Chapter 1

The war, half the world is lost to the forces of hell. The last few nations still resisting join in one final attempt to stop their conquest. We have found the ARK and with it our last hope we could finally start pushing them back with this Power. So many of my friends, and fellow Bellatores (plural of Bellator) have died in this conflict, and in our final push we have one last chance, in what used to be people's homes, in places that used to be so full of life. All I see now is the corpses of the dead, and I envy them. For nothing is worse than being taken alive by the forces of Hell. I look around and see soldiers held up in what used to be a convenience store shooting at a group of hell hounds trying stop their advance through the city, all for nothing the army size is too great and no number of bullets will stop their advance within seconds I see them getting ripped to shreds limbs being torn from the bodies, the screams deafening.

"Stay back" I hear a soldier yelling as he is approached by one of Abaddon's Locusts its stinger was raised ready to attack. With his bullets having little to no effect on the beast the soldier raises his gun to his head.

Bang.

The soldier falls to the ground. It makes sense why he did what he did, at least that way is quick the sting from one of Abaddon's locusts is one of the most painful ways to die. at least that is what I tell myself to comprehend all the times you see your allies give up and take their own life, you have to rationalize it, or you may as well join them in death now.

"Lance, you need to focus we have to go" I hear a familiar voice yelling to me, I look through the destroyed city street to see a girl about my age with curly red hair carrying a spear that looked like the tip was made out of pyrite, It takes me a few seconds but I recognize her, My friend Elizabeth is standing in the doorway of an apartment building.

I made my way over to her, and we run inside to regroup with the rest of the Bellatores in my group in one the destroyed apartments.

Elizabeth moved to the center of what used to be a living room, she pulled a map from her breast pocket and placed it on the table in the center. The 5 of us gather around the map Elizabeth just pulled out of her pocket to see are location, and one bellator(Latin for warrior) stayed to guard the door.

"Ok here is the plan" Elizabeth sighs "The soldiers are defending the entrance to the facility where the ARK is located." She pauses with a shaky breath she continues.

"Unfortunately, they still need another 45 minutes for the ARK to activate, and our soldiers are starting to become overwhelmed. Our Job is to sneak behind enemy lines and attack the general directly."

"Why the hell would we do that if we join the soldiers, we could hold them long enough" yelled the Bellator Standing In the doorway gripping his broadsword that looked like its blade was made from amethyst. I feel like I should know his name, but i cannot for the life of me remember it.

"We could hold them for a little bit, but definitely not long enough do you see the size of their army?" said the Bellator closest to me he carried what a bow made of what looked like some bizarre metal and ebony, Just like the other bellator i know him but can't place his name.

"Shut up and let me finish" yelled Elizabeth.

"Fine" sighed the Bellator in the doorway

"Like I was saying we are going to attack the general that should cause some of the creeps to fall back and help protect the general, and once he's dead the drones directly under him will become disorganized. Best case we kill him, and his forces become disorganized, and the soldiers should be able to hold the enemy off." She pauses. But before she can continue another Bellator gets up leaving her daggers that had an obsidian blade, on the floor and walks over to the window peering out onto the battlefield. What is her name why can I not remember their names why is it only Elizabeth am I going crazy?

She spoke in a weak tone "Who is leading the enemy army?"

Elizabeth pauses as I look at her, I realize the confident and usually fiery leader looks as pale as if death itself was our enemy.

"We got the intel just recently they are being led by Asmodeus."

The Bellator at the window crossed her arms and a look of fear washed over. "Asmodeus is the prince of hell this is suicide there is no way we can kill him."

The one across from me spoke harshly but truthfully "Don't be an idiot were not meant to kill him just to draw some of their force away from the Gate so the soldiers can hold out for the 45 minutes needed for the ARK to activate" he paused "we're just expendable, this is a suicide mission." He finished with a grimace.

"Forget 45 minutes we wont even last 10." Said the one next to me with a look of despair.

A silence formed no one said a word how could you what can you say when you know that you are about to die.

After what felt like hours but was only a few minutes Elizabeth spoke "Look we don't have any other option if we don't fight him, we die anyway so get up" she said sternly.

A few seconds passed but everyone slowly accepted their fate and got up and listened to the plan.

"Ok so we get to the other side of this group of apartment buildings, through the park to the north then his known location is here near this office building, Let's move." Ordered Elizabeth

Moving through this destroyed building to the location won't be easy the hallway is blocked from a collapsed ceiling well have to go up and around to get to the other side of this building. We make it to the stairs, and I start to hear something moving from the next floor up.

"I'll go have a look ahead" said the Bellator with the broadsword.

I watch as he goes to the second level a few seconds pass all I hear is him moving above us then suddenly, we hear a blood curdling scream and a lowed thump we all take off up the stairs only to see the Bellator pinned against the wall barely preventing himself from being ripped apart by a ghoul.

"A little help here" he yells

In a flash the girl with the daggers zips forward like a flash of lightning she whips behind the ghoul holding the Bellator against the wall and stabs them right through the back of the head blood squirts out and gets onto the Bellator that was pinned.

"Aw this is disgusting couldn't you have gotten it off of me first" he yells

"Don't worry it's an improvement, and your welcome" she says with a smirk.

He wipes his eye, "some got in my eye." He cried

Five more ghouls bolt out from the apartments down the hall one whose mouth is dripping with blood and what look to be a torn military top. They begin charging towards the two Bellator's, then the Bellator with the bow knocked two arrows took aim and shot

"Drop!" He yelled.

The two shot to the ground the arrows narrowly taking their head off the arrows find their mark lodging into the heads of two separate ghouls. As soon as they found their mark Elizabeth struck the next closest ghoul her spear tip igniting as she stabbed into the ghoul's chest, and it burst into flames with a horrifying cry.

AHGGGG!!

I launch out drawing my sword and jumped over Elizabeth's head plunging my sword into the skull of the next closest ghoul.

I see the final ghoul running towards me one hand raised into the air prepared to slash. I attempted to raise my sword when I realized. I messed up my sword became stuck in the floor when I stabbed the ghoul in the head. With the finale ghoul only a few feet away no one can reach me in time he closes in I can see into his dark soulless eyes this is it this is how I'm going to die. I feel a slight breeze as something flies with the speed of lightning past me, blood splatters all over the wall and I hear a cocky voice say.

"I'm not going to always be here to save you from your mistakes you know" said the Bellator who kept his weapon hidden earlier he was wielding a Garnet headed War hammer.

"Thanks for the save" I mutter.

All the ghouls are wiped out.

"Is everyone ok?" asks Elizabeth

Everyone nods yes aside from the one Bellator who got some of the ghoul's blood in his eye he keeps sulking over it. We make our way to the exit we take a few seconds securing the area directly outside the exit.

"That was way too close for comfort? Said the Bellator with the broadsword still wiping the blood off himself near the entrance to the apartment building.

"Shut up quit complaining check your gear before we move through the park, we have 5 minutes." ordered Elizabeth

We all complied and started going through our equipment except for the one Bellator he just keeps complaining I lookover at Elizabeth and she's turning pure red she can't stand people who don't listen to her. Just when I don't think she can take it any longer he finally shuts up. Things are quiet a little too quiet no noise coming from the Bellator at all he should be going through his equipment I turn my head and the sight horrifies me.

I see the Bellator picked up off the ground and mouth covered by the hand of one of the locust only his movements are unnatural he should be clawing at the enemies hands to free himself but it looked like he was trying to grab something on his back, then I hear the noise of flesh ripping apart as I realize what I'm see the locust stinger starts to emerge from the Bellator's chest his heart impaled on the tip of the stinger still beating out blood mixed with what I can only describe as black tar.

We all freeze in horror then the Bellator with the war hammer launched himself at the monster. He yelled "Get out of here ill hold him off."

"No, we can't leave you." yelled the girl with the daggers

"You have too this thing will take more time to kill then we have to spare the four of you can still complete the mission you know I'm right!" He argued.

I look over and see Elizabeth nod in agreement "Let's go," she pauses and looks back at him "stay alive."

He spared a second to look back and give her a nod.

We all run for the park we have to get to the objective we run for around 5 minutes until we reach the edge of the park, we see the building that separates the park from the street where Asmodeus is supposed to be we head for the nearest building to get a closer look with cover. Inside the building we take a minute to catch are breath waiting for the order.

"Ok let's get some eyes on the target first no sense in rushing in on the target blindly let's head upstairs to get a better view of the area." Elizabeth said quietly.

I nod in agreement and we all head up only four of us left what an awful way to go heart slowly pushed out. Upstairs we look out the windows we see many demons wandering around but none of the general. We can't just rush out or else we will be slaughtered before we even make it to the target.

"I can't see the target anywhere, can you?" asks the guy with the bow

"No nothing." I whispered.

Suddenly, the building started to creek no one moved at all not a sound we could not be discovered a few seconds pass and the noise subsides. I give a brief sigh of relief, and a calm comes over me.

CRASH

5 grotesques snake heads the size of a full grown person launch through the wall each aiming for one of us I roll out of the way and slash at one of the heads it falls back I look around Elizabeth and the man with the bow both got out of the way I look to see where the girl with the daggers is I scan the room only to see two snake heads clamped on to her the only part visible her head her eyes so lifeless. blood began dripping from her mouth, as the heads slowly ripped her body in half. Blood and guts spilled out onto the floor. I struggle to look away.

I feel something clasp onto my shoulder. I turn to look raising my weapon stopping myself last minute. It was Elizabeth

"She's gone we have to go" Elizabeth yells as she throws me towards the window, we all jump out. Within an instant to winged demons swoop in snatching the man with the bow out of the sky I lose sight of him. Me and Elizabeth land together. In the center of the street surrounded by demons.

"Back-to-Back" she yells as 3 demons close in.

2 demons close in on her side 1 on mine she sweeps the 1 one's legs out from under and it falls over and with one more quick upward slash cuts its head in half sideways and extended here reach at the last minute to get the second advancing demon from belly to throat.

"Show off." I call out, the demon I'm facing has the pitch-black eyes and a muscular build he's big enough to wield a claymore in each hand and make them look like short swords. I Rush him sliding under him and slicing at his calves.

"augh" it yelled

It fell to its knees I launched my self up from behind him and launch my self over him and stab into the top of his head. I land on my feet and watch as the demon falls over dead. Still no sign of the General. More demons rushing in no fancy sword moves will help I see a group of 5 demons rushing my side

"Watch out" Elizabeth yelled as she's fighting off a dozen ghouls causing a mini explosion with every successful hit of here spear.

I hold up my hand and focus fire sparks from my fingers a pale blue flame emerges I give it a hard push. It launches towards the group of demons a blinding flash followed by a massive lowed "Boom" Their body parts fly charred from the explosion. We just may be able to hold out long enough.

"Augh"

I hear an awful scream behind me I turn to see Elizabeth beaten and bloodied chunks of her bitten off from where the ghouls had gotten her. And a stinger from a locust plunged into her gut.

"No!" I scream I charge only to be swatted away by another larger demon. All I hear are the screams of Elizabeth and who is that I struggle to open my eyes and get up, but I feel like I'm being pinned down, my body feels numb. I regain my sight and I see Elizabeth, and the man with the Warhammer and the man with a bow all lined up with a locust near each one with its stinger stabbed into them I can see their bodies twisting in agony their faces screaming for help, but I cannot hear them I can't hear anything.

"Lance." A voice breaks the silence.

Who was that? I tried to focus on the direction of the voice scanning, but then I see him. His body covered in a dark cloud he's sitting in a throne made of flesh and bones, observing me he waves for one of the locusts it brings the Bellator who wielded the bow forward I see him struggle trying to get away his eyes pleading.

The general stands and pulls his blade out one side sharp, the other jagged like a saw. He holds jagged side to the belators throat and begins to saw his head off, blood sprays over the groups of demons observing this execution.

"Lance." I hear that voice again just as I see his head fall from his body, the prince of hell kicks the head over to a group of demons, they star playing some type of game with it. The locust throws the body to a group of demons who proceed to rip it a part like they haven't eaten in ages. The same fate comes the man with the Warhammer except he did not fair in his battle both arms gone he didn't look like he was screaming just a look of pure despair.

"Lance" I look to see where the voice is coming from, and my eyes fell on Elizabeth, she looks like a shell of herself, chunks of her flesh ripped away, and her face is so swollen I can hardly even recognize her.

He motioned for Elizabeth to be moved forward and for me to be brought to my knees. As he lifts his sword to cut off her head, I hear the voice one more time.

"Would you wake up already!" it says

The ground disappears everything turns to black am I falling?

"Crash"

I fall onto my bedroom floor.