If I took the time to count how often I spent my waking hours in freefall, it would probably be a lot more than most. I was a terrible excuse for a baby bird, however, and spent more time climbing back up the tree than actually flying.
I crashed down into the darker underground chamber, Wight softening some of the blow with his power as the concrete and stone split and powdered up from the collision. We rolled away from the impact as the bodies of the unlucky three slammed down around us.
With nothing but the distant portal to illuminate the pitch dark room, we were totally surrounded by over seventy of these large demons. Each one could score a dangerous beam through anything once they died. And they were in the way of said portal. During the brief time of falling, I remembered I couldn’t just use my pact to go home anymore. I wasn’t in Hell - the mortal plane was already home.
Immediately, large arms swung at me, and I dove and narrowly avoided them. It was difficult to see, and I found myself using demonic instinct to feel for when the attacks came.
“Any suggestions?” I growled. The rough floor bit into my knees as I rolled away from thick demon legs.
[Perhaps let destiny guide you.]
Well, that was bullshit. Slightly better than just telling me not to die. Perhaps he was right. There was no easy way out of this situation - not only did I have eyes on me, but I couldn’t portal out, Wight couldn’t use his Domain, and any demon I killed could set off a chain reaction impossible to escape from.
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Backing away to the quieter side of the chamber, it hit me. The realization, I meant, not the chamber. I was abuzz inside, aflame, even. Faced with such impossible odds, the wave of corruption came surging back up like vomit. I would have laughed if my jaw didn’t feel wired shut with how clenched it was.
[Potentially a bad idea. Potentially brilliant.]
It needn’t be said. We shared the one brain-cell screaming out for mercy.
//Stay steady, Eric. Another Hunter en route.
“Rodney, if I don’t survive this…”
//Negative. Survive this, that is an order.
Not that he had the authority to order me around, of course. Or he did. I wasn’t sure anymore. Despite my lax attitude with my personal safety, I could feel the curtains drawing to a close. I should be heading to sleep, after a day of fighting corruption, the Hunter, the Church, and too many devils. The candle wasn’t just burning from both ends. I had dumped it willingly into the open volcano.
The revolver spun in my hand.
[I feel it too, Eric. The bad omen comes to roost.]
“This doesn’t end until I’m dead, or it’s over.”
The demons lumbered slowly toward me, pinning me into this corner. I was at least thankful they were slow enough to allow me all this dialogue to set the scene for how much this was going to be terrible to get through. You’ve been warned, I told myself.
[If you are ready to accept that, I am fully onboard.]
//Confirm what you’re… what is your intention?
I could tell he was trying to remain professional in the presence of the Org goons, while also trying to pop open my head and scoop out the important details so that he could attempt to warn me off what I was about to try to do.
“We’re going to disable to portal.” I answered in a flat tone.
[Estimated three hours until I can use my Domain again.]
“Will you be able to get us home?”
[Potentially.]
I held the revolver up as the first Fiend was just about in range to start striking out at me. We had been lucky the ones that fell down hadn’t died and started off the chain reaction of doom.
Nice of them to leave that for me to do. It was time.