Treachery : book 2 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Present time: Border of Nidavellir

Lucifer rode at the head of the army. Just as Satan had predicted, she had cut it very fine in arriving. The prince of Hell had been waiting for her and was not pleased to see her show up. Satan did find an excuse for a beating, the fact that Lucifer had shown up not in her battle armour was enough cause. After that he vanished. As far as Lucifer knew, he was no longer with the army.

The rain had fallen relentlessly all day. Lucifer's crimson battle armour was cold and heavy, not to mention the added weight hurt her battered and bruised body. Her chest and body plates were bulky and overly large to accommodate her wings. The back plate was also cleverly designed with two long slits that allowed her to unfurl her wings and take flight if necessary.

Lucifer shuddered from the cold and something more. Her black angel wings were the only reminder she had that she was still a divine and she had come within seconds of having them cut off. That vile trickster Loki would have to be punished for that but how? She needed a way of taking him out without giving any clue she was responsible. Still vengeance would have to wait. For now she had other problems. Satan had made his wishes perfectly clear. Lucifer was to lead this army and not stop the battle until the world of dwarves was destroyed right down to the Last child. He had left her with no options. Failure to do this would result in the removal of her wings and she could be just like Satan, with nothing but two ragged scars on his back.

The princess of Hell didn't really want to do this but she had no option. She had chosen a battle helmet that had two movable cheek pieces, when swung closed all that was exposed of her face was a narrow slit over her eyes to see out of. No one would recognise her. To add to the disguise, she had also mounted two large horns that jutted from the forehead. The choice of crimson armour would hopefully all add to the illusion that she was Satan.

Lucifer swung the cheek pieces closed, it was time to hide. She thought furiously on what was to be done, she had the strategy that Satan had given her and she had one of her own. The question was, which one she was brave enough to use. Hopefully Jason was already back in Asgard convincing Odin and the other gods to come to this battle. Even if they didn't bring an army, just having God's fighting on the dwarf's side would boost their defences greatly.

Behind the princess came the steady stomp of fifty thousand pairs of feet. The first twenty thousand or so were what Satan had dubbed the raider class. They weren't really soldier's just mercenaries at best. They were the damned souls of evil men and women which Satan had promised to set free from Hell as payment for serving in this fight. Naturally this drew all the worst and vilest into the ranks. They were murders, rapists, twisted and sadistic individuals that did not deserve a second chance to return to Midgard and unleash more suffering and misery.

Still. The prince of Hell was known for his double crossing. Most of the raiders would die in this battle and be returned to the pits of Hell. That was one of Satan's conditions, which they returned from Nidavellir alive. They were to be placed in the first wave of attack and soak up any loses inflicted by defences. They wore no armour to speak of, just ragged clothes. Their weapons were a simple array of knives, daggers and a few swords and axes. Even a fool could see that they were simply cannon fodder but still they marched. They would be no match for a heavily armoured dwarf. The primary objective for the raiders was simply to reach the wall and raise the ladders. Any that survived the defences could climb the ladders and then try and cause as much chaos as possible. After that the real hammer blow would fall.

Behind the raiders marched thirty thousand of hell's finest warriors. They were heavily armoured from head to toe. Their armour was a deep silver, black cloaks hung from their shoulders. They all carried broad oval shields that were painted black and bore a blood red inverted cross. Broad heavy swords were sheathed to their hips. This was the real fighting force, the plan was to simply send them all up the ladders and overwhelm the defenders.

Up ahead of Lucifer's advancing army was Satan's overkill tactic. A lone rider sat on a black stallion awaited them. His armour was thick and jet black, the cloak hung from his shoulders was of a material even blacker. The rider's helmet was shaped into the head of some vicious, snarling beast. It looked like nothing that Lucifer had ever seen before. It seemed to be a hideous cross between a bear and a wolf, two long tusks jutted from either side of the snout. The helmet was solid and completely encased the riders head. Lucifer couldn't even see his eyes.

This was the commander of the demon army sent down from Svartalfheim. Behind the rider, the grass sloped away down to another plain where an army of twenty thousand waited. They were all armed and armoured just like their commander. A sea of helmets shaped into vile and grotesque beasts, their swords were long and slightly curved, they seemed to be made of a red metal that faintly glowed in the rain. The demon commander gave Lucifer the barest of nods as she drew her horse to a stop. Ignorant git! Lucifer didn't even bother to return the gesture, she looked to the north, through the rain to where the mountain range began. Nid-gate, the entrance to the world of dwarves. Had Jason and Odin arrived yet? Were they organising the defenders right now?

With a heavy heart Lucifer began to ride on again, the demon commander rode at her side keeping pace with her. The tramp of fifty thousand pairs of feet began again as Hells army marched on. The demon army marched in a different direction and would be kept hidden from the sight of the main wall until it was needed.