Remnant Of The Gods

Chapter 37

The sounds coming from the two hellhounds almost drowned out the ringing in my ears as my eyes fluttered open. I took stock of the limbs that were still able to move, and was relieved to find that I hadn't broken anything.

A startled yelp sounded from across the cavern, springing my body into action as I was suddenly upright . There was no time to dwell on the mystery of my recovery as Cerberus' form hovered over a small bundle of shadows far from where I had awakened. Stepping into the water the glowing souls drew close but I had no time for their tricks as I rushed past them to reach the one who needed my help.

All three heads were working in unison as they drove Demetrious further into the ground and I pushed my legs faster to get to him before it was too late. Checking behind me as I ran through the shallow water the glowing souls seemed to have collected behind me as I sprinted faster than I had ever before. A great wave of glowing water followed me towards the fight and I prayed silently that Demetrious would make it.

Cerberus, oblivious to my actions on the other side of the cavern, picked up the helpless Demetrious in his jaws, throwing him like a ragdoll just a little further from where I approached. The sudden movement caused me to veer off towards the vulnerable hellhound but the wave that was following me continued on its path straight ahead, crashing into the three-headed form, toppling him over as he snarled at the glowing soldiers. Each of the souls now clambered for a hold on Cerberus as they slowed his movements, focusing his attention towards their antics while I approached Demetrious. It was at this point that the left head of the monstrous beast turned, its ears catching the sounds of my splashing as I travelled through the water and began alerting its other heads. By the time all three were facing me, I had reached Demetrious and stood in his defence as he had for me so many times over.

With a roar of fury Cerberus erupted from his mountain of souls and he barrelled towards us. With each stride, souls from the water tried to grab him and pin him back down while other fell off his back from the momentum. There were tendrils of souls that still clung to his coat that he took no notice of, as if they were pesky flies and I was sure they would be dealt with once this was over. Squaring my shoulders I glared at my three-headed foe whose eyes were now blazing with hatred and humiliation for the wave of soldiers that were still slowing him down. This creature was used to his minions bowing and going down quickly, his rage was fueled by defiance to his rule.

Three glows shot up from where his front paw rested in the water as I saw it rushing towards me with claws extended to form deadly talons. Closing my eyes I held my hands out to ward off the attack and waited for the blow but none came, instead when I opened them cautiously my body remained where it was with Cerberus' paw completing the swipe. Either I had dodged it or something else was happening.

I barely had time to process what had happened when another claw came within striking distance and my eyes closed once more and my hands raised, my body somehow avoiding the blow.

Shielding. A weak voice inside my head spoke lightly.

From the second failed strike Cerberus bellowed out a roar, this time in hurt as he recoiled from where I stood. All three heads screamed in unison as he fell, his feet in the air as he tumbled down with great lumps forming on the undersoles of his paws.

A soft nudging drew my attention as Demetrious had crawled in front of me, his body pressed into my shins. I knelt down protectively as we waited. His eyes watched Cerberus carefully with an expression of confusion to match my own.

Cerberus was not down for long however, as strangled sounds of fury and fear reached us from each of the heads yearning for our blood to spill. Once Cerberus was back on all fours, he charged straight at us as I grabbed onto Demetrious, somehow I knew I could protect him as I had for myself as we braced for what was to come. I saw the great three-headed dog charge at us. I saw him reach us and when he was about a metre away I saw him hit an almost invisible field around us. I could just make out the shapes of the soldiers lined themselves up to protect both Demetrious and I, slowing down the three-headed monster and giving us a chance to escape each blow.

I wanted us to move but Demetrious still couldn't lift himself beyond a crawl. His wounds were too severe and he had used what precious energy he had left to place himself in front of me. I silently cursed his protective nature and tried to think of a way to move him. Glancing down at Demetrious our eyes met as he transformed, the pain etched onto his human face.

"Go."

An echoing roar sounded at Demetrious' transformation but neither of us acknowledged it. The cavern around us began to shake as I slowly shook my head at him, I wouldn't abandon him. I couldn't. Not now. I heard the rumbling footsteps of Cerberus as he came closer as I crouched over Demetrious, the faint outlines of pain covered his face as he looked at me. A tear hit his face as we stared at each other and cascaded down his cheek but neither of us could look away. It was as if we were frozen, and as if nothing else mattered.

"Please," He said, the strained words could barely be heard and I knew I had to do something. His body was broken and he could barely breathe with the effort it took him to talk. I blinked through my tears of sadness and fury. "Alexis."

This time, at his request I nodded, and then quickly shook my head. My eyes blurred as I struggled to keep looking at him. Neither of us could leave here living or dead while this beast harassed us. The sight of Cerberus caught my attention, he was struggling to get past the lines of glowing soldiers to sink his fangs, claws, any body part he wished into us.

When I felt Demetrious slump it was like a switch had gone off in my body. The trembling cavern now shook vigorously as I stood, gusts of winds gushed past me and the water began to swell at my feet like a tornado. My hair lashed out around my head as if they were snakes, the very tips expanding with an electric current that flowed through my body, my skin raised as I felt a change occur. Every fibre of my being was focussed on my target. On that beast.

Cerberus' gaze caught on Demetrious who lay behind me, unmoving and all three heads grinned in triumph -until he realised that I was now coming for him.

"Let us pass," I said, my voice unrecognisable as it held the timbre of hundreds of other voices, echoing my words through the cavern, "Or die."

"Come and receive your death instead," He called from across the cavern. "Come and die like your pet traitor." he spat.

Slowly I rose from where I stood in the water, my body simply levitating as if it was the most natural thing in the world. My fury had manifested into something I couldn't even recognise as Cerberus refused to back down. I watched as the tornado around my feet grew, encompassing the lake around us and the soldiers within it. The tornado grew in width until it reached Cerberus, the souls of the dead pelting into him, forcing him backward. He was only given a few moments reprieve between each hit until a whip of air from around me caught him in the chest. He still didn't go down. I needed more.

The last few thumps of Demetrious' heart were so faint. There came a terrible pain as the ball of fury rose from my stomach up into my throat as I screamed.

The sound coming from my throat was piercing shockwave as it echoed in the enclosed cavern, it continued as rocks threatened to fall and Cerberus started to weaken. He still tried to battle his way towards me through the waves, the soldiers and the soundwaves, still intent on killing me. My screaming had not lessened the pain as I slowly fought the sound back into my body, reacting in an expansion of heat across my chest instead.

It was as if I was separated from my body as I worked within myself to let go of the intensity of sorrow and rage I felt. The heat instead spread further to the tips of my fingers as it erupted around me, silent and deadly as it ripped from my body and continued on its path to Cerberus.

Now battling the water, the soldiers, the air, the sounds and now continual waves of scorching heat the great beast began to fall under the pressure. The sounds of snapping bones and cries of pain reached my ears as I tried to reign in this terrible force, regretting everything now that the sounds of suffering came to me, forcing me back to reality.

"What is this!" a low voice rumbled from all around. "Stop this at once!"

The voice continued to yell from around me as a great weariness begun to spread through my body. there was no rage, no sorrow, nothing left to take. The sounds from the stranger blurred as my vision faded. The faces of all that I had loved passed beneath the blackness of my eyelids through Mary, Tony, Simon and Sandra.

And the last I couldn't help as it surrounded my vision. The glow of life fading from his eyes as he stared at me, each minute detail of his face etched into my memory, each moment I had with him, stored safely in my head.

"Demetrious."