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“Keep driving.” She inhaled sharply then blew it out of her mouth just as forcefully. When she did, the wall in front of us parted and we were shot into another dimension.
––––––––
AVA
“Whoa!!!” Noah yelled. “I felt that in my bones! What a rush.”
I laughed and looked at him as he pulls that car to a stop. “It certainly was.”
“What is this place?” he asked, looking out the windows.
“It’s the Taurustrian Hills, the land of the Gods,” I murmur as I too look around.
“They areinthe mountain?” he asked in awe.
“Uh uh, just the portal to get to them is.”
We find ourselves in the middle of a paradise. Exotic looking birds are flying about, their vibrant colors splashing against the clear blue sky. A gentle warm breeze stirs the trees, causing the leaves to shimmer gold and silver in the sunlight, and if one listened close enough it sounded like they were whispering secrets of ancient times.
A shimmering waterfall cascades down a nearby mountainside, and mystical orbs of light, perhaps the souls of the Gods or maybe just curious sprites, dance around us, lighting the path ahead.
“It’s breathtaking,” Noah whispered, his eyes wide in wonder.
“Legend has it that the Gods once walked the hills, bringing forth life and magic into the world,” I explained. “And the waterfall over there,” —I pointed— “is thought to hold the tears of happiness and sorrow of the Gods.”
He looked at the waterfall and nodded. “For some strange reason I could see that being the case. Do you think they’ll welcome us?”
“Doubtful. We’re here to get a relic for Satan.”
Suddenly, a deep booming voice echoed around the hills. “Mortals, what do you seek in the realm of the Gods?”
Noah and I exchanged a glance,Mortals?
Clearly, he didn’t know who or what I was. He had no idea why were even there.
“Here goes nothing,” I mutter under my breath as I step forward, motioning for Noah to stay back with the car. “My name is Ava Scott and I’ve been bequeathed with the task of retrieving the...” It just dawned on me that Satan never did say what this artifact was called. And it wasn’t like I could just pop down to Hell and ask him, not with this sentinel being hiding somewhere that was yet to be seen.
“Retrieving what?” he boomed again.
“An artifact made from Obsidian with Cerberus head carved on it,” Noah said, as he came to stand beside me.
Thankful that he was there, I looked up and smiled at him.
He whispered out the side of his mouth as he took my hand. “We are doing this together.”
And for the first time, I was glad I didn’t have to fight alone.
“The relic you seek is that of a ring.” An image stepped forward, with no discernable features but he held up a hand and there it was, sitting upon his pinky finger. “Hellwardens Shard. Hades created this ring in the image of his dog, Cerberus. The bearer is protected from all the evil that spews upon the land of the living. The obsidian glows an ungodly reddish hue when it comes upon evil humans, sucking their souls and banishing them to the infernal depths of hell for all of eternity. A very powerful ring it is. Who is it that sent you to retrieve it?”
“Satan. We were told it belongs in hell.” I replied.
“And God in heaven,” Noah said. “He sent us too.”
“It belongs on the surface. Why do you think it’s here? It sends all those that enter with ill intentions straight to hell.” The image snarled. “You can’t have it.”
The beautiful paradise in which we had arrived, changed before our eyes. The air of the Taurustrian Hills became almost suffocating, a decaying rot permeated the air and each breath I drew was a battle and I suddenly felt the weight of countless eyes upon us, a deep tension started to seep into my bones.
The being that I thought was a God, I now understood as the leader of the shadows, that eerie image, let out a haunting laugh that resonated through the mountains. “You dare to come here, representing both Heaven and Hell, for a relic as powerful as the Hellwardens Shard?”
