The Fallen

Gerard's P.O.V:

I just stared at it. The likelihood of a wraith helping me find my brother and lover was extremely low, and he would only do it for some gain. I refused to believe he is doing this out of the goodness of his black, nonexistent hear.

“Why would you help me? Don't you understand that I have nothing to bargain with you for the lives of these people?” I asked it cautiously.

In return for helping you, I want you to kill me.

“What?” Wraiths do tend to store up hate, but they are never suicidal or hold death wishes! Most wraiths enjoy the rush of taking a soul, which is why I didn't see why the thing hadn't killed me already.

It is hard to continue living when all you bring is fear and hate. I am tired of taking souls. There is another price, but I must wait until we are with your friends to discuss it.

I nodded, “But how do I know you won't get us into the same room and suck our souls out?”

I was lacking in a soul, but Mikey and Frank both had compassion in their hearts, enough to feed a wraith's need.

Your concern is completely understandable. I can give you a Shadow's Bond promise to leave you and your friends unharmed and with souls in-tact. But before I help you to find them, there is something I need from you.

“Yes?”

I have a mate named Lyra. She is located a floor above this cell. I will help you escape and if you explain to her I sent you, she will not hurt you. Bring her back here.

“Okay.”

The wraith told me his name was Arrowtail, and he floated over to the chamber's wall. The wraith laid a gnarled hand against the wall, and almost immediately the wall of stone and dirt began to move, pulling itself up and away from the place Arrowtail had touched.

Come.

“Wait, wait. I learned I shouldn't trust easily, and you swore you wouldn't hurt us, but swear my friends are safe, swear you aren't deceiving me.”

The wraith looked thoroughly pissed. For a wraith, that is, Okay, Gerard. I swear that your friends are safe. I swear I am not deceiving you.

Sighing, I approached the gateway. The wraith did not accompany me, saying that he could not leave this place now. I was suspicious, but Arrowtail shoved me out of my cell and closed the wall behind him.

I glanced around, terrified. The cell I had entered was large and spacious, the ground was dirt, and though it was big, a massive creature was curled in the corner, enormous flank rising and falling. Seeing the thing, I instantly pictured Cerberus, the three headed dog who guards Hades.

It was massive with three furry heads and dog-like faces. The only thing that didn't seem to fit was the long, scaly tail and large leathery wings. It was, overall, about the size of a small house. It took everything I had not to scream and start running around in circles just seeing the beast asleep.

One of the pairs of eyes opened wide and a single head, the one closest to me, whipped around and stared fiercely into my eyes. It's eyes were red and purple, and it growled angrily upon seeing me. The other heads were woken by the growl.

For a second, it just stared. I dropped my eyes in submission, but it didn't attack. I used the time to think. So, as I had expected, Arrowtail had tricked me by locking me a cage with a bloodthirsty Cerberus dog thing, and now I was probably doomed. The only weapon I had on me was a phoenix feather arrow and a bow.

I'd never been that great at using a bow and arrow. Midnight, who had given me both the bow and the arrows, had told me they would come in handy. Yet, the fact that she armed me led me to believe she hadn't been in on Ambera's betrayal. Well, I think this classifies as an emergency, so I pulled out an arrow and drew the string of the bow.

Cerberus's mighty heads struck out, trying to catch me in a gaping tooth-lined jaw and crunch me into nothing. I leapt and struck downwards with my wings fast. I soared upward, and to my great amusement, Cerberus seemed to believe I disappeared into no where. The beast swung it's heads back and forth, searching for his lost prey.

The arrow still set, I notched it before releasing it with a sharp twang. Cerberus's middle head looked up just in time to catch the arrow in one eye. The dog-beast howled in pain, the other heads lashing out at me. But it appeared the middle head had dominant control of the body, as he was thrashing about aimlessly as the right and left head attempted to catch me.

I dived, pulling out another arrow and forcefully slamming it into the right Cerberus's nose. It yelped before biting at me, but I soared easily over to the last unhurt head. It was still and down, so I assumed I had an easy shot.

As you may have noticed, I'm not the brightest crayon in the box.

I pulled out another arrow, preparing to launch it at the last head. An instant before it did, something heavy slammed into me from behind, dragging me to the ground. I gasped as the air was ripped from my lungs and a sharp crunch could be heard through the room. My right wing was broken.

Still clutching the bow, I raised it, trembling, and launched the last arrow. It was a bad shot, but it hit the dog in the ear, and upon contact, Cerberus burst into flames. I watched the creature let out a final whine before crumpling and slowly burning.

I turned to the place where I'd fallen through the door. I yelled, I let out all my hatred by abusing the wall. All my stress, my fear for the deaths of those I love, all my anger and hate for the crumpled, lifeless creature that had ruined my right wing. I started to cry, silent tears streaming down my cheeks.

My tears hit the dirt ground with a plit-plit-plit. An excruciatingly long moment passed before stairs appeared, as though carved into the stone and dirt floor before my very eyes. I gasped.

Your love is pure, Gerard. The betrayal and heartache you have felt mean you truly love your brother and human boy. Here is a staircase to the room the boys are in. I warn you, the wraith Arrowtail is waiting for you there, where he will make his last demand.

“Thank you!” I yelled at no one in particular, hoping whoever spoke in my mind would hear me.

It is you who deserves my thanks, Gerard. You slayed a fowl creature that had wronged me long ago. You came here with the purest of heart and intentions, wanting only to save the people you love rather than to corrupt minds and hearts, like the past finders of this sacred place. Go, now, Gerard. I warn you, what is waiting for you is an impossible test. It won't help against the wraith, he is too powerful, but take this sword. It will slay any demons in your path.

“Thank you.”

Go carefully, Gerard.

I felt the presence withdraw as I headed down the stairs. Whoever that had been had given me a sword of blackshell steel, a type of steel that resembles obsidian because it is black. I clipped the sheath around my belt and but the sword into it. The staircase was taking me deep down, it was getting cooler, but it was slightly humid, to my distress. Humidity makes my feathers sticky...

The staircase ended, and I was left in a dark, twisting hallway. I could feel the cold presence of demons, so I kept a hand on the sword. There was one sharp turn at the end of the hallway, and when I made the turn, I saw a tiny cell, much smaller than mine had been. There were two silhouettes crouched in the corner.

“Frankie, babe! Mikey!” I hissed, feeling as though it was essential I remained hushed.

Frank, on the other hand, thought no suck thing, “GEE!!” He shrieked, throwing himself at the bars that divided us. I stepped forward to snake my arms through the bars and held him, wishing there was nothing in between our bodies, nothing keeping us from comforting each other.

“Shh, baby, they could here us and come down and kill me at any moment. Why isn't Mikey jumping for joy seeing my face?” I asked, truly puzzled.

“He's been sick. He sleeps a lot now...” Frank said, looking away.

I stiffened, “What do you mean, sick? Is he...okay?”

“I don't know. He stopped talking to me a while ago, and now all he does is sleep. He's gotten really thin, I'm nit sure if the wraith did it...”

“What?” I gasped, “The wraith? Is it here? Arrowtail!”

There was a soft rattling before I was yanked through (and I mean through) the bars. I stood in front of the wraith Arrowtail and Frank. I could just see the outline of Mikey curled in the corner.

I turned to the wraith, “You promised you wouldn't hurt them!”

Such words were never spoken, actually. Besides, I told you I had one final toll before I freed these boys. The test is: Both boys have contracted deadly diseases. Frank's is slow-acting, but Mikey is in desperate need of medical treatment. Choose one to save, and the other dies.