He gripped the cliff
face with hands bloody from the jagged edges of the rocks.
He
could not remember how long he had climbed, how many times he had
fallen. Or worse, been dragged down by the creatures from the
pit.
He had forgotten more fight's then most immortals
fought in there eternity.
Forcing his straining muscles he
forced himself up several more inches of the rock face.
Opening
his eyes he looked around at the walls of the pit he was in. It had
taken him an eternity but he had almost reached the top. He had
almost achieved his escape.
Looking down at the near
bottomless pit he gazed over the empty, nearly razor sharp rocks he
had climbed, from the multitude that had followed him up only four
remained to follow in his steps. With a feeling of loss he thought
back to the millions of faces that had gripped the small sliver of
hope he had managed to conjure as they started the exodus so many
centuries ago.
Shaking off the feeling he quickly turned his
attention back to the task at hand, it had been he who had freed the
shattered souls so long ago. In a fight that had raged from one side
of hell to the other they had forced their way out.
He had led
them to this pit and started the climb to the surface. So many had
been pulled back to the fiery pits they were escaping, so many giving
up hope and sliding back down into the flames.
So many lost
because of him.
With rage fueling him he forced his way up
again.
Looking up he could see the darkness of a cave, the
cold welcoming world they had left so long ago.
He could not
remember if it was an eternity or a day before he found himself
unable to continue, no longer due to exhaustion but due to the
barrier known as the Hellmouth.
Waiting for the others in
silence he watched the comings and goings of nightlife on the mortal
plain.
As the last one reached the top they looked at each
other in silence for a moment before nodding.
They knew what
was required of them. They where the greatest warriors of the escape,
the four generals of his army.
He did not care what their
crimes were in life, he knew only that they had redeemed themselves
through victory against Gog himself.
Placing their hands
against the shimmering barrier the five beings pushed, they knew it
would strip them of nearly all their powers, they knew it may well
shatter there very souls. They knew, and did not care.
As his
fingertips felt the cold air of the mortal realm he felt his
companions start to falter. Their strength was nearing an end.
With
a surge he broke the barrier, once free he pulled himself to the edge
before turning back, the four were holding on to the edge, lacking
the strength to pull themselves to freedom.
Gripping the edge
tightly he leaned down and gripped the hand of his oldest general.
She had been with him from the beginning, she had watched as he had
freed himself from the shackles of Abbedon. She had been the first to
rally to his call. In the millenniums since that time neither had
asked each others names, it simply wasn't important.
Pulling
her up he made sure she was well back from the pit before
returning.
This time he grabbed the newest of his generals, a
man he had found in the Gladiator pits of Asforoth.
He wiped
his forehead with his hand and brought it back with a mix of blood
and sweat as he moved back to help the others.
His strongest
General had made it up and the two of them helped up the last female,
a woman he had brought out of the Abyss.
As the three of them
moved back to the other two he idly watched as the Hellmouth closed
once more.
They rested for a moment before he wiped the blood
away from his eyes and forced himself to his feet.
They had
been walking towards the surface for several minutes before the first
interruption stepped out in the form of several Vampires in full game
face.
The lead Vampire looked at the five armored humans with
a sneer. "Well boys, looks like dinner has been delivered." He
said as he looked at them for a moment before shrugging "Eat the
bastards and leave the two chicks for later... I think we need some
company tonight"
The Warlord looked the vampires over with
disdain before waving off the approach of the others.
The lead
Vamp stared as only one moved up. He took a moment to look the human
over again. He would almost swear the blood bag was smiling behind
the mask.
The Warlord smiled as he slipped into a combat
position.
