by Diem, J. C.
Finally reaching the base of the third mountain after what felt like several days, sweat was dripping down our faces from the heat. Ash coated the ground as well as us. It was coming from the very mountain that we were about to climb. I’d grown used to the smell of sulfur and it no longer bothered me.
High pitched chirps and hungry cries came from far above us. I paused to listen to the strange sounds and raised a brow at Sam in enquiry.
“I think they are fledglings,” he said. “The adults will no doubt be very protective of their young.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to sneak us in so we can search the area without being seen?”
He nodded wearily. “I will have to rest before we reach the top.”
It would have to do, so we commenced our climb. We’d angled to the opposite side from where the wyverns hunted. This mountain was higher than the previous ones and we had to stop and rest frequently. Or at least Sam had to. I could probably have made it to the top in one day, but he wasn’t as strong as he had been.
The hunting parties came and went three times before we finally neared the top of the mountain. Reaching a narrow ledge, we sat with our backs to the cliff and dangled our legs over the side.
“I am going to take a nap,” Sam told me quietly. “Do not let me fall.”
“I’ve got your back,” I said as his eyes fluttered shut. We were covered in so much ash by now that it might not be necessary for him to camouflage us at all when we recommenced our climb.
Sam wasn’t the only one who was tired. I wanted to sleep as well, but our position was too precarious. Staying awake, I kept my hand wrapped around his arm to make sure he didn’t fall. The mountain had become increasingly unstable. The rumbles were growing stronger by the hour.
My slumbering companion woke just after the next hunting party embarked on their search for food. Blinking and yawning, he looked at me and grinned.
“What?” I asked crankily.
“You have ash piled on the top of your head.”
“So do you,” I replied and swiped my hand over his scalp. A clump of gray flakes landed on his lap. He giggled, but kept it quiet so we didn’t disturb the nesting wyverns. “Are you ready to start searching?” I asked.
He nodded and cautiously climbed to his feet. I was stiff from sitting still for so long and my bones felt creaky as I stood up. Neither of us acknowledged the fact that I’d grown another couple of inches.
We didn’t bother to brush the ash off our clothes. The covering made us the same color as the mountain and it also masked our scent. We should have at least several hours to search for the metal object before the hunting party would return. I’d estimated that over a hundred wyverns lived on the top of the mountain. With half of them out hunting, that still left more than fifty behind. It would still be too many for me to fight, so it was imperative that we remain unseen.
It wasn’t going to be easy to find which one had the object tied to their leg. It had probably fallen off by now and it could be anywhere. It could also be attached to one of the critters that had just flown off. I would have to trust in Fate once more. She’d led me here and I knew it would be somewhere in the area.
The rock was now hot to touch. Sweat was running down my face and I had to keep wiping my palms on my jeans as we inched our way to the top of the peak. The mountain rumbled harder than usual and my hand slipped. Sam reached out and caught me before I could fall. The cries and chirps coming from the baby wyverns ceased for a few moments before resuming at an even louder volume.
Giving Sam a grateful look, I hauled myself up onto a flat surface that was about ten feet across. Slick and black, it was the same type of rock that all of the buildings were made from. That solved the mystery of where they got some of their building materials from.
My breath caught when I saw how the mountain range had gotten its name. Wyvern nests made from petrified twigs sat on ledges all around the walls. Each one was guarded by a parent with at least one fledgling inside. It wasn’t the critters that captured my attention. The bright red lake of magma far below was what had taken my breath away.
Reaching down, I pulled Sam up beside me. Up this close, the smell of sulfur was eye watering and impossible to ignore. So was the stench coming from the wyverns. Bones of unknown animals littered the nests. It reminded me that we only had a few hours before the hunting party would return.
Most of the adult wyverns appeared to be resting. I didn’t know how they managed to ignore the hungry calls of their young. Sam and I both knew what to look for. We peered into the closest nests, searching for the metal object. We didn’t find it in the immediate vicinity and carefully shuffled around the lip of the volcano. When we were roughly a third of the way around the circular opening, I saw a flash of metal in one of the nests below us. Sam saw it at the same time and we exchanged a look.
Leaning forward, I judged the nest to be about thirty feet down. I wasn’t an experienced climber, but it looked like an easy enough descent. The trick would be to get down there without being seen. Over fifty adult wyverns would easily tear us apart.
As if to prod me into action, the mountain rumbled again. The wyverns woke and hunkered down, waiting for the shaking to stop. When the quaking intensified rather than abating, I realized what the Hellmaster’s punishment would be. He was going to make the volcano erupt while we were standing on top of it. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I complained. In response, lava shot high into the air and the mountain shook even harder.
Knowing our time had run out, I turned to Sam. “Stay here. I’m going to get the piece of metal.” It would take too long for us to sneak down to the nest. I had to act fast before the mountain erupted and buried us along with the object that we’d come here to find.
Barely waiting for a nod of acknowledgement, I leaped down and landed in the closest nest. The adult wyvern squawked in anger and its baby cowered away from me. About the size of a chicken, the fledgling was far from cute. As black as its parents, its wings were thin and hadn’t developed enough to hold its weight yet. Before its parent could bite me, I launched myself down into the next nest. Two more jumps landed me next to the object. It was surrounded by the small bones of an unknown animal that had been stripped of its flesh.
I reached for the item that I’d come for and the baby wyvern pecked my hand hard enough to draw blood. The adult opened its mouth and shrieked in rage that its home had been invaded. Grabbing the tarnished piece of silver metal, I shoved it into my pocket. The mountain shuddered and I grabbed the wall to steady myself.
Torn between killing me and saving its offspring, the wyvern hissed in disappointment. Then its head came down and it grabbed the fledgling by the back of its neck. All around me, wyverns abandoned their nests. They rapidly carried their babies away and then there was just Sam and me left in the danger zone.
I desperately clawed my way up the slick rock wall as the mountain shook and lava burst upwards. The heat was increasing by the second and the rock was almost too hot to touch. The ash burned me whenever it made contact with my skin. I could smell my clothes and hair smoldering. Sweat dripped into my eyes, obscuring my vision.
Using the nests whenever I could, I hauled myself up to the top to stand next to Sam. “We need to get out of here,” he urged me.
A powerful shudder hit the mountain and we teetered on the edge of the cliff, clutching each other for balance. I heard a vindictive caw a moment before the raven hit me squarely in my back. It wanted revenge, but it’s master wanted me alive. That had to be the reason why it forced me down the mountainside rather than sending me headfirst into the magma.
Sam grabbed me, but he only succeeded in dooming himself. Knowing that he wasn’t as strong now, I did my best to cushion him from harm as we tumbled down the mountain. It was a much faster descent than I’d planned, not to mention far more painful. I felt bones snap each time I landed too hard. Sam was also taking a beating as we continued to roll and bounce our way down the steep slop
e.
Ash was coming down harder and the mountain was shivering constantly. Then the volcano erupted and we were blown clear by the shockwave that went out. Flying through the air, I knew it was going to hurt when we landed. I had enough time to twist so I’d land first and to make sure Sam wasn’t crushed beneath me. Then I hit the ground hard enough for my skull to crack open and for my spine to shatter.
I wasn’t sure how long I remained unconscious. When I woke up, the air was almost too hot to breathe and a deep blanket of ash smothered me. Sam lay beside me, out cold. I’d broken too many things to be able to heal easily. Having Raziel inside me wasn’t helping. I couldn’t move my legs and my head pounded sickeningly.
Something splashed on my arm. It burned through my jacket and seared my flesh. I shifted my eyes and saw a river of lava flowing down the mountain. We were directly in its path and we were both too injured to move. We had only minutes left before we would be incinerated.
I didn’t consciously call on them, but my hounds were suddenly there. Four of them latched onto my arms and legs and the other two grabbed hold of Sam. They dragged us away from the flow of molten lava that relentlessly came towards us.
When we were safely out of the danger zone, the hounds put us down gently. I lay on my back, blinking against the ash that continued to fall. We were in a valley that was surrounded by mountains. I didn’t think the nightmares were going to be able to get us out. I was pretty sure they couldn’t make the carriage disappear while we were in it. We were always ejected before it vanished.
A growl from my alpha dog warned me that fresh danger was approaching. I shifted my eyes to see a flock of wyverns scouring the area. Half of the adults had stayed behind to watch their young, wherever they’d been moved to. The rest were searching for the invader who had so rudely invaded their nests.
Still beyond the ability to move, I was too injured to defend myself let alone Sam. Six hellhounds weren’t going to be able to fend them all off. In moments, they’d see us and they would move in for the kill.
Stirring as if he sensed I was in danger, Sam turned his head and groggily reached out for me. He took hold of my hand then disappeared as he blended into the ground. Even when he was badly wounded and probably had internal injuries, he was still protecting me. Tears of gratitude that he loved me so much welled and I didn’t have the energy to fight them.
Through blurry eyes, I watched the wyverns scour the area for over an hour before they finally moved on. “It’s okay, Sam,” I said in a pained croak. “They’re gone.” Still holding my hand, he let go of our camouflage and subsided into unconsciousness again.
It took several hours for my broken bones to knit back together enough for me to stand. The wyverns hadn’t given up their hunt, but they’d moved to the far side of the mountain range. With my hounds for company, I picked Sam up and winced at how broken his body felt. He was breathing shallowly and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
I made my way towards a narrow channel between two of the mountains in a pained shuffle. It wasn’t necessary to find the exact spot where we’d entered the range. My nightmares would come to us once we were free.
Stumbling with exhaustion, I finally reached the open wastelands to find the nightmares and the carriage already waiting for me. Stopping, I turned to the alpha hound. “I know you hate me, but you really saved our butts back there.” Instead of baring his teeth in a growl, the alpha just watched me silently. “Thanks, guys.” Knowing they’d been dismissed, they disappeared.
Pausing to study my image on the door, I saw that it had changed again. My horns were longer, as were my fangs. My skin was dark gray and my eyes were a brighter shade of scarlet. My physical transformation wasn’t that advanced yet, but it was an indication of what I’d eventually look like.
Opening the door, I gently lay Sam on the seat. His bones didn’t grate together anymore and I hoped he would make a full recovery. Brushing most of the ash off my clothes, I climbed in and pulled the door shut. We had a long journey ahead, but I could trust the nightmares to keep us safe. Exhaustion dragged me down and I fell into a deep sleep.
₪₪₪
Chapter Forty-Eight
If I dreamed, I didn’t remember it. I woke up feeling fresh and fully healed. Sam was awake and had done his best to clean the ash off his skin and clothes. “How are you feeling?” I asked him as I straightened up from my slouch.
“Much improved,” he replied. “But it takes me a lot longer to heal now.”
“Me, too,” I said with a grimace. I wasn’t in pain anymore, but having my skull cracked open and my spine crushed hadn’t been much fun. “I wish I could evict Raziel from my head.”
“I am certain the angel would agree with your sentiment.”
We shared a smile and I shifted the curtain to glance outside. We were currently passing through a village and I wasn’t surprised to see it was deserted. The word that their prince was dead would have spread to the entire realm by now. Demons would have fled to the inner realms hoping to escape from my wrath. Human souls had been left behind. Chained up, they remained on their knees, naked and huddled together. Even with their tormentors gone, they lived in utter misery for the misdeeds that they’d performed. They would forever be twisted and hideous.
I’d slept for several days, but it still took us another five days or so before we approached the hellgate. Pushing the window up, I stuck my head out to speak to him. His face had already appeared, so I didn’t have to call for him. “Let us out,” I said without ceremony.
“The Hellmaster must be very displeased with you,” he said as he complied. “I saw the mountain erupt even from here. I am surprised that you were not burned to a crisp.” He eyed me as he swung open with a metallic groan
“I bet you would have shed a tear for me if I’d been deep fried,” I muttered.
“That is unlikely,” he replied snarkily. “My brothers and I are all waiting in anticipation for your eventual downfall. We are sure it will give us a great deal of entertainment.”
“Do not hold your breath,” Sam said in my defense. “Violet will not fail in her task.”
The gigantic metal eye shifted to my friend. “That remains to be seen. However, I very much doubt that you will be there to witness it.” We didn’t ask him what he meant by that because we both knew the answer already. Sam’s transformation was speeding up. It was unlikely that he’d retain his ability to camouflage us for much longer. We weren’t spending enough time in the underworld for him to revert back into an imp. It would take decades for that to happen. His change back to a human was magical. Maybe it was a final gift from God before he’d abandoned us.
With a tortured creak, the gate swung open wide enough to let the carriage through. I looked through the back curtain to see my hellhounds appear. They trotted through the gates after us then melted into the gloom of the shadowlands.
Galloping across the hard-packed dirt, the nightmares unerringly headed for the portal. Then the carriage disappeared and we were riding a lone hellhorse bareback. As always, Sam was in the front and I was behind him. He seemed very small to me now and I loomed over him as we entered the narrow alley.
I could see the street through the doorway ahead and was disappointed that no one was waiting for us. Ready for it this time, I held onto Sam as the nightmare skidded to a stop and bucked us off. I caught the steed’s scarlet eye as we soared through the magical portal. Highly amused, it turned and galloped away.
Cradling Sam, I felt myself shrink back to my normal size the moment we entered our dimension. We landed on our sides on the sidewalk and tumbled a few times before coming to a stop.
Rolling onto his back, Sam groaned in pain. “Why does it have to do that every single time?” he complained.
Apart from a few scrapes and bruises, we hadn’t sustained many injuries. I helped him to his feet then a wave of dizziness swept over me. I went to my knees, taking him down with me.
“Are you alright?” Sam
asked, knowing that I wasn’t.
“I’ll be fine,” I said hoarsely. The illness from the Wraith Warrior’s toxin came crashing back and my strength fled.
“Where are Nathan and Leo?” he asked, looking around for them. “They are usually here waiting for us.”
“I don’t know. Maybe something happened and they were called away.” Or maybe Nathan told Leo and Sophia that I’d ingested an angel’s soul and they’d abandoned us.
Feeling my pockets, I remembered that I’d left my cell phone with Leo. I’d added Sophia’s number to it, but that wasn’t going to do much good now since I didn’t have the phone with me. Encountering the small blue rune stone in another pocket, I closed my hand around it and wished that Nathan could forgive me for what I’d done.
A moment later, my guardian appeared in front of us. He looked alarmed at first, but his expression changed to concern when he saw us. Without a word, he crouched down and took hold of us then teleported us back to our base.
Sophia and Leo were sitting at the table when we arrived. They were tense, but smiled in relief when they saw that we’d appeared. “You are both filthy,” Sophia exclaimed. “What is that substance that is covering you?”
“It’s volcanic ash,” I explained wearily.
“Allow me to get rid of it before you sit down,” Leo offered. He waved a hand and our skin, hair and clothes became immaculate.
“Thank you, Leo,” Sam said in genuine gratitude.
“You are welcome,” the teen replied and studied him closely with a frown. “You look different.”
I sank down onto my seat before my legs could give out. “He’s changing back into a human faster now,” I told him as Sam took his own seat.
Nathan and Sophia exchanged worried looks. They knew this put me in a precarious situation.
Now that he was no longer filthy, I could see that Sam’s skin and face had changed. He was definitely more brown than gray now. His forehead was smaller and his eyes didn’t look as cavernous. “You should take a look in the bathroom mirror,” I suggested. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”