Devil Ash Deceit (Devil Ash Saga) (42 page)

“
God
is God. Lucifer is a detestable, evil man who ruined an entire civilization and damned us all to this awful world. If he could be revived, I fear not only for Hell but Earth as well.”

“Whoa! Why Earth too?”

“If you recall, Lucifer was upset with God over the creation of humanity. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Earth and humanity would likely be among the list of targets for Lucifer’s revenge.”

“Well, none of that should matter because Lucifer is dead and I’m not the Hand of God,” Ash said. Trying to switch gears, and remembering Aura’s story about the man in the well, Ash posed a new question. “What’s in the other room? Aura said he saw someone sealed inside a well.”

“That may be a question best answered by Master Wilhelm,” Phoenix said.

“The identity of the man in the well is a mystery to us as well,” Wilhelm replied. “But it wasn’t
always
. At one point in time, it seems I knew who he was.”

“
Um… what
?”

“Sometimes I have strange dreams, in which I am standing over the well in the crystal cavern. The inscription on the lid says ‘Nemo’ in my dream.”

“That’s what Aura said it said,” Ash noted.

“There are other dreams where I seem to wake up with my grandson standing over me. He tries to put his hands on my head, and I jump up to fight him but several Royal Guards burst into my room and hold me down. In the struggle I catch my reflection in my bedroom mirror, and I look at least ten years younger. The last thing I remember is Darko moving in on me and touching my forehead, then I always wake up.”

“Sounds like some pretty terrifying night terrors. You should probably talk to a shrink about your fear of your own grandson.”

“I believe my son and grandson stole my memories of the man in the well’s identity.”

“Why would they do that to you?”

“Save for Shiva, my family did not turn out to be so…
honorable
. I suspect they made a decision involving the man in the well that I did not agree with. I fear they have finally taken their shameful ways too far and have taken steps to phase out my opinions. Erasing my memories was the last straw!”

“Okay, this is too weird,” Ash said. “There’s a super strong crazy person trapped in a well and Goddard wants to use me to fulfill an ancient legend to awaken Lucifer Satan? Oh and the former King over there organized the rebels. Have I forgotten anything else?”

“Just be weary of Goddard and Darko,” Phoenix said. “Those two are up to something evil, I am sure of it. When the time comes, only
you
can stop them. Never allow them to awaken Lucifer!”

“I can’t do that! Not on my own, anyway! Get out of here while you still can,” said Ash. “You can help me! You still have to take me back to Earth, remember?”

“I’m not leaving,” Phoenix repeated himself. “I must die. The Royal Family must believe they have succeeded in stopping our plans. They must watch me die to feel safe again. Besides, if we were to escape they would know there are still rebels within the castle.”

“
You must go now
,” Archen could be heard calling to them. “
Time is almost up
!”

“Go, Ash. Wilhelm will watch over you now. He’ll be there for you when you need him most. I hope to see you one last time before I die tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to watch,” Ash said as tears flowed. “
I don’t want to see you die
!”

“Do not cry for me,” Phoenix said. “I carried out this mission knowing that failure would mean death for me. My only regret is that I am bringing my best friends down with me. I wish we had more time together Ash, I really do. You were a fantastic student and will make an effective leader some day.”

“We should go,” Wilhelm said. Though his back was turned to Ash, the boy could tell from his voice that the Old Satan was also crying. Ash could do little else but give Phoenix one last look, one last goodbye. With trembling hands, Ash waved farewell and stepped out of the prison cell. Archen locked the cell quickly.

As Ash stood there feeling numb, Lionel finally spoke up in the next cell. “
Aura Draxler
…” he started. “Tell him something for me. Tell him I’m sorry I lost my mind back there. Turns out, I may have had a few more
reservations about dying than I thought I did. But if he comes to watch me die tomorrow, I swear I won’t go out like some spineless criminal! I’ll own my death, just like he said.”

“
Will do
,” Ash said, wiping his face with his sleeve. Lionel broke eye contact, and it was time to go. Ash followed Archen and Wilhelm up and out of the spiral prison without looking back. He returned home that night with more questions than answers to his crazy ever-changing life.

* * * *

The execution was to take place that morning in a large public square in the middle of North Hell. It was the only place big enough where everyone could gather to see all the action, which involved a guillotine sitting on top of a platform that a team of workers raised overnight. There was even a grand stairway leading up to the execution platform.

The area began to fill up with spectators before the sun was even formed. Some people even slept there overnight to get the best spot. Vendors and merchants parked their carts in the square, seeing all the potential for peddling their goods during the ‘event’. By the time the first flame shot up into the sky to start the formation of the morning sun, the square was packed and more and more people were still showing up in droves.

Even the rooftops became full of resourceful spectators, looking to avoid the crowded square altogether. Many of the buildings in the area had rooftop patios with comfortable seating, and some even set up poorly constructed mini-platforms for their customers (who didn’t mind paying a hefty fee). Among those customers were Ash and Aura.

The boys made it to the square and got fed up with being shoved around trying to find a ‘good spot’ to watch from. Ash was shocked at the atmosphere of the citizens. The crowd’s energy was akin to that of a sports arena full of lively spectators. They were at an execution, not a football game! Why did these people act like it was such a fun time?

Ash quickly realized that these people were happy because of their ignorance. They didn’t know anything about Lucifer’s body slumbering just below their Kingdom. The citizens of Hell believed they had just been saved from a radical group of terrorists looking to install a new ruler. Only Ash knew the truth. The rebels were actually trying to
save
everyone. To celebrate their deaths seemed like an extra cruel twist of fate.

Rather than battle the crowds on the ground or tire themselves out flying circles above, the boys dared to attempt a rooftop patio. They found that area packed as well, except for one platform that stood an extra ten feet above everyone else. Despite the incredibly unreasonable price, Ash dropped his life savings and ponied up the skorch. The boys climbed to the top of their own personal death-viewing tower.

From high above everyone else, they could see the execution platform perfectly. They were only about thirty feet away, and the boys could already see the Royal Family standing on top of the execution platform waiting. King Al, Prince Darko, Wilhelm and Shiva all stood silently observing the crowd.

Ash hadn’t told Aura about his conversation he with Phoenix that night yet. He wondered if he even should. He didn’t want to alarm his friend, and he was even afraid of Shiva finding out about her grandfather being the rebel leader. He worried that if she found out, she would change her opinion about him and lose the only decent family member she had.

With people still adding their flames to the sun, the Royal Guard led by Goddard and Stryd started pushing their way out of the castle and towards the platform. This would be the last walk any of the prisoners would take. Unfortunately, it would be a terrible last walk for them. It would only last ten minutes, but for the people walking to their death it must have seemed a lot longer.

Citizens threw all sorts of things like rocks or spoiled food at the prisoners, who had bags tied around their heads and lots of chains and shackles and seals put in place to ensure they couldn’t escape. There were eight prisoner rebels in total, and a whole lot more Royal Guards escorting them. The boys couldn’t even tell who was who with the bags covering their faces.

Someone threw a large rock and knocked one of the prisoners to the ground. The Royal Guards all started kicking the poor person, then lifted him or her back up and continued their march towards death. Not surprisingly, a lot of the prisoners were sobbing under their bags. Their grim sobbing could barely be heard over the blood-lusting roar of the crowd.

When the procession reached the stairs to the execution platform everyone stopped abruptly. Goddard and Stryd climbed the stairs up to the top, where the Royal Advisor addressed the crowd.

“Citizens of Hell, the time has come to show you all what happens to those who commit treason against not only the Royal Family, but treason against all of the Kingdom!” Goddard called through his megaphone. He then handed it off to King Satan.

“Yeah!” the King said. He lowered the megaphone and thought if he wanted to add anything else. Deciding he did not, he passed the megaphone to Darko. His son simply waved it away. Shiva and Wilhelm also declined speaking, so the King gave the final order. “Let’s begin the executions!”

The first rebel was unchained from the group. The unfortunate victim was poked and prodded at with the blades of the Royal Guards who led him up the stairway. The trip was painfully slow and difficult to watch as the prisoner tried to milk every last minute of life. When at last they reached the top, the man working the guillotine removed the bag on the prisoner’s head.

Seeing an entire Kingdom of people that hated you and gathered to watch you die was enough to cause this unknown man to burst into more tears. He struggled as several guards lowered his head to rest on the wooden chop block of the killing instrument. When they had him locked in place and unable to move, the man began to wail and cry furiously.

Ash looked away as the guillotine blade dropped without any warning. He heard the gruesome sound of the beheading, and when he found the courage to look back at the platform he saw them hauling away the headless body while lifting up the small basket that was positioned to catch the head. One guard tossed the man’s head into a large sack that another guard was holding up.

The process was repeated, with the next rebel prisoner stepping up to the platform and trying to remain calm. The man took deep breaths and kept his eyes closed, even after the bag on his head was removed. He willingly dropped to his knees, but refused to put his head down. The guards had to push him forward, where he finally opened his eyes and began to hyperventilate. The blade dropped, and once again Ash diverted his eyes involuntarily.

The boy forced himself to watch the next prisoner’s full beheading. He decided that he would at least do these people the honor of watching their deaths. He was surprised at how quickly a life could be taken, with just a second-long drop of a thin blade. He’d seen a lot of graphic violence on TV and in video games, but the real
thing just seemed so wrong.

Over and over the boys watched the rebel’s lives end. Aura hadn’t said a word yet, and it was unusual for him to go so long without cracking a joke. His face remained hard like stone and his eyes never left the execution platform. Ash felt numb inside. The next prisoner to be executed climbed the stairs crying in a high-pitched feminine voice. The guard pulled the bag off her head to reveal Leona.

The woman was sobbing uncontrollably and looked like she had been all night. She was still wearing the remnants of the ceremonial armor that Shiva had shattered, and her hair was a tangled mess. Through her emotional weeping, only one word could be distinguished from all the rest of her incomprehensible moaning.

“
Pax
!!” she cried out, over and over. “
Oh
,
Pax
!”

Ash noticed that Shiva was having a hard time looking at her former rival. After so many deaths, it appeared even Shiva was having second thoughts about this. Leona continued to howl in torment as the guards kicked at the back of her knees to drop her to the ground. With a well-placed foot to the back of her head, Leona fell forward onto the chopping block.

“
Pax
!” she called one final time as the blade dropped. There was a horrible sound of metal chopping through flesh and the woman went silent. Her vocal chords severed, she could scream no more. Leona’s head dropped into the basket and wobbled back and forth. A terrified expression was frozen on her face, as her soul drifted peacefully away into the morning sunshine.

Aura’s eye twitched as the lady rebel’s soul disappeared. Watching her death hurt every bit as much as he thought it would, and he hardly even knew her. He looked to see how Shiva was handling it, and both boys were startled to see something they never thought they would: tears in Shiva’s eyes.

Shiva was trying her hardest and failing at holding back tears. She was angry at the woman, but after their fight all of her anger disappeared. No longer did she think the woman had to be executed for her crime. Suddenly Shiva was having cold feet about seeing her former fiancé and friend die.