?Hound’s Duty?
⚡️Volume 2: The Badlands⚡️
?Written by Crownway Amef?
⚡️Episode 30⚡️
Kira, Jeff, and Susan ran to where the car is and they bundled a group hug with mixed feelings, pain, and happiness.
After the conversation with Falcon, he possessed Erik back and he went to join in the hug.
“I’m proud of you all,” Mr.Lin said with little traces of sadness.
“It’s so great to see you all again,” Flora said.
They disengaged from the hug and they all remained quiet as Mr.Linn looks on, his eyes roofed with grief.
“We are so sorry about Haliah… We should have saved her no matter what?!” Jeff said.
“It’s not your fault you all, I saw everything from there. It was impossible to do so” he answered.
“I will get her back no matter what, “ Erik said with so much gusto.
Mr.Linn replied with a head nod and wiped the tears breaking in his eyes.
“We should get you home,” he said.
He was about to turn around when he saw the gifted staring at him hopelessly and dejected.
“You left them once… Please help them this time. They’ve got nowhere to return to” Erik pleaded.
After a few minutes of thinking, he ordered Flora to get a bus to convey them home while Erik and the rest left in the main car.
MR.LINN’s MANSION
The car came to a screeching halt and they alighted from it except the professor that asked to be left alone.
Jeff ushered Kira on the way and Susan walked with Erik, all consoling each other and assuring them of success in their upcoming plan.
The robots are back up and working as if they never disappeared.
The sweet aroma wafted into their nose the moment they stepped inside. They are getting their food prepared by these robots already.
They tiredly retired to their rooms to rest.
Professor Linn came in then and watch their receding figure until they were out of sight.
He hasn’t spent much time with Haliah but he’s convinced she’s not evil like her mother.
He’s in pain because sooner or later, he might be called back to heaven for completing his mission still and that explains the grief in his heart.
Everywhere he looks, he can see flashes of memories of Haliah. The first time the kids arrived at his place, how they tried to hide her real identity to protect her, she was being stubborn and her coming back to prove him wrong.
A few minutes later, the gifted arrived with Anthony and Ciara.
They were served food before anything else and they discuss it as they eat, with so much happiness. They apologized and thanked Ciara at the same time.
She’s looking so happy and different, the dark aura she imposes has faded into thin air.
“So can you still use magic without your book?” Tammy asked.
“Yes of course but I’m afraid I will not be able to cast new spells and do new things,” she said.
“Oh,” they chorused.
Erik and the rest are at the same time but he chose to remain quiet.
“Are you okay buddy?” Anthony asked.
“Yes sure, thanks,” he said but continued toying with the spoon in his hand.
Jeff stood up to go carry Mr. Linn’s book, the same group he saw something about Banshees.
“I know what you are thinking Kids, I can’t let you do that” Professor Linn said as Jeff turned around to leave with the book.
“You knew the way to rescue Haliah?” Susan asked.
He removed his eyeglass to clean them then put them back on.
“Just like we have different dimensions, there are differences, limitations, and boundaries to them. The earth, Heaven, and hell all have these things I have mentioned. It’s not in anyone’s place to mess with them” Professor Linn explained.
“Why then is the earth being constantly bullied by these riders? Alien invades cause they desire earth, people like Lady in Black, lady Violet sorry to say, and Hades! Why can’t they just stay in their place and not disobey these rules?” Erik said with rage.
“Hmm,” nothing but a sigh came from the professor.
Seeing no more arguments, Jeff proceeded to the big dining table with the book and he starts to flip it from page to page.
Finally, he saw something about how the Saviours once visited Hades to retrieve the most important orb to restore order to the world.
“But decade after decade, it became so impossible for immortals to access hell for fear of havoc that they might start. Some immortals started trading their souls in return for immense power hence, just two breeds of immortals that are trusted were given access to hell” Jeff reads.
“Wow really?” Jessie exclaimed.
Jeff got to the name of those two individuals but paired them cause he could read in the language in which it was written.
He passed the book to Susan but she nodded her head and passed it to Kira. The book continued going around the table until Ciara raised her hand to help.
“ The access was given to the fairies and the dream merchants! The Fairies can travel through dimensions with their orbs while asleep but Dream merchants die to travel,” she said and then closed the book for a while but she kept her hand amidst the page.
“It’s so unfair my book is not here with me,” she said.
“How? I thought you are a witch? Not a fairy.” Anthony said.
“Yes I know but I have their spells in my spell book, we could summon their orb and use it but that won’t be possible anymore” she answered.
They all wore confused looks and stopped eating.
“You should have finished your meal before starting your discussion” Professor Linn said walking to them.
“There is another way right? The dream merchants!” Erik said with eyes wide open as if he just remembered the most important thing in his life.
“What? That requires us to die before going to hell. He’ll is for anyone that takes his/her own life in the first place what if we are trapped in there for life?” Jane said.
Just then, Flora started typing on her phone hard and then projected its content on the wall for everyone to see.
“One hundred ways to die”
“Seriously?” they all cried out.
Professor Linn was dumbfounded too, he remembered how he programmed some emotions into her but seems that part is not working right now.
“Nobody is dying Flora, I mean it… Nobody is dying” Erik said.
“I once saw the history of the Dream merchants in my grandma’s locker back when I was in Mexico but I didn’t know what the words meant then, I only glanced through,” Erik said.
Professor Linn’s brows raised alarm and he said: “I don’t remember much about your grandmother in her youthful days but I think she might have the solution to your problems,” he said.
“Thank Goodness, I guess it’s time to see my grandma after all,” he said.
“Are we all going to Mexico?” The gifted asked.
“Well we’ve got all the time to spare here, we have no parents to be worried about,” Anthony said.
“No guys, remember when I said nobody is dying? I won’t risk your life over this and your new life is important. You all should go to school and not mess up your grades” he said.
“Erik is right guys and that includes him staying out of all these. Haliah is my daughter and… I can’t risk your life for her anymore. Every one of you!” He said pouring at them.
“She is our friend Mr.Linn,” they said.
“She is my friend too” Erik added.
“And a visit to hell was my mission, to begin with, my grandma knew and wouldn’t ask questions. I need to fulfill my destiny of helping Falcon then I will be free, and he will also be free” Erik said.
At this point, Professor Linn is convinced and he gave up on his arguments.
“If things are to go south, I will also try my best,” he said.
“ I will try to get in contact with your grandma’s bodyguard and discuss your travel with him,” Flora said.
The gifted all exchanged glances and stood up from their chairs.
“We want to help too Erik, please allow us,” they said.
Erik turned to them and heaved a sigh “You all need to understand my reason for rejecting your help” he said.
“But you will need armies to fight against the famed souls and the undead,” Ciara said… “I can also get my book back” she added.
“Well if she’s going, I will go with her,” Anthony said.
“Give me time to think about this please,” Erik said leaving them on the spot.
SOMEWHERE IN HADES
Lady Violet’s skin has been burned out and shredded from her bones, she wears a different cover and looked like people of hell.
Amidst the damned souls screaming for mercy and water, Haliah’s body rests completely unconscious but healthy.
A strong presence arrived there and the black angels inflicting suffering stopped to bow for him.
With a dismal wave of his finger, the dead lying on the ground blocking his way melted immediately.
He cleared all the dead and undead around Haliah’s body and stare at her in anger.
Lots of demons were destroyed by her decision and she lost her demonic powers. All that is left in her is a little streak of her father’s traits.
She would never escape on her own unless she chose to receive her power once more.
Suddenly, she coughed and starts to open her eyes.
The fire didn’t burn her like the rest which shows part of her belonging to hell still resides somewhere in her.
“You have denied your fate and ridiculed my gift to you, there shall be no mercy for you Haliah,” he said in a deep voice.
“I prefer this than to harbor your gift and cause massive destruction. If I could do this over and over, It would be the same decision” She said with a loud laugh.
“Violet!” he called.
“Yes my lord” she answered.
“Transfer her to the abode of demons so she can realize how her buddies are feeling about her disrespect to the gift” he ordered.
“Mother?” She called out.
“I disowned you the moment you chose those people over us! You let my lord down” she said.
