I tried my best to stand tall, to look intimidating and prepared to fight. In truth I didn't know what I looked like to everyone else, but inside I had to force my legs not to shake and my stomach was churning so bad that I felt like I was going to throw up. The weight of Fulgur Virga in my hand was becoming to much to carry but that didn't stop me from raising it above my head ready to pounce.
"Well isn't this inviting! Look at you, ready to fight without an ounce of training. Bravo" Lucifer clapped. However each time his hands connected I felt my body grow weaker, like he was already beating me down.
"You've got to fight" Amelia grunted "he's strong when he senses fear"
"You're stronger than you think you are Noah. You dad is the all father for gods sake" Wulf chimed giving me his best and bravest smile, which is all I needed to leap forward and swing my sword at the devil.
I swing my sword over my shoulders and brought it down. It came into contact with another blade but as I looked up the devil hadn't moved, I followed the blade that was holding me back and saw Layla teary eyed.
"Please Noah" she pleaded
"What are you doing!" I screamed after breaking off the sword
"Just hear him out Noah. He won't kill you, he promised he wouldn't" Layla retorted
"What do you mean he promised you"
I ran back towards the devil, trying to swing my sword but whenever I tried Layla would block for him, Lucifer didn't even seemed gazed by the attacks, instead he simply smiled.
"In my dream. I spoke to him, he said that if I gave you to him, he wouldn't kill you and he'd let me see my brother again that I can hold him. He can bring him back to life" Layla cried
Suddenly a wave of water washed over me, moving past me and instead hitting Layla before deteriorating as it came into contact with the Lucifer.
"The devil doesn't bargain Layla!" I heard from behind me, I turned my head and saw Dillon with Codrin holding onto his shoulders. Dillon looked like he was feeling much better, his pale skin was back to its usual shade instead of its sickly colour. I felt almost relieved that he had shown up.
"But i don't lie either!" The devil finally spoke
"Explain yourself then Luci" Dillon spoke coldly, as if there was a hint of familiarity between the two, a relationship that wasn't just violence
"It's true, I could let dear Layla see Victor again. But make no mistake at no point did I say I could bring him back to life, I could let you speak with him for a few minutes at most"
"And what about me?" I shouted
"I need your essence, I can't assure your survival, but my aim isn't to kill you. What pleasure would I get from that" the devil asked, rolling his eyes as if it was the most pointless question in the universe
"You killed the others! You're just doing it for your own game. So that you have a fighting chance against the gods!" I spat
"You dare tell me what I'm doing! You have no idea why I'm doing this! Why I've spent centuries taking the essence from champions. You think of me as a madman with no aim? As a merciless demon who acts as judge jury and executioner?" Lucifer exclaimed, his hair slightly raising and flames beginning to form at the tips of each strand.
My throat became dry and I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"My goal is not one you would take lightly. Not one you'd believe, you think the gods are all kind and caring. Loving and generous. You have them mistaken for saints on your naive minds" he stepped forward, his heat becoming overwhelming. "I would've never committed such violent acts if they hadn't forced me to do so. I only tempted humanity. I never forced anyone to do anything, the gods saw to that"
"Then why are you killing now!" I managed to muster, using all my energy to stand upright. I noticed almost everyone else was forced to drop down to there knees, the only exceptions being me Dillon and Wulf.
"FOR LOVE! That is the age old reason for war! Every conflict in human history results in love one way or another! As the king of the underworld, leader of the dead I was forced into isolation! To loneliness!" The devil screamed "I finally found peace. Hope. A form of happiness that was stripped away from me when I was kicked out of heaven, in the garden of Eden. I met her"
The pain of realisation hit me "Eve" I whispered "you're true love but Lev-"
"Lev flaget swore to help, he granted me passage from hell to the garden without knowledge of the gods. I thank him for that. But he betrayed both me and his gods, he got desperate for attention. Claiming that even demons could find love. The gods laughed, so Lev brought them to me. And they stole her" the devil growled "hidden in a tomb buried in an Egyptian pyramid, but I don't have the strength to release her, since the gods built those precious relics it's impossible for me to get in there without immense power. So I need the essence of their champions, and I'm not afraid to start a war to get her back!"
His flames only heated up as the ground began to shake.
Suddenly everything stopped, when I looked towards the devil once more he seemed locked in a trance, small butterflies and birds made of pink sand were flying around his head, followed by a trail which lead back to Lev
"Go! I can only hold him for so long" he grunted through his teeth
"Lev what do you think your doing!" Dillon screamed reaching out to him but Codrin stopped him almost knowing he would try to get to him.
"Oh come on Dillon, you knew I overstated my welcome in the living world" Lev winked "we had some fun whilst I was here though didn't we"
Wulf ran to me and Layla, before assisting us in escaping. Amelia ran to help Codrin with Dillon who was too stunned to speak, move or even shout.
The tunnels put were pretty easy, almost a straight B-line to the exit, but as we left I could hear a blood curling scream. As I turned to look back at the golden sand temple it had been engulfed in a white flame. One so high it probably could've reached the heavens, but it was quickly covered by a blanket of water. Once again I turned to see Dillon with his arms outstretched, but something was different, the pupils in his eyes were gone leaving only white, aswell as a bright white line going down the side of his face coming from his eyes, one he stopped he quickly passed out but the white lines left a black scar. The temple itself look crystallised, a giant sparkly purple rock where the temple once stood.
"What the-"
"We need to regroup, and I need to speak to my mother" Amelia stated before dragging us away from the crystal "she'll have answers for us"
YOU ARE READING
The Mergence: Book 1
FantasyThe gods have always been around, each one from each mythology. They just chose their time. Some gods had children with those of another realm. And they live in the modern world, unknown to them the trouble they're in and the power they hold.
