While they sat and rested, Edmund said to the man, "It has been an honor to journey with you to the temple."
The man, puzzled, replied, "What do you mean?"
Edmund explained, "I have no plans for a pilgrimage. I am damned, and heaven will never accept me, for my judgment is already passed."
The man shook his head, knowing the truth. "Judgment takes many years before it is final. It's not over yet."
Edmund continued, "This is your pilgrimage, not mine."
The man spoke firmly, "You are judging yourself too harshly. Discipline your thoughts! You fear those devils, but do not let them conquer you. Your strength is greater than theirs!"
Edmund stared at the ground, silent. The man pressed on, "Nothing is impossible for one who seeks God. Who would you have pursued if you hadn't met me?"
Edmund looked at him and answered, "If I hadn't met you, I would have sought a place to hide forever, for I had lost all hope."
The man shook his head. "No, that's not how it ends..."
Edmund's eyes widened as he saw a giant devil emerge from the river of death behind the man. The creature was enormous, with wings, four horns, six eyes, and a grotesque appearance. Edmund wanted to alert the man, but with sudden fury, the man's anger manifested as powerful strength. He struck the giant devil with his sword in one swift blow, slicing it in half. Blood dripped and spat into the river as the devil fell.
Edmund was stunned by the display of power, seeing the spark of fire in the man's strike. The man continued, "Are you sure about your place here?"
Edmund took a deep breath. "As long as I find her and be with her again, I'll start my pilgrimage."
The man offered to join him in his search, but Edmund declined. "I'll take you to the temple and then I must leave. I don't know when we will meet again."
After their conversation, devils began to emerge from the river. Edmund and the man readied their swords. The man's hand throbbed with pain from the thorns embedded in the sword, but the light within him spoke, "Ignore the pain. Face your enemy."
The man's sword blazed with blue fire as the light inside him gave him more strength and power. "The stage is growing heavier. Beware of the devils in the next obstacles," the light warned.
Edmund and the man, his blazing sword in hand, faced the soaring devils emerging from the river. The devils were monstrous abominations, each more horrifying than the last. Their bodies were twisted and malformed, with sinew and bone protruding in grotesque ways. Some had multiple heads with malevolent, glowing eyes, while others had wings covered in jagged spikes and skin oozing with noxious slime.
The first devil lunged at Edmund, claws extended. Edmund parried the attack with his sword and countered with a swift strike to its throat, causing it to howl in pain and spew dark, coagulated blood into the river.
The man, his sword blazing with blue fire, swung at another charging devil. This one had the torso of a man and the lower body of a serpent, its scales glistening in the dim light. The man's blade cut through the devil's flesh like butter, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. The devil screamed as it was consumed by holy flames, disintegrating into ash.
More devils emerged, their hideous forms filling the air with roars and screeches. One towering devil had six arms, each wielding a different weapon: a mace, sword, scythe, flail, spear, and axe. It advanced on Edmund, swinging its weapons with deadly precision. Edmund dodged and weaved, his movements fluid and practiced. He countered with a powerful strike to one of its arms, severing it completely. The devil bellowed in rage, black ichor pouring from the wound.
The man fought alongside Edmund, their movements synchronized in a deadly dance of steel and fire. The man's sword cleaved through the neck of a devil with a wolf-like face and bat wings, sending its head flying. The body crumpled to the ground, the wings twitching in death.
Another devil, covered in festering sores and pustules, lunged at the man, its breath a putrid stench of decay. The man swung his sword with all his might, the blue flames incinerating the devil's diseased flesh on contact. It screeched in agony, collapsing into a heap of smoldering remains.
As they fought, the river of death surged and roiled, the devils' blood mixing with the dark waters. The ground beneath them was slick with gore, making every step treacherous. The man's hand throbbed with pain from the thorns embedded in the sword, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through the agony. The light within him urged him on, giving him the strength to continue.
A devil with a hulking, misshapen body and multiple eyes set in its chest barreled towards Edmund. It swung a massive club, aiming to crush him. Edmund sidestepped the blow and plunged his sword into one of the eyes. The devil screamed, its other eyes weeping blood as it staggered back. Edmund pressed the attack, slashing at its legs and bringing it to its knees. With a final, powerful thrust, he drove his sword into the devil's heart, ending its wretched existence.
The man faced off against a particularly gruesome devil with a body made entirely of writhing snakes. Each snake head hissed and snapped at him, their fangs dripping with venom. The man swung his sword in a wide arc, the flames scorching the snakes and turning them to ash. The devil writhed in pain, its body disintegrating as the holy fire consumed it.
With the last of the devils defeated, the river of death grew still. The man and Edmund stood amidst the carnage, their swords dripping with black blood. They took a moment to catch their breath, the man's hand still burning from the thorns.
Edmund looked at the man with newfound respect. "You fight with the fury of a thousand warriors. Perhaps there is hope for your pilgrimage after all."
The man nodded, his eyes fierce with determination. "We must continue. The Burning Temple awaits."
They crossed the river, the waters now calm but still tinged with the blood of the fallen devils. On the other side, the landscape was desolate and barren, a wasteland of charred earth and twisted, blackened trees. In the distance, the Burning Temple loomed, its spires reaching towards the sky like the claws of a monstrous beast.
As they approached the temple, Edmund dismounted and turned to the man. "This is where we part ways. My journey ends here."
The man looked at Edmund, a mixture of gratitude and sadness in his eyes. "Thank you for your help. I wish you luck in finding your woman."
Edmund nodded. "And I wish you success in your pilgrimage. May you find the stairway to heaven."
With that, Edmund mounted his horse and rode off into the desolate landscape, leaving the man to face the temple alone. The man watched him go, then turned his gaze to the temple. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for the trials ahead and began his ascent.
– – –
In front of the temple, the man beheld the enormous doors, surmising that giants might dwell within. This structure, known as The Divine Burning Temple, had been constructed by devils at Solomon's behest to establish their civilization on the earth's surface. The devils had agreed to build this mighty temple, a place of worship for devils and for Zephyrus, the devil god from the first layer of the earth, who guarded the stairway to the dark heaven. Standing alone amidst death, the man approached the colossal doors, which began to open slowly, the ground shaking and the sound of stone scraping against stone filling the air. As the doors fully opened, he sensed the presence of damned souls hiding within each pillar. With resolve, the man drew his sword of thorns and stepped into the temple.
Once inside, the iron mask and nails embedded in his body caused him unbearable pain. He fell to the ground, swaying in agony. As he lay there, the voices of the damned whispered slander and persecution in his ears. Irritated by their taunts, he attempted to stand. The light within him bestowed more power, lessening the pain and strengthening his resolve. The light spoke, "Stand up and face them. Even within this temple, your journey is far from over. Stand up!" With renewed determination, the man stood, grasping his thorned sword, which added to his suffering. Surrounded by damned souls, he raised his sword, ready to fight. The blade blazed with fire, empowered by the light within him.
Amidst the damned souls, a headless grotesque knight emerged from the darkness, summoning an enormous demon. This beast had big teeth, a furry body, a face resembling a troll with a big nose, and hooves like those of a horse. The demon carried a massive undying torch and advanced down the hallway of pillars, ready to fight the man. The headless knight declared, "May your fear engulf you until death." With that, the torches on each pillar extinguished, plunging the hall into darkness.
The man, undeterred by the dark, gripped his flaming sword tighter. He could sense the presence of the damned souls, their ghastly whispers growing louder, trying to erode his courage. The headless knight and the grotesque demon moved closer, their imposing forms visible even in the dim light.
The man took a deep breath, centering himself. The light within him whispered, "Remember, you are more than this darkness. You are the beacon that shall pierce it." With those words, he lunged forward, swinging his sword with precision and fury. Each swing of his blade sliced through the air, igniting it with blue flames. The damned souls wailed as they were cut down, their forms disintegrating into ashes.
The demon roared, shaking the very foundations of the temple. It swung its massive torch at the man, who deftly dodged, feeling the heat singe his skin. He retaliated with a fierce slash across the demon's leg, causing it to howl in pain. Blood spurted from the wound, staining the ground.
The headless knight moved with surprising agility, attacking the man from behind. The man parried the blow, their swords clashing with a sound that echoed through the hall. Sparks flew, illuminating the faces of the damned souls who watched the battle with hungry eyes.
The man fought valiantly, each strike a testament to his determination and strength. But the demon and the headless knight were formidable foes. The demon's torch came crashing down, narrowly missing the man and leaving a smoldering crater in the ground. The headless knight's blade was relentless, seeking to find a gap in the man's defenses.
Despite the pain from the thorns embedded in his flesh, the man fought on. The light within him flared brightly, bolstering his resolve. With a mighty roar, he unleashed a powerful strike, his sword blazing with divine fire. The blade cleaved through the headless knight, splitting its body in two. The knight's form crumbled to dust, leaving only its armor behind.
The demon, seeing its ally fall, became enraged. It charged at the man, torch raised high. The man stood his ground, waiting for the right moment. As the demon swung its torch down, the man sidestepped and drove his sword into the demon's chest. The blade sank deep, the blue flames spreading across the demon's body.
The demon screamed in agony, its flesh burning away. The man twisted the sword, driving it deeper, until the demon's cries ceased. The massive creature fell to the ground with a thunderous crash, its body disintegrating into ash.
Breathing heavily, the man surveyed the battlefield. The damned souls had retreated, their whispers fading into the distance. The hall was silent, save for the crackling of the man's flaming sword. He sheathed his weapon, feeling the pain from the thorns subside.
The light within him spoke once more, "You have done well. But your journey is far from over. Ahead lies the root of the crimson tree, the next step in your pilgrimage." The man nodded, understanding the weight of his quest. He walked down the hall, the pillars now silent sentinels watching his passage.
At the end of the hall, he found the root of the crimson tree. It was a massive, gnarled root, pulsating with an eerie red glow. The man approached it, feeling the heat emanating from its core. He knew this was a crucial point in his journey, a place where he could rest and gather his strength for the trials ahead.
He sat down by the root, feeling its warmth seep into his bones. The light within him whispered words of encouragement, reminding him of his purpose. The man closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment of respite. The road ahead was long and perilous, but he was determined to see it through to the end.