?Hound’s Duty?
⚡️Volume 2: The Badlands⚡️
?Written by Crownway Amef?
⚡️Episode 35⚡️
Violet woke up amidst bodies of damned souls that would be herald to Tartarus. She took a long exhale as she came back to life.
She saw Hades waiting for her already and she went on her knees.
“Give me one last chance my lord, give me a new body so I can serve you for long” she said.
Hades swayed his long flowing robe and fire sparkles out of it. Prancing up and down in frustration he said— “You can’t do anything to serve me Violet! You was defeated countless times on earth and down here, I see no reason to put my hopes in you any longer” he said to her.
Violet hurried to her knees with both of her palm placed on the hot ground,groveling and pleading, she asks for another chance which hades was not willing to give to her.
“You’ve been a loyal subject for ages… you should stay here with me forever.” Hades said and stretched his finger to her.
Violet’s skin and loving essence starts to leave her body and back into hades hand. She turned into a very old woman at first then the fire caught her body and she wailed in pain.
“I call on all the demons of hell. Protect your homes and get me those miniatures!” He ordered.
The walls moved and the ground shook to his callings.
~~~~~~ Ciara arrived at the cave of Tartarus and she could sense the most darkest aura from afar. Even some demons of hell are too scared to enter Tartarus. It houses the most cruelest and dangerous demons of hell. Where damned souls of those who sold their life to Hades lives.
She put her book on a raised rock and prepares her protection seal. Her magic can’t work on demons that lives in Tartarus, she’s not to fight but to defend herself and disappear.
She shut her eyes and started chanting the spells, blue lights emerged from her right hand and red light from her left hand. It formed a crescent shaped each and joined on the top of her head, it then descends fully on her and it sealed on her body.
She threw her magic book in air and casted a spell to make it disappear.
After that, she enters the cave.
She could hear the noises as well but it was different to the scream she heard earlier. It surprised her how deserted Tartarus is because of what she had read in books about the place.
Then she saw red glowing eyes from afar and scattered lavas on the floor that gives light to that part of the cave.
She quickly hid herself before the demons could sight her.
Now she knows where all the demons are! She wonders what they are fighting over and then her eyes caught Haliah pinned to the wall with hell branches and a glowing ball in her hands.
Her plan was to escape them quietly and go look for Haliah but she didn’t expect to find her with the demons of Tartarus.
“Violet is crazy for doing this to her own child!” She muttered.
She breathes carefully and reduces her footfalls as she moved from one place to another hiding behind raised rocks.
When she was very close to where Haliah and the demons are, she stopped and chants a spell from there.
She burned down the hell branches choking Haliah and she fell on the ground coughing so much but she didn’t let go of the orb. If they are fighting over it, then it just be so important.
They didn’t even notice her falling.
Ciara whispered to her to come over to her. She was surprised to see Ciara and didn’t know if she could be trusted.
She thought maybe she was defeated and got sent to hell to suffer but then she said again;
“Erik and the rest are here for you, we can’t waste more time”
Hearing that her friends came to hell for her gladdens her heart and tears welled up in her eyes.
She crawled amidst the fighting demons with her bruised body.
Ciara helped her back against the wall when she was out of reach. She examined her bloody body and bruised face and felt for her.
“I’m so sorry you had to wait for long” she said to her.
“Okay wait I don’t understand why you are helping me or what you’re doing here!” Haliah said.
“Save your strength, they will soon be here” Ciara said to her. They can still feel slight feelings of when they were enemies so it’s kinda hard for them to be friends out of nowhere.
“Hold on… I think I know what Erik came for” Haliah said and brings out the orb from her dress.
“What’s this? I can’t seem to recognize it” Ciara said.
“Erik should! I pray he gets here soon” she said with a smile.
“You have good friends Haliah, that’s rare to come by. If only I had friends when I was going through my darkest phase as well” she said with her voice trailing off.
Haliah understood the meaning of the word ‘Friends’ differently now; she can feel the deep meaning attached to it and it got her so emotional.
“I don’t know what happened when I was gone but I’m glad you are now different” she said.
Ciara only smiled. She then stretch her hands forward to her.
“What’s that for?” Haliah asked.
“I have something you need currently, you’re still weak and injured… I can feel it” Ciara said.
“So?” Haliah questioned.
Just then the noises stopped and was replaced with unified roar. They have found out about Haliah missing and they are in rage to get her.
“You ask too much questions” Ciara nods her head then grabbed Haliah’s hands herself and transferred the protection seal to her body.
“What’s this? I feel so light and… sound” Haliah said examining herself and how her wounds are starting to close up.
“I’m glad it works for you. It’s the first time I’ve summoned it in years so…” she said.
“Why did you give it to me? I don’t think we are friends to have made this sacrifice for me.” Haliah challenged.
“This is not for you to accept me, hell no! If I can’t be your friend, I’m at least friends with Anthony and the rest and they are your friends! Let’s just leave it that way” Ciara said.
Feeling her strength back, Haliah was surprised if what Ciara actually gave her was just a protection seal.
“I won’t let you die on me… I promise” Haliah said.
Even if they are not close, the promise of safety meant a lot to Ciara, she’s the second person that promised to keep her safe after Anthony.
“We should get out of here then” Ciara said grabbing her hands and they run out of their hiding place.
They were sighted by the raging demons and they followed with loud growls.
While running, snaky hands would try to catch Haliah but the protection seal fights it off and its hold on her becomes slippery.
It then went after Ciara, after slapping her with the snaky hand, it wrapped around her leg and tripped her off her feet,
“No!” Haliah screamed and stopped.
“You should go! Don’t worry about me” Ciara yelled.
Haliah cried out and continued running when Ciara was dragged away in the dark and more demons came into view.
She was almost near the exit of the cave and then the orb in her hand started glowing brighter than before. She stopped in her tracks panting heavily.
She looked back and saw the demons coming for her but didn’t move.
She used her ocular eyes to zoom the area into smaller view and she was so delighted to see Erik and the rest standing just outside and about to enter.
She wanted to go out and hug everyone but she could not leave Ciara back in that dangerous place where she almost died twice! She mustered all her strength to fling the orb out of the cave then she turned around to face the demons.
OUTSIDE
Falcon lead them to the entrance of Tartarus but he could not enter.
“Why did you stop?” Erik asked.
“I wouldn’t interfere in your destiny if I could get it myself, it has been tampered by an evil demon” he said.
“What do you mean tampered?” Erik asked.
“I was able to hide it in there because I was a powerful being of hell then but the moment I dropped it, I’ve lost every connection to it. You should get it for me before hades gets his hand on it” Falcon said to Erik and explained to the rest.
Just then, a bright orb rolled out of the cave and they gasped in fear, ready to fight wh@ťěver that was coming after it.
But when they saw no one, Erik picked it up for them to see.
“That is it! My will!” Falcon said with joy.
“What? This ball?” He asked surprised.
Erik was somehow drawn to the orb and when he was staring at it, a light came out of it blinding everyone from its view except for Erik as it envelopes his body.
After a while, it dropped him down and entered Falcon.
Kira, Anthony and Jeff rushed to unconscious Erik to wake him up.
He opened his eyes and groaned in pain, he felt so different and the blue essence in him became so brighter than before.
“Thank you Erik, for saving my wills. You are free now, you’ve fulfilled your destiny” he said to him.
“That’s it?” He smiled and hug Falcon who has grown more bigger and sturdier.
“Wow” Jeff exclaimed.
“Your blue essence has taken over the spot that houses Falcon” Anthony said and Falcon replied with a head nod.
“We should go get your girls” Falcon said.
“Girls?” Jeff asked confused.
“I thought it’s only Haliah that should be in there?!” Anthony questioned.
“I can sense the witch too” Falcon said to Erik who sprang to his feet at once.
“No… Ciara is in there as well” Erik said.
Without wasting time, they shifted into their forms again and entered the cave of Tartarus with Falcon but then the entrance crumbled and rocks blocked the entrance.