Journey

Chapter Thirty-Two~ Lost Souls

The screams only grew louder. I turned my face and leaned into Damions chest. I didn't want to look and I did want to look at the same time. I gave into curiosity and peeked through one eye.

Regret.

People-- no, skeletons-- reached out towards me and Damion. Their skin peeling off of the bones. Eyes hanging from the sockets. They were gone a quick as they came. Sucked back into the red depths of hell.

I didn't dare scream. Instead I turned my face back into Damion. His chest rumbled as he laughed. "Like I said they won't hurt you. You don't have to hide."

"I can do what I want." My voice was muffled by his shirt.

The screams began to turn into voices, but they spoke the language that Damion had spoken when he awakened me. They all said: "Sisindise," Their twisted words I did not know changed in my head, "Save us" they screamed at me, "Princess, kufanele usisindise! Sithathe kulesi sihogo! Ngiyacela, Princess!" Was this a power that came with my awakening, understanding different languages? "Princess, you must save us! Take us from this hell! Please, Princess."

I did not understand what they wanted. How was I, a newly awakened girl, supposed to help them?I gripped onto Damion tighter. He complied and held me tighter.

When did I become like this? This is pitiful. I'm supposed to be fearless, but that all changed when Damion showed up. I've become defenseless and fearful.

I refuse to turn into a damsel in distress. A skeleton came close to me, reaching out with its broken fingers. I squeaked, closing my eyes again and shoving my face into Damion's chest. Well maybe for a little while longer.

With a thud we hit solid ground. Damion set me on my feet and I looked around fearfully. It was a desolate land. Red sand went on for miles. The sky was blood red. There was no sun or moon.

"This is it," I asked, staring out at the red horizon, "I thought hell would be-- I don't know-- a bit more scary and--"

Damion turned me around. "And full of fire?" I gasped as a vast castle came into view. Its black concrete was a strong contrast against the red around it. Everything was silent. The only thing that stood in this red desert was the castle and nothing else. It was just bare, and kind of boring. There wasn't a soul present. At least none I could see. I looked back up at the sky. Where we had come from. Thick grey clouds formed in the sky.

They weren't normal clouds. It was hundreds of skeletons. They were all squished together. Arms, legs, and faces poked in and out. I moved behind Damion again. If we were going to die, I wasn't going to let it be me first. I pointed towards the cloud,"What are those things?"

"Hmm?" Damions focus was on the castle, but when I spoke it ventured to me.

"What are those-"

"Those are lost souls. They got stuck in the portal realm either after they died, or they tried to leave the underworld and got sucked into the red void because they were not strong enough."

"What happens to them now?"

"They rot. They become forgotten and turn to dust. The entire process is agonising."

I shuddered and looked away from him, looking back up at the lost souls. I felt terrible. They kept asking me to save them. "They want me to save them."

"There's nothing you can do about it. Don't get so worked up." Damion looked back at the castle. His eyes narrowed and flicked around as if he was watching for something. Silence wrapped around us, but that silence didn't last long. Screams erupted around us. Figures flew up into the air. All which seemed to spew from the castle. Damion had to yell for me to hear him, "I hope you are armed, and armed well."

It was time. Time to become the pirate I knew I was and stop acting like a child.. Three years on that ship with lots of men taught me many things, but one rang true right now; rule number 1. Fight, and fight dirty.

I grinned at the thought of throwing dirt in Will's face as we spared. "Of course." I pulled the pistol out of its holster under my dress. Without hesitation I formed it into a rifle. I peeked over a Damion while I got in position. He was staring at me with a proud look. "What?"

"I knew you were fearless."

"Yea? What made you think that."

"Well you did plunge a knife into my chest. You threw a fireball at me, that was my own. You always fought me the first time I took you. You also--"

"I get it! Now shut up and let me shoot."

I looked through the scope to find that the creatures were gargoyles. When will the surprises end? I shot down gargoyle after gargoyle with precise precision. They didn't stand a chance with those numbers, we were killing them faster than they could recover. Damion threw fireballs, and I shot like a true pirate. Shooting wasn't my strongest skill though. Sword fighting was, it fun and dangerous. The adrenaline never died with sword fighting.

Almost on queue more and more poured out of the castle. I couldn't kill enough of them to hold them back. They began to get closer and closer. Great going, Annie. You spoke too soon. I abandoned the rifle and created the pistol. Immediately I thought if my power. Couldn't I do that? I closed my eyes and thought of the gargoyles stopping. When I opened my eyes, I came back to the scene, but it was still there.

Moving.

I looked on in confusion. Damion interrupted my thoughts, "That doesn't work down here right now. You aren't strong enough to stop this many at once. After your magic gets stronger you'll have a bigger magical range."

"I thought you said I was ready?" He shrugged and didn't look at me, "Well, What do we do now?!"

"We surrender." The flames died in his hands. He raised his hands in surrender with a smirk. He motioned for me to do the same. I didn't at first. I turned my weapon into a sword. I bared my teeth and stood my ground as the gargoyles landed on the red sand with loud thuds. They growled and snarled as they got closer. My fingers gripped the handle hard. I was ready to decapitate some monsters.

All of a sudden the sword was ripped from my hands and thrown to the ground. I looked at Damion. He gave me a terrifying look.

"I said," He growled at me, "We surrender." This time I put my hands up.