Chapter 4

When I woke, I was lying on my back, facing the burning light of midday. I was fully clothed as though the night before had been nothing but a horrendous nightmare. If not for the sheer agony pulsing through my entire body, I would have gladly believed it was.

I made not a single effort to sit, stand or move as I felt blood oozing from wound after wound. My shirt had bonded to me. Having congealed overnight, my blood acted as a type of adhesive, which made removing the shirt near impossible. The fabric was uncomfortable, and irritated the marks and bruises now littering my chest. I did not move so as to prevent more irritation.

The bite on my neck had all but stitched together. Only a slight itch remained, reminding me of its existence. The wound on my head, however, bled freely onto the forest floor. I wished it would soon kill me.

My trousers were also adhered to my legs because that gaping bite was left to bleed freely after the night before. It, too, had become inflamed. 

Every inch of my body hurt but my face remained stoic. I continued to look into the vastness of the sky above me, seeing nothing and everything at once. If a bird flew by, I could not tell you. I focused every bit of my energy into breathing. Inhale, and exhale. That alone was what kept me alive: a deep-seated, primal need for survival.

Leviathan came into view and grabbed my right arm, sitting me up and leaning me against the trunk of a tree. He patted my head with a sickening smile before taking a seat beside me. In his hand was a roasted bird. His breakfast, I presumed. I gave it very little thought.

As I watched him tear off a piece of meat and mash it between two fingers, I realized I was wrong. He brought the pulverized food towards my lips and when I made no move to eat, he forced open my mouth, physically shoved the food into my throat and closed my mouth, forcing me to swallow.

He repeated this process until half the bird was gone and he nodded to himself, content. He grabbed a water skin, tilted my head, and began pouring the contents into my mouth. I could either swallow, or drown. 

So I swallowed the water like a dying man, taking in bigger gulps than I intended and choking slightly. Too soon the water was pulled from me, and I was left gasping for breath. I was still thirsty. 

"We leave soon." He informed me, standing and taking his leave. 

"Why are you feeding it?" Tomo asked with a huff of irritation. "Not like it'll die."

"There's more at stake here than just it's life." Leviathan warned. "Carry it and let's go."

Tomo grumbled as he made his way towards me. With a heave, he lifted me onto his back and we began moving. 

I did not move, nor did I make a sound, as we continued deeper into the forest. I breathed and stared at my surroundings, but nothing more. Time was irrelevant; one moment, the sun was high in the sky, and the next, it was pitch black with the moon looming in the distance. 

I was thrown to the ground. Each of my injuries flared up in pain, yet I made no noise as I fell to my side, and crushed my mangled left arm. 

I heard Leviathan growl, followed by a stomping pair of feet before an audible punch rang throughout the forest. 

"What was that for?" Tomo shrieked.

"Do not drop it." Leviathan warned. 

"It's just a bastard alter."

Another punch, after which Tomo went silent. I heard rustling and the sounds of a fire burning. Before long, the smell of cooking meat wafted towards me. Then I wondered what type of creature they had hunted.

Leviathan came to me a while later with cooked meat in hand, and just as he had done earlier, he force-fed me. I gagged multiple times, as his nails scratched the inside of my mouth, but I ended up swallowed obediently. 

When the water skin appeared, I drank greedily once more. My stomach ached in discomfort, and yet I still would not stop.

"Enough." Leviathan barked. He removed the skin from my lips and laid me on the ground. "Sleep now."

I blinked a few times before sleep took hold of me, carrying me deeper into my own mind.

This became my new normal as weeks bled by. I was moved from place to place, force fed, and allowed to sleep, no longer being kicked awake at every interval.

The morning into a new week I opened my eyes to a rare and terrifying sight. Other-worldly doors stood before the demons, as though it had somehow been transported to our location. There was nothing to indicate these doors led anywhere. I was sure, had I the strength, I could walk completely around it and not hit a single barrier.

My eyes widened and my breath quickened as I looked upon these doors before me. They were blackened, as though charred, with cracks running up and down the expanse of the wood, glowing an eerie red. 

The demons stood talking amongst themselves as I forcefully righted myself, leaning on my undamaged arm. I heard nothing but murmured whispers as I tried to listen in to their conversation. I did, however, see a metal object being passed from Leviathan to Tomo, who begrudgingly took the offending item with a sneer.

"I say we let it suffocate." He grumbled turning to face me.

I watched as Tomo walked toward me, brandishing a metal item. Fear rushed through me as he came closer. I kicked at the ground with what little strength I possessed, struggling to place some distance between the two of us. I was grabbed by the back of the neck and all color drained from my face as I began clawing at his face and kickin pathetically at his legs

"Stop." Tomo growled.

He shoved the Item on my face. It was a mask that covered my mouth and nose but did not hinder my breathing, though that did little to ease my frantic mind. There were no straps to hold it in place yet it stayed in place as though by magic. 

He moved his hand and I fell back onto the ground, eyes wide and unseeing as he growled and walked away, his footsteps retreating. My panic began to ebb as he continued to distance himself from me. I took deep breaths to try and calm myself, but that only helped in increasing my distress. The more I made an effort to slow my breathing, the faster it became, until I could barely take in a steady stream of air.

"You broke it." Tomo sneered, gesturing at me.

"Oh, I wouldn't say I broke it." Leviathan cackled as he grabbed my chi, forcing me to look at him. "I'd say I improved it."

"It can't even breathe!" Tomo yelled, raising his voice for the first time since our encounter.

"You watch that tone boy." Leviathan warned. "Open the door. We warp from here."

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to rein in the fear clawing at my throat, and I focused solely on easing my breathing. I desperately needed to control my panic if I were to quell the bile rising up from within me. Nausea lay heavy in my stomach, and a burning pain was etching its way toward my mouth. It felt as though I had swallowed fire. If I could not calm down, the mask would be filled with bile in no time.

An intense force of heat and air slammed into me, fanning my clothes and hair every which way. The hinges of the old doors creaked as they were forced apart. I opened my eyes and looked past the archway. Within it was a completely new world. I never would have imagined the sight before me.

Everywhere, there was fire and death, brimstone and burning. They filled the stories I heard in passing as Ada and I went from village to village in hopes of successful bartering. Residents would take one look at my eyes and scream about the hellish place I must have originated from. I was a demon, they said before cursing me back to the damnations of Hell.

If I had to take a guess at the place opened before us, I would assume it was this Hell which the villagers feared. The heat was intense; it radiated out from the scorched doors towards me. I could see very little from my place on the ground, but I knew flames were a part of this new world. 

Leviathan grabbed my right hand and pulled me to my feet. I stumbled in place for a bit as dizziness flooded my senses. I was slowly led towards the door and my senses returned. I began to struggle, pulling at my arm and trying to get away. My efforts were useless as I was dragged towards the door, my feet scraping against rocks and debris littering the ground. 

I could not go into those doors. As long as I was within this forest, eventually I would find a way to escape their grasp. However escape would become a lingering dream the moment I stepped through those doors. This I knew.

Once I stood before the opened doors, I was bombarded with the screams of the damned and acrid air. I now understood the reason for the mask that had been shoved onto my face. I was shoved into the open door and the heat of the ground inside began scorching my feet. I could hear the sizzling and smell the burning flesh. I gagged violently, the smell turning my stomach. The pain was a distant thing, barely registering. I did, however, hear the doors slam shut behind us, forever barring me from leaving.

Leviathan grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me toward him. I felt a tightening in my stomach as with a flash of magic, we were gone.

We appeared in the midst of a trading post of sorts. It looked quite similar to the village shops and the vendors as they tried to sell their wares. The stark difference being the distinct wares that were being sold. I could identify none of the items I saw, nor could I identify the race of a single creature. They all appeared sickly, thin, and gaunt, with hollowed out eyes and snubby noses. Every creature looked similar, though some had fleshy, hand-like wings protruding from their backs. They were all, thankfully, fully clothed. 

I was thrown to the ground, my entire body protesting in agony. I could feel the flesh of my arms burning away as I tried to right myself with my broken, bloodied body. 

I saw a pair of feet wearing white scaly boots slowly walk forward. My curiosity enabled me to look up into the most radiant face I had ever seen.

Golden eyes accompanied cropped golden hair, which fell in small waves around his face. He was tall, very well muscled, and sustained a dignified air about him. He wore clothes of sheer white from tip to toe.

"Leviathan." The creature sneered. 

"Yes my lord?" Leviathan answered, with no small hint of mocking.

"Your punishment will be swift, but by no means painless." 

"What punishment my lord?" Leviathan smiled. "You asked me to fetch and I fetched. I brought your spawn and it is alive." 

So this creature is the reason for my current situation. I thought, bitterly. I had never been more angry than I was on that day. If I retained any strength in me, I would have hit him, even knowing I would leave not a dent. 

Before I could say or do much of anything, I was lifted into strong and gentle arms. The blinding creature had picked me up and was carrying me in his arms.

"Forgive my lack of foresight." The creature began. "I am Lucifer, your father." 

I said nothing, continuing to stare at his face with a wild fury burning in the pit of my soul. 

"They have never overstepped and so I thought it would be okay to send them to you." Lucifer continued to explain. I believe he wished to fill the silence with words, trying to dampen the awkward air around us.

"Leviathan" Lucifer sneered, anger and warning clear in his tone. "I may be unable to touch you, but know that Lilith will hear of this."

It was gratifying to see Leviathan's face pale in his fear as his eyes widened. Whoever this Lilith was, I was grateful to know he feared her.

Lucifer turned and walked away. I could hear the two beasts as they argued, voices raised in fear and apprehension. The more distance was placed between us, the more my tension eased, and I let my head lull to my chest. My eyes began to droop and my breathing slowed considerably, becoming nearly indistinguishable.

I was vaguely aware of Lucifer frantically shouting for me to keep my eyes open, but I was just too far gone to return. I wanted the darkness, needed it as much as I needed to breathe. The darkness and the ease it brought with it, that was what I wanted. The safety and serenity of death...and I welcomed it as Lucifer's voice faded into nothing.