“Hell not safe. Bojo say no.” 

Tears well up in my eyes, knowing I may not be able to save my dying guard, Griffin. We went to the only king known to have a Hell portal, King Bojo of the werewolf village. Only for him to say no.

He is pacing around the room, his arms behind his back and shaking his head. Leo and Miriam are pleading with him, but I can’t help but to stare at the nine foot beast. He is enormous and has large sharp teeth, and they are trying to negotiate with him. I am scared.

“Bojo, please! We have to get the Lunâ de Foc to help the village!” Leo entreats. 

“Bojo says no!” He roars, his white teeth in full display. I take a step back and hug myself. Miriam huffs loudly.

“Look, King Bojo,” Miriam, the Lord of Raven Pointe, stands in Bojo’s way, grabbing his full attention. “Griffin is my head guard… And Amabel’s. Who is, if you don’t remember, the second Lord of the village. You could start a war.” Miriam threatens, throwing her hands on her hips.  Bojo shakes his head. 

“Lord Miriam is bold human. Respect. But, you die if go, no matter strength of Leo guard.” He tries to explain. 

“If we don’t find what did this to our guard, then they may come for you, too.” I speak. Everyone looks over at me. He whines in confusion. 

“Griffin and another villager were attacked, presumably by the same entity. Not to mention the disappearance of Lord of LightHaven. What makes you think this thing won’t start killing pups?” Everyone remains silent. I think I pushed too much.

Bojo sighs. “Lord Amabel right, Bojo wrong. Bojo go start portal.” He walks away, leaving us in a cave. 

“No one was going to tell me that King Bojo is large?” I ask, crossing my arms around my chest. They shrug. 

“We did not think it would be a big matter.” Leo explains, adjusting his armor. My mouth drops. 

“He is large! I thought the wolves would be normal sized.”

“Come children!” Bojo calls. We rush to the next room in the cave, ready to go.

The portal is beautiful, looking to be made of ruby, the entrance a shiny, wavy black. I walk closer to it, mesmerized. 

“No closer unless want to go now.” Bojo brings me back to reality. I step back and rejoin Leo and Miriam.

“Be careful. It danger. Fire and monster inside. Water no work. No catch fire.” We nod. “Be safe. No die please.” He steps away from the portal, letting us go. A bunch of wolves, four legged and two legged, flood into the room, blocking exits. “No fear, humans. Wolf keep monster out. You safe.”

“Adios!” Miriam jumps right into the portal without a second thought. Leo thanks Bojo, then follows Miriam. I take a deep breath, preparing to jump into a whole that goes to literal Hell.

Bojo grabs my arm. I look up at the wolf. His blue eyes go soft and his snout lowers to my nose. 

“You feel nature, Bojo feel. Nature be used in Hell. Use nature. Use magick. Goddess magick.” He whispers, small nods following his words. I tilt my head and stare, trying to figure out how he knows. He clears his throat.

“Anyway,” He throws me into the portal.

I scream as I’m suddenly falling down instead of back. The world around me is dark and blurry. It starts turning red and my skin starts to feel wet. I close my eyes and hit the ground, landing on my feet. I close my mouth and slowly open my eyes. I look around, trying to figure out how I went from falling with my back to the ground to being on my feet.

“I hated that.” Miriam and Leo laugh. I turn to the portal and make a mental note on it’s location. 

“Alright, Lady Amabel and Lord Miriam. Where do we go?” Leo asks. I stay silent and look away. Miriam does the awkward whistle. “Did no one ask the potion elf?” He asks, looking between us both. Miriam scratches her head and makes small noises, indicating to Leo that she did not ask at all. I shrug slowly and bunch up my face. The sound of his exhale was troubling.

I look up and notice a red castle a bit away. Upon further investigation, I see lava. That’s promising. I point in front of me. 

“I see a lava castle.” I say blandly. Miriam and Leo look to where I’m pointing. Leo does a victory hand shaking movement. 

“Let us go.”

We finally make it to the castle of lava to retrieve the flower to save Griffin’s life. Unfortunately, the castle has creatures I have never seen before. And they are on fire.

“This should be fun.” Miriam smirks. Leo shakes his head. 

“No, Lady Miriam. We need a plan.” He explains. She nods, still staring at the castle.

“The plan-” I start but then I am rudely interrupted. 

“Here we go!” Miriam sprints towards the hell castle. I attempt to grab her wrist, but she is insanely quick. I turn to Leo who is just staring at her. 

“Leo? Aren’t you going to stop her?” I ask him quickly. Still watching Miriam, he answers. 

“Lady Amabel. When in Hell, do as the ‘Hellians’ do!” And runs towards the castle. I sigh and shake my head at my crazy friends.

A hot breeze hits my skin, filling me with confidence. I remove my bow from around my shoulders and load up an arrow. With a smug smile on my face, I run to the castle of death.

An eight legged fire horse charges at Miriam, its horn as long as a sword and hyde like magma. She ducks below the horn just as it reaches her head. She lets out a maniacal laugh as she attempts to kick it back. Her laughing stops once she realizes her boot melted to the horse. 

“A little help here!” She calls out while dodging the horse's horn. I look at Leo, who is also taking down a horse of his own. 

“I’m sorry, Lord Miriam! I am a tad busy!” His sword loudly clashes with his horse's horn. I pull my bow back, still running to them.

“Duck!” I yell. I let go of my bow, Miriam ducking just in time for my arrow to go over her head and into the horse’s. The horse lets out a human scream as it falls to the ground.

I turn to Leo, who has taken down his horse, and now is taking on two charred skeletons with gold swords. If it wasn’t for Leo’s thick, emerald sword, he might have been struck down by now. 

“Lady Amabel, I could use some assistance.” He grunts. I load up my bow and shoot one down to the ground. I quickly wrap my bow around my shoulder and unsheath my sword. I stab the compromised skeleton in the neck, beheading the monstrosity. Leo finally takes down his skeleton, looking in Miriams and mine's direction. 

Leo laughs at the rolling skull, mocking the clinking noises of the monster.

My mouth opens in shock as I watch three knights with black and red armor with full face helmets walk out. 

“Leo, turn around.” My voice barely a whisper. He slowly turns around, dropping his shoulders looking at the new threat. 

“Really? Hell Knights?” He lifts his sword to the red eyed Hell Knights. The heavily armored knights charge at Leo with their ruby swords raised. Leo exhales loudly. “I told you guys I didn’t want to be here.” He raises his voice, very annoyed. 

“Ruby?” Miriam's voice wavers beside me. 

“When in Hell.” I run in front of Leo, my sword clashing with the knights. Miriam slashes its arm, but it gets caught in the chainmail. The knight sweeps under my sword and hits her chest plate with its sword. She stumbles back and to the ground, grasping her chest. 

“Oh, Goddess.” She wheezes.

The knight looks back to me and goes for my stomach. I jump out of the way. They swing and give me a deep cut on my cheek. I quickly throw my hand to my cheek to stop the bleeding. The knight laughs as it takes slow steps towards me. I back up with each step, trying to stop my intense bleeding. The wind hits me and I remember what King Bojo of the werewolf village told me before I jumped into the portal: 

Nature be used in Hell. Use nature. Use magick. Goddess magick.

Another hot breeze hits my skin like a slap in the face. I close my eyes, still walking backwards, and imagine my skin healing. My magick flows from my fingertips and into my face, sewing the wound shut. My face stops hurting and the blood stops flowing. I open my eyes and look into the knight's red eyes. He stops laughing, taking a step away from me. I give him a confident smile. He shakes his head. 

“Green?” He asks. I’m not sure what he means. I walk towards him. Every step I take, he takes one back. I run towards him, my sword ready to strike. He throws his hands up in surrender. 

“Let me come with you!” He pleads. More confusion sets in from he’s pleas. Come where? I don’t know about him, but I do know what I’m sure of. 

I leap in the air, higher than the tower of a knight before me, and sever his wrist, his hand and sword dropping in front of me. He screams, his other hand holding his bleeding nub. 

“Please take me with you!” Still pleading. 

“I’m unsure of what this means. If you are pleading for your life, don’t waste your last breaths.” My voice, surprisingly, deep. I turn and look at a recovered Miriam. I point to her, and then at him. She nods and rushes from behind me to grab his sword. 

“Kill me next time.” She looks the knight in his red eyes as she slashes his neck open. The blood showers up on Miriam, who stares at the desperate knight’s feeble attempt to stop the blood. He plops on the floor, twitching and gasping as his lifeblood leaves his body. 

“My Lords! Go inside!” Leo grunts as he takes on two Hell Knights on his own. 

“Leo, no.” Miriam takes his side, her sword and the Hell Knights sword in her hands. He pushes her away quickly, immediately blocking a blow from one of the knights. 

“Take this!” Miriam hands him the fallen knight’s sword. He takes it in his right hand. “Come get me!” His guttural scream shakes my core. I take Miriam’s wrist and run inside.

We run into the castle, panting from nerves. 

“Oh, wow.” Miriam taps my shoulder. I look up at her. “Oh, my Goddess.” I say breathlessly. The red velvet walls, the overlooking balcony. Oh what a dream. I walk around the room taking in the beautiful decor and craftsmanship. 

“Miriam, did you see the stairs?” I ask, running to touch the railing. I hear her awe from across the room. The stairs are wide at the bottom, narrowing as it reaches the top. I really need this in Raven Pointe. I turn behind me and gasp. I am looking at the most beautiful red marble fountain, surrounded by the most unique flowers I have ever laid my eyes on. Wait.

“Miriam!” I point at the fountain. We both make a run for it, picking every flower we can. 

“What are we really looking for? What does it look like?” She asks as she stuffs flowers in her satchel. I jump on the ledge of the fountain to see if there are any hidden flowers. My face starts to tingle. I grab the peculiar flower. The middle like the moon, the pedals red as the sun and shaped like a flame. The bright orbs twisting around, white and red. Lună de Foc - Moon of Fire.

“Are you going to tell me what we are looking for?” Her sassy words break me from the flower’s compulsion

“I got it!” I squeal. 

“Oh my Goddess!” She jumps up and down. I laugh and place it in my satchel. As Miriam goes silent,  I look up to see Miriam’s pale face. 

“What is wrong?” I ask her. She points behind me. 

“We need to go.” I turn and watch hundreds of Hell Knights blow into the room. 

“Agreed.” 

I take out my sword and book it to the door, Miriam right behind me.

We exit the castle doors and immediately notice a bloody Leo sitting up against the warm castle walls, the bodies of the knights lying decapitated. Leo looks up to me and Miriam from his sitting position, eyes droopy and black. 

“Have you got it?” He asks quietly, standing slowly. 

“Yes but we must go now!” Miriam takes his hand and starts  running to the portal. I start to take off, but am grabbed by a large Hell Knight from behind. I kick and scream, unable to move my trapped hands. Leo quickly turns around and runs to me. 

I throw my head back as hard as I can, stunning the knight. He lets go and staggers back, muttering words I can not understand. My helm cracks in the process, leaving parts of the back of my head slightly exposed.

Leo takes my hand and throws me forward. We all run like hell, trying to escape the mob of Hell Knights. I glance back and notice a knight gaining on us. 

“We must move faster!” I command. Leo slows down and turns towards the knight. “Miriam! Stop!” I stop running and take a few steps towards Leo. 

“Leo, please don’t do this.” Miriam pleads. She tries walking past me to him, but I take her by her arms and keep her with me. 

“Leo, we need you!” I exclaim. He shakes his head, not turning towards us.

“You are much too tired to take on one of them, much less all.” Miriam says. “I demand you return to my side.

“As you said, I am too tired.” He pants, his eyes never leaving the, now, two fast-as-lightning knights. 

“Leo, please.” Miriam pleads softly. He shakes his head as he raises his sword.

“I will protect you, my Lords!”

The first knight swipes his sword. Leo blocks it, but falls to the ground. 

“Go!” He yells at us. The second knight runs past them, coming right for us. 

“Miriam we are going now!” I panic and start to pull her wrist.. Miriam whimpers at the sight of her guard being compromised. ”Miriam, now!” She stops pulling against me and runs to the portal with me.

I touch the wall of the portal, panting. Miriam gasps loudly. I turn with my sword raised, expecting a knight to be there. But, the second knight has stopped only a few feet away from us. She points to Leo, who is on the ground with the tip of a sword on his neck. 

Everything moves in slow motion as the thick sword goes through Leo’s neck. I tighten my grip on Miriam’s wrist. Her silver braids whip around, the star charms in her hair clink as she struggles in my grip. Her sweaty skin goes cold. 

“Leo!” A scream that will never leave me, that will haunt me forever. She screams over and over again as Leo’s head rolls away from his body. She pulls against me, wanting to flee from me and to Leo.

I stand frozen, not believing it. Miriam turns and wraps her arms around me.
“What?” I whimper as I watch the blood pool and the dead eyes of Leo stare at me in mine. The black armored knights laugh, pointing at his body. They mock the noises Leo was making earlier, when I decapitated the skeleton. One tosses Leo’s sword closer to us, still laughing. 

“Stop laughing!” Miriam spins around and raises her sword with one arm. They point at us, laughing at our despair. The second knight sprints at us once again, this time faster. I push Miriam into the portal, her pain echoing away. I grab Leo’s sword off the ground and take a quick look at Leo one last time before throwing myself through, a tear falling from my eye.

I fall forward into the dark portal, the wind in my hair. I stay silent as I turn from forward to backwards. I stare up from where I came, not making any noise. I can not comprehend it, Leo’s death. Is he dead?

I stumble forward on to my feet into a room of wolves. Bojo runs to me, getting on one knee. 

“Where Leo? You okay?” He asks, looking around for cuts and bruises, then Leo’s sword in my hand. I sigh. I turn to the portal, wishing Leo would fall out. 

“He’s dead.” I whisper. Miriam makes a break for the portal, startling everyone.

 “Miriam, no!” I call. Just as she hits the ruby outline, the black entrance wraps and disappears. 

“What?” Miriam's quiet words barely audible. I turn back to Bojo, whose face is twisted with annoyance. 

“What just happened?” I ask harshly. He looks away, scratching the back of his head. 

“Uh, portal closed on inside.” For a beast, his voice can be soft. I blink quickly. 

“What?” My voice is just as quiet as his. He opens his snout, mentally stuttering.

Miriam lets out the most agonizing scream, piercing everyone’s ears. We all groan and cover our ears, the poor four legged wolves pushed their heads under their paws. 

Once the screaming stops, we all turn to the sobbing Miriam. I walk over to her slowly as if she is a dangerous animal. 

“We cannot leave Leo in there!” She punches the wall where the black entrance was. I sigh, not really knowing what to say or do. 

“Miriam, we must go.” I gently place my hand on her shoulder. In return, she slaps my hand harshly and turns to me.

“This is your fault!” I blink hard at her words. “You all of a sudden want to risk our men? And for a flower!” She yanks Leo’s sword from my hand. I am in utter disbelief. 

“Let us go now!” Bojo says quickly, directing his kingdom out of the room. I wait for the room to clear before I say what needs to be said. 

“The last time I checked, we had to go to Hell because you risked the life of our guards.” I remain calm, her words making zero sense to me. 

She scoffs. “Why is your guard more important than mine?” She questions.

“I never implied that.”

“Then why are you trying to leave him behind?” Her hatred filled words tip the bucket.

“Miriam!” I yell, throwing my hands up. “Leo is dead! We watched his head roll!” I whine out, desperately trying to get it through her skull. “He told us to run! Why are you mad at me?” She stays silent, her eyes full of hatred. I scoff and let out a frustrated laugh.

“Blame Leo!” I scream at her. Tears pool in her eyes. “Leo knew he was going to die!” I pace in front of her, her eyes never leaving me. “How about you be grateful for his sacrifice.” I stop pacing and look her in the face. She stands frozen, tears leaving her cheeks and hitting the floor. I sigh and rub my face.

“I’ll be on the boat when you’re ready.” I turn to the door. “Hurry before we lose two guards.” I hear her sob as I leave the cave.