Abaddon

Chapter 13 : Heralds

The sky darkened. The sun bled red, its light piercing through cracks untouched by shadow. The air thickened with corrupt mana, freezing creatures in place. The weaker ones collapsed where they stood, their life stripped away.

Then the Leviathan’s eyes opened. Glassy, cold, lifeless. They glowed with a pale light that spread across the horizon.

“Ha… ha… ha…” The knight laughed. His grin widened until his face twisted. “The day of reckoning has come. Judgment for all who serve a demon.”

The fear that clung to him moments ago was gone, consumed by hysteria. That was when I saw it. A white pill tucked under his teeth.

I moved. My hand stretched toward his jaw. Too late.

Crunch.

His jaw snapped shut. His body convulsed, chains rattling as he wailed. His veins bulged black, his eyes rolled back, and then he stilled.

A surge of mana erupted from his body.

The sky split. The ground cracked.

I staggered back as the blast tore through the clearing. Dust and dirt swirled around me. Trees bent, the air shook, and the chains recoiled, alive with the force.

My fists tightened. Finding Uriel had just become harder.

The sound of armor grinding pulled my attention. The second knight stirred, forcing himself up on trembling arms. His helmet was cracked, his breath shallow.

I lunged. My hand locked around his skull. His jaw strained as I pried it open. Another pill.

I tore it out, dropped it, and crushed it under my heel.

Then I drove my fist into his gut. His body folded. A strangled gasp broke free.

“Where is Uriel?” My voice carried no patience.

He gasped again but gave no answer.

I pulled him up and slammed my knee into his ribs. Armor shattered. Bones snapped. His scream rang in my ears.

“Where is she?” My tone sharpened to a blade.

Still silence. His eyes flickered with pain and fear, but he refused to speak.

Reaper’s voice slid into my mind, calm and final. “He will not tell you. Do not waste your time.”

I released the knight. His body hit the ground, limp. My rage burned hotter.

“Then what do I do?” My voice broke with anger.

“You share blood and soul with her,” Reaper answered. “You are connected. Use that.”

“Connected how?”

“You can use magic now. Blood arts will guide you.”

The words struck deep. They felt foreign, yet natural. My chest pounded with a rhythm I could not ignore. I stretched out my arm. The chant came unbidden, rolling from my tongue as if it had always been there.

“Oh goddess of earth and ground,

Reveal to me the secrets hidden.

Connect my soul to the one I’m bound,

Let the vines do my bidding.”

Heat surged through me. My body jerked. My soul tore free, carried by an unseen force.

The world blurred. My vision darted across land and stone, over forest and hill, dragged onward by something stronger than my will.

“Uriel…”

I found her.

Her wrists were bound, her body suspended against rock. Blood streaked her face. Bruises covered her skin. Her head hung, her breath shallow.

“Uriel!” I cried out, but my voice did not reach her.

Three men stood before her. White robes with gold embroidery, blades at their sides humming with mana. One held a staff. At its head a purple jewel burned with concentrated power.

“Demon,” the man with the staff spoke. His tone carried triumph. “At last the Heralds have captured you. Soon our Leviathan will destroy your knights.”

His lips twisted into a cruel smile.

Uriel stirred. Her lips parted. Her voice was faint, but I heard it clear.

“Archie… stay away.”

She had sensed me.

A violent pull yanked me back. My soul snapped into my body. My chest convulsed as air rushed in.

“Where?” I demanded, already braced to move.

“Far east of the Evergreen,” Reaper replied.

I leapt down from the wall. My feet struck the ground hard. I broke into a sprint.

Branches lashed against my arms. Thorns tore my trousers. The earth split beneath my steps as I drove myself forward. My lungs burned, my muscles screamed, but I pushed harder. Uriel’s face stayed fixed in my mind.

A ravine opened in my path. I leapt, landing with a crack that shook the ground. Dust rose behind me.

“Hurry,” Reaper urged. “Her mana fades.”

I did not slow. The forest blurred into a haze. Roots, rocks, and brush shattered under my weight. The cave appeared ahead, firelight spilling from its entrance.

Two guards stood there. Both in white robes. One tall, gripping a staff carved with glowing runes. The other shorter, a sword at his side dripping mana.

The tall one’s eyes locked with mine. His voice cut the air.

“Intruder!” He raised his staff. A stream of words poured from his mouth, each one sharp.

The staff flared. The jewel burned bright.

Light consumed my vision.

The blast struck me.

Pain exploded in my chest. My ribs gave way with a sickening crunch. The force hurled me back. I struck the ground hard, the impact cracking stone. My lungs seized. Each breath scraped raw.

I tried to rise. My arms buckled. My vision blurred. My body screamed in protest.

The sound of footsteps closed in.

I forced my eyes open. The guards were moving toward me. The one with the staff advanced, muttering under his breath. The air around him pulsed with mana, thick and oppressive. The other drew his sword, the blade shining with a faint glow.

I dragged in a breath. Pain tore through my chest, but I forced my body up to one knee. My hand pressed against the ground, steadying myself. My blood burned, urging me to fight.

I clenched my fists. My breath came heavy, ragged, but steady.

A shadow crossed over me. The hilt of the blade descended. A sharp crack echoed in my skull.

The world spun. My vision went dark.