Era of Wrath (Chrim Chronicles #2)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Gaspar

Ahead loomed a wall made of skulls. Inside their eye sockets were eyes of all colors, turning and looking around. A shiver travelled along my spine, lifting the hairs on my neck. From beside me Tavi watched me, searching for my attention, but I pretended not to notice. The men holding spears gathered in front of the iron gate in a two stiff rows. Their commander threw us a look as he walked past us with a grunt. The white marble in his eye looked odd next to the eyes moving about inside the lone skulls.

The gates swished open to which the Commander's long, black hair blew around. The two rows of warriors marched with their commander up front, and us in their middle. We cautiously looked around as we followed them at a rapid pace. It was more blue grass, along with tall bones aged yellow sticking out like claws.

A music began to play bringing forth tunes that reminded me of violins and we came to an abrupt halt. The warriors moved aside and the Commander dropped on his knees. We had a clear view when the red horse appeared, riding it was a giant of a man clothed in a soldier's uniform colored as red as the horse he sat on and the golden crown resting over his sleek dark hair was embedded with blinking eyes instead of jewels. He rode past the kneeling commander and the moment he parked next to us the music stopped playing.

With a soft smile he gazed down at us. "Welcome." His voice sounded clear and soothing, the kind of voice everyone wished to hear stories from, but his face was of the kind no one would want to encounter; small black eyes with no white and no iris and skin torn open and showing what looked like decaying flesh. I exchanged a glance with Tavi and swallowed. When looking back at him, we dropped on our knees. "Rise," he said as he stepped off his horse.

"Duke Berith," I said with a small bow. "It is an honor to be in your presence."

Tavi at his turn also attempted a bow, managing only to slightly slouch forward. "Great Duke Berith."

The Duke put his hands behind his back and observed us thoroughly, even our shoulders and elbows were of his interest. "So, yer the supreme demons I heard so much about." He took a step forward and laid his hands on my shoulders, eyeing my face and my neck and my legs, then repeated the same with Tavi. "Hm." After taking a step backwards, he shrugged and shook his head. "I don't see the supremacy. I could crush both of ye in a second. At the same time. Tell me, my sons, what is so supreme about the Original Seven?"

"We were created in mankind's image," Tavi said.

"Aren't we all?" The Duke replied.

"We were born on Earth as humans," I added. "Yet we are the pure products of Hell, whereas everyone else here are either spirits or exiled Angels. There are none like us."

The Duke blinked a few times, looking like he'd just heard the most ludicrous story in his lifetime. Then he frowned. "Hm. Can ye tell the past, present, and the future?"

Tavi shook his head. "No."

"I can." Great Duke Berith snorted. "Can ye turn water into gold?"

"No," I said.

"I can," the Duke said with a chuckle, clearly amused now. "Can ye cause great wars among mankind and even influence their outcome?"

Tavi and I looked at one another, then shook our heads and mumbled, "No."

The Duke patted his chest. "I can." At this point, it was rather clear that the Great Duke Berith was mocking us. "Can ye make men and women fall in love with a flick of yer finger, and make them hate one another with that same ease?"