Jess dropped to the ground as the small, gnome-like creatures released their grips on her body. She thudded on her back, jarring the elbow of the wrist they had broken. She whimpered, scrunching her eyes as the pain rattled the very lining of her teeth.
The earth was cold, soaking through the thinness of the cotton sheet around her. Rain poured down form the dark sky. Dense, black clouds drew the light from the world as she opened her lids and peered into their depths.
Lightning forked across the sky, ripping through the darkness in a blaze of hazy, blue light. The sound that followed rolled through the sky in a thunderous boom of noise. It caused Jess to jump and the pain in her arm to ripple until it coated every inch of her body. She shivered against the onslaught of cool water slicing through her with the harsh blowing wind. It soaked into the fabric chasing the small amount of warmth it gave away and icy water to seep against the bare flesh beneath. It was so cold that her teeth began to chatter and the harsh vibrations of her body to numb her limbs.
She tried to climb to her knees but the pain and the freezing blow of blustery air seemed to snatch all the strength from out of her. She rolled to her side, crying out against the agony of the movement. She lifted her uninjured hand and with shaking fingers reached around the limpness of her wrist to grasp it firmly. It burned like a furnace under her palm causing another cry of pain to escape her lungs.
The gnome-like demons chattered to themselves as they scurried away into the shadows, disappearing form her view. Then the sound of heavy footfalls echoed from the distance, each one sending shock-waves along the sodden, grassy knolls around her. They grew closer, stalking across the ground in leaping bounds, each shake of the ground jolting Jess until she pushed herself painfully to her knees. Cupping her wrist close to her chest she turned her head slowly as they thumped to a stop behind her.
Her eyes widened as she stared over her shoulder. It was a mass of sandy-colored stone, dulled by the hard drops of water soaking into its skin. Its legs were the size of tree trucks, circling round its solid structure. It towered above her, expanding outwards to a wide expanse of a chest, its shoulders almost four times the width of her own. It had no neck, only an oblong, faceless head perched on top. It groaned like old bones as it bent down towards her, its blank face coming to a stop only inches from her face. Jess gasped, her eyes closing automatically as she waited for it to strike her, but when the blow didn't come she opened them once again.
Its face split in two, opening up where a mouth should have been to allow a fine mist to ebb out of the orifice. It swirled up to cover the blank surface like a mask of fog before it twisted and morphed into a sharp-angled, demonic face. Its tongue flicked out of a ragged, razor-like mouth to flick in the air like a viper. Its eyes pointed downwards as its grin spread upwards and it laughed a raspy laugh.
The golem shifted each movement jerky as it raised its hand only to reach out and grab her around her upper arm. Its fingers pressed into her skin, turning the smooth creamy texture of her flesh scarlet with the force of its grip. Then as the demon hissed and reared up it dragged Jess to her feet. She cried out as her wrist jarred in its clutches only to whimper as her toes left the safety of the ground to dangle in thin air. He lifted her higher, sneering into her face as thick, tears overlapped her lashes.
The mist demon's tongue snaked towards her, lapping at the salty droplets as they fell and as Jess tried to rear her head away and out of its reach, the demon snarled and shook her wildly.
Jess screamed, the tightness of its grip bruising against her flesh as the pressure snapped the bones of her arm. Her shoulder popped out of its sockets as the bones snapped in two, the crack inside her arm running downward until it met the already shattered wrist.
The pain was like nothing she had ever felt before; it burned into the very fibers of her being, scorching her from the inside out until the cold chilly shivering turned into the hard, searing shudders of suffering. She couldn't breathe, her lungs lacking the strength to draw in fresh air. It caused the world around her to blur and even though she fought with what remaining strength she had left a black blanket of darkness crept from the corners of her eyes and pulled her into a world of unsettled shadow.
He dropped her to the ground, his mouth cracking wide as he turned his face towards his master. The hooded figure stared down at her un-moving body as she rolled to a stop on her side. The smooth arch of her throat glistened up to him from the sheen of water over her skin.
He growled from the confines of his hood, a sneer hidden from the world as he turned his face back towards the golem.
'She is broken' he snarled, his voice humming with a malevolent tone of undiluted fury.
'They break ssso easssily, massster.' The mist demon rattled in response, 'but not a drop of her blood wasss lossst from the damage.' He bowed the large body to his master before inching back.
The hooded demon growled once more in annoyance as he turned his caped head towards the key, taking a slow step to reach her side, he eased himself down to one knee. Cupping his fingers almost delicately around the curve of her chin, he stroked the softness of her skin before angling her face towards him.
He tilted his head to the side, raking his eyes over her fair features. The grey tinge of his skin, darkened as his hand slipped from the confines of the large sleeve covering his arm. Tracing the lines of her face until his thumb touched the silky skin of her closed eye, he hummed softly.
'So beautiful' he whispered before snapping his hand back and lurching to his feet. Turning towards the golem he raised his head to meet the foggy mask coating its skull, 'and the protector?'
'Cassstion, hisss army risssesss' the serpent-like tongue rattled against its teeth as it hissed.
Turning his head back down he trailed his eyes the over her crumpled form, 'make sure he does not interrupt the ritual should Castion's forces fail'
'You believe there'sss a chance of that, massster?' the mist demon frowned as he spoke.
'Do not underestimate your opponent' the hooded figure responded as his face snapped back to him, 'that is why you failed me the first time' he sneered only for it to turn into a smirk as the large golem visibly recoiled against his words.
'Forgive me' bowing as low as the huge body would allow the demon pleaded.
'Go and prepare,' Turning his face up towards the dark clouded sky he grinned as lightning split the sky open in a burst of violent light, 'it seems that the weather is in our favor, the darkness will suffice to begin the ceremony. There will be no need to wait longer than necessary to begin.'
Dante skidded to a stop as he left the tunnel and entered the training grounds. The world below him had begun to shake, trembling like an earthquake was about to rip the earth apart. The demonic aura from the cavernous jail seeped out of the very dirt like streams of smoke.
'What is that?' Trish questioned as she raked her eyes across the barren area, surveying the spiraling, black streams drifting upwards.
'I think we are about to find out' Dante muttered as he threw his arm out and used it to guide Trish backwards as the ground at their feet sunk into the dark pits below.
The center of the open ground lurched downwards causing a large concave dip to form in the earth only for the gravel and stone around it to swirl and spin as if sucked down through a drainpipe. The sound of metallic reviving echoed out from its depths, the humming thrum of massive drills followed. Vicious snarls and animalistic growling underlying the violent noise. The center of the training area continued to sink, pulling the earth and grit into its depths like a hurricane only to still for a moment and a geyser of dirt to shoot upwards and fan out in a fountain-like cascade. Dante threw the side of his coat over Trish's head, protecting her from the rain of stone. Only to lower it once more and shake the dust from its surface.
The ground eased, sieving itself as it settled. Glancing around him Dante plucked Ebony and Ivory from their holsters. Fisting them in his hands tightly he trailed his eyes to the streams of black aura streaming from the ground only to watch them return into the earth as if sucked in by a vast vacuum.
Trish palmed the handles of her guns, her fingers already placed neatly against the triggers as she stepped forward.
'We need to keep going' she whispered as her eyes flitted around their surroundings.
She turned to her side, side-stepping as she walked, her aim pointing in a right angle from her body as she moved. She felt the soft bump of Dante's back as he mirrored her stance. They walked like that, through the eerie silence of the training area, gingerly testing the ground under their feet as they neared the concaved space. It was deadly still, not even a breeze brushed against the ropes of the huge, wooden training structures. Then as they stepped around the sunken ground the earth beneath them once again began to shake.
Huge rotating blades, like massive chainsaws came thrusting out of the ground around them. Reviving and sparking against the stones they kicked up into the air. They cut through the earth like it was butter, tearing up the terrain as they sped across the open area. They zigzagged towards them, dozens of gyrating saws swarming with murderous intent.
Their guns fired simultaneously as they shot at the spinning blades, only for their bullets to ricochet off the turning, razor-edges. Dante weaved his torso to the side as one of his bullets bounced back at him only to spin away from Trish; he tucked his guns back into their casings to pluck Rebellion from his back.
'Trish!' Dante rolled his body in the air as a blade sped towards him. It missed the front of his waistcoat by millimeters. Dante landed on his feet, flaring his coat out behind him to check for damage only to dodge forward as a second saw zipped behind him.
Trish spun away, her golden locks circling her like glistening ribbons as she moved. The motion brought her closer to him and with a quick flick of her head she nodded that she had heard him.
Dante eyed the saws as they spread wide only to circle around and rush back towards them, 'I'm gonna need some juice,' he stated as he crouched and tilted Rebellion towards her.
Trish didn't hesitate, drawing the power from within her she felt the crackling energy coat her skin then with one swift push of her hand she sent electricity soaring towards the tip of the blade.
Rebellion jerked in his hand, the metal heating against his flesh as the current soaked through. It drew his demonic blood to the forefront, protecting him from the violent waves as it pulsed through his body. Dante stilled, allowing as much of her power to coat his blade as time would allow. Then as the first saw drew near, he raised the sword and speared it into the earth with all his might.
Rebellion sunk half-way up its blade, sinking into the depths of the land then as the grinding saw touched the blade, a web of electricity shot from the sword like lightning. The saw stopped spinning instantly only to vibrate as the demon beneath took the force of the shock. It webbed out as the rest of the saws drew closer, forking from one piece of metal to the other. Screams rang from beneath them between the sounds of metallic clattering as their bodies shook with electrocution.
A roar took up the volume of the screaming, its deep rumbling tones filled with fury and hatred. The ground cracked open along the concaved dip, causing dirt and gravel to tumble to the depths below.
'Kill him!' the voice traveled upwards in a haze of flying sparks as demons scrambled out of the crater.
They walked on all fours, each limb ending with a large drill that ate up the ground as they scurried towards them.
Dante pulled his blade from the dirt and flicked his wrist to rid it of the flecks of soil that clung to the metal. He gave Trish a quick glance from the corner of his eye before pushing his body forward and meeting the swarming mass of demons.
The golem handed him a blade. It was small, only the size of a butter knife but it was sharp, its tip ending in a lethal point.
He pulled her neck towards him, lifting her from the ground. An orange light swirled behind him, its hue highlighting and reflecting off the water that coated his cloak. He bent his head forward until the hem of his hood brushed across her flesh.
'Wake up now' he said it so softly that it was almost tender.
Shifting the blade into his other hand, he slipped his arm underneath her shoulders and braced her against him. Acknowledging the grimace that covered her face in her unconscious state as her shoulder bumped against his chest he lowered his head to her ear.
'Sshhh,' he soothed as he rocked her slightly, lifting his hand he moved the blade's position in his grasp to gently stroke the wet from her cheek, his hood slipped further across her face, protecting her from the torrents of rain that fell around them, 'I know it hurts now, my sweet' he whispered only for an evil grin to spread over his face, 'but it's nothing to the pain you are about to feel' he cooed before removing his arm quickly and letting her slam to the ground.
Jess's eyes opened wide as the sudden impact against her broken arm dragged her into reality. She gasped in a deep breath in an attempt to pant through the pain. Her startled eyes trailed towards the hooded figure standing over her.
'It's you' she rasped as she tried to suck in another breath. The words from the doctor's journal came tearing back into her mind as her body trembled.
The figure leaned forward tilting his head to stare at her from the darkness, 'it is I' he laughed only to snap his hand forward and snag her broken wrist. He tugged it roughly towards him, rearing back to his feet as he did so. It pulled Jess onto her side and as she screamed in agony he only laughed harder.
The pulled her by her wrist towards he orange light, its swirling pattern twisting in the air.
'I have waited for this day for a long time,' he spat as he walked; ignoring the fresh screams that left her mouth, 'to find the key, to keep the door open.'
He stopped in front of it, tightening his grip over Jess's wrist and pulling it upwards. Her arm felt disconnected from her body, but the pain, the pain she felt to the very depths of her soul. He squeezed her flesh, kneading it in his firm grip.
'And it is your blood,' he sneered as he lifted the blade to her palm, 'your blood that will keep it open.' He pressed the blade into her flesh, digging it through the softness of her flesh until large, falls of blood seeped down her arm, 'it is your blood, the bloodline of the all-seeing witch that is the key.' He dragged the blade across her palm from one side to the other.
She didn't even feel it, the pain of her arm overpowering even the deepest of cuts. It was the blood pouring down her skin that indicated his actions. Then as he turned his head to glance at her over his shoulder he gave her once last tug before thrusting her hand into the depths of the portal.
Jess screamed.