The angel stood up and walked over to Claudius.
Claudius shoved his hand out to his uncle.
“How long have you been wearing it?”
“About a week and a half. It feels longer though. Why does it keep growing and changing its shape?”
“Because it’s growing with power from within you.” Gedulah pressed the orb in his palm, and the glove retracted to its original state. “There. That should be better.”
Claudius scoffed. “That’s it? You just pressed the orb, and it’s disabled?” He pulled the Glove of Xerox off and began to scratch his hand. “What do you mean by growing with power from me?”
“The glove feeds off of your power and ability to control it. In other words, the more you use it, the stronger it will become.”
Claudius stuffed the glove in his pocket. “That’s interesting. I wasn’t aware of that. You didn’t tell me anything about it when you gave it to me.”
Gedulah smiled.
“So what’s the plan?” Claudius asked. “Are we gonna go after the Order?”
“I didn’t get a chance to check out Crouzer’s office when I rescued your father. I just have a feeling something is not right with that place.”
“Okay. Zack and I are going to check out our old home. I regret not immobilizing them before I left.”
“All right, that settles it. I will see you guys in a few. Be careful. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re expecting you and planning a trap.”
Claudius hugged Dawn and prepared to leave with Zack.
The Demon Slayer didn’t have a chance to grab anything as he fell through the void. The passage was dark, and flames circled around him. He felt like his skin was melting and he screamed from apprehension.
After a minute of falling, a space opened up below Peter. He realized that he was airborne, about two thousand feet. He panicked when he saw nothing but a narrow flagpole below him. He had no choice but to land on it. Peter readied the scythe when he realized he might not land directly on the pole. He stabbed the pole and hung on. The metal squealed and sparks sputtered when the scythe jammed to it. He finally stopped and gasped heavily as he looked down.
The pole was connected to the roof of a tower, which was fifty feet below. Peter slid toward it, but it began to crack. He slid faster. The pole broke and fell over before he made it to the roof, and he was forced to release it.
Peter landed on the iron tower that the flagpole was connected to and tried to balance himself. He regained his footing and looked around. The tower he stood on was at least twelve stories tall. Mountains of black rocks and a sea of blood surrounded him. The environment was unwelcoming and the air was not fresh. He wished to take his coat off because it was humid. Lightning flashed every four seconds, and black clouds glided below the crimson sky.
“Not all fire and carnage…” Peter mumbled. “Yeah right.”
Black rocks and red dirt decorated the ground. Peter jumped off the roof and somersaulted to the ground. Unknown objects began to float around like balloons when he landed. They were shaped like popcorn but were the size of basketballs. They floated toward him, and he pushed them back. He wondered what the strange objects were.
Peter headed east towards a leveled area about a quarter of a mile, he was confused on where to go. He slowly twirled around to see if he could sense anything, but he could not. He focused his hearing but only heard bloody water washing up against the black rocks.
He looked at the bracelet and pressed the switch. Smoke began to crawl out, and Terrence flapped his wings to stay afloat. “How can I help you, Demon Slayer?”
“I’m lost, Terrence. I don’t know where to go. I also cannot sense or hear anything.”
“That’s because you lost your angelic powers. In this dimension, you are a mere human. Gedulah should’ve told you that.”
“He did, but he told me I would still have most of my abilities.” Peter raised the scythe to see if it was heavy, and he could still lift it.
“Your strength and agility still remain because of the amulet around your neck, but you’re limited here. You need to find the boy and get out of here as fast as you can. Head north, and you shall find clues about where to go.”
“What are these floating objects?” Peter was confused.
“Those are silent sirens. They alert the watchers of intruders. You didn’t touch it, did you?”
Peter walked away from one as it floated by. “I did earlier.”
Terrence levitated upwards and looked to the north.
Peter felt the ground shake under his feet. “I’m guessing they know about my intrusion.”
Terrence floated back down. “Yes, fifty or more Groucher demons are coming this way. They may be small, but they are powerful. Defeat them and be on your way. I will retreat for now.” The guardian turned into smoke and headed back into the bracelet.
Peter prepared himself for his hosts. He held out the scythe and pulled out his pistol. He saw an army of demons galloping toward him.
The demons were hideous. Their eyes were hidden behind bones that grew from their forehead. They had facial features of boars and giant human teeth in their mouth. They ran on all four like apes and were about five feet tall.
Peter saw many more galloping toward him from behind, surrounding him. He squeezed the trigger, but the bullets barely did anything. ‘Yes, of course, I cannot power it in this dimension.’ The demons kept coming at him.
Peter put his pistol away and aimed the tip of Judgment at one of the Grouchers. He squeezed a button on the base, and the arrow shot out. A chain was connected to it, and as it flew out, he could hear it whipping in the wind. It struck the demon in the chest and passed through its body. He yanked the demon forward and spun it around. It connected to a few more of them, knocking them off balance. He heard breaking bones and retracted the arrow tip, leaving a huge hole in its chest.
More Grouchers ran toward Peter from all directions. He charged forward with the scythe and began to detach their limbs. Like a fearless warrior, he fought for his life.
The demons snarled and scratched at him with their long claws, but he managed to sidestep them. Fifteen fell, but more kept coming. Peter knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long—and Judgment was much heavier than the Redeemer. He threw the scythe forward to clear a path, and it twirled like a boomerang, knocking a few demons aside. The blade impaled one of the Grouchers in its head and sent it to its death. He pulled the Redeemer from his back and charged at the ones that were left standing. Severed limbs shot away, and Peter’s coat was covered in demon blood.
Peter ran forward and pulled the scythe from the dead demon’s head. Its head came off with it. He kicked it off, shook the blood off the blade, slung his sword on his back, and ran up the hill.
The Grouchers chased him, but he picked up speed. He knew he couldn’t outrun them because he was getting tired. He slid to a stop on the gravel road, turned to the Grouchers, held up Judgment with both hands, and stabbed it into the ground. He focused the Amulet of Kismet’s power into the scythe and cracked open the ground under the Grouchers. They screamed as they fell into an abyss of darkness. When Peter lifted the scythe from the ground, the crack closed, swallowing the demons.
“Whoa…” Peter pulled the Scythe of Judgment to his view to look at it. He wondered on its power and marveled at what he had attempted. He was panting heavily as the amulet leisurely replenished his strength. Within seconds he was at full strength. Then he understood why Gedulah did not want him to lose it. “Amazing…”
After he recovered, Peter headed north toward the black mountains. He wondered what awaited him.
Chapter 19
Guardian at the Gate to Hell
Gloria and Charles crossed beyond the yellow tape into Crouzer’s office. The top floor of the New York Stock Exchange building was off limits to the public, but they insisted on entering. After what had happened between Peter and Crouzer, the Feds had locked down the building. They were not al
lowing anyone to enter the building until they found what had caused the explosion—and the whereabouts of William Van Crouzer.
“Watch your step, Gloria.” Charles stepped over the broken glass. “And be careful not to slip.” He recorded the damage on a backup digital camera because his original one was too heavy to bring up the stairs.
Gloria said, “Can you believe this mess? I would kill for an office suite like this—and they blow it to pieces.”
“Do you think he’s dead?” Charles asked.
“Who?”
“Crouzer.”
“Why would anyone kill him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because there’s blood everywhere—and he’s missing.”
“Well, I think he deserved it. I believe it’s his fault all those people got killed. I think a terrorist did him in.”
Charles chuckled. “Gloria, be realistic. Terrorist? You saw that thing come out of the ground. I think it had something to do with that.” He moved closer to the dried-up blood in the corner and aim the camera at all the damage he saw.
Gloria jumped in front and began reporting. But then something got Charles’ attention.
“Hey, who’s that?” Charles asked.
“Who’s who?” Gloria turned around. Her heart rate increased from surprise.
“There’s someone standing by the entrance.”
Gloria ran behind Charles. “Oh my gosh. Someone must’ve found us. Do you think it’s the police?”
They saw that the individual was kneeling down, facing the opposite direction.
“It’s him,” Gloria said.
They hid behind a broken pillar in Crouzer’s office.
Charles said, “Him who?”
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe this. It’s the Demon Slayer.”
They ducked behind a pillar and heard his footsteps approaching.
“Now, now. You guys are not trying to hide, are ya?””
Timidly, Gloria pushed Charles into view.
Charles fell on his behind and looked up. “Hi, Mr. Slayer.” He grinned and scratched his scalp timidly.
“What are you guys doing here?” He folded his arms across his chest and smiled.
Gloria walked out and said, “Wait a second. You look different. When I met you, you were more reserved and collected.”
“What do you mean? I’ve never met you two before.”
“I knew it. It’s not him,” Charles said. “The Slayer doesn’t have spiky hair, and he carries a sword—not an axe. He must be an imposter.”
“You must be talking about my brother.”
“Your brother?” Gloria asked.
“You know … the guy with the mean face, large sword, and black clothing?”
“Oh my gosh! He has a brother. I mean … you’re his brother?”
Gedulah smiled and nodded. He walked past them to study the area a bit more. He looked up at the burn marks and the way everything was disfigured.
“What are you two doing here anyway?” Gedulah asked while he continued his investigation.
Gloria looked at Charles. “Well … we are reporters.”
“This is a very dangerous area to be in. You both should leave.”
Charles looked at Gloria and said, “Wait a second. How do we know you’re the real deal? How do we know you’re his brother and not some wannabe?”
Gedulah’s smile turned to a frown. He looked at Charles with a glare.
Charles felt a chill as the atmosphere changed around him. “Oh. Never mind.” He smiled and walked away.
“Wait a second.” Gloria walked toward the angel. “We would like to have a word with you before we leave.” She gestured for Charles to record the conversation.
Charles walked back and raised his camera at the angel.
“What happened to William Van Crouzer—and what happened here?”
Gedulah turned around and faced her. He noticed that the man was recording him. “Crouzer is missing after he fought with my brother. They were fighting because Crouzer was responsible for what happened in Times Square. He is also responsible for the abduction of the boy.”
Gloria’s eyes widened. “I knew it. That slime bag is responsible for all those people losing their lives. Why would he do that? What would he gain from killing those people?”
“He’s planning on opening the gates to heaven and unfolding Armageddon prematurely. All those people died because he wanted to use their lives to power a tower.”
Charles said, “I don’t understand anything you’re saying. Dude, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Well, I’m not going to repeat or explain myself. You wanted an interview, and I gave it to you.” Gedulah headed toward the exit.
Gloria said timidly, “Wait … before you go … what is your name … and what are you?”
Gedulah stopped. “My name is Ged … my name is Paul, and I’m a warrior angel.” He looked over his shoulder at them. “You two need to get out of here. Something bad is about to happen.”
Charles called out, “Hey, Paul. What do you mean?”
Gedulah smiled and waved as he walked away.
“The nerve of that guy.” Charles scoffed. He checked the recording, and the footage of Gedulah was only static. “Damn it! The video doesn’t work.”
“What? Let me see.” Gloria ran over to him. “That was a good footage too.”
The deeper Peter ventured north, the more arcane it came to be. He was thankful nothing else had attacked him but still he was on his toes. He heard the wind howled, he looked up and saw that the black clouds created lightning and thunder momentarily. The black mountains were getting taller the closer he got to them. Black clouds slowly swirled above him, protecting the crimsoned sky.
After a mile of traveling, he saw an old two-story iron gate. He assumed that it was the entrance to Sheol by the evil that he felt behind it. The hair on the back of his neck began to rise, and he gripped tighter to the scythe as he walked toward the entrance.
He felt a terrible presence by the tall gate, and a dark silhouette figure rose from the ground. Peter stopped instantly.
The ground trembled when the creature walked toward him, pulling on a chain. A repulsive voice demanded, “Who dares to enter the gates of Sheol?”
Peter gasped at the powerful clamor.
Out of the shadows, he saw a giant three-headed pit bull with a jagged spine. It had red eyes and a fearful stare at Peter. Saliva dripped from it snout as the creature snapped and growled at him.
“Now, this human looks familiar,” the demon gathered its thoughts. “Orange hair, coat, and large weapons. You look just like Gedulah, the man who bounded me to this post. State your name, human.”
“I’m his brother, Gevurah, the fifth child of Sephirot. I need permission to enter the gate to Sheol, gatekeeper.”
“Gevurah? The one who killed my son, Beruser the Death Broker? How dare you ask permission to pass, brother of the one who bounded us here in hell.”
Peter walked toward the twelve-foot tall creature and held the scythe at his side, showing he didn’t pose a threat.
The demon did not like the fact that he did not fear him. “Why shall I let you pass, Demon Slayer? No one shall pass without challenging me. You know who I am—and still you show no respect.”
“Forgive me, Guardian of Sheol. I forgot to show my respect to the colossal Cerebrius.”
The other two heads growled at Peter, and he backed away slowly.
The demon was steady when it walked toward Peter. “Why shall I forgive you? You murdered my son without mercy—and still you need me to let you pass? How dare you! Only the dead shall pass through here. What’s your purpose for entering Sheol?”
“There’s a human child that passed through here by mistake. I need to take him and bring him back to his mother.”
“Foolish human! Only the dead pass through here. I don’t remember seeing a child coming through here.”
Peter knew better than to believe it. Cerebrius wou
ld say anything to throw off an intruder.
“How could a human possibly kill my son?” Cerebrius said. “I knew you were one of the fallen, but how are you a human now?”
“In this realm, I don’t possess any angelic powers. That is why I appear as a human. Now, if you would be so kind as to let me—”
“Silence!”
Loud thunder growled above them and lightning splattered.
“I will take pleasure in crushing you. You killed my son, and your brother sent me back here, never to walk the realm of earth again. Now that you’re a mere human, I’ll use this chance to crush you under my paws.” It galloped at Peter, and the ground shook under its feet. The chain raced on the ground and sparked when it collided with the rocky ground.
Peter spread his feet out to balance himself and held the scythe out. The middle head snapped at him, and he used the scythe to block it. The head on the right side shot in to devour him, and he jumped twenty feet in the air and landed on the creature’s neck. He slashed at the head on the right, but it shook him off.
While Peter fall, he jammed the scythe into the creature’s neck, and Cerebrius howled in torment. Blood squirted on Peter’s face, and he wiped it from his eyes with his shoulder.
Cerebrius was about to collide into one of the tall rocks that surrounded them, and Peter knew he would be crushed if it connected. He yanked the scythe out to release himself. When his feet touched the ground, Peter somersaulted backward to gain more leverage. He dove out of harm’s way.
Broken rocks fell when Cerebrius bumped against the small mountain and fell over.
“You’re not human at all.” Cerebrius sounded disappointed as it stood to its feet. “I see that you have some of your angelic powers left, but you will not make it into Sheol alive.”
The middle head open its mouth, aimed at Peter and released an icy breath. The temperature slowly dropped.
‘What the…’ Peter could feel his joints locking up from the cold air. He started twirling the scythe like a propeller to shield himself from the icy breath. Then, he began to run towards the creature.
Hellbound Second Advent Page 18
