Immortal. (Book One) ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Four - Helroute.

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Helroute.

Part One.

The familiar blue oval shone out like a beacon in the deserted forest as the portal deposited the demon hunters in Helroute. They could hear the howls and grunts of the demons in the town across the meadow and down the bank. It was deafening, like a demon party.

Cassandra was here, with no training, but her family depended on these brutes being defeated. She only prayed she would live to see her twenty-second birthday in a few days.

But today was Ava's. And here she was, turning sixteen, about to storm into a city dominated by demons, looking to 'kill the bastard who summoned them' as she would have said.

Jayden, brave as ever, stepped forward first. "So when do we go down there?" He asked, looking down at the city of demons.

Jovah looked to Felicity, who looked at Andrei, who in turn looked baffled at Jayden. "Umm..."

"Not yet." Jovah said.

"So why did we come here now?" Skarlet stepped out of the crowd of demon hunters and took hold of Jayden's hand.

"We need to make sure we get this right. We cannot just go running down there. Just remember, we are not exactly an army, are we? And some haven't had much training."

Cassandra looked down at the stony ground, knowing he meant her, and worried she could be about to ruin everything, or even worse, be devoured by demons.

"Cassandra," her mother said. "Stay with me and do exactly as I tell you "

"Yeah, because mother knows best, right?" Cody said somewhat sarcastically, with a slight hint of malice.

"Excuse me?" Felicity asked, stunned.

"Well you brought her here! You three-" Cody gestured to Felicity, Jovah and Andrei, "-made the decision to come here today, giving her zero chance of training, and, in experience, zero chance of survival. I'm sorry, but this has got to be the most stupid idea you've ever had, Jovah." He paused and glanced as Cassie. "No offense, Cass."

"Well some taken actually." She shot him a look of worry, then took him to one side. "Do you really think I shouldn't be here?"

"Of course. It's nothing against you. I just think you are too inexperienced, too young to die so mercilessly. Our Damon, he was the same age as you, but he died fighting these bastards despite his training and first-hand experience. And, believe me, there are a hell of a lot more demons down there than there was on the day Damon died. We should convince them to send you back-"

"Not happening." Felicity interrupted. Cassie and Cody spun around. "I want her where I can see her. She is my daughter, it's my decision. And that's final-"

"I'm twenty-one! If I don't want to be here then I should go!"

"But you said you wanted to come!"

"I did... Past tense, mother. Hearing that noise down there, hearing about Damon... It's made me realise that this should be handled by the professionals"

"I wouldn't say 'professionals' exactly-" Cody cut in.

"But you know what I mean, Cody. Mom, save Letitia, and the shield. Now send me back... Please."

Felicity sighed and looked back at Jovah, who was talking quietly to Jayden and Zavier, while Skarlet was twirling her silver shimmering sword around playfully, but with some skill... Until she tripped over a log and the sword went clattering to the ground.

Part Two

Limus stood in the centre of the small, dingy room, with a demon grunting slightly in the corner, and Toby holding a thick book firmly in his hands. His black hair was ruffled and dirty, drooping down to his eyes, and his skin looked much paler than it had when he was just "Toby".

Now answering to 'Tobias', a demon hunter gone rogue with the demon blood running through his veins, he looked up at Limus, whose black eyes seemed to shine brightly, his white skin gleaming under the dim light which was, again, flickering. He reached up with his abnormally long arms and swatted the bulb, making it sway but stopped flickering. Now it shone brightly and steadily.

"Did you feel that?"

"Of course not. You hit the bulb, not me."

"Not that, you fool!" Limus lowered his arms slowly after steadying the bulb. "That tremor... A portal, maybe?..." He looked to the tiny window near the ceiling of the underground room they were in. "Maybe your old friends have come looking for my shield..."

"Your shield?"

"Well, it isn't anyone else's, is it?" He raised a thin eyebrow at Tobias.

"No, sir." He looked down at the book in his hands.

"Good lad. Now do me a favour and go out there. See what's happening."

"Are you insane?!"

"Some would say so, but I dispute that." Limus looked smug. "Just do it "

Tobias was making his way out of the room towards the door, placing the book down in a drawer in the desk as he went. He opened the door which led to a flight of rickety stairs when he heard Limus speak again. "Oh, and make sure you don't get noticed. We want them to think we're clueless." He grinned, baring sharp yellowing teeth. Tobias sighed and walked almost silently up the stairs. The building was quiet apart from the odd creak of a floorboard or squeak of the door as he exited the building and entered the demon filled area outside.

The building, to Tobias, looked like a run-down cottage, but it was exceptionally large, with many rooms, and even secret passages, and underground rooms, much like the one he had just been in. As he crossed what he could only describe as an asphalt courtyard, the demons left to run wild were whooshing around him, their howls a more familiar noise now, he tried to shake off the feeling of being watched. Hard to do while in a city full of demons. He came to a small, half-destroyed gate separating him from the meadow and forest beyond the small city streets, and it squeaked loudly as it opened.

My shield, he thought bitterly. After all I have put myself through to get it back for him and he still won't call it ours. He kicked a small rock but accidentally sent it flying high, up the bank and into the trees beyond.

The fact that it came flying back down and hit him in the shoulder was what baffled him...

Part Three.

He raised the bow, and fired the arrow, missing by only a few inches. His target spun around, looking for the culprit, who was nowhere in sight.

Weapon-less, the black-haired boy took shelter behind a crumbling stone wall. When he heard footsteps coming closer, he slowly peered over the top of the wall, still no sign of the shooter.

There was a rustle in the bushes to his left and suddenly another arrow flew towards him.

With only enough time to raise his arms to shield his face, the arrow pierced the right side of his abdomen, sending a searing pain shooting through him. The culprit emerged from the bushes, lowering the bow, smirking.

Breathless from pain, the black-haired boy said, "you've got a hab... a habit of...murdering people, haven't you." He sank down to the floor with a thud, his breathing shallow and he was bleeding profusely. Then the arrow was ripped from his body causing the bleeding to worsen, forming a pool of blood on the ground next to him.

"Your master is next."