?Hound’s Duty?
⚡️Volume 2: The Badlands⚡️
?Written by Crownway Amef?
⚡️Episode 31⚡️
Haliah’s eyes searched the dead abode she has found herself in as she follows her mother steadily and unrushed.
Every bone her legs crushed on the way spans weight on her heart. She glanced everywhere on the ground to see dry skulls and bones scattered everywhere and it was affecting her in a way she couldn’t understand.
To take her mind off the visible torture for a while, she strikes up a conversation with her mother.
“Mother? How did you end up in this place with me?” she asked.
Violet halted in her tracks and turned gently to glance at her before returning her focus to the road once again.
“ Been expecting this question for a long time from you, why are you asking now?” she questioned.
Haliah hesitated for a while trying to find an excuse “Erm… Just curious, since it appears we might not see each other again. I want to know “ she answered.
“Well as you already know how you came to this life. The abomination that should have never happened in the first place. We were abandoned Haliah, they were ready to put US to death but Hades saw in us what they could not see!” she said.
She spun around swiftly pressing down on both of her shoulders with a tight grip “He saw potential in you most especially but you let him down?! How could you?” her voice trailing off sadly.
Haliah tried hard not to let the tears in her eyes drop but they came strolling down freely against her wish.
“I’m sorry if you feel betrayed mother, I’m sorry for not being able to appreciate you for keeping you alive and I’m so sorry for not turning out the way you want… The way he wants! But I don’t regret any of this mother.
I didn’t strike up this conversation to change my mind or anything” she said drying her tears with her hand.
“Okay then, continue being stubborn. I hope you hold out till whenever in your new home “ she said with a known grin and then pointed an ugly-looking cave to her.
The aura surrounding it is dark and those living there sure won’t betray the look of the cave.
“What is in there mother?” Her heartbeat started racing heavily against the wall of her chest and she asked.
“Not what my dear, WHO?!” she replied.
“So who?” she asked.
“That is the home of demons! Your fellow breeds and they have been expecting you for so long. I wonder how they would feel after realizing you came to their abode with nothing to brag about.” Violet said and pushed her inside the cave.
The dark cave swallowed her up the moment her feet touched the damp floor the outside.
Inside, screams filled everywhere, not that of pain or suffering. Screams of joy accompanied by cheers.
A demon with a snake head appeared to her first scaring her to the brim. It licked up her right cheek with its long split tongue leaving a sticky liquid on her face.
She scrunched up her face in disgust and clenched her fist in anger.
“No! She’s not like us! She rejected us!” the demon announced as if he was talking to a crowd and indeed the crowd showed up.
Red eyes start to emerge from the dark and hundreds of demons arrived at the open scene all with their weapons.
“The only reason she can be here must be to be punished,” a demon said and the rest let out angry growls.
She got slit in the arm as a demon passed swiftly past her. She cried out because of the sharp pain that $h00t into her system.
In here, her wound won’t close up like before and the air inside is suffocating unlike the first part of hell she found herself.
They started torturing her with toxic and deadly weapons. Everywhere she turns to for retreat always pushed her back to the demons. It’s as if the walls can move on their own.
Soon, she was pushed to the wall and a demon wrapped its long snaky arms around her, at the same time choking her neck.
Her eyes reddened as she struggles to breathe. She tried to summon any ounce of her power to fight back but she couldn’t find any.
She was tortured till she lost consciousness.
Haliah’s wounded body was dragged to the deepest and darkest part of the cave which the demons were also scared to enter.
They dropped her and wasted no time in leaving as well.
Even in her sleep, she could smell another definition of death in the air.
She forced her eyes wide open to stay conscious and she crawled her way to a corner. At least her demonic vision is still working.
She made out a tiny hole and squeezed herself inside to remain hidden but there seems to be something disallowing her to enter fully.
The deadly air was becoming thick and she haven’t kept herself hidden well.
She shook her head to stay awake as she was getting dizzy again. She then saw a hot glowing orb far inside the hole.
She touched it but she got scalded.
“Arh” she winced in pain.
She repudiate the pain with her survival instinct and carried the orb again not minding her palm getting burnt.
She covered her mouth and let out a muffled scream.
The orb reduced in size in her palm and she entered the hole out of view from the deadly monster lurking around.
LOCATION: EARTH
Around 4 am, Susan woke up from a scary dream sweating and panting heavily.
She heaved a sigh of relief when she looked out of her window and saw that she was alive after all.
She saw the trees outside the mansion swaying gently with the faint sunrise light on them.
She removed the duvet from her body and went to open the windows.
Cold air streams inside and brushes against her face.
It felt good and tasted fresh in her lungs. She let out a deep exhale after and said to the trees “You all must be lonely out there… Just like her.”
Flashes of her dream came back to her and she wore a sad look.
She hurriedly went to the bathroom and a few minutes later, she was fully dressed with the sling of her backpack on her shoulder.
Outside, she saw Erik discussing with the Professor and Flora.
“You are not going alone Erik!” she said.
Before Erik could say a word, Kira, Jeff, and the gifted arrived at the sitting room to join them.
“Did you guys plan this or what?” he asked.
“There is no way you’re making such a decision alone!” Jeff said.
“If it’s your fate to retrieve Falcon’s will hell then this must be the reason for our meeting. Allow us to help you” Kira said.
“And we’ve also concluded,” Tammy said.
Erik turned to look at the gifted.
“Ciara and Anthony must go with you at least. If you don’t want us to go… You can trust them not to be a burden in your mission” Jessie added.
“We are on your side mate,” Anthony said and Ciara added with a head nod.
“Alright… Thanks, guys” Erik said with a faint smile.
“Then we take the Alladin jet,” Flora said.
“Uh, do you guys get to land at the airports well? I don’t understand” Jake, one of the gifted questioned.
“No, we don’t. The jet is more advanced and superior to any man-made flying device. Its existence can’t be known to them.” Flora answered.
“Then off we go,” Erik said.
“Wait kids” Professor Lin said walking to them with an egg.
“Is this for us to eat? How many hours is the journey?” Jeff asked.
“You all can’t share one egg, Jeff. This is for me to know when things go south” he said.
“How?” Ciara asked.
“Keep it safe no matter what but if things are to go south, break the egg on the wall of hades,” He said.
Hearing this from the professor, their heart sank to the lowest bottom and fear gripped them.
No one was ready to take the egg from him but Susan stepped forward to receive it.
“I promise you we won’t have to break the egg,” She said.
“I’ll be here waiting for you all,” he said to them.
The gifted did a group hug before allowing them to leave.
Professor Lin waved to them and went to his computer.
Streaks of blue light emerge from his eyes and he remained on that seat without moving or blinking. He seems to be connecting somewhere than just the computer in front of him.