Demon's Oath (chapter 4)

Chapter 4: The Loyal Traitor

It all happened so fast. Just as soon as I had gotten the information I needed, Bree was kidnapped, and practically every Angel in Asgard was charging at me.

No. I had learned too much and gotten too far. I wasn’t going to die here, I had to save Bree and defeat Loki. I shook my head to break myself free of the dazed state of thought I was in. I was thinking too far ahead, how could I do all that if I died here? I had to find a way out.

I looked down at Excalibur and remembered that I had an angelic weapon now, but I knew that it couldn’t stand up to this many Diviners. So, with no more options left, I turned around and ran.

They weren’t far behind, and they would soon be upon me. I headed straight into a large house to try and lose them. The children inside screamed at me.

“Shut up,” I said to them. “They’ll find me!”

“Who are you, mister?” a little girl asked.

“I’m a friend of Bree’s,” I replied.

“Oh! You mean you’re Isher!” she exclaimed.

“You know who I am?”

“Yeah. Bree’s been talking about you! I think she likes you even though she tells us she doesn’t. I can tell when she’s lying because she-”

“Sorry, kid,” I interrupted. “I don’t have time for this. Do you know where the magic circle is?”

“Sure, it’s back there!” she pointed at a door.

Talk about good luck, I was already in the building with the magic circle. I nodded thanks and went back behind the door. There it was, the magic circle right in the middle of the floor. Bree had already set it to Utgard, so I stepped on.

I light surrounded me, and I was consumed by a strange tingling sensation. In an instant, I had been transported to a wide open plain in Riviera, and not too far away was Hel’s Gate. I was home.

I walked forward a little ways and sat down on the ground. I needed to get my head straight from the sudden events that had just happened.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to rest. The magic circle glowed and revealed three Grim Angels, two with their Diviners drawn, and one with a staff. As soon as the first two stepped off, the third one struck the magic circle with her staff, destroying it.

“What the hell are you doing!” they shouted.

Instead of answering them, she struck them both down with her weapon. Stepping over their lifeless bodies, she approached me.

She bared a very striking resemblance to Bree, only with darker eyes and big, fluffy, wings. Her attire was made of a long, feathery dress with two more feathers covering her chest. She stopped in front of me, so I gripped Excalibur.

She chuckled, “Don’t worry, demon. I’m not going to hurt you.”

She offered me her hand, which I cautiously accepted and rose to my feet.

“My name’s Dana, an arch angel, if you couldn’t tell by my wings,” she continued.

“I’m…my name is-”

“Isher,” Dana cut me off. “I’ve heard of you from my sister.”

“Bree’s your sister?” I asked.

“Yes, but that’s not important right now. You are a demon who plans to kill Loki, no?” she questioned.

“Why did you kill those Grim Angels?”

“Once again, that isn’t relevant at the moment. I want…no, I will come with you to kill Loki,” she said.

“Why do you want to do that?” I asked.

She paused for a while. Carefully thinking of an answer.

“Well…they do have my sister,” she replied. “Why are you asking so many questions? Don’t you want help to stop all this fighting?”

Help would be nice, so I nodded my head in approval. I felt a little uncomfortable with an angel I hardly knew following so close behind me. She must have noticed this because she picked up the paced and passed me.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“To Utgard,” she said. “That’s where Loki is, right?”

“Yes,” I answered. “But you can’t just walk in. You’re an angel, and that’s where we all live. Demons, I mean.”

“Then what do we do?”

I sat down again and started to draw a map of Utgard in the ground, “Well, Utgard is mostly underground, as you can tell. We always keep the prisoners in a room just beneath the surface.”

I stood up, thinking that she must know where I was going with this.

“So you want me to bust my sister out from the surface while you go in and kill Loki, right?” Dana said.

I nodded.

“Well, I’m afraid that won’t work for me. You see, I want to kill Loki.”

“How will you get through Utgard unnoticed?” I questioned.

“I’ll find a way. Besides, I’m obviously the most qualified to fight him. I am an Angel after all,”

“Fine,” I said. “Good luck.”

She walked away toward Hel’s Gate as I shook my head. What was she thinking? There was no way she’d get through there alive. No matter, I had to get Bree out.

The prison cells were directly under a big, rotten tree. The only rotten tree to be seen for miles, as a matter of fact, so I knew exactly where to go. Once I was over the cells, I started to strike relentlessly at the ground.

Chopping. Hacking. Slashing.

I put more force into it as the ground was cut deeper and deeper. Finally, it started to tremble under it’s weak support and caved in. I fell through the earth and landed on a hard cement surface.

I was in the dark, gloomy room with Bree staring at me from the other side. I had undoubtedly startled her by crashing through the ceiling. She was in chains, and didn’t look to be in good shape.

“Bree!” I ran over to her. “Are you okay?”

Her arms were chained up over her head, and she had some bruises. It looked as though her wings had been beaten to the point beyond being able to fly. This was bad, for the hole I fell through was to high up to climb out of.

“Gods, Bree, what have they done to you?”

“They didn’t even ask me...any questions...” her voice was quiet.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to get you out,” I comforted her, cutting the chains with my sword so her arms could be free.

Then she looked up and managed a smile, “You came for me.”

I didn’t even know what she was doing until it happened. She leaned forward and our lips connected. It was a wonderful feeling, holding each other in our arms. It was my first kiss...

I was so caught up in it, that I didn’t even notice the demons who had marched into the cell.

“Loki thought you’d come for her,” one of them said in an unpleasant tone.

I noticed Isaac standing with them, his magic book was drawn. He didn’t look happy to see me alive. In fact, it looked as though he intended to kill me.

“Isaac?” I stammered. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Save it,” he spat back. “Loki has told us everything. You’re just a traitor.”

This made me angry, “Now wait a minute, Isaac. You must understand that I am completely loyal to Utgard! My actions are in the best interest of every demon here!”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “You’re just making excuses to save your own hide!”

“No, listen-” I tried to explain everything, but he stopped me by chanting a spell. Ice shot up all around us, but Excalibur made quick work of it.

I stepped in front of Isaac and raised my weapon, “I wish I had time to explain, but I don’t. I hope it doesn't come to this, but if I must, I will strike down every demon here in order to get Bree out, and that includes you.”

To Be Continued...