by Diem, J. C.
“Thank you, Hellscourge,” Rashida said on behalf of her friends. “We will never forget what you and Sam have done for us.”
I knelt down to hug her, being careful not to squeeze her too tightly. I gave my nightmares a pat then they returned to the nowhere lands. I pulled my hood up to cover my conspicuous hair then took off towards the city.
Like the capital city in the third realm, this one was also surrounded by smaller towns. It was impossible for me to remain unnoticed, but no one shouted an alarm when they spotted me. I saw my feathered nemesis as it lazily flew overhead. Its eye remained on me when I reached the wall, but it didn’t call attention to me. The wall was twenty feet high, but that didn’t stop me. Leaping up, I grabbed hold of the top and vaulted over it to land in the small space between two buildings. They sat nearly flush with the wall and lacked anything that resembled a yard.
I didn’t trust how easily I’d managed to reach the city. I remained on high alert as I took narrow alleys or cut directly through empty buildings as I worked my way up through the numerous tiers.
This city sported more than just the shabby houses for the lesser demons on the lower and middle tiers. It also had large structures that looked like warehouses. I could hear metal striking stone and figured craftsdemons were working on volcanic stone or petrified wood. Someone had to build the dwellings and create the carriages and furniture. They must mine the rock from dormant volcanos. The trees were far larger here, which must also be where they found their petrified wood to make some of the furniture and the carriages.
The rumble of wheels on the cobbled roads alerted me that a procession of captains and lords was heading towards the palace. They weren’t in a rush, so it was possible the prince wasn’t yet aware that I was here. He must have some inkling, or he wouldn’t have called them in the first place.
Stopping in the shadow of two small houses, I had a clear view of the palace. Still several tiers above me, it loomed over the city. Almost mind bogglingly large, it had eight levels and was spread out over the entire top of the hill. The obligatory thirty-foot-high wall surrounded it. From experience, I knew there would be only one entrance. That was where the convoy of coaches was heading right now. Either the demons were too lazy to walk the distance, or they preferred to arrive in style.
Maintaining my stealthy approach, I wended my way around the large houses and mansions that were owned by the captains and lords until I finally reached the top tier. Pausing for a moment, I turned and swept my gaze over the city. It was a bustling metropolis with demons of every level going about their business. From the distant moans and cries of pain, the pit where human souls were being tortured was larger than most. It was hidden from view by buildings.
Searching for the raven, I saw it enter the palace through a window. Any chance I’d had of sneaking inside had just been blown. That damned bird was going to be the death of me. The Hellmaster apparently still wanted me to be brought to him alive, but his spy had proven over and over that it would rather see me dead.
Sneaking over to the wall that surrounded the palace grounds, I peered through the entranceway at the lineup of carriages. Undead gray nags stood in the traces of the smaller vehicles. Nightmares waited in the traces of the larger coaches. I had a feeling their masters wanted them nearby in case they had to flee for their lives. Otherwise, they should have returned to the nowhere lands. Not magical like their shadowy cousins, the nags didn’t have that option. They would be put in the stables when they weren’t required.
Examining the palace closely, it didn’t appear to be guarded by hellbeasts. Nothing stalked the yard or was perched on the multiple levels of the roof. I couldn’t even see any demons patrolling the property. The prince might as well have hung a welcome sign out for me. Judging by the number of carriages, only a couple of hundred minions had been called to the palace. It was an almost insultingly low number of foes for me to face. Of course, the building was so gigantic that thousands more could be hiding inside. If so, they were being very quiet.
Calling on my dagger, it turned into an axe as I followed the cobbled driveway towards the palace. The nags watched me with the same sort of milky eyes as the raven as I neared the carriages. The nightmares inclined their heads rather than making a ruckus to draw their masters’ attention. Maybe it was their way of thanking me for the changes I’d made to the nowhere lands.
The huge double doors to the palace stood open and were unguarded. It was a clear invitation for me to enter. Hesitating on the threshold, I peered along the lengthy hallway. Flaming torches flickered on the walls every fifty feet or so. They did little to dispel the gloom. If it wasn’t for my demonic night vision, I wouldn’t have been able to make out the throne room in the distance. The throne sat on a raised platform, elevating the prince above his minions. His scarlet eyes were trained on me. Lifting a clawed hand, he beckoned for me to enter.
Sensing that I was about to step into danger, I saw that my axe was faintly glowing, as if in agreement. This prince was the final foe I’d have to face before I would have to track down the Hellmaster and end his miserable life. It was bound to be a difficult trial and I was going to have to remain on my toes.
Wishing Sam was with me in person rather than just in spirit, I stepped across the entrance.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Four
As soon as I stepped inside, the doors swung shut with a hollow boom. A tingle at the back of my head indicated that magic was being performed. The torches went out, plunging the hallway into darkness. I blinked a few times and waited for my eyes to adjust to the dimness. When they didn’t, I almost panicked, wondering if I’d been stricken blind. Then I realized I could still see myself and the glow from my axe.
Taking a deep breath, I took a step forward. My shoulders were hunched from tension. I waited for something to jump out at me from the darkness and flinched when a deep chuckle floated down the hallway. “I am so glad that you have finally arrived, Hellscourge,” the prince said in a guttural, gloating voice. “I have been preparing for your arrival for a very long time.”
“So I’ve heard,” I muttered sourly. I’d already been warned about his runes, so the spell that had blinded me wasn’t a total surprise.
“My brothers believed that they could best you through might,” he went on as I shuffled along the pitch black passageway. “I knew better. The prophecy foretold how dangerous you would be.” I knew it well, but he recited it anyway. “‘Gold of hair, green of eye and bearing two opposing natures, she shall purge the nine realms of its leaders, leaving devastation in her wake. Hellscourge shall bring death to any who incurs her wrath.’”
While my hair was still blond, my eyes were no longer green, at least not when I was in this dimension. When I was here they glowed as scarlet as my axe. During the past year, I’d transformed from a human into a monster. Soon, I’d become just as powerful as the prince I was here to kill.
My axe blazed brightly, warning me that danger was close. A blade clanged against my side and bounced off my armor. I swung my axe in reflex and the demon gurgled out a scream. I’d forgotten how tall I’d grown. Instead of hacking into his body, my blade lodged in his skull. Pulling it free, I grabbed him with my left hand and finished him off by crushing his throat. From his size, it had been a lowly soldier.
“What excellent reflexes you have,” the prince said and applauded me mockingly. He and his lackeys were invisible, but they could see me. Rashida had warned me that he would be using powerful runes. This was how he’d spent the past few eons preparing for my arrival. “It will be very entertaining to watch you fumble around in the dark while my minions stalk you,” he gloated.
Knowing the layout of the palaces well by now, I knew smaller hallways would branch off from the main one. I wasn’t about to enter the throne room while I was so badly handicapped. Staying to the left, I kept in contact with the wall until I reached an open space. I ducked into the narrower passageway and ran my hand over the stones, s
earching for a hidden door.
Feeling the tingle inside my head again, I braced myself as another spell was triggered. A surge of power hit me. From the smell of ozone, it was a blast of lightning. Lunging sideways, I hit the far wall and the pain cut off. I must have stepped on a stone that set the spell into motion.
“You cannot hide from me,” the prince chortled gleefully. His voice echoed around me. “I know this building far too well.”
I could feel my hair standing on end and my body twitched in reaction to being zapped. Taking a few steps, I crossed back to the other wall and kept searching. Finally feeling a stone that stuck out fractionally, I pressed it and heard a door swing inwards. I slipped inside, hoping no one was close enough to see what I was doing. Blindly feeling the walls, I located another raised stone and pressed it. The door swung shut almost soundlessly.
My hope that the spell wouldn’t extend to the upper floor died when I climbed upwards and the stairwell remained pitch dark. I couldn’t continue like this and risk triggering more runes. I was going to need help to make it to my target. Lowering the barrier in my mind, a clamor of voices came to me.
Shut up and let Sy speak, Heather shouted and the other voices fell silent. They must have caught glimpses of what was happening to me. I couldn’t always maintain the barrier when I was under stress, or when I was in the midst of battle.
My hellscribe spoke up once the noise died down. Sam showed me a rune that Lord Vepar used. It is the one she used to break through my spell that locks doors. I think it can be used to dispel some other runes as well, such as the one that is blinding you right now.
That’s great, I replied. Can you show it to me? Sam had perfect recall and he had drawn the rune for Sy. It floated to the surface of my mind and I memorized it. What am I going to paint it on?
Morax fielded that question. I suggest you should draw it somewhere on your armor. With luck, it will negate the other runes that the Prince will be using against you as well.
Sitting down on the top step, I changed my axe back to a dagger and pricked my finger. I drew a crude copy of the rune on my left arm then activated it. A few moments later, light spilled back into my world. Thanks, guys, I said gratefully. Even after his death, Sam had saved my butt again. Fresh grief clenched around my heart. He should have been at my side to offer me his sometimes snarky insight and advice. Instead, he was just a ghost in my head.
Mourn later, Morax told me harshly. Concentrate on taking down the Prince before he throws something even worse than a blinding spell at you.
His warning stung, but it was also wise. This wasn’t the time to become distracted. As far as my foe knew, I was still stumbling around blindly. I had to make the most of my advantage before he discovered that I’d broken his spell.
Standing up, I searched the wall until I found the stone that opened the hidden door. I listened intently, but I couldn’t hear anyone in the hallway beyond. A press of the stone had the door swinging open. I stepped out into the hall then pushed the stone to close the door again. Being stealthy was my best option to be able to reach my enemy before he could unleash something nasty on me.
Walking on my tippy toes, I crept along the passageway. Now that I was aware of the traps, I could make out the stones on the floor that were marked by runes. The prince would know each time one was triggered and he’d be able to track my progress. I wanted to creep closer to him to see what I was up against.
The palace was huge and I passed half a dozen doors before I reached the balcony that overlooked the throne room. Looking up, I saw six more layers of balconies to the upper levels. Gigantic columns stretched high into the air to support the ceiling far above.
Hiding behind one of the columns, I peered downward. From this angle, I could only see the prince’s cloven hooves. Thirty or so captains and lords were arrayed around the dais that his throne sat on. I was sure there were more demons that I couldn’t see.
“Where is she?” the prince murmured in annoyance. “How can Hellscourge have disappeared inside my own palace?”
He’d expected his lackeys to be able to keep a watch on me as I’d fumbled my way blindly towards him. Instead, I’d slipped out of his grasp after triggering the lightning rune and now he had no idea where I was. I wasn’t playing by his rules and he didn’t like it at all.
Instead of leaping over the balcony to attack my foe directly, I decided to whittle down my adversaries first. At least I wouldn’t need the aid of the legion to face lone demons. This was something I could handle on my own.
Hearing footsteps approaching from a hallway further along the balcony, I hurried back to the hallway where I’d emerged from. I opened the first door I came to and ducked inside. The room was large and held a square table and several chairs. Made of black volcanic rock, the palace was dark and gloomy. The furniture was made of petrified wood and the chairs lacked cushions. They didn’t look comfortable at all, but I wasn’t here to rest.
Closing the door until it was only open a sliver, I waited for the demon to come within my reach before I struck. Yanking the door open again, I was on the soldier before he could utter a startled yelp. My hand closed over his mouth and I dragged him into the room. My axe carved through his throat, ending his life.
Stashing his body in a corner, I went in search of another foe. There appeared to be only the two hundred demons that I’d expected from the number of carriages parked outside. The prince erroneously believed that I was still blinded by his spell. He thought he needed only a small number of lackeys to wear me down before he would move in for the kill. What he hadn’t known was that I knew a few runes of my own to call on.
An almost disturbing sense of pleasure stirred inside me at the thought of stalking his minions without their knowledge. They didn’t know it yet, but I’d turned the tables on them. I was the one who would be doing the hunting now.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Five
I’d never realized how much fun it would be to sneak through a rabbit warren of hallways as I stalked lesser demons. Most were mere soldiers and I took them down before they even knew I was there. They didn’t pose any challenge to me at all, but the hunt kept me entertained. I didn’t expend much time or energy hiding the bodies. They would be discovered eventually and the prince would know I wasn’t just cowering in a room somewhere.
I’d lost count of how many kills I’d made before a roar of fury came from the throne room. I was on the fifth level and had just snapped a soldier’s neck when the noise echoed up to me.
“I do not know how you circumvented my blinding spell, Hellscourge!” the prince shouted. “Yet it will not save you! I have other tricks up my sleeve!”
“You’re wearing armor, dumb ass,” I muttered as I dropped the dead soldier to the floor. “You don’t even have sleeves.” Sniggering at the jibe that he couldn’t possibly have heard, I left the room.
Turning a corner, I almost ran into an imp. Shying away from me, he raised his hands over his head protectively. The sight was so reminiscent of Sam that my grief rose to the surface again. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you,” I whispered.
Peeking at me through his arms, he dropped them in astonishment when he saw my face. “Hellscourge?” he said with cautious hope.
With my hood still covering my hair, he’d probably mistaken me for one of the lords. “You should find somewhere to hide until after the Prince is dead,” I told him.
“Nowhere is safe in this palace,” he said mournfully. “He knows every inch, including the hidden stairwells and passageways.”
“Then maybe you should leave.”
“I cannot,” he replied. “No one can leave now that he has activated his runes.”
That explained why the front doors had slammed shut. If what he was saying was true, then the windows would also probably be magically barred. “You should lay low and try not to draw attention to yourself,” I suggested.
“I will do my best not to,” he said then hurried o
ff down the hallway.
Now that they were aware that I was hunting them, the remaining soldiers banded together into small groups. Heading to the fourth floor, I barreled into a group of five demons and chopped them down in seconds.
During the next hour, I cleared out most of the lesser hell spawn and made my way back down to the ground floor. Finishing off a final group of soldiers, I approached the throne room from one of the smaller hallways. Peering through a doorway, I had a side-on view of the prince. I’d expected him to be nervous, but he seemed relaxed and completely unconcerned that death was coming for him.
A quick count gave me forty captains and lords guarding their master. Unlike the prince, they cast frightened looks around the throne room. I couldn’t see any Wraith Warriors, but that didn’t mean they weren’t somewhere nearby. The prince could call on them at any time. Not that they would be a problem for me. I was already tainted by another warrior’s blade and they couldn’t infect me with their poison.
There was no point in delaying any further, so I stepped into the throne room to confront my enemy. Uneasy murmurs swept through the small crowd and the prince turned his head to regard me. “Why do you hide your face from me?” he asked. “Are you ashamed of what you have become?”
“Of course I’m ashamed,” I replied. “No one in their right mind would want to look like this.”
“Show me,” he commanded in an imperious tone that had no effect on me at all. “I wish to gaze upon the being who is so determined to destroy me.”
With a mental shrug, I pushed the hood back to reveal my hideous face. My hair spilled around my shoulders. It was the only thing about me that was still human.