Queen's note: Okay hopefully the dialogue is not that confusing. Everything needing to be translated that's not the spoken 'Argenta/Global Standard' will be slanted in italics as well as the 'spoken' sign language. Also, look up 'Song of the ice, raw ice sounds' for reference for the Wraith.

Garnets

Chapter Forty Three:

Below the waves

Lily looked from where Captain Milla was possibly terrorizing the humans at the door, to where Asin was standing over that poor dark haired guard. Rai's growling form as he kept his shield active to cover behind Valen and John with Zanin holding himself coiled but holding back from going after or just kicking the limp bodies at his feet.

She took another look at the young girl in Valen's arms, making sure she was not struggling to breath too much. Turning back with a flinch as something flashed by her that was not there. She then felt a larger movement before thick fingers brushed the side of Lily's exposed neck.

The armored demigod gave a soft sound. Focus turned completely down as he trusted the Sentinels to pay attnetion elsewhere. The Slayer had just realized that the red mark, almost burn that was on his human, was in the shape of a hand almost as big as his, but with longer fingers and claws.

Turning to him Lily made a face, gently rubbing around the sides of her neck. Admitting in such a soft tone to just him to hear while everyone was distracted. "Can I stay on the Fortress for a while after this? I don't really want to come back to earth for a long time."

The Slayer chuffed in a low way, an almost unheard whine like noise in his helmet in response was nearly missed by the young woman as he reached out. Even if his armor was stained with burned demonic blood and bile, smelled horrible and left a mark of death ash. John's touch was gentle as his big hand cupped the side of Lily's head, thumb running along her cheekbone, not missing how her mask with the medication was gone. Before dropping to the mark on her neck. Warm fingers brushing the familiar pulse he could sense, and then focused on the black demonic blood that almost shimmered on Lily's front and side.

The added-too wraith gift that did not seem to be settling well in her was not missed either.

What hurt my flower? The Slayer signed, glancing at Valen.

"Wretched?" Lily said softly as Milla stepped out, then started to come back with a human man being almost dragged by the scruff with his armor. She thought better and signed back up at her guardian. They killed it, but bad dreams when awake?

The Slayer glanced at Valen again, stooping to carefully press the edge of his helmet against Lily's head in an attempt to be reassuring.

"None of the pearl's blood got on her." Valen said as he turned, "Rai, Haco and Zanin were the ones to destroy it, they will need support in the next days the most. When did you find the Wraith my lord?"

Just now. Thought it was corrupted. Smelled bad. Smell blood. The Slay stood back up as Captain Milla hauled the human she fetched over. Flower, tell him to open lift. If other one did not.

To the side by where Zanin stood alert, the lift that Becky called made noise and the safety gate opened.

"...lift's here." The human woman said from under Asin's foot, helpfully if not really needed.

Nevermind. The Slayer started for the lift, chuffing for his human to come with so he could protect Lily himself.

"What am I supposed to translate?" Lily wondered, squeaking as Rai picked her up with his left arm. The Argenta man stooped to hook his free arm under her and lifted Lily all too easily. Her back was against his chest plate and sitting on Rai's left forearm. Letting him use the active shield to freely protect.

Everyone was far too tall.

At least the Argenta were.

"This one," Captain Milla said as she lifted the human she held and shook him just a little, but it got a yelp as she followed her king with no hesitation. "The others were trying to protect him. He has rank or knowledge. Or both."

"Ow, stop, wait-wait-" the human made an interesting sound as he was trying to speak the global standard. To Lily's ears it was something he had only just started using, likely since Hell exploded on earth.

"Don't fight Commander Wyatt." Becky spoke up in english as the massive warrior over her shifted and took his foot off and set it beside her. She was between his feet before Asin picked her up before moving at a clear motion from the Slayer to take Stinson as well once seeing the lift was big enough for everyone plus some. He did grab the odd device on the computer almost as a belated thought. "Don't be hostile, trust me sir."

"Is english easier for you to talk in?" Lily asked from her spot, wincing as she realized she was the only non-childing being held with notable respect. Staying stable even as Rai jerked his head as if dodging something. Only being shifted so Rai could wedge Lily more firmly as he used his shield to block the shared illusion of something darting around the Sentinel's shade. It was a dark misty shape similar to a barracuda but with hind legs and a longer tail

"Ignore it Lady Lily," Ria rumbled in a low soft tone behind Lily so only she could hear it as he stepped on the lift. "The more you pay attention, the stronger the lingering effects of the Wretched are."

Oh that was harder said than done as Lily tried really hard not to see the mutated, mirrored image of her father following John. She turned her attention to the human man starting to speak.

"Yes, yes, English please. Sorry I didn't take the global, just learning it." The man in black armor, alike to Becky's gray just with a different color and some sort of mark that Lily did not recognize. "Who are these people? Why are they breaking in? Why were my men attacked?"

The Slayer growled back at him, motioning to Aain and then pointing to the low controls on the lift. He swung back to sign, Lily trying to get Rai to lower his shield some more to watch. They shot first. Did not want to listen.

Lily arched an eyebrow as the lift started to descend as the other humans were starting to follow finally. Vega was given access to another system though to keep them from trying to override the lift.

"He says your people shot first." Lily explained in english. Not fighting to move from her spot, as much as resigned to her fate being held for now, but also she was tired. Lily also knew walking would likely wind her much faster again as her chest hurt like it did on the Platform.

The man, what had he been called, Wyatt? He was protesting and talking fast, only to have John snarl at him and take a step at where Wyatt was held in the air.

Lily twitched, growled herself and jumped down, a moment of being weightless while the lift was going down. Stubborn annoyance helped keep her balance before Rai's hand caught her shoulder. She could hear the all too familiar humming from a massive form, and the shield side scales slithering in the dark behind the concrete and stone walls.

"What the fuck! Everyone shut up!" There was a startled silence, as no one that knew or those that just saw the battered young woman expected the outburst. Lily took a deep breath, then another before speaking in english. "Forgive me, I just been through the second, if not the worst fucking day in my life since seeing my parents change. I'm not going to be as diplomatic as I normally would."

Lily signed what she said, paused and then signed to the confused little girl. If you can read lips, no swearing for you Heather.

The little girl gave a thumbs up from where she was tucked against Valan's chest plate.

There was an eerie, if slightly questioning tone from the lower complex, not nearly as clear as the 'spoken' Primordial. It almost sounded like whatever was down there was making a sound the question mark symbol should be. Trying to sort out what was happening where it could not see or sense them.

Lily really, really needed some sort of calm as there was the sound of scales following them down the lift shaft from the other side of the stone. "Commander Milla? Can you please put him down? It's really hard to talk to someone you're scruffing a foot over me. As well as its likely why he's panicking right now. I highly doubt any human would have faster reflexes than the Argenta. Please?"

The Argenta woman gave a warning growl and dropped the shorter human, watching him stumble. Almost dropping before standing, giving the human a careful eyeing in case there was a weapon she missed stripping off him.

Lily turned, trying to ignore the hulking demonic form of her father starting to walk over to her. It was not him, he was faintly glowing as the crucible hilt, on John's right thigh. "Asin? Could you please put that woman down, it looks like she got really hurt by something that wasn't the Slayer."

Consider how he could so casually rip apart possessed in that feed Lily briefly saw a few days ago. It seemed almost impossible that John had held back so much with the bodies above then, some clearly broken bones but there were no bloodily ripped up bodies.

"Please?"

The heavy class Sentinel grumbled, but surprisingly he did set the gray armored guard down. Notability with a lot more care than either John had or even Milla just now.

"Okay, now most importantly, John." Lily clasped her hands in front of her face for a moment then spread her hands, "Can you calm down, I can see you're pissed enough to shed off visible heat."

The Slayer gave an unimpressed growl, standing taller for a moment.

"If you don't calm down so I can think and help you… I'm taking away your visitation rights to the fuzzy army." Lily glared right back, even as she tried to suppress a shutter as she saw a clawed hand reaching for her left arm. Only for Haco to shift in the way, like Rai he could see what Lily did better than the other Sentinels

The demigod grunted in surprise at that, flexing his hands in frustration before Vega's soft voice spoke up in his helmet. He looked down to see that waver in the air that showed the mention of heat still coming off his arms. The faint crackle of rusty orange energy. He could still very much hurt Lily or the smaller one like this. Vega pointing out that, more than the half threat about the guinea pigs was what had him taking several deep breaths to control the simmering anger.

He did not want his flower to be scared of him, if the Slayer's control slipped with her right there.

"Thank you," Lily took a deep breath, facing the human man, the older woman more or less being allowed to sit and half lean on Asin's leg as she checked the wound on her side. Focusing on her speech to make sure the words were clear, having just gotten used to the Argenta speaking. "Now that everyone is calm as much as possible, my name is Lily."

"Wyatt," The man said, he seemed a lot calmer as well back on his feet, eyeing the giant woman behind him. "My name is Wyatt, I'm in charge of the guards here, including Stinson there."

"Hey," Becky said in the global standard, it was rough from the pain she was in but showed she knew some. If she was not fluent either.

"Big guy? Why did you beat those men up there?" Lily asked, still concentrating as she had to keep switching languages to let the Argenta keep mostly up. Not sure who was getting a translation from Vega yet.

I was gentle. The Slayer snorted as he signed to Lily. They shot first. Smaller flower would be hit.

"I'm pretty sure that guy in the middle had an exposed bone in his arm." Lily noted, staring.

The Slayer shifted, awkward for just a second. He had not meant to do that and did not remember snapping the loud, annoying one's arm. I did?

"It was very broken, my Lord." Asin noted mildly, pointing down at the visible dent marks on the collar armor of Stinson.

I did not mean to. The Slayer shrugged, spreading his hands and made a lazy motion of a closed fist over his lower chest. An attempt at singing 'sorry' but from the looks of both Heather and Lily, they knew he did not really mean it. He felt a little flicker of guilt, but at the same time, they shot first.

"He's trying to say sorry," Lily spoke in english, stepping over to Wyatt. She added with a wince, "I don't think he realizes how strong he is compared to humans."

"What is he, or all of them?" Wyatt asked, daring to get a good look at the alien armor. The silver, white both different in style, somewhat different then the green and tan, but also alike. They all too had the distinct black splatters of the stronger demons' blood as well as red. The man could see as well as smell the demonic death ash and char clinging to them.

The young woman in front of him too had smears of ash on her cheeks and that burn on her neck. What looked like fresh claw marks tarring the shoulders of her shirt but had not gored the skin under. As if the exhausted woman had been yanked out of a demon's grip just in time before being killed.

"...did they do that to you?" He asked softly, worried.

Lily shook her head, glad that there was only a shifting from John's side of the lift and he did not really react to the question he heard. "No, it was a demon they killed. I'm okay, promise. And the ones in paler armor are called Argenta. They come from a world that hell invaded as well."

"And the growly guy?" Stinson asked, tilting her head to the mostly green armored being. Monster?

There was a pause as Lily made a face. No fear or anger but was clearly trying to think of how to answer. Even when she was not tired or wrung out, Lily never had much of a poker face. "So, have you ever heard the stories from the space marines? Like my dad told me about them: The Doom Slayer?"

"No fucking way…" Becky breathed, having grown up on those stories from her family so knew the name of the death god of that core at once. Between uncle, grandfather and one of her brothers, it was a name mentioned at least at every family gathering, but it always seemed to be to thrill the younger kids. She had only briefly thought about that figure just a few minutes ago but-

She stared openly at the stained green and tan armored 'man.' After a moment he tilted his head back from where he stood as the lift started to slow its descent, showing he was aware Becky was staring. Something like a growl and huff came out of the broad chest, sounding amused at the reaction. Stinson could almost hear the unseen smirk from the living form of the god of death.

Demigod really, but she was not aware of that.

The Slayer lifted his hands to sign a question at Lily, and then pointed downwards.

"He wants to know why the Wraith is here." Lily turned back to Wyatt, knowing the Argenta really would like to know. A hand was resting on her chest, feeling the added to Wraith gift, and wondered what these beings really were that even Valen seemed to review them. Though he always seemed sad for some reason. Even now he was quietly listening to not just the talking but something else.

All at once Lily became aware of the faintest of humming tunes that was not the illusion of her mother.

"...is that what they call the entity down below?" Wyatt asked slowly, glancing at the tensing… Argenta. Other than their size they seemed oddly human like, the fact their…world, a different world was also attacked by hell? Were they also survivors? How did they get to earth? Were they looking for the ghostly entity? It was a lot that Wyatt had to rapidly try and wrap his head around.

How could a god of death and war look human-like?

…then again. That would make sense.

He knew the general and other higher ups would be listening in through his helmet. At least he hoped so, he was not sure if… the giant woman had not crushed the radio behind his neck when grabbed. "I only know so much, the entity… Wraith? It came from Africa, I think it got hurt by the demonic forces there, and spent the first month of the Hell invasion on a cargo boat before getting here."

"Her." Stinson corrected, and had not just her commander and Lily looking over but…the god? As well. Lily was speaking softly to translate, as well as signing. "Tayler says the ghost, wraith, is a mother. That's what the entity tells the kids. It has a name but the kids can't translate it. They've been calling her Momma."

The Slayer gave a deep grunt-like sound for attention. Waiting until Lily was focusing on him. That her family? T-a-y-l-e-r? Mentioned it before.

"He's asking if Tayler is your family mentioned before?" Lily translated as the lift settled at the bottom. At least a good hundred feet down if she had to guess as she had had to equalize her ears. Surprised that Valen was showing Heather how to do it, hinting at another similarity between Argenta and Humans.

Stinson nodded, having already picked up that the Slayer could understand both the global standard and English. He just could not speak it for some… reason… Becky clearly remembered the earthquake and bone cracking sound that came out of the… god?

Suddenly him not being able to speak a human language other than sign language made sense. Stinson could not even remember if her grandfather mentioned that the god of death could speak or ever had.

The dark haired woman nodded, swallowing as she made herself answer before more than a few awkward moments passed. "Yes. Yes, Tayler is my niece. She's down here in the lower bunker."

"Why are there children so close to an injured Wraith?" Valen asked, looking both pained and two steps from biting someone's neck out as Heather was currently trying to press her ear against his chest plate to feel for his voice as well.

"...it's the only way to keep her calm." Becky spoke up, hearing… Asin shifted behind where she still sat, a hand on the burn at her hip. Trying to speak in as clear global standard as she could. "The momma… ah, wra-th? She gives excess energy to the kids. It stabilizes her, and then she maintains a shield down there… here. And teaches the kids things."

"...the wraith is giving gifts to survive?" Milla spoke, turning to Valen. "Is that possible Lord Valen?"

"...yes," Valen was taking a few deep, calming breaths. "If they can't control their energy they start to shed it off. Better to give wraith gifts instead of letting the wildlife get out of control. But something like this hasn't happened for lifetimes before even when I was born."

Stinson looked up at the Slayer as the doors to a large, if dim hallway. "Like I said before, I don't know why that idiot Bonin wrote that report like that. I wouldn't trust my niece here if it wasn't safe. She's my only family left."

The woman grunted as the towering Asin stooped to grasp the back of her armor. Lifting her off the ground again, but instead of being dangled… Becky was surprised that the Argenta man gently eased her back into her feet. Grip shifting from the back to a shoulder as he was more bracing for her balance on the damage side.

That was unexpectedly thoughtful.

The Slayer was already walking down the hall, two of the sentinels on his heels. Before he paused and came back with a questioning sound as Lily was helping Wyatt with Becky out of the lift.

"Does it look like we have as long legged strides as you?" Lily asked in a bemused tone, as Valen, Rai and Asin were still patiently waiting for the smaller humans. Stinson was disinfected limping, being helped by Wyatt. The older woman favoring the right hip where the energy burn was and whatever the Demigod had done to cauterize the bleeding part.

I didn't do that. Just stop bleeding. The Slayer signed to his human, looking at Becky, as he realized again she had been hurt more than he thought.

Lily gave him a flat look, but was still on the woman's other side from Wyatt. She turned back to them, asking instead, "How do we get to the Wraith?"

"I've only been there once." Wyatt admitted, knowing better than to try and lead somewhere else.

"Down to the end almost, and to the second from last door. It leads to the habits under the harbor." Stinson said, having to focus hard on walking. Trying to stay on her own two feet even if she was slow, and had to lean on the humans beside her now and then to correct balance.

"Under the harbor?" Lily echoed in surprise.

"If the demons got down into this section, we can flood it." Becky shrugged, and then titled her head. "I'm surprised we're not drowning right now really."

"Probably Vega," Lily hummed, but smiled despite that comment. "Glad others found out about the saltwater trick too."

"Where are you from?" Wyatt asked, walking in between the living giants down the hall to the correct door. Trying to remember where he heard the name 'Vega' before.

"Canada," Lily smiled up at him, "Off the coast in the sea platforms there. Big guy there saved me when I was alone."

"What happened?" Stinson asked, though kept her eyes on the area they needed to get. Could not help glancing at the stained green armored form walking lead. Then at where Heather was being held.

"There was, for a lack of anything better, a demonic infection that spread through the survivors." Lily looked down and pulled the gold chain out from under her shirt. Showing the rings on it and the dog tag of her father's as the background humming was getting louder. "I was the only survivor. Dad kept me isolated more or less because I was, am, suffering from the burn lung toxin. I lost my parents."

"Sorry," Stenson winced, and then looked down at Lily, "I lost almost all my family in the first wave and the month after. Everyone except Tayler."

The Slayer gave a growling sound for attention. Pointing at the security pad. Stenson limped over, keying in her codes and pressing her still bare left hand to the reader. The heavy blast doors gave a metallic groan and started to pull downwards.

The eerie, haunting sounds beyond were finally heard clearly. It was something Lily recognized, almost. She remembered her mother holding headphones on her as the recorded, raw and underwater echoes of cracking glacier ice. It had a faint metallic or lazer-twang like edge to it.

It was not the Primordial speech, but the natural sounds of the wraith. Just as the Slayer could speak the harsh language, and make some softer non verbal human sounds.

Lily breathed in, smelling and tasting snow or ice in the air as it looked like frost shimmered along the open cat walk-like path into the next massive room. Beyond the dimness she could see observation windows that showed the muted light filtered daylight into this chamber. Lily lifted a hand behind her left ear, not unlike how Heather was in Valen's arms. Feeling the sound of the Wraith as much as hearing.

"Oh… that is so beautiful."

Wyatt and Stinson both snapped their heads to Lily as she stared before the first glimpse of something massive, semi transparent of blue-green.

Lily stepped forward, then ducked under the broad arm of the Slayer to get to the railing and look over. Just seeing the trails of silver and teal light air, and what might be a tail. She could have sworn seeing something that was manta ray like in its outline.

There was a sound that had the Slayer's head snapping to his left, pausing in reaching to grasp the back of Lily's shirt. He then tensed as the catwalk they were on shivered and swayed slightly as long silver grasping claws clutched the railing on either side of his human.

The larger set of the Wraith's green eyes focused on Lily, while its other two sets shifted to look at the other primordial being. Pulling back the lip like coverings that were left on its muzzle face, exposing her fangs on the right side of her jaw, and the jagged, broken teeth on the mutilated side of her face.

"You're so pretty." Lily blurted out.

The Wraith paused, startled and looked down at the new human. The snarl starting suddenly faded and looked very much like a confused monitor lizard. As if not quite believing of all things to happen or be said that a blurted and honest compliment was it. Tilting her head before the large muzzle lowered as the Wraith turned her full attention to the human. The larger main eyes widening as the primordial being took a careful sniff like motion.

"Why is such a young and pure gorgon tied to this god of death?" The voice that spoke was heard by all, but only those with pure wraith gift or absorbed energy could understand the ethereal, wivern like creature as its wings fanned out with a shimmer of rainbows shedding off it.

Lily swallowed thickly as the familiar large presence of the Slayer stepped up behind her with a warning growl of his own.

Why did the Wraith call her a gorgon?

Reviews!

XFireStoneX: Whoo! I'm doing it right then! hopefully you like the coming chapters!

Red Viy (chapter 41): Glad someone noticed that XDXD I was aiming for that because its one of my favorite small things to see in the game

Red Viy (chapter 42): what's it... what's it! STACY the epic amazon woman that can break someone XD don't forget Milla!