by R C Knight
“Fuck,” Zane muttered as he headed to his horse. “Come on guys. Looks like it’s time to go.” The rest of the group grabbed their bags and mounted their steads. Zane took one last look at the ashes, I’ve failed again, he thought as he turned and followed Bishop.
Chapter Three
Heaven
Alistair walked nonchalantly down the empty corridor; his face drawn tight as another tortured scream echoed down the hall. He sighed heavily as he grabbed the hilt of his sword for comfort, his red robes falling over his hand. Will it ever end? He wondered as another scream filled the air. How long will they let him suffer before they just end it? Alistair shuddered at the thought as he stopped in front of one of the doors. He forced himself to let go of the hilt of his sword as another scream surrounded him. “Why am I so damn jumpy tonight?” he muttered under his breath as he pulled out his keys. He deftly unlocked the door and swung it open, freezing in the doorway.
Pools of black blood had formed on the stone floor and were beginning to dry. The chair that Gideon had been chained to stood empty, the chains dangling from the metal arms. “Fuck!” Alistair shouted as he entered the room, eyeing the pools of blood. He circled the empty chair, memorizing every detail of the room. “Michael isn’t going to like this,” he muttered as he walked out of the room and locked the door. He jumped as another scream echoed around him. “He’s not going to like this at all,” he sighed as he turned and quickly made his way down the hall, the screams fading as he went.
~~~~
Laila sat in a plush armchair, her white robes were loosely tied together, her dishwater blonde hair fell in a tangled mess down her back. She held a large, leather bound book in her lap; its yellowed pages covered in a small, delicate script. She sighed wearily as she looked over at the massive bed next to her. Michael was sound asleep, his blonde hair covering his face. She smiled as her eyes traced his massive pecs and traveled across his rock-hard abs. She gently closed the book and placed it on the marble side table. Gracefully, she stood up from the chair and tip-toed towards the bed, a mischievous smile on her face. A soft knock sounded on the door.
“Damnit,” Laila whispered as she readjusted her robes, tying them tightly. She ran her hands along her body, ensuring everything was covered and in place as she walked towards the door. She slowly opened the door and slipped into the hallway, shutting the door quietly behind her. Alistair stood in the hallway, shifting his feet with unease. “Can I help you?” she asked, her voice soft and melodic.
“I need to speak with Michael.” Alistair spoke quickly and with authority, although Laila could see the lines of worry across his face.
“May I ask what is so urgent at such a late hour? Michael has been very busy and needs his rest.” She narrowed her eyes as she examined his stance. His hands were fidgeting with his red robes while he continued to shift his weight from one foot to the other.
“It’s a confidential matter,” he responded as he looked past Laila at the closed door. “Now, will you get him, or shall I?” Laila sighed wearily as she turned and opened the door.
“Give me a minute,” she muttered as she quietly slipped into the room and walked over to the massive bed. She gently sat on the edge of the bed next to Michael, her eyes tracing the hard outline of his face. She leaned forward and softly kissed his chest, slowly working her way up to his neck. He moaned softly as a smile spread across his face.
“I love waking up next to you,” he mumbled as she placed her lips on his, kissing him passionately. Michael chuckled softly as he pulled her tightly against his chest, the hard lines of his face softening as he returned her kisses. Laila pulled back as she gazed into his green eyes. His face lit up as he longingly returned her gaze. “I hope you don’t have any plans for this morning.” He smiled as he pulled her in and softly kissed her lips.
“Actually,” she sighed against his lips, causing him to pause. She pulled away from him with a sad smile. “Alistair is in the hall waiting for you,” she muttered with annoyance.
“You’re such a tease.” Michael chuckled as he gently lifted her off him and set her on the bed.
“Just reminding you of what’s in store for you once you’re done.” She smiled seductively as Michael stood up from the bed and walked to the closet. Laila sighed longingly as she watched his naked ass while he walked away.
“Like I could ever forget?” Michael looked over his shoulder and winked. “Don’t worry, I’ll get back as soon as I can.” He smiled as he pulled on his golden robes. “I can’t imagine what catastrophe has happened now. I’m sure it’s nothing too serious.” He walked back to the bed, gently placing his hand under Laila’s chin as he softly kissed her lips. He smiled tenderly as he ran his thumb along her lower lip. “I’ll be back soon my love.”
“I love you too.” Laila smiled as he turned and walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind him. She quieted her breathing as she listened intently, trying to decipher the muffled voices on the other side of the door.
“Are you fucking kidding me!” Michael’s voice reverberated through the room, causing Laila to jump. The door opened as he peered inside. “Sorry honey.” He sighed as his eyes found hers. “This needs to be dealt with right away. I’ll probably be gone the rest of the day.”
“That’s fine.” She smiled wearily as she stood from the bed. “I’ll just go to the clinic then. I have another idea for a cure for Aria.”
“I’m so sorry.” Michael looked over his shoulder and muttered something to Alistair. “I’ll see you at dinner.” He smiled sadly as he turned and closed the door, leaving Laila in their empty room. She sighed as she looked around the room, her eyes landing on the book she had placed onto the side table.
“Looks like it’ll be just you and me,” she muttered as she grabbed the book and headed towards the door. “Hopefully you have what I need.”
~~~~
Piles of books had been scattered across the room, filling every nook that was available. Laila sighed wearily as she shut another book, placing it on the ever-growing pile on the floor. She picked up a silver chalice and slowly sipped the lukewarm water. It had been months since she had last visited Aria, attempting another useless antidote. She was beginning to think she would never find a cure, which would guarantee Aria’s death. “I can’t let that happen.” she sighed wearily as she put down her chalice and grabbed another book from a pile on the floor, gently placing it on her desk. A knock sounded on the door.
“Come in,” she called out as she stood from her desk and turned, the door opened as Selaphiel was escorted into the room by one of the other healers. “Thank you.” Laila nodded at the healer as he turned and quickly left the room. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked as she examined Selaphiel, his light blonde hair fell across his face, shielding his light blue eyes.
“I have a message for you in the Book of Whispers.” He eyed her wearily as he handed her the gold book. She quickly grabbed it and set it on the desk. The candlelight flickered across the yellowed parchment as Laila opened the book and stared at the page. Her sigil was shining brightly, reflecting the light that hit it. She quickly grabbed the silver feather and pricked her finger, gracefully drawing her sigil next to the one already on the worn page. She watched with anticipation as the book accepted her blood sigil. Aria’s handwriting began to form on the page, her delicate script quickly filling the page.
Laila looked over her shoulder, her eyes landing on Selaphiel standing awkwardly by the door, his face filled with confusion as he examined her quarters. She turned back to the book and read the message. She took a deep breath as she re-read the message. “I can’t believe it,” she muttered under her breath.
“What is it?” Selaphiel asked as he stepped towards her. Laila quickly pricked her finger and wrote a response in the book, the letters fading into the paper as she wrote. She jumped as Selaphiel appeared next to her, looking over her shoulder towards the book. Laila slammed the book closed as she looked up at him.
>
“What are you doing?” she asked. “This was a private message.”
“I’m sorry,” Selaphiel responded as he diverted his eyes. “I heard you muttering and thought…” He paused, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. “I just thought, that maybe the cure worked. I mean… It was Aria that wrote to you, correct?”
“Oh,” Laila responded as she ran her hand along the cover of the book. “Yea… Well, it kind of worked… anyway.” She cleared her throat as she handed the book back to Selaphiel. “But it’s a start.” She smiled confidently as he took the book from her.
“That is great news.” He smiled as he pulled the book against his chest. “Now, if you don’t mind. I have some urgent matters to attend to.” He nodded at Laila before looking around the room again, his eyes lingering on the worn, leather book on her desk. Curiosity flashed across his face as he turned away from her. “Yes, I have lots to do.” He shuffled his feet as he left the room, letting the door slam shut behind him. Laila turned towards her desk, her eyes landing on the book that had caught his attention. She pulled it towards her. Her green eyes lingered on the delicate script, The Fall of Lucifer. She stared at the book, its leather was worn and cracked. I wonder why he focused on this book? she thought as she nonchalantly opened the cover, her eyes gazing the worn parchment. Was Lucifer cured and we just don’t know about it? She wondered as she started scanning the first page.
“Laila.” The male healer from earlier poked his head in through the door.
“Yes?” she replied softly as she looked over at him.
“You’re needed in the healing chambers.”
“Of course,” she responded softly. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Alright,” he responded as he left, softly closing the door behind him.
Laila gazed at the book as she gently picked it up. “I should put you somewhere safe,” she muttered as she gazed around the room. She walked over to the bed in the corner. “This will have to do for now.” She sighed as she shoved the book underneath the mattress. She straightened the sheets on the bed, making it look as pristine as before. With a sigh, she walked to the door and quickly left the room.
Chapter Four
Earth
Abel sighed wearily as he looked at his group, there were ninety-seven in total, and he was in charge of all of them. He glanced at the three wagons they had scavenged, their wheels were worn and uneven, and the wood was crumbling from dry rot. Two of the wagons were full of blankets, a couple of barrels of rum, and some sacks that used to be full of bread. They hadn’t found much in Chicago before leaving, thankfully they had found enough weapons to arm everyone, and even a few demonic weapons for him and Cain. His heart throbbed with pain as he thought of his older brother.
He was made for this. Abel thought as he examined his surroundings. He was taking his group along the Great River while Cain was going southwest through the wilderness. Abel stared at the trees as he walked, I’m no leader, not like him. He sighed as he looked up at the sky, the sun was beginning to set, its pink and orange hues filling the darkening sky.
“Let’s make camp here,” Abel shouted to the group. He smiled as his command was echoed up the line and everyone came to a slow stop. The group split up, laying out their sleeping mats and starting small fires. Abel sat around his own fire with a group of four men, staring into the woods. The sun had set, and the pale moonlight filtered through the treetops across their tired faces.
A shout of excitement filled the air, Abel watched with disdain as a man came running from the woods, a small rabbit dangling from his hands. Chaos ensued as two men jumped him, fighting over the animal with gusto. Abel growled as he released his demonic form, his eyes turned black and his mouth ripped open as his fangs descended.
“Enough!” he snarled as he stood up. “If one of us can’t eat, then no one eats!” Silence encompassed the camp as the group stared at Abel, watching in awe as he transformed back to his human form. “We live together, fight together, and starve together.” He paused as he looked around the camp. “These are my rules. Many of you served in different rebellions, while for some, Chicago was your first time drawing a weapon against the demons. But from here on out, you follow my banner, and you will be my brothers and sisters. We will suffer together and reap victory together.” Abel stared at the three men laying on the ground, the dead rabbit lying in a small heap next to them. They eyed Abel wearily, their faces filled with fear. “You are no longer an individual. You are not fighting for yourselves, but for each other. If you refuse, leave now, or die by my hands later. Because that kind of treachery will get others killed.”
The three men looked at each other and quietly stood up, tossing the dead rabbit back into the woods. They sat down by their fire, their faces drawn from hunger and exhaustion. Whispers ran through the camp as Abel sat back down with his group. A man wearing a black cloak chuckled as he looked over at Abel.
“That was a risky move,” he chuckled as he looked at the three men that had been fighting. “Aren’t you supposed to be recruiting? Not thinning out the herd?”
“No use recruiting those who only look out for themselves. Those types of people will get you killed,” Abel replied confidently as he lifted his wineskin to his lips, taking a long drink of water. He wiped his mouth across his sleeve as he handed the wineskin over to the main in the cloak. “You should know this, Cyrus. After all, you helped us in Chicago.”
“Yes,” The cloaked man responded, his voice deep and rough. “But that was for a bag of uncut rubies.” Cyrus took a quick drink from the wineskin and set it down. His hazel eyes shimmered in the firelight. “That would make me selfish, would it not?”
Abel chuckled darkly as he stared at Cyrus. “We both know you would have helped either way.”
“If you say so,” Cyrus responded as he stared into the fire. “We should be coming upon a village tomorrow. Hopefully they’ll be open for trade.”
“I hope so,” Abel replied solemnly, the gravity of his new position weighing heavily on his shoulders.
~~~~
The breeze was light, and the air was brisk as Cain and his men made their way through the dense trees. The ground was hard and covered with patches of snow that the sun hadn’t melted yet. The landscape was mostly rolling hills, with pockets of dense trees. Several creeks cut through the land, while small farms were scattered throughout the plains. The dense woods held an abundance of deer and wild turkeys, making it easy to keep everyone fed. Cain also sent small raiding parties to get food from the various farms that they passed along the way, only taking small amounts of vegetables and barley so they would stay unnoticed by the local populace.
The sun hovered brightly overhead as they entered a small valley, its rays beating down on them. Cain stopped and held his hand high. “We’ll stop here for the day,” Hh shouted, watching smugly as his men stopped and began to make camp in the small clearing. Once everyone had finished unloading their gear, they gathered around Cain, patiently waiting for their orders.
“Today, we hunt!” he announced to a chorus of cheers. “Bring back meat to share and you’ll get the best cut of whatever you catch. And… since I have yet to nominate a second.” He paused, his gray eyes searching the various faces in the crowd. “Whoever catches the biggest animal will become my right-hand!” Excited whispers filled the air as the group dispersed, quickly grabbing their hunting gear as they left the camp. Some men and women stayed behind with Cain, setting up campfires and sleeping areas.
A few hours passed before men and women started trickling back into camp, carrying their trophies with pride. The pile grew, filled with deer and turkeys of various sizes. Cain smiled joyfully as he watched his followers return, keeping track of who currently had the largest kill. The sun began to set as the rest of the group meandered into the camp. The last to arrive was Nikolai, and he was empty handed.
“Bad night, Nikolai?” Cain asked with surprise as the camp fell silent.
“Not at all.”
Nikolai smiled, his teeth shining brightly against his dark skin. “I fear I need help bringing my kill back to camp.” His voice was deep and pleasant to the ear, the opposite of his rough appearance. His body was covered in scars, a testament to the battles he had fought in the past and the torture he had endured from the demons during his captivity.
“Well then.” Cain looked around the camp. “You heard the man! Let’s go see what kind of prize he has caught for us tonight.” Cain chuckled as a few men jumped up from their sleeping areas, eager to help. “Lead the way.” Cain gestured to Nikolai; his gray eyes filled with excitement.
The small group followed Nikolai out of the camp as excited whispers filled the air behind them. Nikolai led them through the dense trees, his feet barely making a sound as he walked. He slowed to examine his surroundings, stopping in front of a pile of brush. He glanced at the group and smiled as he began to pull back the brush, revealing the face of a grizzly bear, its brown eyes staring blankly into the distance.
“Holy shit!” Cain shouted with surprise as Nikolai continued to pull the brush off the bear. “That’s the largest damn bear I’ve ever seen. It must be fourteen feet tall!” He walked around the bear, baffled by its size. “I’d bet it’s over a thousand pounds.” His voice was full of awe as he looked over at Nikolai. “This is gonna be one hell of a story!” Cain chuckled as he motioned to the men. “Come on, let’s get this fucker back to camp so Nikolai can regale us all with his tale!”
The men surrounded the bear and squatted next to it, each of them grabbing the thick, brown fur. “On three.” Cain commented as he found a good hold on the bear. “One, two, three.” With a chorus of grunts, the men lifted the giant bear and slowly made their way back to camp.
Silence filled the camp as they hauled the bear over to the pile of deer and turkeys. They dropped it next to the pile as murmurings filtered through the camp. Cain turned towards the group and smiled, the firelight dancing off his face. “Tonight, we celebrate!” he shouted happily as cheers filled the camp. “Anthony, open the rum! Greta and Jess, come skin this bear and prepare it for dinner.” Cain smiled as his group began to scatter, finding ways to help prepare for their feast. He turned towards Nikolai and smiled. “Now, tell me how you killed this monster.” Nikolai smiled brightly as he sat by one of the fires, eagerly telling his tale.
