Kingdom of the Red Rose

Episode 4 of 62

Purgatory is an enormous desert with soft golden sand and countless dunes of all shapes and sizes that quickly shift around and change locations on a daily basis depending on the wind. It's easy to get lost in Purgatory as the landscape is never the same two days in a row because of the regular sandstorms. The heat is always unbearable, and it can be dangerous for anyone who wanders around Purgatory unprepared.

Because of the unusual circumstances of this particular mission, the souls were held at the temporary base until the Grim Reapers collected them all. Then the Council of Twelve would pass out orders to escort the souls to their new destination. Everything was going according to plan and according to the Council's information, not a single soul was lost to the Demons.

Griffin had a couple of close encounters, but the Angels always intervened in time and allowed him to collect the soul and escape. Griffin had dropped the soul he was carrying with the rest of them and was about to rush back into the mortal world when Lance crossed into Purgatory with the unconscious and badly wounded body of Dafne in his arms.

"Mana, I need mana here," Lance flew towards the medics' tent.

"Lance, what happened?" Griffin helped Lance place Dafne's body on an empty table.

"Some God damned Demons figured out we used her and Nicolas to slow down time and attacked her from behind while she was releasing mana."

"Wait, wait, they attacked her while she was responsible for slowing down time? That means ..." Griffin looked around and suddenly dozens of Angels appeared into Purgatory, all severely injured.

"The train crushed some of them," Lance grabbed a cup filled with what appeared to be water and tried to pour some down Dafne's throat.

"Who will swap with Nicolas now?" Griffin asked in an elevated voice.

"Don't worry. The Council of Twelve said we've collected most of the souls. They're all accounted for except one. Everyone's searching for it and They hope we will find it before--"

"They hope?" Griffin screamed, forgetting his rank, "I'm going back to help search for the soul."

Lance grabbed Griffin's bony arm and pulled him back. "Every Grim Reaper still able to move and wield their Soul-Chain is out there searching for the soul. The Council instructed everyone who has already crossed over to stay here and tend to the wounded."

"Obviously not all able Grim Reapers are out there searching," Griffin pulled his arm free and faded out of Purgatory and into the mortal world.

"Stubborn kid, he never follows orders." Lance pulled out his scroll and a pen appeared in his hands out of thin air.

'Your newest member has disobeyed me and the Council's orders. He crossed into the mortal world to search for the missing soul.'

The ink was absorbed into the scroll and it turned blank. A minute later Lance's bow vibrated and emitted a burst of green colour. He had a reply from the receiver of his message.

'Got it, I'll keep an eye out for him.

Please don't report his behaviour to the Council. They can't be sure where he was when They issued the order unless you tell Them.

I will have a long talk with Griffin when the mission is over.

Thanks for contacting me first, Lance.'

Lance crumpled the scroll and growled as he finished reading it. "I'll never understand why everyone keeps covering for him. He probably turned out this way because of it," he thought. Lance took a couple of deep breaths, releasing anger and regaining his composure before replying to the message.