Revelations part 2

chapter 45

"There! Over there!" Alois cried out, arm extended and finger pointing at the large structure that slowly materialized through the thick, hazy air. Tossing his head back, he grinned widely up into Ciel's face, the humid wind whipping his blond bangs back with the rest of his hair. "Woah, it's flipping huge!" He exclaimed.

Large white wings flapped continuously, keeping them high above the treacherous ground and its inhabitants. They soared through the sky for what had seemed like forever now, the bright burning sun never setting, never giving reprieve from the intense heat that scorched the land. It weighed heavily upon the angel, sapping his strength and making it even harder for him to push forward and stay aloft. Yet, Ciel ignored the extra strain and kept going, the sight of the castle a welcomed relief after having seen nothing, but death for a while now.

Their trip through the lands of Hell had been an educational and disturbing one for both of them. While following the path of the deep and ragged canyon which Sebastian had instructed them to do, Ciel and Alois been witness to a variety of beings and violent acts that left them shuddering and praying that they hopefully would not end up here one day. This was most definitely a place where the only the worst of the damned should spend their immortal souls.

Strange looking beasts roamed about the terrain, snarling and fighting over any little scrap of substance they could sniff out. Zombie-like being crawled across the scorched ground, pulling themselves along and moaning pitifully, their empty black eyes looking skyward for help. However, their search never lasted very long as one of the demons or other minions usually found them quickly. Once that happened, their suffering only got worse and that was when the real horror began.

It took a little while for it to sink in, but after seeing the third or fourth dead-thing being either decapitated or torn to shreds, Ciel finally realized what they were watching; damned souls. The undead things had been actual people at one point and by some off chance or misdeed while on Earth had ended up here in the bowels of Hell for eternity. They would suffer here, being clawed at and eaten away by the demons; never dying. No rest for the wicked.

Instead, after being torn apart and having their essence consumed, the souls would slowly regenerate back to their original forms. Ready to slither across the thirsty dirt of Satan's domain, looking for a way out only to be attacked and have the entire process repeated over and over again. It was a horrific way to spend eternity and Ciel said a quiet prayer as they passed over, feeling pity for each and every one of them.

Now, as they approached their destination, anxiety began to form in the pit of the angel's stomach. The castle was massive! It sat high on top of a huge mountain and made of what looked to be the same material as the rest of this decrepit world. Circular spires reached towards the sky while the rest of the architecture boasted sharply slanting roofs and crosswalks. At the entrance of the surrounding brick wall stood an intimidating armored sentinel, patiently waiting for any demon dense enough to try and request an audience with the Lord of Darkness.

Sebastian had filled Ciel in on the protocol in Hell which required every demon who sought to speak with Lucifer to win a series of battles through the tunnel at the base of the mountain. Those who managed to survive then would face the last guard, the armored beast who stood watch at the tall iron gate. Apparently only a handful ever made it to the throne room and even then the Dark Lord could chose not to see them. It was a cruel end to such an arduous journey, yet, so was everything else in this God forsaken land.