Caught in the Fire

Chapter XXVII: Long Way to Earth

Mazikeen was in Michael's arms as he flew toward the gates of Hell, knowing full well that it was a race against time. He'd been stabbed by Dromos and every drop of blood he shed over Hell took him one instant closer to his death. They needed to reach Earth and find one of Lucifer's feathers to heal him so that they could free Lucifer, but his strength was waning. She could tell. They were flying too slow, they were losing height, and seemed to keep slowing down and flying lower and lower. Still, the gates were nowhere to be seen.

"You're flying low," she finally told him, "Go higher. We don't want my siblings to spot us."

"I am trying," he hissed out before painfully batting his wings and reaching greater heights, unable to contain a cry of pain.

She rubbed his back between his wings, soothing him, and he rewarded her with a grateful look. "Can you fly faster?" she urged him, trying not to sound worried, "We're racing against time here."

"How are we to reach the gates of Hell in time?" he asked in desperation, "They are at least days away at this speed. At most, I have a scant few hours before I no longer have the strength to fly, and then another few hours before I lose consciousness, and ultimately, it will not be long before... before..."

"Don't think about that," she said sternly before gesturing in a general direction across the vastness of Hell, "Just keep flying that way, okay? There's a way to shave days off our travel time, but we need to get there first. And you need to stop with the doom and gloom, okay? Because it's not hopeless!"

"How?" he asked with desperation.

"You ever hear of train stations?"

Michael gave her an inquisitive look at the odd question, but she insisted, so he answered. "I have heard of trains," he answered haltingly, still looking confused, "It feels like I was hit by one called 'Dromos'. Now I am at death's door..."

"Okay, so, there are these Hell Loops that act like train stations. You go in there, go through a door, and it's like taking a train to a remote part of Hell. After we go through, we'll only be minutes away from the gates. So, just keep flying and let me worry about the rest, okay?"

"That..." He couldn't help smiling through the pain. "That is a comforting thought."

"How did you think demons got around Hell anyway?" she teased him, trying to keep things light, "There are thousands and thousands of us and billions of Hell Loops, you know."

"I imagined you were quite used to walking," he said with a wry smile, "I knew I could not do this without you."

Mazikeen smiled, liking that for the first time in forever, she felt needed, and more than just as a replacement for someone. "Well, just be on your guard," she warned him, "My siblings are idiots, but they'll have the same idea and they'll be scouring those for any sign of you."

"Very well, but in case I do not make it..."

"We will make it," she said with a hard tone.

"I am a warrior," he said with a sigh, "We always plan for the unthinkable. I will pray to Amenadiel and have him fly to the gates in the coming days. Should I not make it..."

"We will make it!" she yelled again.

"But should I not..." he breathed out, seemingly struggling to keep his eyes open, "I do not want to leave you stranded... in Hell..."

"Ugh. Fine, pray to him or whatever." She watched as he closed his eyes and looked deep in prayer, and she rolled her eyes. "But we don't need Amenadiel's help." She waited for a response, but he wasn't listening. "Michael?" She saw his face going slack and his wings going limp as they started plummeting. Horrified, she started shaking him, trying to snap him out of it. "...Michael!"