Darksiders: Among the Shadows (Book 2)

Zacrieal; The Supreme General

"Down, put me DOWN!" Damiana growled, trying to undo Death's grip.
"If I put you down, you'll just run off back to that thing." Death said simply, ignoring Damiana's hisses of protest.
Damiana sighed dramatically and allowed Death the carry her without any sound of protest. When the two came up to the front door of the castle, Death finally
spoke.
"You've gotten lighter, Damiana, this makes my life a lot easier."
"Sure, sure, whatever..."Damiana grumbled, looking down at the floor.
Death sighed and gently placed Damiana back onto the ground.
"You don't...seem to be under anything now."
"That's because I never was, you interrupted my interrogation." Damiana mumbled, opening the door.
"Your mother is in hell, there's no chan-"
"I know, Death, I'm fully aware of this. But, ot doesn't hurt to try...also, I cannot stay dormant for too long of a time." Damiana looked back at Death and studied his mask.
"Lilith told me of Misery..." she said quietly, watching the suprise creep into the usually emotionless Death's eyes.
Death and Damiana stood motionless for a few minutes, both staring at each other in the eye. One with intrest and the other with detached despair.
"You do look a lot like her..." Death said, voice almost inaudible.
"I've been told that a lot."
"That's why you weren't to go off by yourself...it was my delusion that you were Misery and I needed to protect you; something I failed to do countless of centuries before." Death walked past Damiana to get to the door.
"Hey, it wasn't your fault." Damiana mumbled, grabbing Death's arm as he passed.
Death, refusing to look at her, sighed deeply and gently moved strands of black hair from Damiana's eyes.
"Yes...it was." was all he said.
Damiana frowned and reached up to touch the surface of the first horseman's mask, only to have Death shudder and edge away. "What have you gathered from Lilith?" Death said, quickly changing the subject.
"All she really said was how a demon was elected to an equivalent to a general in Hell...almost equal Lucifer himself."
"Then, I guess you and War should get to Hell and see what else you can figure out." Death said as the two walked towards the awaiting War.
"You're not coming?" Damiana and War asked in unison.
"No...I need to go...do something else." Death said half heartedly.
★★★★★★★
"So...you know of Misery?" War asked, casting a glance over at the unusually quiet Damiana.
Damiana nodded and continued looking forward, keeping her face impassive.
"We...well, he and Fury, really, meant to tell you...but you are too you-"
"That's the only excuse you guys have, entertain me and find a new excuse!" Damiana growled, flashing War an angered look.
War rolled his eyes and pressed forward, thinking deeply about the youngest horseman's statement.
"Sorry....There's a lot on my mind right now...I didn't mean to snap like that." Damiana said quietly after going without talking for half an hour.
War simply nodded and continued thinking, face twisting as the thoughts raced through his mind.
'What if Muriel isn't...' War thought guiltily, knowing how Hell could change a person...
Even if that person is an archangel...
Damiana frowned as she guessed what War was thinking and absent mindedly fiddled with her amulet. The now purple gem gleamed in the harsh sun as the two horsemen galloped past quiet areas, castingg an ominous glow.
'Mother...Muriel....please still be okay.'
"Did you hear me?" War asked, looking over at Damiana.
"Huh? No...what did you say?"
"I said; if your mother is still okay and alive...would you consider leaving us?"
Damiana made a curt sigh and started chuckling softly.
"What's so funny?" War retorted, feeling a strange pang of hurt.
"You, I wouldn't leave." Damiana chortled.
"You guys are my family, I can't leave you!"
War smiled and nodded, urging Ruin on past Betrayal.
★★★★★★★★★
Ruin trotted alongside Betrayal, who was avoiding the many spouts of fire that errupted from the ground. The two horses and their riders had came upon Hell and had been wandering for hours, wondering where to start their investigation.
"I believe you should've asked Lilith Where we have to go."
'Hush, I think...this way, my demon senses are tingling." Damiana smiled, remembering life before this.
"Huh?"
"Nevermind, this way!" Damiana flicked Betrayal's reins and went down a stone and fire corridor.
After awhile, Betrayal reared up and made a startled roar, flinging Damiana out of the saddle.
"You seem to fall out of saddle often." A voice smiled when strong arms caught her.
"Oh, hey Custos!" Damiana grinned, looking up at the red eyed rogue demon.
Custos' smile deepened and he set Damiana down, ignoring the lax glare the red horseman was giving him.
"Funny, I don't believe we met." War muttered, trying to be civil.
"That's because we haven't." Custos rolled his eyes, making sure Damiana didn't see.
War tightened his jaw and glowered over at Damiana.
"Well, we need to go-"
"Oooooh, that's right, Custos; do you know of there is a Zacrieal...and where is he?"
"Zacrieal?" Custos raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, trying to remember.
"Damiana..." War warned, not trusting this...thing at all.
"Ah, I know of who you are speaking of! This way;" Custos nodded once, turning to walk down the opposite path.
Like a dog, Damiana skipped after Custos, already beginning to talk his ear off.
"The people Damiana encounters..." War sighed, patting Ruin's neck absent-mindedly.
Soon, the trio started the seemingly long trek to Zacrieal' chamber of Hell.
·························
"So, Zacrieal was a fallen angel...then he turned into a supreme General of Hell?" Damiana echoed, trying to picture what Zacrieal would look like.
"Yep...why are you seeking Zacrieal?"
"Oh! I-" Damiana started.
War cleared his throat and looked at Damiana sharply from the side.
"Um...just interested?" Damiana asked, looking at War for confirmation.
"Not only do they coddle you, but they monitor what you say," Custos looked at War.
"Pathetic."
"WE did not 'coddle' Damiana and you should stick to your business or I'll make you stick to it!" The red horseman threatened.
"You and your brothers' threats have no effect on me. If you didn't coddle Damiana, why did you all now just recently allow her to venture off alone?" Custos hissed.
"And I see you still have the urge to monitor her."
Damiana stayed silent as the two bickered over her, slowly but surely getting annoyed with every step. On top of stressing if whether or not her mother was alive, if Zacrieal indeed knew anything that can aid her in rescuing her mother, Custos was reviving bad blood that stirred in Damiana' heart.
'Ohmygo- hush!' Damiana bit her lip.
"Hey, can you hear me?"
Damiana blinked and stopped walking, unknown to War and Custos.
"Who said that?" Damiana said under her breath.
"Who else could it be, moron?" Zareal taunted, appearing next to Damiana in a flickering manner.
"Wow, you're really here?!"
"Um, no, I'm projecting my sub conscious mind and I wanted to use you as my practice dummy..." Zareal turned and looked towards the rogue demon and horseman.
"But I see you are busy. What are you doing?" Zareal glanced back at Damiana with curious gold eyes.
"Well...I'm looking for Zacrieal..."
"Zacrieal? I thought he was dead since there was nothing on him in the living files of angels..." Zareal mumbled, studying his arm in intrest.
"Well-"
"You know...I sense something...odd....come this way." Zareal said, walking down a dark and twisted corridor.
Damiana looked over at the two and opened her mouth, but slowly closed it and shook her head.
"Oh well, they'll figure out I'm not with them soon enough."
. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Damiana and Zareal soon came up to a wide corridor leading to a seemingly large expanse of lava and rock.
"It's in there...maybe its what you're looking for!" Zareal said hopefully.
Damiana nodded once and started walking towards the entrance. Zareal twisted his mouth and went after Damiana, fluttering just above her head.
"You know, all those times where you begged me to kiss you-"
"I had no choice."
"Yeah, you were actually doing me a favor."
Damiana chuckled and smiled back at Zareal.
"Oh, I am honored."
"As you should be...seriously, I haven't met anyone quite like you, Damiana, you genuinely intrest me."
Damiana rolled her eyes and trotted to the enterance, looking around the vast area.
"You should-" Damiana looked back over her shoulder and found herself frowning.
"Hang back...okay." Damiama huffed, slightly angered by the fact that Zareal wasn't there.
Sighing deeply, Damiana stalked into the chamber and looked around. In the center of the chamber, a large rock like landing was erected from the ground. Standing on top was a large bat winged creature, hunched over a woman's body.
"It took you long enough..." The thing said, turning to look over at Damiana.
As it turned around to gaze at Damiana, its hand gripped the woman's wing and slowly tore it out of the socket. The woman stifled a scream, not wanting to give the demon pleasure of hearing her scream.
"Who...are you and what are you doing!?" Damiana called, running up to the rock.
The woman...she looked so...familiar.
"I think you know who I am...I heard you have been looking for me..." The demon smiled, showing is rows of sharp teeth.
"Zacrieal...?" Damiana mouthed.
"I am called that by very few people, horseman" Zacrieal chuckled, throwing the now wing less angel to the side.
The angel crashed against the ground and slid to a stop a few yards away from Damiana. Instinctively, Damiana rushed over to the woman and knelt down over her motionless body. With an unsteady hand, she slowly stroked the angel's soft cheek, hoping she would open her eyes.
"You don't seem...evil..." Zacrieal mumbled, jumping down from the rock.
"What did you do to my..." Damiana breathed, feeling her chest starting to compress.
She cupped the round angel's face with both hands and brought it closer, studying every feature that was laid across her perfect face.
"Mother?" She begged Muriel.
"I do not sense the....Impossible! I sold your soul to my lord and you're not even-Luicifer will have my head!" Zarcieal cried out, unfrilling his wings in anger.
"What?" Damiana stammered, looking up from Muriel's face.
"Never you mind, le-"
"Its Your fault my life has been a living hell?!" She said shakily, slowly standing up.
"And of it was?"
Anger clouding her better judgement, Damiana took up her two blade and raised one in a threatening manner at Zacrieal.
"Are you challenging me, girl?" Zacrieal scoffed, sitting down on his haunches in amusement.
"You're going to explain yourself to me...right now." Damiana said quietly, stepping over Muriel's body.
"How angry would the Concil be if I brought them your head? Come on then, show me how powerful you are!"