I Am Orthrus

Chapter 12: Truth Be Told

It seems like we've been walking for ages. It's only been a few minutes and I'm already out of breath. I look over at Hades who was breathing just fine. As we walked around town I noticed everyone was out and about Underworld was busier than ever, but the strangest thing they could all breathe. The air feels so heavy it hurts. I haven't felt this much of a burning sensation in my lungs since the first time I ever came here. Now that I think about it even then it wasn't that bad. I'm not sure how long I can take this.
Hades finally noticed my panting.
"You okay kid?"
"Not really what's with the air all the sudden?"
"It's always like this kid, you just aren't used to breathing it in so long.Think of it like holding your breath underwater the more you do the less it hurts to do."
Exhausted and gasping for air I stopped for a second to catch my breath.
"How....hehheh...how long have I been here."
"Lucky for you I keep a stopwatch and monitor your trips."
"You monitor my trip?"
I muttered still exhausted.
"Of course I do I've watched everything you've done only difference is now that I gave you the mark the council wants updates paper work that sort of thing."
I was to disturbed to ask how he watches me and to tired to ask anything else so I just kept my mouth shut as I watched him dig through his bag.
"Lets see uh nope that's not it. That shouldn't be in there. Probably should put that in the vault and here it is."
He handed me a small 5 below quality red stopwatch I looked at the small little rectangular screen it read 43 hours. What the hell? The portals open in 5 hours? How is that even possible? I don't remember going to sleep it feels like I've only been here a few hours tops.
"I see that look on your face."
Hades said as if he knew what the hell he was talking about.
"What look?"
"So you finally figured it out? Man that was hard to keep a secret."
"Keep what a secret?"
Like that as if he were the mad titan wielding all six infintity gems snapped his fingers revealing reality.
We weren't in Underworld anymore everything was well green there were trees and grass and a moon with stars and everything.
Standing in front of me around a fire were 4 armed soldiers with a prisoner wearing a bag over their head.
"Guys he's awake...." One said.
"How that's impossible!" Whisper screamed a female voice.
"Somebody get him back under." Commanded another.
"Huh you guys under estimated him."
He continued being the first one to actually speak to me.
"Hey you fully there yet?"
"Not sure I know where here is to be honest."
I can barely talk I need air now.
"Hades ordered us to take you and her to the temple of the order located in the center of Old World."
"Why and who is she?"
"Orders, we don't ask questions."
"Okay answer mine then who's the girl with a bag over her head?"
They lifted the bag and my eyes widened a bit with confusion.
"A fallen angel who took something that didn't belong to her."
"Annabelle?"
After the e of her name left my mouth I felt as if I were taking my last breath.
I, I can't breathe. I can't let this be the end I have to find Ivan. I have to find out what he's heh planning. I need oxygen. No, I need magic.
I don't have my spellbook anymore I haven't needed it in years. I felt the world start to go black around me. Last effort.
I danced my fingers in the air and copy and pasted pieces of spells I already made.
"Aresa lssev liv brus"
I could barely see but I could barely make out what looked like red falling dust. I slammed my hand against mh mouth and for the first time in the last day and a half breathed.
Hades' elite guard all looked panicked as anything.
The on I was talking to before jogged over and slapped me in the face.
"You idiot are you trying to get us killed!"
I shoved him away from me.
"What! It was just a stitched up spell I couldn't breathe!"
"Now none us are going to be able to breathe in a second these things down here they crave only one thing!"
A jagged red spike pierced through his stomach as it was ripped out of him. Behind him stood an aligator bull demon.
"Magic, and we've been waiting for 10,000 years."
The female soldier ran over to her fallen friend.
"You 3 run! Protect the boy and the prisoner."
The 3 other guards grabbed Annabelle and through her over their shoulders. The girl then looked towards me.
"What the hell are you doing run!"
I looked back towards the rest of the group then back at the demon.
I pulled put the handle.
"Yeah sorry I don't run."
"Alright fine stay here and get killed just don't you dare turn on that fucking sword remember you caused this. My friend died because of you." She was blocked an oncoming blade.
Another person died because of me. Great someone put the days without killing counter back to zero. I put the handle back on my belt loop.
"Okay that looks lame as anything can I at least armor up?"
"Hah a carbon fire shirt and some steel gauntlets and pads? Go ahead not that it will do you any good."
"Lucky for me I only have the mask."
I reached into my....wait where's my mask?
So I shouted at the nice lady carrying the 45 pound buster sword.
"Where's my mask!"
"Hades wanted you to sit this one out so he took away your gear."
"So what am I supposed to do?" I shouted.
I turned my body to the left dodging an arrow.
She looked me in the eyes more time
"I told you run."
I looked right back at her swung my arm behind me and punched an oncoming demon in the tooth. He flew back and I was planning on picking up his sword but my hand was in so much pain I just ended up grabbing my wrist and cursing at the air. After that brief time out I bent down and grabbed the handle of the sword.
"And I told you, I don't run."
"You got heart kid but truth be told you need to work on your style you can't be both that awkward and that badass at the same time. It really makes it hard to see you as an asset in battle."
"Does this make me an "asset in battle"?"
I swung the sword decapitating the demon in front of me slid down. Sweep kicked the next on coming one threw the sword up and it lodged perfectly into his skull.
"Yes! Yes that does make you an asset where the hell was that 6 minutes ago?"
Right as she said that I tripped over the blade and fell on top of the one lying on the ground.
She sheathed her sword walked over and picked me up.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah sorry I'll work on it."
"Please do"
I looked around we were in the middle of the woods with about 30 bodies around us. Well 31 counting our guy. I walked over to him and checked his pulse.
"He's still breathing!"
She rushed over to him and immediately tried to fix him up. He weakly pushed his hand away.
"Don't waste the meds on me okay."
He gazed into her eyes and weakly smiled.
"In the past 7,000 years I've been sworn as a knight of Hades. I've fought in countless wars and I've watched as millions of lives were lost. Never once did we ever actually look back and say goodbye we had no ties. We never even took off their helmets to look them in the eyes. To watch them finally be at peace. Please take off my helmet and watch me drift into peace.
"Lee! Lee! No please....please."
She started tearing up.
"It's okay, it's okay I always wondered why you were the only one who's eyes could be seen over the helmet and now I know. The eyes are the windows to the soul and unlike the rest of us you still have a soul."
"I'm not the only one you have a soul don't talk like that!"
"What you see is not a soul but a man who has been touched by the goodness of others. I'm glad to have called you my friend."
She had broken down into tears now. There was nothing but sorrow in her eyes.
She lifted up his helmet and looked him in the eyes.
"Goodbye old friend."
He was incredibly pale with rock textured skin. His eyes were a pale faint blue with no pupil. He had the mark of Hades on his right cheek.
His eyes closed a few moments later.
I gave her a moment it was the least I could do.
"I don't blame you." She said teary eyed.
She took a deep breath and held back the tears.
"You don't know it yet and you won't for awhile but it won't be your fault. Lee spoke to me before we left. He told everyone else the usual mission briefing but he told me what he had been seeing. Many years ago Lee had a demon inside of him we all do but his was different. Most people who survive are alive because they have lesser demons. Lee had a demon lord capable of seeing all things before they happen."
"He could see things before they happen? What like uh like some sort of psychic?"
She laughed a little bit and gave a weak smile.
"Kind of but he couldn't really explain it to other people it would be random. He had no control over what he saw. He saw what would inevitably happen to whoever he saw. He told me he was going to die on this mission. I asked him if he had died in his last vision. He said no unfortunately that's what I have to change. I can't tell you anything else but all you need to know was he chose to die. He wanted to prevent something he saw that would have happened right now. So he walked in front of you. Knowing you would push him right where he would be stabbed."
I don't know what to say I'll try anyway I guess.
"Why did he see my future if he's never met me."
She looked over at him took a deep breath then spoke.
"You need to stab him."
Let me check to see if I heard her correctly.
"I'm sorry what?"
More tears shot from her eyes I said you need to stab him!"
Yeah I heard her right.
"I can't do that. You can't expect me to stab a guy after that heart felt goodbye between the two of you that should be your last memory of him not me stabbing him in the chest. Lets just go find the others and regroup a bit."
"He needs you to stab him that's why he died."
"I don't understand."
"Your not supposed to understand you are a child! Now stab him already, you think this is easy for me? I just want you to get it over with. He was like a father to me! I can't not fufill his wish."
"I don't do things without knowing why."
She took a long sigh.
"Your sword has the power to grow by drawing blood and slaying the spirit of those who wish to move on without their demon."
"Fine" I said slowly.
I popped open the blade and walked over to his corpse.
"You know I don't have any other weapons right?"
She wiped her eyes.
"You won't need it."
Lets just get this over with I guess.
I looked down at his lifeless body.
"Sorry about this."
I thrusted my sword into his chest.
Then I blacked out. Oh hell no that's what she meant!