The Virtues' Magecraft

Page 76: Into The Fire and Brimstone

Within just a few hours came nightfall, and Alexander reached Purgatorio. The castle stood in between the red mountains Furcas had mentioned, and while the ranges that encased the valley all appeared monotonous and uniform, Alexander knew which was the one.

One mountain kept a leveled peak as if it had been sliced to be completely flat and tipped with white stone.

The valley was clear and visible even without any sunlight, even with darkness and clouds looming over him and Shadowfax. Perhaps that was the one advantage of the clouds lighting up with orange and red lights, glowing with the heat of flame.

Whatever it was, it didn't seem good.

And so, Shadowfax didn't halt her flight just outside the castle. Instead, she crashed through the gates and into the wooden doors, hurtling herself and Alexander inside.

In the next instant, Alexander jumped and rolled off the dragon and onto the ground, lunging toward the only threat he saw. Shadowfax had already begun reverting back to a smaller state.

All the while, Alexander shoved Mephisto to the wall, the stone behind him cracking under the weight of Alexander's force. "Where's Kieran?!"

"Where he wishes to be," Mephisto muttered through his now-grinning lips. "Your entire quest has been to find his mother, hasn't it been? Their reunion is one he is cherishing as we speak."

"You're joking."

Mephisto shook his head and pointed to the side. "I may be a devil, but I am not one who lies." As Alexander turned to where Mephisto's finger was aimed, as his eyes widened at the sight of Kieran's limp body lying over a stone block, Mephisto spoke again with his grin. "Don't worry. He's still alive and breathing. Still... His body is soulless right now."

Alexander spoke through his grit teeth, pulling Mephisto closer and slamming him back into the wall in the same instant. "What the hell did you do?"

"You see... He's alive," Mephisto proclaimed, wincing and sucking air through his teeth as the painful impact swelled in the muscles and lack thereof of his back. "The only reason he made it to the UnderWorld was that he found one of the very, very, very few pathways between here and Earth. Unfortunately, living beings can't enter Purgatorio. Only souls, like yourself, can. But the boy was rather impatient, so I offered him the cure to his ailments. I transported his soul into Purgatorio. I would've had to do the same thing to him if we waited until after you arrived, considering the purpose of your quest."

"Get him out."

"Uh-uh. You see..." he said with a devilish smile. "By now, I'm sure he's found his mother's soul. From now, all he has to do is hold on tight and pull with every fiber of willpower he has. That way, his soul will return to his body and his mother's soul will exit her condemnation. If I take him out now... It'll all be over for him. His mother's soul will be lost once again, and it'll all be your fault."

"How..." Alexander released the grip of his clenched fists. Now free, Mephisto slithered to the side and headed for the seating area. Waiting there were cups of steaming tea, complimented with goods and snacks. "How long until he makes it out, then?"

Mephisto sat down. "Who knows? Likely a couple of hours more, since he entered just a hundred minutes ago. Please, sit, so I can explain the rest."

He continued, "I'm sure you'll understand this metaphor. He- Well, his soul is in a prison, loose among all other prisoners. They are latching onto him in an attempt to escape, even while he keeps his focus on finding his mother. Odds are, Kieran won't succeed. After all, every soul carries weight."