Alex stared at the fire, wondering if sleep would ever come. He was exhausted, but this was so uncomfortable. In the end, he did drift off, but it was one of those waking sleeps and it was filled with strange dreams. In one dream, he was back on earth, in a bar. Sitting beside him was Satan in his human form. They were having a beer, discussing God and ways of destroying him.
In another, he stood over a large pit of fire. At the bottom of the pit was Satan, again in his human form. He seemed in good spirits, complementing Lucifer on returning strong and being a worthy challenge.
When finally, the dark maroon sky above turned to a lighter shade of red and the girls stirred, Alex was glad the night was over, only so that they could move on and find somewhere better to spend the night.
Exhausted and thirsty, Alex and Natasha left the girls behind to head back to the foothills and scout the area. Alex was used to riding the hell horse, and even found it reassuring being atop such a powerful beast.
They weaved their way around the myriad path between the hills. It truly was a maze, but Natasha knew her way. As they came to the edge of the mountains, Natasha suggested they dismount. Which they did. After tying the horses to a tree at the bottom of one hill, Alex and Natasha began to climb said hill to get a better look. Once at the top, it didn’t take long for Alex to realise the problem.
“What the fuck,” Natasha muttered.
“That’s a problem, isn’t it?” Alex asked.
“There are hundreds of them, maybe even a thousand!” Natasha said, her voice rising. “What the hell!” she muttered. “Why are there so many?”
“Maybe they really want to catch you,” Alex said.
Natasha stared at him, eyes narrowed. “Or maybe they really want you.”
Alex feared she might be right. A hundred feet away from the foothills, standing on the flat rock, were a thousand demons. They milled about in small groups of fives and sixes, each standing fifty feet away from the next group, and stretching as far as the eye could see. There was no sneaking past them.
“Fuck,” Natasha cursed. “Look,” she pointed at the small group of demons riding into the mountains on hell horses.
Beside the horses were enormous beasts with mangled fur and red eyes that glowed visibly even during the day. They had thorns growing around the neck. Alex didn’t need anyone to tell him what they were. They were literal hellhounds.
“We need to get back to the girls and make a run for it,” Natasha said. “Those hounds will track us down in no time.”
Natasha and Alex rushed down the mountain and jumped onto their horses. The rest of the way back, they rode quickly and silently. Once back at the valley, Natasha told the girls what they’d witnessed, and what the plan was. Alex could see the worry in One, Two and Jamana’s eyes. These girls weren’t used to being on the run. They were used to staying put and taking the pain.
Whatever happened, Alex was going to make sure no harm came to them.
They set off on their horses, riding through the path between the bottom of the mountains. The deeper they went, the harder it became to move quickly. Sometimes, the path completely disappeared and they either had to backtrack and look for another route, or climb the mountain. Both methods took time. Time they couldn’t afford.
Despite their best efforts, it wasn’t long before they could hear the howls of the hellhounds. They were getting closer. Alex knew running away wasn’t an option.
“Find a safe place for the girls to hide. Then turn around and we will fight them,” Lucifer said.
Alex was thinking along the same lines. He glanced around at his surroundings. Hard rocky mountains and not much else. Bringing his horse up to Natasha, Alex told her his thoughts.
“A cave,” Natasha said. “We need to find a cave.”
With the dogs’ growls getting louder and louder, Alex feared they would run out of time. Just as he was about to turn around and head towards the sounds of the dogs, Natasha pointed up at the side of a cliff. Amongst the red rock was a black hole.
A cave.
“Get in there,” Alex told them.
As they scrambled to climb the cliff, Alex turned and headed back. It wasn’t long before one of the hounds came into view. It stared at him with red eyes, then leapt into the air from thirty feet away. It was a fantastic leap. High and immense speed, it caught Alex by surprise. The dog knocked him off the horse. Alex hit the ground hard. He landed in an awkward position. The handle of the sword sheathed to his back was stuck between two protruding rocks.
The dog came for his throat, and thanks to having played a few violent video games, Alex raised his arm to protect his neck.
He might have saved his neck, but he was doing little to stop the dog hurting him elsewhere. Alex had no armour on, not even his shirt. He felt a stinging sensation as the dog’s claws dug into his flesh, as blood trickled out.
With one hand busy holding the beast’s jaws at bay, the other hand was free. But Alex couldn’t pull his sword free. Deciding he had nothing else to do and nothing to lose, Alex punched the dog on the side of its jaw. It was a good hard punch that knocked the dog back. Alex quickly rose to his feet and drew his sword. As the dog leapt at him once more, he sliced the creature in half with a single strike.
The dog gave a howl as its body, now in half, hit the ground. Its blood darkened the red rock. The glow in its eyes dimmed as the body stopped moving.
There was a lot of blood on Alex’s chest. Some of the wounds seemed deep. But they were in his flesh and hadn’t punctured any vital organs. Alex could hear hooves hitting hard ground and he turned to face the approaching demons.
There were four of them. And he knew them all.
Pikes, Magnamus, Cierrella and Maria.
Beside them were four more dogs.
Maria dismounted from her horse and approached Alex.
“Where are the humans?” she asked.
Alex didn’t respond. He simply raised his sword and held it before him.
“It’s against the rules, Alex,” Maria said softly. “And no one is above the rules. Not even you.”
“I’m not going to let you take them,” Alex replied.
He glanced back at Pikes. The demon wore a grin on his face, his hands rested on the two sword handles sheathed by his waist. “I’m not going to let you tie them up in the square and whip them in public, let demons rape them-”
“They need to be punished, Alex,” Maria said. “It is the rules. But after their punishment, you can buy them. Then, you can heal their wounds and take care of them. But they do need to be punished.”
Although this information was new to Alex, that he could purchase the girls, it was out of the question. He wasn’t going to purchase them. Nor was he going to let Katrina and Natasha go back to be tortured and raped in a public square.
“Not going to happen,” he said.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Pikes growled from behind. “You’ve had your chance, Maria. Now step back and let us men handle it.”
Alex’s sword began to flame red as Pikes jumped off his horse. But rather than attack him, Pikes gave a low whistle. The dogs charged at Alex. But he was better prepared this time. Two of them leapt at him, whilst the two others ran towards him on either side.
Alex stepped forward, eyes on the two in the air, he sliced them in half with quick strikes, then dropped to the ground as the two on the side leapt at him. Alex rolled under them and struck with his sword. He sliced one in the underbelly. He moved out of the way just in time as the bloody guts rolled out. He missed the second dog. Alex climbed to his feet as the dog tried to bite his leg. He raised his foot, then stabbed down with his sword, driving it into the beast’s head. Its bones were no match for the sharp blade.
“Not bad,” Pikes said, grudging admiration in his voice. “You’re still going to die.”
He approached Alex, both swords in hand now, he whirled them about. The sharp edges glistened, even in the red light of hell. Magnamus also dismounted.
The enormous axe that rested on his shoulder now hit the ground with a thud. As Pikes approached directly, Magnamus took a side route, his steps much slower, there was a keen focus in his eyes.
Alex glanced at Maria and Cierrella. Neither had yet made a move to join in the attack. He would have to keep his guard up in case either girl had a change of heart. With that in mind, Alex turned his attention back onto Pikes. The guy had an attitude, but it was possible he had the skills to match.
They began to duel. Alex moved in to strike, parried blows and stepped back in time. It was slow at first, as they tested each other. Then, Pikes picked up the offense. He struck quicker with his swords, upping the intensity, he pushed Alex back.
Then, just as Alex blocked one black sword with his longsword and tilted his head back to avoid the other, Magnamus’s axe came flying at him from the side.
It should have smashed him into bits, but Alex dropped to the ground, then scrambled back as Pikes tried to impale him with the black swords. Before he could rise to his feet, the axe came at him again. Alex didn’t have time to wonder how Magnamus had managed to gather his axe after having thrown it.
He raised his sword and blocked the axe. But it came with such force that, though his sword deflected the blade, the poll slammed onto his cheek. Alex blinked as bright colours appeared in his sight. Again, he didn’t get a chance to catch his breath. Pikes had leapt into the air and was bearing down on him with the black swords.
Rather than block, Alex moved back just in the nick of time, his sword by his side, wary in case the axe came at him again. But it didn’t. Magnamus held the thing in his hand, pressed against his chest, a hunter’s glint in his eyes.
“What you did to Judas and Nekrosis won’t work here, human,” Pikes said, smiling as his eyes hovered over the bruised spot beneath Alex’s eye. “You’re going to die today. It will be a slow death. A painful one.”
“Ideas?” Alex asked.
“Yes. You need to concentrate. You need to access my memories, my talents. Then, you’ll be able to defeat these two. Otherwise you're going to die. I don’t even know what that will mean for you here in hell. Will your soul sink even further?”
Alex didn’t want to think about dying. He was going to win this fight. He was going to see the girls to safety.
“How do I concentrate?” he asked.
Alex closed his eyes for a moment, knowing instantly that Lucifer was going to mock him for asking that.
“Just relax. Imagine you’re lying in a nice warm bath. The warmth that’s flowing through your body, imagine those are scented candles. Breath in deeply, like you’re inhaling the scent and clearing your mind.”
Alex did as he was told. He held the sword lightly, his shoulders relaxed and he breathed in deeply.
Pikes seemed to notice a change. His eyes narrowed. “What is he doing?” he asked.
“Meditating?” Maria suggested.
Pikes let out a laugh that sounded more like a cackle. His lips spread open in a toothy sneer. “Maybe he’s praying. Question is, who do you pray to when you’re in hell, human?”
Alex felt a calm wash over him. The throbbing beneath his eye was still there. But it didn’t bother him. Nor did the claw marks on his chest. The blood had clotted, but where previously it stung, now his chest seemed to radiate such heat, he was sure under the dried blood, he was healed completely.
Alex opened his eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”
It was the axe that came at him first this time. Alex saw it from the corner of his eye. He moved his head back and watched it sail past, then in mid-air, it stopped. As if being rewound, it sailed past him again, but this time it returned to Magnamus and he caught it deftly.
Alex grinned. The demon did seem to have some sort of magnetic pull with his axe. When Pikes came at him, Alex barely used his sword. His body whirled about, avoiding the blades, sometimes by a hair. Pikes jaw tightened, his anger growing. But Alex continued to dodge the swords. Then, as the axe came flying at him, he moved sideways, his foot brushed against Pikes ankle. It was a gentle enough touch, but when they were moving at such speeds, it was enough to cause Pikes to tumble.
With a little guidance from his longsword slashing at his side, Pikes was forced to turn whilst he was tumbling. As his black swords clashed with Alex’s flaming longsword, the force of the clash threw him perfectly in the path of the incoming axe.
In reality, it all happened in the blink of an eye. But for Alex, it seemed to happen in slow motion. To his credit, Pikes did not cry as the sharp blade of the axe tore into his spine. He hit the ground; the axe buried in his back.
His eyes were open as he lay there. His spine shattered; he was unable to move. Alex didn’t care for a conversation with Pikes now that he was dying. Without any feelings, he moved in and drove his sword into Pikes heart. The demon’s eyes closed when he pulled it out.
Alex turned to face Magnamus, but the demon built like a fucking tank didn’t seem that interested in fighting. Nor did he seem saddened at Pikes death.
Magnamus turned to Maria. “Shall we go?” he asked.
Maria nodded. “See you around, Alex,” she said, as she mounted her horse.
“That’s it?” Alex asked, a little confused. “You guys are just going to walk away.”
Maria nodded. “It was Pikes idea to come after you. He pushed for the capture of the girls. Whilst it is against the rules, we don’t normally gather up a literal army to track down a couple of runaway humans. Pikes demanded that no one should be above the law. Especially a human. When he highlighted the bit about you being a human, that riled up a lot of demons.” She nodded at Pikes. “He’s dead now. Good riddance too. He was a moody bastard.”
The three demons were back on their hell horses. They set off, leaving Alex behind with Pikes’ dead body.
Even in death, Pikes looked like an asshole. Alex felt nothing for the demon. He walked up to Pikes’s hell horse and rummaged through the bags attached to the saddle. There was a water skin and some bread in a pouch. Alex took them, then mounted his own horse and headed back towards the girls.
Chapter 38
Alex made his way back towards the cave the girls were hiding in. It was a steep climb, but he felt good. Some of it was thanks to Lucifer’s strength radiating through him. But mostly, he was happy that the girls were going to be safe.
The mouth of the cave was small, and Alex had to duck his head to enter. It was almost pitch-black inside, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he spotted the girls seated on the ground, their backs pressed against the back wall of the cave. They stared up at him as he entered.
Alex smiled at the girls, but none of them returned the smile. “What’s wrong?”
“Is that blood on your chest?” Jamana asked as she climbed to her feet and came over to investigate.
Alex nodded. “Thanks for noticing,” he muttered. He’d been hoping for a bit more of a positive reaction, maybe some care about his injuries and praise for his having defeated the demons and saved them all. But Alex could tell something else had happened here. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“We remember,” One said.
Alex raised an eyebrow queryingly at Jamana. “What do they remember?” he whispered.
“They remember who they are,” Jamana said. “It happened all so suddenly. They remember everything.”
One gave a weak smile. “My name is Rebecca.” Her smile faltered. “Was Rebecca. I died at the age of forty-six in a car crash. It was my fault. I was driving over the speed limit and texting on my phone at the same time. I didn’t see the girl until it was too late. I tried to serve out of the way…” she stopped talking. Her teeth bit into her lips as her eyes bubbled. “She died… I did too.”
Alex felt stunned. One, no, her name was Rebecca. She knew who she was. It was a major breakthrough.
Two raised her hand and waved at him. “I’m Felicity,” she said. She sounded cheerier than Rebecca. “I was a porn star,
” she laughed. “No wonder I’m in hell, right?” she laughed again. But it was a nervous laugh.
Alex turned to Natasha. The girl was staring into space, her usually tanned skin was pale. “I’m in hell,” she said slowly.
“She was a good practicing Christian,” Felicity filled in. “Can’t understand how she ended up in hell.”
“I’m in hell,” Natasha repeated. She turned to look up at him. “I’ve done awful things here. I slept with another woman. I had sex with you and… and we weren’t married. The demons have won. They’ve taken my soul, and this is my punishment. They wiped my memory, made me forget God and his will, they made me sin and now they’re making me remember.”
There was anguish in her voice. Natasha raised her fingers and dug them into her hair. Alex feared she was going to tear her hair out. Katrina, meanwhile, just stared at Natasha, her lips curled.
“She was a hedonistic lesbian back on earth,” Felicity said joyfully, pointing at Katrina. “You can see why there’s a problem between them, right?” she asked Alex. “Katrina’s angry because she hated the preachy type,” Felicity pointed at Natasha. “And Natasha’s angry because she’s in hell, and she thinks Katrina is just part of the plan in torturing her.”
“Thanks, Felicity,” Alex said, giving her the thumbs up and hoping she would stop explaining the obvious.
Alex had to lower his head as he moved further into the cave. He sat beside the girls, his legs crossed.
“You’re all in hell, that’s true,” Alex said.
“Wow, great pep talk,” Katrina muttered. “The way you walked down here, I thought you were going to say something profound. You know, not make things more miserable than they already are?”
Alex frowned. “I hadn’t finished,” he muttered.
The Devil's Apprentice: Book 2: Descent to Hell Page 20
