Sand Walls

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When I was brought back to consciousness all I could feel was an insufferable itch covering my body.
My head shot up and my hands moved all around my body but once my eyes opened the itching stopped.
But I didn't open my eyes.
I only opened one.

My right hand immediately shot towards my right eye, I could feel the hole where my eye was meant to be, but then I remembered the old woman, the one who gave me the map.

"Noah! You're awake, what happened, one second you were here and the next you were passed out and missing an eye!" Wulf shouted, running over to me and crouching by my side

I didn't really reply instead I moved my right hand into my pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
On it there were five dots with a dashed line from them towards a big palace shaped building.

"He's there" I choked out, my voice sounding drained of any liquid
"Here have this. You need it" Wulf handed me a flask to drink, which I gulped down instantly.
"What happened to you?" Amelia asked, her voice sounding almost concerned instead of authoritative "I- I saw the devil... or at least a version of hi- her, an old woman gave me this map but- but-"
"But took your eye, the mark of Odin. A cruel joke by the devil. Although it is true he appears in many forms, are you ok?" Amelia asked

I didn't respond verbally, I didn't think I had the words, so instead I nodded and muttered "we've got to move"
The others seemed to protest me going anywhere but I pushed past them and began following the map
"I've got a god to kill"

There wasn't another word spoken for the rest of the walk. I followed the map precisely, somehow understanding the exact distance each dash meant, once I got the where the temple was meant to be the pictures faded on the map.
In there place, words formed.

angelus lapsus senex ego audientiam requiram cum

I spoke the words out loud and the sand from beneath my feet began to move, transitioning with the wind, engulfing my friends and I until the sand became solid walls around us.
Infront of us there were two doorways, one light by
torches and the other pitch black. As Wulf began walking towards the lit pathway I spoke
"Wait... I think we need to go that way" I pointed to the dark tunnel
"Are you crazy? Dark means no no. Nice and lovely torches indicate not certain doom" Lev chimed
"Then we split up" layla added "I'll go with Noah into the dark tunnel. You three follow the light, if it becomes too long to tell where you are turn back and we'll do the same. Hopefully we'll see you somewhere along the way"

"Not a bad idea daughter of the love and moon" Amelia smiled
"Then it's settled" I stated "let's move"

The tunnel was indeed pitch black, I couldn't see a single thing. The only way I was able to traverse through the tunnel was by sensing the path and using my hands along the walls, Layla on the other hand was walking through nonchalantly
"How can you see?" I asked
"One of the perks being the daughter of the moon god, night vision" she moved her hands in what I could only assume to be a jazz band motion but I couldn't make it out entirely.

"Must be nice" I muttered, to which Layla laughed but I quickly died out

"We're gonna beat him" I said, not sure if I was convincing Layla or myself "we have to" I reached my hand out towards her, wailing then around slightly. Layla's hand connected with mine first as she pulled me closer to her

"Thank you Noah" she whispered, I could feel her breath against my ear so I knew we were close. Her body was warm compared to the cold cave we were in.
"You don't have to thank me Layla. What we're doing is for the best. Lucifer needs to be stopped so all the Gods children can live right?" I smiled
"Right"

I turned to walk further down the tunnel but Layla didn't move.
"I'm sorry" Layla whispered again, her voice was quiet with a silent sob
"What is there to be sorry for?" I asked
"This" she mumbled and dragged me back, there was a sharp pain in my neck then a harsh smack on my head causing my vision to become blurry until I fell unconscious.

By the time I woke up I still couldn't see properly, my head felt fuzzy whenever it wasn't feeling pain, I glanced around, I knew I wasn't in the tunnel anymore, but instead I was in a spherical glass cafe which levitated off the ground, held up by nothing. To my right in a different cage was Lev, Amelia and Wulf all changed to the walls of there cage.
"Layla" I mumbled to myself, still coming out of my daze "where's Layla?"

"I'm right here Noah" the voice came from behind me, I turned and saw her, but she wouldn't look at me
"Layla wha-"
"I'm sorry, I had no choice" she glanced up at me for a split second before returning back to looking at her feet

"You did wonderfully my sweet girl" another voice said, one I hadn't heard before. It was deep and smooth, it sounded scary but at the same time homely.
There was no one else on the room but I could hear clapping, it was slow, each clap felt like it went though my body "you've brought me a new champion"

I looked back to where Layla was until I heard a tapping on the opposite side of my glass cage
"Hello Noah"
The man smiled at me with a smirk, his sharp teeth showing just enough so I could see his fangs hang down, he had a freshly shaven face with red pupils in his eyes, which was only slightly obstructed by his long messy hair. He waved his fingers at me from behind the glass and they were perfectly groomed and filed to the edge of his fingertips which were painted black.

"You look nervous" he smiled as he stepped around the cage "don't be, if you cooperate I won't have to kill you" as he turned his back I saw his tail swaying low just narrowly avoiding the ground

"Like I'll believe you" I spat both verbally and physically, aiming towards him but the glass got in the way

"If you should know one thing Noah, it's that I don't lie, now shall we move on" Lucifer chimed as the cage began spinning, from off of my body a glow began to shine and particles rose from my fingers. I latched at my neck as the air became thin
"It's easier if you don't struggle my boy" Lucifer warned.

"I'll- kill..you" I choked out before falling to my knees

"Stop fighting it, it's no use. I'd prefer not to Jill you my boy, you'd be a worthy adversary"

That didn't make sense, if the devil doesn't lie then why would he want me alive
"Why- are you doing this?" I managed to ask

"If you survive I'll tell you" Lucifer smirked again

My eye rolled to the back of my head and my breath became shallow, however I quickly had an idea and held my hand out, calling for fulgur virga.
I could sense it rising from the ground, then it moving at what I could only imagine god speed through the air, across the vast ocean before smashing through the glass and into my hand.

Releasing me from my cage.

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