by Turhan
I flew up toward the opening in the ceiling and out to my freedom. I could hardly wait to get back to Kylar.
Chapter 12
Sin-dy and Xenakaz
Flying back to Sarturas, carting a huge diamond was the least extraordinary part of my journey. Heading in the general direction of the crystal mountain I could see smoke coming from several buildings below me. Damn, I was so looking forward to seeing Kylar and I didn’t know if this was a good idea, but how could I just pass right over the smoking buildings without at least taking a look to see what was going on.
The problem was that Qirvana and I had made a promise that we would each do our part to protect the girls of Sarturas, the Cambion, as she had called them and I didn’t have time for anything to sidetrack me. If Qirvana managed to delay the Impregnation Ceremony for a day or more, which sounded so sterile, considering it’ll be a mass rape of unheard of proportions, then I had to do my part by reaching out to the Templars and work some kind of miracle convincing them to enter Hades.
There were so many elements that were interconnected to all of these plans and ideas that something was bound to go wrong. For now, I had to go check on those buildings.
Within minutes I was standing in the middle of a ghost town. There were fires smoldering everywhere around the complex of buildings. I don’t know what had happened, but the strange and toxic smell coming from the building ahead was the obvious choice for me to investigate. I had already alter-witched into a wild dog frothing at the mouth. Several of them were roaming the area while I was making my way back to Sarturas.
After entering the building from a huge metal side door that had been melted open, I couldn’t hold my shape any longer, my body shocked itself back to being me again. There must have been hundreds of demons piled high to the ceiling. They were all dead and steaming from their burning flesh. Who had this much power? My heart was thumping so loud I could feel it in my ears.
Turning to leave before I became the latest edition at the top of the heap, just like them, something caught my attention, something moving. Before I could even think about doing anything, there was a loud crashing noise outside, this might have been a really dumb idea for me to stop, I should have listened to my gut feeling and just kept flying past.
I heard a cough, not a human one, but a strange inhuman wheezing kind of cough, that’s what I saw moving earlier. So I couldn’t go outside where all the crashing sounds were coming from and there was danger inside too. I’m so stupid, how did I get myself into trouble already!
“I need help,” The voice came from the back of the dead demon pile. Whoever this was, it had moved away from me, but it seemed to be injured and making eerie sounds.
“Show yourself,” I said. “How do I know you won’t hurt me?”
“I saw you change from a Khurpek to a human,” He was still groaning. “If you help me, I can help you.”
A deal, with a demon, again?
“If you need help, come out and tell me what happened here, and what are the crashing sounds outside?”
At twice my height and covered in gleaming Chromium scales and probably the reason he’s still alive, he shuffled and dragged himself around the pile of his dead legionnaire brothers. His arm and one leg were covered in light green blood and he had a rip in his left wing, right at the top where there should be a skeletal joint.
“Xenakaz?”
“Who are you that you should know me, human.”
“I’m known in Sarturas as Sceleris, I’ve heard your name and all about your Chromium scales many times. You’re the highest ranking leader of Hades, second only to Lucifer himself.”
“You’re not afraid of me?”
“You would have killed me when you saw me earlier, there must be a reason you didn’t.”
The crashing outside had stopped and I had my own problems, there was too much at stake for me to get caught up in whatever was going on here.
“I have to leave, I’m sure you know about the Impregnation Ceremony tomorrow morning−”
Xenakaz stumbled and fell to one knee, he let out a painful and guttural roar that must have been heard for a mile around us. Now what?
“Take me with you, Ophelexa’s forces probably heard me. Now they know I’m not dead,” Xenakaz stood back up again. “All of this has happened because we stood up to Sarine’s insanity.”
“Do you mean you’re part of Qirvana’s insurrection?” I could hardly believe what I was hearing. The second most powerful being in Hell, he’s injured and asking me, Sin-dy, to help him.
“Right now I’m not part of anything, if we stay here much longer, neither will you be.”
“How can I take you with me? I don’t think you can fly.”
“You have to tie yourself to my side, my other wing is still good, between the two of us we can escape before it’s too late.”
Xenakaz’ keen sense of hearing jolted him. “They’re coming, if you’re going to help−”
“I know, I know, fine, tie us together with what?”
He ripped up a few golden tunics that seemed like they were uniforms for all the dead demons, they had that triangle shape with the three horns in the middle and lashed us together, of course my feet weren’t touching the ground but there was no other way.
We made our way outside and I saw where all the crashing sounds had been coming from. There were more dead demons. Ophelexa’s forces were busy killing as many dissenters as possible before the final trap they were going to set for the rest of them at the audience with Sarine. They were probably dropping off the bodies here, so no one would be tipped off.
Now I could hear the demons advancing toward us too. “Ya ready Xenakaz?”
We rose above the ground, awkwardly at first but with each beat of his wing we flew more steadily and the buildings quickly disappeared from sight. If we could heal this Titan of demons then maybe there’d be hope yet for all of us.
I tried communicating with Kylar again but for some reason it wasn’t working. I hope that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. I miss him badly, I need to see his face again, to . . .
I had to concentrate, Xenakaz was in pain and kept missing beats with his wing. This is all I need, if he passes out with me tied to him, I didn’t want to think about that, in a few hours we’d be back in Sarturas and somehow I still had to find the hillside refuge.
Somewhere inside of me I could sense Kylar’s presence, he wasn’t going to relax until he found a way see me again, I just knew it. And even though Elektra can be a real pain I couldn’t wait to see her and Kira too. There’s so much to catch up on, I hope they’re doing well. My thoughts were rambling, one minute I was thinking about Ophelexa almost killing me, then my discussion with Qirvana, and then back to Kylar again. Soon I kept promising myself, soon.
Chapter 13
The Sword of Heraclese
“Slow down,” Kira said. “Here, drink some water.”
While taking a sip, Amber told the girls what happened at the meeting place. “Ophelexa dragged Sin-dy away, she’s been gone for hours!”
Jade’s appearance had also changed. “I was trying to help aunt Kira, then the silver cloud burst all over me,” She touched Amber’s scar. “Don’t worry, it looks kinda Kool.”
“How are we going to find Sector One?” I asked. “I can’t sit here and do nothing.”
“We’ll get Sin-dy back,” Kira promised. “But you have to get some rest.”
She was right, we were exhausted after the battle with Ophelexa and her guards. We talked for the next couple of hours but the emotional stress of seeing Sin-dy hauled away by her hair and knowing that she was being tortured by Ophelexa, was killing me. I finally had enough both mentally and emotionally and fell asleep on some blankets that Jade had put down for us.
As usual, I was the last one to wake. The kids were talking to Amber’s friend Jasmine and making up stories about what they’d be doing in the strange new world called New York, but I could see my sisters were tal
king about more serious matters.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “Is there something I should know about?”
“It’s kinda good, maybe,” Kira said.
“But maybe bad,” Elektra wasn’t joking.
“Bad? Bad in what way?”
“You’re not going to like us Kylar,” Elektra said. “We think we know how to communicate with Sin-dy, but it might not be pretty.”
“Talk to me guys, what’s on your mind?”
My sisters were looking at each other, Then Kira got up and turned away from me.
“You know Sin-dy really should have told us that she knew your daughters and Davina were here in Sarturas a long time ago, we might not have been in this damn hillside.”
“She pissed me off,” Elektra said. “When she had to be the hero. Amber’s cheek was slashed, we were all ready to leave, but no, she had a personal axe to grind with Ophel−”
“Wait a minute!” I cut in. “She was trying to kill the bitch−”
“And I don’t know what she’s thinking Kylar, you already have a girlfriend,” said Kira.
“What are you two trying to pull? She’s been nothing but helpful since we’ve been here,” Yeah, they’re my sisters but they were pushing my buttons and pissing me the hell off.
“Why should any of us risk our lives trying to save her ass?” Kira continued annoying me. “I have Davina to think of now.”
“Sorry Kylar,” Elektra said. “But she’s a slut, and you’re no better, what kind of example are you setting for your kids, way to go dude.”
“OMG! I swear you two have lost it!” I doubled up in pain and couldn’t even think straight, I had forgotten that Sin-dy had said we couldn’t say that.
“Kylar!” Where are you?”
“Listen, you two may not like Sin-dy−”
“I’m in Sarturas, I can feel you, Kylar!”
“What? Stop mocking on her Elektra, you’re not being funny,” I was trying to shake off the confusion in my head.
“It’s me, Sin-dy, I need you.”
“Elektra, if it wasn’t you . . . ”
Kira and Elektra were jumping around high-fiving each other and everyone else was cheering too.
“Kylar, I’m flying over the meeting place, but we have to hide, he’s injured.”
“Sin-dy, I hear you! I was holding my head as though it made a difference to me talking with her. You’re alive, we’re all here at the hillside. Stay there, I’m coming for you, right now.”
“We’re in the wheatgrass Kylar, hurry!”
Elektra was glowing and grinning from ear to ear. “We knew it, bro−”
“Hey, it was my idea,” Kira interrupted, with her hands on her hips she playfully bragged. “I figured last time you spoke to her was when you were both really distressed and that if we got you riled up, it may trigger you to hear Sin-dy again.”
“All it took was a couple of half-truths,” Elektra said. “Just kidding Kyl, Kinda.”
We all started celebrating, it felt like Christmas in Hell and this was the best gift I ever got.
Jade my oldest daughter wanted to give Amber some time with the girls back at the hillside, so the two of us set out and were well on our way to Sin-dy. I was wishing that we could communicate again so I’d find her when we got there, but there was nothing, I couldn’t hear a word from her. Then I remembered she said, “we have to hide” she has a friend with her!?
My daughter pointed to the wheatgrass ahead of us, we quickly swooped down knowing we’d be easy targets if anyone had seen us, but it was still dark out so at least we had some cover.
“Dad they’re over there, I think they saw us, yes look, that’s Sin-dy waving, who’s that huge−”
“Get down Jade, maybe she’s being held prisoner.”
“I don’t think so dad, that’s!?” Jade looked confused. “He would have killed her by now and attacked us too, there’s something else going on.”
We cautiously made our way over to Sin-dy. She was still waving, but not wanting to attract the attention of whatever else was out there, she didn’t call out to us. Suddenly, the creature fell, Jade was right, there was something else going on.
Finally we reached her and the three of us wrapped our arms around each other.
“Is everyone else alive?” she asked.
“Yes, but you look like you’ve been badly beat up,” I said. “Was it that? Son of a bitch, I’ll−”
“No, it’s okay,” Sin-dy cut in and hugged us both again. “He’s badly injured, I had to help him fly after he was attacked by Ophelexa’s forces.”
“Well what do you want to do with−” The creature was groaning and trying to make his way closer to us.
“Dad, I know who that is, it’s . . . Xenakaz.”
Jade’s mouth dropped open, like she had seen something unimaginable.
“She’s right Kylar, but you can trust him, he wants to stop Sarine’s plan. I’ll fill you in when we get back.”
Xenakaz was trying to stand, so Sin-dy and I helped prop up his injured wing and together we took to the sky. Flying erratically we made our way back to the others.
Once inside the safety of the hillside and after explaining to the others who Xenakaz was, Sin-dy made him as comfortable as she could.
“We can’t stay here much longer,” Kira said. “It looks as though we’re out of food and if he doesn’t get help soon−”
“I know where we can go,” Xenakaz could barely talk and was oozing green demon blood. “We have secret locations, Sector Seven isn’t far from here. I can get help for my injuries there and . . . ” He held his oozing thigh as he sat back down again.
It didn’t take us long to gather our belongings and we quickly left the safety of the hillside. Heading into demon territory, I wondered if this was the biggest mistake we had made so far, but Sin-dy was convinced there was no other choice, I trusted her instincts and didn’t try to change her mind.
***
I finally had her back with me and the only thing that I could think of, was when we were having dinner at Aquarius. It was the beginning of our relationship. She had kissed me on the cheek as we met outside.
“I made this for you,” she said.
It was a deep-burgundy colored leather wrist-cuff with fat silver studs on it, on the back it was stamped with the inscription.
“Our souls are the vessels that only we,’ . . . ’ can fill with desire.”
Sin-dy placed it on my wrist, then snapped it in place. “Fill it in when you have the right words.”
She put her hand in mine, leaned in and kissed me once again before we went inside. We talked and laughed as if there was no one there but us. She took my breath away that evening, and my heart went along with it. The next morning I sent her a text.
“Hey, I have the right words, I know what to inscribe on the wrist-cuff.”
***
There was no sun in Sarturas, but as light broke across the horizon we had crossed over into Sector Seven. We were a motley crew to say the least, Elementals, an Alter-Witch, Demon and kids. A few minutes later and Xenakaz steered us down into what seemed like a field of pink and white Tulips, but before we knew what was happening, the air around our immediate surroundings began to ripple and bubble, we had entered a secret portal into demon territory.
We were in the middle of a city with thousands, maybe tens of thousands of demons, and above the main doorway of every building was the triangle with the three conjoined horns that we had seen back at the subterranean shaft. Like so many other times here, it was as though all of that was a lifetime ago.
Xenakaz had to yell, “Stop!” I would usually say thank God at a time like this but that didn’t seem like it would go over too well under the circumstances. “They saved my life,” He had the immediate attention of every demon that had gathered around us, after all, there was no mistaking the former second in command of Hell. “Take care of them, they need to eat and rest.”
This was like
a reverse nightmare, not a nice dream, but a topsy-turvy world where everything we thought we knew about good and evil was turned inside out. Who were these creatures? After being escorted into an area that was buzzing with activity, Xenakaz had his wounds tended to and we were served with food and water.
“Xenakaz,” are you feeling better? Sin-dy asked. “Thanks for taking care of us.”
“I’m going to be fine, you were telling me about Ophelexa and Qirvana.”
“Yes, sorry we didn’t finish talking. Qirvana said she could delay the Impregnation Ceremony, but only for a day or two. I told her we had to get the help of the Third Millennial Templars to escort the girls out.”
“They can’t come into Hell, they have to wait outside. We, my followers, will lead them to the open gates.”
“Qirvana told me only Lucifer himself could leave the gates open−”
“Lucifer will not do that. I have to open them myself.”
“Why would you do all this,” Elektra cut in. “He’ll kill you.”
“There has been a war going on here for decades and many of us have tired of Lucifer’s oppression. We may live in Hell, but at one time we were Angels of Heaven too.”
“So, does that mean there’s a split between ideals?” Kira inquired. “Like, there’s a battle here, in Hell, between good and evil?”
“There have always been internal struggles here,” Xenakaz said. “Power shifts come and go, but this is different. Sarine and Ophelexa don’t think of themselves as evil, they want revenge for being cast out of Heaven and they will kill anyone that stands in their way.”
“My Lord Xenakaz!” An aide had entered the room. “Her ladyship, Potentia of Sector One, Qirva−”
“Please, let’s dispense with these formalities,” said Qirvana. “Sin-dy, I’m glad to see you made it here alive.”
“Qirvana!” Xenakaz was happy to see his good friend and they sort of, kind of, gave each other a friendly embrace. I wondered to myself, do demons have relationships? Looking around I could see I wasn’t the only one to think of the possibility. This part of Hell was beginning to look more and more like the world I came from, wars, politics, and maybe a little romance?