Happy New Year, my lovely readers. I hope your celebrations were filled with fun and memorable moments. So all I have to say is that I am slightly grateful that a snowstorm cancelled my work for today, as I spent all day working on this. I would've finished it sooner, but I am also in the middle of *attempting* to read the Lord of the Rings and I'm nearly finished with The Two Towers, so I spent a day catching up on that as well. I certainly have been on an action fix since seeing The Desolation of Smaug, so I tried to be nice and descriptive for you without getting too much into the (literal and figurative) bloody, gory details. This chapter certainly seemed longer when i wrote it, so I hope that you enjoy it, and many, many thanks to the awesome reviews. I'm so, so excited to see where this goes. ^^ Alright, anyway, on with the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Darksiders. It belongs to the original developers of the game.

Chapter Three: The Broken Stair

War did not necessarily agree that Sariele could help him, but it was now more than clear that she would not be swayed by anything he could say. He had to admit that part of him admired her intrepid if not foolish attitude. As she stepped after him into the center of the room, she couldn't help but notice how eerily quiet it was. She was brought from such thoughts when she heard the sound of creaking and grating as a huge gate rose from the floor. The hairs on her neck stood up when she heard the sinister laughter. Something was nearby, she could feel it, even though she was not able to see it like War could.

"Here they come." he growled. From above, she watched as the Duskwings dropped down, surrounding them. Slowly, she drew an arrow and aimed, taking a deep breath. One of the giant bat demons saw that she was ready to attack and took the initiative, diving for the angel, preparing to swoop in to claw her. Instead, its head was caught by a giant clawed gauntlet and slammed to the floor. As it recovered, Sariele leaped over it, leaning over mid-leap to fire an arrow into its skull. She was quick to recover from her easy kill as the enraged demons swarmed them, soaring well over their heads, rolling midair to avoid her arrows. War, however, went for a simpler solution; leaping high, he grabbed one by its grotesque face and impaled its entire head from under its open jaw. The bat fell dead. Another fell to one of Sariele's arrows, only to be decapitated by Chaoseater. The Duskwings, sadly, turned out to be the easiest enemies to defeat. Soon, the duo was met by far more difficult demons.

True to her word, Sariele kept the demons off of War's back, whether it was by a flying arrow or a swing of her bow. When it came time to help with the far more difficult enemies, she let War have a wide berth as she took out any and all smaller annoyances. At the trial's end, when War was about to charge another flame-handed enemy, he caught the sight of a flying arrow hitting another smaller demon. His larger kill faded into embers at his feet, signifying that the trial was over. He glanced at Sariele, who after placing her bow to hang across her shoulder before looking at him, wanting to continue. Not hesitating even for a moment, he moved toward the Shadow-Lurker, which was looking for a way to get out of its current predicament, its singular eye glancing all around, widened frantically. Sariele winced as it screeched in agony and a fount of blood splattered onto the floor. He turned to her and lightly tilted his head as if to urge her to follow.

They returned to the shadowy realm to find everything deathly quiet.

"This silence... it almost makes you forget..." she murmured. He glanced at her, watching her sullen face. Instead of clarifying, she turned back to him, having to crane her neck slightly from where she had been standing. "Where do we go from here?" War lifted his head to the horizon and then walked toward the next one.

The next trial was one that Sariele had to stay out of and watch as War killed each enemy with a powerful-if not sickening- finishing blow. It disturbed her to realize that she was not fazed by the massive amount of blood her associate spilled, but slightly assured when she remembered that this was a means to an end. Still, she had no desire to ever be at the receiving end of a blade such as Chaoseater. When all was said and done and again the floor was stained red with Shadow-Lurker blood, she returned with him.

"How many do we have left?" she asked.

"Only one." he responded. He made his way towards it, with her quick to follow.

As they entered the last hollowed room, War stopped Sariele. Something seemed very wrong about this. Before he could push her back into the sanctity of the niche where the exit would be, the gates closed and the last Shadow-Lurker laughed in sick glee. Instead, he pushed her to the side. "Climb." he told her. She looked around to see why, and all of a sudden knew exactly why: without warning, the room had begun to fill with a sickly green poisonous mist. Already, he had charged amidst a swarm of Wicked, braving the poison. Sariele needed only a moment of watching from the sidelines to realize what she had to do. Clenching her jaw, she took off her shawl and rapidly folded it a few times and then tied it tightly at the back, creating a crude gas mask. With that, she rushed in and began firing; the short range blows effectively killed the enemies, and any who got too close to her were subjected to her swift swing or a flying kick. Unfortunately, she began to feel the poison set in, but she bit it back. War, who was also fighting against the poison, felt a wave of annoyance wash over him as he saw the angel clearly disobeying him. Biting against the pain of the poison, he shoved his enemy back and shuffled back until he was back to back with Sariele. He was angry, she could tell, but she was here, and she wouldn't turn back now. Even when her insides began to burn with the poison, she forced herself to stand on shaky legs and keep fighting. When the last of the enemies faded into nothing but withering embers, he noticed that she slumped with exhaustion and pain. Her shoulders heaved with her deep, labored breaths, but they gradually became less and less labored. A moment later, she stood straight, as if the poison hadn't deeply affected her.

He dispatched the Shadow-Lurker quickly and then ushered Sariele out so roughly that when the angel reappeared in the earth realm once more, she nearly tripped over her own feet. She backed away a few feet when War reappeared, his eyes blazing still with the power to see into the Shadow realm. She did not shake, she did not whimper, but she was still somewhat afraid of him. As he approached her, she stood tall, staring him directly in the eye.

"You could have been killed." he growled.

"So could you." she retorted. He grimaced at her. "There wasn't going to be an easy way for you to finish that trial without my help. I knew the risk I was taking, trust me." War merely glared at her. From his gauntlet seeped the black essence of the Watcher.

"We got the last of them, now let's get out of here!" it wheezed impatiently.

He said nothing, but kept walking. Sariele sighed but followed War back to where the Warden awaited its freedom. War once more took the horn and summoned the Warden. The massive creature stood to its full height and began taking earth-shaking steps, relishing in its freedom.

"Ancestors praise you!" it said as it walked away. War and Sariele continued ahead, their path taking them through a series of tunnels and down a massive drainpipe. Finally, they reached a massive tunnel, like one the humans used to traverse on in their motor vehicles. This one, however, seemed to have a massive ravine dug into it right through the middle. There were plenty of shadow currents that War could glide along.

"How will you cross?" he asked. Sariele was slightly amazed and relieved that he didn't seem to be angry with her now. She observed for only a moment- it was all she needed.

"Distract that Duskwing." she said as she began to fiddle with her bow, summoning an arrow of holy energy. She kept touching it until she had a several loops of glowing cable attached to it. Catching on immediately, he marched in, catching the creature's attention and then leapt up to grab its face like he was going to instantly kill it. Instead, he reached for the hand of the angel girl below. When her hand clasped with his, he hoisted her up so that she was on the struggling creature's back. With an inordinate amount of strength, War pulled himself level with the beast and then pried its lower jaw down. Sariele, with some maneuvering, looped the cable around its upper jaw. War dropped down and watched as Sariele maneuvered the thing forward, across the ravine. When she was where she needed to be, she took the arrow and stuck it into the brain of the Duskwing and then leapt off, landing again with a tumble, but recovering just in time to clear the rest of the flock from War's path. The Horseman joined her on the other side in no time at all. In truth, War had to admit that he was impressed with her improvisation, not that he would ever do so aloud.

When they journeyed on into a wide open room, they were met with a demonic seal blocking the path onward. War withdrew Chaoseater and Sariele drew a quick arrow, especially when the demons came up in hordes. This time, War wasn't as concerned as he was in the poison trial. He paused for a moment in his head. Concerned? What reason did he have to be concerned? Sariele had chosen to come this way with him. Her well-being was of no concern to him. Besides, as he spared himself a fraction of a second to look over at her, he could plainly see that she was doing just fine, having swept the legs out from underneath a demon and then stabbed him with one of her newly-formed arrows. One demon came running up to her so fast she almost missed it and ended up hitting it point blank.

When the dust settled, War gazed upon her- her blonde hair matted and darkened while it soaked with sweat, her face splotched with grime and blood, her eyes wide with alert, but also fatigued.

"Do you need a moment?" he asked to her panting. She shook her head negatively.

"I think I'll be alright." she sighed as she straightened herself out.

The path onward led through another part of the tunnel and finally out into the open air. Over their heads, there was a long roadway, broken into pieces by ascending order, that stretched out over a great ravine. Sariele's head turned, as if she were observing something important; her eyes narrowed in concentration. She took a few steps away from War, who watched with unease, wanting to know if she would find what it was she sought. Her gaze finally fixed southward.

"I think may have found a place where we can gain our bearings." she said quietly, pointing in the direction her eyes were focused. War moved towards her and looked in the direction that she was pointing. He nodded in his assent and also studied the landscape. When he saw that the best way to get onto the broken road above was by the giant hole in the wall of the building before them, one story above their heads, he made to walk into the building. Sariele made to follow when she felt something very familiar in the air. Further inspection gave her nothing but a sense of unease. She turned and dashed to catch up with War, who had begun his ascent with a few Wicked coming down the stairs to greet him. She helped pick them off from a distance and then dashed up the stairs after him. With only a few Wicked to stand up to them, they were quickly at the hole.

War, wanting to cross quickly, as he felt a pressing twinge of unease at the openness of the area, grabbed Sariele around the waist and held her against his chest. The young angel was rightfully surprised, but all the same when he jumped, she felt her hand clutch his armor as they were lifted higher into the air by the shadow current and then lowered onto the ground of the overpass safely. She waited for him to set her down, but he never did. Instead, he carried on with her safely in tow and leapt the next two gaps with ease. Having him carry her like this made her wish for once in a very long time that she had the ability to fly again.

As he walked across the last part of their path, he was about to reach the ledge to jump over to the roof of a nearby building when a large crash alerted the both of them. They turned back to see one of the many parked cars that lay abandoned along the broken overpass fly off the edge. At the other end of the overpass came a hulking mass of demonic muscle. Sariele was horrified to recognize such a mass as a Trauma- the very demon that War had saved her from all those years ago- when things had been much easier. Now he was facing that thing weak- and apparently alone. No sooner had the hulking thing made it known that it was rampaging toward them on the third partition, sending cars flying off the track to crash into the ravine below, War took a deep breath and then swung Sariele across to the top of the building, despite her protests. She grabbed for the edge and pulled herself up just in time. The Trauma made a mighty leap over the ravine to the third partition, where War was waiting for it. She watched with horror as he charged the beast, trying to find an opening. That was much easier said than done on this particular demon, especially when it came to the especially long claws that nearly made quite a few good swipes at him.

Sariele watched in panic for a moment and then realized there was something she could do to help, even she wasn't sure how much good it would do. The feel of her bow in her hands proved to be of great comfort, but not for shooting arrows- not this time. The Trauma's hide was far too thick for that. Instead, her hand found the very center of her bow, delicate, but skilled fingers twisting the hidden ring there until she felt a very familiar click. The whistling of the revealed double blades caused her to shudder as she thought about what she was about to do. With a deep breath, she backed up and then took a dashing leap back onto the third partition, onto the back of the creature. With a swift jabbing motion, she stuck the thin blades right in between the giant spines protruding from its shoulders. The Demon roared in pain and thrashed about, reaching behind its head to wrench her off its back. She used her hidden sword to swing her body away from its sharp claw. It shook its shoulders in an attempt to wrestle her off.

"Get it, now, while its distracted!" she called out. War took the initiative and charged, cleaving off the thing's left claw, then its right just as quickly. With a great leap, he stood on the thing's massive shoulder and both of his clawed hands grabbed at its hideous face. The next thing Sariele heard was the distinct crack of its neck breaking before it fell forward. War picked her up and set her right. She was slightly winded, but she seemed fine, he noted. When she was brought back from her stupor, she remembered her twin swords and reached for them. It took a good yank to pull them from where they had been deeply embedded in the Trauma's flesh. Looking at the blood that stained the faintly glowing silver, she smiled morosely. "Would you believe that before today, I had never had much luck with swordplay." she said, facing War. The Horseman was slightly curious, waiting for her to continue as she flung the blood from both blades and then sheathed them, one over the other. "We were taught to always taught to be prepared. It helps to have them with me, just in case. I just always get scared of my inexperience when I have to use them."

"It's not inexperience that should frighten you..." War murmured as he began to walk away from her. "Do I need to throw you across again?"

It took her a moment to understand what he meant- to the building she had jumped from initially. Feeling sheepish at having jumped from the path, she stepped forward, her bravado back. "I would prefer not being thrown, if you don't mind." War nodded in assent and took her offered arm, tugging her towards him, arm around her thin waist tightly before he jumped. She closed her eyes, head leaning against the broad chest plate right in front of her face. When they landed again, War saw no point in setting her down and walked on. Something caught Sariele's attention and she jerked in War's arms as she looked around, her gaze fixed on the darkened sky.

"What is it?" War asked.

"I don't know." she murmured. "Do you feel like... like we're being watched?"

"The Destroyer may have sentries out looking for us." he said.

"No, it's not that." she replied, her brow furrowing. She shrugged it off and allowed him to carry on. When the two arrived in the ruins of the old building Sariele had motioned to earlier, with War gliding through a crater-sized hole at one of its corners, the two noticed a barrier of demonic energy, guarded by a demonic eye- not the only one Sariele thought she was being followed by as of late. As they neared it, the ruby red eye closed.

"I have seen gates like this before." War stated. "It needs a specific kind of key. Only with the key in our possession will the keyhole present itself."

"Do you know where such a key could be?" she asked.

"It's never far from the gate." he answered. "Most likely it is still somewhere within this building."

"Why do I have a feeling then that it's either heavily guarded or very well hidden?" she deadpanned.

"Would you leave a key to a gate that guarded something laying around?" he asked. She nodded in acknowledgement at his point and carefully, silently, she followed him towards the stairs to the lower levels. Sure enough, a few demons awaited. While War kept them occupied, Sariele began the search through the ruined building. She groaned when her search of this level went without success. She rushed down the stairs to the next level, meeting another demon grunt halfway. Gripping the banister, she gave a good solid kick that sent it tumbling back down. Two Wicked that were wandering around found themselves at the receiving end of her arrows. She was just about to give up her search and go find War when her eyes came across a large, morbidly ornate chest hidden away in a forgotten alcove. She didn't need to call War, as he had been catching up with her. He shoved her back and then pounded in the lid of the chest and shoved the remnants aside. He pulled out a sharp-looking blade with a ruby-red eye at the hilt. She didn't know exactly how this qualified as a key, but she didn't dare question it, either. They returned to the gate; Sariele became sickened- yet bit it back as best she could- when War took the blade and stuck it violently into the eye of the gate. The creature withered away, clearing the path.

This time, Sariele was more than sure that she had seen something. There was no mistaking it this time. As War continued on, he too saw the glowing wings of angels- heavily armored angels that swarmed the building. He pushed Sariele against the building as three of them, armed with the projectile glaives flew overhead. "This way." one of them said lowly.

"It's nothing." another insisted. "Some demon trick."

"I know what I saw." the first replied.

"He's right." a female voice said from above, causing Sariele's breath to altogether leave her body. Immediately she wanted to be gone from that place. More importantly she wanted to get War away from them, memories of their biting words and curses echoing fresh in her mind. War looked up and found Uriel, golden wings and all as she lowered herself towards the very top of the building. Sariele tugged at War's arm and with a sideways nod, quietly led him back down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, he took notice of the heavenly beast and made sure that Sariele saw it as well. She nodded in understanding and dashed to keep up with him, no longer concerned about keeping quiet. In a swift and terrifying moment, Sariele was scooped up and war made an incredible leap across a gap between buildings. She made for action as he took another bounding leap onto an angel flying between them and the white griffon and landed on the beasts back, kicking its previous rider off.

Needless to say, the griffon was not happy at all about the alarming circumstances, at least until Sariele reached forward and gently stroked the feathers on its neck, murmuring soothing words as War ushered it along. She heard Uriel's cry for the rest of the Hellguard to engage in pursuit.

"Can you take them down?" he asked.

"Not mortally; my arrows may only stun them." she answered as she pulled her goggles down over her eyes..

"That's all we need." Again he lifted her, but only so that he could trade positions with her. War guided the griffon down into a series of tunnels, the angels of the Hellguard in hot pursuit until hit with Sariele's arrows. Any that she could not hit and spare were destroyed by War's firing of the glaive, much to her remorse.

They emerged from behind a waterfall, only to be bombarded by attacks from all around. War had the griffon dive down in order to escape them. Sariele clung to him around the waist and closed her eyes, her forehead digging into his armored shoulder. When she pulled away, she noticed one of the angels with a Redemption cannon charging the weapon. Sariele knew what was coming- she knew just as song as she saw the three orbs looming before them.

"War, get down!" she shouted. She took three arrows at a time and fired. All three exploded before the armored angel could get away. She watched as he fell into the ravine, unconscious.

They were chased through the ruins. War focused on traversing through the jungle of skyscrapers and Hellguard angels, even flying through the hollowed remains of a wide building; Sariele focused, meanwhile, on disarming and stunning them, mentally apologizing to each of them as she spared a second to watch them fall out of the sky. All of a sudden, the angels started flying back.

"They're retreating." she told him.

"But why?" War asked. He flew them into the great, gaping mouth of the cavern. It was there that tiny demons began to swarm them.

"There's too many of them." she said.

"They're not after us." he replied. "They're flying away from something." Duskwings emerged from the magma below, covered in fire. Sariele pulled the glaive from War's hand and fired upon it. It was nearly knocked from her hands, however when War abruptly steered the griffon away from nearly being skewered by a rising stalagmite. "Hold on." he called over his shoulder. He ushered the mount higher, only to be nearly attacked by a rather large demon with giant bat wings. Sariele began opening fire on it.

"Stop!" War ordered.

"But it just tried to attack us!" she argued.

"We'll follow it through the caves." he said as he watched it dove to a lower part of the cylindrical cavern. " Sariele didn't like it, but consented nonetheless. When they entered the next tunnel, there was no sign of the creature, not until it soared over their heads and attempted a fiery projectile attack right at them. "Now you can shoot at it!" he shouted.

"With pleasure." she replied. She began rapidly shooting arrows at it while War made sure that he stayed well away from its projectile attacks.

They had entered a narrow cavern when it looked like it was on its last limb. War took over and fired a shot at it. It dissipated into embers that they flew through into open air, into a caldera of lava. In the center, on an island of its own, was the Twilight Cathedral. Sariele barely took notice of the gargantuan flying creature flying around its steeple until it came too close for them to evade it. She was jostled as the beast attacked them head-on. Strong arms of steel grabbed her and pulled her to a solid chest and Sariele had just registered that it was War before being jarred by a rough landing on the concrete below. Wincing in pain, she pushed herself up and met War's gaze. He had taken the brunt of the damage, landing flat on his back on the pavement. Sariele gasped.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"I have lived and been revived through much worse." he rasped. She realized then that he wanted to get up and quickly scrambled up off of him. The Horseman pushed himself off the pavement and looked over the angel girl. Aside from a deep gash that was dripping its way down her cheek, she looked fine. She wondered what all the fuss was about and winced as her fingertips grazed the nasty cut.

"I'm fine." she insisted to War after a second of recovery. It was true, too. The gash was nothing more than a slight sting, the least of her worries. Their similar gazes were brought to the heavenly mount that was now fighting the giant bat stories above them. The bat- which she could only now assume as Tiamat- grappled with the griffon, tackling it towards the roof and out of sight.

Cookies for anyone who found the book reference there. ^^ Anyways, with my work schedule all scrambled from the snowstorm here, I'm not sure when I will post another chapter (one of the many downsides, I assure you) but I promise I will upload it the moment I am finished.