I Am Orthrus

Chapter 11: Going Under

A demon that could rip the world in half. Not sure I'm ready for this fight especially without armor. Orthrus' power was slowly depleting. I've still been stabbed through the heart. Almost all of his strength was going towards making sure I had the organs of a demon. I grunted in pain and I pressed my hand against my chest. I have to end this quick. I twisted my blade and pointed it towards him.
I uttered a small bit of false confidence so he couldn't tell just how hurt I was.
"Come on then! Show me what you got!"
I coughed up a small bit of blood.
Ivan's mouth formed a smile that grew cheek to cheek as he realized.
"Your vounded, zis should be cake. Dushmok attack!"
He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the ground.
I had to do a double take it was a stuffed penguin. It didn't do anything it was a beanie baby the kind you could get from the department store. It was about 4 inches tall and it had black little plastic eyes. Probably the only thing that could hurt.
"Duskmok go von you're embrassing me."
Ivan just stared at this thing terrified he actually believes it's dangerous if that's his only weapon then this shouldn't be as bad as I thought.
"Vine! Duskmoke I vill do it myself but ve are having a long talk vhen ve get home."
Ivan drew a dagger and came rushing at me I side stepped to the left to avoid further damage then I felt a small pinch in my lower thigh. I don't feel so good. The world is spinning my head is pounding. All I hear is ringing. It doesn't matter I've got to do this I swung my sword at him but the blade just went right through. Okay I never thought I would say this out loud but I think that needle made me loopy.
"Zhat is Duioco Venom it causes it's victims to lose zheir sense of reality it can do vhatever it is ze mind needs to distract itself. I'm surprised you are not hallucinating. Usually you vouldn't even be remotely aware of vhat is actually happening. Just relax is zhat such a bad thing? Just relax......
My eyes started to shut I felt my body begin to slump. There has got to be a way to stop this. Think Kain think, don't go to sleep just think it through. How do you get out of this? I looked down. I was standing bearfoot in short green grass. I shook my head around for a bit. Nope,nope,ah nope. I can't trust my eyes. A cool breeze washed over my face. No! No! I was just sweating my ass off I out ran a  fucking human demon hybrid thing. How is everything changing so fast. Is my very reality that easily changed? It's almost like magic. Magic? Magic? Magic! That's it I can use my powers to get me out of this! My reserve is near empty I don't have enough for that spell. Orthrus' is keeping me alive I'm pretty sure I should keep him on that task. Well it's a last ditch effort but I don't really have a choice.
I shouted with what was left of my lungs.
"Hades! I need the power to beat him."
I heard a little voice in my head.
"Kid really you need an advance?"
Yes! I had enough magic left to at least talk to Hades.
"Yeah I'm in a pretty bad spot right now."
"I can give you more magic but this is your only freebee you hear me? Every other time you have to pay the price for it got it?"
"Seriously thanks! Also what's the price?"
"Depends on the person different people react differently to having their reserves charged."
"Well this one's free right?"
"Yes this one's free but the first time is a bit intense."
"Okay deal."
With that my my eyes swung open. Red lightning crackled around me my veins were glowing neon green. Until eventually I just burst. A red wave of power errupted everywhere around me. Then like a man who had just been shot in the spine by a rifle. I felt like I had just been shot in the spine with a rifle. I cracked my neck and picked my sword back up.
"Vhat impossible! Ze Venom in it's purest form vorks on all humans!"
The eyes of my mask ignited red instead of it's usual orange.
"Haven't you figured it out yet?"
He fell to the ground and crawled backwards staring at me in awe.
"I'm not human"
I concentrated my power into my hand and it spread into the sword. It radiated with a burning power waiting to be unleashed. I let it wait just a little longer before slicing the blade mid air. Why would I do that? Now it's never going to hit him stupid instincts. The blade cut open a bloody red cut of energy that flew straight towards him. Wow that was awesome. The cut went straight through him by all means it was a clean hit. Blood started to drip a little out of his neck.
"You made me bleed." He stared up at me then his eyes drifted back to the penguin.
"Dushmok I am very sorry my old friend ve vill go back to ze lab and figure zhis out." He put the penguin back in his pocket and darted towards a near by mist.
"Your not going anywhere!" I tossed out a piece of parchment and firey chains came rushing towards him.
"I don't have time for zhis!"
He smashed a vile filled with a toxic green mist and disapperared. I coughed from the smoke it burned my lungs as if it were acid. Probably because it is. Why doesn't this stupid mask have a respirator? When the smoke cleared he was gone. Since my powers are fully charged and I have my main one back I was finally able to get a good look at him.
His name is Ivan Van Crumpet he was wearing a leather lab coat with goggles around his neck. His hair was black with a single streak of white in it. Still on hair it was a shaggy sort of 2009 punk band look but still relatively short. He's about 5'10 with a slender boney like build. His eyes were a soft brown but highly irritated as if they hadn't blinked in years. Don't let the slender frame fool you his flesh is as tough as it gets I put all I had into that swing technique wise and he walked away with a little scratch. To bad I wasn't conscious during the duration of that stupid venom. What the hell was that? Everything I saw felt so real it almost felt like me trying to see reality was fake. Well no use thinking about it now back to the burning question at hand. Sure it might seem like he was just trying to run away but the way he aimed it. That spell is easy to cast because the parchment does the work it's pretty much invincible as long as I keep my eyes on it. So how did he know to blind me so the vile gas would eat away the paper? He wasn't trying to avoid the chains he knew exactly how to get rid of them. I need to know more before I plan my next move. For now I guess it's back to Hades. Well guess I'll take the shortcut. I stuck out my arm and went to grab the symbol. The light was dull. Great stuck in here until nightfall. I never got that I can go at anytime but I have to leave before sunset or I'm stuck here for the day. Well sorry mom guess I can't do the dishes before you get home I'm sort of trapped in Underworld. How far from the castle? I looked up and squinted wow it's actually pretty close that's weird you would think you were within the walls. Just got to fly up here and I should be near the walls of the city. I got up and climbed over and I was standing in GT Square the center of the city. Weird why the hell would they section off that little bit of the place? I walked over to the castle. I waved.
"Hades!"
He was taking a quick power nap leaned up against his throne. His eyes snapped open from my call.
"Huh! What? Who dare enter the kingdom of.....oh hey kid why you still here? Portals close in 78 seconds."
"No portals closed 78 seconds ago I'm stuck here til nightfall."
"Oh well make yourself comfortable I guess one day out there takes alot longer than in here."
"How much longer?" I asked very concerned might I add.
"Times tricky here say about every one day here equals say about 2 days on Earth."
"2 days I have an Italian Quiz on Monday!"
"I mean I could teach you some Italian while you're here then quiz you on it "
"Not helping!"
"Alright fine yeesh kid look all your missing is Monopoly with your mom and that Dakota chick trying to flirt with you."
"Wait Dakota's trying to flirt with me? Hah! Good one Hades that joke ha really cheered me up. Huhhh...Dakota trying to flirt with me thats fricken hilarious."
Hades rolled his eyes.
"Yeah real funny."
"So Hades the reason why I needed the advance...."
"Ivan Van Crumpet"
He finished my sentence wait he knows Ivan. Wait, he watches me every second of the day like the creepy stalker he is.
"Yeah he seemed to know about hell chains you said only 18 people besides me know about that spell."
"17, only 17 people know about that spell. We haven't had 18 users of hell chain since......"
His eyes widened he gripped the arms of his throne tightly.
"Fuck,  he's returned."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa who's back who's returned?"
"I don't know his name it's been forgotten with time but there was a demon able to use hell chain. He was able to possess his host super young and developed into a powerful warrior. Until his host turned his back on him and the evil and hatred grew within the demon. He stopped fighting to protect his host and began poisoning and corrupting his mind. Until one day the host actually killed him. Listen to me stay away from Ivan I'm sending my full guard with you. You are to act as a guide to them. You will not engage Ivan. Do you hear me kid? You will not fight Ivan!" Ghostly arms shook me by the shoulders on that last part.

"You're sending us where?"
"There is more to Underworld than you know. There's a whole other level under us."
"There's an Underunderworld?"