The Protector (Niall Horan)

Chapter 13 - The castle of Hades

Chapter 13 – The castle of Hades

“Liam, since when are you a werewolf?!” Jack exclaimed to the brown wolf who was nervously pacing in front of us. His ears flattened on his head, he kept looking around with a nervous expression, his teeth were bared in a snarl and his fur stood straight up. As if he expected and attack every moment. He looked nervous and scared.

I took a good look at wolf Liam. The first thing I noticed is that he was pretty skinny and his fur was under the knits and dirt. There was a bit of dried foam around his mouth and with the crazed look in his eyes, he looked scary, ready to kill. Never thought I would ever say that about Liam.

When Jack asked him a question, his head shot up and he looked at us with his large brown eyes. His eyes flattened even more on his head, making them almost disappear in his fur, and he snarled at us.

“I don’t understand wolfish Liam! Shift back and talk,” Jack told him with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Liam started to shake and I watched when his fur disappeared, his paws became arms and legs, how he changed back in front of our eyes. When he was fully changed back to his human shape he shuddered before he stood up on shaky legs, and I watched horrified how much he had changed. His muscles were almost completely gone, his face was hollow and you could count his ribs. The worst was that he had cuts, marks and bruises everywhere over his body. There oozed blood out of the deep wounds. He looked horrible and like he came back from the death.

Only one thing hasn’t changed. The fire in his eyes, he hasn’t given up yet. And he probably never will.

He looked at his with his fierce eyes and he said, “I’m a werewolf since today. I shifted and escaped.”

“What about the others? Where are Louis, Harry and Zayn?” I asked him.

“I don’t know…” he weakly said, “the moment they bought us here they tossed us in separate dungeons.”

“Do you know if they… are alive?” Jack asked carefully with a painted expression. And I knew where he was thinking about. If the others had died, we would have failed in our quest to save them and I would have failed as their Protector.

“I could hear their screams of terror and pain the whole day straight, I assume they are alive. They have to be.” He told us fiercely with a nod of his head.

“How did you escape?” Jack asked next, his green eyes fixed on Liam.

Liam looked at him, “I shifted and ran out of the castle to find you guys.”

“And you left the others behind?” I snapped getting slightly mad with him. How could he just leave? How could he leave without even trying to save the others.

Liam looked straight at me, the fierceness and bottled up anger in his dark brown eyes made me take a step back in shock, I felt imitated. “I left because I had no other choice and to protect them. I can’t face Hades’ army on my own, not even as a werewolf. I left to find you guys, because together we stand stronger than alone.” He said in a loud and clear voice, power and authority clear in them.

My head hung low in shame. Shame that I doubted Liam. Liam is my friend and I should know by now that he never goes down without a fight, Liam never gives up.

“I’m sorry for doubting you,” I said shamefully.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up in Liam’s kind eyes, “It’s okay, Niall. I forgive you.”

I gave him a grateful smile until Jack interrupted us, “Very nice and all lads, but we can’t hang around here for long! We are on dangerous grounds. There are spies everywhere.” He told us with a look around and I nodded.

“Follow me!” Jack said and he ran towards the castle, me and Liam hot on his heels.

“Liam, did you saw something interesting when you escaped? Something we need to know?” Jack asked Liam when we were running past souls who never gave us a second glance.

“Is a Dark Angel interesting enough?” He huffed between his painful breaths.

Jack stopped running and I almost bumped into him. “Dark Angel? Did you say a Dark Angel?” I breathed out with wide eyes. My own eyes also slightly widened upon hearing that.

I have heard about the Dark Angels before. Once they were like me and Jack, but they betrayed the Heaven and they got expelled. In their anger, they went to the Underworld to join Hades. They only had one purpose. To destroy the world of men and to take down Heaven. There are only four Dark Angels.

“Yes, a Dark Angel. He said he was one at least. He had black hair with ice blue eyes and a tall, yet slim body.” Liam described him.

“That was Avok, one of Hades’ best fighters. He’s smart, merciless and gruel. You don’t want to face him in war. And if Avok is indeed in the castle we need to hurry, for he can and will kill the others in a heartbeat.” Jack said and he started sprinting even faster towards the castle, with a new determination burning in his green eyes. Large wings appeared on his back and he flew over the ground to go even faster.

I did the same and flew up. Liam shifted back into his wolf to keep up with us.

Jack was right when he said that it became hotter the closer you got to the heart of the Underworld. I could feel that the temperature kept getting hotter and hotter, making flying easier for I made use of the hot air streams.

Liam could easily keep up with us. He sped over the ground in a great speed. Nothing could break him.

Soon enough a large castle doomed up in front of us and I gulped. The castle was made out of a dark grey stone and it was surrounded by fire and magma. Demons and vampires guarded the entrances and fire dragons flew in the sky above it.

Jack landed somewhere out of sight and I followed him, landing right next to him. I folded my wings on my back and I looked at the castle in front of us. Liam soon stood next to us, breathing heavily and keeping low to the ground, his sharp eyes never looked the dark castle in front of us. This was the place he was kept and tortured for a while now. And he came back to that place, to help his friends.

“How do we get inside unseen?” I whispered, afraid that if I talked too loud they would hear me.

“I know a way, follow me.” Jack said and he walked to a tunnel I haven’t seen before. He took a torch out from behind a rock and he lit it up.

How does he know all this? I wondered.

“You guys coming or what?” He asked when he took a step inside the tunnel.

“Is it save?” I asked unsure.

Jack rolled his eyes, “Of course it is! I found it myself!”

That’s supposed to make me feel better?

Liam followed Jack inside the tunnel and when the brown wolf had disappeared into the darkness, I huffed and followed them.

Here goes nothing.