Death Before Defeat

Chapter 11

*Disappears, decides to try and not to do it again*

*Proceeds to disappear for 2 months*

Dang time passes quickly, sorry guyys

Anyways, a very late happy new year to you! 2023, how are we feelingg??

<*~*>

The Underworld in between the area’s didn’t get boring, even after an hour of walking through it. Everywhere you looked, there was something new. The blue shimmers on the rocks had returned and gradually changed to a light green, almost yellow color. Different trees appeared, varying from oak to cypress, with translucent fiery red or crisp green leaves.

After a little while, even the sky changed from a dark blue into richer colors. The blue faded into purple, which in turn faded into pink and orange. It looked similar to the sky when the sun started to rise. 

No one seemed to be in the mood for small talk. Veri was flouncing ahead of them, occasionally glancing over his shoulder. He kept picking up the pace, just a bit too fast, as if he was eager to get rid of them.

Not that Elias could blame him, they’d made quite the mess back there. Well, Elias did.

The other two were following silently, gazing at the changing landscape in awe. 

“I really am sorry. I thought I saw a friend of mine.” Elias spoke up, attempting to catch up with the moody God. “I just miss him. I was a little scared he was dead.” He rubbed his neck awkwardly.

Veri sighed. “I’m not mad at you. Well, I was, but now I’m more pissed off with myself for almost letting you get hurt when you are under my protection.”

“Why would you be angry at yourself? We were the ones that ran off, that wasn’t your fault.” Elias frowned.

“It’s still my realm and I am supposed to make sure you don't get in trouble.” He opened his mouth to interrupt again, but Veri continued. “I just want you out of here. It’s nothing personal, but I don’t want to be responsible for your deaths. That would mean that Nebe would win.” 

“Don’t worry, I get it, that would be very bad.” Elias shuddered at the idea.

“Hmm, quite.”

They fell into comfortable silence, walking side by side and observing their surroundings.

“You know he wasn’t always like this. Nebe, I mean. We used to be friends, I enjoyed watching the planets from above and so did he. I used to trust him to help me judge the souls down here, it made it so much easier.” His look grew distant, but he shook himself out of it quickly and he shrugged. “Makes you think about where it all went wrong.” 

<*~*>

“We’re nearly there.” Veri said after a while. “You can see the gates of Rædar right over there.” He stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow at them. “Now I don’t think the souls will give you much trouble, but you never know. So for the sake of arr klak’t lærr, do not wander off.”

The three smiled sheepishly. “We won’t, promise.” Aza said.

Veri pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something under his breath. 

The gate was made of delicately sculpted ruby, following an elegant design. The diamond branches twirled around each other, loosely resembling the twigs of an ailanthus altissima (the tree of Heaven). A little on the nose, but it looked gorgeous.