"Hold on me."
I grabbed his heavy iron armor, he jumped and held on the partly scratched out part of a support on the wall. Like a joke he slipped and flew along the wall, there was only fire under us. Again like a joke Death made a last push and reached the gap in the wall, my feet felt a solid ground.
We were in a hidden tunnel in a middle level, it was roughly dug out, tight and dark, raw gravel crunched under our feet. He went first.
Tunnel was "L" shaped, at the end we found a large lever and an iron grid in front of an arc. Behind it a large lighted in bright yellow oval chamber. There also was a large chest made of light stone with a skull on the top. Death crashed it without making an effort and inside was a huge key, then he grunt.
"What is it?"
He was holding a page of a book, almost too old to exist, it was about to fall apart in his hands. Black, filled with siny unreadable words written in white.
"This is a page of the Book of the dead." explained the horseman.
For some reason he found that funny, I knew he was smiling even behind his bone mask.
"It's incredibly rare and valuable" he continued, because the misunderstanding was written on my face. "Pages of that book were scattered around the worlds through years after the first war between Heaven and Hell. They continue the death of every single soul under the sun, the cause and the time. Together those pages hold an incredible power."
He put away the page somewhere in uncountable objects on his belt and made a nod to keep moving.
Lever was horizontal, made of yellow metal holding a circle foundation, engraved with a halo of ancient symbols. Behind the circle part was another lever that was coming from inside the wall. Death held the lever and pushed it, it went inside the wall with a sharp sound and the grid opened.
"Alright, let's go."
"It was alright. Here comes the horror."
"Horror?"
"You are not coming with me there. Stay here, till my mark."
"No way, I am not hiding…"
"Trust me" the horseman said. "You don;'t want to cross behind those walls."
The moment he made a single step the lights from the fire in cracked walls fell on his body, and from pale dead grey it turned bright red. Somewhere downstairs in the circle floor something moved.
I was watching Reaper walking without even slowing down, bend forward as usual, and three or four monstrous lizards jump on him, screaming. After them came their alpha.
Fingers protected by black leather and square metal protectors hold the handles of the scythes and blades shined at few places at the same time. If I didn't know he was fighting down there, I would never be able to pass through my mind what I was seeing.
Separated blades of Harvester were at right on the circle floor reminding of the arena, tossing up one of the lizards and cutting its red flesh in the the same time they were behind two of other spawns, ripping of f their legs. But that wasn't all. At the very same moment scythes were scooping up the flesh from the belly of four sized alfa somewhere in the middle.
Its teeth were sharp, at least one human arm long, it had the head of a wild cat but it's body heavy and covered in flakes, like a lizard, finished with long strong tail and claws on its paws that could cut the roseman in two with one move. Its scream made me dizzy. I realized that there was nothing between me and the monster and if it could catch my scent here, that would be the end of me.
I could see the red eyes, in the background was all that fire landscape. After a few more terrible screams all ended in a bloody chaotic mess on the floor.
"You can come out already."
I didn't know if he said that to me or Dust, who was hiding on top of one high column the entire battle and came out when the last body died on the floor.
I was too numb after what I just saw there, sparkling eyes of the demons haunted me, I was looking paranoiac around and wanted to hide behind the horseman, I tried to look brave but still followed him close. My fingers went on my necklace, other – on my blade, just in case.I spent here so long during our last visit, still couldn't get used to those hungry for flesh abominations.
The Chamber had only one door and when Death opened it, it cracked with a creepy sound, reminding something was outhere.
We passed a ruined corridor, there were chutes between huge pieces of stone on the floor, between them I could see the fire flow, the entire castle was built on dungeons with alive fire, the one that was going to Maker's forge.
The warmth was coming at every step and at some point became unbearable.
Death suddenly stopped and his eyes with the color of that very same fire focused on something. We were standing in front of a similar door like the one we just passed through, there were more corridors ending in niches with sculptures of forgotten makers, or in collapsed walls.
"This must be it" he said with a low whisper-like voice. Then without a warning he raised his hand and pushed both door wings. My instinct told me to hide behind him, Dust screamed, he felt the danger too.
We were standing on a wide ground with stairs going down, leading to an open oval chamber under the open sky. It was starting to get dark, now the red fire was contrasting even more on the alarming blue sky. I was about to follow him,when his head pushed me back. He went down, scanned the hall with his red sight and before he answered my unspoken question two of the reptiles ran toward him from the far corner of the room screaming. While Death was dealing with them something far heavier and massive came out, a small stone construct.
The rumbling of the volcano and the dust coming from the walls, the fireballs raining through the missing ceiling, leaving the smell of burnt… Screams of the demonic lizards, trying to send the rider at the nothingness with their long blades sharp claws… And on top the shocking fast corrupted construct – they all wanted one thing, the death of the nephilim.
He didn't have such plans and was working to prevent the creatures hunting this place to stop him. Again, like in the previous room, he slayed their bodies with a few deadly hits of his scythe and raised his arm showing me it's clear.
Till I was passing the hall another ball came from the volcano throat and burst like fireworks over our heads. Small parts of it came into the room, I ran to avoid them.
Just against the stairs was built a large cage with sharp metal rods, coming from holes in the ground. They were making perfect square, too tight even for someone like me. Two paths made of circle steps on the floor led to it, every single one showed a different rune symbol, like on the lever Death pushed to open the door.
Same symbols were pointing to another locked door with a sphere hidden behind it, too large even for someone the size of Death. I noticed two round beds on the floor, like that sphere should fit into them. Or maybe…
Hall was symmetrical, like a church, just on the opposite side there was another niche, all overgrown with the disgusting black plasma and as a bonus there were many of those yellow balls with thorns.
The ground shook with the next growling of the volcano. We were wasting time.
"I want you to cover your ears and close your eyes."
"What?"
"Cover your ears and stay behind me!"
Death went as far as he could from the cage blocked by plasma, took his scythes and connected their handles so they made the shape of S.
"Wait, you don't think to…"
At the next moment he threw the blades to the black obscenity and the thunder that came off it was enough to make me deaf even if I was covering my ears. For a moment I stop hearing anything. Yellow sick light came through my closed eyelids, the ground under my feet shook and I fell on my knees.
When I managed to get up Death was crossing through the disgusting sloppy plasma and removed with force the entire of the cage. I felt sick, dizzy, and the air was smelling of rotting flesh.
The sphere he took out from there by pushing was absolutely identical with the one hidden by the bars at the left side. I saw there were cracks and channels carved in it, it was over two meters large and he was trying to push it without letting it go in the wrong direction, step by step. At the end he reached the stone bed and let it fall in it.
Bright orange light filled the carved channels, slided through the symbols on the floor and the cage that was locking the second sphere came down and hid in the ground.
"One more" he said and was about to enter the open bars when the volcano sent another shot upon us. Death raised his hand over my head, most of the flames left fizzing marks on his gauntlet.
"T-thanks" I said shocked.
"I can't work like this!"
His voice was clearly irate; he raised his arms and removed the purple cloak armor from his shoulders. At this light even the dark purple part of it was looking red.
Death was wearing it not so often, usually his torso was unprotected, mostly containing shoulder protector and hardly the corset armor made of bones. I knew it wasn't just a cloth, pierced and worn out. This, like every other thing in his arsenal contained magic to protect him.
Just when I was about to ask why he removed it, Death threw it on my shoulders and it covered my entire head.
"What are you doing?" I got numb.
"I have no use for you as a charcoal. Cover yourself and stay out of my way."Death ordered and went to get the other sphere for its place.
"I…"
I was standing there and my jaw dropped. Death gave me his own armor to save me. It was unbelievable. And awkward. I had no idea how I should react to this.
"You are not fireproof. This protects me from the demon attacks. Just stay away till I finish this."
I was holding the edge of the already old wrap to keep it over my head. Fact that fire couldn't kill him now doesn't mean it couldn't hurt him. I felt guilty.
But the moment he put the cover on my shoulders I stopped feeling the heat. Air stopped burning my skin, and I couldn't even feel a sign of warmth from the sparks filling the air. How was it possible?
Till I was wondering about the effect of that thick but not a bit heavy cloak on my shoulders, Death pushed the next sphere to the other bed and a second flood of light ran on the floor and opened the main grid, like it was never there.
We slowly crossed the path to the statue that was standing there, holding its stone hands in front of it like it expected someone to place something there. It was an altar.
Death knew he couldn't reach it on his own here. He could cross the castle and open the doors, free the altar, but he could never finish the job without me.
"I wouldn't take you on this path if I had a choice" he told me. "I need you alive."
We stood together in front of those begging arms, half human, half demon, he got the needed ingredients and started whispering a song, it was an unknown language, I couldn't understand the words but I got a thrill listening.
First thing he left in the open arms of the statue was a natural crystal with dark blue color with asymmetrical shape. Storms over our heads were reflecting on its smooth surface. It didn't change before he placed the next thing – peel from the Tree of life. Stone started fading and turned to dust – grey. Those were followed by Stalker's bone, soul of a slanderer, locked in a glass bottle.
With every next ingredient his words became more and more focused, warlike, I realized I may not live to see the spell finished. That Reaper would finish me here and now. Or the spell would. At this moment I couldn't recognize that Death I always knew, he was gone, in his unreadable words I felt no compassion, no humanity. Energy started collecting around us, I could feel the pressure.
Little by little his tone calmed, Death stood and came on my right side, I was looking at him insecure. I had to do this, we came here just for that.
I took off the amulet I was wearing on my neck and placed it in the demon's arms. It was also dark blue, angled crystal with a frame of white metal forming skulls and sprouts of poisonous ivy. This amulet contained one single soul of a human. And I had to sacrifice it.
"A brother will fall by his brother's hand. One of the strongest spells, one of the unforgivable. To betray your own is a deadly sin."
I knew he wasn't talking about me now, but for the nephilim his souls he destroyed. Even though he did it to save his brother, that was hunting his conscience, tested thousands and thousands of times.
I reached and left the jewelry in the statue's arms. I couldn't wait for it to drop and I removed my arm. Afraid, guilty. I knew if there wasn't such a condition, he would sacrifice my own soul. I just knew it. The prize of keeping the balance was inhuman. I wouldn't be able to live with myself after that.
"You…" I decided to delay when he raised his scythe. "Are you sure that…"
"I am sure" he answered with a low voice, hissing.
"I just wanted to…"
He put his weapon down and sighed tired.
"We came here to finish the spell. We have to open the portal. I have to. This is what I do and you agreed to do it for me."
"I know. I just wish to think that… That some day my soul will find peace after that."
Death didn't answer. He made me step back and his both hands held the Harvester. He swung it and the statue was sliced in two, stone from it fell in his feet. Before I prepared myself a light came from it, so bright and blinding that it was hurting me physically, it was trying to remove life out of me. I thought that if not Death's purple cloak over my head, it would turn me into dust in that same moment.
Screams of agony filled the hot air, that grew heavy, like flying fire wasn't enough. Those two souls were sucked and swallowed from the light, second after that the wall behind the broken statue crumbled and started moving.
The portal! We opened the portal!
And at the next moment I realized the apocalypse we unleashed. Even before Death reached his scythe and told me to hide, from the opened wall came out hundred, thousands of demons. And keep coming. The hall starts getting tight for them.
Of course, opening a path to such force wouldn't grant you a peaceful trip. It would test your powers, till the very last spark of life within you.
I jumped back and tried to run to the stairs, buth the path from both sides was blocked by demons, every kind and size. I bring on my blade to defend myself. Death was so crowded with them that he couldn't help me, I had to do it on my own.
First demon that attacked me was a field lizard, small, it's black skin had a bubble-like texture, and it's teeth were long half human arm. I succeeded to open a wound on its neck wide enough to bleed to death, but the one coming after wasn't that small.
Human sized, unnatural large muscles, rotten grey flesh, solid skull and an axe in its hands. Demon screamed and tried to slay me.
I screamed in shock and rolled back, avoiding the blade that left a cut in the stone where my head was just a second ago. There was no point fighting, it's axe was triple like mine, I couldn't beat it. I just thought my time had come, when three of the field rushed my way and instead of me they attacked the grey demon. After all, it looked like it doesn't matter who they killed, they just had to kill anything.
This gave me some time to look to the left, where the scythe was moving without a rest, covering the floor with slayed demon corpses. But some of them were close, too close.
At the next moment ripping pain sent me on my knees, I felt long sharp claws digging into my back, deep enough to reach my ribs. Pain wouldn't let me scream, I didn't know where I was at that moment. Instinctively I grabbed the handle of my weapon and hit, like within a miracle the screaming beast was pushed away from me. Blood runned through the cuts in the purple cloa.
I was trying to take a breath, pain freed the adrenalin, I didn't know how, but I got some strength and attacked again. I could feel, more than I could see how my sword was hitting them, sometimes I succeeded, sometimes missed. I couldn't stop because I knew I would fall and die if I did.
Death was doing the same, my left side, surrounded by hellish of them attacked him from behind and tightened its claws around Death's neck. Death lost balance and the demon started digging into his torso with his black claws.
"Leave him… Alone!"
Demon kept attacking, others were getting close.
My ridiculously small weapon passed through the massive as a rock back of the monster, black blood spilled from the cut. At first it didn't even realize I was there, till my blade cut one of its twisted horns. The roar it made turning to me instead made me dizzy. It's a huge paw too, which swept me away, I fell on the hot stone floor.
And that was it. My head hit the floor, my back cut from the claws of the field demon left a blood trail. I could see the sky from the place I laid, the volcano kept spitting fire. And then I saw the depraved muzzle of the demon, the shining sick eyes, they started collecting around me and hid the light and the world from me.
A few more, just a few, he was so close to the portal, they were even stop coming. Harvester cut them one after another and that fed life to the nephilim.
Human weren't doing too bad either. She probably didn't realize but he got most of them to help her, to answer the attack wasn't something new for him.
Death swung the scythe again and cut four of the vermin at once, when something tightened around his neck and tried to kill him. One of the humanoids. Just when the beast pulled him back and he lost control, killing his inertia. Death hit one of the small ones, another one struck from left, stucking nails in his chest, Dust screamed somewhere over his head.
And then the tension decreased. Horseman was able to kill both of the demons and realized a human was laying on the floor and demons were circling around her.
Harvester turned three times its size and with last strength Death raised on his bone wings and wiped away whatever of them left. Then approached her, not much life left to that broken, fragile body.
Red eyes shone in the dark like alive flames, be he was seeking life this time, not death. He put away his scythe and bent over her, taking the mortal in her arms that started to get wet from her blood.
He carried her out to the stairs which were clean from demon corpses and left her on the warm stone. Her mouth was filled with blood, she couldn't speak clearly, but Death recognized words.
"I'm… I'm sorry."
"I can speed up the healing process" he started quietly "but internal organs are too damaged. I can't fix that."
He found understanding in the eyes of the weak human. She wasn't the first to look him in the eye while dying. He felt he owed her to return the gesture and didn't even blink, staring with his red gaze at her.
Then the body faded away and only the red light from the raining fire of the volcano kept flickering in the room without a ceiling.
Death rose heavy and his scythes clattered, hanging on his belt made of bones.
"You are forgiven."
Then he turned back in the direction of the open portal.
