by Diem, J. C.
“We’re going,” I replied and rolled my eyes. “Keep your pants on.”
“I do not wear pants,” he replied curtly. “It may have escaped your notice, but I do not possess legs.”
“You don’t possess a butt either, yet you somehow have a stick up it anyway,” I replied snarkily. Rashida giggled then clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise. I was pretty sure it had been a very long time since she’d had anything to laugh about.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-One
My new canine companions followed us through the gate as it glowered at me. They moved to surround us as soon as we stepped into the shadowlands. They didn’t disappear to the nowhere lands, which meant danger was probably lurking somewhere in the gloom around us.
Calling on my dagger, I wasn’t surprised when it started to glow softly. It would indicate how close the peril was. The imps and hounds were black and nearly faded into the dimness. My skin and armor were just as dark, but my hair stood out starkly. I drew the hood up over my horns until my face was shadowed. Like the rest of my clothing, the hood had grown to accommodate my new size. The skull buckles that had become a protective breastplate were a dull bronze color and didn’t stand out. The hounds’ eyes and the glow from my dagger were the only bright colors.
A flapping sound came from somewhere in the distance and one of the imps gasped in alarm. “What was that?” she whispered. The raven had flown through the shadowlands before we’d entered and it would already be at the hellgate by now.
“It could be a few things,” another of the imps replied. “It might be a wyvern, a gargoyle or a bat. It did not sound large enough to be a leviathan or a dragon.”
Leviathans had wings, but they were far too heavy to fly. I’d only ever seen one dragon and it had just been an illusion. Its wings had been far larger than the leviathans’ and they could propel the hellbeasts high into the air. “I didn’t know there were bats in hell,” I said.
“They are only seen in the innermost realms,” the same imp replied. “They are pests and most were hunted down.”
“Are they worse than crab beetles?” I queried. “I heard they’d almost been eradicated as well.”
Rashida gasped in fear. “You have seen a crab beetle?”
“Yeah. It was locked in a cell in the ninth realm. I set it free and it helped me take down the Prince.”
Their faces turned ashen with fear. “You allowed it to escape?” someone said in a strangled voice.
“Don’t worry, it isn’t on the loose,” I hastened to reassure them. “It went to the nowhere lands along with my nightmares and hounds.”
They stared at me as if I was crazy. “Crab beetles do not become servants of the Princes,” the same imp said flatly. “They have loyalty only to their own species.”
“This one has loyalty to me,” I replied with a shrug. “Anyway, what makes these hellbats so dangerous?”
“They are similar to vampire bats on Earth,” Rashida said in a hushed whisper. “The ones that survived the purge live in caves beneath the volcanos in the first and second realm. They come out once a day to hunt. Once they have chosen their prey, they hunt them down mercilessly. They stalk them from above then drop down and wrap their wings around them. They draw their victim’s blood out through their necks, leaving only a dry husk behind.”
“Imps wouldn’t die from that,” I pointed out. “Your blood would be replenished over time.” Demons also wouldn’t die from blood loss.
“That is true, yet the process is excruciatingly painful. It is like having acid pumped through your entire body and you are helpless to stop it.”
I held in a shudder at the image that her description conjured up. “How big are these things?” I asked.
“They are about the same size as a wyvern.”
Wyverns stood taller than an average sized man, so that meant the hellbats were pretty big. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hellgate to the second realm had created at least one of them to guard the shadowlands. Maybe the hounds had sensed the danger and had come along to protect me from it. My nightmares were still resting and feeding. I didn’t want to call them back before they were ready.
More flapping sounds came and our heads turned in a futile effort to see the things that were circling us.
“There is more than one of them,” an imp whispered. Unarmed, they were defenseless against the creatures that were stalking us.
“How were you planning on getting through the gates to the second realm?” I asked in an effort to distract them from their fear.
Rashida was walking at my side. Her head barely came up to my waist. “We were going to wait for a carriage to appear, then slip into the shadowlands before the gate closed. Our kind has been migrating towards the first realm for months now. We learned that we can pass through the gates in the wake of the lords and captains.”
Sam had thought he’d snuck out beneath his master’s carriage without notice. One of the hellgates had informed us that his presence had been detected. He was lucky the gate thought he was too insignificant to advise his master he was trying to escape.
Before I could respond, my dagger flared bright scarlet. Something dropped out of the gloom and my weapon transformed into an axe. I swung the blade and it tore through the thin membrane of a wing. The creature screeched and fell to the ground. Pinning it down with my boot, I examined it. Its face was similar to a vampire bat’s with an upturned, flat nose and long fangs. Completely hairless, it would have been about the size of a small teenager when standing. Its wings were wide, leathery and had hands with claws on the ends. They would enable it to take hold of its prey and latch on so it could feed. “Ugh, that’s ugly,” I said in disgust as it snapped at my boot futilely. Its claws screeched against my armored legs. I sliced its head off and it shimmered and turned to mist.
“It was just an illusion,” Rashida said and shivered. It had been aiming for me, but she could just as easily have been the target.
“There are more of them,” someone said in warning. I heard the flapping of wings and saw the mist swirl in agitation.
“It is a whole colony,” another imp said in despair.
Shrill cries preceded the vampire bats as they circled above us. They dove for their prey and I did my best to cut them down. My original pack of hellhounds appeared at my call. They joined the hunt with the rest of the shadowy dogs. Howling and barking with glee, they leaped up to snatch the bats out of the air.
They might be illusions, but they still fed as though they were real. I saw one latch onto an imp and wrap its wings around him tightly. He screamed in pain and terror when its fangs sank into the back of his neck. Turning my axe into a spear, I thrust it through the bat’s skull. It shimmered and faded and the imp staggered a few steps away and sank to the ground. It had only fed on him for a few seconds and he was already woozy from blood loss.
“Behind you!” Rashida screeched, but her warning came too late.
A bat landed on my back and wrapped its leathery wings around my face. It bit through the hood that covered my hair and its fangs pierced my neck. Hot pain erupted in my veins as it began to draw my blood out.
With a roar of rage, I reached over my shoulder and tore it off me. I didn’t bother to hack its head off and instead crushed it to death with one hand. Even though it was no longer feeding on me, my veins were still burning. The bats must have some kind of chemical in their saliva that caused the debilitating pain.
With the help of my hounds, I destroyed the rest of the colony. Several imps had been injured, but my hellbeasts were okay. The ones that had been bitten had simply returned to the nowhere lands to heal before coming back to join the fight. Now that they were my servants, all five of the new packs had access to the nowhere lands as well.
My original alpha stepped up to my side and gave me an accusing look before turning to survey his rivals. I put my hand on his head soothingly. “Don’t be jealous,” I said chidingly. “You know you’re always going to be my favorite
.”
He gave a wolfish grin and stared at the other hounds until they ducked their heads submissively. He was the leader of all six packs now, but the other alphas would still oversee their respective teams.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked the shell-shocked imps. A few were sitting or lying down while they recovered from the attack. One looked dry and withered from having too much blood removed.
“We will be fine, thanks to you and your hounds,” Rashida replied. They’d been afraid of the hellhounds at first, but they were now stroking the dogs in thanks. The hounds allowed it, which was a surprise. I’d expected them to bite the hands off anyone else who tried to pat them.
“We should get a move on,” I urged them. “For all we know, there could be more creatures guarding the hellgate.”
With groans of protest, the injured were lifted to their feet and we recommenced our trek.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Two
We made it to the next gate without encountering any other obstacles. Again, I didn’t need to call out for it. Like the other hellgates that led directly to each realm, this one was already present. Most of the imps had already healed from their injuries. Only one of them needed help to walk. He still looked withered from having his blood drained. I’d had only a small taste of what that had felt like and my veins were still throbbing in reaction.
“My, my, what a ragged bunch of outcasts,” the hellgate said with a sly grin when we stopped in front of him. “How fitting that lowly curs and imps should be Hellscourge’s entourage.” He was almost as snarky as the ones that guarded the passages from Earth.
“Thanks for sending your bats after us,” I said. “I had fun chopping them all to pieces.”
His mouth drew down in an unhappy frown. “I can easily call on more of them,” he said sulkily. “I can also throw in a leviathan or two if you like.”
“I’ll pass. I have pressing business elsewhere.” He stared down at me in silence. “That’s your cue to let us through,” I told him.
“I am not a mind reader,” he said stiffly. “You need to say the words before I am required to obey your command.”
“Okay then,” I said with exaggerated patience. “Open up.”
Muttering beneath his breath, he did as I ordered. His gargoyles shifted position and swiveled around so they could watch us as we stepped through into the wastelands.
Just before the gate closed behind us, I heard the frantic flapping of wings. I turned to see the Hellmaster’s pet raven squeeze through the opening a moment before it slammed shut with a metallic clang. It hadn’t zoomed ahead as I’d thought and had instead been watching us from the darkness.
“Welcome to the second realm of hell,” the gate intoned. “I am sure the Prince will be ready and waiting for you when you arrive at his palace.”
He grinned nastily and I grimaced in response. Equipped with the knowledge that the ruler of this realm had access to dangerous runes, I wasn’t looking forward to meeting him. I had to hope my wrath would be enough to help me succeed in defeating him.
Circling us once, the raven sped off. It followed the cobbled road that led towards a small village that I could see on the horizon. As always, the wasteland was devoid of living plants. Petrified trees were far more numerous here. I could see what looked like hell’s version of woods off to the left. The trees were far larger than the spindly ones I was used to. A mountain range with active volcanos huddled over to the right. Ash dotted the ground and blended in with the arid gray soil. Black boulders were scattered here and there. They’d been blasted from the volcanos when they’d blown their tops.
With each realm that we visited, the gloom had gradually become lighter. The second realm was far brighter than the ninth. A red tinge emanated from the streams and rivers of lava that flowed from the volcanos. I imagined the first realm would be brighter still. It was almost as warm as a tropical land, but my body temperature adjusted to suit.
We began walking and the small village soon became close enough to be seen clearly. The walls that surrounded the settlements were usually only six feet high. These walls were more than double that height. Only the roofs and upper floors of the larger buildings were visible.
“I wonder why the walls are so high?” I murmured. The road passed straight through the village and the gate that guarded it was shut. Just wide enough to allow carriages to pass through, it was made of the same rusty wrought iron as the hellgates. Two soldiers stood on either side of it. Knowing demons well by now, I figured they were probably gossiping.
“I have heard the creatures that roam the wastelands are much more common here,” Rashida said in a hushed whisper. “The hellbeasts are large in number and they prey on anything that moves.”
I guided my followers away from the road before we could be spotted. We headed in a wide arc around the town. Eyeing the slick black wall, I sneered at the pitiful defense. “A leviathan could step over that and flatten everyone inside the town in seconds.”
“Thankfully, leviathans prefer to remain near the volcanos,” she replied. “They only leave the caverns where they nest if they are called to action by their master.”
“They live in caverns?”
She nodded and kept her voice low so we wouldn’t be overheard by anyone in the nearby town. The moans and cries from the human souls would probably drown us out anyway. “Satan created underground dwellings with never ending flames to keep the fierce creatures warm and docile. They remain in a stasis unless they are riled to battle. They become belligerent and extremely destructive once they are roused from their slumber.”
“What about dragons? Am I likely to see any of them here?” After the dream I’d had of a gigantic flying red lizard crushing my skull, I hoped I’d never encounter one.
“Possibly. They tend to nest inside the volcanos. They are very territorial and will attack anything that comes close to their lairs.”
This land was even more dangerous than the other realms, which didn’t surprise me at all. It was far larger and would no doubt have all sorts of hellbeasts spread across the wastelands.
Skirting around the town, we trudged back to the road. The cobblestones petered out after a couple of miles and were replaced by a rutted dirt track. It was obvious that a lot of traffic had passed this way over the eons.
Noticing the smooth, sandy soil on both sides of the road, I realized why the villagers had built a higher wall. Arachnoids had taken up residence near the settlement. The walls would keep the critters from swarming over them. Although they superficially resembled spiders, I hadn’t seen any evidence that they could climb.
My nightmares appeared a short while later and the imps gave quiet sighs of relief. Travelling by coach was a far faster and safer way to traverse through hell. As long as we stayed on the road, we hopefully shouldn’t encounter too many problems.
It was going to take us at least a couple of weeks to reach the capital city. I wasn’t sure how I was going to sneak into the palace this time. The city would be vast and full of demons who wanted to kill me. It was going to take stealth and cunning. They were the two things that I’d always relied on Sam for.
Even though I was surrounded by the very same creatures as my best friend, I felt alone as we rumbled across the wasteland. They were good for companionship, but they didn’t have the skills I needed to infiltrate the next palace. Besides, this was my fight and I couldn’t expect them to put their safety on the line for me.
My hounds had disappeared as soon as the nightmares had arrived. They trusted my steeds to keep me safe. That brought up a question I’d been pondering for a while. “What happens to demons when they’re badly wounded if they’re already in the first realm?” I asked the carriage at large.
“If they are not already a servant, they are stripped of their rank,” a female imp replied. Rashida was taking her turn to ride on the outside of the carriage and wasn’t there to answer me. “If they are already the lowest in the hierarchy, then they
merely suffer for a short while until they heal,” she explained.
“That makes sense, I guess.”
The closer we drew to the palace, the more nervous I became. The imps sensed my unease and did their best to keep me occupied. Like me, they didn’t need to eat or sleep. They regaled me with stories of how they managed to stay under the radar and avoid the notice of their masters. It was both entertaining and sad to hear that they’d learned to adapt so they could avoid being beaten. I privately vowed to find a way to help the beleaguered imps. To do that, I’d have to kill the Hellmaster. Maybe they’d be able to find peace once he was gone.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Three
Most of the settlements’ gates were closed to keep critters out. Only the larger towns had their gates open. Soldiers patrolled the area, ready to sound the alarm if necessary. We passed through without being challenged, which made me highly suspicious. The demons in this realm hadn’t been ordered to apprehend or kill me. Instead, they merely watched us. With the imps clinging to the outside of my coach like ticks on a mangy dog, we drew the eye of every hell spawn.
Expecting a trap to bring us to a screeching halt at any moment, my nerves were frayed by the time one of the imps thumped on the roof. He was alerting me that we were nearing our destination. I pushed my window up and stuck my head out to see the beacon that sat atop the palace.
Sitting squarely between two active volcanos, it took me a moment to make it out. It was almost indistinguishable against the red and orange glare from the lava that flowed down their sides. Distances were deceiving here and the mountain ranges were most likely a few day’s ride away from the capital city.
It took us three days to reach our destination. I mentally instructed the nightmares to come to a halt before we came within sight of the guards that would be standing near the gate to the main entrance. “This is as far as I can take you,” I said to the imps when they gathered around me. “Good luck with your mission.”
