeper and almost guttural. I’d grown bigger during our journey. My horns were now equal to a captain’s. Due to my innate magic, my clothes had adjusted to my new size. Sam looked small compared to me.
“Take a look outside,” he replied.
Shifting closer to the window, I caught a brief glimpse of my face in the glass when I moved the curtain aside. I managed not to recoil, but it was hard not to be horrified. My skin was grayish and it was close to matching Sam’s now. My face was almost bestial and my eyes held a faint scarlet glow. I pulled my hood as far forward as I could, glad that I’d worn a hoodie beneath my jacket.
Looking past my faint reflection, I saw that we were nearing a large village. A flash of crimson caught my eye. Peering towards the horizon, I could make out the beacon that stood at the top of the palace. It looked like it was still a couple of days’ travel away. That wasn’t what Sam wanted to show me, though. I examined the buildings as we passed by and the cobbled streets were eerily empty. The moans and desolate cries from the human souls sounded almost forlorn.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“Perhaps they know you are here. They may have already fled to the inner realms.”
That had happened in the sixth realm, but only after I’d defeated their ruler. “Maybe,” I shrugged. “I just hope the Prince hasn’t turned tail and run as well. I’d rather hunt them down one by one than to face them all at the same time.”
“They are too territorial for that,” he said. “The Princes rarely visit each other. Fights tend to break out when they do and they are wary of being defeated.”
Being beaten in battle resulted in the demons’ power being stripped away then being banished back to the first realm. I could see why the princes would prefer to remain in their own realms or to visit Earth for a little rest and recreation. Their form of recreation was to cause as much havoc as possible.
As I’d guessed, it took us another two days to reach the epicenter of the fifth realm. Towns had become larger and more frequent. All had been devoid of demons. I had a bad feeling even before the nightmares halted without me asking them to.
Sam opened his window and took a look outside. “I think we may have a problem.”
I pushed my wind
ow up and looked out to see why we’d stopped. The palace was a couple of miles away. Even from here, I could see that it was larger than the previous ones. So was the city that surrounded it. As per the other realms, the palace was built on a hill. Several tiers led down to the lower areas of the city.
My eyesight had improved along with my transformation. If I’d still been a normal human, the figures that stood between us and the walls of the city would have been invisible. Instead, I could make them out easily. Demon Lords stood head and shoulders above the throng. Captains were a foot or so shorter than their leaders. Soldiers and lesser demons looked like children beside the lords. They held their scarlet weapons ready.
“There’s too many of them,” I said in despair. “We’ll never be able to fight our way through them all.”
“Perhaps we will not need to,” Sam said slyly.
We both drew back inside the carriage to talk. “What are you thinking?” I asked. I could tell he’d come up with a plan and that he thought it was a good one.
“Do you remember the first time the nightmare came at your call?”
We hadn’t had a carriage then and we’d had to ride bareback. It had been a harrowing experience. “I doubt I’ll ever forget it.”
“Then you will recall what happened when the regiment of soldiers stood in our way.”
The nightmare had somehow blasted its way through them using some kind of invisible force field. The magical barrier obviously wasn’t designed to take on all foes. For instance, they hadn’t tried to enter the Plains of Desolation. The plains had stretched for miles and I didn’t think they could keep up the force field for long. They would have been swarmed by arachnoids long before we’d have reached the skeleton of the leviathan. The spider-like creatures would have taken them down and eaten them. But I was pretty sure they could clear a path through the demons ahead.
“You’re a genius,” I said and hugged Sam. He squeaked in protest when his ribs creaked from the force of my hug. “Sorry,” I said. Releasing him, I stuck my head out the window again to speak to the closest nightmare. “Stamp your hoof once if you can force your way through the demons.”
It exchanged a look with its companion. They had a silent conversation then it looked back over its shoulder at me. A wide grin stretched my mouth when it deliberately stamped a hoof. It made no sound, but the intention was clear.
Sitting back in my seat, I slid the window shut. “You’d better hold on, Sam. Things are about to get interesting.”
Closing his window as well, he gripped the seat hard. The nightmares broke into a trot that quickly became a gallop. I knew we’d almost reached the city when we heard shouts of alarm and consternation coming from the throng when we didn’t slow down.
Shifting the curtain aside, I saw bodies spinning through the air from the force field that the hellhorses had erected in front of us. Tossed aside like toys, even the Demon Lords weren’t strong enough to stop them.
Realizing we weren’t heading for a gate as I’d expected, I shot a panicked look at Sam. Then the carriage disappeared and we became airborne. The nightmares had gone to wherever it was they stayed when they weren’t needed, taking the carriage with them. Demons lay scattered on the ground. They were stunned, but unhurt as Sam and I soared overhead. A servant stared up at me with her mouth gaping open in shock. Our eyes met for a moment then she was lost from sight as we flew over the wall.
A building loomed in front of us. I had just enough time to lift one arm to shield my face before I hit it. My breath was knocked out and I slid to the ground. Sam landed beside me a second later. His nose had broken on impact and blood gushed from the wound.
“They are in the city!” a shrill female voice shouted from the other side of the wall. I was pretty sure it was the servant that I’d locked eyes with.
I shook Sam, trying to rouse him, but he’d been knocked out cold. Scooping him up, I stayed low and started running. Dodging and weaving through the narrow cobbled streets, I hunched my shoulders in a futile effort to appear smaller as I carried my friend to safety.
₪₪₪
Chapter Forty-Two
My hearing had improved along with my eyesight. Listening for enemies, I was able to take shortcuts through houses that were empty as I distanced us from the searching throng.
Sam eventually roused, but he wasn’t healing as quickly as usual. He almost screamed when he saw my face, which broke my heart a little. Realizing it was just me, he shook off his disorientation. “Where are we?” he whispered.
“We’re almost at the top of the hill,” I replied. We were in one of the larger buildings that was most likely owned by a lord or a captain. The houses on the lower tiers were smaller and shabbier. Apart from their size, they didn’t vary much. They were made of the same slick black rock that was the main source of building material here. As always, the furniture was made of rock or petrified wood.
“How long was I out?” he asked with a grimace and wiped his hand beneath his nose. It came away bloody.
“Only a few minutes.”
He stared at me in surprise. “You must have run very fast to have made it this far already.”
I shrugged and put him down. Only when he was standing in front of me did I realize just how large I had become. He’d once been two inches taller than me and now I was six inches taller than him. If I’d been on Earth, I would have been Nathan’s height of six foot one.
Finally managing to tear his awed gaze away from me, Sam took the lead. He hesitated before placing his hand on the nearest wall. His skin turned as black as the rock and I heard his sigh of relief. It was becoming more and more obvious that he really was changing. Neither of us said it out loud, but there might come a time when he wouldn’t be able to shield us from view. Fortunately, that time hadn’t come yet. He took my hand and we continued our climb up to the palace.
Few had known that my appearance was changing. Word would now spread and they wouldn’t underestimate me again. I was no longer the puny human that I’d once been. Now I was well on my way to becoming a Demon Lord.
Weaving between houses, we approached the final tier. The palace loomed above us and we paused in the shadows between two buildings to stare up at it. This palace had five levels. Each level was smaller than the last, but they were still huge.
Straight away, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get in. Winged creatures were perched on the corners of each level of the roof. They weren’t gargoyles this time. Instead, they were wyverns. They were larger than gargoyles and resembled small dragons with big leathery wings and sharp talons. Their tails were long and their necks were sinuous. Just like the illusions that I’d fought in the shadowlands, they were black.
“I fear we will not be able to sneak past the wyverns,” Sam told me.
“How did they get up there? I thought they could only fly ten feet above the ground.”
“The illusions in the shadowlands are not always exact replicas of the creatures that are in the realms. Real wyverns can fly to great heights.”
“Great,” I sighed. “How are we going to get in this time?”
“I do not know. Does anyone in the legion have any suggestions?”
They’d been helpful in the past so I put the question to them. Does anyone have any idea how we can get into the palace?
Morax conferred with his colleagues before getting back to me. I am afraid not. We do not know of any secret entrances this time.
“We’re on our own,” I told Sam. Calling on the hellhounds wouldn’t work this time. The wyverns would probably attack them on sight. The hellbeasts tended to fight each other more often than not and I couldn’t risk drawing any attention to us.
A thirty-foot-high wall surrounded the palace. It was pointless to traverse along it searching for a way in. Every inch of the property was being watched by the wyverns. There was no way for us to enter without being spotted.
Hearing a group of demons approaching, we drew back against the wall and Sam ca
mouflaged us. A pack of twelve hellscribes appeared. They all wore black robes that covered them from head to toe. They’d drawn their hoods forward to cover their faces.
“Our Prince will not be happy to learn that Hellscourge and her hideous little sidekick have infiltrated the city,” one of them muttered. Sam stiffened at the insult, but remained silent.
“He is already in a foul mood,” another said. “He is likely to strike us down in anger once we advise him of this.”
“Perhaps it will not be so bad to be banished back to the first realm,” the first scribe said. I couldn’t see her face, but her voice was feminine. “At least we will be safe from Hellscourge there.”
“Will we?” someone else muttered. They’d almost reached us now and they would sweep past us at any moment. “It is rumored that she will go on a killing spree once she has murdered the Princes and then the Hellmaster.”
Leaning towards Sam, I whispered a plan and felt him turn his head to stare at me. I knew his expression would be incredulous. “Are you crazy?” he whispered back.
“Probably,” I replied. “But this is our best chance of getting inside.”
“You all know the prophecy,” the lead scribe said. “Now that the scourge of hell has been unleashed, we are all doomed.”
Nudging Sam in the side, I urged him into motion. Holding onto my hand tightly, we peeled away from the wall just as the last scribe walked past us. He reached out and brushed a fingertip over her shoulder then transformed us both into her exact copy. His illusion was perfect and I no longer had to try to hide my size. We straggled after the others, trying not to draw their attention as we crossed the hundred or so yards to the palace.