Tread Lightly

I awaken to the sensation of cold seeping into my bones, my body lying in a pool of my own blood. The world around me swims in and out of focus, a blur of shadow and light. But... I can sense someone in front of me. No, a great many people.

Coughing, I attempt to move, only to fail as I hear a concerned shout. My senses slowly begin to return, accompanied by the dull throb of pain that pulses through every fiber of my being. It's soul-deep, too, something that actually makes me worry about whether or not I'll recover.

"Sir? Sir? Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

More voices join, several of which are incredulous and disbelieving, while others are negative.

"Arno. I think he's dead."

"That one over there has to be, right?"

"No... he's moving! Look!"

"What the fuck did this to them? Aren't these..."

"At least Virtues, I think. Otherwise, with those wounds... Dunno. I hope we get through the gate before we meet the sick bastard who did it to 'em."

As I struggle to push myself upright, I become aware of someone standing nearby, prodding me with a stick from a cautious distance. Their face is etched with fear, eyes wide with disbelief at the sight before them. The bodies behind them that gain clarity with each passing moment are the same.

These must be the Undead who are evacuating the Underworld. I try to speak, to reassure them that I am not a threat, but my words emerge as little more than a hoarse whisper.

Grimacing against the pain, I manage to raise my left hand in a feeble attempt to signal that I mean no harm. The figure hesitates, their expression wavering between curiosity and apprehension. Others call at this 'Arno' to leave me be, but he crouches in the pool of dark crimson that has left me. With painstaking effort, I push myself to a sitting position, my muscles protesting with every movement.

Slowly, painfully, I manage to draw myself upright, my gaze meeting that of the stranger before me. Despite the fear that lingers in his eyes, I can sense a glimmer of compassion beneath the surface as he reaches out to bandage the stump that is my right arm. Fuck.

I lost it. Sorry, Earl. You'd be proud of it, though. I know you would be. I let Arno do it as I croak out a measure of thanks. Then... I tilt my head back to the section of the Gate of Undeath that I hit. It's dented, perfectly fitting to my skull.

Blodwyn groans as he comes to; my partner is the only reason I'm not dead. Some brain matter is splattered against the steel and rock behind me. He's not doing too well, either, though.

"We alive?"

A coarse laugh leaves my wretched lungs as I nod slightly. My left hand pushes Arno off me slightly while I point to Lennon. At once, I speak to both the inner partner and the outer stranger.

"Yes. We lost, but we survived."

"Focus on him. I'm not so easy to kill."

Arno nods as the Undead behind him shuffles suspiciously. The kind man raises a trembling voice as he stares at Lennon Hull's body.

"Sir... I don't think he's alive."

"He is. Just seal the wounds."

Before I fell unconscious, I couldn't hear his heartbeat, my eardrums blasted by the impact with Maxemista, but I can now. It's a feeble movement, barely there at all. Yet, Lennon Hull is not so easy to kill, either. If he was, he wouldn't be such a damned monster. If I didn't know any better... I'd think he was a part of my family because of how hard he is to shovel dirt over.

Flesh regenerates along the bone as my right arm gradually reforms with Blodwyn's help. The Arca doubts our loss as he gets us back into condition.

"Survival is never a loss. We won."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Huh?"

I accidentally speak aloud, preferring to shake my head to switch the subject rather than explain myself. Flowing some Ether through my body, cautious not to use my soul quite yet, I stand up shakily. Blood still drips from my body as I finally close all ten fingers at once.

"How long was I out for?"

Arno answers, bandaging Lennon's throat, which has an opened wound. The man is still terrified, practically riddled with tremors all over. There's not much I can do for him if he's just going to be a wimp.

"Uh... An hour? We were too... worried to come and check on you until now. You two didn't... come in a friendly manner."

A pair of boots followed by a more leveled voice gives me a better answer. Turning, I find one of Isaac's few Angels bowing his head slightly to me.

"You and Hull flew across the landscape faster than I could even see, barreling through mountaintops, hills, rocks, buildings, everything in the way. Were it not for the Gate of Death... You might still be in the air."

Is that so? I shift my eyes to look over the horizon, and my jaw droops slightly at the sight. There is a long crevasse, oddly Wyatt-shaped across the lands between here and the presence of a God in the distance. Holes exist in mountains that used to be featureless, and new ravines have been formed.

My eyes fall to my fists as I can't help but gape at my own durability. I really survived that? THAT!? Shit...

Another laugh leaves my throat; this time, it is softer without the torn-up insides. Shaking my head, I stride to Lennon. Blodwyn's done enough recovery work that I can help my friend a bit. As I lay a hand on Lennon's ruined form, I continue my discussion with the Angel.

"Well, I got some bad news and some good news, Iron. The bad news is that a God is on his way right now. The good news... Lennon and I survived our first fight. Meaning... we have a chance on round two."

Sacrifice saves me from having to see all the shocked looks from the Undead as the sheer torture of revitalizing Lennon's body tears through mine. Blodwyn quickly gets to work, and in a few minutes, I'm standing again, only with significantly more soreness. Lennon is breathing deeply, though. Good. He needs his rest.

Iron, the bald Undead Power, wipes his head of dust before addressing me. His voice has turned shaky, too, after learning what I told him.

"Did you really fight a God? And... you are going back for seconds?"

Nodding, I pat down my torn clothes, sewing the ripped pieces together with threads of blood. I'll have to wait here until Lennon wakes up before we try again, but we need to slow that bastard.

I cup a hand over my eyes as I peer across the horizon, finding Maxemista still heading directly this way. Though, he's not hellbent on killing Lennon or me. The God of Forests is facing a slightly different destination. Heights.

Well, that's not too bad. No one should be there. Sitting back down, I place my head back against the edge of the Gate of Death while a pale blue light appears. It would seem the 'ferryman' or whoever they are using has returned.

"Yeah. We're going to hold Maxemista as long as we can for all of you guys. Last time, it was probably ten minutes at most, but now that I know what he can do, I think we can go a bit longer. What do you think, Lennon?"

A trembling of eyelids prompts the swordsman to wake. He grumbles, pushing his newly recovered body against the wall just as I have. We sit in silence for several moments as he considers my words and breathes deeply. The moments turn into minutes as we both are content to remain resting. Maxemista is far away. So far that we have some time. Several minutes later, as we sit in the pool of now-dried blood, he finally agrees with me, only more than I expected.

"A bit longer? I think we can kill the bastard. We just have to strike when he shrinks. That's when he's weakest."

Scoffing, I immediately disagree. Did we see different things there or something?

"Are you crazy? No, don't answer that. When Maxemista shrinks, that's when he's strongest. We won't be able to lay a finger on him."

Lennon's head bobs for a second while I watch the Undead observe us. They are utterly silent as if kneeling before two Gods themselves. I don't like it. But I don't have the energy to stop them right now.

"One can be both strong and weak at once. You are nigh unkillable, yet you do not possess my lethality. All beings have their differences. Maximista might have unrivaled physical might when shrunk, but I doubt his toughness is the same. A swift blade to his throat while he is tiny will end him. Or, do enough damage that we can finish him off before he recovers."

I guess that makes sense... Plus, when he's smaller, it'll be easier to land a lethal blow. Squinting, I find the God moving swiftly over the earth toward Heights. We still have some time. Good.

"I can see that happening. Only... are we going to bait out that attack? What makes you think we can do that and still hit him?"

The swordsman known across the world as the best shrugs. Even without his arms, the motion is evident, but his confidence is unshaken.

"You will just have to endure while I finish him off."

"Yeah, 'cause it's as easy as it sounds to eat a God's fist for breakfast."

That one gets Lennon Hull to smile, a minuscule bark of laughter on his lips. While he enjoys my serious concern, I raise another question. Seeing as I could regrow my arm... I can probably do the same for him.

"Do you want me to fix your arms? I can Shape your soul back to how it used to be."

A sharp gaze draws my attention from Lennon's missing arms to his eyes. The man shakes his head with all the graveness he's ever held. But... why?

"No. I... I do not wish to be changed. This is who I am now. It is who I will be."

A substanceless pair of arms end in clenched fists as Lennon yanks himself to his feet with the gate as an anchor. To others, it might look like he's floating, but I can see it clear as day. The bluish-glow of the featureless fists give the sky itself pause as he stares forward.

Worried, I pivot quickly, Ether already on the rise. An instant later, however, I toss away my concern. A shadowy figure races toward us beneath the darkness of the Underworld. Not even bothering to hide his presence, Virgil is still nigh-impossible to see with the naked eye.

The man shortly reaches us, the shrewd eyes glancing at all the Undead nearby before focusing on me. I want to ask how he found us, but the answer is more than clear. The trench, as long as Onyx Gate is wide, is evidence enough. Virgil doesn't need much to track, and something that large is a telltale of our every move.

"I was worried that I'd catch up to find you both in a heap of shredded flesh. Happy to see that's not the case."

Lennon scoffs as he stretches out a shoulder, getting ready for a fight already.

"Just a few minutes late to see that masterpiece."

Stepping forward while ignoring Lennon, I give Virgil a short hug before he slides Lily back to me, the holster already unbuckled. I take the little girl back while she forms beside me, bothering one of the nearby Undead while she pouts about the fact I left her behind. She'll get over it. I doubt Virgil treated her poorly.

"Did everyone make it out safe? Any hiccups?"

Virgil bobs his head before it freezes, mechanically twisting to Heights Of Hope. Biting my lip, I already know it's bad news before he releases it into the air.

"Yes. Everyone that I took with me should be on the surface by now. I even spotted Aniwye rushing past. But... Isaac is still in Heights. And... there is someone there you have to meet."

Curious but not too worried, I raise an eyebrow.

"Who wants to meet me?"

My friend's lip twists as he doesn't quite know how to answer me. Instead, he pulls my hand and just tells me to follow him.

"You... it's not that simple. Just... come."

"Wait! Maxemista is heading straight for Heights! Can't they just come here?"

Virgil's eyes droop and then flow to the distance where the God's silhouette resides. The shadowed man is insistent for me to follow him, and I'd do so anyway, but he can't come up with a good reason.

"They can not. Please? It'll be worth it."

"Okay."

Shrugging, I nod to Lennon, and the swordsman is already prepared. He steps up beside him, waving for Virgil to lead the way. I have no reason to not trust Virgil. He's never given me a reason not to. Never. Lennon doesn't find a reason either, itching too much to draw his bladed soul.

"Go on. Take us there. The sooner I get my rematch, the better."

Before I leave, I say a quick goodbye to Arno and the other Undead. They might not have done much, but they didn't fuck anything up either. Then, I head off, following Virgil's shifting shadow to Heights Of Hope.

****************

In less than two hours, I enter the bounds of Isaac's grand fortress residing within Heights. All around is desolation; the city is ruined and razed by the attacking demons. Lennon, Virgil, and I put them all down easily as Isaac was busy struggling with them all at once, including a few Dominions.

One Demigod got away, a sliding one that I've seen before in the army, which is really getting on my nerves, but the other with the desert-like Dominion was killed by the One Eyed.

Stepping through the stony building like I have before, I follow Virgil's directions while Isaac and Lennon stand guard. Maxemista is close. Really close. Gods travel far too fast for any of our likings.

Left, right, left, right, up, and down finally leads me to a short room with an ironclad door. Confused, I observe as Virgil opens the door with a code to the spinning lock. Then, he bestows the entrance to me with an open palm.

"Go in. She needs your help."

Even more bewildered by the sight of a cradle in the room, I walk inside. Is this some kind of bizarre hidden Demigod or something? My feet carry me to the side of the cradle before a flash of lightning careens through my whole being the instant I lay eyes on the baby sleeping peacefully.

Words, images, and untold emotions flow through me as I get a semblance of what happened long ago when I reached into the Bloody Palm to learn its past. Immediately, knowledge enters me as I realize this is Kate in another form, reincarnated, reborn, something. I don't know.

It's her, but it's not. Souls and Sigils combine at the 7th, but they can still be separated. Otherwise, what my father does with Reaper's Seal would be impossible. I'm positive at the 10th, though, that will no longer be the case, which is probably why Divinities are said to be indestructible.

What am I looking at? It's Kate... but it's not. I sense... missing parts. The soul is bizarre, not like other humans. It's... it's like mine. And my father's soul.

Is this...

"Marigold. Marigold Graves."

Virgil's tone answers an unspoken question. It's quite ironic that he knew before me, but he's clever like that. So... this is... a new family member.

Inspecting Marigold closer, I find countless oddities and peculiarities about her. While I do so, Virgil explains the situation and how Marigold cannot intake any Ether. Her passive absorption must be placing her right at the limit, similar to how Earl is any time he advances early.

Can I help with this? Certainly... but the rumbling of the earth tells me I don't have much time. I put a hand on Marigold's head, releasing my chains and loosening hers at the same time. All the while, I'm supremely careful not to hurt her in any way or use Ether over her limit. Seconds pass before I can see some color fall to her pale cheeks.

"She's good now. Take her to the surface, Virgil. That should last a few days. Enough time for me to come back and do it again. You think my mother would be up for raising another?"

The man ignores my question in favor of arguing with me. Again, my friend refuses to let me leave him behind, but I can't take him into this battle with me. He won't survive it. Not yet. I can see the pain in his eyes.. the hurt at being left behind, but I can't let him die because of this.

"No. I'm not leaving. We'll kill this bastard Maxemista together. Like we always have."

Again, I breathe in deeply, the rumbling earth growing to a worrying degree. Opening my mouth, I pause as the ceiling above is torn off by a tree spearing through it and showering Marigold, Virgil, and me with debris.

Chains explode from my body as I cover the little Graves, screaming at Virgil. Above, I see the smiling form of the giant form of a Urayuli, the twisted grin laced with Darklight wishing harm upon me and all others.

"Go! Take her, now!"

A long slash cuts open some flesh on Maxemista, doing more damage than before as Lennon has grown even more. Meanwhile, a crushing presence deflects a whole forest. I meet Virgil's gaze as he finally agrees.

"Fine. You better not die."

I nod to my friend as he gives me his most grim stare ever. Then, the man vanishes with Marigold into the Otherworld while I struggle to keep up her enhancement through the distance. Then, I stare upward at the God, devoted to killing it once and for all.

"Never."