Chapter 143: Chapter 4 – Nessus
Avariel, Matthew and Ffyr walked down to the shores of the Phlegethon. They could see a couple of Danata screaming while burning inside and drifting downstream. Around them, they saw so centaurs watching them closely.
"Should we just fly across?" Avariel asked.
"Not without permission." Matthew said, pointing at the arrows the centaurs had on their bows ready to shoot.
"Permission from whom?" Avariel asked while following Matthew upstream.
"Nessus." Matthew answered.
"He’s the leader of the centaurs here." Ffyr explained. "An awful man. Don’t let him near you."
Matthew led the group to a large settlent made by the centaurs in the riverbank. The Damnata there all coiled in fear upon seeing the group entering the small town.
Avariel looked around with disgust seeing so centaurs torturing the Damnata around. When she heard the screams of a woman who was being raped in plain sight of all, the angel almost drew her sword, but Ffyr stopped her.
"We should purge this place." Avariel gnarled.
"The 3 of us aren’t strong enough to face them all." Matthew said, ignoring what was happening around him. Once such images destroyed his psyche, but, after 2 years living in hell, they beca such a common place that Matthew was dulled to it all.
"There’s nothing we can do." Ffyr added. "We’re here for your sister. Rember that."
The trio reached the center of town where a big building was erected with stones. It was the only luxurious place around. From inside the building they could hear the wails of the Damanata. Only their imagination could tell them what was happening inside.
They stopped near the entrance and just waited there.
After a few minutes, a very naked centaur ca out of the building. He was very tall, much taller than the others. He had long black hair and a thick short beard. His eyes were red and the fur of his equine part was as black as his hair.
He opened his arms showing off his muscled body and a wide smile upon seeing Matthew.
"Matthew!" The centaur said almost laughing. "You finally decided to give
your woman?"
"I need to cross the river." Matthew ignored his comnt.
"You’re always in such a hurry. Why don’t you co in? We’re having a party inside." The centaur’s voice was malicious.
"We’re crossing the river." Matthew repeated himself.
"Is that Nessus?" Avariel asked Ffyr who just nodded to confirm.
"You have an angel with you." Nessus said, finally looking at Avariel.
"She wants a tour. I’m showing her around." Matthew joked without changing his tone.
Nessus looked her up and down and smiled creeply.
"I trust you don’t want to make a ss today?" Matthew asked
"You know I can’t just let you through." Nessus said, turning his attention back to Matthew. "Leave your fairy with . Then you can cross the river."
Avariel ant to protest, but Matthew silenced her with a hand gesture.
"Never." He responded to the centaur.
"Then you don’t cross my river." Nessus said behind his teeth.
"What do you want?" Avariel asked, taking a step forward. "I need to cross the river. What do you want?"
"I want the fairy." Nessus shrugged.
"Other than her." Avariel was incisive.
"Then you." The centaur laughed, drawing laughter from his man as well.
Avariel took that comnt as if he insulted her. Her face contorted in anger. A flash of holy mana shined behind her eyes.
"You dare?" She said with a thunderous voice.
That only made Nessus laugh louder.
"The little angel thinks she’s in Elysium. This is hell, little angel. We do not fear your kind here."
Matthew took a deep breath and put his hand on Avariel’s shoulder and held her in place.
"You’re really going to make us fight for it?" Matthew asked, looking Nessus in the eyes.
"You can’t win." Nessus said, but there was a hint of fear behind his voice.
"No. I can’t kill all of your n. But I can kill you." Matthew said, taking out his blades from his inventory.
"You’re crazy, boy." Nessus said, taking a step back while his n drew bows and aid at the trio.
"Yes. I am." Matthew said without breaking eye contact with the big centaur.
Nessus scoffed and turned around.
"Do as you please. I’m in the middle of a party and have no ti for your craziness." The centaur said while retreating inside his palace.
"Thank you." Matthew said and extended a hand to Ffyr. "Let’s go."
The fairy grabbed Matthew by the hand and took flight carrying him. Avariel soon followed them after she saw that the centaurs around lowered their weapons.
"You actually handled that without bloodshed." Avariel complinted him.
"Nessus is a coward." Matthew explained. "But he’s vengeful."
"He’ll certainly do sothing." Ffyr comnted.
"Like what?" Avariel asked.
"An ambush." Ffyr pondered. "I bet he’s plotting one right now."
They landed on the other side of the river and hurried away from the valley the river cutted in the landscape of Violentia. Before the centaurs ca after them once Nessus’ anger beca apparent.
Once they got away from the blood mist that the Phlegethon exhaled, Matthew used his Create Water skill to wash himself and Ffyr from all the blood that got on them.
Avariel looked at them while Matthew scrubbed Ffyr’s wings with water.
"Want
to do it for you too?" Matthew asked when he noticed the angel staring.
Avariel looked at her white perfect wings now red from all the blood. She tried to clean it herself, but rubbing her feathers only made the blood stain them more. She then shyly accepted Matthew’s offer.
"How long have you two been in hell?" The angel asked to make conversation while Matthew washed her hair. A way to break the awkwardness.
"Two years." Ffyr answered while the water on her turned back into mana as Matthew no longer maintained the spell.
"It’s sad you got used to life here." Avariel said, looking at the sky as Matthew started to work on her wings.
The fairy and him kept silent and then the angel continued:
"You didn’t even flinch when that woman was screaming." Her voice was sad. "I hope it hasn’t always been so."
"No. There was a ti I couldn’t even sleep because of the things I saw here." Matthew said. "I don’t know if it is because I’m a demon, or if it is because I got used to the violence... But it got a lot easier to just ignore it."
"You’re taking this surprisingly well." Ffyr comnted.
"I am over 500 years old. It’s not the first ti I’ve been in one of the hells. Though it is my first ti in Violentia." Avariel explained.
"That raises the question. How did you find us?" Ffyr asked. "And how did you co to hell?"
"Once in a while, angels and archangels march into the hells to bring so of the Damnata to the heavens. Those who are ready. I went once to Ira on one of those excursions. When I asked Oriel, an archangel friend of mine, to et you, he opened a portal for
close to you two."
"And you couldn’t wait for one of those excursions to bring your sister ho?" Matthew asked while finishing with her wings.
"It’s been 300 years." Avariel said and stretched her wings. "None of the excursions in Violentia brought her back."
"Then you decided to co yourself." Ffyr completed her thought.
"Yes. I need to know why Nanael isn’t coming ho."
"I too have a sister." Matthew said, stretching his back. "I do understand you. But you realize you’re putting
and Ffyr in danger with this quest."
"I do." Avariel answered, looking him in the eyes.
"What do you an, Matt?" Ffyr asked him, not understanding what he was going on about.
"I an we’re not doing this out of the kindness of our hearts." He said, looking at Ffyr. "God knows I’m out of kindness by now."
"And what do you want in return?" Avariel asked him.
"Is it too much to ask to be healed? Have I not suffered enough?" Matthew’s voice got louder.
"I don’t have the power to heal you." Avariel said with a sad tone.
"I know." Matthew was frustrated. "I don’t an you." He added, looking at the sky. "How much longer do I have to endure this? How much longer do I have to suffer? What horrible thing did I do to deserve this?" He scread.
Ffyr and Avariel kept silent.
"Is this a mockery?" Matthew asked Avariel with tears in his eyes. "Is this a joke? You being here. Why would God send an angel to
if he has no plan of healing ? Of turning
back to human? Of taking
back to Earth?"
"I’m not here to mock you, Matthew." Avariel said and took one of his hands in hers. "I ca here on my own accord. I was not sent by our lord. I can’t say what His plans are, He doesn’t even tell them to us. Not even I ever heard his voice. But you need to have faith in Him. He loves you, He loves all of His creation." The angel preached.
"Faith." Matthew scoffed and pulled his hand away. "I have no faith. Not in him." He turned around and started walking again towards the dark forest.
Avariel looked at him walking away and then looked up. Was her being there one of God’s plans? Was she there to save not only her sister, but Matthew and Ffyr as well? No living being could know about His plans. She could only have faith.
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