by Diem, J. C.
The wheels of the carriage rumbled loudly on the cobbled road as it approached me. Waiting until it was almost upon me, I readied myself. It was moving faster than I’d anticipated and I had to sprint hard to catch up to it when it swept past me. Grabbing hold of the wooden board that would be my seat, I clambered up onto it.
Shifting so I was sitting next to the window rather than beneath it, I clutched my backpack on my lap and settled down on the hard, uncomfortable surface. I drew my legs up and made myself blend in with the black petrified wood just as the curtain was yanked aside. I’d made too much noise when I’d hitched a ride. The suspicious scarlet eyes of the captain peered outside, searching for whatever had disturbed him. Barely daring to breathe, I remained stock still until he drew the curtain back into place.
I knew my abilities would come in handy again, Sam said smugly. I am glad I was able to pass it on to you.
Me, too, I agreed. I have a feeling it’s going to save my butt a lot during this trip to hell.
Waiting until the village was distant, I let the illusion drop. I’d come full circle and had been reduced to almost the same state I’d been in when I’d first begun my harrowing missions. I’d lost my strength and size and had to sneak on board an enemy’s coach to reach my destination. Instead of being a force to be reckoned with, I had no power at all.
You will get your power back, Heather said. I hadn’t raised the barrier in my head. They could hear every thought that was flitting through my mind. I felt vulnerable and alone and they were the only company I had.
I hope you’re right, I replied. Has there been any change in Morax and the other lords?
She was silent for a moment and I pictured her turning to survey the demons. Not yet, she reported. Give it time. You’ve only been back here for a few hours.
The purge had come very close to killing the lords. It had affected them even more than I’d realized. I thought they’d bounce back quickly once I was in their home world, but that didn’t seem to be the case at all. I could only hope they would soon begin to heal.
Settlements were more numerous here, but the first realm of hell was vast and they were spaced far apart from each other. It was easy to tell when we were nearing a town or village. The hard packed dirt changed to cobblestones, jarring me out of my bored stupor. I always drew my knees up and blended in with the carriage until we passed through, or went around the towns if their gates were locked up tightly. Some of the settlements had been abandoned. The demons had most likely migrated towards the ninth realm where they had been gathering for months in preparation to invade Earth.
We’d been travelling for a couple of days when we entered a larger town and came to a stop. “Do not bother to stable the nags,” the captain said when he climbed out. “I do not want to be delayed any longer than is necessary.”
Apparently, even undead creatures required rest. The carriage had stopped near the gate on the far side of town. Striding off towards one of the larger buildings, the captain drew his minions after him. The building was next to the stable and was something like an inn. It was a place where they could sit down and wait for the horses to recover their strength.
The buildings were made of the same black volcanic rock that every dwelling in the underworld was constructed of. Most were small and shabby and housed the servants and soldiers. The larger ones would be for captains and lords. There were several grander homes in a town this large, but the population was higher than normal.
An area near the gate had been left clear of buildings. It was where the human souls had been gathered to be tortured. Black, twisted, naked and hideous, they knelt side by side and were chained together. Several lesser demons walked among them. They held crude, rusty weapons that they used on their victims with relish.
Sickened by the sight of souls being hacked, stabbed, sliced and pierced, I looked away. Their pitiful cries haunted me for the next few hours until the captain and his entourage returned.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-One
I had plenty of practice at using camouflage as we made our way towards the center of the first realm. It eventually became second nature for to me to blend in whenever we came to a settlement. As I’d feared, the trip was long and boring. At least I had voices inside my head to keep me sane.
Do you realize how strange that sounds, Sam said with a snigger. Usually, voices inside your head mean you are crazy.
Sometimes, I’m not completely convinced that I’m not crazy, I replied with a grin. My mood had improved during the past couple of hours. I’d noticed that I’d finally begun to grow larger and my clothes were slowly beginning to change. This had to mean the lords were healing, but it was an excruciatingly slow process.
Hearing an enraged roar, my grin dropped away and my head whipped in the direction of the noise. I’d heard the sound before and dread filled me. My eyesight had improved slightly. I could make out the silhouette of a gigantic creature in the distance. Horns curled back over its head and it spread its wings out wide. It was a leviathan and it sounded even more belligerent than usual.
The nags’ steps faltered for a moment, then they picked up even more speed as the leviathan lumbered towards us. It had spied our dust cloud and was coming to investigate. I made myself as close to invisible as I could get a moment before the curtain was yanked aside. The captain and two of his lackeys peered out at the leviathan as it ran towards us. Nags weren’t as fast as nightmares and they knew we were in trouble.
At their master’s frantic urging, the nags began to gallop. They wouldn’t be able to keep up this pace for long and we were miles away from the closest town. Not that the twelve-foot-high walls would be much protection from something this big.
I watched in fascinated horror as the bright red monster came closer. The ground shook with each step and its black loincloth flapped in a self-made breeze. There was no sun or moon, yet it somehow cast a shadow when it loomed over us.
A gigantic hand reached down and snatched up one of the nags. The traces snapped, which freed the other horse. It bolted away into the wasteland as its partner was tossed into the gaping maw of the creature.
Screams of terror sounded from inside the carriage. The doors burst open and demons fled after the horse. The leviathan watched them go, but it made no effort to pursue them. Something had roused it from its slumber and it was feeling cranky. Now that it had polished off a snack, it turned and plodded back the way it had come.
I could see others of its kind roaming around. They were all agitated and I wondered what had set them off. The only thing more dangerous than leviathans would be a dragon. They tended to live inside active volcanos, not beneath them in the caverns like the leviathans. Something else had driven them from their lair.
Watching the goliath lumber away, I heaved a sigh. It looks like I’m going to have to go on foot now, I said to my internal friends and allies. The surviving nag wouldn’t be strong enough to pull the carriage with seven occupants, not that the demons were aware I was hitchhiking.
More screams alerted me that the captain and his entourage were in trouble. Climbing onto the roof of the carriage, I watched as they fled from a new threat. A trio of crab beetles was herding them into a circle. Trapped, the demons called on their swords and daggers, but it was a useless gesture. Acid washed over their arms, melting their flesh. Their weapons dropped to the ground. Shrieking in agony, they were defenseless as their legs were severed by razor sharp claws.
I grimaced as the beetles settled down to feed. Since they were already in the first realm, the demons had nowhere to go when they were badly wounded. They could only lie there as their flesh was consumed. They would eventually heal, but the gigantic bugs could feast on them indefinitely.
More beetles appeared, herding the nervous nag. At first, I thought they were going to eat it. Instead, they nudged it back towards the carriage. One of them came forward and lowered itself down to the ground in a subservient gesture. By saving their queen, I’d ga
ined the obedience of all crab beetles.
Jumping to the ground, I shouldered my backpack and approached the bugs. “Thanks for bringing the nag back,” I said politely. The lead beetle clicked his claws in reply. The nag didn’t want to obey me, but it feared the crab beetles more. It allowed me to reattach the ropes to it. I had to tie them in knots that I hoped wouldn’t fall apart as soon as we took off.
When it looked sturdy, I turned to the lead beetle. “Can you communicate with the horse?” He clicked his claws in what I took to be the affirmative. It didn’t really surprise me that a hellbeast could speak to an undead creature. “Can you tell the nag to take me to the capital city? It can stop and rest for a few hours every second day, but only when we’re not near a town.”
The beetle relayed the message through a series of clicks and squeals. The nag shook its head in annoyance, but it feared being eaten by them too much to refuse. It stamped a hoof and sent me a look over its shoulder. Its white eyes were reproachful, but I didn’t feel guilty. It had been heading to the capital city anyway. Sure, it had to pull the carriage by itself, but at least I was the only passenger now and it wouldn’t be as heavy a load.
“Thanks, guys,” I said to the crab beetles and they lowered themselves down briefly before turning to their friends and to the demons they were happily eating.
Climbing into the carriage, I put my backpack beside me and settled back against the comfortable black leather seat with a sigh of gratitude. My journey would be far more enjoyable now. The seat was wide enough for me to lie down on. It was almost a pity I didn’t need to sleep.
I thought crab beetles had been hunted to extinction, Sy said uneasily as the carriage took off. It was a surprise to see the queen that Prince Valac had kept hidden in his dungeon. Now we have seen a small group of them roaming the wastelands.
It would seem we missed a few, Morax replied sourly. He was sounding more like his usual self. I had high hopes that he would heal completely.
They must have hidden inside the leviathans’ caverns, Sam said.
It made sense. Something had roused the gigantic creatures from their slumber. Crab beetles were much smaller than leviathans, but they were far smarter. It had been clever of them to hide in a location that no demon would willingly approach.
Why did they come out now, Heather queried.
Raziel voiced a theory. Perhaps they sense that change is about to sweep through the nine realms. Their queen is allied with Hellscourge. She may have sent word that they would be needed.
How could she have sent word to any of her minions, I asked. She’s stuck in the nowhere lands.
It has long been suspected that crab beetles can communicate telepathically, Morax told me. They use clicks and squeals, but it could be misdirection to make them seem less intelligent than they really are.
I thought about it and nodded. That makes sense. It seems unlikely that a nag would be able to understand their weird noises. The beetle must have passed on my message to the horse with his mind.
If this is the case, then you should be wary of them, Sy warned me. There is a reason why they were hunted down. Their appetites are voracious. If they begin to breed in large numbers again, they could overrun the nine realms.
I understood the danger, but it frankly wasn’t my problem. It wasn’t like I was going to live here if I managed to defeat the Hellmaster. I made sure to keep these thoughts to myself. It wouldn’t be a good idea to upset my inner demons.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Two
As I moved deeper into the first realm, the landscape began to change. First, a few lone petrified trees appeared. They became more numerous and started to clump together. Small copses of almost spindly saplings eventually turned into forests of gigantic dead trees.
Volcanos became more prevalent. Most had exploded at some stage, sending boulders flying in all directions. Bridges crossed the many creeks and rivers of lava along my path. It was an indication that I was heading in the right direction. Demons built bridges only on the roads that led somewhere important.
Now that I was slowly changing size and shape, the heat began to bother me less. After about three weeks of travel, I was nearly the same size I’d been when I’d last been in the underworld. My power was still limited and I couldn’t call on my hounds or nightmares. I missed their company more than I’d expected, which told me just how crazy my life had become.
No matter how hard I concentrated, I couldn’t transform my dagger into the double bladed axe that I’d grown used to. My clothes had changed to armor and my feet were now cloven, but I couldn’t make my gloves or helmet manifest. I might look like a Demon Princess again, but I was far weaker than I appeared to be.
Morax and his colleagues were slowly healing, but they were still just shells of their former selves. They would be of no use to me in battle. Until they were restored and could lend me their power again, I would have to remain under the radar.
I estimated that nearly six weeks had passed before I finally saw the red beacon that sat in the center of the city. Squinting in puzzlement, I couldn’t make out a hill. The palace should have been hunkered on it, overlooking the smaller buildings on the lower tiers. As far as I could tell, there were no tiers at all.
This capital city is different from the others, Morax informed me. The palace is a large, sprawling building that is set at ground level rather than on a hill. It is so huge that it is almost a city in its own right. The throne room lies directly beneath the beacon. The Hellmaster’s quarters are in a heavily guarded wing somewhere within the structure. Few are granted access to his private chambers.
Do you know where the Scriptorium is, I asked.
It is one of the large buildings that surrounds the palace. It should be easy enough for you to locate. Just look for the robed scribes.
The nag had rested two days ago but the towns had become so close together that there was nowhere for it to safely stop. It was starting to stagger from tiredness, but it had to continue. Someone would come to investigate us if we came to a halt. A carriage with only one nag would be sure to draw attention.
Nearing the end of its endurance, the undead horse managed to make it to one of the towns that was closest to the wall that surrounded the capital city. It headed straight for a stable and came to a stop. The poor thing was shuddering in exhaustion. I climbed out and melted into the shadows as a servant came to investigate.
Holding my backpack against my chest, I pressed my back to the wall. I blended in with the black stone as the servant circled the carriage. Seeing the haphazardly constructed ropes and only one horse, she shook her head in puzzlement. “What happened to the other nag?” she asked the beast, but was really speaking to herself. “Where is the captain and their entourage?” she added. The nag merely looked at her dumbly.
Shrugging off her misgivings, the servant unhitched the horse and led it over to a stall. The nag didn’t need to eat and simply hung its head and rested.
I waited until the servant left before quietly sneaking over to the door that led to the building next to the stables. Other nags watched me silently. I found their white eyes to be slightly creepy, so I blended in with the rock again to make it harder for them to see me. They reminded me far too much of the undead raven that had caused me so much misery.
Stepping through the door, I walked quietly and maintained my camouflage. I could hear voices coming from deeper inside the building. Making my way to an exit that led to an alley, I pulled my hood up and hunched over. The hood was the only piece of clothing that hadn’t changed into armor, but it had grown to accommodate my size. Nothing could hide my bulk, so I would have to rely on being as invisible as possible.
Working my way to the wall that surrounded the town, I peered over it. An expanse of bare ground lay between the wall and the capital city. A moat of lava surrounded the entire metropolis. Several bridges arched high above it, leading to huge gates that could fit several carriages side by side. The wall was a
full thirty feet high. While I could scale it easily, getting to it without being seen would be the hard part.
Carriages that belonged to lords and captains rumbled along the roads, heading in and out of the city. Soldiers and servants were mostly on foot. Some drove carts that were being pulled by a team of six gray nags. Petrified wood and volcanic rock were their main cargo. Others hauled steel. They would be taking the items to the craftsdemons inside the city.
Seeing a flicker of movement above, I dropped down beneath the wall and made myself blend in with it a moment before the raven soared past. It might have just one eye, but its vision was sharp enough to pick me out immediately if I stepped out into the open.
Using stealth was going to be paramount for me to enter the city. My feathered nemesis was searching for me, which meant it had been tipped off that I was on my way. The stone gargoyle had notified Dantanian. He must have told the Hellmaster that I’d entered the first realm.
The master of the underworld set his pet bird to searching for me. He still wanted me alive, so it was doubtful that the demons in his own city would try to kill me. I suspected he wanted me for my strange soul, but he didn’t know it was missing. His lack of knowledge was the only thing that stood between me and probable death.
It wasn’t going to be easy to sneak into the city. My size would give me away immediately. Using a disguise would help, but I could only hold the illusion for a couple of minutes. I needed to find a way to get across the open ground and then make my way over one of the bridges without being spotted.
Maintaining my camouflage, I followed the wall to the nearest gate. A steady stream of foot traffic was passing through. Seeing a cart rumbling towards me, I came up with a quick plan. Waiting until the cart was only a few yards away, I reached out and touched a passing servant that was hunched over beneath the weight of a load of wood. I assumed his form, minus the burden he was carrying, and scurried towards the cart. Another cart was coming towards us, so I slipped between the two vehicles. Now hidden from view, I clambered onto the cart that was heading towards the city. It was loaded up with boulders, so I knelt and made myself blend in with them.
