by Diem, J. C.
Taking to the air, it sent a final insolent look at me before flying away into the distance.
Just like the demon that I’d accidentally killed in the ninth realm, the ravens couldn’t heal their wounds. I’d killed them and they weren’t going to be a problem again.
Sam approached me as my weapon turned back into a dagger. “We should not leave the birds lying around like this,” he said.
“What should we do with them? Hide them in the carriage?” We both made a face at that thought. Neither of us wanted to ride in a vehicle that had a bunch of bird corpses in it.
“We can try throwing them into that,” he suggested and pointed at a darker patch of ground not far from the petrified trees. I’d learned the last time we were in hell that the pits were far deeper than they appeared. They were also home to some fairly creepy creatures.
“Good idea,” I agreed. We picked up a bird in each hand and carried them over to the moist patch of ground. Keeping a safe distance from the pit, we lobbed the birds into the sludge. Four snakelike creatures burst to the surface and began fighting over the unexpected bounty.
It took us nearly a quarter of an hour to get rid of all of the evidence. I didn’t have any water to wash my hands with, so I bent and wiped them in the dirt. It helped to scour the blood off and I wiped my palms on my jeans, leaving dusty hand prints behind.
“We’ve wasted enough time,” I said. “God only knows how long it will take us to search the catacombs. We’d better get moving.”
Sam examined the scratch on my face as he walked at my side. “Are you aware that you are healing far more rapidly than usual?”
“Am I?” I asked in surprise. Now that he’d mentioned it, my wounds didn’t sting as much now. Looking down, I was astonished to see my jacket wasn’t in as bad shape as it had been either. “This is really freaky,” I said when a small tear in the fabric disappeared. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”
Sam shook his head, but he didn’t seem to be particularly surprised. “You are Hellscourge. Anything is possible for you.”
I loved the jacket, so maybe I was somehow willing it to heal along with my flesh. One of the things that disturbed me the most about being chosen to save the world was that I had no idea what I was doing. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing after all. If no one told me the rules, then I’d have to make them up as I went along. Without being advised what my restrictions were, anything really might be possible in this strange and dangerous place.
Which way do I go? I sent the thought to my demonic dwellers.
Head left and stay close to the hillside, Morax replied.
“This way,” I said out loud and we closed the distance to the hills. We cast wary glances around, searching for the raven, but it seemed to be gone. I just hoped it wouldn’t return with an even larger flock of undead friends.
An opening to the catacombs should be behind a boulder just around this bend, Morax informed me after we’d been walking for several minutes.
A boulder came into view and we veered towards it. We spied a narrow crevice that was just wide enough for us to squeeze through. It was far too small for a lord or a captain to be able to enter. One of the lesser demons must have used it at some point.
“I will check to make sure that it is safe for us to enter,” Sam offered then cautiously poked his head inside. He disappeared into the darkness, delving deeper into the tunnel. He was taking his job of being my guide seriously. “The tunnel appears to be empty,” he said when he returned.
I doubted the catacombs would be vacant, but at least we wouldn’t have to fight our way inside. “How dark is it in there?” I asked.
“It is pitch black.” We realized we hadn’t brought any flashlights with us at the same time. They probably wouldn’t have worked here anyway, but we could have fashioned some flaming torches. “Do not fear, I will guide your steps.”
“You can see in the dark?”
“Yes. It is a byproduct of becoming an imp. I have developed a form of night vision.”
“Sounds handy,” I said, trying to hide my fear of walking into the unknown.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sam took me by the hand and led me into the narrow opening. Once we were a few yards inside, the passage turned sharply to the right and widened slightly. I bumped into the wall with my right shoulder and reached out with my left hand. I judged the distance to be just over two feet. Sam’s shoulders almost brushed the sides. Claustrophobia seized me by the throat. One thing that was sure to send me into a panic was being confined in a small space. Being in the dark made it infinitely worse.
It is not dark, Morax said. Use your eyes and do not succumb to your fear.
“Hey,” I said when I realized my eyes were adjusting to the dimness. “I can see you!”
Sam turned and I could see his face clearly. I held my left hand up and could make out the ruby on my ring. Colors were washed out, but it seemed I had a form of night vision myself.
It would seem that you have attained some of our abilities, Morax said. This is how our kind sees in the dark.
“Morax says I’ve gained the demon version of night vision,” I reported to Sam.
“That is good,” he replied dubiously. He was reluctant to drop my hand, but there was no need for him to show me the way now. Of the two of us, I was the only one with any combat training. From what I’d seen of his brief training session with Brie, he had even less talent that I’d had when I’d first started. “Perhaps you should go first,” he said. I carried our only weapon, so it made sense.
He pressed himself against the tunnel wall and I managed to squeeze past him. Now that I didn’t have to worry about tripping over and accidentally stabbing him in the back, I drew my dagger. Instead of bursting into a scarlet glow, the blade remained a dull silver color. Danger usually needed to be near for it to switch on.
We made our way along the passage and it began to angle downwards. After a long decline, it finally levelled out. The floor was rough and was made of the same desiccated gray dirt as the walls. Coming to an opening, I glanced inside to see the tunnel leading off in another direction.
I sent a question to my legion. Do any of you know where I’m supposed to go from here?
No, Morax replied without bothering to confer with the others. We do not know where the object is being hidden. I am afraid you will have to follow your instincts again.
“Great, because that never ends in disaster,” I muttered.
“What?” Sam asked in puzzlement.
“I was just asking if any of the legion know where we’re supposed to go. Morax said to trust my instincts.” Sam’s doubtful expression matched how I felt about that particular piece of advice.
Deciding to stick to the original passageway, I picked up the pace. Sound tended to carry in the tunnels. I coughed and it echoed far into the distance then came straight back to us. A few minutes later, I accidentally kicked a pebble and it ricocheted off the wall. Again, the noise rebounded to us.
“That should not be possible when we are on a straight path like this,” Sam whispered. We hadn’t seen any twists or turns for at least a couple of minutes.
Something giggled in response. The noise floated to us, sounding evil and malignant.
“We’re not alone down here,” I said quietly.
“Not alone,” a voice mocked. Clotted and guttural, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Sam crept forward until he was close enough to brush against me. I felt him cringing against my back. This was his first trip to the eighth realm. He had no idea what sort of creatures we’d find down here.
Keeping my eyes on the tunnel ahead, I continued on. My heart leaped into my throat when Sam yanked on my jacket. Looking back at him, I saw that his face was ashen as he pointed at the ground in front of me. I turned around again and looked down to see a darker patch of dirt only a couple of yards in front of me. The damp surface was a dead giveaway
that I’d almost stepped into a snake pit.
“Thanks,” I mouthed silently. He smiled nervously and we backtracked to the nearest side tunnel.
Taking the lead again, I was careful to check the ground as I took random twists and turns. The darker patches became more and more frequent until I came to an area where they were impossible to avoid. Standing at an intersection, we had three choices of tunnels ahead. Each one was guarded by the deep puddles.
“Which way is safe?” Sam asked in a low voice.
“Which way is safe?” the phantom voice mocked. “There is no safe way. Not for you. You are both damned.” I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Whoever it was knew the catacombs well and were adept at following us without being seen.
“That thing is really starting to creep me out,” I said and it giggled again. It was trying to unnerve us and its plan was working. I wished it would just jump out from the shadows and attack us, but it was having far too much fun to take such direct action.
Contemplating our choices, I finally picked the middle tunnel. “We’ll go that way,” I decided. “Do you think you’ll be able to jump over the puddle?” It wasn’t made of water, but I didn’t know what else to call it.
“I think so,” he said, but he didn’t seem too sure about his chances. He took the backpack off and handed it to me then walked up to within three yards of the pit. Judging the distance, he backed up then took a running jump. Landing on the other side, he spun around and danced back a few steps. Nothing leaped out at him and he grinned in relief.
“Catch,” I said and tossed the backpack to him. He caught it then placed it over his shoulders again.
Now that it was my turn, my stomach fluttered with nerves. My hands were sweaty. I wiped my palms on my jeans, swapping the dagger from hand to hand in the process. The blade was still silver rather than scarlet, so I backed up then sprinted towards the pit.
A moment before I reached it, crimson light flared along my blade. Already committed to jumping, I launched myself into the air. Sam’s expression turned to horror as a demonic snake leaped upwards. Latching onto my leg, it fell backwards into the pool. I landed on my stomach hard enough to make the dagger spin out of my hand. Scrabbling at the dirt, I had nothing to hold onto as I desperately tried to stop myself from being pulled backwards into the sludge.
My legs were already submerged and I was yanked back a few inches as a second snake took hold of my other leg. Sam screeched in a combination of fear and fury. He threw himself down and grabbed hold of my hands. The cords of his neck stood out as he dug his heels into the ground and heaved me towards him. Desperation made him strong and he managed to haul me out until only my calves were still submerged.
“Hand me the dagger!” I said and held out my hand. The glow had died as soon as I’d dropped it. Snatching it up, he pressed it into my palm and it blazed to life again.
Turning awkwardly, I tried to ignore the pain as razor sharp teeth sawed through my flesh. Curling my legs towards me, I lifted both snakes out of the pit. Their black eyes watched me as my blade flashed towards them. Gills on their necks opened and closed, trying to breathe air rather than sludge. The red light reflected off their black scales as my dagger sliced across their faces.
Hissing in agony, they released me and fell back into the pool. Sam dragged me down the tunnel until we were a safe distance away. Collapsing against the wall, we slid down until we were sitting side by side. Wild laughter came from the creature that was following us. I couldn’t see it, but it could obviously see us.
“At least we’re providing entertainment for our stalker,” I said weakly.
Sam shook his head. “How can you joke at a time like this?”
“It’s either laugh or cry. Which would you prefer?”
“I cannot stand to see you cry,” he admitted. “It hurts me deep inside when you are in pain.”
I was in pain right now, but wailing about it wouldn’t do any good. Black gunk from the pit stained my jeans from the thighs down. Blood was mingled with it from my calves and pooled in my boots. Their teeth had cut deeply into my flesh. If we’d been on Earth, I would have been worried about permanent scarring, muscle and tendon damage and infection setting in. Since we were in hell, I was already healing.
Within minutes, the bleeding had stopped. I was tempted to sit there for another couple of hours, but the longer we remained here, the more dangerous it would be for me. I was mortal and hell didn’t take kindly to living things. It warped them until they became twisted and monstrous. Sam had managed to retain his humanity, but he was proof of what would happen to me eventually.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“We need to keep moving,” I said when I felt as if I could walk without my legs trembling too badly.
“Are you sure you are up to it?” Sam asked as he helped me to stand.
“I’ll be fine. I’m already halfway healed.”
“I vote that we search for a way around the pits next time.”
“What, you don’t like to be chomped on by hellsnakes?” I joked.
“It did not look like the experience was much fun.”
“What’s not fun about almost having your legs severed?” I grinned. “You can’t really say you’ve lived until you’ve had a couple of gigantic snake-eels hanging off you like Christmas decorations.”
“They were the ugliest Christmas decorations that I have ever seen,” he said with a snigger. Christmas was only a couple of weeks away now and the city was wreathed in festive ornaments.
“You’re right,” I agreed as I limped down the tunnel. “Next time, I’ll go with something that has more bling and less bite.”
It was good to see him smile, even if it quickly faded into a worried frown again. If he hadn’t been with me, I’d have ended up as snake food. Fate might have dragged me into this mess, but I was grateful that I didn’t have to face it alone.
“You really saved my butt back there,” I said when my wounds had healed and I no longer had to limp.
“You saved mine first,” he countered.
“This is why you’re my BFF. You always risk yourself to save me no matter how much danger you put yourself in.”
“What is a BFF?” he asked blankly. Apparently, he hadn’t quite caught up on modern terminology yet.
“Best friend forever,” I explained.
“I see.” He thought about it then came back with an acronym of his own. “LOL.”
“No one actually says LOL,” I laughed. “That’s just used for text messages and emails.”
He shrugged sheepishly. “I am still learning about the twenty-first century.”
“You’re doing pretty good so far. I’m amazed at how well you’ve adapted. I kind of thought you’d curl into a ball and go all catatonic when you saw skyscrapers and cars for the first time.”
“Oh, I wanted to for the first few days. Earth was so strange to me after being in hell for so long. Television is a most wondrous invention. It has enabled me to catch up quickly and it has helped me to cope.”
I hadn’t looked at his addiction to TV as being a coping mechanism before. It provided a means of escape from the drudgery of life for most people. Why couldn’t it do the same for an imp as well? “I’m glad it’s helped you to become used to modern life.”
Up ahead, I saw several openings on both sides of the passageway. Peering inside as we walked past, I saw that they branched into even more paths. It reminded me of the section of woods that was called The Ramble in Central Park. We were in a labyrinth of tunnels that was just as confusing as the twisted pathways in the park.
Hearing a weird skittering noise, I stopped and held up my hand, signaling for Sam to stop as well. I cocked my head to the side when I heard the sound again. It was coming from another direction this time. “What is that?” I whispered. To my alarm, my dagger began to glow.
Sam was crowded against me with his eyes open wide and his face full of fear. “I think they ar
e footsteps,” he whispered back.
Now that he’d identified the noise, I knew that I’d heard it somewhere before. Rapid and somehow light, the sounds came from everywhere. They echoed around us until it sounded like we were surrounded.
Something flashed in the corner of my eye. I turned, but it was already gone. Sam started and I looked over my shoulder to see a figure darting across the tunnel. It disappeared into another opening before I could see it clearly.
I sensed something behind me just as pain flared in the back of my right thigh. Spinning around, I saw a small, gnome-like being grinning up at me. Inky black from head to toe, he was bald and hideous. I automatically categorized him as male, but couldn’t really tell what gender he was. He wore ragged black clothing made of coarse material.
About waist high, his arms were disproportionally long and could be used to aid him when running. He was the same type of creature that I’d fought in the third trial to defeat the master gate. He drew his short sword back to stab me again, but I was faster. My blade slashed across his throat and he gargled in surprise and went down.
“Violet!” Sam shouted as more of the gnomes spilled out of the tunnels.
Pushing him against the wall to keep him out of danger, I assessed the situation. The tunnel was too narrow for me to swing an axe, but my dagger wasn’t going to be very effective against them. Reading my mind, Morax transformed the weapon into a short hafted spear. The blade was long and wide and scarlet light lit up the area.
I didn’t try to fight it when my chief demon took over. He was far more skilled than I was. The spear spun and whirled as it cut down the small manlike creatures. Their grins of delight turned to grimaces of fear as they fell. Soon, they had to climb over the bodies of their comrades to get to me. We were surrounded by a wall of dead on both sides. My legs and arms were cut in too many places to count. Sam had snatched up a short sword and was guarding my back as best he could.