Sal made sure to carefully hide his emotions as he walked into the weapons room with Katarina by his side, he didn't want anyone unfocused or concerned about him, he didn't want pity or questions thrown his way. He wanted to handle this pain in total silent agony.
Luckily, as Sal's eyes adjusted to the green light of the weapons room, he saw that everyone was dispersed and focusing on one thing or the other.
Melchior was staring at a row of longswords, his hands sliding over the blades with a maniacal sort of fascination. Bloom was examining a display of curling whips and shining metal chains, and Marcus was in the corner of the room, meditating crosslegged on the floor, his body shining very brightly.
Antony, who had been standing farthest away from everyone, was the only one staring at the door and so was the first to notice their arrival. He moved across the room, his pace quick, his steps clicking with urgency as he got to Sal and held him firmly by his arms.
"The others told me everything" He said, his voice deep with worry, his hold on Sal's shoulders light and sensitive.
Sal suspected that Antony probably knew he'd told Katarina his feelings, and he expected him to call him out on lying about said feelings, but instead he asked; "are you okay?"
Sal smiled, touched by Antony's worry, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm fine Antony" he answered.
"Are you sure?" Antony pressed. "If you're not just tell me what you need me to do…"
"I'm fine" he repeated, his voice came out harder though the certainty in it had waned. "I promise"
Antony didn't look convinced, his eyes looked almost green in the light, but he nodded and let go of him.
"Besides we have more important things to do" Sal said, his voice boomed in the weapons room catching everyone's attention, save Marcus who still sat cross legged and in immense concentration. "We need to find this bastard"
He pulled the locket out from his pocket. It was unnaturally beautiful, as if made in another world. The metal sparking off light in the manner of glass, the lily engraving as distinct as a photograph.
"Mammon said Percival has a strong connection to this" Sal said as he placed it on the circular table in the middle of the room. "I can use it to find him"
"That is only the first step" Bloom said, she moved away from the whips and chains and joined them at the table. "First we need a plan, if we move hastily we will be going against the enemy blinded"
"She's right" Antony said, his eyes moved to Sal, "We need to know what we're up against first"
"Well we know that he's a necromancer, and we know that he's powerful" Katarina said. "Necromancy is all about manipulating life force, it could be that he's been animating things"
"Animating?" Sal inquired.
"Bringing things to life" Katarina explained.
"But that could be a variety of things" Antony said. "Automatons, objects, animals…."
"Humans" Melchior interjected, he had moved away from the longswords and was now looking at the various spears and staffs lining the wall. "He could be raising undeads, using them as puppets"
"Maybe" Antony said. "but there's no way we can be sure, he could find anything and give it life, and he could use anything and take life away as well."
"Babbling on about what he might or might not be doing isn't going to solve anything" said a voice. "You need to go and see it for yourself"
Sal whirled upon hearing the voice, ready to call out Gemini, but stopped as he saw who it was.
His back was turned to them, and it was bare save for two broad white wings that shone like jade in the light of the weapons room. His hair and skin took on the same colour, one hand stuck in the pocket of his black sweatpants while the other touched the black blade of a peculiar sword hanging on the wall at the other end of the room. Sal moved forward, his body relaxing as he approached the man that stood before them.
"Lucifer?"
Lucifer turned and smiled at Sal, it was soft and gentle, like an uncle might smile at his nephew.
"Hello Salome" Lucifer said as he turned completely. His golden eyes sparked the green light as he examined Sal, the smile on his face changing into an impressed smirk. "Hermes was right, you do look good in purple"
Sal chuckled but it did little to hide his worry. Lucifer never showed up unless it was important.
"What are you doing here?" Sal asked.
"I'm doing what I always do" Lucifer answered. "I'm helping you"
He looked pass Sal and his expression changed from impressed to amused.
"Do tell your friends that though I am an epitome of beauty I do not enjoy them staring at me like that" Lucifer said. "I feel harassed"
Sal turned and saw that his friends were staring, the disbelief plane on their faces, which was to be expected considering the gravity of who Sal was speaking to. Lucifer, the glory that fell from heaven, was standing in the room with them.
"You're Lucifer?, the Father of Evil?", Antony said in disbelief, "but you're nothing like the depictions I have seen, you're so, so...."
"Beautiful" Melchior completed, he was staring at Lucifer, his ocean eyes glinting. "So very beautiful"
Lucifer winked at Melchior.
"I like you" he said. "Neptune chose well this time"
Before Melchior could ask him what he meant Lucifer turned to Sal.
"Is that seriously what everyone is calling me though?" he asked, if Sal didn't know any better he would've thought he looked hurt. "The Father of Evil?"
"I wouldn't say everyone" Sal said.
"Only half of the beings of all the Worlds combined" said Katarina. "the other half are just calling you an asshole"
Lucifer smiled but it had lost it's gentleness, it was now almost threatening.
"Relax Katarina, I'm a friend" he said, "but only if you want me to be"
He turned to Marcus who was still on the floor mediating and that immediately took his attention.
"Quite fascinating, isn't he?" Lucifer said.
"Sal, you can't seriously be friends with Lucifer", Bloom asked, her eyes following Lucifer's every move as he approached Marcus, "he's a master of deception, he has most likely been lying to you this entire time"
"Now why would I do that?" Lucifer said almost absentmindedly.
"Because you're Lucifer!" chorused all of them, except Sal.
"Good point" he said, he turned briefly and addressed them. "but as Salome must have told you, and I assume he has, I've done nothing but show him the right way, we're basically best friends"
"I wouldn't say we're best friends" Sal said. "but he is an ally"
Everyone looked at him like he was crazy but his eyes were trained on Lucifer. He was choosing to trust Lucifer, he had been good to Sal, surely there was nothing to be afraid of.
"Thank you" Lucifer said. "Now, I know Percival, he's one of my favourite mages, reason being that he is very dangerous, so if you want to have at least a fifty percent chance of winning then you'll listen to the plan that I have for you"
No one said anything, and Lucifer smirked like he'd won a fierce battle.
"Now, here's what you'll do, first, you Find him using the locket, it's a strong beacon so you'll be able to know where he is wherever it is, second, you send someone to scout the area so you know what you're up against"
"That's a bad idea" said Antony. "We have no clue on how dangerous that place might be"
"Obviously" Lucifer said with a roll of his eyes, "which is why you'll be sending in someone who can create illusions, including one that can make himself invisible"
His eyes traveled to Marcus once again. Sal swore if Lucifer's eyes were a neon sign they'd be blinking repeatedly, the words "HIM" shining golden in the sockets.
"Wait, you don't mean Marcus, do you?" Bloom said.
"Yes, he's a kitsune, isn't he?, that's why he's …..growing" Lucifer said.
"Yes he is a kitsune but—"
"Excellent, he'll do perfectly well I just know it"
"He's too young and he's barely recovering" Bloom protested.
Lucifer laughed, it sent a shiver up Sal's spine.
"Too young she says" said Lucifer as he walked to Marcus, golden eyes animated. "Oh dear princess, you underestimate him greatly"
He knelt in front of Marcus and reached out a pale hand, his fingers just inches away from Marcus's face.
Marcus's eyes flashed opened immediately, and a hand reached out and grabbed Lucifer by the wrist. Sharp, black claws stuck out from his fingers, and his burning eyes held Lucifer's gaze with an unwavering anger. Lucifer on the other hand was grinning like a mad man. It was strange how they looked alike, both their skins pale, both their eyes golden, and yet contrasted each other, Marcus's hair a pale blonde, Lucifer's hair as white as snow, the angles of Marcus's face less sharp and more defined that Lucifer's.
"Morning Star" Marcus whispered sharply.
"Finally, someone who says it as it is" Lucifer said. "Tell me fox, can you cast a Shade strong enough for you to remain unseen, just for a little while"
Marcus peered at Lucifer, his eyes scanning him as if trying to decipher his intentions. He was still holding Lucifer's wrist, his black claws still shooting out.
"I think so" he answered finally.
"Marcus, I assure you, there is no reason for you to do anything he tells you" Bloom said.
Marcus released Lucifer and gave her a pointed look, one filled with a jumble of so many emotions it was hard to know exactly what he was feeling.
"I can do it Bloom" he said again, his voice firm, then he turned to Sal. "Just tell me where and when"
"Perfect" Lucifer exclaimed as he rose and faced them once again."Now you all will have a clear idea of what you're going to face"
"That all sounds good" Katarina said. "But how will he get there"
"I'll send him through a portal" Sal said.
"Sending him through isn't a problem" Melchior pointed out. "But what about bringing him back, you're the only one here who can conjure a portal"
"Then Sal will go with him" Katarina said.
"I can't, I could cast a Shade on myself but once I Find Percival we'll share a connection, and he'll know I'm in the vicinity" Sal said.
"I will deal with transportation" Lucifer said as if that was already obvious, "the rest of you should get ready"
"Seriously!" Bloom said. "there is no way Marcus is going there with you"
"Look, Bloom I'm the last person who would want Marcus to get hurt" Sal said. "But I trust Lucifer"
"Then you are making a mistake" Bloom said. "Why is it that you're not listening to me?"
Sal didn't answer, he turned to Katarina to ask for her opinion and saw that she'd been looking at him, her eyes held a question, but they didn't drift away when he met them. They stayed.
"What do you think?" Sal asked.
"I think Marcus has decided for himself" she answered, the earlier expression in her eyes vanishing completely, "if he thinks he can do it then all we have to do is trust that he won't fail, and hope he knows what it is he's getting himself into"
Sal looked at Marcus, sending a clear message by looking at him. The way wolves often did.
Are you sure?, he asked.
Marcus nodded, there was confidence in that single gesture, so much that Sal didn't see a reason to protest.
"He can do it" Sal said. "I know he can"
"Wonderful!" Lucifer said. "Now for the best part, the actual Finding"
Sal grabbed the locket from the table and held it in his hand, he took out his wand and began to draw the glyph on his wrist, once again not knowing or caring how he did it, the lines swirled and connected forming the Finding glyph.
At first nothing happened, then Sal felt a tug, not in his stomach, in his head. He was suddenly pulled out, several lights dancing in his eyes as the magic made his mind fly, he saw nights and days, lights and shadows, suns and moons.
And then it suddenly stopped.
There was a barrier pushing him away and blocking his vision. With the others there was never an obstruction, but this one had a hindrance to it. Like a shield.
"I can't see anything" he said. "I can feel him but I can't reach him"
"Pay attention to the object in your hand, not the magic connecting you to him" Lucifer said.
Sal took a deep breath and centered his senses to the locket, tracing the surface with his fingers, analyzing the grooves the carver had made on it's shining face. The glyph began to burn hotter on his skin and he gasped as his vision was immediately filled with light.
Images flickered like candle light across Sal's eyes, he saw an abandoned hospital about four stories high, it's walls a dull, faded gray, it's windows black and dirty with dust and dirt. Then large trees that stretched for miles forming enormous canopies over a forest floor.
"There's a hospital but it looks abandoned" Sal said, his voice strained.
"Do you see Percival?" Lucifer asked.
Sal willed his vision to see harder, the beginnings of a headache humming at the back of his head, and then he saw him. He was a middle-aged man, with wiry gray hair and ruby red eyes standing on the flat roof of the building. He was dressed formally, a black dress shirt and trousers, his feet were bare though, but his wrists had a multitude of golden bracelets dangling on them. Sal didn't quite know how he knew, he'd never seen Percival before, but he could feel it, the chord that connected them showed him the way.
"I see him, but the Shade is so strong I can't begin to guess where the hospital is, it's almost like it's nowhere"
"Everywhere is somewhere Salome, even nowhere"
Sal clenched his jaw and focused his magic, his vision expanded. He saw the trees again, a road paved with red stone, lightning flashing white in the sky. It didn't look like a place he knew, or a place that existed here in the Mortal World.
"I don't think he's here, I think he's somewhere else" Sal said.
"What do you mean?" Katarina said. "Where else could he be?"
"I don't know" Sal said, he could feel the connection getting weaker, but the world was flashing still, the sky full of crimson stars, the moon red as blood. "The world it looks…. wrong"
"The bastard" Lucifer said. "Stop it Salome, I know where he is"
As soon as Sal heard that he let go of the vision and he found himself back in Kat's house, he groaned in pain as a sharp headache threatened to split his skull in half. He could feel the Finding glyph fading to nothingness on his wrist, and then he felt dizzy, his ears ringing with siren sounds.
"Sal are you okay?" Antony asked. He was by his side in an instant, a hand placed gently on Sal's back.
"Yeah" Sal said as everything slowly subsided. "I'm fine"
He looked at Lucifer expectantly who was looking at him with a strange sort of concern, like Sal was an item he didn't want damaged.
"You said you know where he is" Sal said.
Lucifer nodded.
"He's in a Pocket" he said. "You'll have to show me the place before I can take the kitsune there"
"A Pocket, what's a Pocket?" Katarina asked.
"Another world" Sal explained as the information clicked. "He created a world for himself, one where he would be able to operate from"
"One where he is bound by only the rules he makes" Lucifer said, he sounded impressed. "Clever"
"No, not clever, dangerous" Bloom said. "If he is powerful enough to create a whole new world for himself then he has god level power, quite literally"
"All the more reason why I need to go and see for myself what we are up against" Marcus said, he turned to Sal and fixed his eyes on him. "Show him"
Sal hesitated now. He didn't have a problem with sending Marcus on a mission, but this was a world where their enemy made the rules, how would Marcus survive?
How do you know he won't?, said that small voice inside him.
Sal sighed and turned to Lucifer who waited expectantly. He walked to him and grabbed him by his neck, then he pressed their foreheads together. There was a connection, a spark, and an exchange of emotions. Anger, sadness, grief, pain, and longing, so much longing. Then just as quickly as it was made the connection broke.
Sal parted from Lucifer with a gasp. He looked up at the fallen angel, but Lucifer did not meet Sal's eyes. Instead he touched his chest and muttered something Sal couldn't hear. For the first time that night there was no smile on his face.
"What is it?" Katarina asked.
Sal shook his head, unable to speak. He had felt so much it was overwhelming.
"Nothing" said Lucifer, "I've seen it, I can take him there"
Marcus walked to Lucifer who stretched out his wings, he turned for a brief moment, still not meeting Sal's eyes, and said;
"We'll be back"
Sal nodded and looked at Lucifer.
"Protect him" he said.
Lucifer nodded and brought his wings down on them.
In an instant, they were gone.
***
The world was dark for a brief second and it didn't feel like he'd moved from his position, but Marcus was proven wrong as Lucifer's wings unfolded and he found himself in a world he did not know.
The sky was the first thing Marcus noticed. It was a large canvas of darkness, very unlike the night sky of the Mortal World that had shades of dark blue in it. It was pitch black, like the darkness behind closed eyes, but it was dotted with stars, another thing that was was unlike the Mortal World where mortals tainted the sky with their constructions.
The stars were nothing like Marcus had seen before, they were red, like shining rubies in the sky. The clouds were thick and looked like thick plumes of red smoke floating about, occasionally they flashed with lightning, a sharp glaring white. Then there was the moon, bloody red as Marcus had seen it in his visions.
"Quite a home he's made for himself" Lucifer said, he looked down at the road beneath him. The stone that paved it was dark red and the metallic smell of blood was so strong that Marcus could taste it.
"This is wrong, it is all just wrong" Marcus said.
"Then we should get moving" Lucifer said, he was so disgustingly calm, it annoyed Marcus as well as assured him. "The earlier the better"
They walked the red road, Marcus falling into place behind Lucifer who led the way. The further they walked the more eerie the world became. Cool, sharp breezes blew like harsh surprises, creeping through Marcus's skin and into his bones, on either side of the road there were large and tall trees, their branches heavy with black, glossy leaves that looked as if they were frozen on the last stage of decay.
When Lucifer suddenly turned and began to move into the brush of trees Marcus saw that they smelled that way too, pungent and fruity and half dead.
He'd lived in the wild all his life, he'd lived with the constant rustle of leaves as wind passed through them, the chatter of insects as they scurried across the forest floor and the sweet song of birds as they flew in the trees above, but this forest had none of such. The leaves were deadly still despite the cold wind that passed through them, there were no insects scurrying the black soil of the forest floor, and there was no song from birds, no noise at all. The forest was as quiet as the calm before a storm.
"Now is the time to work your magic Kitsune" said Lucifer.
Marcus nodded and closed his eyes. He grasped for that familiarity that came with manipulating the Shade, it was like grabbing a favorite coat from the closet.
For a minute Marcus thought it wasn't there, that Percival had eliminated it entirely from this world, then he felt the familiar rush of energy flowing from his centre to the rest of his body, usually it was overwhelming, like a heavy gust of wind that threatened to sweep you off your feet, but over time he had practiced, and now it was like a gentle breeze, soft and silent.
He had the image in his head, a cloak of nothing, shielding him from view, obstructing him from the eyes of an outsider.
"Good, there's Shade here", said Lucifer as he continued walking, "I knew he couldn't be that big of a fool"
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked.
"The Shade is a barrier, a wall dividing…everything, but it is also a sort of balance, keeping everything steady so that one side doesn't tilt to the other" Lucifer said. "If he hadn't put one here, this world would not last long, it would collapse in on itself and all his power would have been used in vain"
Lucifer turned to Marcus, his golden eyes, suddenly alert, were startling in the darkness.
"Do you smell that?"
Marcus was about to ask what Lucifer was talking about, then he smelt it, like salt and sulfur, the smell of dark magic.
"We must tread carefully" Lucifer warned.
They walked through the forest, the smell getting thicker and thicker, until they finally reached the edge of the forest. Lucifer suddenly stopped, and pushed Marcus backward, he pointed to the floor where shining red symbols burned against the black soil. They were not beautiful like Sal's glyphs, they were like the jagged edges of Kyrona after it had been destroyed. A broken magic.
"Necromantic wards" He said. "Once we crossover we'll be in his territory, he'll be able to see you, hear you, feel you, I hope your Shade is good, for your sake"
Marcus nodded, and then with Lucifer by his side, he stepped his foot over the line and out of the trees.
He was unprepared for what he saw next.
The hospital was in the very centre of a large empty space. It looked abandoned as Sal had described it, it's walls were cracked and washed, the windows dirty, and the moonlight casted over it made it look like it was bathed in blood.
Surrounding the hospital were undeads, thousands of them. They just stood there, unmoving, standing and staring in ranks like an army of brainwashed soldiers. They reeked of dark magic mingled with the smell of decay, and they seemed to take no notice of Marcus or Lucifer as they stared.
"Diana's mercy" said Marcus, he was surprised he was still standing despite the fact that fear gripped his legs and threatened to send him to his knees. "This is bad, very bad"
"Be still, they are not moving, all hope is not lost, we just need to find a point of entry and the rest of you will be alright" said Lucifer.
Marcus looked at Lucifer, his face was fixed as he looked at the undeads, his composure unwavering.
"How are you so calm?"
Lucifer laughed lightly.
"I once led an army to raid the hosts of heaven" he said, his voice filled with the pride that made him fall in the first place. "I assure you, a lowly necromancer and his puppets are nothing"
"Didn't you lose though?" Marcus said.
Lucifer didn't answer, Marcus thought he saw a tick in his jaw, he snapped his fingers and walked forward.
"Lets move along, shall we?"
Marcus moved, though more cautiously than before. As he navigated a way through the undeads he noticed that they all had a necklace of those broken symbols encircling their neck, even though they weren't glowing they still gave off the smell of dark magic, that coupled with the odour of decay made Marcus nearly choke to death. If the undeads didn't kill them, the smell would.
Slowly he and Lucifer rounded the hospital, and Marcus knew that if not for the Shade shielding him there was no way he could have gotten far.
"This place is a fortress there's no way we can get in from the outside, can't we just portal?" Marcus said, as they reached the back of the hospital, this place too was guarded with immobile undeads.
"No, I can sense the necromantic wards placed around the building, portalling inside isn't an option" said Lucifer.
"What then?" Marcus said. "it's not like we can walk through the front door"
Lucifer looked at Marcus, his lips widening into a smile.
"You clever fox" he said, his wings that had been curled up behind him all this while spread out. They were great and white, it reminded Marcus of an eagle's wings. "Wait here"
"Wait, where are you going?" said Marcus.
Lucifer didn't answer, he took off.
Marcus sighed and waited, he could feel his magic waning, his illusion threatening to fall apart. They needed to leave now.
Luckily it didn't take long for Lucifer to descend in front of him again, and when he did he was smiling.
"I checked the front door" he said still smiling. "Its locked"
Marcus looked at Lucifer, he began to question his sanity and wondered if Princes of Hell went senile at some point.
"I'm not mad, fox" Lucifer said.
"Then why are you so happy?" Marcus asked, his voice deliberately patient.
"Because" Lucifer said. "It is only locked, no wards, no charms, nothing, it is the easiest access point"
"That's perfect" Marcus said, the world suddenly spun for a minute and he felt a very dull headache start thrumming in his skull.
"Are you alright?" Lucifer asked.
"I think my Shade is falling apart" Marcus said.
"You are flickering" Lucifer observed. "We must leave before it falls completely"
Hastily they found their way back to the front of the hospital. Marcus made sure not to touch any of the undeads that stood, he was even careful not to make too loud a sound in order not to startle them. But he could feel the Shade being stripped away from him, piece by piece.
"It's not falling apart" He said as he looked to Lucifer. "Someone is taking it off"
Suddenly he felt the cloak slip away, felt the Shade fall off like a dress falling to the floor.
It didn't take a minute, immediately all the undeads turned to face Marcus, the necklace of symbols on their necks shining bright red, their eyes glowing like the stars above him.
"Fuck" swore Lucifer, his brows creasing in worry. "He knows you're here"