Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ace stayed up late that night talking to Carrie about her journey of learning she was a Psychic. They were the only two remaining awake, the others had been asleep for many hours. When suddenly Ace hears a strange noise coming from the temple. Ace stands and walks towards the temple. Once he gets into the temple he sees the rock glowing again just as it did when they found Carrie and Damien. Ace puts his hand on the rock and closes his eyes. He let's go of the rock and walks to Aldemar's chambers.

"Master Aldemar." says Ace into the Aldemar's room.

"Yes my child?" asks Aldemar.

"The fifth Psychic has revealed themselves." says Ace.

"Where at my child?" asks Aldemar.

"The Pagan world. That's all we know. The stone is giving no exact coordinates like it usually does." says Ace.

"Elder Sarah is probably keeping her as a prisoner." says Aldemar.

"What shall we do?" asks Ace.

"Let them all go home. When we find the last Psychic we will reassemble." says Aldemar.

"Master." says Ace.

"You heard me Ace." says Aldemar.

The next morning Aldemar had Ace gather the four Psychics,Carrie,Damien,Brandon, and April in the main room of the temple. Aldemar and Ace stand ahead of them.

"You will all be returning home until we can find the last Psychic." says Aldemar.

"How am I supposed to explain this to my family?" asks Carrie.

"If you wish we can set you up somewhere away so you can be isolated." says Ace.

"That would be preferable." says Brandon.

"Make that two." says Damien lifting his hand.

"Three." says Carrie with a sigh.

"Not me. I have people I need to help." says April.

"That's why Ace will be joining you." says Aldemar.

"Master, I thought we agreed on me staying with the others?" asks Ace.

"I changed my mind."says Aldemar.

"If you'll excuse me I'm going to go pack my bags." says April standing up and leaving the main room of the temple and going to her room.

"The last one revealed themselves." says Ace standing in the doorway.

"Then why are we leaving?" asks April zipping up her bag.

"They're in the Pagan world. We have no idea what that place is like." says Ace.

"Why are you telling me?" asks April.

"Doesn't seem like my problem." continues April.

"We need your help April. You have the contacts we don't." says Ace.

"You want me to drop everything and find this last Psychic?" asks April.

"No, I plan to help Raven win this war with you. Or at least get as far as we can." says Ace.

"I'll think about it. Now let's get home." says April.

April and Ace had traveled to Hell to find Raven's army's hideout. They begin to find barracks and camps that they had raided and been to before they finally found the place that April was sure that they were hiding. She knocks on the door and a man answers the door. He recognizes April and Ace and then calls for Maven. Maven walks over to the door. 

"April,Ace nice to see you again!" says Maven with a smile as April and Ace walk in and Maven shuts the door behind them.

"How did the training go?" asks Maven setting out to cups for Ace and April.

"It didn't go as planned and will continue at a later time." says Ace.

"Where's Raven? I haven't seen her yet." asks April.

"The Empress put a bounty out on her, she went into hiding. Emerald and Matt escorted her." says Maven pouring them a glass of lemonade.

"You let two bounty hunters hide Raven from a bounty?" asks April.

"They're bounty hunters?" asks Ace with a sense of urgency in her voice.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." says Maven.

"Christine didn't say anything?" asks April with concern in her voice. 

"Christine and her husband left a few days after you left. Christine and Raven got into a disagreement about something. No one bothered to get involved or even ask about it." says Maven.

"Did they say where they were going?" asks April.

"No, she said she was going to hide somewhere in the dark. Neither Rick or myself could make heads or tails of what she meant, but Christine might be able to. If I had to guess it's a family lineage thing." says Maven.

"There's a place called the Valley of Shadows that we went to as kids." says Christine walking in the room.

"Christine, what are you doing here?" asks Maven.

"Mom told me that Raven was in trouble. She said the medallion she made when we were born is acting weirdly." says Christine.

"Can you take us there?" asks April.

"Oh no, I don't go there. The legends scare me. I can show you the way, but that's as far as I go." says Christine walking out the door.

"We have no choice then." says Ace.

"Well let's go, I don't have all day." says Christine leaving in the barracks.

"Don't make me regret this Christine." says April as she and Ace stand and lead waving goodbye to Maven.

"We used to go to this home. If she mentioned the dark that's where they're going. I can assure it. The Valley of the Shadows is one of the few places that the sun can never reach." says Christine stopping at a brick walkway.

"This it?" asks April.

"This is as far as I go. In just about twenty feet the darkness kicks in. I warn you, be careful and be scared of the dark. Follow the brick road as far as it goes. When it stops you will be questioned by a Jester. A Jester is a creature who will try and trick you. Sometimes they appear as human sometimes they aren't. You have to roll with him. They probably left my sister alone out of fear of her. I would be scared of her. She's more powerful then she let's on. But I've spoken too much. If you trick the Jester he will let you pass." says Christine hugging April and Ace wishing them luck.

"Well let's start." says Ace as he and April start down the brick path. 

For three hours April and Ace travel down the brick walkway. Saying little and doing little other than walking. They finally reach the end of the brick walk way, but it was hard to tell in the extreme darkness. It was hard to see your next step, but April felt a different surface touch her foot.

"So you wish to pass do you?" comes a weird creepy voice coming the air almost like the wind is speaking.

"Show your face coward!" yells Ace.

"A human dare tell me to expose myself? Especially a human with so many secrets." says the voice in the wind.

"My secrets are no secrets. The Demon that haunts me haunts me no more." says Ace.

"Demons don't go away, they only rest for a time." says the voice in the wind.

"Why do you hide?" asks April.

"Hush child, this is a conversation for adults." says the voice in the wind.

"You talk about Ace hiding from the secrets of his past. But yet you hide from two people who are really here. Right now in front of you." says April.

"Well that brings an excellent question." says the voice in the wind, as it suddenly stops and a person appears.

"I am a Jester. And you little girl have stumped me. Take the path with the light." says the Jester as he snaps and one of the two paths lights up.

"Good boy." says Ace as he starts walking toward the lightened path.

"Ace wait!" yells April.

"Problem child?' asks the Jester.

"No light shall truly shine in the Valley Of Shadows. Were taking the darkened path." says April as she and Ace walk down the path and the Jester disappears and the wind starts again.

After walking for  twenty minutes Ace sees a house on the side of the road and he nods toward it. Ace and April walk to the door. Ace shushes April and grabs the door knob. As soon as Ace touches it he screams in fear. A weird face appears on the door with hair as wild as that of Medusa's and a face as ugly as a rock.

"Go away!" screams the face in a hoarse voice as April and Ace run back onto the road and back onto the path and keep walking. April and Ace refuse to show their fear to each other knowing that fear is their worst enemy in their current situation. After walking for another while longer they pass over a large hill. They see a large two-story house at the bottom of the hill. They get down the hill and go to the front door. Ace quickly sneaks a peek in the window and sees Raven sitting on the floor and gives April a look to show her that this is the house they have been searching for. Ace draws his bow and readies an arrow. April grabs the Demon Blade she has on her belt ready to draw the knife and attack on site. Ace kicks in the door and aims the bow around the room not being able to see. April walks in behind him and goes to the other side of the room that Ace went on. April trips over Emerald's body which lay still passed out and April lands on the floor. Ace begins to panic not knowing where to shoot and then suddenly the lights turn on.

"Can we help you?" says the Emperor staring right at Ace.

"We want Raven." says Ace.

"Well you can't have her. Now get out human. You have no place in this battle." says the Emperor.

"Come on April, you can do it." whispers April crawling toward the Demon Trap confining April.

"It has more to do with me than you think." says Ace.

"I'm here for you Raven." whispers April to Raven's body laying there lifelessly. 

"Little bit closer." whispers April as she lifts the blade about to drop it, breaking the seal.

"Not today kid." says the Empress kicking the Demon blade out of April's hand.

"D****t." says April.

"Little punks." says the Empress as she kicks April in the face.

"You b***h!" yells Ace as he points the arrow at the Empress.

"We meet again Ace. It's been too long." says the Empress.

"Wish I could say the same." says Ace still point the bow.

"Put the bow down kid." says the Emperor.

"Where am I?" mumbles Emerald as she opens her eyes for the first time since she was knocked out, but she quickly gains her composure and stretches her arm out to reach the edge of Raven's seal. Emerald's long sharp claws for nails come from her fingers and she begins scratching the painted seal on the floor board.

"I would love to put this arrow through you bit it isn't for you." says Ace as he takes the arrow out of the bow and draws another.

"But this one will hurt you. This is soaked in Holy Water." says Ace pointing the bow at the Empress.

"Almost done." mumbles Emerald as she almost finishes breaking the seal.

"Listen to me Ace. I'm giving you one last chance to leave." says the Emperor.

"Got it." says Emerald as she finishes scratching the seal. Just as she finishes scratching it, the whole seal lights up and makes a noise that signals it has been deactivated. 

"You're mine now!" yells Raven charging the Emperor.

"Leave him be!" yells the Empress.

As the Empress runs to stop Raven she is stricken in the back with an arrow of holy water. The Empress begins flailing,kicking, and screaming. She begins crying and yelling for help. Raven takes a swing at the Emperor, but is stopped. The Emperor raised a hand and stopped her fist. He uses his other hand to throw her across the room.

"You fools! Do you know who you're messing with? I am the God of Hell!" yells the Emperor.

"Take this!" yells Ace as he shoots another arrow at the Emperor.

"Ha!" laughs the Emperor as he pulls the arrow out of him and the wound heals almost as fast as it appeared.

"I am the most powerful person in this room!" yells the Emperor.

"You have no power." says Raven sitting against the wall wiping blood from her mouth.

"Excuse you?" says the Emperor.

"True power is also being able to know how to use it." says Raven coughing up blood.

"This isn't over." says Emerald standing up and coughing.

"Look at this. Two broken women. Thinking they have the ability to stop me." says the Emperor laughing.

"You haven't touched me." says Emily walking in the door.

"A Genie? Where do you find your friends Raven?" asks the Emperor.

"Keep talking." says Emily as she pulls out a large silver ax with symbols painted on it in blood.

"How could you? How did you find it?" asks the Emperor with a look of utter shock and awe.

"Don't worry about it punk." says Emily leaning the ax out for Raven to take.

"Thank you Emily." says Raven as she stands and takes the ax. 

"Can we come to an agreement here?" says the Emperor.

"Holy s**t my nose." says April waking up.

"My back hurts like hell right now." says Matt waking up.

"Dear mother of the Gods." says Ace watching in the corner.

"It's time for you to regret every choice you've ever made." says Raven as she leans the ax back ready to swing.

"My love!" yells the Empress laying on the floor still bleeding from the arrow.

Raven took the ax, The Holy Ax of Hell, the only weapon able to kill the God of Hell, and swung the ax at the Dark Emperors head. His head dropped to the floor and rolled around for a few seconds. His body dropped to the floor from the chair he was sitting on. The ax disintegrated into ashes in Raven's hands because every time The Holy Ax of Hell or The Heavenly Blade is used on a God it is hidden again in another random location in the universe. Raven had done it. Raven had killed the Dark Emperor. Suddenly everyone looks over to a new face in the room, Nathan.

"Hello, ladies and gents." says Nathan.

"I, I, I did it." says Raven sitting in the ashes of the ax. 

"Well without a God in Hell, I will take over until tomorrow when the Council can elect a new God. As for now, we have other matters to attend." says Nathan.

"What do you mean?" asks April.

"Dark Empress you are under arrest for giving false pretenses of power and convincing the people of Hell you have authority." says Nathan as guards come in and pick her up.

"We won!" yells Raven as the others cheer and smile.

"Raven Black, you are under arrest for assassinating the God of Hell. You know better than anyone that this was a war crime. You must dethrone the leader in battle. Not some shack in the woods." says Nathan as more guards come and grab Raven and carry her off to jail.

"You can't do this!" yells April.

"Oh I can, and it's my job to. Now mind yourself because you are a visitor in Hell right now." says Nathan as he walks out and disappears.