Inferno Of Desire

Chapter 53: Rallying the Abyssal Forces

The Abyss loomed before them as they ventured out of the Black Archives, the air thick with dark energy that pulsed in rhythm with the very heart of the forsaken realm.

Seraphine, Azrael, Kael, and Lirael moved swiftly through the shadowed corridors, their steps barely making a sound on the jagged, blackened stones beneath them.

They had returned to unite the forces of the Abyss under one banner to face the Voidbringer and its impending destruction.

Seraphine led the way, her silver wings tucked close to her body, her focus on the path ahead.

Azrael was beside her, his fiery eyes scanning for any threats, while Kael and Lirael flanked them, their presence a steady reassurance.

"After gathering the abyssal forces, do you think we should all go back to the Celestial Realm or send a word to them?" Kael asked Seraphine.

"I don't know how much allies we would be able to gather, but taking all the abyssal forces to Heaven would be difficult, no?" Lirael said.

"It's a bad idea," Seraphine replied - kicking her feet against a loose stone, "It's better for both realms to meet at a truce point."

"I agree. The Sanctuary is the best choice of place to gather both forces." Azrael added.

"I'll send a word to the Celestial Realm." Seraphine spoke.

Her holy light began to glow brightly as she began to mumble some words. She conjured a holy majestic bird - the Sacred Ibis.

The bird was a symbol of communication, exploration, transition, and trust between the sender and the recipient.

Seraphine mumbled words to the bird, and soon, it took flight until it went out of their eyesight.

"Wow! I didn't know angels could do that." Kael cheered.

"There are many other things an angel like me can do." Seraphine smiled proudly.

"Shall I send a word to Aethor too? To save us time for explanation when we reach him?" Azrael smiled slyly.

"Oh, show off!" Seraphine laughed.

And immediately, Azrael conjured a bird - a complete contrast to Seraphine’s holy bird.

It was the Anhinga - the devil's bird known for its viciousness, mystery, and precision.

"There are many other things a demon like me can do." Azrael said with a proud smile, and the others chuckled.

The journey back had been arduous, but now that they had returned, they could sense the growing tension in the air.

The Abyss itself seemed to pulse with a greater sense of urgency, as if it knew what was coming. They were heading toward Aethor, the demon who had pledged his loyalty to their cause.

He had been gathering allies, forces from the deepest reaches of the Abyss who understood the danger of the Voidbringer and the need for unity.

As they approached the gathering place, the familiar, towering form of Aethor came into view. His obsidian armor gleamed under the faint, flickering light of the Abyss, and his wings stretched out behind him like a dark shroud.

Around him, clusters of demons had assembled — some with fierce, glowing eyes, others with monstrous forms twisted by the dark energy of the Abyss.

But all of them had come for the same purpose: to stand against the encroaching annihilation.

“Aethor,” Seraphine called out as they approached, her voice carrying the weight of their mission. “We’ve returned.”

Aethor turned, his sharp features illuminated by the flickering light of the Abyss. His voice was low, but it rumbled like the depths of the earth. “Seraphine, Azrael. You’ve come at a crucial time. The others have gathered.”

Azrael stepped forward, his wings flaring slightly. “What’s the status of the forces? How many have agreed to join us?”

Aethor’s gaze swept over the assembled demons. “We have more than I expected. Not all are convinced, but many understand the gravity of the situation. The Voidbringer is a threat to us all — Abyssal or Celestial. It makes no distinction.”

Seraphine nodded, her eyes scanning the crowd.

There were more demons here than she had hoped for, a testament to Aethor’s influence.

She caught sight of familiar faces among the throng — demons they had encountered in previous battles, their loyalties now forged in the crucible of shared survival.

She also saw new faces, some twisted with suspicion, and others with a grim determination that matched her own.

Kael stepped forward, his voice cutting through the murmurs. “We need them all to understand that this isn’t just about the Abyss or the Celestial Realm. If the Voidbringer rises, it will devour everything. Our only hope is to stand together.”

Aethor nodded in agreement. “There are still some who resist. Demons who are loyal to the old ways, who refuse to believe that anything could threaten the Abyss itself. But they are few. I’ve gathered those who are willing to fight.”

As Aethor spoke, a demon with jagged, stone-like skin approached. His voice was rough, and his eyes burned with distrust. “Why should we follow you?” The demon spat, glaring at Azrael. “You were once cast out. What makes you think you can lead us now?”

Azrael met the demon’s gaze without flinching, his voice calm but filled with authority. “I was cast out, yes, but I never abandoned the fight. I’ve faced the Abyss and the Celestial Realm, and I understand the darkness we are up against. The Voidbringer will consume all — there will be no Abyss left to fight for if we do not unite.”

The demon sneered, but before he could respond, Lirael stepped forward, her hair shimmering in the Abyss’s dark glow. “Azrael has proven his loyalty time and time again. You may doubt him, but you can not doubt the threat we face. If we do not stand together, we will all fall, one by one.”

There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd, and the stone-skinned demon hesitated before stepping back into the throng. Azrael exchanged a glance with Lirael, grateful for her timely intervention.

Aethor, sensing the shift in the crowd, raised his voice. “Enough of this. We don’t have time for doubt. The Voidbringer is real, and it is coming. We have the opportunity to stop it, but only if we act now.”

There was a heavy silence, the weight of Aethor’s words settling over the assembled demons. Slowly, one by one, they began to nod, their resolve hardening.

Seraphine stepped forward, her voice clear and commanding. “We have learned about the Voidbringer. And soon, the Celestial forces would join us at the Sanctuary. Together, we will forge a path to victory.”

The crowd stirred, a renewed sense of purpose filling the air.

Azrael felt the shift, the demons’ once-fractured loyalties slowly coalescing into a united front. But there was still much to be done.

Seraphine’s gaze swept over the assembled forces, a sense of both hope and urgency filling her chest.

They had gathered allies, but the battle ahead would be unlike any they had faced before.

The Voidbringer was a force of pure destruction, a creature that even the Abyss feared. But together, they would face it.

Azrael stepped forward, his voice steady. “We march to war, not just for the Abyss or the Celestial Realm, but for the survival of all realms. The Voidbringer will fall, or we will die trying.”

The crowd erupted in a roar of agreement, the demons’ voices rising in unison, their loyalties now bound to a common cause.

The Abyss had never been a place of unity, but for the first time, they were all standing together against the encroaching darkness.

Soon, the troop set out on the path to the Sanctuary - a long treacherous journey.