and the musty odor made Enoch wrinkle his nose. "Smells like stagnant water," he said. "There is a hissing in the shadows. What is that?"
"I don't think we want to know," Metatron said. "Which way do we go?"
Gabriel and the rest of the entourage looked at Enoch, who after surveying his surroundings replied.
"Janus said this is the realm of choices. I choose to go forward." The translated of God then pitched his satchel firmly over his shoulders, placed his cane solidly on the ground before him, and proceeded to step deeper into the darkness.
* * *
Argoth had been careful to create a portal that would not arouse suspicion from the enemies of God, so he set Jerahmeel and his companions down deep into a ridge near the mouth of one of Hell's openings. Jerahmeel, Eskalion, Iblis, and Turiel settled into the green and dank earth during the night outside.
"Iblis, you told Argoth that this was the closest we could get externally to the Hellforge. Yet, I do not see the opening from here to Hell's mouth."
Iblis smiled, "You need only ever look into a volcano to see the entrance to Hell Harrada. Come, there is a vent up ahead we can travel through."
The troupe moved quietly through the small canyon until he came to a point and stopped to crouch. The rest crouched also. "There, past the cliffs. Do you see it?" he said.
Jerahmeel eyed the cliff in the distance, and beneath it, smoke and ash billowed into the sky. Nothing lived at its entrance, and if one listened closely, distant wails sounded on the air. Jerahmeel placed his hand on Iblis' shoulder and leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "If thou lead us astray, know of a surety that I shall personally take thee with me to oblivion."
Iblis shrugged his shoulder away from Jerahmeel. "Quickly now! Follow me." Iblis dashed toward the vent and the others followed in kind. Plumes of smoke wafted into their eyes when they entered into the aperture, and the heat immediately assailed them all. Angelic bodies, immune to the searing effects that would kill a human, nevertheless felt the blast of intense heat.
Eskalion yelped. "Why do I feel pain?"
Turiel replied. "We are not just entering a terrestrial chamber of fire. Hell is a living creature, and we stand on her edge. She is not terrestrial, and her fires can harm us. The renegade leads us true thus far. This path is known to my people. We have yet to go outside the scope of the Grigori's gaze."
Iblis paused. "How long will I be despised in thy eyes? Am I not here by thy side with my own life at risk? What more dost thou want from me?"
Eskalion replied. "It will require much effort before Heaven's host will ever find compassion toward those who took up arms against them. El Himself would have to announce thee righteous before absolution could be gained. Yet help us in this cause, and mayhap healing can begin."
Iblis turned and murmured under his breath as he walked toward a chamber flowing with magma. "Through there," he said, pointing.
Jerahmeel had never seen the inside of Hell. None of them had. Only Michael, Lucifer, and Abaddon, who was now trapped within the Abyss, had walked the colon of Hell. They all gasped when their eyes beheld what lay before them.
Iblis turned with a pleased face. "Be careful when thou seekest to enter the mouth of a creature designed to consume thee alive. Behold, the desire of thine heart."
Ahead of them lay a chamber that glowed white hot, and within it, streams of Hell's blood flowed like magma. Strewn across the floor was thousands upon thousands of flesh-eating parasitic maggots. Each feasted upon the undying remains of angels and men alike, each moaning and screaming, their cries masked by the hissing of steam that vented into the sky. An opening inaccessible to men.
"Dear God," Jerahmeel said.
Iblis smiled, "Behold, the digestive tract of Hell."
Chapter Seven
A Gulf to Cross
"How are the teams?" Michael asked.
Argoth
"I don't think we want to know," Metatron said. "Which way do we go?"
Gabriel and the rest of the entourage looked at Enoch, who after surveying his surroundings replied.
"Janus said this is the realm of choices. I choose to go forward." The translated of God then pitched his satchel firmly over his shoulders, placed his cane solidly on the ground before him, and proceeded to step deeper into the darkness.
* * *
Argoth had been careful to create a portal that would not arouse suspicion from the enemies of God, so he set Jerahmeel and his companions down deep into a ridge near the mouth of one of Hell's openings. Jerahmeel, Eskalion, Iblis, and Turiel settled into the green and dank earth during the night outside.
"Iblis, you told Argoth that this was the closest we could get externally to the Hellforge. Yet, I do not see the opening from here to Hell's mouth."
Iblis smiled, "You need only ever look into a volcano to see the entrance to Hell Harrada. Come, there is a vent up ahead we can travel through."
The troupe moved quietly through the small canyon until he came to a point and stopped to crouch. The rest crouched also. "There, past the cliffs. Do you see it?" he said.
Jerahmeel eyed the cliff in the distance, and beneath it, smoke and ash billowed into the sky. Nothing lived at its entrance, and if one listened closely, distant wails sounded on the air. Jerahmeel placed his hand on Iblis' shoulder and leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "If thou lead us astray, know of a surety that I shall personally take thee with me to oblivion."
Iblis shrugged his shoulder away from Jerahmeel. "Quickly now! Follow me." Iblis dashed toward the vent and the others followed in kind. Plumes of smoke wafted into their eyes when they entered into the aperture, and the heat immediately assailed them all. Angelic bodies, immune to the searing effects that would kill a human, nevertheless felt the blast of intense heat.
Eskalion yelped. "Why do I feel pain?"
Turiel replied. "We are not just entering a terrestrial chamber of fire. Hell is a living creature, and we stand on her edge. She is not terrestrial, and her fires can harm us. The renegade leads us true thus far. This path is known to my people. We have yet to go outside the scope of the Grigori's gaze."
Iblis paused. "How long will I be despised in thy eyes? Am I not here by thy side with my own life at risk? What more dost thou want from me?"
Eskalion replied. "It will require much effort before Heaven's host will ever find compassion toward those who took up arms against them. El Himself would have to announce thee righteous before absolution could be gained. Yet help us in this cause, and mayhap healing can begin."
Iblis turned and murmured under his breath as he walked toward a chamber flowing with magma. "Through there," he said, pointing.
Jerahmeel had never seen the inside of Hell. None of them had. Only Michael, Lucifer, and Abaddon, who was now trapped within the Abyss, had walked the colon of Hell. They all gasped when their eyes beheld what lay before them.
Iblis turned with a pleased face. "Be careful when thou seekest to enter the mouth of a creature designed to consume thee alive. Behold, the desire of thine heart."
Ahead of them lay a chamber that glowed white hot, and within it, streams of Hell's blood flowed like magma. Strewn across the floor was thousands upon thousands of flesh-eating parasitic maggots. Each feasted upon the undying remains of angels and men alike, each moaning and screaming, their cries masked by the hissing of steam that vented into the sky. An opening inaccessible to men.
"Dear God," Jerahmeel said.
Iblis smiled, "Behold, the digestive tract of Hell."
Chapter Seven
A Gulf to Cross
"How are the teams?" Michael asked.
Argoth
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