Karina is sort of lost when I talk about going to the Underworld. However, she does not know I have a major reason of going there. When I look at her, Karina is giving off an expression of confusion. I need him to forget the confusion for a second, and just help me with this. She helped me before, so why not now.

“Okay, I half to think about this; and to repeat, you want to go where…the Underworld.”

“Yes.”

“The one place I hadn’t went back in years. My former home?!”

“Yes, but I half to go there.”

“But you’re going to right to Asmodeus’ arms.”

“You don’t understand, I half to go there. Liana’s fate depends on it.”

“Wait, she’s down there!”

“Yeah, Asmodeus took her down there, and I don’t want to see another one I care about die.” I say.

She seems to doubt what I’m saying; “Come on Karina!”  She looks back at me, “Are you sure she’s down there.”

“Yes!” I continue, “And if we don’t do anything, she will die!” Still feeling doubts about this probably because it is the Underworld. Looking at Karina, I think she do not want to do it. Trying to see what can I say because time is not on our side; then I start to think about Mal.

“What would Mal do?” I ask him hoping that it will motivate. I look at Karina and start to answer my question.

“I know what he’s going to do.” She continues, “He is usually tells me, ‘Do what it takes’.”

Hearing that, maybe that could be our motivation. She then says, “He was right. I need to do what it takes; help you save Liana.”

“And stop Asmodeus once and for all; it ends now.” I state.

“Well before we can take the fight to him, we might need more help.” She says.

“What kind?” I question.

“Maybe a wizard.” She responds and then she looks up as I start to look up. We notice a ball of light materializing into the Cove; it floats down to our level where it morphs into a humanoid figure. It is Desmond.

“Desmond! How you know this about place?” I ponder.

“Karina told me after she helped deal with a demon problem.” Desmond answers.

“After I helped him, he informed about his mentor’s disappearance.” She says.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I say.

“One more thing.” Desmond mentions.

“Something’s up?” I ponder on his concern.

“Yeah, how do you know this is what Asmodeus wants?” He says.

“Good point.” Karina says piggy back him.

“We just have to go there and find out.” I say.

They shake their head; Karina moves into the center. I stand next to her to her right with Desmond near her left side. We all hold hands.

“Ready?!” She says as she looks at me and Desmond.

“Do it!” I respond. I sense this could work besides it’s our only plan so far. Let just hope it does work. Suddenly the scenery of the old tired out warehouse interior becomes twisted spinning us around. And then as if we are levitating from the air; all of us then fly back down deep to the ground.

Then as a flash of light appears; I close my eyes hoping the light will not affect it. Seconds later just as my eyes are reopened, I notice a complete change of scenery. We arrived to a massive pit as we are standing over a narrow bridge passing over two sections. As I look around, are other narrow bridges, ember rock layers, and rock-like structures that shaped like pueblos I studied from history.

I look down, but almost losing my footing Desmond grabs hold of me just enough to regain my balance.

“Thanks!” I say.

“No mention it.” He says back.

I observe what is down below; as I bend I see right below us is an abyss, I can feel the heat from a huge fire below. I wonder what is down there; it could be Hellfire.

“It’s something you don’t need to know.” Karina says.

“I surely don’t want to be down here for long.” Demsond says as he looks around.

“Me too.” I say. Then thinking about Liana, we have to find her. “We need to find Liana.”

“Where to start?” Desmond says as he looks around uncertain where we start our search.

“Can you sense her?” I question.

“She’s not a demon, so it’s hard…” Karina says as she closes her eyes, and I notice she is tweaking her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Desmond worrying.

She then opens her eyes back fully. “I’m sensing a lot of demons.”

Then we hear noises sounding like a bunch of locusts, but much louder with a harder tone. Hearing the noises, we begin to proceed across the bridge. I do not if those noises are with the demons, but since we are in their world, there could be a lot of them.

Out of nowhere, I start to feel cramps from my abdomen area. The cramps are trying to tick me off, but I have a inking of what it could be. Karina and Demsond start to notice me not following them. Karina walks towards me to see what is up.

“Caden?” Karina wonders.

“I think it’s my demonic half.” I state.

“What about it?” Karina asks.

“I think my demonic half is reacting to this place.” I say.

“It seems this place attracts any type of demonic presence even from an half human/ half demon,” Desmond continues, “Do you want to sit?”

“No!” I shout, “It should die down once it gets a hang of it.”

“Strange, it seems you are acting as if you been here before.”

Wondering about Liana, she is somewhere in this dark place. Wherever she is, she is trap somewhere. I glance over to Karina.

“Besides the demons, are you picking up Liana?” I ask.  

“I don’t know; maybe you can sense Liana.” She states.

“Me?!”  I say unsure.

“Yeah, maybe if you channel your human half and use your sensing to sense Liana. I could work.” She explains.

Heeding those words, I close my eyes focusing on Liana, and then a spark starts to come at me. I can feel her in a weird way. I do not know how, but I did it. I then use my right pointer finger and point it straight, “There.”

“You found her?” Desmond asks.

“I think so.” I reply.

Karina, Desmond, and I venture into one of the rock structures; as we enter, I can still hear those loud locust-like noises coming from behind us.

“We need to stand our ground.” I say trying to be careful and remembered Mal told about looking over surroundings.

“I’ll keep notice.” Desmond says.

“Be careful, demons around here are not a welcoming party.” She says.

As we venture deep in the structure, stepping hard over the sandy ground. I look around to see it is like an interior of a cave. Attached to the hard edged walls are lighten torches. I can sense for Liana coming from the north direction. Then suddenly, I start getting another sense from another being. It is not from a human, but this one is powerful once I sense it. I feel it has to be him.

“I’m sensing someone else.” I say.

“Who?” Karina ponders.

“It’s Asmodeus.” I respond.

“Great, what’s next?” Desmond says.

Realizing this is the time, I need to stop him. I look back at Karina and Desmond.”Desmond, I want you to find Liana.” I continue, “Karina and I are going to find Asmodeus.”

“I don’t know if I have the sense to track her.” Desmond says with caution.

“Trust me you can. If Oxley always have faith as do I.” I say.

Desmond soon smirks up after I told him that; he then leaves off without Karina and me hopeful he can find her. As for the both of us, we begin to track down Asmodeus’ presence. We venture the other way.

Trekking down the tunnel like structure, I look up where up above are countless of small, open arch-like holes around this area. Still sensing Asmodeus, I continue walking down this path. Feeling something could appear behind us, we will prepare for anything.

“Be careful from the back.” I say cautiously.

“Remember, I told you about the non-welcoming party.” She says.

Weird, there is another demonic presence I’m sensing. I stop starting to hear that eerie, same locust-like sound, and then the noise suddenly change from that locust sound to roar-like with a pounding noise. Karina stops to see me looking around.

“Got something…” She tries to finish until I look into her green eyes to see fright. “Caden, look behind you!”

As I about to turn around to see if something was behind me, a mysterious figure flies straight at me. The figure knocks me back hard to the sandy ground. On the ground with my back facing the ground, I then notice the figure that knocked me down is just plain wierd.

The figure appears to be a wraithlike being shrouded in tattered dark grey clothing; its skin appears like ivory and has a skeletal appearance. Its face looks humanoid with its eyes black and its hands shaped very claw-like.

Could that be a demon?

Karina helping me up and then she explain, “When demons go into the mortal world, they use human disguises. These are actual appearances of demons”. I back to my feet until I see the demon creature come down; it raises its hand and fires a fireball. The fireball is heading towards us. Getting out of the way, we both roll over just as the fireball lands at the spot I was just at; I rise up to see the demon flies straight at me.

Karina comes near me as she raises her hand and starts firing fireballs at the flying demonic creature. I start to run while I look behind to see Karina following me. Not wanting to be in the middle of this infested nest of other demons. We both get to safety, but the demon that attacked us a few seconds ago starts to come after us.

“How we stop that thing?” I ask.

“I worry about this thing; you should go after Asmodeus.” Karina replies.

“Are you sure you are alright.” I ponder.

“Trust me. Mal taught me best. I hope you learn some of Mal’s tricks when you face the archdemon himself.” She states.

“With pleasure.” I say.

“I’ll cover you!” She says as she throws a series of fireballs; “Go!” She yells.

I start to run for it until something knocks me off my feet. Another flying wraith-like demon is coming after me. Before I can summon a fireball, the demon fires its own right at me. I quickly leap and roll to my left as the fireball misses me by an inch and hits the ground leaving a scorch mark. The demon fly pass me. As I about to get up, another wraith-like demon flies right at me where it swipes its clawed hand at me. I duct down as it swipes me, but I can feel a scratch by my left upper shoulder.

Once I get to the ground, I glance over to my left shoulder to see four medium sized, cat-like scratches on top of my shoulder. I feel the pain from that scratch. I can glaze forward to see Karina battling two other wraith demons.

I look to see the demon that attacked me is coming for another round. I look at both my hands; waiting for the moment, I can still hear the demon screaming that loud pounding noise. When it comes at me, I move both my arms back. Seeing the demon just a foot away from where I will fire, I hastily hold out both arms forward. Using both hands, I fire a huge telekinetic shield blast that hits the demon back. The demon gets hit hard taken it back forty feet in the air. And after tasting that hit, it retreats.

Standing back up, I see Karina doing her best to fight off the wraiths; I quickly use both my hands and a couple of telekinetic shield blasts knocking them off. Karina looks at me. She waves. I wave back and before I’m able to go forward. I notice a different sort of demonic wraith coming fast.

“Karina!”

Before she is able to turn fully, the demonic creature wounds Karina in her right leg; she kneels in pain as I can hear scream. I can see a huge cut from her leg.

“Hold on!”

“Caden, no!”

I try to rush to get to her, but the demonic wraith knocks me back. I fly for a few feet to the ground hard. I’m able to get up, but then I notice the wraith somehow morphed into its human disguise. To my surprise, it is Aris.

“Caden, I’m not surprised you came down here. Guess Asmodeus is going to be please.”

“You killed Mal!”

“Like I say, eye for an eye. He killed my brother. I killed him.”

Feeling angry, I notice my hands are shaking. I then look back at Aris as he views my hands being shaken.

“What’s your demonic side is going to do to me?” He says as he laughs it off.

I glance over to see Karina still hurt. She looks at me and blinks her left eye. She then throws a fireball right to Aris; Aris senses it, and he grabs hold of it. I’m stunned; and even Karina is stunned.

Aris grabbing hold of Karina’s own fireball; “You want to play tag,” he continues, “Tag you’re it!”

He then throws Karina’s fireball right back at her; before I have chance to throw one of mines; Karina tries to counter it with another fireball. The two explode causing a mini explosion that pushes Karina back hard to the ground. I’m not seeing her moving, but she is alive. If she would have been hit by a fireball, she should have been ash by now.

“Time to finish you, old friend.” Aris says as he summons a fireball. Since he is not looking at me, I sprint towards him where I knock him out from behind by grabbing both my hands and bamming the back of his head. He drops his own fireball; he prevents himself from falling to the ground. He then kicks my left knee. Feeling the pain, I drop down on both knees.

He kicks me again. I can feel his black boot hitting my stomach; I stoop to feel that pain. I then see Avis flipping back to his feet. He then grabs me by my shirt’s collar. He starts punching me. Feeling the power his bald fists; he continues to punch me until I see blood and actually taste some of it coming out of my mouth. I can then feel blood coming down the left of my left eye.

“It’s over!” He says.

Getting woozy because of the punching, I think I have a black eye. I then notice my hands still shaking and am able to see the dark vine-line marks coming down my hands through my fingers. I look back at Aris.

“This is for Mal!” I yell as I then use that special technique Mal taught me. I grab hold Aris arm, which is trying to grab hold; I then flip around to get in from the back of him. I then grab Aris neck. It’s a move his brother Mammon used on me.

I can hear him trying to breathe while shouting, “No!”

I then give him a reply; “Yes.” I then make a move of my own; I quickly turn back only to summon a fireball; and I blast it right into Aris’ face. The fireball destroys Avis face; his headless fall to the ground; and I blast a fireball on to that as well.

Mal would be proud.

I look back up to see Karina. I rush towards her. I survey her injures and look to glance at her right leg. Parts of her leg are badly bruised; it’s like a lion eating a leg of a gazelle. I then look to see her face partly burned. I try to wake Karina up and tell her at least Aris is taken care of.

She starts waking up to see me. “Caden?!” She is grumbling slowly.

“Aris is gone.”

“What…what about…Asmodeus?”

And then from out of nowhere I start to hear another voice.

“Right here!”

I turn to see Asmodeus behind me.

“Welcome home, my boy!”

Asmodeus pushes out his hand sideways. Suddenly, a force knocks me back where then I feel my head gets hit by the cave wall. I feel the impact which causes me to blackout.

***

I wake up as I can only feel my head is in so much soreness. However, I cannot reach towards my head. I then begin to see I’m inside this light grey, stone chamber. Observing the structure, I notice the plain chamber walls and exposed eras of ember rock layers. Then looking beside me, both hands are held down by power rings. And these rings are being tethered down on a stone slab. I try to budge out, yet it seems whatever those rings are made of is keeping me in check. I’m lying horizontal on a slab unable to get these rings off me.

I look to my right seeing in a horizontal way; I then see Asmodeus coming nearby me. He looks at me with a disdain-type of smile.

“You was willingly enough to exchange your friend, for your life. Good. You got your wish Devos. You’re now mines!” He says.