LAMENT OF PURGATORY (ASHWOOD CHRONICLES #1)

by Brandon Chandler

  “Omigod Ethan,” Kori screamed. She reached out to him only to realize she too was slowly dematerializing. Kori and Ethan both swapped horrified looks right before they evaporated into black smoke and joined the ranks among the red mist.

  Silently Brianna accepted her fate as if she’d been through this process countless times and was clearly annoyed by it. She flipped Dominic off as she slowly dissolved away.

  Dominic ignored her crude gesture keeping his eyes locked with Hayden. Simultaneously the two of them began to dematerialize.

  “See you on the other side bruh.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The elevator dinged its arrival and the double doors opened. Gaspard Kishimoto straightened his glasses as he and his young guest stepped out.

  The sharply dressed man admired Gaspard’s well-kempt butler uniform. He looked no older than his late twenties with a well-composed, serious personality. Not only was he awestruck by Gaspard’s demeanor, but the well-manicured foyer was equally as impressive, from its high vault ceiling to its emerald marble flooring. He especially loved how the walls were decorated with portraits of who he presumed were former C.E. O’s of Deus Imperium Industries.

  “Master Giovanni’s resident is at the end of this hallway,” Gaspard said, gesturing towards a pair of beautifully designed arched doors.

  The guest nodded while clutching his briefcase close to his chest wide-eyed.

  “After months of waiting, I’m finally going to be able to show the boss my designs.” The young man said. “I really think he’s going to be impressed by my work.”

  Gaspard smiled politely, giving little attention to the man’s excitement. “I’m sure he will, Mr. Noah.”

  Gaspard honestly despised the man’s youthful but naïve optimism. It tasted like tart fruit. He disregarded the loathing and remained silent as Noah continued about his project.

  However, Gaspard’s calm was unexpectedly interrupted by a heave of sensations hitting him with enough vigor he cried out.

  Sadness, anger, remorse; emotions that were not his own, pulsed within the pit of his stomach like a heartbeat, before traveling up his spine, making a pit stop at his actual heart then exploding into his brain. Gaspard grunted in agony and stopped in mid-step. He clenched his chest with one hand and the other went to his temples as he doubled over.

  Noah dropped his briefcase to the floor and then gripped Gaspard by the arm and shoulder asking, “are you ok sir?”

  The pain tapered off and was replaced by Gaspard clearing his throat. “I’m fine, thank you for your concern.” He said standing upright. “But I’m afraid our meeting with the master must be postponed until a later date.”

  The sharply dressed man released his hold on Gaspard. “B-but sir I’ve waited months for this audience with Mr. Giovanni.”

  Gaspard shook his head. “The master isn’t feeling well.”

  “But we’re on our way to meet with him,” the other man petitioned.

  His eager eyes scanned the empty foyer after realizing he screamed his complaint and now his voice was resonating throughout the great hall.

  Gaspard chuckled. “Fret not, the new date will be soon. Until then I’m sure you’re more than capable of finding your way back to the elevator.”

  Gaspard ushered his guest towards the exit. Noah shoved the butler away.

  “No way am I going back now,” He said tersely. “My team and I worked way too hard to be turned away.”

  Gaspard rolled his eyes with a sigh. “I really wished you would have taken my offer then perhaps you would have left here today with your life.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Gaspard smirked devilishly removing his right glove from his hand and placed it within the interior pocket of the top of his uniform.

  “You mortals feel as if you’re entitled to everything the world has to offer,” Gaspard said formally. “But have you ever considered the reason why humans always have to fight to stay on top...it’s because they don’t belong there.”

  Gaspard locked eyes with Noah and immediately the man began to gasp as if he had a large mass lodged in his esophagus. His entire body stiffened as he slowly raised his hands to his throat.

  “You’ll only suffer faster if you fight it,” Gaspard said holding out his right hand with his palm facing skyward.

  “Humans ability of free will and ambitious nature makes your race imperfect, obsolete even. Always struggling to stay relevant...” Gaspard trailed off allowing a purple ball of energy no bigger than a tennis ball to form several inches above his palm. With his other hand, he pointed at Noah who in return felt an invisible force pulling him to his knees.

  “It’s quite a shame honestly,” he continued while stepping towards Noah. “If it wasn’t for those flaws; humans would make the ultimate cattle. But alas you lot only have one redeeming quality.”

  Noah persistently wheezed for air, with eyes widened in fear and uncertainty as Gaspard knelt in front of him. “Cattle with an abundance of souls,” he grabbed Noah by the locks of his hair and forcefully jerked his head upward. “Now give it to me.”

  Gaspard thrust the sphere of energy towards Noah’s body causing his chest to ripple like disturbed water and the purple ball of light descended into Noah’s bulk. Instantly, he felt the effects of the foreign energy tearing him apart from the inside. Noah’s mouth dropped open releasing a breath of steam. His skin and flesh melted away and his bones crumbled leaving behind a steaming pile of pinkish-grey paste. The real prize was suspended several inches above the remains. Resembling a miniature sun and roughly the same shape and size of a basketball, Gaspard eyed the white sphere of light in awe.

  “This is the only beautiful thing about humans.” He gripped the orb on either side, pressed it against his mouth and began to inhale through pursed lips. The ball of energy’s luminosity rapidly started to dim and shrink in size. Upon reaching the size of a grape Gaspard swallowed the rest whole. He sighed loudly, pulling his glove free from his pocket he placed it on its respective hand.

  Then a smell struck him like a homely familiarity. The scent of sulfur filled his nostrils.

  A man appeared out of nowhere several feet away from him. For a second the butler stood glaring at the newcomer. Recognizing him, he lowered his guard and together they briskly walked in the same direction giving little regard toward Noah’s remains or briefcase. The newcomer, unlike Gaspard’s clean-shaven and well-kept appearance, lacked in the department of caring. Far from ugly, the man sported unkempt dark hair and wild wolf-like eyes, stubbled cheeks and multiple facial piercings on an angular face.

  “I always knew you had a sadistic side behind that mild-mannered and ever seeming polite tone of yours.”

  “Malek, I’m guessing you felt it too,” Gaspard said.

  “Yeah, the old man is grieving.”

  “Do you know why?”

  Malek bobbed his head but didn’t clarify.

  Large beautiful double doors appeared at the end of the hall. Stopping at the entrance, Malek stepped aside to allow Gaspard to open the doors for him.

  The butler rolled his eyes following close behind.

  The lobby was enormous, indistinctly set alight and extravagantly decorated with a stunning carpet covering most of the hardwood foundation. The two men continued their journey walking along a contracted foyer. In step, they paused at another pair of heavy wooden double doors on the right. However, this time around instead of Gaspard opening them, the entrance involuntary swung inward at their arrival. For a moment the two of them hesitated to enter the pitch-black room.

  “Ass kissers first,” Malek said with a wolfish grin. He lingered on the threshold for a moment watching the butler descending into the confines of the dark room. With a sigh he joined his comrade.

  The sound of a roaring fire echoed, and dark red flames illuminated the room from beneath a gorgeous limestone fireplace. As their eyes adapted to the shortage of light, they were drawn towards a throne at the back
of the dome-shaped room. The exotic chair structure was made from a mixture of bones, metals, mahogany and was padded with scarlet, satin-covered cushions with skulls nesting at the end of either armrest.

  “Gaspard, Malek,” said a raspy low voice from the throne. His neon purple eyes gleamed through the darkness like bright headlights cutting through thick fog.

  “Please come closer my children,” he beckoned after a series of ghoulish coughs.

  The presenter was seated adjacent to the fireplace making it quite problematic for the new arrivals to see more than a shadowy outline. They both came to a halt at the center of the room.

  “My lord,” Gaspard said dropping to one knee.

  Malek rolled his eyes. “Hiya boss,” he said taking a knee next to Gaspard.

  The man stationed on the throne leaned forward, revealing his face through the gloom, frail and aged beyond centuries, yet his ash color hair clung to his shoulders and his balbo beard seemed to be well-kempt and untouched by age. He stood from his chair, and like his face, his body too was in poor health, slender and fragile. The old man released another cough before gesturing for his company to stand.

  “I’ve brought a fresh soul for you master Giovanni,” Gaspard said humbly.

  Malek snickered as he stood. “You do know you could have forced the soul out without killing the host, right?”

  “Yes, but mortals are so annoying,” Gaspard hissed as he stood.

  Malek was prepared to keep the argument going, but the sound of Giovanni’s raspy voice echoed about the room interrupting his train of thought.

  “Awe Gaspard you’re too kind to me.”

  The butler cupped his hands together and raised them to his lips. With a deep breath, he blew, discharging a small white light. As he continued to exhale, the energy increased in size emitting a bright glow. Reaching the size of a basketball it floated from Gaspard’s open hands and towards Giovanni’s waiting arms. He took hold of it and hugged it close to his chest as if it was a long-lost child.

  “Such a beautiful creation isn’t it?”

  He embraced the sphere even tighter. And his entire body suddenly gave off an ominous pale glow as the ball of light was absorbed into his chest.

  Almost instantly he went from hunching over to standing upright and his slender frail physique bulked up to that of a linebacker while his aged leathery face took on the appearance of a man that was in his late thirties.

  “Yes-yes, this is more like it,” he shouted with youthful rejuvenation.

  “Thank you, Gaspard.”

  The butler took a bow in silence.

  “Kiss ass,” Malek exaggeratedly coughed out.

  Gaspard ignored him.

  “Master, why have you summoned us?”

  Giovanni stepped from his throne and as he walked, lights from unseen sources began to flicker on, giving the chambers vague illumination.

  “One by one, I’ve felt the life essences of Ezekiel, Johann and Betty fade away.”

  He paused several feet away from Gaspard and Malek, “and the ones responsible for this have also opened the gates of purgatory.”

  Malek shoved his hands into his pocket snickering, “he’s one of Alexander’s adoptive brats. Dominic Ashwood.”

  Giovanni’s purple eyes clasped upon Malek’s canine ember ones, with such force that Gaspard looked away, horrified that he himself would be mentally tormented by the fierceness of the stare. Malek nevertheless stared unemotionally back into his master’s face.

  After a moment or two, Giovanni’s angered expression shifted into one of mournfulness.

  “How long have you known about this?”

  “Since this morning,” Malek answered. “But I was unaware of Betty or the gate to purgatory being opened.”

  He paused for a moment, wondering if Giovanni would let up on the eye contact.

  He didn’t.

  “Where did you receive this information?”

  “I went to Johann’s and Ezekiel’s hunting grounds; the nightclub Nocte, all the staff there were willing to talk after a few well-placed threats,” Malek confirmed.

  Giovanni nodded still maintaining intense eye contact.

  “Anyways according to my sources, this Dominic kid has been going around killing demons, using their souls to power up his carcerem orbis.”

  Giovanni finally broke eye contact staring at the stone floor.

  “I thought Alexander hid his carcerem orbis somewhere in Europe...how did this kid end up with it?”

  “Maybe Alexander told him where to find it?” Malek said humorously.

  “Alexander would never do such a thing,” Giovanni said dismissing the idea.

  “Do you want me to go question him just to be sure?” Gaspard asked eagerly.

  From around his neck, Giovanni pulled free a carcerem orbis of his own, “that won’t be necessary... but go pack your bags boys, we’re going on a little hunting trip in purgatory.”

  Chapter-Twenty-Six

  “He’d better be okay.”

  “It’s not my fault if he isn’t.”

  Voices and the smell of earth danced around him.

  Am I outside?

  And lying in a pile of dirt?

  “Seriously Dominic you’re accountable for all of this.” This one was a girl’s voice, not playful like Kori’s but more mature.

  Brianna.

  Ethan was vaguely aware that they were discussing something important, something to do with him, but his thoughts weren’t orientated. Memories from times he had forgotten or didn’t even remember collided together.

  “Being here is too dangerous for all of us,” Brianna’s voice sounded.

  “Ask me if I care,” Dominic retorted sourly.

  A long pause.

  “When did you become such a dick?” Brianna’s voice broke through the silence.

  A sigh, then Dominic’s voice again, “if you dumb-asses would have left when I told you to, this conversation wouldn’t be happening right now. He’s not my responsibility. Hell, you can protect him with your magic.”

  “You and I both know it’s impossible for me to use magic at the moment.”

  Dominic’s remark about magic triggered something. More memories that were once lost somehow found their way to the forefront of his brain.

  Ethan sat up, trying to slow his rapid heart rate and heavy breathing. He inhaled slowly, taking in the rich earthy air. His hands rested on top of a mixture of dirt and leaves and his butt felt moist from the ground he sat upon. His panic-filled eyes widened.

  All around him was miles upon miles of thick dense forest. Not far off, Brianna stood laterally with Dominic. Her loud voice echoed throughout the woodlands and her body language portrayed her anger.

  Ethan slowly made his way towards the pair in a daze like state.

  The sound of twigs and other fallen forest debris snapping underneath his footfalls betrayed his approach, causing Dominic followed by Brianna to investigate his direction.

  “Y-you wiped my memories last night at that club,” he paused turning his attention towards Dominic. “And you-you...your face it’s...” lightheaded Ethan trailed.

  If other words were exchanged, he didn’t hear them because he soon fell backward as darkness drifted over him like a cure to his confusion.

  Sometime later he surfaced from his sleep to be greeted by a gentle smile from Brianna. She was kneeling at his side allowing his head to rest in her lap. For a moment he vacantly stared at her.

  “I remember everything, which means Kori was right,” he frantically scrambled to his feet.

  “Where is she?”

  Brianna reached out for Ethan. “I’m sorry but I don’t know where Kori is.”

  Ethan stared at his feet, “What’s going on?”

  “We’re in a world where the souls of really bad creatures and humans are trapped for eternity.”

  Ethan continued to stare at his feet in silence.

  “Don’t worry we will find Kori and Hayden too. Then tog
ether we will get out of here.”

  A movement to his left caught his attention. Dominic shifted to lean his back against a tree. Ethan glared hard at him. His face and hands were completely healed as if he was never wounded.

  “And what about him,” Ethan asked looking away from Dominic.

  “Forget about him for the moment,” Brianna said tersely.

  “Why?” Ethan demanded. “It’s his fault we are here.”

  Dominic pushed himself from the tree. “Stop blaming me for your stupidity...None of you would even be here if you would have stayed out of my way.” He glanced from Brianna to Ethan, “Or died when you were supposed to.”

  Ethan felt a chill crawl up his spine. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Dominic smiled devilishly, “when I smacked into your sister yesterday, I felt a surge of energy I knew demons would kill for.”

  Brianna piped up. “I felt it too, when we shook hands.”

  “I never felt anything like that from her,” Ethan said bitterly.

  Dominic laughed. “Probably because you two never touched the way you want to.”

  “That’s inappropriate even for you.” Brianna snapped. Then glancing over to Ethan, she continued with, “it’s most likely you haven’t experienced the sensation because you’re human.”

  Ethan kept his eyes glued to Dominic, “so you used Kori as bait?”

  Dominic nodded.

  “You manipulative asshole!” he shouted through gritted teeth as he threw a surprisingly quick right hook. It connected with Dominic’s jawline before he knew what was happening. The force caused Dominic’s head to tilt and he stumbled sideways a few inches. Ethan drew back his assaulting fist, shaking it repetitively as throbbing pain coursed through his knuckles.

  Dominic wiped away the blood that accumulated at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand

  “That stung a bit,” Dominic said ready to retaliate.

  Brianna quickly stepped in between both boys. “Dominic, stop it.”

  He paused glaring into Brianna’s pleading magenta eyes. “Fine, you both are useless to me anyway,” Dominic said storming off.