The Fight for the Trident

Chapter 6 - Section 2

Johnny sighed, flipping through a book aimlessly. "Nothing."

Tony threw a scroll onto the table in frustration, his form flickering violently and causing the fires to waver. "How is it so hard to find out the location of Hell?!" he snapped.

Maria didn't look up from the stone she was translating with Iggy's help. "Ignis inferni... iam luce... sanguinem sacrificium..." Maria read slowly.

"'The fires of Hell... past the light of day... blood sacrifice-' These people really want to hide Hell's gates, don't they?" Iggy mumbled.

"If you were the Devil, you'd want to hide Hell, too," Amerael responded. "It's not pleasant."

Johnny groaned. "Amerael, you're sure you can't tell us where it is?"

"Positive."

"Dammit." Johnny slammed the book shut. "We've been at this for three hours!"

"We have to figure out where it is," Maria said, looking up from the stone. "If we don't, how are we ever going to find the Devil himself?"

"What's going on?" Sydney said from the doorway.

Everyone turned in surprise. "M-Miss Beaureguard!" Iggy stammered.

Sydney rose an eyebrow. "Late afternoon study session or-?"

"They're researching Hell and Lucifer," Amerael explained. "They had his trident; they want to explain the situation to him."

Sydney looked around. "Then where's Susanne?"

"She hasn't come back...?" Johnny asked slowly.

"Back? Back from what?"

The three paled and jumped to their feet, racing past Sydney and into the living room. "Susanne?! Susanne, where are you?!" Johnny called.

Tony and Maria began searching the other rooms. "She's not in the bedroom!" Maria called.

"Not in the vanity room!" Tony yelled after a minute.

Johnny looked at Sydney. "Susanne freaked at the thought of telling the Devil! I thought she'd be back by now, but-"

Sydney held up her hand. "Calm down. Now, what exactly happened? From the beginning."

Johnny explained the situation: the trident Susanne had given to her boyfriend; Maria telling everyone about the blood on the couch; the discovery of whose trident it was; and the three trying to convince Susanne to talk to the Devil.

Sydney bit her lip. "Luce's trident... then this is really bad. I knew he was losing his power, but I didn't realize Angelo used you to get it."

"Johnny!!!" Tony and Maria ran into the room, Maria holding a scroll. "This was on Susanne's bed!"

Sydney took the scroll, looking it over. "'I know you all have my trident. If you do not come to my palace and give me back my trident, your friend becomes what she fears the most.'"

"The Devil kidnapped Susanne?"

"Figures," Johnny muttered.

"We need to go save her!" Maria said frantically. "She'll never survive the Devil!"

Sydney looked at Johnny. "This one can be your call."

He looked at her in surprise. "Why me?"

"Because you clearly know her better than they do."

Johnny frowned, looking at his feet as he thought about the times he and Susanne had shared together before she had discovered he was a dragon. After a minute, he sighed. "Let's go save her sorry-"