Yep, this is my life.
To either side of the road of crushed bone, the land was deep crimson, soaked in the blood that erupted constantly from the Blood Volcano, located several miles away. Straying from the path could have dire consequences—for your shoes. But all the members of our party had wings, and we had the Prince of Hell with us. The sky should be safe.
“Stay close,” Azrael called to the others as he launched himself off the Bone Path and into the burnt orange sky.
Although several Archangels had agreed to join our side, only the Horsemen, Michael, and the Avengers had decided to give their allegiance to Lucifer. Samael was done with Jerry, but that didn't mean he was ready to bow his head to another god. Frankly, I didn't blame him. He'd been burned once and his only other option was the Devil.
So, there were seventeen of us who leapt into the air after Azrael. I'm sure I looked a bit out of place among all those Angels with my leathery dragon wings, but I felt completely at ease in the environment. The environment, not the temperature. Hell is freakin' cold, and I had to jack up my body heat to stay comfortable. Luckily, thanks to my Fire magic, I could do that.
“What are those trees made of?” Gaviel, one of the Avenging Angels, pointed at a clump of trees on the ground.
I had learned the names of the Avengers on the flight across Shehaquim, though I doubted I'd remember all twelve. Funny how no one thought to introduce me before that. Or introduce them to me, rather. All the Angels seemed to know me; if not by my reputation as the Godhunter, then by my association with Azrael.
“They're bones.” Michael waggled his eyebrows at Gaviel. “This part of Hell is made entirely of bones, sinew, flesh, and blood. Even the sand is ground up bones.”
“Of course, it is,” Gaviel muttered with a wary look around the ominous sky.
“Once we get past the Mountains of Madness, it will get prettier,” I said.
“The Mountains of Madness?” Cafhael, another Avenger, asked.
“Haven't you guys heard about Hell?” Raphael asked them.
“We haven't had much time for gossip.”
Raphael grimaced. “Right. Sorry.”
“Those are the Ice Blocks.” Azrael waved his hand toward the enormous ice structures we were passing over, sounding like a tour guide. “Human souls are imprisoned in cells of ice where they're tortured by their greatest fears. In about half a mile, we'll reach a valley bordered by mountains. We call them the Mountains of Madness because they whisper your fears to you and can drive you insane. They shouldn't bother us up here, but if they do, simply pay them no mind.”
“You guys like working with fear here, eh?” Gaviel asked.
“The Ice Blocks are necessary. They're my father's way of satisfying the myths while protecting his people. They take care of the torture so the Demons don't have to. And the Mountains of Madness protect the residential region beyond, sort of like a guard dog.”
We passed over the looming prisons of ice silently, the cold rising off them making everyone but Az and me shiver. Azrael, with his new Wild Magic, could raise his internal temperature using Fire, as I did. Although, I think some of the Angels shivered for reasons other than the cold. I knew better than to look down into the ice cells—each panel, even those atop the prisons, gave a glimpse into someone's nightmare. So I didn't look, but a few of the Avengers did.
“Wow, that's . . . well, I didn't know clowns could look like that,” Cafhael said.
“Oh, a lot of humans are afraid of clowns,” I said. “There are many horror movies featuring them.”
“Aren't they supposed to be entertainment for children?” Bohel, another Avenger, asked.
“Yeah, but they can be scary for them too, with all that wild hair and makeup,” I said. “And they're loud. Kids get scared, then they take that fear into adulthood with them.”
“I can't look away.”
“That's the end of them,” Azrael said as we left the blocks behind.
“Great, now we just have to face our fears,” Gaviel muttered.
“Not face them,listento them,” Michael corrected. “It will be like someone speaking your innermost doubts and insecurities to you. But knowing that should help you ignore them. And that's only if they're able to reach us up here. I don't recall it ever being an issue for me.”
“It's no big deal,” Ira called to Gaviel. “Just tell the voices to fuck off.”
“Says Famine.”
“Hey, I can get scared.”
“I don't want to know what a Rider fears,” Bohel said. “Just keep it to yourself, Ira.”
