Welcome back, my dear readers. Hope life has been kind to you. We return to our story with this second to last chapter. Now, a heads up. This chapter is going to be very long. But I had to put in as much as I could to maintain authenticity and realism and prevent you from waiting to know what happens next by splitting it into several parts like I did before. Hope you will have the patience and time to read all of it. I promise, you won't be disappointed.
Introducing new faces: Aella - Ellen Hollman, Repel - Justin Hartley, Manael - Steven Krueger, Sira - Virginia Gardner
Like in the previous chapter, I will be inserting Author's Notes with songs to go with the scene, kind of like a soundtrack.
Enough delay. Here we go. The beginning of the end...
CHAPTER XI – FROM EVIL… (part 1)
Ana was feeling particularly anxious. She felt like they had lingered far too long in the sanctuary cavern and because of that, the demons could come in any moment. That is why she began to call left and right, sounding off that it was imperious for them to get underway as soon as possible. Not to mention the long and dangerous road that awaited them outside. Her stomach twisted and turned inside with each passing moment and a crippling sense of urgency was telling her that they should have left a long time ago.
It vexed her that the others barely made any effort to hurry. As far as she was concerned, they all deserved a smack on the head for being so careless. And she almost saw to it if it were not for the rapid passing of time that demanded for them to get a move on leaving. Therefore, she resorted to threats. "I swear I'm going to kill people myself if we don't leave right now."
As she paced back and forth, the corner of her eye warned her of something at the threshold of the entrance. She stopped dead in her tracks and hundreds of alarms sounded off in her mind. Something very cold and terrifying enveloped her and paralyzed her to her core. Her feet felt like they were stuck in a frozen lake. All she could do was slowly turn her head to a side, to glance at what had troubled her so. The background, the people gathered behind her, the inner tunnels and spaces of the mountain, all of it faded away, in a silent abyss. Her full focus was now for what was in front of her. A sharp gasp was released…
(Author's note: Mick Gordon - Welcome to Hell)
A hideous, bipedal creature was mere feet away from her. With a mouth that covered its entire face and fangs springing from every angle, the demon had several sets of small, black eyes at the top of its head. Its torso was covered in a grayish chest plate. It wielded a sort of club, which seemed a bit too large for its hand. It stared at Ana with clear malicious intent, ready to jump on her in an instant. The woman thought about possible ways to act but being face to face with a demon turned her to stone. She was beyond frightened.
Without further hesitation, the demon lunged at her with the massive claws bursting out of its hand. All Ana could do was place a step backwards. She knew it was far from enough and braced herself to be stabbed. Suddenly, Dietz placed himself between her and the creature and got impaled, the latter's claws coming out of his back. Ana shook her head and realized what had happened. The man sacrificed himself for her sake.
The demon pulled its claws out of Dietz and shoved him at Ana, sending both of them down. Then, it saw the other people gaping horrified, and proceeded to attack them as well. In just an instant, it had its large fanged mouth in a man's gut, biting his innards and pulling them out voraciously. A wide spread panic settled itself among the human souls as they scurried away in all directions. Dan and Kostas grabbed a couple of stones and launched them at the hellish assailant that set its sight upon Clara and three others trapped in a corner. The demon roared, the women screamed and the body count started to rise.
Ana barely managed to get Dietz's lifeless cadaver off of her when she noticed another demon entering the cave. It adroitly walked on the ceiling and landed on top of a running woman, pulling her head clean off her shoulders. Blood splattered everywhere, including on Ana's face. She wiped it off her eyes and felt a powerful feeling of hopelessness creep inside. Another demon made its way inside and helped himself to the neck of a man who could do nothing except scream in terror. The hellspawn sunk its fangs into the man's jugular and detached a large meaty chunk out of it. Ana could not remember seeing anything more atrocious than a person with half of its neck missing.
Ana could not believe it had come to this. In her darkest thoughts, she always had suspected that the demons would eventually get them. But every time, she brushed the thought off, not wanting to think about it. And now, the moment had finally arrived. Seeing her kind get brutally murdered sent shivers in her heart. She began to hyperventilate and look in every direction in a panicked state as if trying to find something to do. And the fact that she knew it was out of her hands further added to her shock. For her, this was her worst nightmare come true.
One of the demons noticed her. While it approached, licking its fangs with a grotesque tongue, Ana struggled to crawl away. When her back hit the stone wall, she knew all would be over soon. The hellspawn leaned toward her with its mouth fully opened, ready to satiate its craving. The woman stretched out her arms to cover herself from the impending attack.
(Author's note: Mick Gordon - Hell battles + fight over)
Suddenly, Elaiel kicked the demon in the face and made it stagger on its feet. Ana could not believe her eyes. Then, the angel followed up with lightning fast short kicks to the creature's chest, back and legs, forcing it to fall on its knees. He then grabbed its head and jaw and snapped its neck with a swift spin of his wrists. The demon fell on the ground and disintegrated on the spot.
Quickly sensing imminent danger, Elaiel sidestepped and evaded a large claw that was aiming for the back of his head. In a moment's notice, he grabbed the demon's arm, elbowed its mouth and stabbed it with its own claw. Looking beyond its shoulder, Elaiel saw that the third demon was getting close. Therefore, he shoved the claw demon with a front kick right into the path of the approaching one. Before any of them could react, the angel launched an energy orb that turned both of them to ashes.
All the demons that entered the cave were finished but it was far from over. Elaiel's instincts immediately alerted him to the entrance. It was being crossed by another hell spawn, and several more appeared to be behind it. Wasting little time, Elaiel ran toward the front demon and executed a masterful flying kick, pushing his target backward, right into its companions. All of the latter found themselves driven over the small ledge, heading toward the downward slope of the mountain. While in midair, when he reached above the edge of the flat surface leading to the cavern entrance, Elaiel unfolded his wings and sent several feathers to land and latch onto the limit of the ledge, where dozens of demons were attempting to pass further. As soon as the feathers were in position, each one exploded with a violent burst that destroyed all hellish invaders in close proximity.
Meanwhile, Elaiel, using the demon he kicked as a board, slid down the slope of the mountain, shooting incandescent beams left and right, clearing the side of all the hell spawns trying to climb it. Advancing with considerable velocity toward the base, he made sure that no enemy was left standing in his wake. His efforts were successful, and now, the entire slope was devoid of demonic life forms. Before reaching ground level, Elaiel used his feet to propel the board demon in the air and then spin it to land in a stylish manner on top of the creature's disintegration.
His next task seemed against nearly impossible odds. He suddenly faced a whole army of demons, of all shapes and sizes, eyeing him with undeniable hostility. Although they were separated by what appeared to be a couple of miles, it did not offer any comfort. Their numbers easily reached thousands. Elaiel wondered if their presence there was the result of Lamia spreading the word about fresh human souls at that location. It made no difference to him.
Ana, Mungami, Dan and several others stepped outside the cave, on the ledge, to see what was occurring. Laying eyes on the vast demonic force made them shudder. 'How the hell are we going to get out of this one' was plastered over their faces. Fear and consternation dealt them a heavy blow and struck down whatever hope they had left. It seemed futile to believe in something otherwise than their demise. An even darker weight fell upon Ana's shoulders, a hollow the likes of which she could not describe. It was not difficult for her to find the strength to keep believing in times of need, but this was too much for her.
Then, to her horror, the massive army of demons sprinted forward, towards Elaiel. However, the angel stood his ground, his wings and eyes shining brighter than ever. He did not even flinch in the face of such an overwhelming threat charging at him in full throttle. Behind him, above the slope, the humans, like before, were too frightened to react in any sort of way. All they could do was watch the approaching black mass. Ana noticed that Elaiel was not showing any kind of sign of concern or trepidation. It was as if his firmness far outweighed the level of potential terror caused by the encroaching danger. 'How is it possible' the woman questioned herself.
In the meantime, Elaiel had been waiting for the perfect moment. When he realized it had come, he took a deep breath. He trained both his palms forward and let out energy waves twice the size of his own torso. They caused massive damage in the demons' ranks and utterly tore them apart by the hundreds. At the same time, dozens of luminescent feathers launched from his wings, each and every one of them landing among the hellish spawns and exploding on impact. He shot them like a machine gun, bombarding the massive army relentlessly while his light waves viciously swept back and forth, back and forth, obliterating everything in their wake. Demon after demon fell to Elaiel's ruthless barrage of heavy energy attacks.
Witnessing this, Mungami dropped his jaw in astonishment. Ana's eyes were wide in wonder and Dan covered his mouth with his hands, amazed beyond reasonable limits. The area in front of them had turned into a minefield from a war zone. The demons could not place a single step forward without blowing up into pieces. And Elaiel seemed inexhaustible, not allowing them even an inch to forward. Hundreds of explosions engulfed the field in front of him and dust rose to uneven heights, as if stirred by a violent storm.
Eventually, the remaining demons gave up the charge and fled, not wanting to fall like their brethren. Elaiel ceased fire upon seeing that, dropping his hands and pulling his wings backward. He waived his hand and the cloud of dust that settled cleared the area. The humans could hardly believe their eyes when they acknowledged the absence of the massive demonic army. Just like that, a large portion of it got utterly wiped out off the face of hell while the remaining few cowered away like vermin. All due to Elaiel's extraordinary intervention and his amazing abilities. He had stood his ground against hopeless circumstances and prevailed, saving their lives in the process. It made Ana breathe relieved as her body began to lower her adrenaline levels. Mungami and Dan looked at each other completely baffled.
Elaiel too allowed himself to relax. He folded his wings, making them vanish, while his eyes returned to normal. With the threat gone and his instincts calming down, he was at ease, adopting a neutral stance. All of a sudden he heard a scream coming from the caverns of the human sanctuary. It managed to draw his attention.
In the entrance hall, Clara shrieked in terror, trying to get as far away as she could from Sylvia Ganush. The latter's abhorrent visage created nothing but dread and horror when witnessed by the other humans. Dan and Mungami lunged at her with stones in their hands, ready to defend everyone she might attack. Ganush, on the other hand, backed away fearfully,
Elaiel teleported between the two and the woman. "Wait, stop! She's not going to hurt anyone, I promise."
With the angel in their way, Mungami and Dan quickly got discouraged in advancing any further. After his earlier display of might and skill, they knew they would not have the slightest success in carrying on their aggressive intentions toward Ganush.
Ana joined them, fixating Elaiel with a piercing stare, perplexity mixed with a hint of concern. The angel knew she struggled to understand his reason for being there, and whether to fear him or not. It was obvious she did not trust him and, in the same obvious manner, he did not blame her for it, especially after everything he had done.
"What do you want?" She shot in the coldest tone possible.
He was expecting such a harsh welcoming. But it did not matter for him. He had other priorities. "I want to save you. All of you."
"Like hell you do," Dan stung him. "Are we just supposed to forget how every time you came here, you had an angle?"
"Or how you put us in danger every single time?" Mungami accompanied. "We lost good people because of you!"
Elaiel looked into Ana's eyes. They wailed of pain at the account of all his past dishonorable deeds. Sadly, it was only now that he fully comprehended their severe consequences on the humans and their safety. He had done them so much wrong.
He pointed his view toward the bodies of the people who had fallen in the attack. He regretted deeply for not having arrived there sooner to spare them of the terror and violent death they had suffered. It would have torn him apart if not for one ability he possessed. One he was going to use without any hesitation.
Elaiel slowly approached Dietz. The man had three large stab wounds in his abdominal area and probably had perished soon after the fatal blow had been struck.
"Leave him alone," Dan yelled. "Haven't you done enough harm?"
Elaiel ignored him. Then, he bent over the cadaver and reached for the stab wounds with his palm. A bright light emanated from the contact and the wounds got smaller and smaller until they disappeared into nothing. Soon after, Dietz released a strong gasp, rising from his back. He was alive and well again.
All the people there gaped astounded. 'It's a miracle' was voiced and whispered among the humans, who were unable to keep their feelings in check, letting them out through bewildered breaths and echoes of wonderment.
"I know you have no reason to trust me," Elaiel addressed them while helping a very confused Dietz on his feet. "Not after everything I've done." Then, he made his way to the decapitated woman. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness." He repeated the same procedure on her. A flash of bright light emanated from her neck upward and, to everyone's shock, her head had been restored. She opened her eyes. "It's going to be alright," Elaiel softly reassured her before aiding her up. Then, he resumed his address, while healing and resurrecting the others. The man with his neck bitten in half suddenly found it whole again, rejoicing for the fact that he was alive once more. "Nor I am asking for your trust."
"Then what is it that you want?" Ana spat annoyed, unimpressed by his virtuous acts.
"I want to take you to heaven. All of you."
Ana swore she did not hear that right.
/|\
As the resurrected souls regained their composure, they joined Ana and the others to listen to what Elaiel had to say. The nature of his message compelled them to drop any kind of feeling of gladness for their being alive again and pay close attention to further details. Many of them wondered if what he was saying was even possible. They had been sent to hell for a reason, judged according to their past life's sins. Were they worthy of such deliverance? Yet the prospect of salvation, of escaping hell, of reaching paradise, weighed more heavily.
"This is bullshit," Dan warned her. "He's using us, just like he did before. Don't listen to a word he's saying."
"Ana, I swear, I'm telling the truth." Elaiel retorted, pleading with his stare. "I'm not lying anymore."
"How do I know that?" Ana questioned. "How do I know this isn't one of your schemes? You're always up to something. How do I know that you won't get us killed?"
"I am so sorry," Elaiel expressed, "for everything. I wish, I so desperately wish I could take it all back. Undo everything. But I can't. With all the powers that I have, I can't turn time back and fix my mistakes. I have to live with them… for eternity."
"That is a very sad, sob story," Mungami mocked. "Now piss off!"
Elaiel did not mind him, focusing on Ana. "But what I can do is help you. I may not have the power to turn back time but I do have the power to save you from this place and take you to heaven, whether you like it or not. Please. I'm begging you. Let me save you. Please!"
Noticing the shimmer in his eyes, Ana realized he was speaking from the heart, full of emotion. But should she trust him only on that and nothing else? Should she risk everyone's life on a gut feeling? What he had said sounded completely genuine. Not to mention the promise of salvation. She badly wanted to believe him but the shadow of his former betrayals casted a dark veil of doubt and skepticism. It proved to be too much.
"I think you should go," Ana replied in a calm yet upset tone. Elaiel's face dropped upon hearing that. "Please, take your friend and go. We don't need your help."
"Ana, pl.."
"Just go, Elaiel!" She quickly cut him off and turned her back.
"You should listen to what he says." Ganush's raspy voice was heard, drawing everyone's attention.
"Who asked you, demon?" Kostas fired at her, referencing her emaciated visage.
"I am not a demon," the woman defended herself with dignity. "Yet I was made this way by one. Lamia took everything from me, my freedom, my hope, my chance at rest after a lifetime of hardships. He made me into his very own personal slave, controlling me like a puppet. I am not saying I did not deserve it. I did, after the horrible thing I've done."
"Nobody cares," Dan stated in exasperation. "Ana, tell me you're not actually listening to this."
The Russian woman had no reaction to his words, fixating upon Ganush as if urging her to go on. The latter complied without invitation.
"It is I who was responsible for Christine's fate. I cursed her into this God forsaken place, on account of my pride. And it was because of my pride that I too was taken here, along with her.. and turned into what you see before your eyes... A monster... I wanted to die than live like this... Eternally bound to an evil beast and accomplishing every little whim of his. All while tormented by the guilt of my past sins... No one should suffer like this... No one..."
Dan and Mungami glanced at Ana and saw exactly what they were afraid of. Her sheer sympathy for a lost soul was boundless and just like numerous times before, she was now vested in the emaciated woman's languish, ready to jump to her aid and comfort in an instant. Although a noble sentiment on any other occasion, right now unacceptable, given to everything that had occurred in the recent period.
"My wish almost came true when I came face to face with him." Ganush continued, pointing to Elaiel. "The release of death was so close. I thought my torment was finally going to be over. But he chose to let me live. And I was puzzled as to why. Why didn't he kill me? It would have been the just penance for everything I had done. Even more so when it would have offered him the satisfaction of vengeance he so desperately longed for."
"Because that's not what he wanted," Ana deduced, frustrating her two male friends beside her.
"If what you say is true," Ganush addressed Dan and Mungami, "than he would have never spared me. He would have never rescued me from the demons and brought me here, to be with my own kind. And above all else, he would have never promised me that he would take me to heaven."
"This isn't the first time he rescued a woman and brought her here," Mungami angrily replied. "I've heard this story before. And it almost ended in our deaths. Ana, please. Let's be done with this business and send them away."
"He wanted to use Christine," Ana murmured to herself, reflecting on the similar situation they had found themselves when Elaiel came with Christine. Then, she turned to the angel. "You wanted to use her to get Lamia's name. That's all you cared about."
"What are you talking about?" Dan questioned her.
"Why did he bring this woman here, now? All he wanted was Lamia. And he got him. But now... What use does he have for her?"
"Who cares?" Mungami reacted. "I don't know what kind of new, devious, diabolical scheme he's planning and how we fit into it. No one does. All that is certain is that we cannot trust him."
"All I am sure of is that I fully embraced the notion that I was to be like this forever... damned." Ganush added. "He gave me something that I haven't encountered in a long, long time... hope. I do not know how or why, but something in his eyes, in the manner he spoke to me, in his very soul itself... convinced me to go along with his plan of deliverance. He sounded as if he would do anything to achieve it, to save both me and you as well. If he can convince ME of all souls in hell, someone who has suffered so much, that there is hope, perhaps you should heed his words in the same manner."
Somehow it made sense to Ana. Mungami and Dan's apprehension, shared probably by everyone else, was logical. But somewhere inside, the old woman's words appeased her reluctance. It forced her to be opened to what Elaiel was proposing, especially considering how different he seemed after the last time she had laid eyes upon him. If before he was overtaken by a dark focus of coldness and anger, represented by his desire to get to Lamia, he now appeared calmer, warmer, almost like his goal in life had changed. She would even go as far as to say he was compassionate judging from his desperate plea for their acceptance of his help. It was as if the only thing he adamantly cared about was to rescue them from hell and nothing else.
And the fact that she could not find any other explanation regarding Ganush's presence there weighed the balance in his favor even more. The woman had been like a vicious and rabid creature the first time they had met, who had attacked without hesitation. Why did Elaiel not kill her instead of bringing her here? The notion that he was concocting another scheme, and was using her to accomplish it, was easily ruled out because of the earlier conclusion that his goals had changed. In the past, there had been only vengeance in his heart and his wish had been granted, having had come face to face with the demon he had sought. That is why it did not make sense. What possible purpose could any further scheming serve after he had obtained his goal, despite failing to carry his retribution out? The one reason she could accept was that Ganush was telling the truth. Meaning that Elaiel was doing the same. It all pointed it to that resolution. Ana was rapidly changing her mind.
It was almost made up but she needed to know one more thing to be sure if Elaiel was telling the truth or not. "Is such a thing possible?" She asked the angel.
"What?"
"Can we actually go to heaven?"
"There's a portal. It's the one I used to enter hell in the first place. I can take you there but..."
"No," she interrupted him. "I meant if it is allowable considering where we are... What we have done to be sent here..."
She took the words out of everyone's mouth. Despite everything, all of them had been sinners in their past life and had reached hell instead of heaven for that exact reason. The crimes and atrocities committed, even though they were fully aware of their gravity now, still had determined their fate and had condemned them to hell for eternity as a rightful penance. Suddenly, all the human souls there began to wonder if they would even be allowed to reach Paradise in the first place. After all, they were serving a sentence that had been brought on by their own hands.
"Yes," Elaiel answered firmly, surprising them all. "Just as I can go into heaven, so can you. There is nothing stopping you from reaching there. I can take you there. The only thing you need to do is let me."
Suddenly, the cavernous confinement radiated with hope, as each and every human started to release a joy they had been keeping inside for a very long time. Elaiel's words even managed to force Mungami and Dan to let their guard down and permit themselves to entertain the possibility of salvation. It was a blissful feeling they had not visited since their arrival in hell. They wanted more of it.
"I know taking my word for it is difficult after everything I have done." Elaiel finished. "But I swear to you I'm not lying anymore. I swear. Please... I don't wish for my mistakes to cause you more suffering. Let me save you."
Ana had gotten her answer. She had been praying for it. After a brief pause that felt like eons for Elaiel, she finally uttered, "so what's the plan? How are we going to do this?"
The angel let out a sigh of relief, glad that she had accepted. "Well, like I said, there's a portal that can take you to heaven. But it's pretty far away from here. Now I may be able to take let's say two or three of you and carry you through the portal and to heaven, but that kind of back and forth would take too long and the more you linger here, the higher you are at risk of more demons coming and attacking you."
"We don't need you to carry us," Mungami argued. "We can travel there on our own feet."
"That was my initial thought. But it would be too dangerous. You are quite a large group. Crossing such a distance on foot would make you an easy target for God knows how may demons may notice you. You would be slow, your movements heavy and sluggish. And I cannot look out for each and every one of you should the worst happen. I can't protect you all at once. I need help."
"Have you taken a look around you?" Dan retorted. "We're in hell, for crying out loud. What help do you think you're going to find here?"
"I'm not talking about here." Elaiel replied.
"Wait," Ana uttered with worry. "You're leaving us again?" The rest became just as unsettled.
"I need my friends' help if we plan to get the whole lot of you to that portal in one piece. Hey... I'm coming back soon, I promise you. I won't let anything happen to you. Ever again."
Ana saw the same glimmer in his eyes as before. For her, it was a good glimmer, emanating sincerity and selflessness. And the softness of his voice was like an inviting tone toward a soothing river of warmness. Without a doubt, she felt she could trust him. Deep down inside, she had already given him credence before he justified his following departure.
With a slight nod, she signaled him that she agrees with his plan. He did not require more. In a blink, he disappeared from their sights, heading to reconnect and reconcile with some familiar faces...
/|\
"So did you guys get the same message?" Aella asked her three friends, all of them standing on top of an enormously high peak that was easily towering over others, creating a massive chain of snow covered mountains that stretched as far as the horizons, one of heaven's infinite landscapes.
"Yep," Manael responded while forming a snowball. "Elaiel sounded pretty urgent."
"What do you think is going on?" Sira discharged her curiosity.
"Don't know, don't care." Repel gruffly stated, staring away from the others.
"Oh yeah, then why are you here?" Aella shot with a raised eyebrow. Repel growled in response. She acknowledged his stubbornness but knew he could not ignore Elaiel if called upon by him.
"Well, you know Elaiel, with the mysteries and all," Manael attempted to offer some kind of insight into their friend's reasoning.
"I'm just glad he's safe and in one piece, considering his state the last time we saw him." Aella expressed concern. It was a thought shared by all of them, not knowing where he had been or what he had been up to.
"Hey guys." Elaiel drew their attention. All four of them turned around to see their friend once more. Finding him alive and well filled their hearts with pure gladness, relieved that he was alright and that their worst fears had not come to pass. Even Repel, who still had hard feelings after their argument, let out a breath of ease, his worries alleviated by his friend's sight.
"Elaiel!" Aella, Sira and Manael expressed as they approached him, overjoyed. Repel chose to remain still, reverting to his previous disgruntled state.
The newly arrived was bombarded with questions. 'Are you alright' or 'where have you been' were among the first to struck him with excessive curiosity. "It's so good to see you again" was his answer to the tirade of inquiries thrown at him.
"Good to see you too, Elaiel," Aella repaid him with the same warmth.
"Really glad you're okay, my friend," Manael said while placing a hand on his shoulder.
"We were starting to get worried back there." Sira confessed.
"Believe me, so was I." Elaiel added.
"Right." Repel intervened sarcastically. "Now that we got the pleasantries out of the way, you want to tell me why did you call us here?"
"Repel!" Aella shot him with an infuriated tone.
Repel got up from his seated position and turned to them. "What Aella? I just want to get this over with so I can get out of his way and leave him alone. Isn't that right, Elaiel?"
It hit him hard. His friend's anger deeply saddened Elaiel, as he recalled the way he had behaved and the words he had used during their last encounter. He had been too blinded by vengeance and guilt to acknowledge that he had pushed his friends away. Another victim of his erroneous ways added to the list. Elaiel knew he had much to make up for. And he intended to do exactly that.
"You're angry. I get that. And I understand why. I am so, so sorry for all those things I said. I didn't mean them, I swear. That was just... my anger talking. Anger at myself... I'm not saying that's an excuse. I..."
"You must be joking me." Repel laughed in disbelief. "Are you actually serious? You expect to waltz in here, with your half-assed apologies, and make everything go away? Water under the bridge?"
"No, damn it! No. The only thing I want is for you to know that you are my friend. All of you are. And no matter what happens, no matter the crap I say or do, nothing will change that. I don't care if you will never speak to me or never trust me again... What would kill me is you believing I would think any less of you. Because YOU... you're all I have."
Repel grunted and turned away.
"Why DID you call us here, Elaiel?" Aella questioned.
"You asked me where have I been. In hell. I've been in hell. And there are a group of humans there that desperately need our help."
"Unbelievable," Repel fired annoyed. "The nerve on you. The apologies, the soft words... it wasn't because you meant it. It was because you need our help, isn't it? ISN'T IT?"
"I DO need your help." Elaiel struck back. "But that doesn't mean I wasn't serious back there. I really AM sorry for treating you like that. I wish I didn't but... I recently learnt that your mistakes remain with you for the rest of your life, no matter how hard you try to ignore them. That's why I won't ask for your forgiveness. I know I don't deserve it."
"Argh... take a hike!" Repel mouthed peremptorily.
"Those people in hell," Elaiel continued, "they've been through a lot. But they won't last much longer. They need our help. I have an actual chance to intervene and save them. But I cannot do it alone. That's why I'm asking you. Please! Don't let them suffer because of my mistakes. They deserve better than that."
"Hold on a minute, Elaiel." Manael let out after some contemplation. "You're asking us to join you behind enemy lines, in evil central, where everybody wants to kick our angelic asses. Not exactly going to the amusement park, if you know what I mean."
Manael expressed what the rest of them were thinking at that point. The fact that it was risky and dangerous was an understatement and they all were aware of it. Especially when considering that it was all for a group of human souls that had been sent to hell for deserved reasons. Repel's reluctance was further enforced, Sira and Manael, although having had seen action before, were nowhere near ready for such an incursion into enemy territory. It was asking too much and all of them knew it. Even Elaiel.
Aella, on the other hand, had a different mindset and decided to act on it with resolve and firmness. The doubts, the worries, the confusing circumstances surrounding Elaiel's return, his dangerous request and the position they all had been put in by having to choose were extremely grave but did not weigh in at all for her in the end. For her, there was no choice.
"It doesn't matter," she uttered, surprising the others. Repel gazed at her as if she had lost her mind. "It doesn't matter if we're going to hell, it doesn't matter if we have to save a group of souls there. Won't matter if we face one demon and live or millions and die in the process. All I know is that Elaiel is our friend. And he needs our help. That's the only important thing. The rest are just details."
Elaiel's gratitude for her loyalty reached limitless heights. It made him extremely happy to know he had such an amazing friend by his side, ready to follow him without hesitation to hell and back.
Sira realized that Aella, ultimately, was right. Above all the perilous details of what Elaiel was asking them to do, she too acknowledged that there was no other choice than to aid him. Not only because she did not want to leave him do it alone, but also because she cared for him and had to be by his side when he needed her. "Screw it, I'm in," she declared, to Elaiel and Repel's astonishment. The latter could not believe that she had accepted as well.
"Ah, what the hell," it was Manael's turn, after he had mulled over Aella's words. "Beats hanging around the tavern, waiting for an assignment. Count me in, buddy."
Elaiel would never have imagined his friends accepting so quickly and on the spot. He was truly blessed to have them.
"What do you say, Repel?" Aella turned to him.
Repel found himself alone, standing on his beliefs. What Aella had said made sense, Elaiel was their friend... his friend. And the fact that he was very angry with him reminded him how much he valued their bond. He had to be there for his friend no matter how much resentment he carried against him. And because they were all planning to go, they might as well go together. Therefore, he approached Elaiel and extended his hand for a shake. "Let's do this."
"Thank you, Repel," Elaiel said as he grabbed the other's hand and shook it. Again he held himself in contempt for trying to discard his friends during their previous encounter. From this point onward, he made a mental note to always be grateful for them and respect their support and loyalty to the fullest.
/|\
When Ana saw five flashes of light appearing on the sky above her sanctuary mountain, a breath of relief exited her mouth. She was glad Elaiel had kept his word and had returned as he had promised. She turned to the others to share the news of the angels' arrival and get them ready for departure.
"I gotta say, Elaiel," Manael confessed as they hovered toward the cavern entrance, "this has to be your dumbest, stupidest idea. Rescuing a group of human souls from hell, who probably ended up here because they deserve it, and taking them to heaven is ridiculously idiotic."
"Quit your whining, Manael!" Repel scolded him.
"Sorry. This place is making me feel a bit uneasy."
"You're not the only one," Aella remarked in an obviously concerned tone.
"You sure we can do this, Elaiel?" Repel inquired.
"Yes. When I first got here, I moved around freely without so much as a demon in sight. Guess they're probably too busy enjoying themselves with the souls of the damned than keep perimeter watch."
"Why bother doing that?" Sira added. "We are in their backyard after all. Who would be stupid enough to come here?"
All of them pointed their view to her. "Sorry." She replied having realized what she had said.
"All we got to do is escort the humans back to the portal," Elaiel finished his idea. "If we stay low and quiet, they won't even notice us being here."
"Let's hope," Repel uttered, visibly anxious and preoccupied.
The humans mobilized themselves exemplary and proceeded to leave the hollowed mountain. Forming a row of two persons, they slowly descended down the narrow path to reach the foot of the mountain, watched over by the angels. Upfront, was Mungami and Dan, followed by Clara and Pietro, Kostas and Dietz. Still feeling like an outsider to the group, Ganush chose to remain at the rear. It was better for her that way, considering that she did not have a pair, like the others. But she was not the last. That position had been occupied by Ana, who held Tanya by the hand. She placed herself like that in an attempt to make sure none of her people got lost or strayed from the group.
Although Tanya smiled every time she saw one of the angels hovering over them, Ana was more preoccupied to glance backwards, at the cavern entrance.
"It's going to be okay." Elaiel assured her as he landed and started walking alongside the woman. "We'll get everyone to safety, I promise you."
"We've been in that cave for so long, it became home for us. A safe haven sheltering us from the evil. It feels strange to leave it behind like this."
"It served its purpose. You're going to a much better place now, where you will never be afraid or alone again."
"And it's all because of you," Ana acknowledged. "Why are you doing this, Elaiel? The last time I saw you, you were driven by darkness and anger. You cared for nothing but getting to Lamia to exact your revenge. And it did not matter for you how or through what means you would gain it. But now, you seem different. Completely different. That emptiness you had in your eyes is gone. There's an aura about you that springs empathy and kindness. I feel like I can trust you no matter what, despite everything you did to us. It's like you changed 180 degrees. What happened to you?"
"I lost someone," Elaiel shared while looking forward. "The most important being in my life. Because I neglected and disregarded her beliefs. And I couldn't see it. I was too blinded by my stupid pride. It took her death to open my eyes to what's truly important, worth fighting for. And as long as I live, I'll never stop fighting for it. Just like she did."
Ana understood everything now. Not only did it help her figure out his true motives but also sparked a dose of sympathy for him. Even angels felt sadness and grief, pushing them over the edge of morality and even sanity. Just like any other human. It moved her to trust him even more. "I'm sorry." She said and placed a hand on his shoulder. He reciprocated with a grateful look. "I did not know her but if she would have seen you right now, I'm sure she would have been very proud of you."
"Thank you," Elaiel responded with a smile.
"Yo Elaiel, get your butt here NOW!" Manael's telepathic message summoned him to the front of the row. The humans had reached the foot of the mountain but found their progress halted by Elaiel's friends.
"What's up?" Elaiel inquired after landing at their position.
"Look for yourself!" Repel stated and pointed the way. He showed the sky, but after a first glance, Elaiel failed to see anything there. Therefore, he activated his angelic sight for a broader view spectrum. He did not like what he witnessed. Several hundred miles from their location, fast approaching, was the fleet of flying creatures that had stalked him while he had been inside Christine's mind. "Crap!"
"Crap indeed," Manael expressed. "I count nearly 500 of them winged bad boys."
"This is so not good." Sira added.
"What's going on?" Ana asked, after she had made her way from the back of the row.
"The flying creatures are back." Elaiel shed light. The humans let out loud gasps of concern and consternation.
"Should we go back inside?" The Russian woman suggested.
"No. I promised I'd save you from hell and that's what I'm going to do." Elaiel stood his ground.
"Elaiel," Repel intervened. "The only thing you'll save is their carcasses. Even if, IF we could take all those demons on, the humans won't make it for sure without any kind of cover. We need to fall them back to the cavern."
"We turn back now, we'll be doing it every single time we would want to leave." Elaiel refused to budge. "I am beyond sick and tired of hiding and waiting for the perfect opportunity to escape. We are getting them out of here and we are doing that now."
"How are we supposed to do that, Mr. crazy angel?" Manael shot. "In case you haven't noticed, the odds are slightly against us."
"The humans make a run for it," Elaiel answered after several second of unbearable tension. "Me, Repel, Aella and Sira will engage the demons. Manael, you stay with the group and guide them in the right direction while covering their backs."
"Wait what? Why am I on babysitting duty?" Manael fired outraged.
"Because you're so good-looking. Shield them from any incoming attack or blast. We'll try as best as we can to keep their attention on us."
"That is just stupid," Mungami voiced his concern, shared unanimously by everyone. "We're never going to make it. I say we go back inside and screw Elaiel's plan."
"Shut the fuck up!" Elaiel angrily declared. "If I so much as hear another word about going back, I will take you to the demons myself. You want heaven? Follow fucking me and shut up!"
"We're with you Elaiel!" Ana decreed peremptorily, spearing Mungami with a furious look.
"This feels insane." Sira confessed. "Are we actually doing this?"
"Hey, what's life without a challenge, huh?" Elaiel said, noticing the doubts in their eyes. "We can do this. We have to. Their lives lie in our hands." Then, he extended his fist forward and finished with "No human dies today!"
"No human dies today," Aella performed the same action, bumping his fist.
"No human," Repel, Sira and Manael complete their salute.
(Author's note: Devildriver - Just run)
As his friends took off to intercept the flying demons, Manael pointed the way and urged the humans to start running. They did not require convincing, all of them beginning to sprint in the direction shown by the angel. Meanwhile, above, Elaiel, followed by Aella, Repel and Sira charged at the incoming demonic flock.
Spearheading the celestials, Elaiel launched a salvo of luminescent feathers from his wings, which hurriedly made their way to the demons and exploded on impact, dispatching dozens of hellspawns in the process. It did not take long for the two opposites sides to clash in a thunderous collision of fury and bloodlust. Visibly superior, the angels took down with ease many of their outnumbering adversaries. Sira used her incandescent wings to cut in half five foes. Repel manifested two swords from his wings and eliminated a high number of incoming enemies in the blink of an eye with his divine speed. Aella began to glow brighter and brighter, turning her entire body into pure light, which, like her wings, burned unlimitedly hot. Every demon she touched turned to ashes in a matter of seconds and all that she came across were not spared. Elaiel fired his destructive light beams from the palm of his hands. They successfully wiped out the hellspawns by the hundreds.
In the mean time, the humans managed to stick together in their rush, with Manael's aid. However, upon checking to see how his friends were doing, he immediately was displeased. Many demons disengaged the fight and were now approaching the humans' group. "Oh bend me over and shaft me," he addressed in frustration. Wasting little time, he commenced launching, from his hands, energy attacks in the shape of spheres, at the incoming creatures. He was moving his arms so fast that it aided him in releasing thousands of such projectiles in mere seconds. Suddenly, the approaching demons were forced to adopt evasive maneuvers, avoiding what looked like millions of anti-air energy strikes.
"They're going after the humans instead of us," Elaiel remarked, noticing that the demons were beginning focusing their assault on the humans rather than on the angels. He and the others started concentrating their battle efforts back to the moving terrestrial group. Their backtrack was successful, as the majority of the hellspawns swarmed around them. Manael was doing much better at providing cover for the moving humans this way, although he still had to over exert in using his super speed in order to be able to block incoming attacks directed at the humans. "Ow," he grunted at one point, as he used his own wings to shield Mungami from a black, demonic, energy discharge. Still, he breathed relieved as he confirmed that, so far, no human fell.
Realizing that Tanya was not moving fast enough, Ana grabbed her off the ground and carried her in her arms. She knew the battle had reached the skies above them and it gave her cause for concern, as multiple explosions sounded off behind her. A rush of adrenaline flooded her body and compelled her to go faster and faster, and despite the fact that she was carrying the young girl, she successfully kept up with the others. Hearing the loud booms produced by the fight, she instinctively tucked her head between her shoulders to cover herself from shockwaves or debris. At one point, she felt Manael flying over her, presumably attempting to shield her and the rest of the humans from incoming attacks.
Meanwhile, Elaiel flew straight into a large gathering of demons. While passing them, he released dozens of feathers from his wings, that simply floated without any other action. Then, he snapped his fingers, at which point the feathers exploded, causing massive detonations and eviscerating all the hellspawns in proximity. Sira, acknowledging that she was surrounded, started to spin and discharge a barrage of rapid-fire energy projectiles that obliterated any enemy daring to strike her down. Repel was taking about thirty demons head on, wielding dual swords with masterful grace. Aella herself was doing just as fine, using her incandescent wings to slay every adversary in her line of sight.
Elaiel was glad. His strategy was proving to be effective. The demons were too conflicted, unsure whether to focus on the humans or fight the angels. Certainly they were incapable of doing both. And considering that they were almost at the portal, with no casualties, he could allow himself to be happy that he managed to save the humans.
Just then, one of the few remaining demons let out a boisterous howl as he glanced at a nearby mountain the ground group was passing by. A deep roar resonated in reply, forcing Manael to place himself in front of the humans and stop their progress. As he used his beam to send an enemy to its death, Elaiel turned his head at what was occurring, having a bad feeling on what was about to happen. A sentiment shared by his friends.
All of a sudden, the ground surrounding the mountain began to shake. The humans, although at a considerably safe distance away, could feel the tremors beneath their feet.
"Now what?" Manael wondered.
To everyone's dismay, a large stone hand punched its way out of the slope of the mountain. Afterward, it began to clear the area from where it came, as if to make an opening for something to come out. The base of the mountain was struck with dozens of cracks, spiraling upward and causing large chunks to detach themselves from the outer layer of the landform and fall below. A second arm shot outward. Manael had to destroy a heavy boulder that was heading straight toward the humans.
Soon enough, the entire facade of the mountain crumbled, revealing a massive stone creature that had been hidden inside. Towering at twelve feet, it made its way out of its rocky shell, possessing four spider-like legs attached to a bulbous, stone torso. It only had two arms but they were much longer than the dimensions of its figure. It had no neck, its head being no more than a growth from his chest area. Bright crimson streams ran throughout the entirety of its body, emanating an unholy heat.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Manael shouted discouraged.
"This can't be good," Sira too succumbed to concern.
"Elaiel, we can't protect the humans from that thing," Repel indicated via telepathic wavelength.
"Guys," Manael beckoned their attention, "I hate to whine again, but this thing looks like it wants the humans for its breakfast. Its heading straight for us."
"What are we going to do?" Aella inquired after disposing of another flying demon.
"Screw it," Elaiel let out annoyed. "Listen Manael, the portal is close. Get the humans there and don't stop for nothing. Aella, I need you, Repel and Sira to go with him."
"The hell are you going to do?" Repel asked irked.
"I'm going to deal with this son of a bitch!"
"Have you gone utterly bonzo?" Manael yelled.
"What's going on," Ana approached the angel guarding her group.
"That's crazy, you'll get killed." Sira worried.
"Elaiel, I know how much you want to prove yourself but there is no way you can take that thing on your own." Repel weighed in on the argument too.
"This is not about that," Elaiel replied. "Look, there aren't many flying demons left. The humans have a better chance at reaching that portal safely with all of you by their side. Please, trust me. I got a plan."
Aella looked into her friend's eyes and realized that somehow, he knew what he was doing. It was more than enough for her to go along with his wish. "Come on guys, let's go."
As Aella and Sira took off to the humans, Repel was left in doubt whether he should listen to his friend's request or not. "Go!" Elaiel urged him. He would have refused still to heed his wish but he knew that this is what he wanted, and there was nothing he or anyone else could do to stand in his way. He recalled how furious he had been when they had fought, before Elaiel had went to hell. He realized now that he should not have tried to force his personal desire upon him. He must not make the same mistake as then. Especially now, when Elaiel was doing something as noble and as righteous as protecting the innocent. He had to accept his wish. Therefore, he nodded to him and left to join the others.
As Manael waved the humans to continue making their way to the portal, Aella, Repel and Sira approached them, dispatching what was left of the demonic swarm. In the meantime, Elaiel, with his wings and eyes glowing brighter than ever, began heading directly to the giant stone demon. "Good luck, buddy" Repel silently addressed him, hoping against hope that whatever Elaiel had planned would work and that he would make it out alive.
The colossal creature, noticing Elaiel approaching, let out a threatening growl. But the angel was not going to be deterred. Therefore, the former seemingly began to focus energy in one of its hands, which he trained forward, toward the incoming attacker. A dark orb materialized itself from the demon's palm. Soon enough, it transitioned into a fully developed destructive beam that instantly shot in Elaiel's direction. But it was not fast enough, as he dodged it in the last second. The distance between them shortened considerably. The demon prepared another beam attack with its other hand. Elaiel knew that at such point blank range, he was not going to be able to dodge the next attack. However, in order for his idea to work, he had to time it perfectly right or else he would fail. Just a couple of more seconds left.
The stone creature trained his other hand at the angel, ready to release its devastating beam. With only several feet separating them, Elaiel knew that the moment was upon him. So, at the last moment, he accelerated to his maximum divine speed, launching himself straight at the demon's head. The sheer force of his velocity aided him in penetrating the creature's thick exterior, even managing to come out at the other side, going through its head, similar to a bullet. Not only did he accomplish in mortally wounding the demon, but also, the violent impact caused the former's head to explode in hundreds of pieces.
A large thud was produced as the demon's body fell on the ground, lifeless. "Yeah!" Manael rejoiced, raising his fist in the air. The feeling was shared by the other angels, who were relieved their friend had came out alright from the confrontation. As for Elaiel, he was glad. The giant stone monster was destroyed, the remaining flying demons were retreating and the humans managed to reach the mountain in which the portal was located. He looked back at the others and smiled contently.
/|\
With the angels' help, the humans managed to climb the slope of the mountain and reach the cave leading to the portal. From there on out, they would be literally carried through, and taken to heaven, being unable to cross on their own the endless, black void that lay beyond the portal. Manael and Sira were in charge of this, each carrying two humans at a time. The others kept watch, in order to make sure no interruptions occurred.
"This shouldn't take long," Aella and Ana approached Elaiel, who was having a separated discussion with Ganush. "All the humans will be in heaven in no time. We actually did it."
"Not all the humans," Elaiel said in a preoccupied tone.
"What do you mean?"
In contrast to Aella's confusion, Ana realized what Elaiel was referring to. "Christine," she voiced her thoughts out loud, as the lost blonde woman crossed her mind as well.
"Sylvia says she is still alive," Elaiel admitted. "She's being held up in Lamia's prison."
"Lamia? Wait, hold on. Who is Christine?" Aella inquired.
"It's a long story. I don't have time to explain right now. The only thing I can say is that I can't leave hell without saving her as well."
"What do you mean you can't leave?" Repel joined in, having heard what had been said.
"Elaiel wants to go right into Lamia's personal den to save one last human soul." Aella brought him up to speed.
"Lamia? The Lamia?" Repel questioned. "You didn't mention us going up against a full-fledged Demon Lord!"
"That's right because WE aren't going to. I will."
"You want to go alone?" Repel and Aella uttered at the same time, astounded.
"He won't be going alone," Ganush addressed. "I will join him."
"What? Why?" Ana jumped. "Sylvia, he's an angel but you're not. You're just a human. It's extremely dangerous for you to go with him. Please come with us to heaven. It's your chance to be free of Lamia, once and for all."
"You remind me of Ilenka, my granddaughter. She had the same strength and fortitude that I see in your eyes. Once she set her mind on something, you would never get her to back away from it. I admire you for that... for everything that you've done for these people... But I cannot heed your request. I have to save that poor girl. It is because of me that she is here in the first place. I have to."
Ana pondered on her words and submitted. She knew she was never going to sway her from her chosen path. It filled her with joy. Even in hell, amongst all the hopelessness and despair, the souls of the damned manage to keep their humanity. It was the final argument that had convinced her that no human is beyond forgiveness and salvation.
"Elaiel, come on..." Repel begged for reasoning.
"Look, I really appreciate your help. I wouldn't have saved these humans without you. But this is one of those things that I gotta do on my own."
"Why are you doing this?" Repel tried to understand. "There are trillions of suffering souls in hell, yet you don't go after everyone of them. Why her? What does that human mean to you?"
"Eveything," Elaiel answered while looking at Ganush. She nodded in agreement.
The other two angels were left speechless, unable to find the proper arguments against Elaiel's course of action. And, to some extent, they knew they could not do anything to convince him otherwise. It was what he wanted and they had to accept it.
"Listen, I am going to return. I'm not planning to die down here. Trust me on that."
"You better!" Aella added emphatically.
"In the mean time, take the rest of the humans to heaven. And have Archangel Uriel on standby on the other side. Tell him I'll be coming in hot."
Although unsure of what he meant, Aella and Repel reluctantly agreed to follow his instructions.
"You ready?" Elaiel turned to Ganush.
"I am," the woman replied firmly.
"Elaiel," Ana addressed him. "Thank you so much... for everything."
The angel responded with a smile before grabbing hold of Ganush and flying away. Ana would have said so much more to him. She would have shared how happy she was that they had met, how she considered him a beacon of hope, and how much she and all of the humans under her care were in his debt. But she knew there was no time for that. So she had to settle with a simple thank you. A thank you of a thousand meanings. It had to be enough. And somehow, she knew it was.
"Come on," Aella told her. "It's your turn."
Ana approached the portal. She gazed at its shimmering blue light and wondered if what lay beyond was truly Paradise. The confirmation came quickly, reinforced by the angels next to her and by all that she had seen recently. And she breathed relieved. Not because the nightmare in hell was finally over. But because her faith had paid off. Her belief in doing selfless, good deeds and how it would attract salvation. All her efforts and struggles had not been in vain. And now, she would reap their benefits and go to heaven. Deep down inside, she allowed herself to believe that she had atoned for her past sins. After such a long time, a warmth feeling of forgiveness washed down on her. At last, she was finally at peace and would be so for the rest of eternity.
TO BE CONTINUED...
A bit too long but I think it was worth it. Let me know what you think. Next up, the final chapter of this story, the end itself. Can't believe I reached this far. Thank you so much to whoever stuck by this story until now. I salute you, you are the best. Until next time, leave a review and tell me how are things going to end.