Chapter 38: One Down

The next morning, after breakfast, I decided to tell everyone.

"Cole, you sound like you want to be a soldier," was Gust's response. Maybe that waswhat I wanted. There were only two times when I felt complete: when I was fighting and when I was with the twins.

"Maybe I do, but this is a favour. None of you have to come."
Rumbler, I think, took that personally, "Like hell, Cole. I'm coming."
"You're not leaving me behind, Cole," Gust grunted. I knew Gust would come; it was Flash and Specter I didn't know about.

"Cole, Stella is here. But know that I can and will follow you into hell and back again. I'm in." Flash was unusually solemn. My eyes turned to Specter.

"Cole I…I can't," She looked away, "The killing…the pain…it has to stop. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I'm sorry. I'm not coming."

Her words hit like hammer blows. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I wasn't; for multiple reasons.

"Specter…" Rumbler looked like his heart had broken.

"Rumbler, it's her decision and I'm not going to force her. She's had enough," I gave her a hug and went out back to work with my armour.

I took the chest plate off of the suit and put it on me. I was able to fold my wings so they were flat against my back. But the suit was skin tight, there was no way they'd fit. I took it off and traced lines where I would need to cut. I used a super-focused flame to cut it. When I put it back on, it fit perfectly. I had gotten bigger and taller, but so had the suit apparently.

"Cole, are you leaving?" I heard Kia's soft voice say and turned around to find the twins watching me.
"Yes, but Specter is going to watch you," I assured them with a strained smile.

"Cole, I can't stop you," Comet's voice was a lot deeper than normal, "but promise me that you will come back."
"I promise."

They disappeared inside, leaving me to finish putting my armour on. I tested it out, moving around in it and was pleased that it was just as easy as I remembered. Now it was time to train in it. My swords proved somewhat tricky. For some unknown reason, I was unable to hold them. But the hilts were magnetic. I magnetized my hands and swung. To my satisfaction, the swords stayed in my hands.

It was close to two in the afternoon by the time I was confident with my armour. But I was worried I had forgotten something. The hypos. I'm glad, very glad that I remembered them. I had a few crystal clusters growing in my room, so I crushed one up, making sure not to absorb the shards. I got a bowl of water and mixed the gem dust into it. I made twenty of them by the time Specter interrupted me.

"Cole?"

"Hi, Specter," I looked up from my work and my eyes fell on her. I realised at once that there was something off about her. Her eyes had a hollow look, like she was sleeping with her eyes open.

"Specter, are you ok?" I asked anxiously.
"You will lose something important to you…" her voice murmured hollowly. I froze. The last time she was like this, she had told me that four people close to me would die. It didn't stop me then, and it wouldn't stop me now.

"Specter, snap out of it!" I said firmly, waving my hand in front of her face.
Her eyes immediately focused, "Huh? Oh, hi, Cole. What am I doing in your room?"
"No idea, Specter, no idea," I sighed, shaking my head. She never remembered these trances…or whatever they were called.

"Hm? Well, then, good luck," she walked out, completely unaware of what had just happened.

I got into bed. Time flies when you're working. I was asleep in minutes.

The next morning I woke up before the sun. There were two reasons for that: I liked to get going just after it had risen so we could have a full day, and I loved to watch the sun come up. I woke the guys up. Their reactions were varied. Flash bolted up; Rumbler hit me and knocked me on my ass, mumbling about a good dream. He wasn't a morning person. Gust was already up.

"Well, Cole, this is going to be different," he said.
"Yeah, Gust, it will be."

We ate in silence and headed out. I flew in the air with the rest of them for the first time since I had got my wings.

"Damn, Cole, you're fast!" Flash called gleefully.

Rumbler was falling behind. I dropped back until I was flying behind him and sent a thermal his way. He shot sky high with a yell of, "Thanks, Cole!"
"Welcome!" I yelled back.

At the speed we were going, it didn't take long before we reached our destination. The great mountain rose far above the earth, a stain of hideousness marked upon the landscape.

"Cole, is that…?" Gust called through the wind.
"Yes," my voice darkened, "Mt. Malefor."

The gate to Hell, and the closest thing to it on this world. We had arrived.