The Warrior

Capture

The city was bustling at the edges as usual.  We found the nearest entrance to the waterways and went under the street before we could be seen.  Gemini had left Seerose in the sanctuary.  She was better off there.  I feared he was developing feelings for her, but I had the same feelings for Shawnee.  Perseus and Cepheus also stayed behind at the church to avoid more injuries to their bodies and souls.

Gemini led the way along the paved pathway beside the river of waste.  Bernie followed behind him, a bag around her back with the bible, a wooden cross and holy water from the pool Incendie died in.  Shawnee walked behind her, sullen from the smoke of the house fire but strong enough to continue in the battle.  I was last, constantly looking over my shoulder to see if we were being followed.  I had a feeling that we were.

Shawnee and Bernie let out a quiet scream as one of the furry, red-eyed animals scurried past us.  There was the continuous sound of water dripping.  None of us knew where we were going, but Gemini had the strongest feeling.  He had been tricked into believing his brother had lived, and in turn was furious.

He stopped at a wall that ended the paved pathway.  "They are beyond this wall.  I can sense them in my veins."

Bernie crossed herself like the people would before entering Mass.  "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

"The Lord's Prayer?" Shawnee asked.

"I said it the night Lucifer appeared in my bathroom, and I will do it now, sister."

"Amen," I added.

"Back up a little," Gemini stated.  "This wall is coming down."

We took a few paces back as Gemini used his orange beams of light to bring the wall to bits and boulders.  Torches lined the walls past where the parapet had stood.  Bones and horns were floating in the water.  We followed the passageway to the end, but to a whole new beginning.

Bernie stopped halfway down the pavement.  "I sense a great evil is coming from the burrows of the netherworld, and to us.  Maybe there is a scripture I can recite and…"

I looked over my shoulder and saw what was coming for us.  The malicious black cloud.  Gemini turned around and flew straight for it, never emerging.  Bernie slipped and fell into the waterway, but never resurfaced.  It was only Shawnee and myself left.  I picked her up and flew full-speed down the underground passageway.

"We're not going to be able to run forever!" she said.  "There has to be some way to stop it!"

"Even its air is pure evil," I replied.  "No one is strong enough to stop the Devil!"

"Except something pure."

She rolled out of my grip and into the water.  I stopped mid-air and looked on in horror as the events took place.  The cloud consumed her, but inside the cloud I could see a small light resurfacing from the darkness.  The cloud was pulled into it, but when everything was gone, Shawnee was too.

I felt something wrap around my foot.  It was a chain.  One more went around my other foot.  Two more coiled across my wrists and drew blood.  At the end of the chains were two men, wearing dark robes with hoods that were pulled over their heads.  Their eyes were glowing red with hatred.  They were with the Devil.

"Well, well, well," one of them said.  "It looks like we just caught ourselves the one gargoyle getting in the way of the plans."

"Gemini, are you not?" the other one asked me, leaning in closer.  I could not say anything, for nothing would come out of my mouth.  "He is not talking.  Tighten the chains."

"Wait!" I said, just as the chains on my wrists became more constricting.  "I am not Gemini.  Your cloud of evil has already claimed him."

"Ah, then you must be Orion," the first man said.  "The sun rises in six hours and you thought you could get away with murder?  Belial was the one keeping the Disciples together.  Without him, we are simply demons without a cause.  Your horns will have a new home, on my head."

"We are not killing him yet, Apollyon," the second man said.  "Lucifer would want him back in one piece for the ceremony."

"Of course.  Knock him out so I don't have to listen to his moaning."

"Gladly."