Casey McCloud Escapes from Hell

Episode VIII: Battle at the Edge of Hell

They had arrived. 

The Edge of Hell stood before them, a large slab of rock, very similar to a mountain face. Casey touched it. It seemed so surreal, being here. After all this time.

"I am afraid I must leave you now," Gersato said sadly. "You have done your end of the deal, and I have done mine. I am afraid this is where I depart."

Casey turned towards the mighty dragon. First Calvin, now Gersato. This was too many goodbyes.

"Casey McCloud, Survivor of the Swarm, Slayer of Hans the Grabby and the Night of Mare, it has been an honor to serve you." The great dragon dipped its head.

"Gersato the Great, it has been an honor to serve you.' Casey dipped her head as well.

'Winston the Fly," Gersato looked towards the little light hovering above Casey's head. "Take care of this girl, alright?"

"Aye-aye Captain!" fly replied cheerfully.

"Now Casey, put your hand on my nose, so that I make take the Precious Flame, and bring it with me, so that it will be safe."

The dragon lowered its mighty head, and Casey rested her hand between his nostrils. She felt the flame's energy leave her and enter the dragon, and she suddenly felt tired and worn. The dragon nodded his head.

"Good luck on your journey, Casey McCloud," Gersato said as he lifted is head and spread his wings. "And remember, to scale this wall shall take patience. Don't try and rush it." With a single flap of his wings, Gersato the Great departed. He flew steady and strong, and did not look back. In his grasp was Jewel the Hellhound. They had agreed to return her home. She had done her job well.

Casey let out a loud sigh. She looked up at Winston, who was still above her head.

"Shall we?" She asked.

"We shall," Winston replied. Casey turned towards the wall and rested her hand on the stone. Then, an arrow struck the wall inches from where her hand was.

Casey turned and there, about a hundred yards away, stood Horace the Horrible. Behind him were thousands upon thousands of clay men, all with swords and spears and arrows. Casey now understood what Gersato meant when he said the army was "inactive". Horace could start them up whenever he pleased.

"CASEY MCCLOUD!" Horace yelled. "COME AND MEET YOUR DOOM!"

Casey groaned. "I really don't have time for this."

A thousand arrows were pointed at her. There was nowhere to hide. They were going to shoot her, over and over, until they felt she and her doom had had a proper meeting. Casey closed her eyes. This was going to hurt. She heard the sound of a thousand arrows fly...

And felt no pain. Casey opened her eyes. To the left of her was an army. A different army than the one in front of her. It was an army of humans.

They were all different shapes, sizes, ages, and colors. And they were led by a tall woman with flowing blonde hair. Her armor was silver and gold and she rode a six-legged horse. She had a double-bladed sword, which she raised to the sky.

"CASEY MCCLOUD!" she screamed. "OUR DESTINIES MEET AT LAST!"

"Miranda Darkheart!" Horace snarled. "Leader of the Free Hellites."

Miranda Darkheart grinned and screamed, "CHARGE!!!"

Her army of men and woman crashed into the clay people, and war began.

War is incredibly common in a place like Hell. Take all of the worst people in the messed-up world and put them into poor living conditions and you have a recipe for disaster. But this war was actually one of the more important in the history of Hell. The reasons for that, though, are an entirely different story.

Casey watched as the two armies fought. It was loud. The clanging of steel, the battle cries, the moaning of the wounded. Miranda Darkheart was furiously slashing away at the clay men, her sword flashing with every strike. It was quite majestic.

"CASEY!" Winston yelled. A clay man with a spear attacked from Casey's left. She jumped out of its reach and stabbed her sword into its gut, then spun in a circle, cutting one in half that was coming up behind her.

Winston whistled. "You've gotten pretty good with that thing, babe!"

"Thank you," Casey responded.

Miranda Darkheart was no battling Horace the Horrible. The two of them were in an intricate dance, hacking and slashing away. There were plenty of ducks and dived, but it appeared that Horace had the upper hand. Their blades locked, sparks flew, and Miranda Darkheart was using all of her energy to hold him back. She turned, saw Casey watching, and yelled from the other side of the battlefield; "CASEY GO! CLIMB! THE FATE OF THIS BATTLE AND OF HELL DEPENDS ON YOU MAKING IT TO THE TOP! CO, NOW!!!"

Casey didn't understand. The fate of this battle? And of Hell? How could she possibly be responsible for all of that? But she decided now was not the right time to sit and dwell on it.

"Let's climb," Winston said to her. "I'll lead you up, find the right footholds. Give you a safe path." Casey nodded and turned back towards the wall.

This was it. The one moment she had to define herself. This was where Casey McCloud had to prove that she was worthy. Prove that she could put her flaws behind her in the most flawed place in existence.

She put one hand on the wall. Gripped it tightly. Put her other hand up. Took a deep breath. Lifted herself off the ground.

And the ascent began.