by James Somers
Sadie leaned closer. “I don’t trust him, Cole.”
“Sadie, Adolf isn’t a bad guy. You just have to get to know him.”
“Bad guy? Did you see what he did to Liam?”
“But Liam challenged him,” I argued. “He was only defending himself, teaching the prince a lesson in humility.”
Sadie looked at me with a bewildered expression. “Do you really believe that? He nearly killed that boy. I’m sure that wasn’t necessary, if he only meant to teach him a lesson in humility. I mean how much do we really know about Adolf?”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t like where her logic was going.
“Cole,” she continued, “I just want you to be careful. Keep a watchful eye. Come back alive. All right?”
I smiled at my friend. “Of course, I’ll be careful. Both of us will. The Lord’s will be done, right?”
Sadie nodded. “The Lord’s will be done.” She hugged me and then retreated back down the hall to her room, her long cotton nightgown trailing behind her. I watched her go, feeling a little better now. At least, we weren’t parting in anger.
I considered what she had said about Adolf. Maybe she was right. He had dealt a harsh blow to the prince. But I still couldn’t help feeling that Liam had asked for it. After all, a few broken ribs wasn’t exactly a near death experience. Adolf clearly could have done worse, if he had truly meant to.
Putting it out of my mind for now, I set off for the dining room. Adolf was already up and ready to go. He was finishing off a plate of food. Brody was there in the room sitting at the table when I arrived. Most likely he had created the food right there for Adolf.
“Would you like something to eat?” Brody offered.
“I can whip something up for myself along the way,” I replied.
Adolf wolfed down his last bite. “That’s a nice trick to have,” he said. “Wish I could do that.”
I smiled. The ability to spell cast many necessary items, like food and clothing, was a luxury I often took for granted. By now, it was just natural. I rarely considered that others could not do the same things.
“Does my uncle know about our mission?” I asked Brody.
He shook his head. “I’ve told no one. For now, we’ll keep this a secret. No use giving Black anymore information than he already has. He would surely be watching and attempt to stop you.
“Yes,” Adolf said. “Angels are tricky. They know things even when you wouldn’t think they should.”
Brody and I glanced at Adolf. It wasn’t exactly a strange thing to say. Although, it did make me wonder what experience with angels this boy might have had.
“I suppose we should get going,” Adolf said, standing up from his breakfast.
“Yes,” I agreed.
Brody stood. “While traveling across the spiritual plane, remember to keep moving. Don’t get into any altercations with the abominations along the way. Remember what each of them are capable of, Cole, and, if you spot any sign of swamp land, steer clear. Those locusts were only quelled by fire, and that barely did the job when I faced them.”
“I remember what you said about them,” I replied.
“Stick to the air,” Brody continued. “That’s your best bet. The cherubim will be the tricky part, but it’s also possible that you can pass from the spiritual lands into the Underworld without getting too close. Though, honestly, I’m not sure which direction to send you.”
I looked at Adolf. “Don’t worry, we’ll find our way.”
Adolf nodded in agreement. “Leave it to us, sir. We’ll get to London all right.”
Brody looked at me steadfastly. “When you find Gladstone’s army, send me a strong thought to let me know.”
“My telepathy isn’t so good,” I admitted.
Brody held out his hand to shake mine. I noticed the wound on his palm where we had committed to the blood bond. I gave him my hand as well.
He smiled. “Our bond will give that thought all the strength necessary to let me know that you’re safely there.”
He released me, and then waved his hand toward the entrance to the dining room from the foyer. A pane of shimmering light came into the archway. This will deliver you to Tidus. Be careful. Both of you.”
Adolf and I crossed around the table toward the arch. We gave him a final farewell and then walked through, one after the other. When we emerged on the other side of Brody’s portal, we were standing upon the throne platform of the king and queen in the city of Tidus.
Wasteland
A perpetual twilight was still in place upon the spiritual plane. Where, once, Sadie and I had run through fields of flowers in the bright sunshine outside the city walls, now there was no particular source of light at all. Only the dreary water color sky, consisting of grays and purples, and clouds that were themselves quite indistinct.
“Tidus,” I muttered, surveying the damage. The palace was tilted, sitting askew. The sandstone statues portraying ancient kings in their half human half Lycan forms had toppled on one side of the massive throne room like dominoes. Even the platform where we stood was no longer level. It was as though the entire palace had been picked up and tossed aside.
The pervasive stench of decay filled the air. Looking out through the gloom, I couldn’t help but wonder how many had perished in the awful overthrow of this city almost eight months ago. Not everyone had escaped that day. Many Lycans had not survived to come through into London.
“So, this is Tidus?” Adolf asked.
“What’s left of it.”
“The cherubim did much worse to Galidel,” he said. “Our entire jungle was swallowed up when the ground tore open beneath us.”
“Sounds similar to what happened in Greystone,” I said. “Our city was ripped apart while we tried to make our escape. I still don’t know how many of my mother’s people survived to escape into Russia.”
We stood there for a moment, both of us remembering that fateful day in our own way. Our memories of that terrible calamity may have been different, but all Descendants had suffered that day. No doubt, there were other realms that had been overthrown without any prior knowledge to the danger coming.
“We should go quickly,” Adolf suggested.
“Not before we have prayer,” I answered. “We’ll need the help of the Lord to get through the Underworld safely.”
“Do you mean God?”
“Of course,” I replied.
“Maybe you should just have prayer yourself,” Adolf said.
“You’re not a believer?”
“I see no point in it,” he said. “We are outcasts.”
“But that’s simply not—”
“And I’d prefer to just stick to the mission at hand,” he said, interrupting. “I like you, Cole, but I have my own beliefs about things. All right?”
I paused. “If you says so, Adolf.”
I was troubled by his lack of faith, but I would respect his wishes on the matter. After all, it wasn’t a matter that could be forced. However, Sadie’s words came back to my mind. She didn’t trust him. How much did we really know about him?
“Come on,” he said, heading off through a huge rent where the ceiling had collapsed.
It was time to fly. No excuse for second guessing my choice of friends now. We had a mission to accomplish. Surely, I could trust him that much, even if I didn’t know that much about him yet. There would be time for all that later.
I leaped into the air, taking the form of a raven. I thrust upward through the same hole in the ceiling of the palace. It was impressive to see Adolf flying in human form. Sprites were so very like angels in this ability. All other Descendants had to resort to flying animal forms in order to fly.
I caught up to him quickly, coming along side. He looked over, regarding me. He grinned, seeming a little cocky to me. But I couldn’t blame him.
“Nice,” he said, moving through the air like a fish gliding through water. “Can you do other forms?”
I opened my raven’s beak
, speaking as best as a raven can. Not in my own voice, but speaking nonetheless. “Yes,” I croaked.
Adolf nodded. “Clever. Wish I could do stuff like that too.”
I wanted to laugh—not so easy as a raven. Here I was envying his abilities, while he was doing the same for mine. It made me glad to be myself.
We passed over the city. Looking down, I found Tidus half flooded. Most of its towering sandstone and marble edifices had been toppled during the destruction caused by the cherubim. I noticed a sphere of immense size setting off by itself. Apparently, it had rolled off of its pedestal. This was Lycean’s temple which had also become his tomb.
I would mention this find to Queen Sophia upon our return. She would want to know what had happened to her father’s remains after all that had transpired. Perhaps, Brody might even manage a way to move the great sphere into the mortal world.
“Do you hear that?” Adolf said, flying just off the tip of my left wing.
I turned my attention to the sounds around us. A persistent thrum permeated the entire realm. I had not noticed it before. It was the sound of the cherubim. Somewhere in the distance, they were out there watching and waiting.
We passed from Tidus over the village of Wolf’s Bane which had served as an adjunct to the city. Outsiders had been treated to the traditional view of the werewolves in Wolf’s Bane, while Tidus, their sacred city, remained safely hidden. The castle here had fallen in and much of the city had been flooded due to the altered course of the river.
From here, beyond the wall of the village, the moors stretched out beneath us. The omnipresent fog remained, despite all the destruction the cherubim had wrought. We could see nothing of the ground below. I was surprised to find that, so far, none of the abominations had been spotted.
The dense wood where the pixies dwelt, surprisingly, had suffered very little. Apart from places that appeared to have been burned by fire, the wood still held its own. I noticed life there beneath the dense branches. Pixies still lived here.
However, they were no concern of ours. If Descendants were still here, it would have been the pixies that I would have suspected. Those nasty cannibals seemed capable of surviving, even thriving, in the ruins of devastation like this. We moved on in our flight, pressing ever closer to the omnipresent thrum of the cherubim and, beyond them, the Underworld.
Lucifer waited atop the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. He had not been waiting long. He never waited long. Southresh finally appeared before him as requested. He was still wearing the human host of the assassin who had previously been in the employ of William Gladstone, Prime Minister over the British Empire.
“Hello, brother,” Lucifer said, grinning. “Or should I call you Toshima now?”
Southresh straightened. “No human host can bind me,” he said. “I’m still the one in control. However, this host has been very useful to our purposes.”
“Good thing. You appear to be keeping this one in better condition than your last,” Lucifer commented, giving him a cursory inspection. “Arthur Craven was nothing more than a crazed bag of bones by the time you were done with him.”
“I want to stay in this one, stay in the mortal world for as long as I can.”
“I take it you’ve warmed to serving me then?” Lucifer asked. “Better treatment than your last master.”
Southresh didn’t like the suggestion that he was serving anyone. However, without Lucifer’s help, he would soon find himself back in Tartarus. That simply would not do. He was enjoying his freedom too much.
“Better than partnering with Black,” he said. “No doubt, you’ve been keeping tabs on my progress here with the Emperor, Mutsuhito?”
“Pray tell,” Lucifer replied, inviting his brother’s report.
“I have been influential with Mutsuhito,” Southresh began. “He craves power, as all men do. An industrial revolution has begun. He has moved to expand the military, particularly Japan’s naval power in the Pacific.”
“And you feel sure he will continue to follow your lead?”
“Japan will be part of the conflict you envision, though it will take some time. I am promoting further expansion into China and building upon past conflicts with Russia. Mutsuhito is like putty in my hands. I am his personal bodyguard, but no one realizes my secret influence.”
Lucifer nodded. “Very good, brother. You make excellent progress. Be sure that it stays that way.”
“Surely, that is not all you came for,” Southresh suggested. “I know you better than that, brother.”
“Indeed,” Lucifer replied. “There actually is a matter I would like to have taken care of that requires the special skills of your human host.”
Southresh laughed. “An assassination. Ha! Why didn’t you just say so?”
“It’s Black I want you to kill.”
Southresh stopped smiling. “Black? But I shot him already. I did not miss. That shot was true, brother.”
“Yet, he lives,” Lucifer replied dryly. “Although my guess is his recent alliance with the cherubim has everything to do with that.”
Southresh considered it. “Then why bother trying to kill him again? They’ll only restore his body. Nothing a bullet can do to stop that I’d wager.”
“No need to wager,” Lucifer said. “I realize this already. My purpose, however, is not to deport him back to Tartarus, only to cast a wrench into his works and topple his present scheme.”
“And shooting his mortal host again will accomplish this?”
Lucifer laughed. “Better than you might imagine.”
Underworld
Brody entered into the Shade King’s war room where many others were already assembled at his behest. He surveyed the scene, taking in Laish, Redclaw and Brian Shade. Many of Shade’s advisors, like Connic, were present also.
Brian Shade stood, crossing the room to shake his hand. “I’ve assembled my cabinet and generals, Brody, as you requested. Now, would you mind telling us what’s happened?”
Brody nodded, releasing the king’s hand, addressing everyone in the room. “We’ve had somewhat of a breakthrough,” he began. “A way out of Ireland to England has been discovered.”
“What way?” Laish asked, curiously.
“Going through the spiritual realm and the Underworld to exit by the open gateway in Siberia,” Brody explained.
“You must be joking,” Redclaw said. “That would be suicide.”
Brody gave the troll warrior a grim look. “I hope you’re wrong, my friend. I’ve already sent a small reconnaissance team through.”
Laish scowled at him, noticing several people missing. “Not Cole?”
Brody’s expression betrayed the truth to the old elf.
“Why?” Laish asked.
“He volunteered,” Brody said. “And he has the best chance of getting by the cherubim. If I or Sadie had gone, Malak-esh would have given away our passing.”
“But he’s only a boy,” the king noted.
“A very skilled young man,” Redclaw added. “I don’t like the idea, but Cole is as capable as anyone who could’ve gone.”
Brody held up his hand to Laish. “And I didn’t leave him without an instant escape.”
Laish saw the laceration on Brody’s palm and understood his meaning. “Good thinking. That does ease my mind somewhat.”
“Do you really think he can make it all the way to London and get the information we need?” the king asked.
“If anyone can, Cole can,” Brody replied. “Which is why I called this assembly, Your Majesty. We must prepare our people for an attack.”
“Our defenses are in place already,” Connic answered. “Our army is ready for anything that comes at us.”
“Connic is right,” the king added. “Our people are on high alert. When our watchers inform us of Gladstone’s army on Irish soil, we’ll meet them wherever we must.”
“Very good, Your Majesty,” Brody said. “However, I’m not talking about defending Ireland. I mean for our combin
ed forces to attack Gladstone’s army in London.”
“But the barrier,” the king replied. “Have you found a way to breach it that you’ve not mentioned?”
Laish brightened suddenly. “The blood bond?”
Brody nodded, grinning. “If Cole gets into trouble, he can create an immediate escape. But if he makes it to London and finds Gladstone’s army, I can open a portal directly to him, allowing our army to rush through and attack.”
“We’ll set up a staging area in the largest quad,” the king said. “Can you create a large enough portal there?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Brody replied. “But we’ll need to move quickly.” He looked at Redclaw.
“I’m on it,” Redclaw said. “I’ll have every capable warrior ready as soon as possible in the quad.”
“Good,” Brody said. “Cole is flying through covertly. If he can get by the cherubim and out through the gateway quickly then it’s a simple matter for him to open a portal and pass into London from Siberia.”
“I estimate we could be ready and waiting by tomorrow evening,” the king said.
“Then let’s get to work and pray that Cole makes it safely through,” Brody replied. “This could be our one chance to surprise our adversary.”
We passed beyond another realm border, and I recognized the forest of Grim Hope below. Again, this forest had fared better than expected. Grim Hope appeared virtually unchanged apart from places where fires had burned patches of trees. In other places ice and snow covered the landscape. I had seen this pattern before.
While Sadie and I had been in the Underworld, we had seen this sort of landscape created by the ice bunnies, for lack of a better name, and the horses of fire. In fact, Adolf pointed to fires that were still burning in the far distance away from the direction we were heading. My keen eyes scanned for life and found bright crimson figures, horses, moving through the patchy blazes. At least, they weren’t anywhere near.
I saw up ahead on the ground the village of Grim Hope. This was my friend Redclaw’s former home, before the cherubim had come. The village appeared to be empty. I suggested we land to eat and started down for the stone village homes below. Adolf followed.