The Silence is Broken
By Onyx-dreams
Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun, Camelot, Nintendo, or the Bible, nor any figures and characters that may be theirs.
I reopened my eyes. Hopefully Ivan will corral everyone together in the glade in time. A wave of grief rolled over me as I realized something: I might never come back. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes but before they could spill over, the black horse stomped his foot impatiently. I turned to find the black horse looking at me with perfect calm and tranquility, his wise, silver eyes looking to the very core of my being.
'Waste no tears upon what cannot be helped Lamb. You gave your life as pledge, knowing very well what would happen when you did die. Are you ready Isaac?' a new voice asked me. It sounded like a deep cavern echo from musical voices mixed with the sound of a crackling fire and tiny silver bells.
My tears disappeared and my curiosity grew. "Umm, who is this?" I questioned cautiously.
'I will be your ride to Hell today,' the voice chuckled. My eyes widened in surprise and wonder as I looked at the horse in a double take.
'Yes, I talk, but only in your mind. And before you call me horse again, my name is Belize.' The voice chastised.
My jaw had to be hitting the floor right now. A horse that was talking? Of course, I should not be surprised. I had only just killed myself because God had died, gone to Limbo, met a golden dragon named Wisdom, gained the powers of Armageddon, put on indestructible armor that seemed made to fit me, pulled Death's sword from the ground, and sheathed it in the Conqueror's diamond scabbard. Yeah, it all just made so much sense right now. "Isaac, you're dreaming. Mia will wake you up in mere moments to go eat breakfast," I mumbled to myself, "this is just all a gargantuan nightmare. It will go away shortly."
'The name is Belize, not horse, get it right. And this is not a dream Lamb. This is very real.' Belize sighed, exasperated. I then took this time to look into his eyes again. Then a thought struck me; Belize was blind! This explained why his eyes were silver. But then, how could he know where I am?
'I'm not blind in the total sense of the word. I can see into the spirit world with casira, or spirit world eyes. These eyes prevent me from seeing the physical world.' Belize rumbled.
"But if you can't see the physical world, how do you know where you're going? Don't you run into things?" I pondered.
'You don't necessarily need to see where you're going to know where you're going. I simply imagine where I want to go and the road appears at my feet. All I have to do is walk and the road takes me to where I need to be safely.' Belize explained.
I nodded my understanding. "Do we leave now?"
Belize paused in giving his answer. Carefully, and slowly he explained, 'In one way, yes, in another, no. You need to blind yourself."
I blanched. "Why?! I'm not going to fight the Devil blind! I would be killed in seconds. I'm sorry, but that won't be happening," I apologized roughly.
Belize's silver eyes gained a sad overtone to them. 'That is what my last rider said. Now he's dead, having gouged his own eyes out while traveling Hell's Path. There are things on that road that not even demi-gods could survive seeing. Their images burn themselves into your eyeballs, scarring your eyesight so that you driven insane instantly. It is a wish for instant death if you travel seeing with your own eyes, not with casira. I don't want to lose any more people to the Devil. In case you wanted to know, I used to be neutral between God and Satan. My only job was to see that the souls were sent to where they needed to be. But when Satan breached the unspoken contract between Heaven and Hell, I went to the side I decided was the most morale for me. Not to mention even the most saintly of angels are prone to revenge. It is even accepted in certain circumstances such as revenge for the death of my rider. But that was nowhere near the point of this conversation. Please heed my warning and use your powers to blind yourself. Remember that you can perform miracles so you can restore your vision when we reach our final destination. I beg of you,' he insisted.
I looked closely at Belize. His distress could be seen clearly in his almost violently shaking legs and the white frothy sweat pouring down his sides. I understood what he was saying and was now reassured by the reminder of the knowledge I housed in the back of my brain. Nodding my head, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the darkness from behind my eyelids. I imagined that if I were to open my eyes, all I would see is darkness, a black hole. Holding this image in my mind, I tapped into the powers hidden within and applied them to my thoughts. Almost immediately I felt something go missing from behind my eyes. In surprise my eyes flew open only to a wall of black before them. Not knowing where anything was located, I called out in helplessness, "Belize? Where are you?"
The equine's marvelous voice answered almost immediately. 'Take it easy Isaac. Try to imagine my aura, feel for it.'
Not wanting to be left alone for long, I immediately put Belize's aura to a color tone of subdued, calm blues, grays, and whites. Immediately I knew exactly where he was located, how he was feeling, and even what he was thinking. But that was all. I couldn't see or feel anything other than him. Carefully I 'looked' down at my body to find myself glowing a bright polished gold with hues of purple showing once in awhile. "What is this?" I breathed I wonder.
'You can now see with casira. Is it not beautiful? You should see what the true world, full of life, looks like. Maybe, when all this is over with, you will see what I mean. But we must leave now,' the large horse crooned.
"Alright. Let's see if I can make it to you without falling on my face," I muttered. Carefully, with one foot in front of the other, I made my way over to Belize's side. Without missing a beat, I placed my left foot in the stirrup, my left hand on the pommel with the scales, my right hand on the back of the seat, and swung on top of Belize like I had been riding my entire life. "I never knew how to ride horses."
Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Wisdom chuckling in amusement. I quickly sent a mental glare to him and just as fast, returned my attention back to what was at hand. "I am ready Belize. Let's go."
'An early warning Lamb, the souls down there are malevolent and decrepit. Beware, for they will try to fool you into pitying them and freeing them where they were meant to be damned. Do you understand what I am saying?'
I nodded.
With that, Belize stepped forward. Almost immediately I felt the temperature around me go up dramatically. Sweat instantaneously started pouring down my face and back. The air changed from its once neutral smell to the stench of rancid, rotting things and burned flesh that left a slick, filmy taste in the back of my throat.
With my casira, I saw shapes shifting in the distance. Their auras were dark and vile, making me paranoid by just looking at them. They slinked about, thinking that they were shadowing Belize and I unknown. They stalked us like a cat would a mouse.
Knowing that it wouldn't help, but still curious as to the exact nature of these spirits, I squinted to get a closer look at one. All at once, the shadow I had been tracking leapt at me. Even though I was blind, I could still see her in a way. I choked down a scream of terror.
She had very little remaining for a face. It was cut to ribbons with pieces of glass sticking out helter-skelter. Her skin was charred and still burning. Her hair was gone and had a knife sticking out of her left eye, blood pouring down like a sickly waterfall. As quick as she had come, the soul had jumped back to where I couldn't see her anymore
My hand shot up and covered my mouth in an attempt to hold down the bile that was rising up in the back of my throat. As soon as the feeling of nausea had passed, I sagged down into Belize's saddle.
I heard Belize chuckle sarcastically. 'Don't say I did not warn you. It will only get worse from here on until we reach our final destination, so I suggest you learn to stomach it all.'
"I'm getting queasy just thinking about it." I choked, my stomach threatening to pour its contents out once again. "How can you survive that? It was the grossest thing I had ever seen! Worse than when Garet talks with his mouth full of any assortment of both edible and inedible things!"
'I can survive by knowing that what I with casira is absolutely incomparable with the gruesome sight that they truly are. You know that.' Belize quipped, moving at his fast gait.
I scowled. There goes the I-know-everything-but-I keep-forgetting-that-I- know-everything irony. In an attempt to get the image of the demon soul from my mind, I thought of the only beautiful thing in the world to me: Mia. ________________________________________________________________________
It was soon mid-day, and Mia still hadn't seen Ivan. Beginning to worry, Mia walked up the Inn stairs to his room. The small teen had never missed a breakfast or lunch in his life if he could help it, and possessing an appetite that surpassed many a grown man, it was surprising that he wasn't downstairs complaining about hunger.
Frowning, and having reached Ivan's door, Mia knocked. After waiting a few minutes and not receiving an answer, Mia carefully opened Ivan's door. She gasped in surprise when she saw that he had collapsed on his floor. Fearing the worst, Mia ran over and kneeled next to Ivan, almost in tears. "Not you too Ivan! You couldn't have abandoned us here like Isaac did! You're not allowed!" Mia whispered while shaking the blonde.
As she shook him, his bangs moved away from his forehead revealing Wisdom's mark for Mia to see. Suddenly forgetting Ivan's current condition, she stared at the small dragon in curiosity. Wanting to get a better look, Mia leaned in closer.
At that particular moment Ivan was waking up due to Mia's ever so careful ministrations. Still remembering only the night before, Ivan shot up in a rush of adrenaline only to butt heads with the aquamarine hair woman. Mia let out a shout of pain and surprise.
"Ivan! You little pipsqueak! That hurt!" Mia exclaimed, rubbing her forehead.
Ivan did likewise. "You were the one leaning over me trying to wake me up," he huffed, "It's your fault we bumped heads."
Mia glared at Ivan, but let him get away with his comment. "Why were you passed out on the floor Ivan? And what is that tattoo thing on your forehead?"
Ivan gave Mia a weird look. "Tattoo? Mia, are you feeling okay? I don't have a tattoo."
Mia made to protest but Ivan shut her up by continuing. "But as for what happened, I don't know if you'll believe me."
"What?" Mia urged.
"Well.Isaac talked to me last night from the world located between Heaven and Hell. All he could tell me is that we, as in you, Garet, and me must collect all the people that helped us along our journey and bring them to the glade where he died. That ground is now sacred and will protect us while Isaac is battling Satan. We have less than a week to do this." Ivan rushed out in one breath.
Mia sat and stared at him. Then she suddenly sprang up, grabbed Ivan, and went tearing down the Inn hall, down the stairs, to the kitchen where Garet was eating. "Garet!"
The boy in question jumped in surprise, spilling his hot soup all over the front of him. He howled in pain. "What? Mia, why did you do that?"
Mia ignored his current pain and proceeded to tell Ivan's information to Garet.
Now in shock, Garet dropped his bowl and the rest of its remaining contents on the floor. "Are you for real?"
Ivan nodded his head vigorously, staring sadly at the wasted food upon the floor.
"Oh my star! We need to get a move on! Where are our Djinn?" Garet roared.
Immediately twenty-five small animals appeared, chittering indignantly at Garet's rushed mustering.
"All of you! You need to go find everyone who was of great help to us along our journey. You wind Djinn will take the farthest places to collect people from. Flint, you'll stay here and help us with preparations. Do you got that?" Garet barked.
The small Djinn snapped to attention and gave one universal squeak of acknowledgement.
"Good. Now get, before I burn you to cinders!" he ordered.
All at once, the Djinn had disappeared except Flint who sat in the middle of the floor, also staring sadly at the wasted soup on the floor. Meanwhile, Ivan and Mia were staring at Garet as if they'd seen a pig fly. Noticing the stares he was receiving, Garet looked at them confused. "What?"
Mia and Ivan shook their head to clear the daze and murmured, "Nothing."
"Okay then. Flint, take us to this glade." Garet asked kindly.
The Venus Djinni looked away from the soup to Garet, then walked out of the Inn towards the woods, pausing only long enough to let the group catch up. ________________________________________________________________________
After what seemed forever, I felt Belize finally come to a halt.
'We have arrived Lamb. You may restore your vision to its proper state,' he rumbled.
This new place we had arrived in, I noticed, was significantly cooler, so now shivers rolled down my spine. It was dead quiet, the kind of quiet that whispered of bad, hidden things that come out to hurt, maim, or kill you, the kind of quiet that was deafening to listen to. After officially creeping myself out, I undid my blindness. Opening my eyes, I cried out in surprise. We were standing in a hall carved of blood red crystal that had veins of purplish-blue running through it. The veins seemed to pulse along with the dim lighting in the hallway.
'He's straight ahead. We have officially traveled for one of your Angaran weeks. Now it is time for the final show down. Are you ready?' Belize questioned.
"As ready as I'll ever be in my afterlife," I replied.
'May I tell you now, before we go in, I am proud to have carried the Lamb to the final battle. I will never forget that I have had the honor of bearing the one who can save the Universe,' Belize murmured.
Tears sprang into my eyes. "I couldn't have asked for a better steed. Now, let's go before I chicken out."
With that said, Belize took off down the hall toward a set of elegantly carved mahogany doors at a slow, fancy canter. It was time for the moment of truth. ________________________________________________________________________
All the people who had helped the group during their travels had arrived at the glade. All accept one key person.
"Where is Isaac's mother?" Garet frantically asked, "She was supposed to come with all of Isaac's other Djinni! Where is she?"
"Calm down Garet. Dora is coming. She was one of the farthest away," Mia reassured him.
"You don't understand, Mia. My parents live in the same village and they're already here! Why isn't Dora here then? Isaac will kill me if she doesn't get here safely! She only has sheer minutes until the showdown starts." Garet fretted.
"Wait! Who's that?" Ivan cried, pointing toward a woman wandering near the Inn. Surrounding her were six little Venus Djinni, all of them tugging at her to follow them.
"Dora!" Garet yelled, "Get over here right now! You have only minutes until the battle starts! Hurry!"
Dora startled, but then realizing who it was, ran at as fast as she could toward the glade, the Djinni just feet in front of her. ________________________________________________________________________
Belize and I stood just feet in front of the massive barricades. Without as much as a thought, I reached deep into my godly powers and unleashed them upon the door. In less that seconds I saw the biggest, ugliest, and meanest monstrosity of them all. The Big Kahuna of the Underworld, Satan. ________________________________________________________________________
Dora crossed barely in time as a large force field appeared out of thin air and surrounded the glade. As soon as the barrier had completed forming itself, flames began to burst out of nowhere, destroying all that was outside. Everyone cried in a mixture of relief and sorrow. ________________________________________________________________________
By Onyx-dreams
Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun, Camelot, Nintendo, or the Bible, nor any figures and characters that may be theirs.
I reopened my eyes. Hopefully Ivan will corral everyone together in the glade in time. A wave of grief rolled over me as I realized something: I might never come back. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes but before they could spill over, the black horse stomped his foot impatiently. I turned to find the black horse looking at me with perfect calm and tranquility, his wise, silver eyes looking to the very core of my being.
'Waste no tears upon what cannot be helped Lamb. You gave your life as pledge, knowing very well what would happen when you did die. Are you ready Isaac?' a new voice asked me. It sounded like a deep cavern echo from musical voices mixed with the sound of a crackling fire and tiny silver bells.
My tears disappeared and my curiosity grew. "Umm, who is this?" I questioned cautiously.
'I will be your ride to Hell today,' the voice chuckled. My eyes widened in surprise and wonder as I looked at the horse in a double take.
'Yes, I talk, but only in your mind. And before you call me horse again, my name is Belize.' The voice chastised.
My jaw had to be hitting the floor right now. A horse that was talking? Of course, I should not be surprised. I had only just killed myself because God had died, gone to Limbo, met a golden dragon named Wisdom, gained the powers of Armageddon, put on indestructible armor that seemed made to fit me, pulled Death's sword from the ground, and sheathed it in the Conqueror's diamond scabbard. Yeah, it all just made so much sense right now. "Isaac, you're dreaming. Mia will wake you up in mere moments to go eat breakfast," I mumbled to myself, "this is just all a gargantuan nightmare. It will go away shortly."
'The name is Belize, not horse, get it right. And this is not a dream Lamb. This is very real.' Belize sighed, exasperated. I then took this time to look into his eyes again. Then a thought struck me; Belize was blind! This explained why his eyes were silver. But then, how could he know where I am?
'I'm not blind in the total sense of the word. I can see into the spirit world with casira, or spirit world eyes. These eyes prevent me from seeing the physical world.' Belize rumbled.
"But if you can't see the physical world, how do you know where you're going? Don't you run into things?" I pondered.
'You don't necessarily need to see where you're going to know where you're going. I simply imagine where I want to go and the road appears at my feet. All I have to do is walk and the road takes me to where I need to be safely.' Belize explained.
I nodded my understanding. "Do we leave now?"
Belize paused in giving his answer. Carefully, and slowly he explained, 'In one way, yes, in another, no. You need to blind yourself."
I blanched. "Why?! I'm not going to fight the Devil blind! I would be killed in seconds. I'm sorry, but that won't be happening," I apologized roughly.
Belize's silver eyes gained a sad overtone to them. 'That is what my last rider said. Now he's dead, having gouged his own eyes out while traveling Hell's Path. There are things on that road that not even demi-gods could survive seeing. Their images burn themselves into your eyeballs, scarring your eyesight so that you driven insane instantly. It is a wish for instant death if you travel seeing with your own eyes, not with casira. I don't want to lose any more people to the Devil. In case you wanted to know, I used to be neutral between God and Satan. My only job was to see that the souls were sent to where they needed to be. But when Satan breached the unspoken contract between Heaven and Hell, I went to the side I decided was the most morale for me. Not to mention even the most saintly of angels are prone to revenge. It is even accepted in certain circumstances such as revenge for the death of my rider. But that was nowhere near the point of this conversation. Please heed my warning and use your powers to blind yourself. Remember that you can perform miracles so you can restore your vision when we reach our final destination. I beg of you,' he insisted.
I looked closely at Belize. His distress could be seen clearly in his almost violently shaking legs and the white frothy sweat pouring down his sides. I understood what he was saying and was now reassured by the reminder of the knowledge I housed in the back of my brain. Nodding my head, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the darkness from behind my eyelids. I imagined that if I were to open my eyes, all I would see is darkness, a black hole. Holding this image in my mind, I tapped into the powers hidden within and applied them to my thoughts. Almost immediately I felt something go missing from behind my eyes. In surprise my eyes flew open only to a wall of black before them. Not knowing where anything was located, I called out in helplessness, "Belize? Where are you?"
The equine's marvelous voice answered almost immediately. 'Take it easy Isaac. Try to imagine my aura, feel for it.'
Not wanting to be left alone for long, I immediately put Belize's aura to a color tone of subdued, calm blues, grays, and whites. Immediately I knew exactly where he was located, how he was feeling, and even what he was thinking. But that was all. I couldn't see or feel anything other than him. Carefully I 'looked' down at my body to find myself glowing a bright polished gold with hues of purple showing once in awhile. "What is this?" I breathed I wonder.
'You can now see with casira. Is it not beautiful? You should see what the true world, full of life, looks like. Maybe, when all this is over with, you will see what I mean. But we must leave now,' the large horse crooned.
"Alright. Let's see if I can make it to you without falling on my face," I muttered. Carefully, with one foot in front of the other, I made my way over to Belize's side. Without missing a beat, I placed my left foot in the stirrup, my left hand on the pommel with the scales, my right hand on the back of the seat, and swung on top of Belize like I had been riding my entire life. "I never knew how to ride horses."
Somewhere in the back of my mind I heard Wisdom chuckling in amusement. I quickly sent a mental glare to him and just as fast, returned my attention back to what was at hand. "I am ready Belize. Let's go."
'An early warning Lamb, the souls down there are malevolent and decrepit. Beware, for they will try to fool you into pitying them and freeing them where they were meant to be damned. Do you understand what I am saying?'
I nodded.
With that, Belize stepped forward. Almost immediately I felt the temperature around me go up dramatically. Sweat instantaneously started pouring down my face and back. The air changed from its once neutral smell to the stench of rancid, rotting things and burned flesh that left a slick, filmy taste in the back of my throat.
With my casira, I saw shapes shifting in the distance. Their auras were dark and vile, making me paranoid by just looking at them. They slinked about, thinking that they were shadowing Belize and I unknown. They stalked us like a cat would a mouse.
Knowing that it wouldn't help, but still curious as to the exact nature of these spirits, I squinted to get a closer look at one. All at once, the shadow I had been tracking leapt at me. Even though I was blind, I could still see her in a way. I choked down a scream of terror.
She had very little remaining for a face. It was cut to ribbons with pieces of glass sticking out helter-skelter. Her skin was charred and still burning. Her hair was gone and had a knife sticking out of her left eye, blood pouring down like a sickly waterfall. As quick as she had come, the soul had jumped back to where I couldn't see her anymore
My hand shot up and covered my mouth in an attempt to hold down the bile that was rising up in the back of my throat. As soon as the feeling of nausea had passed, I sagged down into Belize's saddle.
I heard Belize chuckle sarcastically. 'Don't say I did not warn you. It will only get worse from here on until we reach our final destination, so I suggest you learn to stomach it all.'
"I'm getting queasy just thinking about it." I choked, my stomach threatening to pour its contents out once again. "How can you survive that? It was the grossest thing I had ever seen! Worse than when Garet talks with his mouth full of any assortment of both edible and inedible things!"
'I can survive by knowing that what I with casira is absolutely incomparable with the gruesome sight that they truly are. You know that.' Belize quipped, moving at his fast gait.
I scowled. There goes the I-know-everything-but-I keep-forgetting-that-I- know-everything irony. In an attempt to get the image of the demon soul from my mind, I thought of the only beautiful thing in the world to me: Mia. ________________________________________________________________________
It was soon mid-day, and Mia still hadn't seen Ivan. Beginning to worry, Mia walked up the Inn stairs to his room. The small teen had never missed a breakfast or lunch in his life if he could help it, and possessing an appetite that surpassed many a grown man, it was surprising that he wasn't downstairs complaining about hunger.
Frowning, and having reached Ivan's door, Mia knocked. After waiting a few minutes and not receiving an answer, Mia carefully opened Ivan's door. She gasped in surprise when she saw that he had collapsed on his floor. Fearing the worst, Mia ran over and kneeled next to Ivan, almost in tears. "Not you too Ivan! You couldn't have abandoned us here like Isaac did! You're not allowed!" Mia whispered while shaking the blonde.
As she shook him, his bangs moved away from his forehead revealing Wisdom's mark for Mia to see. Suddenly forgetting Ivan's current condition, she stared at the small dragon in curiosity. Wanting to get a better look, Mia leaned in closer.
At that particular moment Ivan was waking up due to Mia's ever so careful ministrations. Still remembering only the night before, Ivan shot up in a rush of adrenaline only to butt heads with the aquamarine hair woman. Mia let out a shout of pain and surprise.
"Ivan! You little pipsqueak! That hurt!" Mia exclaimed, rubbing her forehead.
Ivan did likewise. "You were the one leaning over me trying to wake me up," he huffed, "It's your fault we bumped heads."
Mia glared at Ivan, but let him get away with his comment. "Why were you passed out on the floor Ivan? And what is that tattoo thing on your forehead?"
Ivan gave Mia a weird look. "Tattoo? Mia, are you feeling okay? I don't have a tattoo."
Mia made to protest but Ivan shut her up by continuing. "But as for what happened, I don't know if you'll believe me."
"What?" Mia urged.
"Well.Isaac talked to me last night from the world located between Heaven and Hell. All he could tell me is that we, as in you, Garet, and me must collect all the people that helped us along our journey and bring them to the glade where he died. That ground is now sacred and will protect us while Isaac is battling Satan. We have less than a week to do this." Ivan rushed out in one breath.
Mia sat and stared at him. Then she suddenly sprang up, grabbed Ivan, and went tearing down the Inn hall, down the stairs, to the kitchen where Garet was eating. "Garet!"
The boy in question jumped in surprise, spilling his hot soup all over the front of him. He howled in pain. "What? Mia, why did you do that?"
Mia ignored his current pain and proceeded to tell Ivan's information to Garet.
Now in shock, Garet dropped his bowl and the rest of its remaining contents on the floor. "Are you for real?"
Ivan nodded his head vigorously, staring sadly at the wasted food upon the floor.
"Oh my star! We need to get a move on! Where are our Djinn?" Garet roared.
Immediately twenty-five small animals appeared, chittering indignantly at Garet's rushed mustering.
"All of you! You need to go find everyone who was of great help to us along our journey. You wind Djinn will take the farthest places to collect people from. Flint, you'll stay here and help us with preparations. Do you got that?" Garet barked.
The small Djinn snapped to attention and gave one universal squeak of acknowledgement.
"Good. Now get, before I burn you to cinders!" he ordered.
All at once, the Djinn had disappeared except Flint who sat in the middle of the floor, also staring sadly at the wasted soup on the floor. Meanwhile, Ivan and Mia were staring at Garet as if they'd seen a pig fly. Noticing the stares he was receiving, Garet looked at them confused. "What?"
Mia and Ivan shook their head to clear the daze and murmured, "Nothing."
"Okay then. Flint, take us to this glade." Garet asked kindly.
The Venus Djinni looked away from the soup to Garet, then walked out of the Inn towards the woods, pausing only long enough to let the group catch up. ________________________________________________________________________
After what seemed forever, I felt Belize finally come to a halt.
'We have arrived Lamb. You may restore your vision to its proper state,' he rumbled.
This new place we had arrived in, I noticed, was significantly cooler, so now shivers rolled down my spine. It was dead quiet, the kind of quiet that whispered of bad, hidden things that come out to hurt, maim, or kill you, the kind of quiet that was deafening to listen to. After officially creeping myself out, I undid my blindness. Opening my eyes, I cried out in surprise. We were standing in a hall carved of blood red crystal that had veins of purplish-blue running through it. The veins seemed to pulse along with the dim lighting in the hallway.
'He's straight ahead. We have officially traveled for one of your Angaran weeks. Now it is time for the final show down. Are you ready?' Belize questioned.
"As ready as I'll ever be in my afterlife," I replied.
'May I tell you now, before we go in, I am proud to have carried the Lamb to the final battle. I will never forget that I have had the honor of bearing the one who can save the Universe,' Belize murmured.
Tears sprang into my eyes. "I couldn't have asked for a better steed. Now, let's go before I chicken out."
With that said, Belize took off down the hall toward a set of elegantly carved mahogany doors at a slow, fancy canter. It was time for the moment of truth. ________________________________________________________________________
All the people who had helped the group during their travels had arrived at the glade. All accept one key person.
"Where is Isaac's mother?" Garet frantically asked, "She was supposed to come with all of Isaac's other Djinni! Where is she?"
"Calm down Garet. Dora is coming. She was one of the farthest away," Mia reassured him.
"You don't understand, Mia. My parents live in the same village and they're already here! Why isn't Dora here then? Isaac will kill me if she doesn't get here safely! She only has sheer minutes until the showdown starts." Garet fretted.
"Wait! Who's that?" Ivan cried, pointing toward a woman wandering near the Inn. Surrounding her were six little Venus Djinni, all of them tugging at her to follow them.
"Dora!" Garet yelled, "Get over here right now! You have only minutes until the battle starts! Hurry!"
Dora startled, but then realizing who it was, ran at as fast as she could toward the glade, the Djinni just feet in front of her. ________________________________________________________________________
Belize and I stood just feet in front of the massive barricades. Without as much as a thought, I reached deep into my godly powers and unleashed them upon the door. In less that seconds I saw the biggest, ugliest, and meanest monstrosity of them all. The Big Kahuna of the Underworld, Satan. ________________________________________________________________________
Dora crossed barely in time as a large force field appeared out of thin air and surrounded the glade. As soon as the barrier had completed forming itself, flames began to burst out of nowhere, destroying all that was outside. Everyone cried in a mixture of relief and sorrow. ________________________________________________________________________