Pandora’s POV

I got to Gates’ office at the exact moment to see his eyes flairing up and Amon’s shoulders twitching. „Honestly? I thought you’re going to say that.”

What was going on? Why the fuck was one of the generals here? Yet again? A dark storm brewed in the pit of my stomach. Anxiety. I was anxious. Dear lord. Something told me this was the day when my armor will once again rest upon my body. Some wretched souls are going to vanish in the air.

„So it’s set.” Amon declared, „The generals are already waiting in Inferno... Waiting for an answer I undoubtedly am going to give them. Legions will be summoned and this time they will be summoned to overthrow you.” Without another word Amon turned around to come towards us. A smirk was playing on his lips when his eyes met with Teek, who was standing in front of me, before they landed on me. „Are you sure you’re on the right side, demon? There’s still time to change your mind.”

I snorted as I crossed my arms over my chest, „I never side with the losing party.”

The corner of his mouth raised even higher, „Then you’re surely standing with the wrong fallen.”

„Get lost, leech,” Matt’s voice roared from behind me. Amon’s eyes trailed somewhere behind my back. He excused himself with a nod and simply left.

My eyes fixed back on Gates, who succumbed in his chair. He was pulling at his roots, anger was rushing through his veins and I knew he was trying his best to remain in his human form. Because of Teek. Because the one he loved was standing and eyeing him carefully. Finally he spoke, „Pandora, get down to Hell. Summon the legions, the riders of apocalypse... get the fucking dragons... Get everyone.”

„We’re seriously going to war?” Teek spoke, confusedly looking around, at each and every one of us. „This is stupid!”

„No shit,” I mused under my breath, before I sighed heavily. Shads squeezed by us and walked up to Gates.

„We need a plan, Gates. And we need one right now.” He announced, resting his hands on the desk across from Syn. Our devil didn’t answer. „What are we going to do with the angel?”

„Enepsigos,” He corrected, his eyes angrily connecting with Matt’s. „I declared her my deversis. She’s my queen. If I fall – she keeps ruling.”

„What...?” Teek whispered, her head turning so she could look at me with her cocked eyebrow. My eyebrow twitched as I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. What did she want to hear from me? I wasn’t in any position to explain the debauchery that went on in Gates head. What the Hell did she think I would say to her other then – congrats, you’re a queen now. „I can’t be a ruler of Hell... I’m an angel.” She whisper-hissed at me.

Hey, at least you don’t have to fight against the legions. I rubbed my hands over my face while Matt and Gates talked something over in hushed voices. „You’re still here?” Suddenly Gates browns glared at me.

„Consider me gone.” I said raising my hands up in defense, before taking Teek by her arm and dragging her out of the downstairs office.

As soon as we were in the hallway, she jerked her arm out of my reach, obviously demanding some answers. I liked you sooo much better when you were a harmless little angel, clueless to what’s actually going on in the world. „...Well?”

„Well what?” We were taking the route for Gates’ upstairs office. If you ask me, the guy had too many offices.

„What’s my part in this fuckery?” My head snapped at her with my eyebrows up high. Hell, we taught her to curse, but fuck, that surprised me.

„Excuse me?” I looked at her with my mouth agape.

„Well it is what it is.” She spoke to me as if I was retarded and didn’t understand the first thing about this fucked up world.

„I... know?” A frown took over my features, „I’m just shocked to hear you use that word. Anyhow,” I shook my head, shaking the thought away, „You’re the Queen now, obviously. Most probably nothing terrible is going to happen to you when the battle will take place. Just don’t get in the crossfire, ‘kay?”

„What? I’m not going to be nowhere near the battlefield!” She exclaimed.

„Uhmm, yeah. You are.” I jogged up the stairs, Teek tailing behind me. „What did you think, that Gates is going to lock you away in a closet or something?”

„That plan sounds as good as any.” She shot me a pointed look.

With a roll of my eyes I opened the door to Gates’ office and went dirrectly towards the elevator. „Just... try not to freak out when you see the legions. For an angel they can appear to be quite scary.”

I hear her let out a deep exhale. Finally coming to terms, are we? The doors of the elevator opened and without second thoughts I got in. Teek seemed to be adamant about staying on Earth. Yeah, not gonna happen. „Come ‘ere,” I breathed as I pulled her in, the doors closing right after.

„I don’t want to do it...” She mumbled, folding her arms over her chest, „This is stupid.”

„Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.” I shook my head, but on a positive note – she doesn’t have to fucking fight! I couldn’t stretch this enough. I’ll be the one who’ll do the slaying, killing, ripping and what not.

Fuck.

A ‘ding’ resounded through the elevator and we stepped out in Hell. Can’t say I missed the lingering stench of death, neither the dimly lit corridors and those wicked torture chambers. „Come with me.” I said, knowing she liked those MIA stunts so much. I shot her a look or two as I walked to my chambers. „We need to get you armored up.”

„I’m not going to fight,” Her eyes widened, emphasizing her statement.

„I know,” I shot her a fake smile. Bloody Hell, if she is going to keep it up like this, I’m gonna push her at the front of lines and that’s a promise. „But others don’t know that.”

I walked up to my closet, pulling out the hangers from it and with all the clothes hanging from them – threw them on the floor. It was surprising how many pieces of leather I actually owned. „You want to tell me you have armor in your closet.”

„I do.” I shot her a look, before I picked out a hanger with an outfit hanging from it. My commander’s armor. „Voila!”

„Leather? And... feathers?” She raised her eyebrow at me, „How are feathers going to protect me?”

My jaw clenched as I fought with the urge to stab her and facepalm myself at the same time. „This leather will prevent the arrows from penetrating your heart.” I forced a make-believe smile on my physiognomy, „And the feathers symbolize the loyalty to the fallen.” Those were the actual feathers of a couple of fallen angels who rebelled against Gates, but she didn’t need to know that. „Now without another word – put it on.” My eyes spotted something shiny at the very back of the closet. I picked out a pair of silvery gauntlets. „And these too.”

Susprisingly enough- Teek didn’t say another word. She actually complied, stripping out of her clothes and putting on the outfit I gave her. While she changed into the armor, I decided it would be wise to put something on myself, have never fought wearing only underwear and this definitely wasn’t the time to test out how not wearing clothes affected my agility. When I was pulling up the zipper of my boots, Teek decided to announce her presence. „You’re not wearing any armor?!”

I twitched my shoulders, „Armor will slow me down.”

„Okay... So how do I look?” Teek questioned, making me to turn around and take a good look at her. Her silver hair was falling over her shoulder, the leather accuented her curves even more and, quite frankly, a few centuries ago I would’ve fucked her. You have my word.

„Like a royalty.” I smiled at her, knowing that the way someone looked wasn’t on anybody’s mind right now. „Now let’s go, we still need to find the dragons.”

„You mean I’m going to see Lumi again?” Her cheekbons lifted up high.

„Yeah, sadly there’s a risk he’ll have to take an arrow or a hundred in order to keep you safe.” I spoke. I knew what that little statement did to her, how hurt she felt that she had to endanger her beloved dragon, but that’s the truth. She had to know or otherwise she’d freak out on the battlefield. „You sure he’s up for the job? I could lend you Drogo—„

„No.” She said sternly as we walked out of my room, „No... We have a connection. He’s not going to let anyone hurt me.”

As soon as we walked to the lobby, I saw it bustling with life. Different fallens each in their own different armor were crowding the space. Most heads turned when they picked up the scent of the angel, but they bowed instantly. A sea of ‘my queen’ murmurs echoed through the room, before a young fallen came up to us and everyone straightened out, getting back to their business. „Commander, Gates told to give you this.”

I noticed his clenched jaw, before my eyes slipped down to the sword he was holding.

„Please—Take it.” His head snapped to the side, making it known that he was fighting against the power of the blade. I quickly took it from him and holstered it.

„You can go now.” I nodded watching as he skiddadled away. I raised my head up, trying to figure who was here and who wasn’t. „Okay, my Queen, right after me.” I shot her a smile over my shoulder as I squeezed through all the fallen, feeling a breeze hit me in the face. The heavy double doors were open through which I could see the four remaining Apocalypse riders.

„Are those...”

„Yep,” I popped the ‘p’, tilting my head back, trying to figure where the bloody dragons were. The sky was colored in crimson, with bolts of lighting coming down over the damned in the far distance. Dark clouds were shileding the sky. Where the fuck are they? My gaze locked back at the riders. „Nobody has seen the damned dragons?”

Two of them shook their heads (or what was left of them) in a slow, almost hesitant manner.

„Perfect,” I sighed, before raising two fingers to my lips and whistling loudly. A loud eardrum piercing shriek resounded through the backyard of Devil’s lair, before his dragon landed on the roof of this unholy establishment. The dragon was big. The roof cracked underneath his weight as a nearby lighting illuminated his cold, midnight blue scales. His body leaned forward when he spotted me. Those icy orbs pierced deep in me, before a deep scream came from within him.

Fine. So we did have our differences and I wasn’t his favorite person. What else is new?

A familiar white dragon landed on the roof beside him. It was smaller. Actually – it was way smaller. Lumi coudln’t compare to Luci’s size. He was the actual protector of Devil’s lair, he had to be outrageously big.

Teek was about to say something, but was interrupted by Gates who walked out of the building in a rushed pace. „Great, they’re here.” His head turned up as he stepped back, eyeing his dragon. His head pointed towards an empty spot a couple of feet from us and Luci instantly flew to land there along with Teek’s dragon. „Pandora, where are the legions?” He rumbled as he got on top of the dragon.

„Can you hold your fucking horses? I just got here!” I shouted after him.

„Me too, but I’m already on my dragon and ready for the fucking battle!” He yelled. Don’t you fucking yell at me! I may still reconsider which side I’m fighting for. He calmed down when he spotted the angel standing beside me. A corner of his mouth twitched in a barely visible smile. I almost missed it. Almost. „Tempest, get on the dragon.”

Teek’s purple eyes looked at me in question. „You have to go with him now. Your place is not down here.”

After a brief moment she nodded, before she pulled me in a rib crunching hug. „Good luck.” She whispered in my ear, before she rushed towards Lumi.

I took a deep breath, searching the sky for Drogo. Where was that lazy piece of crap? Come on dude, I’ll let you eat a fallen or five!

Shit. I didn’t have time to search for him. I heard the wings of the dragons flutter, before they flew up and disappeared in the distance. All of the fallen from the lobby passed me in a fast pace and followed the Apocalypse riders towards Inferno, which wasn’t too far from here.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, realizing my dragon in fact was not fucking here. With the feeling of defeat I turned towards the Gates of Hell to see Matt on the back of a horse. Another black grotesquely beautiful being was standing still beside him.

„I figured he would be a no show.” He chuckled. „Come on.”

Without a word I walked towards them and got on the horse. „Maybe if you wouldn’t have locked him away while I was imprisoned, he wouldn’t feel the need to hide all the fucking time.”

„It was hardly my fault.” Matt replied, before the horses ran through the gates and took the shortest route to Inferno. Rows upon rows of warriors formed behind us as we sped of into the wasteland. They followed us to a place which stood in between two tall mountains. Mountains which were burning with the infernal flame. You’d think Inferno would be a warm place, knowing how flames surrounded us, but no. That wouldn’t be Hell if it would make sense.

Ash fell from the sky just like snow would on Earth during the winter holidays.

I saw the fallen lined up just beneath Gates and Tempest and their dragons. My eyes trailed towards the horizon where I could weakly distinguish some silhouettes.

Our horses slowed their pace and the infernal legions lined up behind us. I pushed to the front, trying to measure the distance between us and the generals. They were less than half a mile away.

Distant footsteps echoed through the field, followed by a loud shriek.

A dragon.

The horse shifted underneath me. My grip tightened around the reins as slowly, but surely their infernal legions came to view. At that point I should’ve drawed my sword. They were marching for us, but I simply sat there... Squinting my eyes on the quickly approaching silhouette. I heard the dragons behind us fly even higher. I couldn’t care less. I kept looking, kept waiting until...

A red scaled dragon flew above us. My head tilted back, watching the light scales on it’s stomach. He flew up, letting out a loud cry, before his mouth opened and a streak of fire fell upon the legions, burning row by bloody row.

I was frozen in my place.

„Pandora!” Gates screamed from up above. He had realized the same thing I had. We’re undoubtedly going to lose this war. Why? Because the generals had my fucking dragon which out of a pure mirracle had grown as big as Luci.

My head snapped towards the generals and I realized their army had used the moment of our surprise to sneak up on us. They were a couple of yards away.

I looked back at the dragon burning the legions and again to the opposite army.

„Fuck...” I sighed, my hand drawing the sword. I saw Gates guiding his dragon towards Drogo, forcing him away of the legions. At this point we had lost at least ten or... twemty of our legions. All because I was too shocked to see my dragon fighting for the enemies.

I charged forward. Towards the screaming legions. I hoped Gates would get Drogo away – we couldn’t afford to lose any more of our soldiers.

After my blade had cut through tens of the damned from the opposite party legions, my horse froze in it’s place when I realized that deeper in between the damned of the legions were lines upon lines of Hell’s knights – 10 feet tall ghoulish looking brutes with the thickest skin imaginable. They were running on their fours, charging for me.

I raised my head to look up at the white dragon. Our army charged past me. Shit. I turned to look over my shoulder to see Drogo returning. Where the fuck was Gates?

„Fuck, fuck, fuck...” I cursed under my breath , before wings appeared on my back and I flew up. An agonizing pain was ripping through my body and I knew I won’t be able to endure the pain for much longer.

Drogo was flying towards me.

I saw his mouth open and a hot light form at the back of it’s troath. I could feel the heat even with the distance between us. I swallowed thickly, flying straight at the big beast. A stream of fire escaped his mouth. I managed to fly up at the very last second, feeling the heat right beneath me.

I hope to fucking God, Teek wasn’t somewhere behind.

I flew over the dragon, landing on his back. He cried out in discontent, turning his head slightly so he’d have a glimpse over me. Only then I realized his eyes weren’t the familiar red. They were burning with a yellow flame.

„Sorry, baby...” I whispered, before I forced my sword down against his scales as my eyes dwelled up with tears. A painful shriek ripped out from him. He was losing altitude. Fast. It was a matter of second before he crashed into the ground, straight into the army of Hell’s Knights.

He kept shifting underneath me, trying to get up to his feet yet I kept pushing the sword deeper. The handle heated up in my hands and the blade turned bright red. A bone cracked under the force. He couldn’t move anymore.

My heart was pounding inside my chest as I left the sword sticking out from his back and jumped off the scaled mountain with shaky legs. The yellow fog was gone from his eyes. I tried my best to fight back the tears. A warrior stumbled in me, raising a sword against me. I took him by his armor and simply threw him away. Drogo’s head lowered, he was eyeing me cautiously. He knew.

He fucking knew what I was about to do.

Forgive me father for I will sin.

Notes

Teek's outfit here
Pandora's outfit here