The Warriors of Light
Chapter 19

I struggled to hold on to the thickness of the tree while holding Serene, who was holding Johnny. My eyes averted downward. A huge mistake as the depth of the fall was enough to have my heart racing. Anyone, even if you weren't scared of heights, would be afraid looking down into nothing. The darkness began to swirl as I felt someone reach for me. It took me away from the nothingness below when Gregory pulled me up to balance on the tree now.

"What's happening? What is this shit?" Johnny asked. He looked down, as well, seeing the darkness swirl and form into a portal.

"Have you forgotten our deal?"

I turned. Now everyone's eyes widened as Agares showed himself on the other side of the tree where it bridged the way to the pyramid. "Agares." The low, angry growl I thought would've come out of me, was Gregory as he clenched his fists. A baton came out of his sleeves. Agares laughed.

"Oh, you Warriors of Light kill me," Agares joked. "You cannot come in between me and my soul. You know this. Why even fight me?" He took the step and the once stable tree was now cracking under his feet.

"You said you would deliver me Brad if I gave you Johnny. Here he is. Take him." I yelled back causing Johnny to look betrayed at me.

"You were never going to kill him. It's not within you, Ray. Therefore, you broke our contract, which means, new deal. I take your soul in his place." Agares just used his wind to make me lose my breath just as he did at my house. My feet slowly lifted from the stump of the tree as Agares pulled me towards him.

"You can't have him." Gregory said with clenched teeth while he grabbed my wrist to keep me close to him. "Release Ray, now."

Agares clicked his teeth as he shook his head. "A soul is owed to me."

"Not his. Release him."

Agares's head tilted as he looked into Gregory's eyes. "The Imps have told me your deepest fear, Gregory. How does a man live knowing that he has caused both of his star pupils to die? " Serene jumped over everyone, at that point, attacking Agares, not wanting to hear any more from him. He only smiled. A swipe of his hand caused Serene to go flying back into the oasis. Gregory called out to her, turning back to Agares, even more upset.

My eyes opened wide as I struggled to breathe again; the air leaving my lungs as I floated into the air. Gregory turned to Johnny as he tried to back away. "Time is ticking. Ray, here, will not make it another minute, Warrior."

I wanted Gregory to not worry about me. I wanted to tell him to not do anything to Johnny because it was my responsibility my choice, my consequence. Words escaped me, though. Therefore, any thoughts I had were spoken only with my eyes. Gregory looked at me. The guilt never faltered.

The wind went still for a moment as Gregory turned back around, fast, before Johnny could have any time to react. A knife that was hidden in his sleeve extended. Before Johnny could even blink, Gregory had stabbed him in his chest. Johnny looked down at Gregory's hands in pure shock and if my eyes and my breath weren't already gone, they left at that moment. Gregory retracted the knife looking away from Johnny, in shame.

"I'm sorry, Johnny. I can't be responsible for another person's life taken to soon..." Gregory pleaded for his forgiveness, but Agares took over.

"You mean you can't be responsible for another 'misit deus' dead on your watch."

My eyes had started to roll in the back of my head as I stopped gasping for air. Gregory must have kicked Johnny Stan off the tree and into the darkness because I heard a portal open for him, but was still too weak to respond. "Release him. You have your soul. Release Brad, too. You are bound by it, demon. The power of God binds you."

Agares laughed, "You broke your holy oath. Thou shall not kill. But, you did correct my soul for me. So, I suppose I should let him go, now." Suddenly, my eyes opened and a huge gasp of air filled my lungs, but I was falling. I heard Gregory scream for me. I could even see him reaching for me, but the darkness underneath engulfed me, took over me.

I reached for whatever I could, unable to see at first, but reaching until I felt a vine and quickly grabbed on to it before hitting the ground. As I tried to stop the momentum, my arm cracked and severed out of place. I hit the rocks slowly falling, now, but in mind-numbing pain from my arm. I rolled for a while, holding it together, teeth clenched, trying not to think about it. But it throbbed and robbed me of breathe, just like Agares had. Somehow out of all this, I was still alive -badly injured but still alive.

Taking a look down at my arm, the bone had snapped out of place near my elbow. There was no way I was doing like any of the movies or TV shows I watched that just popped it back into place. It was fucked and it was going to stay fucked until I reached a hospital. I gently took my shirt and wrapped it around, hoping to place it in a cast of some sort, to keep it upright. It took everything within me to walk forward through the darkness. The wall was the only thing I had to guide me. I walked for what seemed like hours-weak, swaying back and forth—until I had to rest, leaning against the wall, hitting what felt like a stick. I jumped at the sudden movement then at the sudden light that popped onto old metal mirrors. The light from the moon bounced off one to the other lighting the entire room with it.

My heart virtually beat out of my chest. As I walked more inside the temple, the lamps on the side lit up with fire by themselves. I wasn't sure what was happening or if it was even real. Were the Imps still playing some kind of prank on me? The lit fire lamps led the way down several corridors. The ground started to feel lush as if I was walking on gold. I looked down and gasped. The floor was definitely something expensively priceless, I noticed, as I used my right arm to continue down the hallway. I was then led to a dead end. I was just about to turn around until there was, suddenly, a wall behind me that I knew wasn't there before. I was certainly hallucinating, or dead already. I had come to terms with that being a possibility. Perhaps, I really died in that fall and this was my spirit walking around.

I moved my left arm a little too much and the sharp pain woke me from that theory. I was still alive. I had no choice but to tread through to the wall in front of me. There was a window with a hand symbol inside. I hesitated but curiously placed my hand on it. A snake appeared from nowhere and bit me on my thumb. I quickly jerked away. Now, my other hand would be useless as I assumed the snake to be poisonous. But, it only took a small bite of blood from me, which was odd.

It behaved as if it got what it wanted and scurried off. All hope, again, was lost for me. I started to give up, started to lay down, and just give up. I was in the pyramid underground away from Gregory and Serene. No one would replace my ass down here. This was it for the adventure, so much for the Warriors of Light.

I laid on the ground, unusually comfortable looking straight up into the sand ceiling. A bang happened from outside. Then another, as if a war was going on on the other side of these walls. I was too tired to even move. My eyes blinked looking over to the right.

"Oh shit!" I sat up quickly, scurrying to the other side of the wall to place my back against it. A man, with the appearance of a dragon, was staring at me. His body was like a Minotaur, big hooves, meaty legs, but with no hair, just scales. It had pieces of hair or tentacles on its head, flowing down like human hair. Behind them, were beautiful big, full, black wings for it to take flight.

"Not much of a fighter this one." It said, lifting my arm as I winced in pain and nearly shit my pants for, like, the thirteenth time. "But he will do."

"Who...what...."

The monster disappeared twirling in a cloud of black dust into nothing. Then, the ground shifted, lifting as if an elevator was underneath. A podium appeared out of the ground, glowing, and stacked on top of that, a book. I was mesmerized to walk to it, tempted to touch it. The bright, colorful scales were on the covering and the wings were on the edges of it. "The Kukulkan..." I gulped.

"And you are misit deus, God Sent. I have been waiting for you." The book spoke in such a low, sultry, dark octave that it made me shiver.

"Waiting for me?"

"Well, not you per se, but yes you, the one strong enough to wield my power." The book transformed back into the intimidating monster. "Your bloodline is strong. God sent me a fair one this time."

"Wait my bloodline....I'm just a regular person I'm not special, by any means. If anything, you must have me confused with my brother, Brad. This was supposed to be him, not me." I had to swallow the guilt and the shame I felt, but the Kukulkan just encircled me, unbothered by my doubts.

"There is no doubt you are the person."

"What are you planning to do with me, then? What if I refuse?" My lip trembled at the thought, but I turned trying to act brave with my question.

The Kukulkan only tilted its head in challenge. "There is always a choice. But I can assure you, without my help, you won't make it another hour. And, if you die, there will be no one alive to stop Agares." My eyes widened as I became angry all over. "He still has your brother's soul, Ray. Only defeating him will fix what was wronged. This, as well, will be up to you, but you know what you have to do."

A thud outside sparked my interest. "Is that Agares fighting to get in?"

"He wants the book for himself. I have seen several outcomes of this and I know how this will play out. This is why I asked for a trade from God. I needed a person determined, willing, strong in spirit and heart that can do the right thing."

"Sorry for questioning you, but to do what? You are Kukulkan, the Book of Monsters. Why can't you take Agares's ass out right here and now? You hold all the knowledge. Why do you need this person to help you?"

"As a deity of the earth, I am bound by rules just like any other. I am knowledge, but what is a book if no one reads it? What is all my knowledge good for if no one else knows it? Before us, Gods kept the book hidden because demons, like Agares, wanted it for themselves. So we moved every five years, but I think the time for running is over." Kukulkan stopped and transformed back into the book on the podium. "I require a host who can obtain my knowledge and my power. Are you that person, Ray Segal?"