by Diem, J. C.
“What do you mean?”
“It seems the bird knows where all of the portals are. It follows you each time you enter hell even when it is nowhere in sight when you step through the doorways.”
Uneasy at the idea, I shoved my hands in my pockets. “If this is true, then why hasn’t it ever set up a trap for me? It could easily rally some troops and get them to capture me when I step into the shadowlands.”
“That is what concerns me,” he admitted. “It almost seems as though it wants you to kill the Princes and find the segments of the object of power.”
Feeling chilled to the bone, I couldn’t shake my unease now that he’d brought this to my attention. “Do you think the object is going to help me win this war?”
He hesitated then shrugged. “I am not sure. I only know that something that was wrought in hell must be incredibly dangerous.”
“Yet, Hagith thinks she can use it through me,” I pointed out. That was her grand plan. She wanted me to collect the sections and put it together. She was going to control me by torturing my friends if I didn’t cooperate with her. Thankfully, Nathan and Leo were no longer in her custody and she didn’t have any leverage over me.
“She is delusional,” he said in a disturbed tone. “It is unthinkable that an angel of the lord has fallen so in love with power that she would torture her own kind.”
“She’ll get what’s coming to her,” I said darkly. One way or another, Hag and Orifice would pay for the poor decisions that they’d made.
We walked the rest of the way to the park in silence. When we reached the tunnel, I took the backpack from Elijah and reached inside it. Taking out the container of demon blood and a paintbrush, I quickly painted the rune that would unlock the portal. Dabbing blood on my palm, I pressed it on the symbol. Bright red light flared as it became active. Once upon a time, I would have cut my palm. I’d eventually figured out that I could just use any demon’s blood to activate the spells. It didn’t have to be mine.
“Did it work?” Elijah asked.
Putting my hand into the opening that only I could see, it passed through without any problems. To him, it looked like my arm had disappeared. “It worked,” I confirmed unnecessarily. “Thanks for coming with me,” I said and gave him a hug.
“You are very welcome,” he replied and embraced me in return. Instead of letting me go, he held onto my hands and stared into my eyes. His eyes changed from being warm and friendly to wise and shrewd. “You are about to face the greatest challenge that any being on this planet has ever encountered. Do not allow anything to sway you from your path. You were born with dual natures, but I believe you are inherently good. Listen to your instincts and remember that you have friends who love you. We believe in you. God believes in you. He has entrusted the safety of his children to you. I know in my heart that you will not let him down.”
I took in his words and felt the mantle of responsibility settle over me once again. “What if I fail?” I whispered.
“You won’t,” he replied firmly. “You’re too stubborn to allow that to happen.”
I smirked, thinking he’d come to know me well in the short time we’d spent together since he’d joined the team. “Thanks for the pep talk, Reverend. I’ll see you when I return.”
He smiled and lifted his hand then I turned to the doorway and stepped through. It was even dimmer inside the portal. The usual yellow lichen covered the damp walls and the ground was cobbled. Without an actual physical door to unlock, it wasn’t necessary to replicate the rune on this side of the portal. Taking a final look at the preacher, I began to walk.
The ankle-deep mist gradually crept upwards. It was hovering around my knees when I realized I was no longer surrounded by walls. Expecting my hellhounds to appear, I became worried when their scarlet eyes didn’t materialize in the gloom.
Now that I was in the shadowlands, I could communicate with what was left of my legion. Dropping the barrier that I’d erected in my head, I spoke to my friends and allies. How is everyone?
Raziel was the first to reply. His voice sounded like it was coming from far away. I am afraid that we angels are even weaker now. Having demons in our house is suppressing our powers.
Morax? Are you guys okay?
We are alive, he replied in a surly tone. I would not use the word ‘okay’ to describe our condition.
The lords are still in pretty bad shape, Heather told me. Sy is the only demon who wasn’t burned to a crisp.
That is thanks to you and Sam, Sytry piped up. You carried me to safety and somehow shielded me from the holy fire.
It is because we care about you, Sam said. My heart hitched a little to hear his voice inside my head. Neither of us wanted to see you go up in flames, he added . We shielded you with our bodies, knowing we would not be affected by the purge.
It would have been nice if someone had shielded us , Flauros mumbled sarcastically. She was the only female Demon Lord that I’d ingested. I was secretly glad she’d survived the holy fire.
Do you think you’ll recover once you’re back in hell, I asked.
I hope so, Morax replied wearily.
So do I, because I seem to be fairly powerless right now.
A clamor started up inside my head, making me wince. What do you mean, Sam asked.
My hounds aren’t responding to my call. I’d tried to draw them to me from the nowhere lands and nothing had happened.
This is not good, Sy said in a worried tone. It will take you a very long time to reach the capital city if you cannot call on your nightmares for transportation.
You must avoid the Hellmaster at all costs until we have healed and we can lend you our power again, Morax said. His alarm came through loud and clear.
I know. He’d squash me like a bug if I tried to face him right now.
An imp could probably best you in a fight when you are this weak, one of the angels said.
Sam took offense to his comment. Imps are not as useless and pathetic as you believe, he said in a huff. It was my former kind who helped Violet take down the Prince of the second realm, after all.
That reminded me of Rashida’s quest to confront the Hellmaster. I wonder how the imps went with their mission to demand better conditions for their kind?
Silence met my question before Morax answered me. I imagine they have all been chopped into small pieces and scattered throughout the nine realms by now. No demon would stand to have a lesser being demand anything of them. The Hellmaster is not known for his tolerance.
The Hellmaster was largely a mystery and no one seemed to know who he was. Anyone who had met him only remembered flashes of information. I’d seen him in a couple of dreams. All I remembered was that he had red skin and gigantic, hideous eyes. He was far taller than even the princes and was the most formidable being in the underworld. It was daunting to know that I would have to come face to face with him eventually. I would have to defeat him in battle before humanity would be saved from annihilation.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It was eerie walking through the shadowlands on my own. I had no one to call on for assistance if anything jumped out at me from the dark. My head twisted from side to side, listening for any sounds that would notify me that I was being stalked. I didn’t draw my dagger from my boot. While the red glow from the blade would warn me of danger, it would also draw the creatures closer.
Hearing a strange clicking noise, the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Cocking my head to the side, I knew I’d heard the sound before, but I couldn’t quite place it. I’d left the cobbled path behind and was now walking across hard dirt. It muffled my steps, but I could hear the scuttling of multiple feet coming closer.
Several shapes suddenly appeared out of the gloom and I saw I was surrounded by crab beetles. They were as black as a real crab beetle, but I knew they were merely illusions. One of them prepared to spray acid on me, but another reached out with a claw and stopped it.
I held my brea
th as the huge bug moved closer. Eight eyes the size of my head watched me. Twin mandibles on either side of its mouth moved in contemplation. About the size of a small car, it had multiple spindly legs that seemed too slender to hold its bulk. Its shell was tough enough to deflect even my magical blade. It held its twin claws just below its face as it pondered my fate. It wasn’t a combative stance, but that could change if I made one wrong move.
“Hi,” I said cautiously. “I know the hellgate probably sent you to try to kill me, but I really hope you choose not to. I freed one of your females from a dungeon in the ninth realm of hell and she’s my ally now. If I could, I’d call on her to speak to you on my behalf, but I’m kind of powerless at the moment.”
The beetle turned to survey its friends and made some squeaking noises that passed for their speech. When it was done, it turned back to me. To my astonishment, they all lowered themselves down in their version of a bow. When they stood, they took up sentry duty around me as my guard.
That was kind of freaky, Sam said.
Sy had a theory about what had just happened. The illusions are representatives of the actual live creatures that reside in hell and the ones that wait in the nowhere lands. It would seem that they are aware of what Hellscourge has done for their queen.
Their queen, I asked in surprise.
Yes. There is only ever one female crab beetle in existence. When the matriarch dies, another female egg hatches from storage. The one you saved was far too small to have been a male. She is the ruler of her kind and they will all be your allies now. Even the illusions are bound by this decree.
Wow, Violet, Sam said in wonder. It is a good thing you make friends with beings others consider to be outcasts.
Like you, you mean, Morax muttered. He was obviously in a cranky mood, but I couldn’t really blame him. He’d almost been burnt to death. The damage from holy fire had been so catastrophic that it was going to take them a long time to heal.
Before Sam could retaliate, a high-pitched yowl came from somewhere nearby. The crab beetles went on full alert as they put their backs to me. I was too short to see over their shells and I caught only flashes of the battle that began to rage.
Pulling my dagger, scarlet light reflected from their shiny carapaces. Illusions of hellcats circled them, staying clear of their acid and claws. They were fast and vicious, but they were no match for my new guards. One by one, they were either sliced in half or were crushed to death. Others melted beneath the spray of acid until they were all gone.
Shimmering, they turned back to mist. We had to be close to the wall by now, but my vision wasn’t improving like it usually did. I hadn’t changed size at all. As I’d feared, losing the majority of my legion had left me pathetically weak. I needed their demonic power to help turn me back into a Demon Princess again.
A few minutes later, I finally saw the slick black wall that surrounded the first realm of hell looming ahead. My entourage followed me all the way to the wall before scuttling off. I waited until they were gone before summoning the hellgate.
“Gate. Are you there?” I knew he was, but I had to say something to draw his attention.
Instead of appearing immediately, he took his sweet time to arrive. Finally, a section of the wall in front of me shimmered and rusty wrought iron bars appeared. Human souls were twisted in various positions as they were being tortured. Eyes and a mouth formed and frowned down at me. “Who are you ?” the gate asked.
“You know who I am,” I said impatiently. “I’m Hellscourge.”
He examined me and his mouth drew down in derision. “I do not think so. Hellscourge is a fearsome warrior who has attained the size and appearance of a Demon Princess. You are just a pathetic human.”
“Appearances can be deceiving,” I said in the beginnings of anger. “I am Hellscourge and I command you to open up right now.”
He seemed surprised when a crack appeared in his face. “Well, well, it would appear that you are indeed the scourge of the underworld after all.” His tone turned crafty and his eyes rolled up to the stone gargoyles that crouched above him. One of them peered down at me then swiveled around and took off. Made of black volcanic rock, it should have been too heavy to fly. It was as magical as the gate and defied the law of physics.
“Did you just send that gargoyle to warn the Hellmaster that I’m here?” I asked.
“Of course not,” he replied slyly. “You defeated the master gate and stipulated that we are not allowed to use our messengers for that purpose.”
“Where is it going then?”
“It is carrying a message to someone else of importance in the capital city.”
I narrowed my eyes, knowing exactly who he was notifying of my presence. “Dantanian, you mean?”
Surprised that I’d seen through him, he sniffed as he continued to open. “I am not obligated to divulge that information to you.”
Clearly, I was far weaker than I’d realized. I barely had any control over the gate at all. I was lucky he’d opened for me. Before he could gain the upper hand, I strode through the opening.
He began to close the moment I stepped onto the arid ground. “After many trials and tribulations, you have finally reached the first realm of hell,” he intoned. “You have killed the eight Princes and have almost fulfilled the prophecy that was spoken so long ago.” He stared down at me accusingly. “Soon, everything will change. Hell will never be the same again and my purpose will become moot. I hope you are happy.” With that snarky message, his eyes and mouth disappeared and he became an inanimate hunk of metal again.
Confused by his cryptic words, I turned away and began to walk. “Oh, I’m happy alright,” I muttered to myself. “I’m so happy I can barely stand it.”
I was back in the underworld and I was facing the prospect of walking the entire way to the capital city. Who wouldn’t have been overjoyed by that?
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty
Expecting the first realm of hell to be almost completely covered in flowing lava, I was glad to see this wasn’t the case. There were far more active volcanos here. The boiling hot liquid spilled down their sides to form rivers and creeks. It was far brighter than the other realms and the air was tinged yellow from sulfur. Ash sprinkled down from the sky like snow.
It was uncomfortably warm, yet I didn’t want to take my jacket off. I unzipped it and my hoodie and pushed my sleeves up. Sweat gathered on my brow and soaked into my clothes. My mouth was dry, but I didn’t feel the need to drink.
My eyesight wasn’t as good as usual, but I could tell that there were no roads anywhere nearby. It seemed this gate had never been used before, or at least not in this location. Trusting my gut, I started walking.
As I walked, I tried to call on my nightmares every now and then, but they remained absent. I checked my appearance frequently and was dismayed to see I wasn’t changing. I’d gone through so much to attain my rank. Now I was as weak and helpless as I’d been when I’d first travelled to the underworld.
Knowing my healing abilities would be poor, I avoided the streams of lava. It would take weeks to repair any damage that was made by the molten substance. I didn’t want to put myself through that agony.
Eventually, I saw a small village ahead and debated about whether to skirt around it or not.
Sam piped up inside my head. Do you remember how we travelled to the palace in the ninth realm?
I smiled at the memory. We hitched a ride on the back of a captain’s carriage.
You have my abilities now, he reminded me. Perhaps you will not have to walk to the capital city after all.
Fate would make sure I reached my destination. I doubted she’d want it to take me months to get there. Trusting his intuition, I angled towards the town. When I drew close, I heard the moans and cries from the human souls that were being tortured for their sins.
We were in the innermost realm, which meant these humans were the most dangerous and depraved beings. Hitler was probably some
where in this realm, along with every other evil human who had ever died. It was hard to feel pity for them when they’d brought their punishment on themselves.
Again, the walls were twelve-feet-tall, which meant critters roamed the wastelands nearby. I was lucky I hadn’t encountered anything that wanted to eat me yet. It was bound to happen, but I’d rather put it off for as long as possible.
If I’d been in my demonic form, my head and horns would have been visible over the top of the wall. Since I was my usual five-foot-five, I didn’t need to duck down to remain out of sight. Trailing my hand along the wall in case I needed to camouflage myself, I followed it to the gate on the far side of the town. No one was standing guard and I peered through the bars to see a carriage waiting nearby. Two gray nags stood in the traces. Their eyes were just as milky as the raven’s that had been plaguing me for over a year.
A captain waited impatiently as servants scurried around getting the carriage ready for travel. The nags couldn’t magically repair damage that was made to the vehicle like nightmares could. Lesser demons checked the wheels and tightened nuts and bolts.
Five soldiers were clustered near their leader. They were his entourage and would travel with him wherever he went. He stood a head taller than them and stubby horns jutted from his forehead. They all wore leather armor, but his was better quality and he had leather braces on his wrists.
It was possible they were going to travel to the second realm, but I doubted it. Fate had guided me here. I was certain this carriage would take me in the direction she wanted me to go. The trick would be how to board it without being caught.
Being careful to stay out of sight, I examined the road ahead and saw some boulders just off to the side. Nags weren’t as fast as nightmares. It would take them a while to get up to a good speed. It would be my best bet at hitching a ride, so I raced towards them and ducked down just as the gates opened.