The Zodiacs: Blood Of Angels

Chapter 50: Gemini

The long-abandoned hideout loomed over them, getting more and more ominous, it's dark walls draining all the light around them, its sheer presence making Gemini feel at ease. There was also the stench of death emanating from its entrance. The stench was so powerful, it actually stung Geminis eyes.

Visibility was poor due to black smoke beginning pour out from the hideout but they ('they' being Gemini, Leo, Aqua, Azula, Virgo, Cancer and Cap) were still able to get to the front black, metal gate that had rusted and broken off in numerous places.

"Shall we knock and ask if anyone's home?" Gemini coughed. Aqua responded by blasting the ten-foot gate with lightning. The middle third disintegrated.

"Looks like nobody wants to answer the door," Leo smirked, stepping through. Before he could stride out of sight, another voice rang out.

"Took you guys long enough."

Gemini looked around and made out a silhouette that emerged out of the shadows. "Isn't that supposed to be Leo's trick?" Cancer muttered.

"It is mine. He just stole it," Leo folded his arms and scoffed at Malus who wore a chipper grin.

"What d'you want?" Aqua asked, her violet eyes flicking between him and the hideout. Up close, it definitely looked like it had seen better days. It had clearly been neglected, with a quarter of it being turned to rubble, dilapidated walls and no signs of life anywhere.

"Straight to the point, as always. I'm just here to tell you that Berial is in the clearing below the mountain. Azula should know where it is."

She nodded. "There was a way there from inside the castle. Is it still usable?"

Malus pointed and the rundown castle and scoffed. "What do you think?"

Aquarius instantly pressed her blade against Malus's throat. "No time for games, demon," she spat, her piercing violet eyes fixating on Malus's. 'Damn, she's stunning when she's mad...'

Malus held up his hands in surrender, but a grin plastered his face, and his posture was of someone who was laid back and at ease, not of one who was about to have their head sliced off.

"I mean you guys no harm." Malus took a step back and lowered his arms. "I just made an appearance to get you down there quicker. He's got all the paths down there flooded with demons. By the time you get to him, you'll all be half-dead." He pointed at the nearby gate and muttered a sort of incantation Gemini couldn't hear.

"What was that supposed - " Gemini began before he was cut off by a blue portal opening up where the gate had once stood.

"That'll get you to jump out of the shadows like I did," Malus explained. "You'll have a surprise attack and bypass most of Berials defences."

"You're helping us?" Aqua lowered her blade.

"You guys are doing me a favour taking out Berial. Him and his insane experiments need to go down," Malus shrugged. He turned and began to walk away, not before turning around and offering them one last warning, "You guys are on your own from here. Don't screw up," he looked at them pointedly for a second before stepping back into a shadow and Gemini knew he was telling the truth.

A demon like Malus wouldn't actually get his own hands dirty. He'd just get others to get his dirty work done.

"Well, this is awfully nice of him," Leo said a few seconds later.

"Can we really trust him? He did send us to the demon dimension where we nearly became dragon food," Capricorn looked towards Azula.

"We ... we can," she nodded slowly, averting her gaze. "He's helped us out before, when we tried hiding you all from Berial the first time."