"Are you really Lucifer?" Kante asked, "as in the archangel?"
"In the flesh. And you are the mysterious explorer Kante Avakin from Earth, yeah?"
"Avah, not Avakin. Where's this 'Avakin' idea coming to you guys from anyways" Kante retorted.
"Oh really? I must have made a mistake then, Kante Avah" Lucifer said in an almost sarcastic way.
Bonclyde and Lightning watched from where they knelt with one feet and bowed, as Kante kept questioning the archangel. They had fallen to the earth, after expressing their gratitude, and taken the position they were in now, which was customary in that world to accord respect to the Archangels, after discovering it was Lucifer who had saved them. They felt like strangling Kante for being so bold as to engage the archangel in a conversation even questioning him.
"Your friends don't seem to like it that you're conversing with me" Lucifer said, "They would prefer you join them in kneeling and bowing"
"Oh" Kante breathed, hiding his face in sadness.
"But you know what? I don't even know why they're doing that. I don't even like it. Yes we helped the people in this world but that doesn't mean we should be worshipped in this way. We are just another species like you all are, just a more powerful one" Lucifer added.
Bonclyde and Lightning were surprised by what Lucifer said. Lucifer let out a loud laugh, staring at the hilarious looks they wore on their faces as they stood back up, feeling foolish for bowing for so long.
Kante joined in the laughter and the duo soon joined in happily, they had never imagined they would ever have a laugh with an archangel or even make one laugh.
"What brings you guys on this dangerous path anyways, do you even know the path you thread?" Lucifer asked when the laughter had died down.
"The path of the damned" Bonclyde said in a gloomy, scary way, sending cold chills down Kante's spine. "We didn't realize it was this path, we didn't really have the time to check as we were being chased" she added.
"Well you'll need to get out of here real quick because as you've seen it's gotten even more dangerous now" Lucifer said.
"Yeah, what was that creature that attacked us? I don't think I've seen or heard of anything like it anywhere" said Lightning.
"It's a demon" shouted a voice from behind, as a feminine figure approached from the shadows, "monstrous and powerful creatures, probably from another dimension, that had only recently appeared in our world. They have caused a lot of havoc in olympus".
"Did she say Olympus? She's a goddess?" Bonclyde whispered, loud enough for the others around her to hear.
"Artemis! I'm surprised you're here" said Lucifer, as he saw the goddess approaching gracefully in her beautiful silk gown, a hooded cape hung on her shoulder, flowing down her back to her feet, as well as her quiver of arrows as she held her bow tightly.
"Another god was killed by a demon today, Apollo and I have decided to hunt and kill them all. I tracked one down here to kill it but it seems you beat me to it, Lord Lucifer" Artemis said.
"A true goddess of hunt indeed" Lucifer said, "The deaths are really saddening though. it's good you've taken up this hunt but be careful for the demons are really lethal ". "Forgive my manners, guys meet Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Artemis, meet Kante Bonclyde and Lightning" he added, pointing to each person as he introduced them.
"Are they that powerful? These demons, that they can kill gods?" Kante asked.
"Some of them are; depending on who they bond with" replied Lucifer, "You see, these demons are creatures from a dimension called the void; there they exist in their true form. When they leave that dimension they are not able to take on their true form so they bond with another being from the new dimension they enter, giving them the ability to take on the form of whoever they've bonded with or any other form they wish to take even the form of your worst fear, making them more powerful".
"Does that mean this demon you killed bonded with a child? Lord?" Lightning asked.
"Most likely, which may be why it was this weak" Lucifer answered.
"So you just killed a child?" Bonclyde asked.
Lucifer flushed as he turned his eyes to her, she shuddered with fear at the sight of his eyes and bowed her head.
"I saved your lives. It was the only way. The child was already lost" said Lucifer, a somewhat look of despair on his face. "If I knew how to break the bond between demon and host I could have done it but for now we're still trying to understand these beings"
"Well I must excuse myself from this lovely company now, I must continue with my hunt" Artemis broke into the short silence that ensued when Lucifer finished speaking.
"Ahh! Yes! I best take my leave too. Got other businesses to attend to. It's been nice chatting with mortals once again" Lucifer said as two large wings, which looked like gigantic eagle's wings, sparkling as white as snow, appeared on Lucifer's back as though they grew out from his body.
Artemis immediately took a bow and the others joined her as the archangel flapped his wings and launched into the air and out of sight like a rocket.
"Whoa! It really was the archangel" Kante said, looking shocked. The others simply ignored him as they got ready to move.
"Well the path ahead should be devoid of any demons but stay vigilant for there are other creatures that roam these paths. Follow the path and it'll lead you out of the forest" Artemis said and ran off into the woods, disappearing into the darkness.
"What a day!" Lightning exclaimed as she started walking ahead on the path. Bonclyde joined her and Kante followed behind, still in disbelief that he actually met an archangel.
The trio walked on until it became dark and they decided to rest by the side of the path and pass the night.
"What was that?" Lightning asked, trying to make out what the strange noises she was hearing could be, "Something's coming, can't you guys hear it?"
"I don't hear anything," Kante replied. "Neither do I," Bonclyde added.
They all got up and moved closer to each other, facing different directions, staring into the dark of the woods for any sign of movement.
"Did you hear that?" Lightning asked again at the sound of what sounded like snapping of tree branches.
"I heard that," Boncyde said, and Kante nodded in agreement.
"I can hear growling and can smell the stench of a foul beast," Lightning said.
"It's a Barghest," Bonclyde said, her voice a little shaky.
"How do you know that?" Lightning asked.
"Because I'm looking right at it" Boncyde replied, pointing at the beast approaching from the distance ahead. Lightning and Kante turned to see the gigantic wolf-like beast snarling at them.
It was a full grown Barghest, about 4ft tall when on four feet and twice that height when standing on its hind legs. It had 6 fingers on each foot with 6 long and sharp claws that could cut through almost anything and could cause a slow death with excruciating pain when it cut through your skin. It also had sharp fangs with a bite force that could crush your bones in one bite. It's ears were like those of a rat but were very long; it could hear your breath and heartbeat if it was close to you. It's back was covered with hairs like that of a porcupine that sting any unfortunate person who tries to mount it.
Before the trio would realize it, the Barghest launched an attack on them. In two sudden pounces it was coming right at them swiftly with its mouth open wide and it's paw swinging towards Kante's neck. Lightning quickly grabbed it by the neck and tossed it over them with her feet causing it to crash on the rough floor. In a split second the beast was back on its feet ready to strike again but Lightning beat it to that as she wasted no time in striking the beast another blow. Hitting it a couple of times from both sides at great speed she sent it rolling in the air and landing with a thud. Bonclyde rushed the beaten beast to finish it off with a weapon that projects a very sharp metal shaped like a harpoon on both ends when a button on it is pushed. She whipped and slashed and slashed the beast again and again before it could get back up until it stopped moving.
"I think it's dead, Percival," Lightning said to Bonclyde, who seemed to not notice that the beast was no longer moving.
"Oh right, just making sure… can't be too careful you know" replied Bonclyde.
"We have to get out of here quickly. Where there's one barghest…"
"More are sure to follow" Bonclyde cut in and finished Lightning's statement.
Just as they turned to leave, the barghest they left for dead rose up and launched another attack despite being beaten and injured. Kante was quick to notice the beast in the air as it was about pouncing on Lightning. He quickly dived towards the beast and grabbed it by the neck; climbing on it and forcing it to the ground before it could reach Lightning. Bonclyde and Lightning turned in shock to see Kante struggling on the barghest as it hit the ground. The razor sharp hairs on the barghest were erect and hardened and had pierced and lacerated Kante's skin like blades, leaving him in pains while bleeding. Lightning rushed to the barghest; grabbing it's head, she flipped and did a spin in the air, as Kante pressed down on its body, breaking its neck with a loud snap.
"Told ya, can't be too sure" Bonclyde said as she hurried toward Kante, to help him off the dead barghest's back. She let out a gasp in surprise as she watched Kante's wounds heal as swiftly as he had got them.
"How is this possible? What the hell are you?" Bonclyde asked, still stunned by what she saw. "Mages don't heal like this, even vampires don't heal this fast" she added.
Lightning was shocked too when she learned what happened to Kante's wounds. She was gathering her thoughts, looking for what to say but was interrupted by noises from the surrounding forest.
"More are coming!" She shouted, "and they are coming really fast".
"can you tell how many?" Bonclyde asked.
"Too many," Lightning replied.
"We can't outrun them now, it's too late. They'll be blocking the path ahead by now" Bonclyde said.
"Speak for yourself, I can always outrun anything," said Lightning.
Before she could say anything else Bonclyde brought out her grimoire and with it she casted a spell, chanting:
"Auxili Angusia
seek and hide
Beneath the light
to fade from sight."
She finished chanting the incantation and a bright light flashed, filling the area and almost blinding their eyes.
A pack of barghests approached where the trio stood just as their sight cleared out but unlike the harbinger they weren't attacking or threatening, making Kante surprised.
"Why aren't they attacking?" Kante asked, still shaken and frightened.
"They can't see, hear or smell us anymore" Bonclyde replied, "because of my spell".
"You had to wait till now to cast it, really?" Lightning said, a frustrated look on her face.
They watched the barghests as they whimpered around their dead fellow's body for a while before running off into the woods making loud noises.
The trio continued along the path after the pack had left, walking on until they could see the clearing at the end of the forest from a distance.
"It's suddenly getting cold here. Looks like it's really cold outside the forest" Kante said as they approached the end of their odyssey in the forest; taking deep breaths of relief.
"This cold is unusual in this area at this time of the year" Bonclyde said as they got closer to the clearing.
The closer they got the more chill they felt. By the time they got to the end of the forest, they were shivering. The leaves on trees at the end of the forest were frozen and the wind was smiting cold.
"What took you so long Kante" came a voice from behind one of the trees, "I was starting to think you wouldn't make it out. See that would have been a shame for I'll miss the opportunity to shred you to pieces".
Kante turned to the direction of the voice to see who was speaking. He saw a figure step out from behind one of the trees, walking toward him with what looked like an ice spear in his hand.
Kante's heart melted when he discovered who it was.
It was Andromeda.