Chereads / Hallowed Demons: The Rise of Broken Heroes / Chapter 10 - Chapter X: Hell-knight

Chapter 10 - Chapter X: Hell-knight

After the unpleasant incidents, Alister and Arielle got finally ran away as they escaped from the bad hands. They went into the polar region of the far north in the place surrounded with a lot of pine trees filled with snow on its branches. They followed Luther, Hermes, and Peebles' tracks after they flee from the bad hands so they could make a regroup.

"We're lost aren't we?" Arielle said.

"No, I'm still following their scents." replied Alister.

"What if we're following them while they got lost? So, we're gonna get lost too! You know, I think we should go back and seek some help from Khael." Arielle said to him frustratedly.

Suddenly, there's an ugly creature who attacked them. Had a pale, hairless, dry and scaly skin. A face full of scars, it was a ghoul. Once upon a time they were just a normal human beings but then there was a demon who cursed them that turned into this horrible creature, and because of that, they became the part of the undead army scattered around some part of the GreatLand.

The hungry ghoul attacked Alister with its sharp claws but he evaded it with his vampiric speed and then he beheaded it with his barehand using his vampiric claws and strength as he was carried away by his anger and frustrations after the incident earlier. Arielle got petrified for a moment as she watched him the way he murdered the creature like an animal although it was mindless and cursed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for me getting cruel, I just wanted to protect you from it.. I'm just, I don't know what to do right now." Alister explained.

Arielle felt a bit safer after seeing what he did knowing that this is bad for her of experiencing the intimate feeling of love. She was fascinated by Alister's personality despite of having a half demon blood running through his veins.

"This mess! I don't know what I'm going to do about it... Dante was gone, he was a good friend to me. I followed him because I know he was good of doing the right thing. But know he's gone out there and I couldn't do something about it!" Alister cried while he was throwing his punches to the oak tree in front of him.

"Alright, stop. Alister stop!" Arielle said to him and gave him a comforting hug to ease him.

"I feel you, I'm here. I'm still here. We can do this together." Arielle said.

"Tell me, what am I gonna do?" he asked.

"Alright, uhmnm... We're going to rescue Dante from the Alliance's hands. I'm quite sure they're going to execute him soon. But first, we have to find Peebles and Luther." Arielle answered.

All her life, for how many years of encountering demons she knew, a murderers and such a cold hearted creatures. Alister was an exception to them. The way he care for his allies, it amazed her. They followed their tracks until they reached a small kingdom called the Glacier Arc. When they stepped inside, they saw the people living in there were not a usual people they saw in the Alliance.

"Travelers, What are your reasons how'd you get in here?" an old man with a long beard greeted them as they entered the town, a lonely town. Arielle sensed something unusual as she saw this old man was only wearing a peasant's clothes and bare footed walking in the middle of a cold snowy ground.

"How'd you do that?" Arielle asked the old man.

"I'm sorry to scare you, but it's kinda long story. Let take you first to a shelter." the old man said.

The old man lead them into the inn where some travelers who passed the town took their rest for a while.

Arielle and Alister entered inside. The creak of the front door in the inn filled up with loneliness as they opened it and entered the place. Alister rang the bell on the front desk to call the attention of the landlord so they can check in.

"Two rooms please." Alister said.

"Are you two having a fight?" said the landlord.

"What? no, no, it's not what you think. We're not couple." Alister answered.

"Ok, alright then, uhmnm... You go upstairs, there are rooms in there with a flag sign. You choose. One gold bar for each room." said the landlord.

When they got upstairs, the scents of their friends was getting stronger as Alister passed onto the first room. Alister took Arielle to her room and after that, he went back to the first room where he felt the scent.

He knocked on the door but nobody opened it and he tried it again, louder. Because of that, Hermes got woke up from his sleep.

"Who is it?" Hermes said.

"Hey, it's me Alister." he replied.

"Shit, shit, shit! Hey you two. Wake up. The bloody vampire's here." Hermes whispered to Peebles and Luther.

The two woke up as adrenaline rushed to them in a sudden. After the incident, these three decided to run away and abandoned them, afraid to in the trouble they have been with the Alliance. The scary part they have felt right now was that they don't have a place to go in case the demons go after them because the Alliance Empire was the only place in GreatLand where you are safe from the demons.

"Go away mate, please. We don't want any trouble anymore." Luther said.

Alister violently opened the door as he kicked it with his vampiric strength and rage.

"What did you say? You know from the start that we're already the moment you joined us in this quest! So what the fuck are you afraid of. We're between the wars now. Are you going to hide from them forever? You're a coward! That's why you didn't save your family because you're scared to death!" Alister said.

"Watch your words mate! You don't know me!" Luther replied to him, got pissed off by Alister's words.

Luther shape shifted into a stone giant like Peebles and grabbed Alister and he cut off his necklace. Alister used his vampiric strength to get away from being hold up by him. Luther changed back into his human form and then he shot Alister with his gun loaded with six silver bullets in it. Alister got knocked down on the floor as he suffered from an enormous pain from the silver bullet that pierced into his skin burning it as he shouted in agony. Arielle went out into her room when she heard them fighting. She stopped them from killing each other.

"Hey! Will you stop killing each other?! We're in the middle of crisis right now! Can you continue that when all of this was over? Alister don't get up! Stay right there or I'll kill you myself! And you Luther! How dare you abandoned your friends like that?" Arielle angrily said to them.

Luther left downstairs to get some air while poor Peebles was scolded by Arielle in there alone.

"Fuck! I'm the coward? pfft... They don't know me. They don't know me! My lovely Celia." Luther screamed frustratedly as he kicked some empty flower pots on the side alley of the inn outside.

Hermes and Peebles resumed their sleep after the childish fight of his friends like there's nothing happened. Inside Arielle's room, she was busy there treating Alister's gunshot wound.

"Does it hurt?" Arielle said.

"What? the needle and stitches, the silver bullet or being abandoned by your friend?" Alister replied.

"Come on? You can tell me." Arielle said again but not specifically meaned anything of what Alister said.

"I can't feel the needle and stitches unless it's a silver. The silver bullet.. of course it hurts. It hurts physically. You know what hurts us more than physically? It's emotionally, when you feel like left alone once again. Though I'm a demon now but believe me, I can still feel the conscience and emotional pain. I was once a human but the difference between that wasn't that far. For how many years, I betrayed my own people for my purpose. Because I chose my path to do what's right. I miss my kingdom. A happy faces of my people back in the days." Alister explained. "If I get up and continue to fight Luther a moment ago, are really going to kill me?" he added.

"I don't know." Arielle answered. "I think you should go and apologize to him first, you know, he's also hurt, we didn't listened to his side."

Alister left the room and went down to talk to Luther. He found him sitting on the bar table where people used to sat and drink. Luther was drinking whiskey on there as Alister approached and sat with him.

"Hey mate, Look... from what I said recently, I'm sorry." Alister sincerely apologized.

"Do you ever feel like you want to die because of losing the most important persons in your life? That night, I watched my wife got eaten by Hades' pet. My kids drowning in the middle of the sea and my crew. I couldn't do anything because I'm so weak that time. How I become right now, it's because of that. All my life I hunted that fucking sea beast! But now I just realized that, that maybe I should just live and enjoy the rest of my life while I'm still breathing. Hermes was right about telling me that I need to let go of my past and make a sense to my present. You want to call me a coward for abandoning you? You don't know me!" Luther arrogantly said to Alister.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean that. We're all just scared and frustrated." Alister said. "I didn't came here to have a fight with you, I just want to say sorry. You are my friend, if you don't want to join us in this dangerous quest, I get that, you are free to go. Live your life my friend. I just want you to accept my apology."

Peebles and Hermes were clapping to them making their moment so dramatically awkward after their each other's speeches. Luther offered them a drink to get away from the cringe and he gave the guardian necklace back to Alister so he can join them in a drink.

"Whiskey please?" Luther uttered.

The landlord handed them a bottle of whiskey and he sat with them.

"Hey old man, can you tell us about why this town was so lonely?" Hermes asked to the landlord.

"I don't think you would believe me if I tell our history of how we ended up like this. Nineteen years ago, the Alliance stopped sending their protection to us for some reason. Our forces were getting out number and some of our people were got killed by some demonic creatures out there. Fortunately, our grand wizard named Diana found an alternative. She made a deal with someone who grant her power by being possessed by the spirit of the winter. Grand wizard shared some of her power to us that's why we can take the coldness of this place. Any demon who stepped in this town died by her power. In exchange for the power that she made a deal with, she has to take good care of the girl named Selena. This girl is a full of mystery, we never heard any news of her since the deal. She hasn't come out in that mansion out there." the landlord said.

A sudden deafening silence hits Alister's ears after hearing the landlord's story as it made him shocked realizing that the one who can give a deal like that seems so familiar to him. He immediately ran upstairs and get Arielle.

"Hey Arielle? Arielle! Come on. We need to get out of here as soon as possible." Alister said.

"Tell me what is happening?" Arielle confusedly replied.

"I'll explain to you later. We need to hurry." Alister said.

"Uhmnm? Alister mate?" Luther said, while there's a demonic knife pointed on his throat.

It was Lilith, she was the one who was the grand wizard of this town Diana made a deal with. She tricked her and the whole people in this town. She blocked the Alliance's help from reaching this town that time so that the town will leave no choice but to accept the deal. The power she gave to Diana wasn't a mage thing but a cursed. She possessed her with the spirit of the winter called a Banshee by summoning it as Diana accepted the deal for the sake of the town.

"Listen little boy, you accept my deal or I'll slit your friend's throat?" Lilith said.

"Lilith stop please." Alister begged.

"Son, please listen to her." Dracula said to his son Alister as Lilith put down her knife.

"If you didn't give me the glaive, he'll kill us all, he'll going to destroy everything with his undead army." Lilith sincerely explained.

"Who? Who was that coming for us?" Alister asked.

"The hell-knight." said Lilith with an anxious face.

"We don't have the glaive Lilith, the Alliance ambushed us." Alister said.

"You have to give it back to me please... Your people will going to die, maybe everyone, they will going to destroy everything." said Lilith.

Dracula and Lilith left them after that, leaving them unharmed just knowing that Lilith was telling them the truth about the incoming danger but Alister used to not to give his trust to her. But this time was different, Lilith was showing off her scared self.

Alister together with his company immediately leave the town and head into MoonGlade to begged the sword from Queen Taneisha. They walked throughout the polar region of the north until they reach the tropical lands and then they crossed into the Lushy Plains and then they reached the MoonGlade at dawn. MoonGlade warriors surrounded them after getting trespassing.

"Take us to your queen, please. We didn't came here to have trouble. We came here to ask some help." Arielle loudly said to the warriors who were surrounding them.

"You were fugitives!" Chiron answered.

"You take us to her or I'll freeze you on the ground?! Will you trust us on this one more time? Something big is coming." Arielle said to him.

"Let them in warriors." Queen Taneisha commanded.

"My queen, pardon us about the last time. But we came here to ask for your help because something big was coming. We need your sword." Alister begged to her.

"Last time, I changed the runes of the sword and pierced it into the rock so that only the pure heart can pull it. I didn't have it here." Taneisha replied.

"A powerful demon is coming, the hell-knight. Even if you don't want to be involved, you will be a collateral in the war. Please tell us where is it?" Alister said.

"After the incident in last time, when you ran away, Lucius and the knights carried the stone where the sword pierced on it, together with your friend Dante... And I heard that, in the morning, there will be a gathering. Lucius will be declared as the new king, and after the coronation. Dante will be executed." Taneisha said.

Alister hurriedly left after hearing the execution of Dante. He rushed into the woods heading towards the Alliance.

"Alister wait!" Arielle shouted, and she followed him.

Alister ran at an extreme vampiric speed. Arielle followed him but she cannot be able to match her speed to him, yet, she still followed him in the speed that faster than an average human.

"Now, how did she could run as fast like that?" Luther wondered, while running with them in exhaustion.

On the other scenario somewhere in the abyss, Lucifer commanded his knight, Abaddon the hell-knight. A figure of a man in a full dark armor forged up from obsidian. The obsidian sword lighted up with a fiery bluish green flame as he picks it up. He turned around and faced Lucifer.

"She betrayed us brother. Now, do what you must have to do before it gets on our way." Lucifer said to him.

Abaddon walked away and he rode on his demonic fiery horse in a full armor and he headed into the Necropolis where Lilith was. He traversed across the barren land death valleys and the gloomy forest as all of the corrupted demonic creatures on his way followed him. The fiery aura of him and his sword and his demonic horse blazed on his trail as they traversed on their way. Every living thing, the plants and trees they stepped on turned dark and died. After crossing from the barren lands, Abaddon and his undead army marched into the isolated jungle of MoonGlade. Some of the creatures who lived there such as pixies, imps and nymphs died and corrupted by the harmful poison of darkness of Abaddon and his undead army. After a few hours of traveling, Abaddon finally reached the Necropolis.

Abaddon raised his hand where he hold his sword and he waved it three times as a sign of attack. Hundreds of undead creatures such as ghouls, corrupted ogres and goblins ferociously charged into the castle of Necropolis and fight against the army of vampires as the vampires were confused why does these undeads were attacking them knowing that they were both demons. Battlecry of vampires hissing into the cold breeze of the night where bluish full moon above, sounds of claws penetrating into the flesh, cracking of bones, splatting of bloods on the walls. The menacing sound of ghouls, loud screams of corrupted ogres and the sharp, terrifying laugh of the corrupted goblins scattered all over the place as the gruesome fight was going on.Vampires were stronger and smarter as they have durability in a combat fight, super speed and strength and super senses compared to the corrupted ogres and goblins and ghouls which these demonic creatures were mindless.

The vampire subordinates of Lilith were so blind to all of her plan of betraying the dark side, all they knew was that they were protecting and expanding their territories as they were just following of what Lilith ordered to them. Gruesome body organs scattered around the corners, decapitated. Abaddon's army were getting outnumber as the vampires' fighting durabilities exceeded them in the battle.

Abaddon's army retreated and every creatures who passed near to him, he killed it. Abaddon was disappointed by those creatures after he witnessed the fight as he saw them fight in a mindless manner that only thing existed in their minds was hunger.

Abaddon with his horse stepped in, as hundreds of vampires surrounded him. The vampires started to attack him but Abaddon was so much more stronger than them, even compared to Lilith which that's why Lilith didn't show herself this time. Abaddon with his flaming obsidian sword, sliced every vampires who simultaneously attacking him. Cut off in half body vertically or horizontally, and decapitated that showed how sharp and powerful his sword was. After he slaughtered a hundred of vampires, the destructive power of enormous flames was somehow got activated from the sword itself causing to burnt and destroyed the place as it exploded. Everything and everyone near to him were all dead, half of the castle was destroyed and the wall got burnt and fell down, bricks and debris were falling from that it turned to look like a coal as Abaddon cooked up the place.

Lilith showed herself to Abaddon after the massive destruction. The black color of Lilith's eyes as she got fall into a great hatred, the black and purple lights coming off her body as she activated the full force of her power. Lilith turned somehow into a dark shadow that quickly attacked Abaddon with the super speed of the strongest vampire among all. Abaddon didn't see that coming as he fell down from riding on his horse. He stands up on his knees after from being fall but Lilith in the shadows was keep on attacking him. Unfortunately to Lilith, her attacks can't penetrate into his body as the obsidian armor covered all over Abaddon's body with it. Abaddon picked up his sword and then he thrusted it hard onto the ground that caused an another massive destruction, earthquake and cracking of ground as Lilith brought out from the shadows of where she is. Abaddon choked her and throw her down on the ground hardly, and then he chained her and put her on his horse to bring her back to the abyss. But before Abaddon got ride onto his horse, Dracula came along and attacked him try to save his love Lilith, but Abaddon only evaded his usual vampiric combat fighting skills and then he just stabbed Dracula with his sword in his heart that caused to the death of the vampire king Dracula. After that, Abaddon, the hell knight rode into his demonic horse along with Lilith, captured tied in chain, and returned into the abyss to finished the business Lucifer tasked him to... .