by Jack Crosby
“My apologies, I did not mean to wake you.”
She looked awful. “You know, you need to get some rest too. If you keep fawning over me, you’re going to neglect your own health.”
“I know, but I feel as if I must protect you in your moments of weakness. Whether you fully admit it yet or not, we have formed a very tight bond.”
Oh I did. And I also realized how terrible a person this made me. My heart still panged for Astrid, but I wasn’t about to lie outright to the one who cared for me so much. “I know we did. That’s why I’m telling you to get some rest. I need you, and I need you to be at your best.”
“It matters not about any of us, only you. We all know it will be you who confronts Lucifer, not Jacar, Tiberius, or me.”
“Funny, Michael said essentially the same thing to me in Limbo.”
“When were you going to tell me the Arch Angel Michael was also there?!”
I patted her hand, probably pretty condescendingly. “Well not physically, but he gave Azrael words of advice to pass on. He warned me on the dangers that would come with facing Lucifer.”
Her expression didn’t soften. “And this is why we need take care of you. Beelzebub, Astaroth, even Baal are just stepping stones for the King of Hell. Do you even have a plan?”
No, I didn’t. “Michael said to be myself. Maybe he meant I could annoy him into giving me his sword and let us all go without commotion.”
“Why do you hunt for his sword? Isn’t there other treasures in Hell that would be easier to come by?”
I’m sure there were, but with Abaddon killing Azrael, revenge was added to the list of reasons to get The Morningstar Blade. “It’s the weapon that will kill Abaddon once and for all.”
“If that was true, why would Lucifer himself not do it?”
Michael said it was because of great fear/respect for the fiend. “I don’t know, but I plan to ask him that very question.”
We sat in mutually agreed silence, her continuing to rub me and me resting against her soft leg. As time went on, I finally broke it. “Pull my bandages off. I do believe I’m healed enough to continue on.”
Her eyes said no, but her hands did it anyways. As the damp spider skin fell off, the only sign that I’d been injured was the newly formed pink skin where the infectious wounds were. I moved my arms around with just the slightest twinge. “I know you won’t agree, but there’s no point in hanging out here anymore.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
I was. If I stayed down any longer, restlessness would take over. “Wake the others up. It’s time to go make some reintroductions in Pandemonium.”
Chapter 19 – Special Delivery!
As we walked off the mountain trail, the fortified wall of Pandemonium stood tall. From the top of the mountain, we had a good vantage point at the heart of Hell, complete with medieval castle and surrounding structures. I was hot, tired, and annoyed, so I made a beeline right to the gates where a few large Wrath demons were posted.
The group thought this was reckless, but I’ve always been a straight forward kinda guy. The looks on the Wrath demons faces when they saw my power walking right up to them also was worth it. “Halt! Who dares to approach Pandemonium?”
“Hey I’m Death and now get the fuck out of my way.”
Their eyes grew real wide and they did as I said. Jecella and Jacar both tried to cover up their surprise with fake coughing, but I knew they expected that to fail miserably. I never even broke stride as I passed the gates, my timid group right on my heels.
I walked right down Main Street, receiving a lot of stares from various demons. Whispers and pointing followed me, but I didn’t care. I was a (sorta) man on a mission. I only stopped when I approached the front of the castle. Two more Wrath demons plus a Pride demon were waiting for me.
The Pride demon pushed to the front. “Well well well, Death actually made it in one piece. Baal owes me money!”
“You actually bet on me?”
“The odds were too good to resist.”
I brushed that off. “You know why I’m here then. Tell your boss I’m here.”
He pointed at the two Wrath demons. “Tell Lucifer that the final participant for the Games has arrived.”
As his minions ran off, “Games? What games are you talking about?”
“If you want to speak to the master of this castle, you must prove yourself in combat as he watches. That is unless you are afraid and a little bitch?”
He was so impassive and matter-of-fact that I almost wasn’t offended. “I’m no bitch you douche! I’ll show all of you who the baddest man in Hell really is!”
“That is the warrior’s spirit! Death, follow me. The rest of you will be shown to the Coliseum to watch the spectacle!”
Jecella didn’t want to be separated, but I convinced her I was going to be fine. “Listen baby, if I can’t slice and dice a few demons, I shouldn’t even be here.”
I doubt that assured her, but Jacar gently pulled her away as I went with the Pride demon.
As we continued to walk, “So what’s your name big guy?”
“General Gravis, longest serving general under the rule of Lucifer. I understand you have dealt with a Pride demon or two in your time?”
“Yeah, and an Arch-Demon. I’m not bragging but I’ve been in a scrap or two.”
“You words do not offend me as I only appreciate the strongest in combat. I hope your skills and luck stay with you this day.”
We walked down a long, surprisingly cold hallway. Stone wrapped around us, continuing the medieval feel. From above us, a pounding noise was rattling all around. “Full house today?”
“The Games are one of the most beloved traditions in Hell. We did not think you would grace us. Most assumed you would have been eaten by the Queen Spider.”
Just the thought of the spider was unpleasant. “Yeah, she did a number on me, but I’m like a tough, cheap steak.”
A light appeared at the end of the hallway. “Beyond the gates is your final test. Survive the Coliseum and you will be awarded your audience.”
He gave me a slight push towards the gate and walked back into the darkness. Well, I wasn’t about to get points just standing around. I pulled out Leviathan and made my way towards the exit. The gate slowly opened and as I stepped out into the open area, masses of bodies were fighting without abandon. I hadn’t even been standing there two seconds when the head of a minotaur landed beside me, missing an eye.
Monsters, demons, and other various warriors were engaged in mortal combat. I love a good knockdown, drag out brawl, so I tightened the grip on my scythe and charged straight in. I guess Hell had its own play by play guy, as a loud voice boomed into the packed stadium. “A late entry into the games is none other than the Horseman Death!”
A bloodthirsty cheer swept across the crowd. It rose even more when I jumped at a cyclops who was swinging his club wildly. As I brought Leviathan into his eye, the place exploded, much like the giant eye did. Blind, the cyclops stumbled around until I sliced through his knee caps. A werewolf came over and finished him off by clamping his jaws down on his neck, sending blood everywhere.
This continued for hours. For each monster or demon I took down, another took its place. The ground was stained different shades, blood from all the various creatures that had died. It was hard to tell at first, but as the battle raged, the number of contestants finally became manageable.
And that’s when all hell broke loose. Tentacles shot out of the sandy ground below, grabbing anything and everything they could find. “Someone has unleashed the Sand Kraken!”
To nobody in particular, “Ah c’mon! This is fucking ridiculous!”
In the middle of the arena, a large demonic face burst through and began eating whatever its tentacles grabbed. No longer actively fighting each other, this became a matter of survival. As a tentacle came racing at me, I grabbed the werewolf that finished the cyclops off and pushed him into its way. The tentacl
e snapped up the creature and threw the beast right into the Kraken’s mouth. The loud crunch of bones echoed throughout.
There was no way to kill this thing, so I hoped that when the beasty ate everyone else these ridiculous games would be over. One by one my competition disappeared, and each time the Sand Kraken polished one off, the crowd let out a cheer. These people were sick!
When it was down to the final two, the announcer made another proclamation. “If I were you two, I’d try to kill the other before the Kraken kills you!”
My fellow combatant looked to be an old samurai demon. He grabbed his two katanas from his back and made a run at me. His agility was supreme as he avoided the Kraken’s reach with deftly precision.
I took a more blunt and straightforward approach, using my chains and Leviathan to battle the tentacles away. The samurai tried to catch me by surprise, but I met his blades with my own. I pushed him away, hoping the Kraken would get him.
He twisted his body out of the way and landed safely. Another tentacle swipe came at me, so I did something really stupid. I wrapped up my chain around it as it sped by. The crowd gasped at the move and the samurai looked on confused. He began chasing me as best he could.
The Kraken brought his tentacle towards his mouth and at the last minute I released the chains and landed on its ugly face, high up away from the mouth full of razors. Timing the double jump just right, I targeted the samurai who was still confused and met him with a scythe to the head. The blade went through, quick and clean, and I kicked his dead body off.
As soon as he died, the Kraken stopped moving. High above me down in the arena below was Lucifer. His hand was outstretched. Letting me know he was the one who stopped the monster’s assault. Another hand movement and the Kraken disappeared back into the ground below.
“What a finish to The Games! The victor and new champion is the Horsemen Death!”
Cheers, applause, feet stomping, you name it, the crowd was doing it. Ever the show man, I couldn’t help but take a few bows, soaking in their appreciation for my performance. Over on the far side of the arena, Gravis was back, motioning me to come over. I took one more bow and waved before I walked over to leave.
The Pride demon actually cracked a small smile. “Well done Horseman, well done indeed. You won me some more money with that display.”
“I don’t know how I feel about you profiting off of me continuing to live.”
“If you heard the odds for you surviving the Kraken, you would have jumped on it too.”
I guess I couldn’t blame him. “So what’s next?”
Heading back towards the front of the castle, “Your companions are already on their way to the throne room. You will be granted your audience with Lucifer.”
The euphoria over the fight left. My business in Hell was about to come to an end, one way or another. “By all means, lead the way.”
Chapter 20 – The Morningstar
Outside the very jewel encrusted entrance to what I assumed was the throne room were Jacar, Jecella, and Tiberius. “I see the three of you are still alive.”
“We have been treated as special guests.” Jacar’s voice had a bit of shock to it. “We were given preferred suites to watch your adventure in the arena.”
“I’m glad someone had a good view.” Yeah I was a bit pissed. “Well here we are.”
The doors behind us slid open. “Yes here you are.” Lucifer was standing there on the other side. His black hair was still slicked back and he was still in his shiny battle gear. The Morningstar Blade was hanging off the side of his hip, attached to a silver belt.
He motioned for us to follow him into the throne room. “Come, we have much to discuss and not much time to do it if you wish your brothers’ ventures in Tartarus to be successful.”
Some secret plan huh? Seemed Lucifer was in the know. I looked at everyone else and followed him in. The throne room was huge, lined with black Obsidian jewels and different weapons mounted on the walls. In the center was a large gold throne that actually looked rather dusty. I got the impression that this room wasn’t used very often.
When he stopped walking, so did we. “I know you are here for this.” He removed the blade from its scabbard. “You and the angels plan to remove Abaddon from the equation as he represents a threat beyond compare.”
He wasn’t asking questions. He was telling me. “Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“You also want to know why I have not done it myself. First a battle against the Arch-Fiend would be both costly and potential deadly. The risk was never worth the reward.”
Honesty? Something didn’t add up. “You’re not about to ask me to give up on the plan are you?”
He replaced the sword on his hip. “I am. I wish for you to return and bring your people home. No more need to die because of this.”
I wanted to be surprised at his concern, but he didn’t give me a chance to. “Have you asked yourself one question, maybe the most important one?”
“Considering I have no idea what you’re talking about, no I haven’t.”
“If Abaddon is removed from Tartarus, what is to stop something even worse from taking over?”
I swear I didn’t mean to laugh at one of the single most deadly beings in the universe, but I did. “More dangerous than him? Like what?”
“You know.”
I know? I know what? “I think you’ve been alone for way too…”
“Sabrina, the witch daughter of Beelzebub.”
The sound of her name was like a hot, sharp knife. “What does that bitch have to do with anything?”
He brushed off the dust and took a seat on his throne. “Tartarus is a place of great power, especially if you know how to harness it. With Abaddon not there to act as a deterrent, anyone with enough smarts and skill could make it their own. She possesses both qualities.”
“She won’t live long enough to use them. Once this job is complete, seeing her lifeless body scattered to the breeze will be my next mission.”
He gave up trying to reason with me. “You plan to go through with Dante’s foolish quest then?”
“Ain’t no turning back now compadre.”
“Very well.” He waved his hand and with it, we were swept up in his magic.
****
When the shroud encircling me lifted, a cold, hard dread hit me like a pile of bricks. I was standing at the Edge of Despair. “What the hell man?!”
I knew he was there too. “It is time you proved your worth to me. Best me and I will lend you the Morningstar Blade to complete your task. Lose, and you will have proven that you do not possess the skill nor resolve to complete either of your goals.”
The sword was in a ready position. Fighting off my self-doubt, I had Leviathan join the party. “If this is what must be done, then so be it!”
By now you know my fighting style as well as anyone. Apparently so did Lucifer. He swatted away my attack as if he’d seen it a thousand times. “Come now Death, I know you can do better.”
I used the momentum he’d given me and twirled like a tornado, with the edge of my scythe out. I thought my blow would land true, but he just disappeared only to reappear behind me.
He lashed out with his blade, moving like a bolt of lightning. I was able to block the attack, but just barely. The follow up cut me on my leg; I never had a chance with that one.
He stopped before dealing the killing blow. “How will any of you best Abaddon if you cannot keep up with me?”
“I won’t be the one wielding the sword. An angel trained by Michael himself will be. Be grateful you’re dealing with me and not her.”
“You speak of his protégé Veronica? I am surprised you have not soiled her like you have two others.”
“Well it wasn’t from a lack of trying.” My chains were powered up and I whipped the right one towards his feet. He sidestepped that one, but went into the path of the left. I wrapped up one leg and pulled his feet out from under him.
I knew it wouldn’t be th
at easy, but I tried to deliver a scythe strike to his head. Even from his back he was still dangerous. His hand, covered in a gauntlet, grabbed the handle of Leviathan and pushed me back far enough to give him room to regain his footing. “That is more like it. Still not enough though…”
This was just a glorified sparring session. His movement, strength, and grace made it clear he was on an entirely different level than either Arch-Demon I had faced down. Plus I couldn’t shake that terrible foreboding feeling in my gut. The damn Edge of Despair was having too much of an effect on me.
An idea hit me. I returned Leviathan to its harmless form and placed it in my jacket. With my chains, I wrapped them around my fists and took a more relaxed stance. His eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Since when have you fought without your precious scythe?”
I didn’t let his goading get to me. I tried to center myself and regain control. My first attack was a straight palm aimed at his gut. He jumped back and I followed up with another strike, this one aimed at his knee. I made contact and made it count. As it locked into place, I sent my knee crashing into it.
He winced in pain, but pushed through and smacked me with a backhand to the face. It rattled my teeth, so much so I had to spit one of my molars out. Blood also ran down my face. “I guess you don’t know all my tricks.”
“I applaud you for not being a one dimensional fighter. I still do not see what I need to if you want this sword.”
There was only one thing left to do. Instead of engaging in his dialogue, I let it all hang out. I jumped shoulder first and smacked hard against his chest plate. I felt his magic getting ready to teleport him away.
“Oh no you don’t!” I let go of one of my chains and wrapped him up. With his arms pinned against his side, I jumped straight up, fist first and cracked his jaw. I let the chain go and he went straight down on to the ground.
It looked like he was done being Mr. Nice Guy too. He teleported off the deck and landed hard on top of me from above. His feet dug into my back as his weight sent me face first into the dirt.
