A Shallow Dive

Kyran checked his calculations again. His fussing hadn't stopped as the hour for entering hell grew ever closer. They wouldn't be going far. A quick in and out mission to test the viability of his plan. He was confident enough to hire a couple of low level mages. Or perhaps that bit was more to comfort his wife. No more solo trips into hell.

The setup for thier expedition was in a dusty warehouse on the outskirts of Era. Kyran had aquired it quietly. The materials needed for the portal had been shipped here. Medea had overseen that part. The portal itself was an ugly thing. It was a mash of smooth bits and sharp angles. It looked as if Hell itself had warped the material. Lost souls appeared to be attempting to escape in various locations. It made Kyran shudder looking at it.

A desk had been set up for him not far away. Filing cabinets sat on either side. Everything else was a temporary set up. Massive pallets or boxes stacked with materials or goods intent on helping the party looking to enter Hell. It was a veritable maze to even approach the portal. Kyran grimaced, realizing he'd have to fix that soon.

A humanoid cloaked in a gold robe approached. She held a staff in one hand. A crow's skull gleamed from the top of the staff, its empty eye sockets holding glowing orbs. "Everything is ready, daddy. Shall I activate the portal?" Medea purred softly. Kyran looked at the papers one last time. It was good enough. It had to be. "We'll wait upon our guests first. No need to let anything out before they arrive." Maybe he should send a guide to the front door...

PWC: 291

After an hour of waiting, Kyran threw in the towel. Those that had volunteered weren't coming anymore or had been killed or kidnapped. He'd look into it later. Maybe hire someone to look into later at least. His hands were full trying to map Hell and find the fragments of Annabelle's soul. Kyran shoved back from his desk with a growl. The chair clattered to the ground. He ignored it, except for an angry kick. Who left a little kid to be torn to shreds in the underworld?

"Medea, Eae, stay here. You're still recovering from our last jaunt. Ahriman? You ready to go hunting?" The black wolf demon materialized next to him. Kyran struggled to keep his reaction under control. His body had gone into attack mode. Perhaps that was why the demon used his new ability thus. Medea came around the side of the portal. Her body was tense beneath the nearly all concealing cloak. Kyran held up a hand forestalling the argument he could sense. "You always push past your limits, Medea. This isn't anything more than a test of the portal" Now, he added silently. Curses abounded in his head toward those that had abandoned him. "We'll be in and out in as little time as possible."

The cat hissed at him. Her tail lashed the ground. "I can fight. You need more than Ahriman to watch your back." Medea jabbed a claw at the wolf. He was licked the stone after scratching it. Kyran peered down in disbelief. The journey through Hell had made the wolf smarter... hadn't it? The wolf glanced up and winked at Kyran. The redhead let out a relieved breath. "Despite your misgivings, Eae is barely holding it together right now. I know you can fight. That's why you stay here. Guarding this side of the portal. Don't let anything through."

PWC: 310/601

As Kyran tried to convince Medea to stay, a side door exploded into metal shrapnel. Kyran vaporized the majority of the shards with his newfound magic. Ahriman growled, whipping about. Kyran steadied him with a wave of his hand. A familiar scent proceeded a stomping daughter and her shouting. The redhead wasn't sure whether to smile or stare in disbelief. Lethe avoided him near religiously at the guild but when he's tucked out of the way in Era, she tracks him down. What was with this child?

Lethe asked if she could help, not once but twice. Kyran shot a triumphant look at Medea. Now he had a legitimate reason to leave every demon behind to recover. "I'm just testing the portal to hell today, Lee-lee. A quick jaunt into the Wastelands of Hell, picking a fight with a low level demon village and getting out. Proof of concept only. I..." Pain creased his features. He swallowed hard. "I haven't been able to find her yet. And I created the portal so your mother could find me if need be. I don't want a repeat of my last trip to Hell any more than she does." That time hadn't been his brightest moment. He'd researched how to get into Hell but forgotten he needed a way out. Kyran couldn't blame Gaia for worrying.

"By the way, that entrance was very Adalinda. She seemed to like casually destroying innocent doors." He teased, turning away from Lethe. Kyran waved a hand for Lethe to come closer. "Come meet your half-siblings. Adalinda is their mother, in a sense." Ahriman's ears perked up. He sniffed the air, his tail wagging rapidly. Kyran didn't think he'd ever seen the wolf wag his tail. "The black wolf-like one off to my right is called Ahriman. The one covering her face and holding a staff here is Medea. I'm not sure where Eae got off to unfortunately. She contracted a condition while we were in Hell. There were two others but..." He trailed off. Medea spit off to the side.

The redhead shook himself. Ahriman apparently took his introduction as permission. He launched himself toward Lethe. A low sound bubbled from his throat. "Sssssiiiisssstttteerrrrr" The black wolf attempted a clumsy hug with razer sharp talons. Medea approached Lethe slowly. Her head was held high. Blonde locks spilled from under the unnatural darkness of the hood. Delicate hands peppered with tufts of golden fur, clutched her staff. Kyran wanted to reassure the cat demon. She wanted acceptance but hid herself from the world. Her sudden growth had made Medea aware of how she had hurt Kyran, her family. The cat female worried she'd slip back into old ways.

"I'll let you three talk for a little bit. Let me see if I can find Eae." Kyran said finally. Winking at Lethe, since he was kind of throwing her under the wagon, the redhead disappeared. His final demon child worried him the most of the three. Her condition placed Eae in constant pain. She didn't want to be a burden and hid herself away when it got too painful. Kyran thought that had the opposite effect. Being unable to aid her or even offer a semblance of aid hurt them all more than Eae knew. It would take him a few minutes to check her usual hideouts. Hopefully, that time would be enough for Lethe to bond with her siblings. Fingers crossed.

WC: 573/ 1174

Lethe's abject hatred of the nickname spurred something in Kyran. He held his response as she threatened and then gave him a kind of backhanded 'You need back up'. The girl really was like Adalinda. It might be hard to tell them apart if you only looked at their mannerisms. "You're both my Lethe's now. I have to tell you apart somehow. If Lee-lee is out, how about, my special cupcake? Or pretty princess? I could always go with Sparkly Wonder of Absolute Gorgeousness, S.W.A.G. for short." Kyran held together up until the end when he snickered softly. He pulled himself together to get to his point. "All I want is to be a good dad to my kids, Lethe. All of my kids." His gaze slipped over to the demons. "I didn't have a good role model nor have I interacted with many fathers. Give me some time to figure it out, bad nicknames, dad puns and all that while I do."

The slayer cocked his head when Lethe glared at him. What had he said wrong this time? Simply staring wouldn't help him improve. Kyran scrubbed a hand over his cheek. The sullen silences weren't like Adalinda. It hadn't taken much to set that woman off. She always spoke her mind. It'd helped him navigate their relationship. If only Lethe had picked up that habit. When Lethe talked about Veles opinion of the demons' birth, Kyran let it go. Their birth had been such a mystery he didn't much care how the semantics worked out.

Ahriman clearly enjoyed the wrestling with Lethe. He lay on the floor after his defeat, panting. A wolfish smile spread across his face. "Ffffuuuunnn." Medea watched Lethe warily as the woman approached. Her ears flicked back and forth with Lethe's words. A harsh laugh spilled from the hood. The cat demon reached up and pulled the hood back from her face. Raised scars marked the demon's face. The scar tissue atop her head removed a good portion of her hair. Part of her upper lip had been removed. "I'm not beautiful. I never will be! This will never, never be fixed!" Medea spat. The hood came back up. Her ears were flattened against her head. "I don't need your pity either." The cat demon stomped off as Kyran returned.

"Medea?" He called but the demon ignored him. The slayer turned toward Lethe with a confused look. "I take it things didn't go well?" He scratched the back of his head. "I couldn't find Eae either. There are two others but they're in Hell. Maybe. Malinda betrayed us, handing us over to be executed by a demon lord. Erebus sacrificed himself to allow us to escape." Kyran sighed heavily. He hated that Erebus had tricked him into running through the portal. It needed to be done but Kyran would never like it.

"Shall we fire up the machine then? I bet you have better things to do then accompany your old man into Hell." Kyran asked. Lethe had been ordered to help by Gaia. It pained him that this was how they were finally spending time together. Unbeknownst to him, his pain was clear on his face before Kyran turned around. He started up the portal with a few flicks of his wrist. The portal whined loudly, snapping to life as a large red oval between the twisted machinery. "Ladies first? Or shall I be the protective father?" Kyran called over the sound of the portal. Everyone looking at the shimmering circle could see a dull red landscape, broken only by distant fuzzy shapes. No threats to be seen but it was Hell. Anything could be lurking around.

WC: 614/1788

Kyran struggled to see Lethe as a grown woman. He'd seen little Lethe that morning. Given her a hug, laughed with her and now the older version stood before him. His vision did a double image where he could see the child interposed over the adult. Books mentioned the phenomenon. Only seeing the child where the adult stood. Many parents struggled with it. Yet, Lethe had helped Kyran - somewhat - to realize that was nearly as harmful to the child. This version of himself might have missed Lethe growing up but that didn't mean he could treat her as a child now. Seeing her lowered ears and tail caused a feeling of wanting to comfort her rise. Instead of grabbing her in a crushing hug, the redhead gently put a hand to her shoulder. Let her choose how much she needed Dad right now.

"Yes, Eae is the angel." Kyran said softly, returning her smile. There had been some discoveries regarding Eae but he'd let her tell Lethe if she wanted to. Eae's secrets were not his to divulge. The redhead pointedly didn't talk about Malinda. Even thinking about the traitorous snake made his blood boil. There could be no doubt that in this timeline she'd betrayed them. Malinda had handed Kyran over to the demon lord Mog'thin personally.

Lethe's response to Kyran's teasing caused actual fire to flair in his eyes. He managed to smile without popping a blood vessel. His precious girl dating someone? They better be treating her right or he'd rain down vengeance upon their heads. Kyran glanced at the portal. He literally had torn through the planes for his family. Murdered family members for hurting the younger family members. An evil smile curved his lips. Imagine what he would do to any person that hurt his precious children or wife. The smile on Lethe's lips pulled away the darkness. The redhead laughed heartily. 'You look like your mother with that smile. Both of them." He said fondly.

As they waited for the portal, Kyran pulled on his gear. A thick black leather trench coat covered his casual business attire. He pulled on a pair of combat boots and snatched up a pair of weapons from beside the portal itself. The flaming hammer clipped to his belt. The red spear leaned back against his shoulder. Kyran leaned carefully as he watched Lethe. "So you have a date hmm? Care to enlighten your old man? What is his or her name? How old are they? Actually, do you know how old they are? That's all that matters there. Are you happy and is it a good relationship?" His questions came rapid fire before a thought occurred to him. "Or were you just pulling my leg?"

Kyran grinned warily at Lethe's response. She stepped through the portal before he managed to respond. Looking around the room, he caught sight of Medea watching from the shadows. Ahriman crouched nearby. A whine came from the wolf. The black furred demon had his eyes locked on the portal. It seemed that the older Lethe had seamlessly integrated into the demonic part of his family. Kyran scratched Ahriman under the chin. "I'll bring her back. Both of them." He swore quietly. Golden furred arms wrapped around his waist. A face pressed into his back. "You better come back too, Father." Medea whispered then disappeared. Kyran peered over his shoulder. Had the cat always cared that much?

The redhead took a deep breath and moved through the portal. The red landscape radiated heat when he emerged. His mouth went instantly dry. Kyran could swear he could feel his lips cracking in the heat. The moisture in his eyes disappeared too. "Ah, hell. I have not missed you one bit." The slayer scanned the horizon. Nothing in sight currently. Kyran gestured to the red plain. "Welcome to the Blood Plain. Every four hours or so, great armies of demons clash here coating the entire thing in their sanguineous liquid. We've got about three until the next one unless we miscalculated badly." He rubbed a hand over his forehead. The heat had been a distant memory. Perhaps better plans could have been made. Still something needed to be addressed before they continued. What was it? Oh, he remembered.

"Lethe... I respect the fact that you're a fighter, that you don't need my protection. I hope you can respect my need to protect you anyways." Kyran touched a hand to his chest. If only he could show the scars his past should have left on him. "I was purposefully, maliciously hurt as a child. To the point where I was told I couldn't have kids. It makes you, all of you, Ducarius, Bel, Arawn, Melinda, both my Lethe's, Annabelle, even the demon kids... unbelievably precious." Kyran turned his back to Lethe. Tears had formed in his eyes. They evaporated rapidly but Kyran didn't want his daughter to see. His hand clenched into a fist over his heart. "I'll save each and every one of you as much pain as I can. I'd sacrifice myself for it even but your mother and the demons would drag me back to kick my ass." Kyran laughed softly. "Please let me protect you like I should have been protected. Like my siblings should have been." His words slipped out as a broken whisper.

Kyran marveled that he could share these feelings with Lethe so easily. They'd always been held close, used as a shield to keep others at bay. Gaia had healed his hurts, allowing him to let others in. He hoped he'd done the same. As the redhead dwelled on the feelings, he realized what he'd actually meant to say. Gaia had healed him, he did feel comfortable talking to Lethe about these feelings but this wasn't exactly the appropriate place for this conversation. "Ah, I forgot." Kyran wiped his eyes. "Hell has a rather insidious mechanism. The air you breathe, the very atmosphere, picks at the scabs on your soul. Everything that makes you lose control, to lose focus, to lose hope, all of that will rise to the surface here. Guard your thoughts and heart by being aware. Keep one image focused in your mind. That image must be powerful enough to motivate you." The redhead glanced over his shoulder at Lethe. He smiled slowly. "I bet you can guess what mine is."

The slayer summoned up his image. He focused on it, drawing away from the pain of existence, the despair of hopelessness. His arm came up, pointing into the distance. "The village is that way. Home to a group of child eaters. Appropriate for total annihilation I think. If you notice any of them with a third eye painted onto their forehead - not real ones, it must be painted - leave them alive. They're demon oracles that might help us find the pieces of your sister's soul." The wind gathered at Kyran's back. It stretched outward into a ghostly image of two bat wings. One flap sent the redhead rocketing upward. "How about we go say hello?"

WC: 1184/2972
Thread Total: 4245

Kyran missed Lethe's comment about her looks. Stars still circled Adalinda in his mind. She'd been the first friend he'd made, the first person who cared about him. No strings circled him with Adalinda. Gruen, Claudia, Sophia, everyone else had tied strings around him to use him. Kyran did hear that his baby girl had no dates, currently. Having only recently become a father, the redheaded mage could not be prepared for one of his kids growing up already. Try as he might to see the adult Lethe as a grown up, Kyran still struggled to do so. All of his kids deserved to be coddled, protected.

Lethe's choice of words managed to bring a smile to Kyran's lips. "Why the hell indeed? Based off what I saw, I suppose it serves multiple functions. Primarily, its entertainment. Other than that, Eae supposed that the corruption of souls, and territory in hell." A piercing cry echoed across the plains. The redhead checked his watch. They had more than enough time. That cry must be an isolated one. He hoped that was the case anyways.

Kyran didn't know how to respond to Lethe's declaration. A proper family? What made a proper family? He'd been taking strikes to his back for years. Using his body to shield those that couldn't defend themselves had always been the way. Standing side by side with someone, locking shields together so to speak, hadn't ever occurred to him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. "You'll have to teach me, Lethe. I don't know how to defend other than sacrificing my body. I don't know how to stand side by side with someone to shield those behind." The redhead touched his daughter's arm with a smile. "I'm willing to try though."

Kyran laughed at Lethe's assertion. His hand waved through the air. "Your mother is a part of it, yes. The cause of it really. Our family is what I hold in my thoughts. All of you got me through this hellish nightmare." The redhead tapped a finger to his lips. His mouth opened then shut quickly. He made a mental note to bring up his thought later. Gaia deserved a night off from the 'gremlins' If Lethe felt comfortable, Kyran hoped she would take the kids so he might take Gaia out for a - hopefully - nice date. Fingers crossed that nothing went wrong during this one.

As Lethe popped out wings of her own, Kyran smiled. Adalinda had borne similar wings. She'd destroyed more than one wall in Gaia's house with them. Chuckling to himself, the slayer angled himself toward the demon village. Everything was going smoothly. They'd just need to destroy the village and leave. Establish the reign of the Blood until they had obtained every piece of Annabelle's soul.

Of course, Hell had other plans. As they neared the village, a high pitched shriek rang from above. "Keeeeeeyyyyyyrrrrraaaaannnn" Several voices called out. Kyran twisted in mid air too late. Something slammed into his waist. The momentum knocked him from the sky. "Fuck!" Kyran shouted. The wind tore at his clothing. Whistling in his ears kept him from hearing anything. He could barely grasp for the weapon at his waist. His spear fought to fly off into the distance. During his descent, Kyran could feel sharp claws scoring his armored trench coat. Whatever had hit him wanted to lay him open.

The redhead grasped Longinus tightly. The magic flowed through him. In a blink of an eye, his body teleported away from his attacker. Kyran righted himself in the air. Somehow he'd oriented himself toward his attacker. They feel for a few seconds more before correcting their flight. As they became clear to Kyran, he swore violently. The feathered body had a dark blue color. Wide wings beat rapidly belying a great speed. Wicked claws tipped each fingers and the face had a covering of hard metal in the shape of a beak. Cruel yellow eyes peered at him over the mask. This happened to be a pack of harpies from the Muerte Clan. A group that Kyran had severely pissed off on his prior visit to hell.

The redhead twisted to look for Lethe. The rest of the pack had probably targeted his daughter. He couldn't spot anything. "Where are you looking?" The harpy had closed the distance and two friends had joined it. Kyran desperately reached for his magic. Wind wrapped around his body but not before claws scored across the redhead's face. Rage at his inattentiveness stole reason from Kyran's mind. His free hand flicked out. Wind slammed down onto one of the harpies. It tumbled from the air, immobilized by the spell. Longinus darted out catching the second in the stomach. Not enough to kill but enough to back them off.

Kyran didn't bother to finish his opponents. His mind consumed with the need to protect his daughter. Turning from the harpies, his body rose quickly through the air. Where was Lethe? Had the harpies gotten her? This was all his fault. All his fault. "Lethe!" He cried out, hoping for a response.

WC: 857/3829
Thread Total: 5813

Kyran breathed a sigh of relief, hearing some kind of response to his cry. Wind burst forth to strike a few of the harpies still attacking the dragon shape. His eyes narrowed, trying to spot his daughter. Was she riding the dragon? The harpies seemed to be realizing they had bitten off more than they could chew. They squawked at each other in a panic. No one could prepare for a sudden dragon. The redhead flew closer. Longinus flashed as Kyran decapitated a harpy. A burst of flame engulfed another. If he hadn't been conserving strength, both to avoid attention and for the demon village, the slayer could have wiped out the swarm in seconds. It frustrated him leaving these pests alive to bother him another day.

The bird creatures decided to back off. Rapid wing movements took them out of reach in moments. Kyran stared after them longingly. If only he had the power to eliminate both them and the village, he'd let loose. A drifting scent caught his attention. Something that carried the scent of Lethe but clearly wasn't his daughter. The redhead turned back toward the dragon. He rested his hand on his chin as he tried to place the scent. The dragon looked fairly familiar as well. Kyran didn't see Lethe either. If this beast was his daughter... the pieces clicked. A predatory smile spread across Kyran's face. "Nice to see you again, Veles. Are you from the future as well or did Lethe... Lilah absorb you from her siblings?"

Kyran remembered the last time they'd seen each other well. Gaia had been furious after Adalinda had assisted him in demolishing Gaia's house. The dragon had made an appearance then. The redhead's fingers itched to go another round. Yet hurting the dragon might inevitably hurt Lethe... Lilah. Switching her name mentally would take some time. Kyran wouldn't take the chance that he'd hurt Lethe, Lilah. No amount of curiosity would be worth that.

"It seems that the demon clans noticed our presence. Likely they've made a game of bringing us in alive or in pieces. Mercenary clans like the harpies will keep attacking us." Kyran said, peering at their surroundings. The heightened danger meant they had to keep heads on a swivel. "This easy job got a hell of a lot more difficult. Since we're to... stand as... partners, Lethe uh Lilah, do we continue or head back to try another day? The village is just down there if that changes anything." Kyran tried not to let his discomfort show. Other than with Gaia, the redhead did what he thought best. Partners got in the way of the most direct path. Lethe, drat, Lilah might be family however the redhead couldn't change on a dime. He wanted to dive into the village immediately, damn the consequences.

WC: 470/4299
Thread: 6706

Kyran listened to Veles explain how he ended up in Lethe's body. A slow grin started to cross his face. "It seems that when... Lilah came back from the future, I gained two kids instead of just one. I can't wait to shower my wittle dragon boy in the love and affection he clearly missed before. I'll have to think up good nicknames for you, V." The redhead laughed low in his throat. The dragon had caused him no end of trouble with Gaia. While he would treat Veles as a son, Kyran wouldn't mind getting a little payback in the process.

The slayer kept one eye open as Veles said they'd attack the village. An eyebrow raised when Veles claimed it wasn't that hard. "It wasn't meant to be hard. Seems you also missed the part where demon clans are bearing down on us. We've got fifteen to thirty minutes before hundreds of thousands of demons descend on us. And that's a guess on time. We have to find the oracles and raze the town before then." Kyran looked toward the village. With the retreat of the harpies, the village had come to life. Gearing for a coming attack or to attack themselves. The slayer couldn't be sure which.

"Whatever the limit, we don't have time. Let's make it a game. Whoever captures the most oracles wins." Kyran dropped from the sky without another word. The leash that held his emotions in check dropped from mental fingers. Releasing his magic, he caused a shockwave to level several buildings. The air roiled around him, a living angry thing as he advanced on the village. If Lethe could see his eyes, they were a vibrant red with slitted pupils. His time in Hell had awoken something within him. Something dark, dangerous and wholly volatile which Kyran wasn't even aware of. For him, it felt like rage. A powerful rage that overpowered everything while obliterating rational thought. He struggled now to hold onto the mission.

Power rippled off Kyran as the demons attacked. His head swiveled, checking each forehead before a blast of air ripped into the body. When the crowd became too thick, Kyran launched into the air. Praying he wasn't hitting his targets, the redhead screamed. A raging torrent of wind slashed the group into pieces. Kyran landed, the anger pouring molten through his veins. Magic ate into the houses to either side, reducing them to rubble. Red clouded Kyran's vision. Memories lay thick upon his mind. "Annabelle!" He screamed, destroying several more houses. The redhead had nearly been consumed by his hatred and his desperate need to save his daughter.

WC: 441/4740
TWC: 7568

Kyran barely registered his wife's name in the depths of his rage. It caused him to pause only for a moment before he continued his rampage. Annabelle consumed his thoughts, his actions, even his very soul to the detriment of all else around him. He'd allowed his brother to take Annabelle. He'd been naïve enough to not check with Claudia after gaining power. He'd failed to save his darling daughter not once but twice! His magic radiated with his anger as he unleashed it upon these demons. These monsters that had stolen his child from him.

A weight slammed into the redhead. Kyran blinked, a stunned shock burning through his overwhelming rage. He looked down at Lilah, his eyes blank, something refusing to recognize his daughter. Then his arm closed around her. His eyes alit with the knowledge of who she was. Deep in his blue orbs was the essence of shame, guilt and fear. Kyran hugged her closely. "Lilah..." He whispered like her name was a lifeline. The wind holding them up slowly moved them toward the ground.

Kyran deposited them on the ground. He pushed away his broken thoughts about Annabelle. His mind grasped Gaia and Lilah, trying to drag himself from the mire. "I'm... broken, Lilah." He murmured, constructing a barrier of wind around them. "I'm not..." Kyran took a deep breath. "I have to rescue Annabelle. It's my fault she's down here. My fault she was ripped into pieces by these creatures." He didn't voice that every trip into this place chipped at the fractures. He didn't mention that the longer it took to save Annabelle, the more he feared he'd never return from this place. Kyran could barely hold himself together without the help of others now. Something he desperately tried to hide from Gaia, lest she ask and ban him from ever returning.

WC: 309/5049
TWC: 8269

"I'm not sure how I feel about my daughter scolding me." Kyran murmurs. He still feels the urgent flutter to do something for his daughter. It persistently pressed against his breast urging him to ignore his daughter. Lilah didn't understand, couldn't understand. Kyran wrestled with the feeling. An image of Malinda smiling sadly as the doors of hell trapped her inside with the horde of demons came to mind. Kyran shuddered. That had been his fault. That situation had been born from one exactly like this one.

Kyran climbed onto Lilah's back. He patted her scales. "I would find a way to come back from the dead. Otherwise your mother would summon me back so she could kill me again. I'd rather not have her eternal wrath on my head..." Kyran looked toward the horde bearing down on them. "I owe your mom an extra special date night, I think. I've taken too much for granted with her. Would you mind watching your siblings for a night perhaps?"

WC: 168/5217
TWC: 8745