by Tyler Wild
I wished he had grabbed Asgoth. Perhaps he could have exerted his influence over the creature?
I grabbed a torch from the wall and tried to wave off the beast. He didn’t seem to like the fire.
Cassandra and Sophia staggered to their feet. They attempted to heave the heavy hammer embedded in the wall, but it was too much for them to lift.
The minotaur staggered toward me and slashed the blade across the corridor. It sliced my torch in half, and the flaming end fell to the floor.
He stabbed the sword toward me, and I dodged the blade.
He sliced at me again, and I ducked as the blade smacked the wall.
I scampered to the other side of the hall, and the beast swung a backhanded slash in my direction.
My heart thumped. Fear and adrenaline raced through me. Sweat covered my body.
Again, the blade smacked into the wall as I ducked underneath and ran behind the beast.
He spun around and staggered toward me. Just as he did, Lily flew down the passageway and stabbed her rusty sword into the beast’s throat. Blood spewed from the wound.
He smacked her aside, and Lily crashed into the wall, flopping to the ground.
The massive creature clutched his throat and staggered about the hallway. He managed a few last steps toward me, then fell to one knee. He struggled to stand, making it three quarters of the way before falling back down to his knee.
I yanked my blade from his chest and swung Asgoth with all my might, severing the beast’s head. It clunked to the ground, and his massive torso fell forward.
Cassandra’s sword clattered from the beast’s hand as his body continued to twitch. Blood seeped from his neck and pooled on the floor.
My tense body relaxed, and my chest heaved for breath.
Lily climbed to her feet, looking dazed and a little scraped up.
“Is everybody okay?” I asked.
The group gave less than enthusiastic nods. But no one was seriously injured.
We stepped to the beast and rolled his carcass onto his side. The girls recovered their blades.
I wiped the blood from Asgoth on the minotaur’s hide, then sheathed the sword.
Lily ambled back toward the minotaur’s hammer that was still embedded in the wall. “Come check this out.”
We joined her at the site of destruction and peered into the next chamber. It was full of treasure.
I climbed into the narrow opening, and the girls followed.
I was awestruck by the sparkling bounty. Gold glimmered and gemstones sparkled. We had no use for money in the underworld. But there was something else of interest in the chamber—and of far more value.
There was a suit of black armor with elaborate red trim. Next to it, atop a pedestal, sat a small bottle of potion. The purple liquid had a slight glow to it.
“That’s perhaps the most valuable thing in the underworld,” Setia said, appearing next to me.
I reached out and grasped it. “What is it?”
“Life,” Setia said. “It will bring someone back from the dead.”
I arched an incredulous eyebrow at her.
“Pour the potion into the mouth of the deceased, and they will be resurrected.”
“And they will come back just as they were?” I asked. “I’m not too keen on bringing back a demon in the form of a loved one. In my experience, bringing back the dead can have dire consequences.”
Setia grinned. “I promise, they will come back just as they were. Reborn with all the innocence of a fresh soul. Do you think I like losing souls from the underworld?”
I shrugged as I thought about it. “I guess not.”
“My power stems from the number of souls I have in my domain.” She paused for a moment, deep in thought. “One day, when I have acquired enough souls, we will break through the gates of Valinsmor and I will rule all existence.”
“So that’s why you’re helping us?”
“I’m not helping you,” Setia said. “But any foe of Xerius is a friend of mine.”
“I don’t know if I call myself a foe. I’m ambivalent toward Xerius.”
“You intend to kidnap his daughter. If that doesn’t make you a foe, what does?”
She had a point.
“You certainly will incur the wrath of the gods, should you complete your mission. You may find that I’m the only friend you have.”
It was clear to see she relished in playing games. “Of course, I can’t assist you directly in your cause—Xerius may take issue with me. And I am not yet powerful enough to defeat him.”
It was a surprisingly humble admission.
“Patience is my strongest virtue,” Setia said. “In time, Valinsmor will be mine. And I will damn the souls of all the gods.”
She smiled.
I never wanted to get on her bad side. Hell hath no fury like Setia scorned.
“Why do you hate Xerius so?” I asked.
She hesitated for a moment. “Perhaps that is a story for another time.”
I turned my attention to the armor. “Tell me about this?”
55
Kron
“No weapon forged by human hands can pierce this armor,” Setia said.
It made the armor of dubious value. The underworld was full of weapons made by demons. But I figured it couldn’t hurt.
I put on the chest piece, and strapped on two gauntlets. The material was surprisingly light. Plates covered the shoulders and top of the biceps, and there was a small neck guard around the back collar.
It fit me perfectly, as if it had been tailor-made for me. Perhaps it had?
Setia vanished by the time I had donned the armor.
Before we left the treasure chamber, Lily grabbed a shiny new broadsword and left the rusty relic behind. We passed through elaborate double doors and stepped into another hallway.
It seemed we were no longer in a shifting maze of catacombs. I was glad to be free of the nightmarish, disorienting maze. It became claustrophobic, and instilled panic.
We followed the long hallway to another chamber. Standing in the entryway, I knew this was going to be trouble. Demons hung upside down from the ceiling, dangling by their claws. Their bat-like wings folded around them as they slept.
They had grotesque faces with row upon row of jagged teeth, perfect for incising flesh. They had grayish black skin and a spotted underbelly of a slightly lighter color. They had long pointy ears, that scooped up the slightest sound and funneled it into their brain. They looked like diabolical elves that had taken ugly pills.
There were hundreds of them in the chamber, resting peacefully.
We all exchanged a wary glance, knowing that the slightest sound would awaken the sleeping demons.
For a moment, I thought about turning around, making our way back through the treasure chamber and slipping back into the shifting maze where the minotaur lay.
As much as I disliked that scenario, it seemed like a better option. But no matter where we went, we were likely to find untenable situations.
I quickly realized going back wasn’t an option. As I turned around and looked behind me, nothing existed.
I took a few steps toward the treasure room but the hallway ended. There was nothing but an empty black abyss. If I had taken one more step, I would have fallen into a vast darkness.
Setia definitely liked to play games.
I turned around and moved back to the entrance of the demon cave. I took a deep breath, then stepped inside with my sword drawn.
I crept forward, and the girls followed single file behind me. We didn’t make a sound. We were as stealthy as ninja cats. Lily hovered through the room without touching her feet to the ground.
A demon stretched and fluttered its catlike wings. The movement sent a jolt of panic through my entire body, and I felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest.
The creature yawned, then went back to his slumber.
I breathed a sigh of relief. But my pulse still pounded in my ears, and my
body vibrated with each beat of my heart. It was so loud, I thought for sure these creatures would hear.
I took a few slow, deep breaths, trying to settle myself and continued creeping through the perilous chamber.
We were almost to the other side when one of the demons stretched again. His bat-like wings fluttered, creating a little noise. But worse than that, he grazed a neighboring demon—and that demon stretched its wings and readjusted its position.
Like a yawn, it was contagious.
Soon multiple demons stirred.
Then one of the demons yawned and opened its eyes. When it caught sight of us, it let out a piercing screech.
All hell literally broke loose.
Demons launched from their perches. Their flapping wings created a deafening cacophony in the chamber as they circled around. Their horrid screeches filled the air.
We formed a circle, trying to defend ourselves as they swooped and dove at us.
I hacked and slashed at the demons, carving through wings, severing heads, slicing torsos. Bodies of fallen creatures flopped to the ground around me, writhing in agony. Black blood oozed from their veins.
We huddled tight and continued moving toward the exit while defending ourselves.
They attacked from all angles.
The situation seemed hopeless.
56
Kron
We left a trail of demonic corpses as we moved through the chamber. It was pure chaos. There were way too many of them. But we did manage to catch a little break.
Amid the frenzy, the demons would feed on anything—even the corpses of their fallen comrades. They swarmed the carcasses, gnawing at flesh and bone with their razor-sharp teeth.
I hacked at a demon that attacked, opening a gash across his face. The demon fell away, and another one rushed me. Before I could stop the bastard, his sharp teeth clamped down on my forearm. Fortunately, the gauntlet about my wrist kept the creature’s teeth from penetrating my skin.
I sliced his head in half as he clung on the gauntlet.
Several more demons attacked Cassandra. Her blade slashed and stabbed, but one of them bit her wrist. She pulled her arm free and slashed the demon’s torso.
I pulled her close, and we scurried to the exit, battling the swarm.
Fortunately, many of the demons became preoccupied with their fallen comrades. They ripped flesh from bone and lapped up the black blood that oozed across the floor.
The demon-chamber opened into a large cavern with another river of magma blocking our path.
Several demons ventured out of their lair, continuing to attack us. We fought them off as they backed us to the edge of the fiery river.
The searing heat from the lava baked my back as I fought the demons. We needed to get across the river, but this time there was no ferryman.
Instead there were a series of boulders that would function as steppingstones across the fiery abyss. But they were far apart. It would require great skill and luck to navigate the treacherous flow, leaping from stone to stone.
“Go!” I shouted. “I’m right behind you.”
Cassandra gave me a skeptical look.
“Go!” I shouted again.
Blood dripped down her arm from the demon’s bite. It only served to fuel their frenzy even further.
She leapt across the magma to the first boulder. It was a narrow platform, and she teetered for a moment, almost falling in.
Lily flew across the surface of the lake and grabbed Cassandra before she fell. She exchanged a look of gratitude with the helpful fairy.
Lily held Cassandra’s hand as she jumped to the next stone.
Sophia followed in Cassandra’s footsteps. It was an easy leap for her.
I continued battling the demons with my feet inches away from the magma. The overgrown bats were not as aggressive out here. Despite being creatures of the damned, they didn’t seem to like the heat. And they had seen me dispatch a few of their comrades into the molten abyss. Their delicate wings would burn up if they came within a few feet of the red lava.
I slashed at another demon, then jumped to the first stone after Sophia had cleared the way.
The demons didn’t chase after me.
They flew around by the shore, hissing and screeching. Finally, they returned to their cave, presumably to feast on their fallen comrades.
By the time I jumped to the second stone, Cassandra and Sophia had crossed the river. Heat distorted the air around me, and sweat poured from my brow.
Each stone was farther apart. Each jump more treacherous. Even if I didn’t fall into the river, if I stood here too long I’d be roasted alive.
Lily flew back over the magma, standing by me in case I needed assistance.
Two more jumps and I made it to the shore. Cassandra and Sophia rested on the other side, drenched in sweat.
Cassandra’s skin was pale. Her eyes drooped. She didn’t look good. The hand where she had been bitten had already turned black.
The poisonous bite of the demons worked its way up her arm at an astonishing pace, growing like black vines under her skin. Her eyes widened, and she shrieked in terror when she saw it. Her panicked voice echoed throughout the cavern. “Kron!”
There was only one thing to do. And she wasn’t going to like it one bit.
57
Kron
“Hold your arm out,” I said.
“What are you going to do?” Cassandra asked with worried eyes.
“You don’t want to know.”
I didn’t have to tell her what I was going to do. She knew. “No! Absolutely not!”
“Would you rather die?”
“There’s got to be another way. What about the resurrection potion?”
“Sorry, but I’m not taking any chances. What if that doesn’t work? We can’t trust anything here.”
“I’m kind of attached to my arm. I’d like to keep it.”
I shook my head. “We don’t have much time. The venom is spreading.”
Cassandra stretched her arm out to the side with a tormented face. Her eyes brimmed with tears. She already mourned the loss of her limb.
Faster than the strike of a cobra, I chopped down with my sword, severing her left arm with one clean blow.
Blood squirted from her stump in rhythmic pulses. Sophia scrambled to put pressure on the wound and stem the tide.
I raced to the molten river and dipped the tip of my blade in the glowing magma. I returned to Cassandra and cauterized the wound with the glowing sword.
Skin sizzled.
The smell of burning flesh filled my nostrils.
The scream that came from Cassandra’s mouth was unlike any I had ever heard before. It was the embodiment of pain.
Her cheeks flushed, and rivers of tears streamed down her cheeks as her flesh popped and crackled.
I pulled the scalding sword away from her flesh, leaving behind a charred stump. The bleeding had stopped. And so had the spread of the venom.
Cassandra caught her breath and glared at me with hateful eyes.
“Sorry.” My apology sounded woefully inadequate. There were no words that could console her.
She sobbed at the loss of her limb.
Her severed arm lay on the ground now completely consumed by the venom. It was black as pitch. The appendage shriveled and rot before our eyes. The desiccated arm crumbled and turned into dust.
It was clear, the venom would have done that to her entire body. Severing her arm was the only way to save her life, and Cassandra knew that. But she wasn’t ready to accept it just yet. The trauma would take time to adjust to. And she would likely pass through all the stages of grief.
After she had time to catch her breath and recover somewhat, I helped her to her feet, and we continued on our journey. We entered another corridor and followed the twisting passageway.
Cassandra dried her eyes and sniffled and tried to suck it up. “I guess things could be worse,” Cassandra said. “I could have lost my right arm.”
She gripped her sword tight. “I can still fight.”
I admired her spirit.
“I wish I could take away your pain,” Lily said.
Cassandra smiled. “I wish you could too.”
“Oh, wait a minute,” Lily said, remembering. “I almost forgot. I have something that might help.”
She pulled a small, hand-rolled cigarette she had hidden somewhere in her leafy garment.
“What is that?”
“Happy Leaf,” the fairy said with a smile.
“Happy Leaf?” the elf repeated, skeptical.
“I don’t know what it’s really called, but that’s what we call it.”
Cassandra placed the herbal cigarette between her soft lips, and the fairy lit it with the flame from a flickering torch she grabbed from the wall.
“Take a deep breath, and hold it,” Lily said.
Cassandra did as instructed. She filled her lungs and held in the smoke for a few moments, then coughed it out, violently.
The fairy laughed.
The sweet smell of the herb filled my nostrils.
A wave of calm washed over Cassandra. Her tense face relaxed, and her dull, dreary eyes perked up. She looked astonished. “I don’t feel any pain.”
Lily smiled. “See. Happy Leaf.”
“Let me see,” I said, growing jealous.
Cassandra handed the cigarette to me, and I took a hit. The warm smoke filled my lungs and tickled my throat. Not used to the smoke, I couldn’t hold it in for long either, and coughed just as Cassandra did.
Lily giggled again.
Within moments, my hands and face felt tingly. All the little aches and pains faded away. It was like the volume had been turned down on everything negative. Happy, positive thoughts filled my brain. Despite our situation, I didn’t have a care in the world. I didn’t know how long it would last, but I planned on enjoying the sensation.
I passed the herb around, and we stumbled down the hallway, enjoying our blissful state.
Inhaling a mind altering substance probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, given our current situation. But despite my relaxed state, I didn’t feel any less aware. To the contrary, my senses seemed sharper. I was more focused.
