Eden

I'm awoken by Jericho's jerky movements, automatically signaling that something isn't right. "Sh." Is the only noise he makes before growing increasingly still. "Someone is closing in on us.." he trails off before continuing. "No, it's more than one. At least four.." Jericho inhales deeply before growing rigid.

"Ghouls." He says quietly to me.

"Why are ghouls-" I'm quickly cut off as Jericho brings his hand to my mouth to silence me.

Jericho slowly gets up and makes his way out of the tent. "You will stay in here and you will not make a sound." I nod, only slightly annoyed at the commanding tone he uses. More than anything I'm concerned as to why ghouls would be in this type of area, it's uncommon for ghouls to venture far from their mountains.

Flesh eaters.

There's nothing a ghoul loves more than to eat live flesh while their victims beg for mercy. The ghouls teeth secrete a poison that leaves you unable to move, yet doesn't render you unable to feel. An awful way to go.

Jericho is back in the tent, grabbing everything and shoving it in his satchel as fast as he can. "Jericho, you're making too much noise, they'll hear you." I say quietly to him.

"It no longer matters, there are exactly eight of them now, and they are closing in on us. They know we're here, and we are what they're after. We need to move. Now." I'm already putting my ankle boots on and lacing them up as he says this, Jericho moves so quickly everything but our tent is already packed up. "Leave the tent, it's a small comfort we no longer have the time for." He says. I already had no intentions of taking the time to take it down, but I nod anyways.

"Climb onto my back. You're too slow and they will catch us quickly." Jericho says as he turns so I can climb onto him. I do as he says quietly, feeling only slightly ridiculous for allowing Jericho to give me a piggyback ride. I get it though, I'm slow and got short legs, I can't help it.

As soon as I'm on his back he's moving faster than I've ever moved before, making me instantly nauseous. "Jericho, why can't we just teleport away?" I ask, feeling uneasy. "Ghouls can track scents and teleport, anywhere I teleported to they would follow, and with each time my strength would weaken." He says quiet and evenly, as if he isn't running at a ridiculous speed through the trees with a full grown woman on his back.

"At this point I'm only looking for a place to hide you so I can do away with them." He says, instantly making me panic. "Jericho, you can't take on eight ghouls by yourself!" The thought of Jericho being harmed leaves my heart and mind in absolute chaos.

"You don't know much about Reapers if you think I can't handle these little pests myself. You doubt me and my strength." He says, seeming offended by my words.

"It's not that I don't think you can't handle them-" I start, "Then trust me, Eden. I'll protect you." He says to me before coming to an abrupt stop.

"They are closing in from all sides, they knew.." My body breaks out in a cold sweat as Jericho says this. "Stay close to me, Eden. You'll have to use your magic if it comes down to it. Do not hold back, they will rip the flesh from your bones." Jericho says. "That's very encouraging to hear. 'flesh from your bones', you're not very good at hyping people up for fights ya know." I say to him.

The change in the air is quick. The magic power pouring from Jericho is thick, I practically feel as though I'm breathing it in. I watch as he brings his arm up and over his head, reaching behind his back as though he were to grab something.

The change happens so fast I don't register it at all until Jericho seems to be standing taller than before, his eyes as dark as a night sky with no stars or moon. Large curved horns adorn his head. His clothing is different now, instead of a grey shirt with dark brown pants Jericho now wears black pants accompanied only by a black cloak rimmed with a deep red.

A Reapers cloak.

A chill settles into my bones as I take in the weapon Jericho carries in his right hand, a scythe as large as the Reaper himself glints menacingly in the crescent moonlight.

I stare at Jericho's true form in awe. I should feel fear, instead I feel amazement.

Movement from the shadows catches my eye, before I can register what's happening ghouls start pouring out of the shadows from all directions, properly caging us in.

"You are fools for coming after the likes of me, you foul smelling toads." Jericho spits his word out at them.

Collective hissing noises answer his insult towards them. "We've come for the girl." One of the ghouls says as he makes his way closer. "We want the Witch." They say as a whole, making it sound as though I'm surrounded by whispers of the evil creature's.

"There is no witch here, leave before you can't." Jericho says darkly.

Cackling laughter fills the night air. "But she is a witch! She is! The golden haired goddess wants her." The largest ghoul points his gnarly finger in my direction.

Fear strikes through me like lightening.

Aries has put a bounty on me. A bounty on the witch.

Tears pool in the corner of my eyes and I desperately try to blink them away.

"What is it that she has offered you foul creatures of the mountains in return for this witch?" Jericho asks them.

"Flesh of the young." He smiles with his jagged sharp teeth as he answers in a giddy voice before all the rest join in chanting the words.

Rage swells up inside of me at the filthy creatures words. "ENOUGH!" I scream out at the group of ghouls. I bring my hands in front of me, palms forward as I scream out to my magic.

"Ignis!"

Flames ignite all around us, building a wall of fire between us and the ghouls, my flames making contact with some of them as I hear their angered cries.

"A witch! A witch! She's truly a witch!" The large one, I'm assuming their leader, begins shouting.

Ghouls begin attacking from every angle despite my flames. Jericho smoothly rakes his scythe in front of him, beheading two of the sniveling bastards, sending them straight to the pits of the underworld.

The way Jericho moves in his true form is unnerving, the speed and precision unnatural in every sense of the word.

"Domio!" I shout as I target the ghouls with my magic, the spell leaving them unconscious on the ground.

I look out of the corner of my eye to see Jericho being attacked by at least six ghouls. "Jericho! There's more than before!" I scream out. "They're coming from a portal! I can smell it in the distance!" He shouts back. "Do not leave my side, Eden!"

No matter how many ghouls I take down it seems another one instantly takes its place in trying to make it's way to me and Jericho.

Jericho is taking out multiple at once, none of them coming even close to touching him. "They're in the gods-damned trees!" He yells to me while taking the arms off of another ghoul with his scythe.

Suddenly pain erupts everywhere and I let out a desperate scream, nothing matters any more except this unimaginable pain coursing through my veins. "Eden!" My body is being slung across Jericho's shoulder as he continues beheading the dirty bastards.

My body won't move despite my mind telling it to. Not a single part of my body seems to be working except my voice, which seems to know only one thing. Scream. I can't stop myself as my cries pierce through the dark night.

I can feel Jericho's movements grow more unsure, and I know it's because he's having to watch out for the useless woman slung across his back.

Suddenly we're moving, I can feel Jericho darting around obstacles before coming to an abrupt stop, he lays my crying form on the ground before speaking in what I can only describe as a demonic voice.

"Ajal!" He shouts. My eyes fly open as heat surrounds us, before they land on a terrifying creature. A monstrous beast of a dog as large as a horse looks down at me through fiery eyes.

A hellhound.

Jericho's chosen spirit companion I assume.

"Take her to Hades, Ajal. Now!"

Hades? He's sending me to the underworld?

My fear is suffocating as the pain I felt slowly vanishes, though I'm still left immobile.

"Jericho.. Please don't leave me.." I say sleepily, the thought of him sending me away terrifying me in more ways than one.

He quietly picks up my body and lays it on his hellhounds back. "I'm sorry, Eden. Ajal will take you somewhere safe, and I promise I will be there shortly. A ghoul bit your leg, if we don't deal with it soon.." He trails off. But I already know what will happen..

My flesh will start to rot off of the bone, spreading slowly until it's taken my life.

"There's so many, you can't.." I say to him, he gives me a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "You doubt me, Eden.. I don't blame you, I've failed to protect you as promised.." He says quietly to me, his dark eyes staring into mine.

"Ajal will take you somewhere safe, somewhere with beings who will heal you. But I can't go, they'll follow. I have to stay and kill them all. I can't let a single ghoul take another breath by the time the sun rises. We can't risk them following you, or spreading word about the witch in the woods." He says to me before speaking again. "They didn't take long to sniff us out again. This is where I leave you for a short time Eden, but I promise you there is nothing that will keep me from being beside you again."

He looks at me before kissing my lips softly. I long so badly to kiss him back, my body still unable to do what I want it to, though tears still stream down the side of my face and onto Jericho's hellhound who seems unfazed by what's going on, or that a random person is on his back.

Jericho stands up straight and turns towards the direction the ghouls are coming from, scythe in hand.

He speaks again without turning to face me. "Libera eam ad sanatores adunt, Ajal!" Jericho's voice booms out, echoing through the darkness.

(Latin translation: Take her to the healers, Ajal)

Jericho's hellhound takes off at his words, how I don't fall off is truly a mystery seeing as how I can't hold onto it.

The beast is fast and silent, not even the sound of a leaf or twig under his massive paws that adorn claws longer than my fingers as he darts through the darkness.

Tears stream down the side of my face, the pain is gone except for an area right above my ankle that pulses with excruciating pain, though my tears aren't for the pain that lingers, they're for the Reaper left behind to fight an entire swarm of ghouls by himself because I was too weak to protect even myself.

I was burden to him, he could have escaped easily if not for me. In fact, the ghouls apparently wouldn't have been after him at all if not for me.

Quiet sobs escape me, in that moment I can feel Ajal begin growling, deep rumbles coming from his chest, before suddenly a portal opens up directly in our path. Ajal gracefully jumping through to the next realm with unnatural grace and accuracy for a beast his size.

Sweltering heat greets me as my eyes frantically look around trying to take in my surroundings.

A whimsical female voice makes its way to my ears, though I can't turn my head in the direction it's coming from.

"Ajal! What do you have there my darling?" The female inquires. I hear a light clicking noise that I'm assuming is her shoes as she makes her way around the beast to look at me.

A beautiful dark haired woman comes into view, her sheer red gown flowing around her figure as her piercing green eyes practically burn holes through me.

She reaches out a delicate hand towards my face, her sharp red nails glinting in the light as she softly touches the side of my face before her eyes seem to glaze over, a blank expression making it's way onto her face. She's a seer.

"Jericho's mate." She states matter of factly as her eyes become clear and focused again.

"Bring her, Ajal. She must see the healers at once." The beautiful female says as she walks away from me and down a large hall with floors made of marble.

Ajal is quick to follow with me still on his back. I haven't said anything, can't think of anything to say. Where am I? Who's this female? Jericho must trust I'm safe if he sent me here.. Right?

The female speaks as we walk down the halls. "The medical wing is on the far side of the palace, but once there they will have you feeling better in no time at all, Eden!" She exclaims excitedly.

I swallow hard before growing brave enough to speak, my voice coming out strained due to all my screaming earlier. "Where am I?" I ask her.

"Darling, you're in the Palace of Reapers! As Jericho's mate there's no safer place than here for you." She says while smiling brightly at me.

"The Palace of Reapers? So I'm in-?" She cuts me off answering my question.

"You're in the underworld, Eden!" She happily exclaims.

I'm in the underworld. Fabulous.

(Edited on 11/26/24)