There is beauty in Hell.
Maybe that's a strange thing to think, after all, Hell is often considered a place of fire and brimstone, of molten rivers and volcanic ash.
That's how people see hell anyway, and to be fair, they'd be right.
That's how most of hell looks like; but if one looked hard enough, they'd find beauty in Hell.
Glancing to the side, Noble found his eyes focusing on the wild horses running off in the distance, their hooves trampling over everything and sounding like echoes of thunder. "Beautiful, aren't they?" Asmodia asked, her attention also focused on the equine that lived within the confines of Hell.
"What are they?"
"They're Phantom Horses." Asmodia whispered. "Unclaimed and unbroken as the winds that blow across creation." She admitted. "They run across the Realms, but they always return to their home in the Far Fields." She made a noise. "Well, save for this lot." She added. "Don't know why, but they love it here in the Second Kingdom." She admitted. "Not that many complain, would be riders seek them out, hoping to claim one as their own." She admitted before looking at Noah. "Wanna try?" Noah just stared at the beasts as they raced on, seemingly without direction or a second thought.
"Nah…" He muttered. "I'm good." He stated as he walked on, leaving Asmodia to shrug before following after him.
Everywhere they go, they're surrounded by the scent of brimstone. Didn't really like the smell to be honest, plus it would probably take forever to get it out of his clothes. Regardless, Noah just pushed the thought aside, waving a hand in front of his face when the smells got too strong for him. "How much further?" He asked.
"We're close." The demoness stated as she moved ahead of her counterpart before smiling. "Just be patient."
"I am being patient." The Hunter grumbled. "I'm just bored." He admitted. "Why couldn't we have taken one of your beasts for a ride?"
"And risk being spotted?" Asmodia asked. "Fun as that sounds, I'd rather not." She admitted. "Besides, Don't you wanna spend some quality time with me?"
"Walking through a literal hellscape isn't exactly how I'd like to spend time together." Noah grumbled, rolling his eyes. Still, not a second later did his eyes drifty to Asmodia's form. The demoness could not - rather she would not stop treating the world like it was her own personal catwalk. The way she walked with that sway in her hips… could draw almost any eyes her way. She knew she had a knockout body, and she felt no shame in showing it off to the dregs of hell.
"Well~" Asmodia asked as she looked back. "What would you do if you could decide what we were doing?"
"I'm thinking pizza and Netflix'." Noah remarked.
"Oh~ that does sound nice." Asmodia cooed. "You humans make the best pizza."
"Depends on where we order from."
"True." Asmodia added before bringing herself to a stop and gazed out into the distance. "We're here." Noah raised an eyebrow as he stepped forward, his attention looking down into the canyon that rested ahead
What he saw residing in it?
"Jesus Christ."
"Isn't he that dead guy I saw die centuries ago?" Noah ignored the remark as he stared ahead, his attention focused on the massive complex that was before them.
Calling it a 'complex' was putting it mildly.
What he was a mammoth structure he couldn't accurately describe.
"Welcome to Velgroth's Vault!" Asmodia shouted, her voice being drowned out by the turning of massive wheels and the roar of compressed gas. "At 25 miles wide and 37 ft deep it's one of the smallest Infernal Vaults to date." Asmodia declared. "It's said every 10 minutes it produces a staggering total of 666 demonic arms that are then distributed across the late lords' territory, as well as towards warbands etched across the land and beyond."
"Doesn't Vovin control Velgroth's territory now?" Noah muttered. "Are you saying this is his?"
"It is now."
"Fuck~" Noah grumbled, running a hand through his hair before taking a breath. "This is ridiculous." He muttered. "Wait, did you say this was the smallest?"
"The biggest is settled under Pandemonium." Asmodia shrugged. "You know - the capital of Hell."
"How big is-" Asmodia smirked. "You know what, I don't want to know…" Noash muttered, shaking his head again. "So… the plan's to shut this place down, right?"
"That's the idea."
"That's gonna take hours."
"Then we'd better get started." Asmodia got to her feet before stepping forward and proceeded to drop off the edge of the canyon.
Heaven is in an uproar.
No surprise there.
With the revelation of the Endwar going about, of course there'd be an uproar of sorts.
A call to arms. A gathering of men and women ready to fight…
And still the golden gates are locked.
Quabiel sighed to himself, a sense of annoyance and exhaustion on his face as stared ahead, barely acknowledging the fact that someone was slamming their hands on his desk.
"Quabiel! What's going, why are you stopping us from going to the Third Kingdom?"
Same question as yesterday, just a different soul asking it.
So he gives the same answer.
"The Angiris Council have decreed that the gates are to remain closed until further Notice." He recites the words like he's practiced them a thousand times. "Once matters have been sorted out, we will open the Gates."
"What matters need to be sorted?" Another voice asks. "The Endwar is upon us, the Dregs of hell are trampling across the Third Kingdom and the Hellguard needs reinforcements!" They declare. "Yet here we are, standing by doing nothing!"
"It's time for us to go to battle, what are you afraid of?"
"What am I afraid of? Quabiel started to get up out of his chair, pulling to his full height as started down at the younger angel. "Better question is what are you even thinking?"
"Excuse me?"
"Rakriel, you lot are CHILDREN." He stressed. "You are still students of the academic arts." He declared. "None of you have even touched a blade, let alone wield one in battle." He reminded them. "What exactly do you think you lot can do?"
"We can fight!"
"And you will die." Quabiel countered. "You will die, screaming, and crying and without accomplishing anything." He paused, collecting himself. "I know your kind." He admitted. "Young and hopped up on stories told to you by the old guard. Full of bluster and resolve until you see exactly what happens out there on the battlefield." He tells them. "You think you can just go out there and do what must be done, but in the end you will be nothing but a burden." He stated closing his eyes as settled back down in his seat. "I'm not opening the gates for you. If you want to try speaking to someone above me to authorize your departure then go right ahead, I won't stop you." He told them. "Now… get out." He ordered. "Or would you rather I contact your parents and tell them to drag you out." The young angels just narrowed their eyes before reluctantly doing as they were told.
They'd be back. They'd be back with more hotblooded souls and a few pressured to come they would be back regardless.
Taking a breath the senior angel rested his hands on his face as he closed his eyes for a moment.
Someone knocked on his door and it was with a hint of annoyance that he invited them in.
"That greeting sounds more like back off." Quabiel heard the voice around the same time he saw his office door open. "Rough day?"
"Asmaitiel…" He muttered the woman's name as he leaned back in his chair. "I wouldn't call it a rough day, it's the exact same as those that have passed already."
"No surprise." The one eyed angel muttered as she walked further into the office. "Some some kids leaving before I got here." She admitted. "So~" She paused, crossing her arms. "Same old same old?"
"Kids hopped up on bluster and resolve." He repeated his earlier words as he nodded his head. "Is it really a surprise though?"
"I wish it was." Asmaitiel shrugged. "But it's not." She added. "Children like them have been hounding the Gatekeepers since the Seals were broken." She admitted. "It's not just the children though." She added. It's some of the older generation too."
"It's just the children who bark the loudest." Quabiel grumbled. "They don't know what it's like out there…"
"And you want to protect them from that nightmare." The one eyed angel stated. "I doubt that's the only reason." She told him. Before their conversation could continue a knock was heard on the office door as Quabiel sighed.
"Come in."
Whoever was at the door gradually pushed it open, and in all honesty, the pair's blood went cold when they saw who was walking in.
It was a child. Not like those youths that were here earlier, but a literal child.
One who was barely up to Quabiel's knees and outfitted with some armor that was far too big for them..
"Hi." Without another word the child Angel scampered up to Quabiel's desk as they tried peeking over it. Their arm raised as they dropped a few angelic coins on the table. "Can you open the Gates to Earth for me please?"
Quabiel looked at Asmaitiel with a loss for words before picking himself up and walked around his desk to crouch down and be eye-level with the child angel. "What's your name child?" he whispered.
"Haniel." They said automatically.
"Haniel…" He repeated the name. "That's a nice name." He admitted. "I'm Quabial and that lady over there is Asmaitiel." He introduced his friend. "Tell me Haniel, why do you want to go to the Third Kingdom?"
"I'm gonna go help mama." The little boy stated as they reached for their haphazardly put together pouch before showing they had brought a kitchen knife with them. "See?"
"Your mama's down there?" Asmaitiel asked as the little boy turned and nodded his head, almost hitting Quabiel with his knife on accident.
"Yeah, mama's fighting with the Hellguard to protect everyone." Haniel admitted.
"You're mothers a very brave woman." Quabiel admitted as he carefully took the knife from the child's hands. "And you want to go down there to make sure she's ok?"
"Uh huh." Haniel nodded his head. "I'm go protect mama." He told the pair, finally realizing his knife was gone. "Can I have that back?"
"Is that so?" Asmaitiel smiled. "Seems your mama isn't the only one who's brave."
"I have to be brave." Haniel stated. "Cause if I'm scared, I can't protect mama." He told them. "And mama needs me to protect her."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah." Haniel nodded his head. "Mama has to protect everyone, but she sometimes forgets that she needs someone to protect her too."
"I see…" Asmaitiel admitted as Quabiel fell silent.
A child was here. The thought and revelation was as adorable as it was horrifying.
A child, someone who didn't even understand the full repercussions of what was going on in Creation wanted to do their part.
Not for glory or anything like that, but because they wanted to protect their parent; wanted to make sure they were ok.
'Children really do grow up so fast…' He told himself. 'And yet…'
"So can you let me go to Earth, please?" Haniel asked before reaching for the table and felt around for a moment before grabbing hold of a few things. He presented the coins he''d brought with him to Quabiel. "If I need to pay to have it open, I brought the money."
"Now now, there's no need to pay for passage." Quabiel told him, reaching for those few coins Haniel had left on his desk and gave them back to him. "But I can't let you go to Earth."
"Why not?"
Images of children flashed before the senior angel's mind.
Children screaming and crying…
Children with their wings tattered and ripped out…
Children dying in droves and put on display for all to see…
Parents breaking down, forced to mourn their lost children…
'Never again…' That was the vow he made to himself. "The Angiris don't want me to let anyone through." He admitted. "If I do, we're all going to be in big trouble." He told the child. "You don't want to get in trouble do you?"
"No~" Haniel muttered before going silent.
"But… how about this?" Quabiel whispered seeing how upset the child was getting. "How about I go down there to see how your mama's doing?"
"You'll do that?" Quabiel raised a finger to his lips. "Really?"
"Don't tell anyone, ok?" The angel got an appreciative nod sent their way as the little angel copied the finger gesture. "This I'll be our little secret." Quabiel looked to Asmaitiel as he gave her a look, one that resulted in a nod.
"Alright… alright." The one eyed angel admitted. "Our little secret."
"Thank you!" The child shouted before immediately quieting down. "Thank you." They repeated in a much quieter tone.
"Still, what's your mama's name?"
"Mama's… name?" Haniel asked as he tilted his head. "Mama's name is mama." The older pair chuckled slightly.
"Well, what do other people call your mama?"
"Uriel!" The Champion of the White City turned her head as she looked away from the horizon, her attention focusing on the Angelic Soldier that was approaching her. "The sector is secure."
"Good." The recently appointed Header of the Hellguard muttered under her breath as she nodded her head. "How are our men?"
"Wounded, but they will survive."
"Let's make sure of that." The Angel stated. "Find a place for them to rest and heal their wounds." She told them. "No one is dying on my watch today."