“Hey, Kamiyo,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“If you survive this… Never stop being a nerd, okay? Be who you want to be.”
He smiled drearily. “You have my word.”
They were halfway to the lake now, almost past the fire pit out front of the blazing cabin. The heat from the flames grew immense, and they both sweated. The fire consumed the demons too, at least the ones too stupid to keep a safe distance. But there were hundreds more in perfect fighting shape. Most surged up the hill to assault the castle, but a sprinkling spotted Kamiyo and Hannah. They rushed towards them, screeching like birds. A pack of apes made up part of their numbers.
“Keep moving,” said Kamiyo, pushing Hannah towards the lake.
“You can’t take on all those apes alone. They’re too fast.”
He pushed her again. He looked handsome then in the flickering backdrop of the fire with his jet-black hair flopping over his face. She hoped he made it through this and found himself a tody piece one day. “I have no choice,” he said, echoing her words from moment's ago. “Keep moving. I’ll catch up.”
“Kamiyo….”
“Move!”
Hannah stumbled away from Kamiyo, leaving him to face certain death. She had counted at least four apes and had previously witnessed a single one take down a dozen men. They were the most deadly of all.
The lake's edge lay only twenty metres away, and no demons barred her path. They amassed to her rear, flooding around Kamiyo.
Her numb legs wobbled, and she almost fell. Several times, her body just plain refused to move. She found herself willing her legs to take another step.
The demons surrounded Kamiyo, and he fought for his life. She wanted desperately to go back and help him, but it would achieve nothing. She couldn’t fight anymore. All she had left was death.
And she intended to die after passing through the gate.
The lake had been glowing when they'd left the castle, but now it shone as if a giant torch hid beneath its waters. The surface frothed and roiled.
Something was happening.
Something was coming through.
She didn’t have long.
Neither did Kamiyo. He took out the first ape with the first swing of his poker, but the second one dodged aside and took a swipe at him. He avoided the blow but proceeded to dance around desperately to stay alive. The apes were too quick and unpredictable for him to strike.
Hannah had to move quickly.
She focused everything she had left on making it to the lake's edge. She smelled the musty odour of the water and grinned. Might she actually manage to do this? It had been an insane plan, but her body was holding on.
The swans and ducks took flight from the churning waters, and the grey sky swallowed them up. Night was on its way, but Hannah would not live to see it. She was okay with that. Her death should have been beside her squad mates two months ago in Derby.
She was right at the water’s edge now, passing by the boat shed Ted once slept in.
“Where are you slithering, little worm?”
Hannah halted, which didn’t take much for she was barely moving. Before her stood the skeletal giant against which Philip had made his last stand. If there had been any doubt in her mind that Philip was dead, this was proof.
“Just leave me alone,” she said, feeling like a petulant child, but having no other offence to offer.
The creature cackled. “Do you even know what stands before you, worm? I am the god, Caligula.”
Hannah frowned, worried that her vision was darkening rapidly. “Don’t have a clue what you’re on about, pet.”
“I am Gaius Julius Ceaser Augustus Germanicus, son of the great Germanicus, heir of the emperor Tiberius, and greatest of all rulers of Rome. I ascended to godhood upon my death, and now I am here to offer civilisation back to the world. Behold, my faithful guard.”
A dozen large, muscular demons appeared from behind the boathouse, all clad in dirty sheets. She looked for an escape, but the only retreat was back to Kamiyo, who was as doomed as she was.
Hannah wobbled, her body begging to collapse. She couldn't take another step. “I-I don’t care who you are, pet. You had your time, alright? You should have stayed dead.”
“Kneel before me or find thine limbs torn asunder.”
“This is England mate. Only person we kneel to is the Queen.”
Caligula snarled, and with a flick of his bony wrist he summoned forth his bodyguards. As if he needed any.
The dozen muscular demons stalked towards her but were then distracted by something. A tiny demon appeared from the other side of the boathouse and launched a rock. The clump of stone sailed through the air and struck Caligula right in the face. The massive monster was absolutely stunned. So were his guard who froze in place, staring at the tiny demon who had assaulted their leader.
Caligula eventually spotted the demon too. “R-Rux? You earn yourself an eternity of torture, you fool! Guards, seize him!”
The tiny demon made an obscene gesture and shrieked. “Fuck you, Imperator!”
Caligula's jaw dropped in astonishment.
The tiny demon bolted with impressive speed, and Caligula's entire guard gave chase. That left just Hannah and the giant demon.
“I'm not quite sure what just happened, pet. You okay?”
Caligula was touching his cheek where the rock had hit, and for a moment, it seemed like he might actually walk away in complete despair. Then he seemed to shake himself back to task. He glared at Hannah. “You wish to break the seal beneath this lake, worm. Your plan is desperate and foolish, but you may see it out. Go on! Attempt to earn your glory. See if you can defeat a god.”
Hannah couldn't make it to the water. She was finished. The horror was too much to bear. Unable
