Serpents's Heart

“In your arrogance you failed to see what was happening right in front of your eyes!”

The deep, gravelly voice belonged to a tall figure that started to approach us. The figure was humanoid, clad head to toe in spiked, obsidian armor, black as the void of space. A tattered cape fluttered about as it walked along, with a small urn hanging on its waist. The helmet of the creature was long, and spiked like a crown, with a slit near the middle of the face where two glowing eyes could be seen from beneath it, staring not at me, but almost through me, as if he can see something about me that I could otherwise not.

It stopped a few feet before us, and held out its right palm. The violet orb of light that emerged from Virginia flew to it, and hovered just above the palm. It moved his palm around and the orb danced about.

“Such a beautiful color,” it said after a moment. “This woman’s soul is indeed a beautiful one.”

I looked down at Virginia. “Her… soul?”

The creature nodded, grabbing the urn that hung from its side. The orb of light stretched and squashed, then was pulled into the opening. “I am the last remaining of the Exercitus Daemonum. I am Thamuz the Condemner, Harvester of Souls.”

“The strongest of the Exercitus Daemonum, it steals the souls of the Humans the group slaughters,” the Angel explained. “The souls it has contained in that urn will eventually be returned to Hell.”

“It is why I tend to follow Abduxuel when we are freed,” Thamuz continued. “Zagan and Penemuel both kill Humans, but it is small scale. They enjoy killing with poisons and torture, which can make the victim suffer and linger for days. I don’t get many souls in that fashion. Abduxuel, on the other hand will kill anything that moves for the sake of ending a life. Thanks to the unending fury that is provided, my urn fills quickly.”

Thamuz placed the urn back to its waist, and held its right arm out to the side. A swirling, dark energy wrapped around his arm and hand, coalescing into a long, sharp scythe, as black as the armor he wore. Slowly, he pointed the blade at my head.

“I was hoping once my brother was able to catch your scent, I would be able to also obtain your soul, but it seems like that will need to be done on my own,” it threatened.

The Angel recovered his sword and shield, and stood between the Demon and myself. “You will not touch him!”

Thamuz chuckled. “Try your best, but it will all be a wasted effort.”

The Angel held his blade into the air. “Lorem Spiritus Sanctus!”

The Angel, Erik, and I were enveloped in a bright light that overtook everything I could see, and just as quick as it appeared it faded, and we were standing somewhere else. The Angel had teleported us.

“I thought you said you couldn’t teleport us?!” I snapped at Erik. “If we had done this when we asked you to that night, Virginia would still be alive!”

I was furious at Erik. Tears ran down my face as I raised my right fist to strike him, when the Angel stopped it by grabbing my wrist.

“He was right when he told you that,” the Angel said. “He does not have enough power to teleport humans. If he would have tried, the chances of you surviving would have been slim. Being an Archangel, I have the power to do so.”

“I know you are angry,” Erik said, “and I hope you understand I didn’t intend this to happen.”

The Angel let go of my wrist and I dropped to my knees, wiping away my tears. “She’s gone…”

“She was brave until the very end,” the Angel said.

“You… you were the Angel who helped me when I was trapped by the Demon’s illusion… Who are you exactly? What do you know about her and me?” I asked.

“My name is Jolan,” he introduced. “I am an Archangel of the Celestial Army. I observe the game when it starts, and I take interest in the Humans that Erik guides. I normally do not interfere in the games… But I had decided to aid you.”

“Then why did you this time?” I demanded.

“In the time since the game started, the Exercitus Daemonum had never crossed paths with Erik and the Humans he has guided,” Jolan continued. “To run into all four is something unprecedented if you consider their Master’s goal. When Penemuel had you trapped within its illusion, I had assumed that you were going to die. Your friends struggled against the Demon’s grip to free you, but it was in vain. However, you did not fully succumb to the illusion.”

“How… did you know?” I asked.

“Your eyes,” he replied. “The eyes of the Demon’s victim become a milky white as they are drawn into the world of the illusion completely. Your eyes did not change… You still had the memories of the events that happened in reality, did you not?”

I nodded slowly. “I was trying to convince myself it was all a dream.”

“Yes,” Jolan agreed, “Penemuel knew you weren’t going to fully succumb, so he fought against your memories, making the illusionary world try hard to convince you it was all a nightmare. To not fully yield to the power of the Demon’s mighty illusion… is a feat that I’ve only seen Angels accomplish. Your willpower is exceptional, which is what I believe kept you from going under completely, however, you did not have the means to use it to break free.”

“Is that when you helped him?” Erik asked.

“Yes,” Jolan answered. “I prayed that my voiced reached him, and in the end we succeeded, and Penemuel was defeated.”

“If he hasn’t already resurrected,” I muttered.

“It is impossible for him to do so at this time,” Jolan advised.

“What do you mean?!” Erik said.

“The cycle of rebirth only triggers when all four have been slain. As long as Thamuz continues to live, the other three will not be revived,” Jolan explained. “That does not mean he will not pursue us. Death means nothing to it. Thamuz is the most powerful creature that dwells within the realm of Hell, with the exception of Lucifer himself. I don’t think you could completely fathom how strong that really is.”

I looked at my blade I still held in my hand. “Not that this would defend me if he were to attack…”

“Your courage is what will see you through,” Jolan advised. “Your courage will always be rewarded.”

Jolan walked up to me and grabbed the handle of my sword. He closed his eyes and muttered something… another incantation maybe? My sword started to glow and it transformed into a near copy of Jolan’s own sword. He turned his head, and noticed the satchel, emptied of its contents of spirit pearls, and muttered something else. A flash from inside the bag, and I realized it was full again.

“You have now an Arc Sword identical to mine, and an endless supply of spirit pearls,” he said. He smiled, and held out his shield. “Take with you this shield. May it help protect you against the evil you will face.”

He looked over to Erik and tossed him a small red jewel. “Attach this to your bow to strengthen your arrows. You should find now you can pierce armor as thick as Abduxuel’s or stronger. Between the two of you, I feel the ending to this game will be remarkably different. We must hurry!”

Barely able to grieve and I was being forced to move on. Virginia had died and her soul was in the possession of that creature. But she had defended me so I could live. So I could do what needed to be done. She knew many more were going to die if I did not succeed. “I vow to you Virginia, I will not let you die in vain!” I took a deep breath, and I nodded, but a question still remained. “Where did you actually take us?”

“You have arrived in the war torn nation of Russia.” An answer was given, but not by Jolan. Emerging from a spout of fire and smoke was the last remaining of the Archdemons, Thamuz. “Your Archangel friend here did his best to hide his trajectory, but it is of no use. Lucifer and we Archdemons feel the pulse of the Heart as if it were our own, regardless if it has been hushed by the effects of your Holy Water. I will always be able to sense its presence, and in time, I will always be able to track you down.”

“Then why have you waited for so long?” I asked. “In two thousand years you never show your face, and suddenly now you four want nothing more than to take back the ruby.”

Thamuz chuckled. “We were ordered to let the lesser rabble of our kind hunt you down. Maybe they would be lucky, though we knew they would not succeed. My Archdemon brothers and our Master had other priorities. Ask your little Angel friend. I’m sure he hasn’t even seen Lucifer, either. Not even where the earth opens to the portal of Hell. In truth, we needed you to send us back, or else we couldn’t complete our objectives. However, this time around, we were given the order to finally retrieve the Master’s Heart. The fact you’ve been able to kill three of my brothers is simply remarkable. Astounding, really.”

“No… this is a lie!” Erik yelled. “Did you know about any of this, Jolan?!”

Jolan shook his head. “No… not one of us.”

“‘Merely observers…’ isn’t that how the majority of you Angels have touted yourselves?” Thamuz said. “You didn’t care if the world righted itself, or if it was plunged into Apocalypse, so long as something happened. In your arrogance you failed to see what was happening right in front of your eyes!” The Demon held out its arm, and once again, the scythe formed in its hand. “I intend to claim his soul here.”

Jolan indicated his shield. “Protect yourself. Run far, you’re needed to fulfill your destiny elsewhere!” He looked to Erik. “Keep him safe!”

Erik and I nodded, and we took off running. I looked back to see Jolan and Thamuz charge one another. I turned away as I heard the clang of steel.

“You shall not escape me!” Thamuz called.

I’m not sure what possessed me to look back, but I regretted it quickly. The Angel and Demon had their weapons locked, but Thamuz managed to free his scythe. He held his left hand into the air, and the cape on his back transformed into a large pair of bat-like, leathery wings, and it took to the sky.

“You will not harm him!” Jolan called, taking to the air as well.

Thamuz quickly caught up with us, and he raised his scythe and was ready to dive upon Erik and I. Jolan, however, was just as quick. He reared back and brought down his sword with all his strength. Thamuz quickly turned and countered, blocking the sword with the long staff-like body of his scythe. The two remained locked for a moment until Thamuz used its momentum to send the Angel flying with a strong kick. Erik stopped briefly, and fired several arrows from his bow while the Demon was still distracted, each arrow hitting Thamuz in the back.

The Demon growled in contempt. “You should have kept running!”

Thamuz thrust its left arm into the air, and swirling energy formed in the palm in the shape of a large sphere. With a mighty roar, he threw it toward us. Erik readied another arrow, but it looked like it would hit. Jolan flew in like a flash of light, and with his sword, dissipated the evil energies.

“I thought I told you to run!” he yelled. “If you stay, you are going to die!”

Again Erik and I started to make our way through the country side, all the while, hearing the sounds of close combat directly above us. Jolan was doing everything in his power to keep the demon at bay. Whether or not he held back to keep it alive in order to stay the rebirth of the other three Archdemons was unknown. But a thought occurred…

“Thamuz is the most powerful creature that dwells within the realm of Hell, with the exception of Lucifer himself. I don’t think you could completely fathom how strong that really is.”

What if Jolan didn’t have the strength to actually kill Thamuz. Could this creature be as powerful as he said? A large explosion quickly derailed my train of thought. I looked up and saw a sphere of energy hit Jolan with incredible force, sending him to the ground. Thamuz laughed contentedly at his work, and landed behind Erik and I.

Quickly, Erik shot a few arrows from his bow, one after another, but all were knocked aside by the creature’s weapon. Jolan ran between Erik and I with a burst of speed, sword ready to slice. The Demon prepared himself, and a second duel began on the ground.

For such a large weapon, Thamuz was able to wield the scythe effortlessly, but for each swipe he took, it was expertly defended by the Archangel. Erik grabbed me by the arm, and pulled me around the two beings clashing, and we started off running. However, there was another obstacle. Not one of a supernatural nature, but human.

I had forgotten we were in Russia, which at the time was amid a bloody civil war. It seemed the fight between Thamuz and Jolan had caught their attention. Several large helicopters started to swoop in, perhaps thinking this was the enemy attacking. Erik and I quickly dived for shelter behind a nearby large rock as the guns from the copters started to rain shells.

This caught the attention of the Archdemon. “You filthy creatures! You dare to interfere?”

Thamuz leapt into the air, and with a mighty swing of its weapon, it tore into a heavily armed machine, dividing it into two before it exploded. Several shining orbs from the copter were swallowed up by the urn. Even amidst battle, the Demon still collected the souls from the innocents he slaughtered.

The other copters, upon seeing the destruction of the copter fled, and Thamuz turned his gaze back to me. I couldn’t move. I was terrified… such raw, destructive power. Ripping through layers of steel and machinery as if it were nothing.

“Surrender your life to me!” it cried. “Let us together usher in the era of the coming of my Master!”

Thamuz swooped down to strike Erik and I behind our cover. Instinct took over. I grabbed a large handful of spirit pearls, and quickly recited the incantation, and let them fly. Dozens of flash bombs went off, blinding the Demon, stopping him in his tracks. We took the lapse of the attack, and took off running again.

I wasn’t sure how much longer I could run… I was willing to keep running for however long it would take, however, I was exhausted. My body would give in far sooner. I didn’t know how much longer I had until that breaking point. I felt myself slowing down each time we resumed our dead sprint into the Russian countryside. I was sure Thamuz knew of my limitations, sure he’d just be happy enough for me to run myself to death quite literally and just take the spoils he had desired.

It wasn’t long after when I heard the struggle between the Demon and the Angel resume above me. I feared the longer this duel continued to drag on, the less likely a winner would be decided. A stalemate of good and evil. Not long after, I fell to my knees. My legs and feet were throbbing, and my chest was on fire. I had no choice but to stop. My body had reached the limit of which it could run.

“Get up and run!” Jolan cried.

“I… I cannot…” I panted, barely able to speak.

“You damn fool, get to your feet!” Jolan yelled.

“He’s only human, brother!” Erik cried. “He cannot do this forever!”

Jolan slowly nodded, realizing he and his kin are not bound by the limitations of exhaustion, hunger or thirst. “Then I am counting on you, my brother, to guide him. Remember Robert, your courage will always be rewarded!” He turned his gaze to the Archdemon. “Lorem Spiritus Sanctus!” A flash of light covered both the Demon and the Angel, and in a streak were carried away into the sky.

“I know you are tired, but we need to move,” Erik said. “Please, we are almost to ground zero!”

And so we started to move again. There was no sign of Jolan or Thamuz after the Angel teleported them away. I felt we were close to the maw. As we trudged on, the ruby in my pocket seemed to only get heavier. Erik said it had to be the amount of Demonic energies in the air.

The sun had started to set as he came into a wooded area. There was a thick miasma in the air, almost similar to what I remembered with Zagan, but it didn’t seem to affect me adversely. I remembered on the news report… They said there was some sort of thick fog that would cause death if exposed over a long time. Perhaps this was it… We had to be getting close.

The trees in this area were all dying or dead. The trunks and branches were almost ashen in color, and whatever leaves remained were wilted, dried, or sickly. I saw no wildlife, no water. Nothing but death existed there.

As we approached the end of the woods, Erik suddenly paused. “We… are no longer alone.”

From all directions poured a legion of Tempters. Too numerous to count, I could only guess at how many there were. It seemed to number in the thousands. They all surrounded us, howling and screeching in a choir of the damned, each of them twitching and brandishing their claws, waiting to strike. Emerging from the group was a single demon.

“You’ve made it much farther than anyone would have assumed you would,” it said.

That voice… I knew that voice…

“Farewell, Doctor Hunter. Should we meet again, perhaps there will be a bit more fun in it.”

“It’s you…” I snarled. “You’re the damned creature who placed this burden on me! It’s you who gave me this damn ruby!”

“You do remember me,” it chuckled. “To be fair, you were the one who touched the ruby. You could have stayed your curiosity, but we all know that would have gone against your nature, Doctor Hunter. As I said, you made a valiant effort in making it this far, however, this is where the line gets drawn, and your life is ended. There are ten thousand of us here, and more so than you could even imagine waiting. Even with your incredible luck of eking out a victory, with the sheer number of Demons each wanting to rip out your organs, you will fail.”

Erik took a step forward, and readied his bow, drawing a string into an arrow. “Regardless of your threats, in the end it will be Humanity’s victory. It will be Heaven’s victory. It will be God’s victory!” The gem that Jolan had gifted him began to pulsate and glow brightly. Energy surged into the arrow. “Robert, once I let this arrow go, you must chase after it. This will clear a path through the Demons, and allow you to escape.”

“What about you?!” I asked.

“There is no time for you to concern yourself with others!” he scolded. “This is a last gambit we have. We are in the endgame now, Robert, and all that matters now is getting the ruby into the pit. You remember what is riding upon our victory, yes?”

I nodded. “I do.”

“Then it is time for you to fulfill your destiny!” Erik cried, letting the arrow fire.

The arrow passed through the fake bishop, and instantly vaporized it. I chased after the arrow as it blazed through Demon after Demon. I looked back for a moment, and saw the mass of Demons enclose on Erik. I heard sounds of arrow fire, but it soon was drowned out by an orchestra of screeches and growls of the creatures.

The arrow vanished after it and I had exited the forest, and I came upon the maw. From it spewed black and violet energies, and it had a pressure to it. It was hard to breathe. It felt as if it was crushing me. I pulled the ruby out of my pocket, which now felt like it weighed as much as the Sun. I went to take a step forward, when I noticed a figure standing before the maw, its back facing me.

“So it has come to this,” it said.