I.N.F.E.R.N.O.: HELL STARTS ON EARTH
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Hallowed be thy Name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but… – her eyes were full with tears.
– Deliver me from evil – finished Scott turning white.
– Thank you, – she whispered and sat down, silently continued eating. Through the window one could seen the snow. Heavy snowflakes fell to
the ground like an impenetrable veil.
– Iona, tell me. You, only you…are alive. Brother, father and mother,
all… – he gave her a look. – Can you tell me?
– They… they came from the mountains. I woke up. Horrible screams
woke me up. Brother, my little brother grabbed me in fear and would not let. Mother, bloody, burst into the room, grabbed us and rushed down. The father, holding the gun… could not resist… THAT. Those were not human beings and not animals. They broke into… rabid drove of something terrible. Antosha, like a leaf, like a toy, was ripped in half, by their terrible claws. And mom… they dug their teeth into her. I saw the vile fangs; jets of blood had stained my mother's body. They grabbed me, but mom, I don't understand how she could, but she had thrown herself back and detained… that. – Jonah was sobbing. – Frightened, I huddled in the corner, without thinking, without understanding, and closed with my hands. The roar echoed over me, and it smacked into the wall. And the icon suddenly fell down; I grabbed it and tried to protect myself with it. The terrible creature uttered the hissing gradually turning into screeching, and withdrew from me. So I was sitting, fettered with trembling, and THAT was rough and for a long time one could hear the screams of people. Scott put a hand on the arm of the Iona, and he seemed to see the fateful night firsthand. He heard the high-pitch cries of children and helpless mothers and silent trembling of the earth. Blood, a
disgusting smell of blood and triumphant roar of killers, resurrected as the Ghost of the past, enveloped the consciousness… He took his hand away. Nameless face of the nightmare was outlined as a clear image; he glanced at Iona, who was continuing her faltering story. – It had got light, I got up and, shouting, screaming for mother… mother and brother, escaped from the house and ran. I was running on and on but soon I fell freezing. Then I woke up in your hands… Who are you?
– Iona. – he stood up, walked around the desk and, having appeared in front of her, got down on one knee and put a hand on the head of the child. He replied: – ion, no matter who I am and where I am from. Only one thing is important: what I am now. Understand, I'm a wanderer, lonely aloof from life, I do not exist! I am neither alive nor dead; my heart isn’t beating. Perhaps those who killed your family, and the same as I am; but don't be scared, please! Yet we are not the one; I destroyed the chains; but I’m hitherto bounded with a hidden chain. You can't understand. Iona, – he again lifted his look descended for a moment. – Iona, I will prevent the Darkness; I will die, but you will live. I'll take you away, nothing will be able to hurt you, nothing bad will happen to you; I swear, Jonah, I swear before heaven and earth, to protect you from now on! Do you hear me…
– It's here… – with glassy look, she said in a constrained voice
The sun went in. Luminous fringe dropped farewell rays and the twilight deepened. Scott Renter, casting a stern look at the door, said quietly:
– Go upstairs.
At the door, leaning against the wall, there was a huge katana; Iona, stepping on the stairs turned back. Wanderer’s figure was the picture of strength and determination; his fingers touched the handle. Sliding down the cold steel his hand firmly grabbed the sheath. He walked out, leaving the cloak, leaving the girl, leaving the light, and stepped forward into the darkness. Having moved away from the house, Wanderer faced the frightening gray horizon.
There was silence, the shining of the stars, the sons’ of Light eyes, and frozen tears of heaven. The whispering as echo of pain, as a silent, roaring torturer has plunged into consciousness, entering the brain, covering it with countless, endless voices. And as suddenly as the whisper collapsed into his brain frightening silence descended.
The silence was interrupted by the click – extracting of katana – eyelids opened. Ghoul, standing close to Scott raised his sword from behind his head. Coordinated, immediate movement splitting space with the blade was the response of the Wanderer. His strong hand cut the body in two. True fulfillment of iaijutsu had taken the life of writhing ghoul dipped in the blood on the snow.
Strikes were like lightning, reaching ghouls, it was death on the edge of the blade. Crimson sun of Darkness shone in the Night. Dozens of ghouls were against the only force – Scott Renter. He was the embodied nightmare of evil – the Fighter.
And the main enemy. Old memories, like the tombstone covered the withered vegetation and marked with decay, surfaced by fits and starts. It rained. There was a rich building; and a rushing geek with a grin of a beast. Then Scott was defeated, his escaped was inexplicable. Reflections of the past, which had been buried in the recesses of memory, rose again in the duel… Hard breathing. The uplifted sword. A thrust, another thrust, a stopping counter and sparks from hot steel. The blades are crossed, it was confrontation. Look – the Wanderer and Hondas. They are united; they have eliminated the distinction between them, and the lifetime path is extended and over. They came together in the battle, devoured by the fight.
– Beast’s Eye, Wanderer, Indestructible, no matter which of your names would recur because of soul-chilling terror, you are Scott Renter; and nothing, nothing will change it. Stop escaping from reality, search your heart and accept the your entity – said Aundas, crossing swords with Scott Renter. – Behold, brother!
There was a howl of rage from the mouth of the Wanderer. He lunged, and Aundas, pushed aside, doing flips, soared up the branch of the tree. Around there were blood thirsty creatures immortalized with the damnation and stung with death. Rivers of blood wash the feet of the Wanderer.
– Behold, brother, this is your reflection! You are me, you're part of me, we are all one flesh! You're a traitor who has chosen miserable existence. Let the force, nesting in you free; I feel your fear, your weakness. You're the Beast!
– No-o-o! – Wanderer rushes to the tree, breaking those who stand his way. A ghoul rises close to him, thrusting the sword in the shoulder. Scott
Renter snatches massive colt and lead smashes the enemy's skull. Running up a stout trunk he unleashes series of blows and shouts:
– Swords will not save you from my hand… The shadow does not hold out against the light… A star will never outshine the moon. You will not hold out against me!
– So you liken yourself with the light, don’t you, brother? Wake up! There is not light in emptiness; life doesn't fit in with the decayed body, but death shall rise up in him as the prophecies of the end in reborn Alius, shaking cherished abutment, showing the reign of power, exiled from the depths to the glory of this world, which accepted the law of the Darkness.
– Could the saying of yours come true? My answer is: never!
– The world will be filled with blood, and the blood will be yours. You'll fall down!
– Aundas, I didn’t kill you then, now the clock has struck for you!
– You are fool! Indeed, Wanderer is your name. You can only succeed going into the void, realize the futility of the way you’ve chosen.
I’m laughing at you; you are a fiend and a monster of Darkness, high- handedly you forged into the different way, haven’t you? I’m laughing and making fun of you. Are you the Light? So learn the power of Darkness! Tremble! Behold, and perish: for I will taste your flesh, and I will be afforded the honour of this mission!