"DAMN IT!" That was all Alinoth could scream as he fell through the portal created by the damaged looking glass.
The Bearer of the Curse soon found himself in free fall, spinning wildly up in the air. In that state, Alinoth couldn't see how high he was, but he was sure it wouldn't take more than a few seconds for him to hit the ground.
Well, that was before he finally stabilized and managed to get a clear view of things below him and realized that he was, though, right above a gigantic lake of lava.
But Alinoth didn't show any concern when he eventually found himself deep into the lava. Things like this were far from the deadly inconvenience it had been in the past. Alinoth didn't even feel any signs of the high temperatures of the lava, being accustomed and able to withstand much, much higher temperatures than that. As such, Alinoth felt like he was just swimming in normal water.
Floating above the lava, the Bearer of the Curse looks around him and spots solid ground, so he swims in the direction of it. Emerging from the lava, Alinoth is quick to cough some that he accidentally swallowed, then remains there on his knees for a few seconds, catching his breath.
"Aldia, you're there?" He coughs a little more lava. "ALDIA?!"
"Do not be preoccupied, Alinoth. I am still here." The Scholar of the First Sin answered within Alinoth's mind, making the undead sigh in relief.
"Good... Good."
Finally standing up, Alinoth quickly checks to see if any of his equipment or items were damaged by the lava, with Lucatiel's mask being his top priority. Thankfully, everything was in pristine condition. The enchantments he created to protect his equipment have once again proven to be extremely effective.
"Any idea where we are?" Paying attention to his surroundings, Alinoth was quick to notice the entire scenario around him. He found himself in the middle of a vast, rocky, and seemingly lifeless expanse, with the only thing drawing attention being both the lake of lava from which Alinoth emerged and the colors of everything around him.
Everything was red. The sky was red, the rocks were red... Not even on a battlefield after a bloody war would one see so much red. Honestly, even though he didn't know where he was, Alinoth found the change in colors more than welcome when compared to the ashen desert he was used to.
"No." Aldia was silent for a few seconds. "However... Do you feel that too?"
"Feel what?" Alinoth questioned his mentor but didn't get an immediate answer. However, it didn't take long for him to also start to feel something wrong.
"Wait... it can't be..." Widening both his eyes, Alinoth almost couldn't believe what he was feeling. "The essence of this place... How it can... I don't sense any First Flame!"
And not only that, but Alinoth also sensed signs of life in this place. They were somewhat different from what he was used to, but he still sensed beings and souls somewhere, trillions of them.
"Wherever we are, it seems to be a promising world. Perhaps that unfortunate accident may have been our greatest aid in many ages." Aldia said.
It was still too early to expect something like that, but perhaps Aldia was right. Looking around once more, Alinoth still saw nothing more than a desert of red rocks as far as the eye could see. But still, Alinoth managed to sense a gigantic concentration of souls somewhere. With no other options and hoping that the concentration of souls was a city, Alinoth began walking in that direction, walking at a calm pace as he observed and studied this peculiar place attentively with just his eyes.
Appearing in the familiar scenery of Lucifer's office, the Helltaker took a few seconds to recover from the sickness caused by crossing the portal, considering that his body was not yet fully accustomed to that way of traveling yet.
Meanwhile, Lucifer, Justice, and Judgement were still walking at a fast pace, with none of the three having noticed that the Helltaker had come along.
"Judgement, gather as many skeletons as you can," Lucifer ordered the High Prosecutor in a serious tone.
"Right away." It was all that Judgement said before she continued down an adjacent hallway, separating herself from the others.
The Helltaker still had no idea what was going on here. But gathering as many skeletons as possible? That didn't sound good at all.
"Girls... wait!" Finally recovered, the Helltaker quickly ran to try to catch up with Lucifer and Justice.
Both demon's eyes widened at the sound of Taker's voice and they quickly turned to face him, only now realizing that the human had come along.
"Taker, what are you doing here?! I told you to wait at home!" Lucifer's tone was even harsher than it had been on her worst days. Not even when someone ate her pancakes by accident or just to tease her did she lose her temper as much as she did now.
The Helltaker was initially taken aback by Lucifer's tone, but he quickly recovered and looked the Queen of Hell in the eye. "After seeing you and the other get like that, there's no way I could just stand still. What's going on?"
"Hell is the last place you should be right now!" Waving her hand once more, Lucifer creates another portal, back to the human world, and quickly begins to push the Helltaker there. "Don't disobey me again and come back home!"
"Wait!" Helltaker tried to stand his ground, but the strength of the CEO of Hell was greater than his own. "Just tell me what's going on."
"Something... No, someone extremely powerful has appeared here in hell. Someone we don't recognize." Justice revealed in a tone of voice as serious as Lucifer's, but much less harsh. Justice's sudden words make Lucifer stop pushing Helltaker towards the portal and turn to face her friend.
The Helltaker blinks behind his sunglasses. "What? How much power are we talking about?"
"A power that even Beelzebub at her strongest much pales in comparison." Lucifer swallows a bit of her pride before continuing, "A power... greater than even mine."
"It's not a demon, that's for sure. Not an angel, either." Justice runs her hand through her chin. "It feels human. But at the same time there's something more to it."
"It can't be human. No mortal possesses such power." Lucifer turns to face the Helltaker once more. "And that is why you must return to the human world right now. I..."
Shedding her Queen of Hell persona for a moment, Lucifer tenderly takes the Helltaker's hand into hers, looking directly into the human's eyes. "I don't want there to be even the slightest possibility of you getting hurt, or even..."
Lucifer stops herself from finishing that sentence. The Helltaker is initially surprised by Lucifer's sudden affectionate gesture, but soon smiles and holds her hand tenderly against his chest.
"Don't worry, there is no force in all existence that will take me away from you and the other girls." The Helltaker's smile quickly fades, however. "But Lucy... Do you think this is the best thing to do? Going to meet this person with an entire army in tow? I don't think that will be taken in a good way."
Justice carefully analyzes the Helltaker's words. "Come to think of it now... the big guy might be right. An army of skeletons would probably be seen as a sign of aggression and would only provoke this human more than anything."
Lucifer sighs. "I agree that this possibility exists, but I don't want to-"
"What if I try to talk to him?" The Helltaker suggested out of nowhere.
Both Lucifer and Justice looked (only Lucifer, in this case) at the Helltaker, spending the next few seconds in silence until Lucifer stuttered: "E-excuse me?"
"You said yourselves that this being, as powerful as he is, is still human. Maybe seeing another human instead of demons won't provoke him."
Lucifer was the first to react to the Helltaker's suggestion, obviously not in a good way. "Didn't you hear what I said?! This person is more powerful than even me and Beelzebub combined! Just by being here, you are already taking a huge risk-"
"Has this human done anything? Attacked anyone? Showed aggression?" The Helltaker interrupted Lucifer once again.
The girls were following this human through his enormous power, knowing exactly where he was and what he was doing. And no, until now he had not done anything dangerous.
"No, he... Until now, he's just walking around aimlessly." Lucifer said in a low tone.
The Helltaker raised both eyebrows. "See? And walking around aimlessly, you said? He probably doesn't even know where he is."
Lucifer would once again protest against the idea, but this time Justice stopped her, placing a hand on the shoulder of the Queen of Hell.
"Lucy... I think we should trust the big guy on this one. His plan seems solid."
Lucifer stutters for a moment, trying to say something against it, but the words simply refuse to come out of her mouth. Sometimes, Helltaker was so clueless, not thinking about the consequences of his actions… but that was one of, if not the main factor that made them meet in the first place.
Also, deep down, she knew that this was the best course of action, something that wouldn't provoke this being that Lucifer knew she couldn't defeat, but the overprotective nature she had acquired since she came to live with the Helltaker still whispered inside her.
But this time, she was able to push those whispers to the depts of her mind.
Lucifer sighed. "Alright, let's go with your plan. But if anything happens... Me, Justice and Judgement will go with the skeletons, without hesitation."
The Helltaker agrees with this. It was reasonable, after all. Leaning down, the human gave Lucifer a quick kiss on the lips, which made the face of the Queen of Hell turn into a deep red and she became embarrassed for a few seconds.
But she quickly regained her composure. "Very well... Get ready, Taker. I will open a portal when you are ready."
Once again, the Helltaker just smiled and nodded. Of course, he was also a little worried. If this human possessed so much power to the point of making all the girls afraid just with his mere presence... the Helltaker knew he should be careful. But still, he had a feeling that he would be able to solve this crisis himself.
"Brimstone... Why did it have to be Brimstone?" Alinoth felt sick just by being exposed to the strong, putrid odor of Brimstone as he continued to walk.
The Bearer of the Curse was no stranger to enduring horrific smells. No, the problem was the bad memories that said smell brought back to him. He remembered his days as a Northwarder in Forossa, leading entire armies in the many wars that Forossa was involved in all the time. One of those wars was against the kingdom of Jugo, also known for being formidable warriors and masters of pyromancy.
During one of the invasion campaigns against Jugo, the Bearer of the Curse remembers setting up camp with his army in a large oasis in the middle of the deserts of Jugo. It was supposed to be a peaceful night where they would rest for another day of battle the next morning, but it soon turned into complete horror.
One of the things Jugo was notorious for was a species of giant ant, called Corrosive Ants. While the larvae of these ants were considered culinary delicacies, the ant itself was seen as a pest, largely due to the natural acid produced by them, which was so potent that it was capable of melting even the strongest steel.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Alinoth and his army had camped very close to several anthills of these ants. Then in the middle of the night, Alinoth remembers waking up to the screams of terror of his soldiers. Numerous Corrosive Ants had invaded the camp, killing many of Alinoth's men and capturing others, taking these unfortunate soldiers into their anthill, where they would be eaten alive while also being melted by the ants' deadly acid.
Alinoth himself barely escaped alive that night, and he still has the scars burning caused by the acid on his hands. One of the first memories he recovered from his past was of that very moment, of the screams of terror of his soldiers as their flesh was melted, many of them pleading for Alinoth to save them or to just end their suffering... and of course the putrid smell of the ants' acid... a smell almost identical to brimstone. His failure that night haunted the Bearer of the Curse for a long time, making Alinoth wonder what he could have made different, what he could have made to save his brothers in arms. It took him a long time to overcome that feeling.
However, Alinoth is quickly pulled out of those horrific memories when he senses the concentration of souls he had felt earlier closer. Climbing to the top of a large hill nearby without effort, Alinoth is completely taken aback by the sight that greets him. The vision of enormous walls and an imposing megalopolis in the distance amidst the redness is something to behold. The architecture of the gigantic visible buildings, although more or less familiar to Alinoth, was still distinct enough to create contrasts within the city itself.
From here he could hear a cacophony of voices of the most varied types. Friends talking, people complaining, merchants trying to promote their products, and along with all of this, there was also the sound of screams of pure agony and suffering, as if beings were being tortured.
Such a chaotic mix only made Alinoth even more confused. "What is this place, truly?"
"Not now. It seems that we have a visitor." Aldia warned Alinoth, who did not understand at first what the Scholar of the First Sin was talking about, but he quickly felt a strange magical change somewhere down the hill, followed by the sensation of a peculiar soul, one with gigantic potential, but as it was now too weak to be a real danger to the Bearer of the Curse.
Curious, Alinoth decides this is worth investigating. Looking down from the hill where he was, Alinoth didn't hesitate to simply jump down, considering that it was the quickest way to get down.
Meanwhile, down below, the Helltaker looked at his surroundings after exiting the portal created by Lucifer. This didn't look like any part of Hell he had been to before. It was more inhospitable, desert-like in appearance.
'According to the girls, that powerful human is nearby. I just hope it doesn't take me too long to find him-'
The Helltaker is taken out of his thoughts when, just a few meters away from him, something large and heavy falls from the sky, raising a large cloud of dust and causing the Helltaker to cover his face with both arms to protect himself.
Slowly lowering his arms after a few seconds, the Helltaker looks apprehensively ahead, where he quickly notices the figure of a man being revealed little by little as the cloud of dust disperses. The first thing he noticed right away was the man's unnatural height. The Helltaker himself was known for being extremely tall, towering over every human, demon, and angel he encountered to this day, with the only exception being Behemoth. But this man in front of him? He towered above the Helltaker himself and it wasn't by a short amount. Taking a quick look, the Helltaker deduced that this man was easily over 3 meters tall. A true colossus.
Aside from the unusual height, the man also wore an odd attire. He wore a medieval-looking suit of armor, with a chestplate, shoulder pads, and gauntlets all silver in color, together with black pants and brownish boots. A leather belt ran across the chest plate, white fur covered the armor's shoulders, and blue fabric ran down the man's waist, giving the appearance of an overcoat and adding even more beauty to the whole thing. That armor, as out of place as it was, truly was a beautiful sight to behold.
Still recovering from the initial shock, the Helltaker is now more careful in analyzing the other features of the man. Only now the Taker noticed that the man had long hair and a thick beard, both pristine white, the same shade of white as the hair of all the demon girls in his harem. In addition to all this, the man also possessed bright blue eyes, even brighter than Azazel's eyes.
Ultimately, the figure in front of the Helltaker was as alluring as it was threatening, and with the way he looked at the Helltaker, the mortal man very well expected a fight.
However, instead of violence, what happened was that the giant man's features and posture softened. He relaxed his shoulders and assumed an almost ashamed facial expression.
"Oh... My apologies. I... I didn't mean to scare you." The man even raised his hands slightly, making him look even more harmless.
Seeing that, the Helltaker himself can't help but also relax a little. "It was... nothing, don't worry about it. I've dealt with worse."
"I can imagine." The giant man reciprocates, before slightly widening his eyes and raising his eyebrows. "Oh, and where are my manners... My name is Alinoth. May I know yours?"
"You may call me Helltaker, or just Taker for short." The Helltaker responds with a small smile. "Not my real name, though, it's more of a title. But I am called like that by so many people that it kinda became my new name."
Alinoth lets out a sincere laugh upon hearing Helltaker's words. "Oh, trust me, I understand that better than anyone. I've also been called by a title so many times and by so many people that my real name has almost lost its meaning."
"But, Helltaker... if I may ask, what are you doing here?" Alinoth crosses his arms. "I mean, this place is quite inhospitable and I can't imagine what a human would want here."
The Helltaker laughs a little awkwardly as he scratches his neck. "Well... Let's just say I came here to... find you."
"Me?"
"Yes. You see, several of my friends sensed your presence here in hell and wanted to investigate. They would have brought an army of skeletons with them, but I convinced them to let me talk to you first since you seemed peaceful.", explained the Helltaker.
"Huh... I appreciate you doing that. I'm genuinely not in the mood for a fight." Alinoth grins, only to raise a single eyebrow. "And 'Hell', you say? Is that the name of this place?"
The Helltaker himself crossed his arms as he glared at Alinoth. "Precisely. And I already suspected that you didn't even knew where you were."
"No, I... I did not. Let's just say that... I'm not from here. From this world, I mean."
The Helltaker raises both eyebrows. "From this... world?"
"The more correct word would be 'universe'." Placing both hands on his hips, Alinoth lowers his head and sighs heavily. "Let's just say that I had a little problem with a portal, a problem of my own design, may I add... But anyway, one moment I was desperately trying to control the portal, and the next I was in this place, falling from the sky straight into a lake of lava."
Honestly, out of everything the Helltaker had heard, that last part was the one that surprised him the most. Alinoth had fallen straight into a lake of lava and survived unharmed? Even though the Helltaker wasn't able to sense Alinoth's tremendous power like the girls could, that told the Taker that Alinoth definitely wasn't just anyone.
"Well... That's way beyond me, but I think Lucifer can help you. She is the Queen of Hell, after all, and maybe she can send you back to your home." Helltaker said with a small smile on his face.
Hearing the proposal, Alinoth sighed. In all honesty, he doesn't know if he wants to go back "home"; to the endless cycles of Light and Dark, to more aimless research... Besides, another monarch? It seemed like Alinoth couldn't escape them.
However, that didn't matter now. Alinoth was still in an unknown place and this Lucifer seemed to be the best option for the Bearer of the Curse to get answers.
Facing the Helltaker once more, Alinoth nodded. "Lead the way."
The Helltaker's smile grew even wider. "Great. We just need to go through this portal here and we'll meet up with Lucifer." The man pointed to the large red portal behind him. Alinoth nodded once again.
Turning around, the Helltaker stepped through the portal once more, but this time with Alinoth in tow.
The Helltaker wasn't jesting when he mentioned an army of skeletons. As Alinoth stepped through the portal, he was immediately greeted by the sight of hundreds of giant, horned skeletons, all nearly as tall as the Helltaker himself. All of them glared at the Bearer of the Curse with an absolute will, ready to act at the slightest sign of aggression from the True Monarch.
Leading the skeletons were three women, one of whom Alinoth assumed was the Lucifer that Helltaker had mentioned; not only because she wore a crown, but also because she had the same aura that many other monarchs Alinoth had met. And yet... Lucifer seemed to have something more, and that was what surprised the Bearer of the Curse the most.
Potential. Alinoth saw in Lucifer an enormous potential he hasn't felt in many lifetimes, greater than any other ruler he had ever met. And it wasn't just potential in power, no... If guided correctly, Lucifer could also become a True Monarch one day, free from the clutches of fate and with the possibility of pursuing anything she desired. Another thing that Alinoth was quick to notice was how Lucifer and her two companions not only had hair as white as the Bearer of the Curse himself but also how all three of them had horns and tails, giving up that they weren't human.
Meanwhile, the Queen of Hell herself was analyzing Alinoth from afar. If Lucifer and the other girls had already felt Alinoth's tremendous power while they were still in the human world, being face to face with the man had the same feeling as being in the presence of the literal concept of power, raw and unchanging.
But at the same time... there was something more. Alinoth transmitted an aura that was simply calm and serene, while at the same time being volatile and flaming. He was an extremely alluring being, who emanated both order and chaos. Such disparity was unusual to Lucifer... at the same time it felt incredibly familiar.
"See? I told you that I alone would be the best choice." The Helltaker spoke as soon as the girls approached, but none of them answered the human. Instead, they were all focused solely on Alinoth.
"And I'm glad you did. You seem like a nice guy, Taker. A promising soul." The Bearer of the Curse then focused his gaze directly on the demon with the tiara. "And I assume you're Lucifer, right? My name is Alinoth. Alinoth Cynred."
The CEO of Hell crosses her arms as she glares at Alinoth, assuming an authoritative stance. "Exactly. I am Lucifer Morningstar, the Queen of Hell."
"I know. I noticed that at the exact moment I laid my eyes on you. After all these years, it is quite easy for me to recognize a fellow monarch." Alinoth offers Lucifer a friendly smile, but one that she does not return. However, his final words capture Lucifer's attention.
The Queen of Hell raises an eyebrow. "Did you say 'Fellow Monarch'? You are a ruler yourself?"
"Yes and no." Alinoth shrugs. "I am, indeed, a monarch, but not one in the most known meaning of the word. It is a complicated concept to explain, to say the very least."
The words of the Bearer of the Curse only make Lucifer even more confused. He says that was a monarch and yet he was not one? What did that even mean? Either you were a monarch, having earned or conquered the title and position, or you weren't. It was simple as that.
However, before Lucifer could ask anything else, it was Judgement who spoke next. "We don't care about your supposed titles! Answer us now what you are doing in Hell, or suffer the consequences!"
An empty threat. That was what Judgement's words meant to Alinoth. No one in this "Hell" had the power to be even a considerable threat to the Bearer of the Curse, and he was still holding back most of his power. Even if everyone there tried something, only death would be awaiting them. However, that wasn't something Alinoth wanted. Furthermore, it was completely understandable that they still considered him a threat. He was a stranger to them, after all.
"If you consider me a threat, you can rest assured. I have no aggressive desire towards you or any other being in this place." Alinoth stated with conviction. "My arrival in hell was nothing more than an accident of my own making. I didn't even know the name of this place until a minute ago."
"How come you didn't know about Hell?" Now it was Justice's turn to question Alinoth.
The Bearer of the Curse sighs lightly. "Well, I already explained it to Helltaker, so now it's only fair I explain to you all as well."
The next few minutes were spent with Alinoth explaining to the trio of demons the same things he had told the Helltaker, and just as he did with the Helltaker, telling them only the basics. As soon as he finished, all three remained silent for a few seconds, absorbing everything they had heard.
"So... you're basically from another world? One completely different from ours?" Lucifer places a hand on his chin, thinking about what she heard. "I... always considered alternative universes as just a theory. I never thought it could be true..."
"Well, the living proof is right here in front of you." Alinoth points to himself.
While both Lucifer and Justice seemed to consider what Alinoth said, Judgement didn't buy it. "Lucifer, you can't really believe all this gibberish! This man must be someone sent by Heaven to harm us in some way and-"
"Judgement, I hardly think this man is involved in some scheme of Heaven." Justice interrupted the current High Prosecutor. "All of us here felt his immense power as soon as he appeared in Hell. If he was somehow sent by Heaven, they wouldn't be able to hide him from us."
The High Prosecutor opened her mouth to object to Justice, but she slowly realized a certain sense of the Awesome Demon's words and gave up.
"Sorry to interrupt... but what exactly is this 'Heaven' you all talk so much about?" Alinoth's question came so out of nowhere and with a legit curious tone that it caused everyone there to divert their attention to the Bearer of the Curse.
After a few seconds, the Helltaker - who had been quiet until now - clears his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him.
"The way I see it, both sides here need to talk properly. So why don't we do that at home? It's a more comfortable area then hell, and besides, I bet you're hungry." The mortal man looks directly at Alinoth when he says the last part.
Alinoth couldn't help but smile at the generous offer. "Yeah... I could use some food right now."
However, Judgement still had some thoughts on that. "Wait, you want to take him to our home?"
"I agree with Taker. I believe that's our best course of action." Lucifer stated, this time, surprising the High Prosecutor. "You know we can't just let him wander around hell aimlessly."
Then approaching very close to the High Prosecutor, Lucifer puts a hand on Judgement's shoulder and as he gets closer he whispers in her ear: "And much less without supervision. This will be the best option for us to keep an eye on this Alinoth."
Moving away from Judgement, Lucifer looks her in the eyes. The High Prosecutor still didn't like the idea, but there was nothing she could do about it since it seemed like everything was decided, so she begrudgingly accepts.
The Queen of Hell then turns to look Alinoth in the eyes. "So? What do you say? Will you come with us?"
"You say it as if I have a better choice right now. You're still my best chance of getting information about this place. And I already told you that I'm not in the mood for a fight, even if defeating you all wouldn't be challenging for me at all." That was all Alinoth said.
The words from the Bearer of the Curse elicit a hearty laugh from Justice. "Man, we barely know each other, but I already like you!"
Alinoth returns the compliment with a smile. "Likewise."
"Enough you two. We have to go." With another wave of his hand, Lucifer creates another portal from Hell to the human world. Alinoth watches this with slight surprise and curiosity. A magic like that would be extremely useful.
"Shall we go?" Lucifer asks the Bearer of the Curse, who nods with confirmation.
Justice is the first to cross the portal, followed by the Helltaker and soon after by Lucifer. Judgement and Alinoth were the last ones, leaving Hell and returning to the human world.
I thought of leaving a little character sheet of Alinoth here, for information and trivia. Some of the titles I gave him will make sense as the story progresses.
Full Name: Alinoth Cynred.
Classes: Sorcerer (Battlemage), Hexer, and Pyromancer.
Titles: Forossan Northwarder, High-Oracle of Faraam, The Bearer of the Curse, Young Hollow, Seeker of Fire, Conqueror of Adversities, Black Dragon, True Monarch, The Deceiver, Soul-Eater, Dragon King, Flame Incarnate, The Flaming Darkness.
Age: 15.000.000+ (38 years old in appearance)
Height: Variable between 3 and 15 meters. (Alinoth is able to control his height between those two limits at will)
Species: Human (Undead), Lord, Dragon.