by Diem, J. C.
“Why?”
“The Hellmaster is coming.” Instantly panicked, I turned to flee back up the tunnel that led to Dantanian’s office. “Not that way,” he said. “Use the passageway behind my cage. It will lead you to the edge of the city.”
Heavy cloven footsteps clomped towards the chamber. I had enough presence of mind to slide the window shut, then I bolted around the cage and entered the passage he’d directed me to. In my haste, I dropped my backpack. Hoping I wouldn’t need it, I left it lying in the dirt.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Five
My claustrophobia at being in such a small passageway fought with my fright of the Hellmaster. I cast a look back over my shoulder to see a figure rushing towards the entrance of the tunnel. A hoof stomped on my backpack and blood from the crushed container spurted out. I feared the same thing would happen to me if he caught me.
His huge red eyes almost paralyzed me with fear before I tore my gaze away from his shadowed face. He wore a black robe that covered him from head to hooves. At twelve-feet-tall, I had to hunch and turn slightly to be able to fit through the narrow passage. My ultimate nemesis was three feet taller and he was far too big to be able to follow me.
“You can run, Hellscourge,” the Hellmaster said tauntingly in a guttural voice, “but you cannot hide. If you submit to me of your own free will, I will not punish you for defying me.”
“I will never submit to you,” I vowed and kept on running. He roared in fury and frustration, then raced for one of the larger exits.
As I ran, the ground gradually angled upwards. This tunnel was more direct and didn’t have as many twists and turns. Reaching the end of the passageway, I frantically searched for a switch to open the hidden door. One of the stones stuck out more than the others and I pressed it. The door swung open and I burst outside into an alley. It swung shut without my needing to find the switch that would close it. The Hellmaster didn’t want anyone stumbling across Satan’s prison by accident. From the looks of it, only he and Dantanian knew that the network of tunnels existed.
Sam’s voice piped up in my head. What happened in there?
Didn’t you hear our conversation, I asked as I looked around. The thirty-foot-high wall that surrounded the city stood just beyond a row of shabby houses. They’d been built so closely together that I couldn’t squeeze my bulk between them.
We did not hear what transpired between you and Satan, Morax informed me. He somehow blocked your conversation from us.
I’ll fill you in when it’s safe, I replied.
What do you mean, Heather asked.
Leaping onto the roof of the closest house, I ran over to the wall and sprang into the air. Grasping the top of the wall, I almost vaulted over then saw the moat of lava below. The Hellmaster must have been warned somehow that I was talking to Satan, I replied. He’s chasing after me right now.
Gasps rang out inside my head at that news. They were just as terrified as I was at the thought of being caught. A forest of petrified trees in the distance caught my eye. A volcano loomed beyond it. The scene was eerily familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it.
Flaring my wings, I launched myself from the wall and glided over the lava. Landing safely on the ground on the other side, I sprinted for cover. A raucous cry came from behind me. I looked back to see the raven closing in on me.
Racing towards one of the towns that circled the capital city, my eyes darted around, searching for somewhere to hide. I needed to lose the raven long enough to assume another identity so it wouldn’t be able to lead its master to me.
An image floated to the surface of my mind, almost making me miss a step. It was a fragment of a dream I’d had of the Hellmaster chasing me. I saw the very same petrified forest and the volcano beyond it that sat in the distance right now.
Fear fluttered in my stomach as I saw something else that I’d almost forgotten about. It wasn’t a coincidence that the dream had come back to me. Fate must have sent the images to me.
Now that I’d been reminded of the dream, I realized there would be no hiding for me. I’d seen a small flash of my future and I would now have to live out the terror and pain that I’d suffered in a nightmare. Going through with it would be the only way I’d be able to stop mankind from being decimated. I just hoped things wouldn’t end the way they had in my dream.
Grimacing at the thought of what I was going to have to put myself through, I entered the gates of the large town. Demons stared at me, but they didn’t try to stop me or to follow me. They’d been given orders to leave me alone. Their master was determined to bring me in himself. The Hellmaster would be hot on my trail by now and I had a long way to go before I would reach my destination.
Cutting through settlements that became smaller and more spaced out, I finally left them behind after a full day of running flat out. There were too many volcanos in this area for it to be habitable. I’d lost count of the number of creeks and rivers of lava that I’d crossed.
Slowed down by the obstacles that I could easily avoid, the Hellmaster was chasing me across the wastelands in his ornate carriage. He had four nightmares in the traces and I was on foot. Avoiding the few roads and cutting across the rugged terrain was the only way I could stay ahead of him.
It became clear that my dream had been a premonition when several leviathans emerged from a cavern beneath the ground. Seeing me, they roared angrily and went on the chase. Their master had called on them and they had responded to his power. I was beginning to grow tired, but I knew I could still outrun them. It was the other creatures I’d seen in my dream that worried me. They were much smaller than the lumbering goliaths, but they were far faster. They wouldn’t be as easy to outrun.
As the hours progressed, other creatures appeared. They helped herd me where their master wanted me to go. I saw arachnoids, hellcats, hellbats and other things that I couldn’t identify join in the chase. Crab beetles appeared as well, which was new. They hadn’t been in my dream. I didn’t know if they were my allies, or my enemies.
By now, my breath was rasping in my throat and exhaustion was beginning to creep up on me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep running. Hearing the Hellmaster’s carriage bearing down on me, I sent a panicked look over my shoulder. Huge scarlet eyes stared at me through black curtains. The coach towered over the nightmares that were straining to reach me. Their eyes rolled wildly. I knew they were being driven by terror rather than loyalty for their master. I knew how they felt. Evil emanated from the monster that was hunched inside the carriage. His malevolence was equal to Satan’s.
Turning away from the carriage, I crested a small rise and saw a wide stream of lava right in front of me. I leaped into the air and my wings flared open. I was too heavy to fly like a bird or a wyvern, but I glided over the creek and landed on the other side. The second my hooves hit the ground, I started sprinting again.
Neighs of frustration came from the nightmares. They veered away before they could plunge into the deadly creek. A gigantic, clawed hand came out of a window and the Hellmaster gestured. Volcanic rocks rose from the ground and flew over to form a bridge across the stream. Instead of being black, the hand was red. Terror fueled me at the small glimpse I’d had of my foe and I ran even harder.
My cloven feet left prints that even a blind tracker could have followed. I needed to find a way to lose the nightmares. Seeing the forest of petrified trees from my dream, I headed towards them.
Pounding across the arid ground, I reached the forest and darted into the shadows. Instead of the spindly trees I was used to, these ones had wide trunks that reached high into the sky. It was easy enough to avoid the damp patches on the ground where hellsnakes lurked. Hiding in one of the sludge filled pits wasn’t an option this time. I had a mission to accomplish.
Wending my way through the trees, I heard the wheels of the carriage rumbling around the outer edge of the forest. The Hellmaster wasn’t going to give up. He had me in his sights and he would pursu
e me to the far reaches of the first realm to capture me.
Stopping at the edge of the forest, I saw an expanse of rocky ground ahead that led to the base of a volcano. The top had blown off the mountain eons ago. Orange rivulets of lava trickled down the sides. Ash puffed from the top and it almost looked as though the volcano was breathing. It looked like it could explode again at any time.
A strong sense of déjà vu swept over me. I was living out my nightmare. Dread filled me at what would soon occur. I didn’t have a choice and sprinted across the ground. Shrill neighs of triumph came from the nightmares when they spotted me. Their feet were soundless, but the wheels of the carriage thundered in pursuit.
Leaping over boulders and small streams of lava, I headed for the decapitated mountain. I was nearing the base of it when the ground rumbled. Skidding to a stop, I looked up at the peak just as something erupted from the opening. Just like in my dream, a gigantic red dragon spread its wings open wide. It roared a challenge and fire spewed from its maw as it tried to burn me to death.
Diving to the side, I barely managed to avoid the flames even though I’d known they were coming. Dust whirled through the air as the dragon beat its wings and prepared to dive at me. Leaping to my feet, I turned to see the Hellmaster’s carriage approaching. The door began to open even before it came to a stop. I saw a cloven hoof that was as red as the dragon’s hide emerge. Leviathans, crab beetles and other creatures moved to cut off my escape.
A screech from above alerted me that danger was imminent. Just as I expected, talons the length of my arm clasped me around the chest and I was lifted high into the air. My armor was impenetrable and not even the dragon could claw it open. It tried another tactic and fire washed over me. I gave a gurgling shriek as my face began to melt. It hurt far worse in real life than it had in my dream.
Scaly claws closed around my head and squeezed, fracturing my skull like an egg. On the verge of unconsciousness from the sheer agony of my injuries, I went limp. With a shriek of triumph, the dragon opened its claws and let me fall. Wind rushed past me as I picked up speed. I saw a flash of something metallic in the dragon’s nest as I fell past it, heading for the pool of magma far below. Fate had sent me the dream and she’d led me to this place. I had to trust that she would save me now.
“NO!” the Hellmaster shouted in rage when I dropped out of his sight. He’d thought he finally had me in his grasp, but his victory had been short lived. Instead of being at his monstrous mercy, I was about to burn to a crisp.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Six
In my dream, I’d closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see death rushing towards me. This time, I kept my eyes open. I saw a thin strip of land jutting out into the pool of magma and knew that Fate was once again ensuring my survival. Flaring my wings, I managed to alter my trajectory so I was heading for land rather than towards a fiery death.
Landing hard, I rolled over and over until I came to a stop lying on my back. Seeing the dragon circling overhead, I made myself blend into the gray soil before its sharp eyes could spot me. My vision began to go black and I knew I was on the verge of passing out. If I lost consciousness, it would see me for sure. Then the dragon would swoop down and toss me into the magma.
Hearing the scuttling of multiple legs, I rolled my eyes upwards to see a crab beetle coming towards me. It lowered a claw and felt around carefully. Holding my hand out, I touched it and it flinched in surprise. It must have seen me land and was either coming to eat me, or to help me. I figured it was the latter when it carefully took hold of my arm and dragged me into a tunnel.
As soon as I was hidden from the dragon’s view, I passed out from agony. I appeared in the shadowlands of my mind moments later. The arena was all that remained of the legion’s abode. Heather’s house still stood, but it was badly damaged. Raziel’s dwelling was the only one that was untouched.
Mist swirled around my hooves as I staggered over to the door. Heather opened it and let me in. No one tried to hug me this time. Probably because I was a hulking monster and my brains were trying to leak out of my cracked skull. They stared at me with varying degrees of horror.
My legs buckled and Raziel and his two cronies were there to catch me. Morax and his colleagues still lay on the floor. They didn’t look as if they’d moved since I’d seen them last. They watched me with interest as the angels worked their magic. Blinding white light filled my eyes as they healed me. Their combined power was enough to repair the damage the dragon had caused.
Grateful that the pounding in my head was now gone, I stretched out my legs and leaned against the back of the couch. Even when I was sitting, I was at eye height with the others.
“It would be nice if they could heal us so easily,” Flauros grouched. She was just as burned and crispy as the others.
“Our magic is not compatible with yours,” Raziel said tiredly, as if he was repeating himself. “We have tried to repair you, but it simply will not work.”
“Why can you heal Hellscourge so easily then?” one of the others muttered.
“Because my soul is missing,” I replied before Raziel could respond. “I’m just an empty shell. I don’t show up as evil on their magical radar.”
Morax changed the topic before we could descend into a pointless debate. “What did Satan say to you?”
I frowned, trying to recall what we’d spoken about. “I’m not sure. It’s all fuzzy and I can’t remember what we talked about.” Only small pieces remained and I was having trouble putting them together. “He said something that sparked a memory of a dream. I saw myself running from the Hellmaster and being herded by his creatures to this volcano. The dragon swooped down and grabbed me and I saw something shiny in its nest when it dropped me.”
Sam realized what it was first. “Do you think it was the final section of the object you have been seeking?”
“I think so. It was metallic and silver and I haven’t seen anything else in the underworld that looks like that.”
“If the item is in the dragon’s nest, how are you going to retrieve it?” Raziel asked.
“I would suggest you seek the aid of the crab beetles,” Morax said. Even when he was weak and in pain, he was still as strategic as ever. “They can lure the beast away to give you enough time to climb up to the nest.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said. “Who knew giant bugs would come to be my allies?”
“They should not be able to come to your assistance, master,” Sy said from his spot on the floor on the other side of the couch.
I winced at being called ‘master’, but let it go. “Why not?” I asked and heaved myself to my feet so I could see him.
Pausing in the act of drawing a rune, he looked up at me. “You have not killed the ruler of this realm. They should still be tied to the Hellmaster.”
“Her alliance with their queen trumps their allegiance to him,” Flauros said. “Freeing the crab beetle from the dungeon has had unexpected consequences that have worked in your favor.” Exhausted from her short speech, she subsided into silence.
Pity stirred inside me at their weakened states. They were Demon Lords, second only to the princes of the realms. They shouldn’t be lying here so broken and unable to heal at their usual rapid rate.
The favors that I owed Morax niggled at me. My eyes came to rest on the stacks of Sy’s sketchpads. Surely there had to be a spell that could help me. Remembering all of the runes that I’d allowed him to test inside my head, I paused on one and my eyes went wide. “I think I just figured out a way to evict you from me.”
Instantly the object of their focus, they stared at me in a mixture of hope and dread. “Well?” Morax grumbled. “Do not keep us in suspense.”
“He has almost as little patience as Brie,” Sam said to me and we both sniggered.
“What’s your idea?” Heather asked.
“Do you remember the black hole that Sy created?”
She nodded then shuddered. “How could I ever for
get? If it had been bigger, I would have been sucked inside it.”
“I’m not so sure that would have been such a bad thing,” I told her. At her puzzled look, I explained why. “One of Sy’s pencils went through the hole before I deactivated the rune. Sophia said she found a pencil on my bedroom floor, but I don’t remember leaving it there. I think it went through the black hole and ended up next to the bed where I was sleeping while we tested the rune.”
Everyone stared at me for a long moment then we all turned to look at Sy. His expression was stunned, but his mind was churning. “It is possible,” he said almost to himself. “A black hole that was created inside your mind could very well lead to the physical world where you were asleep at the time.”
Sam voiced the concern that had already occurred to me. “You have been weakened by the loss of your legion. What will happen to you if you evict the lords? You could become completely powerless.”
“I know, but I have to risk it anyway,” I replied with a helpless shrug. “The purge of holy fire hurt them badly. They aren’t going to heal unless they return to their own dimension.”
“This is a bad idea,” one of the angels said.
“I owe them and this is how I’m going to repay them,” I replied firmly. My instincts were telling me this was the right thing to do and I wasn’t going to ignore them.
Morax stared at me with such hope and longing for freedom that I knew I couldn’t let him down. Everything would change when they were set free. For all I knew, they could turn on me, hack me to pieces and throw my body parts into the magma. Sytry was the only one who I was pretty sure wouldn’t betray me. I was his master now, but none of the lords had ever addressed me that way.