1 The pains of the night rushed through Richard's body as he ran to where Sarah lay on the slick, bloody ground. Five gashes marred her throat, all leaking blood onto the already wet flesh that made Asmodean's Tower.
The Sword of Obedience lay underneath her, Sarah having fallen on it when she'd kicked off from Asmodean. Specially forged steel glittered coldly in the light of Richard's flashlight, and the word OBEDIENCE sparkled in the golden dust that had filled it to form those words.
Desperate, he rolled her over onto her back and saw the blood leaking down her chest from five holes in the cloth of her shirt. The wounds were deep, ragged and ugly looking.
He had no idea what to do, and barely was able to keep from screaming in anger at the frustration he felt. She was badly hurt, of that there was no doubt. If he'd given Asmodean a few more seconds, there was a very good chance that Sarah would be dead. It was a truth he didn't want to believe.
Standing, Richard ran to where Asmodean lay and ripped several lengths of cloth from his clothing. Then he ran back to Sarah and began to dab at her wounds. Around her neck, he loosely tied one of the strips, blocking the blood from seeping down her neck.
The other he held as a pressure bandage on her chest, the entire time hoping that Metatron would deem it fit to give them something to save her life. No miracle came, but from down below Richard could hear the smooth stride of booted feet slowly ascending the ladder of bone.
Turning as much as he could to face the ladder while still keeping pressure on the bandage, he had no choice but to remove his left hand from the bandage and pick up the pistol. Blood began to seep around the bandages, staining his hand more crimson than it already was.
The cold steel of the pistol shook against his hand as the cool water of the night cascaded down him in streams. It hadn't stopped raining since he'd killed Asmodean, and now the puddles were beginning to flow off the side of the tower, falling hundreds of feet down to the burning earth where it burst into steam.
As the footsteps grew louder, Richard put down the pistol and again put both hands on Sarah's wound. Whoever it was would either kill him or not. He wasn't about to trade his own safety for Sarah's life.
The sound of booted feet soon gave way to the flapping of wings as a dark bird flew through one of the holes in the floor that led to lower regions of the tower. Knowing that only one person would be accompanied by such an animal, Richard resigned himself to whatever death he'd receive. Live or die, he would not abandon Sarah.
It was with no surprise that he watched a platinum-haired figure suddenly appear from the gloom, black bird standing nervously on his shoulder. In one hand he still held the Ronin Blade, and in the other was a strangely shaped symbol with a leather cord that looped over his hand.
"Sarah's dying." Walter said quietly in the night, barely able to be heard over the patter of rain. "She's dying and there's nothing you can do to stop it Richard."
"And you've come to mock me?" Richard asked in as much shock as he could muster. "Don't you think I've suffered enough?"
For a moment Walter looked at him as if Richard had suddenly changed. Then he held his right hand out and let the symbol drop until the leather grew taut. "Silent Hill is all about suffering Richard. Long ago you proved to me that you were strong...strong enough to survive the orphanage and everything involved in it." He fell silent for a few seconds before looking at the pool of crimson surrounding Sarah. "You even saved my life once...and now I return the favor."
With a flick of his wrist, the symbol flew through the air and landed next to Sarah's prone body. At the motion the bird erupted into the air, black feathers floating gently to the ground. A single glance told Richard that Walter had just given him the relic they'd come to Asmodean's tower for.
"Put it on." Walter said just as softly as he'd spoken before. "A life for a life is a fair trade." When Richard made no move to pick up the icon, Walter put one hand on the pommel of the Ronin Blade. "Put it on...now."
"I CAN'T!" Richard yelled at him, still not able to take his hands away from Sarah's wound. "If you can't tell, my wife is bleeding to death! I move my hands and she dies."
Walter laughed, first a chuckle that soon grew to a full hearty laugh. "Is that all that's preventing you from putting on the medallion? If that's all..."
Then, with a single motion, he drew the blade and slammed it deeply into Sarah's chest. A piercing scream came from Sarah's lips as the katana pierced skin and bone until it was buried to the hilt in her chest, only inches away from Richard's hands.
In shock, Richard stumbled backwards, the rain cleaning the blood off his hands now that it could hit them. In desperation he picked up the closest weapon to him and found to his satisfaction that the Sword of Obedience was resting perfectly in his hand.
"You BASTARD!" Richard screamed before charging the seemingly unarmed Walter. It was only when his sword struck another that he realized Walter had more of an advantage then he'd imagined.
The counterpart to the Ronin Blade was in Walter's hand, only a simple wakizashi, but one that had served its purpose many times. For in his hand was the very blade that had claimed Sammael's life in the bitter struggle that Heather had gone through.
The weapon had changed after the destruction of Sammael, though, and now was lit with a dark inner glow. The single opal in the pommel of the weapon burned fiercely with a black fire that now raced up the blade at Walter's call.
A sudden wave of heat erupted into Richard's face as the fire began to sweep down the Sword of Obedience. Two more fast strikes with the longsword quickly put any hope of defeating Walter out of his mind. The heat from the wakizashi was forcing him further and further back, ever closer to the edge of the tower.
"Give me the Sword of Obedience." Walter stated, holding the shorter katana in one hand. "If you give me that blade then there is no reason for you to die here today. All you'll have to do is leave Silent Hill and never come back."
Richard simply glared at him, unsure as to what to do. "What would you do if you had the sword?" He asked finally. "Why does Walter Sullivan need a blade that he obviously gave to Asmodean?"
Walter stared at him in awe at the blunt question. "Gave him the Sword of Obedience!" He asked incredulously. "It was stolen from me by him and four other demons! Now I have the chance to use its power once again!"
"For what end!" Came the furious reply.
With perfect calm, Walter looked Richard in the eye and nodded. "To purge Silent Hill of all its demons, to once and or all ensure that it would never be possessed again."
The answer rocked Richard back on his heels, shocking him as no other answer could. "But you're the Master of the Order!" He stated as much as asked. "You swore an oath to save Silent Hill!"
"Did I?" A smug voice asked quietly in the rain and gloom.
Memories of rituals and summonings filled Richard's head as he struggled to remember what was necessary to become Master. "Yes." He said after only a brief hesitation. "You have to swear to protect and save Silent Hill."
The wakizashi suddenly disappeared back into Walter's coat as he turned his back and walked away from the edge of the tower, giving Richard room to edge his way back towards the middle of the room.
"If you haven't noticed, the magic that held Silent Hill together is falling apart. The city is at war with itself, and every demon vies for power now that Sammael is dead." He stopped only to hold out his arm and will the black bird back down to his arm. "Heather accomplished much more than she ever could have dreamed of. Sammael was the final guiding force holding Silent Hill together…and now he's gone. With Claudia dying shortly before that, the city had lost its "Master" and God at the same time."
"The other demons…" Richard tried to say, but was cut off by a gesture Walter made.
"Like these?" Came the simple reply as the once serial killer pointed at the body of Asmodean. "These are not gods. They walk like lambs to the slaughter…three already have fallen in the day you've been here. Ten were killed in the days when Sarah was still trying to get out of the city originally."
Realization suddenly dawned upon Richard as he looked at the way Walter carried himself. "You're not satisfied with being the Master of the Order. You're looking at intimidating the other demons to granting you the power to become the new god of Silent Hill!"
An exultant smile split Walter's face as he turned to face Richard. "And what better god would there be?" He asked smugly. "I've already proven that I could play both you and Sarah to perfection. Both of you have done marvelously in your efforts to restore me to power."
"You won't get it." Richard said, bending to scoop the medallion up out of a puddle of bloody water. 'Sarah's blood is in that water!' His mind screamed at him, but he pushed the thought away, not willing to break down yet.
Walter laughed. "And why not? There's no where for you to go."
A cold look stopped even Walter in mid-laugh. "There's always somewhere to go Walter. You have four hours…four hours until I come for you."
"You know where I'll be." Walter said back just as coldly, drawing the wakizashi from its sheath. The blade once again burst into dark flames, but Richard was beyond caring.
Without knowing what would happen, or even if he could survive, Richard spun and sprinted towards the edge of the tower. A fast kick sent one of his pistols tumbling over the edge as he ran for it.
Walter's eyes opened in horror as he saw Richard's plan, and he sprinted after the now suicidal man. Just as Richard plummeted over the edge of the tower, Walter reached down one strong hand and caught him by the wrist. A sickening pop came from Richard's shoulder, but he gave no sign he felt anything.
"I win. I always win." Walter said, trying not to acknowledge the beads of nervous sweat rolling down his face. "You're out of options."
"Not quite." Richard said in a voice Walter knew well. It was the same one he'd used only moments before with him. Richard shifted his right arm and brought the Sword of Obedience directly against Walter's shoulder.
"You stab and you fall." Walter said desperately. "Is that what you really want?"
Richard said nothing, merely began to push the sword further and further into Walter's shoulder, passing through the black leather coat he wore, the black T-shirt, and eventually through skin. Blood flowed freely down both their arms until Walter's arm involuntarily opened, dropping Richard off the edge of the tower. As he fell the hundreds of feet, Walter lost sight of him.
Standing, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the wound in his shoulder, willing it to close by his orders. Yet this wound was different than any other he'd ever received, and wouldn't comply.
"It's because the wound is from the Sword of Obedience." A second voice said from the bleached bone rafters of the tower, a smooth voice that only seconds before had echoed through the tower. "Though I must say you're a marvelous actor."
Walter looked as a second Walter spun down from the rafters, swinging from a jutting bone and landing gracefully on his feet. "The Lord of lies is surely more talented than I'd given him credit for." Then, the second Walter watched as the one standing in front of him shimmered and changed form to that of a red haired woman.
"Still not willing to show your true form?" He asked dryly. "Or has it been so long that you've forgotten it?"
The red haired woman disappeared and was replaced by an old man in a woolen sweater and long grey pants. "I wouldn't mock the one who is making your plan possible." Belial said.
"You may cancel the other illusions." Walter said, waving one hand. "The very air stinks of them."
Belial raised his arm, wincing as the wound in his shoulder throbbed. Instantly Sarah's body shimmered and changed to reveal that of a nurse from the hospital with the Ronin Blade in her chest.
"The switch was made successfully then?" Belial asked cautiously. "Richard knows nothing?"
Walter shook his head and looked at the other body lying on the wet ground. "Even Asmodean wasn't sure what had happened...at least until the bullet killed him. Then he knew we'd betrayed him for our plans."
A large smile crossed Belial's face, followed almost instantly by another wince. "Things are going perfectly then. Richard has the sword, the medallion, and the will to use them both. You know what he'll do."
"The only thing he can do." Walter said as he walked towards the stairs to leave Asmodean's tower. He'd sell his soul to stop me at this point." He looked darkly over his shoulder, white hair framing his face. "And that's exactly what I plan to make sure he gets. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to see if Sari'tunia is still unconscious. She hasn't quite finished her role in my plans yet."