Guardians Of The Arcane Chronicles

Chapter 17: On Death's Door (Part One)

Felix felt solid enough despite being able to see through his hand slightly, which was a huge relief. His astral form pulsated as he tested his powers, feeling it flood his 'body' with energy. Good, I still have access to all of it. He turned to the floating mass of shadow hovering beside him.

"Welcome to Purgatory, Felix." The shadow shifted and formed a hooded figure draped in an overwhelming dark red cape. An emerald aura shimmered around him as he lifted his hood, revealing the familiar face of Necromancer Orpheus Caesar.

"You look different." Felix grinned. "Badass, even. Actually, everything looks different since the last time I visited. Did Purgatory get a makeover or something?"

"Purgatory is an impossibly huge place. It is highly unlikely that the path your sister took would be the same as the one your soul was naturally drawn to." Orpheus' voice sounded darker and slightly distorted. "We are pilgrims in an unholy place, my friend. Let us make haste."

He pointed at a floating mountain in the distance. "There, the mountain of final judgement. That would be Marcia's final destination. We have to catch her before she gets there."

Felix walked along the singular path marked by the green shade of grass among a sea of purple. Cosy looking trees surrounded it, shading them from the warm gaze of the blue sun above them. Everything looked so normal that Felix could have easily confused it for the real world, until he noticed the waterfalls in the distance.

'Waterfalls' was not a particularly apt name, especially since the 'water' resembled flowing lava instead. Molten magma spilled over the edge of a cliff, but it was locked in position as though it was merely a background picture. Felix looked at the sky in confusion, finally noticing that the clouds were not moving despite the constant breeze blowing through his hair.

A cooling wave washed over him, and he found himself on a narrow ledge this time. As usual, his surroundings seemed frozen in time, except for two shimmering rivers running on both sides of his path. The one on his right was a bright golden in colour, while the other was so clear that it looked almost invisible. He reached out to touch it, but the rivers only seemed to get further away the closer his fingers got to them.

"Don't bother," Orpheus muttered. "Time is frozen in Purgatory, except in the rivers of life and death. Souls will be directed to the correct river mouth when it is time for them to head into the afterlife."

"So Afterlife doesn't exist in the present?" Felix asked incredulously.

"The final judgement only occurs at the end of time." Orpheus nodded. "That's why we cannot touch the rivers now. They transport souls through time like a one-way train ticket."

Felix's heart increased its pace.

"C'mon, let's get to Marcia quickly," he said, hastening his footsteps. His surroundings changed again as though on cue, and the duo found themselves in an abandoned town in the middle of a desert. The floating mountain was a lot closer now. Felix beckoned to his friend to hurry, but Orpheus did not follow him.

"We're not alone," he whispered. Felix looked around; his friend was right. Pinpoints of red peeked through the windows of the abandoned shophouses as high pitched murmurings began to fill the air.

"I have good news and bad news for us." Orpheus covered his head with his hood again. "Which do you want to hear first?"

"This isn't the time for jokes, my friend." Felix raised his fists, covering them in a magenta glow.

"The good news is, we are surrounded by the spirits of meta stillborns." The Necromancer chuckled. "Which means Marcia should be very nearby."

"And the bad news?"

"They want to kill us for trespassing."

A ball of smoke rolled out of a broken door and re-formed itself into the shape of a toddler. More 'babies' leapt out of the buildings and surrounded the duo. They would have easily passed for adorable as their tiny round bodies hopped up and down in some kind of tantrum. That was, until they opened their mouths.

Felix covered his ears as banshee-like screams filled the air. The spirits snarled at them, revealing a set of sharpened teeth too numerous to fit in their tiny maw. He stepped to the side, narrowly dodging one hurling itself in his way. It crashed into another with a squeal, but they simply bounced back to their feet.

Chaos ensued.

The round balls of smoke morphed into spindly humanoid figures that towered over the duo. Claws grew out of the spirits' swirling appendages as multiple red eyes materialised all over their bodies. Felix's mouth dropped in horror.

He raised a barrier, blocking the spirits' sharpened claws from gouging his eyes out. But it took a lot more to blot out the sound. His ears stung and his head spun as the spirits wailed in that same grating high pitched voice. Felix let out a scream himself at barely a fraction of the noise, and pushed all of them back with a blast of psychic energy. The shadows crashed into the walls of the abandoned buildings and disintegrated upon impact.

Yet more crimson points peeked out from the dark corners of the shophouses. Felix stretched a hand in an effort to pull the building down on the never ending wave of spirits, but he felt nothing. He hissed in realisation. His surroundings did not exist; they were merely mirages just like the lava waterfalls at the entrance. The frustrated boy growled. Time was running out, and the spirits only seemed to be increasing in numbers.

"Infant denizens of blackest night, bend to my command!"

Emerald light rippled through the spirits, coating them in a greenish hue. They wailed as though in fear as the magical energy reigned them in. Orpheus continued muttering under his breath, absorbing hundreds of spirits into his body while Felix stared at him in awe and slight fear.

"Well, someone's been working out." Felix smirked as the Necromancer ended his spell, now shrouded in a fog with dark green tinge. The remaining spirits scattered themselves and the town disappeared, revealing a path filled with orbs of light. They flowed along at a steady pace, almost as if they were guided by some sort of current.

"Told you so," Orpheus said. "Necromancers grow exponentially in power when it comes to matters of the dead."

"Marcia!" Felix pointed at an orb nearly indistinguishable from the rest and rushed to it. He pulled it from the current, sobbing as he held it close to himself.

"How do you know that's her?" Orpheus asked. "It looks just like all the other souls to me."

"I'd recognise her psychic signature anywhere." Felix's eyes were still glowing. "Oh, my dear sister... It's alright; I'm here for you. We're going home now, alright? We're going home..."

"Yeah, we better leave before- Woah!"

The ground shifted before their feet as their surroundings shimmered and changed. The duo found themselves back between the rivers of life and death again, although there was a figure blocking their path back this time. It was partially hidden in a dark fog, so they walked cautiously towards him. The fog parted away soon enough, and his face was illuminated by the dim orange glow of lava behind him.

"That's not possible... What's happening?" Orpheus breathed in shock, but Felix was not as calm. His body flared with power.

"Who are you?" he yelled at the boy. "Why are you wearing my face?"

The boy who looked exactly like Felix gave them a sinister smile.

"What a curious question, mortal." He chuckled. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am your demon, Felix Pagonis. As for who I am..."

The boys tensed their bodies apprehensively as the demon grew slightly larger in stature.

"I am Satan."