How the Emperor trapped a Witch

Chapter Fifty-eight: The Demon Realm

Note: Cussing.






Alaric

I stood before the two pillars, looking up at the last rays of sunlight disappearing below the tree line; it was time.

Kimbra, Quinn, Reid, Barrett, Blair, and Nolo were already in position behind me as I cut the palm of my hand and allowed the blood to drip onto the stone before the pillars. Three drops fall onto the carved symbols and the air goes silent.

It was like everything froze in one moment.

I could feel my heart start to pound as the stone seemed to suck the blood into itself and the ground starts to shake. We braced ourselves as the pillars start to hum; the shaking intensifying as a black and purple vortex appears between the two pillars- the entrance to the Demon Realm.

I quickly heal my injury and stepped though the vortex, the sensation of being spun around before crashing onto my feet into the ground. I managed to keep my balance but when I looked behind me; I could tell that the others had some trouble.

Kimbra and Nolo seemed to have no problems and were dusting themselves off as Blair was quietly cussing underneath Reid who looked a little pale. Barrett had fallen to his knees but quickly stood up to pull Reid off Blair while Quinn seemed unfazed. 

I could still hear her muttering behind me as I started forward, following the thin thread attached to my ring after opening the small box that Ilin had left to me. A light appears from the open box and settles on my hand, causing my skin to glow red.

::::::::::: 

It was strange. The Demon Realm seemed normal but it was like all the colors were off; except for the violet sky. It was extremely unsettling and I could tell that I wasn't the only one who thought so.

 "This place is giving me the creeps." Blair shivers, rubbing her arms as we all kept watch on our surroundings. 

"It's lifeless." Nolo seemed to agree, his impassive face showing a rare frown. The rest don't say a word, though Quinn seemed more and more agitated with each step.

"It's there." I stopped and looked up to the place were Celestia was.

Before us was a large outcropping of jagged rock with a castle perched on top of it like a vulture on a tree branch. It was extremely unbalanced with towers in odd locations and seemed to lean to one side: like one good breeze and the entire castle would fall down into the deep chasm below. 

It didn't look like much, the aura surrounding the place was enough to make even Dragons hesitate before it. Truly a place worthy to reside in the Demon Realm.

"So we can just walk up in there?" Blair crosses her arms with a huff. "Piece of cak-......"

I could hear everyone groan as creatures seemed to rise up out of the black ground and stood between us and the castle.

"You just HAD to say something." Barrett grumbles as we got into formation, as the number of creatures grow.

"Lets make a path." I shout as a creature lunges at me.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

3rd person observer

"Hmm." Radna stares down at the small group of people surrounded by creatures. "He came later than I thought."

He turns to look into the shadows with a smirk. "But it's already too late isn't it?"

When he doesn't receive any response from the hidden person, he returns to look back out the window.

"It's too boring to have them die on our doorstep." He waves his hand. "Let's give them a little hope before crushing it." His face twists into a evil grin and laughs as the hidden figure gazes down at Alaric and the rest of his party fought their way into the castle.