Chapter 680 - Marching Toward The End

The trip through the city of Seraphane went about as well as Zeke could have expected.  Certainly, his passage didn’t go unnoticed.  Many of the illusion-cloaked demons watched his every move.  However, for whatever reason, they chose not to impede his path. 

And Zeke was a little surprised at the resulting annoyance.  It almost felt like he wanted to be attacked.

“Or you’re a battle junky who isn’t happy unless he’s killed a few hundred monsters or people by breakfast?” suggested Eveline.

“Tell me how you really feel.”

“Just calling it like I see it,” she remarked with a mental smile. 

“You seem like you’re in a better mood,” Zeke said as he strode through the city, the whole time trying not to notice the stares following his every move. 

“We’re going home.  Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood?” she asked. 

That was a fair assessment.  Zeke couldn’t deny that he was looking forward to getting back to the tower and seeing his friends.  Moreover, he was eager to take advantage of his manor’s amenities, which he’d sorely missed during his descent through the Circles of Hell. 

However, buried in that bed of optimism was the fear that he would return to a wholly different situation than what he’d left behind.  In fact, he was all but certain that everything had changed.  Oberon had told him as much.  On top of that, he wondered if he could even consider his closest companions to be friends anymore.  After all, more than a hundred years had passed since they’d last seen him.  Would they welcome him back?  Would they embrace his presence? 

Or would they be angry?

But even worse, would they have moved on from him entirely? 

They had spent more time without him in their lives than with him there.  It was completely possible that he would return not only to a changed tower, but also to fundamentally altered relationships. 

And that left Zeke more than a little anxious.  He’d spent what felt like a thousand years alone, though.  If they wanted nothing to do with him, then he would just forge ahead with only Eveline for company. 

He could do that.

He would do that.

He just hoped it wouldn’t be necessary.  Regardless, he soon reached the edge of the city and found himself facing off with the guard he’d seen during entry.  She looked him up and down, then asked, “Leaving so soon?  Surely, you found some reason to stay a little longer.”

“I didn’t.”

“Would you like me to give you one?” she asked, stepping forward.  Suddenly, her hand was on his chest as she whispered.  “You and I could have so much fun together.  Don’t you like fun?”

“I don’t think you’d enjoy my idea of fun.”

“Try me,” said the succubus-in-disguise, her hidden tail flicking back and forth in excitement. 

Zeke’s expression hardened.  “Do you know much about the Circles of Hell?” he asked.  Before she could answer, he said, “There was one in particular that I found enjoyable.  It was a play on Valhalla.  You know, warriors reborn into an eternal cycle of battle.”

“Sounds quite spicy.”

“Less than you’d think,” Zeke said.  “But I spent years there, constantly fighting.  Constantly killing.  I slaughtered men and women in more ways than I can count.  I could have kept going, too.  A big part of me wanted to.”  He sighed.  “Then there was this other circle.  Heresy.  I died thousands of times, and my entrails were eaten by crows.  And you know what?  I’d rather go back there than spend another second with you, demon.”

Then, without another word, Zeke turned and strode through the gate.  He could feel the succubus’ eyes boring into him, but pointedly, she did not move a muscle.  And he knew why – just like it was rare for people to ascend from the Mortal Realm to the Eternal Realm, descending through the Pit was incredibly uncommon.  Likely, it was seen as a sign of power – or at least potential. 

And the succubus guard wanted nothing to do with someone like that.

“Or maybe she just doesn’t enjoy it when people are rude to her,” Eveline pointed out. 

“Maybe.”

“All demons aren’t your enemy, Ezekiel.”

“Seems like they are,” Zeke argued.  Though he knew that wasn’t necessarily true.  Sure, he’d met – and fought – plenty of horrible examples of the race.  However, he’d also had decent experiences with demons like the one he’d met just before he’d entered the pit.  He couldn’t remember his name, but aside from trying to ambush him, that guy had been fairly well-behaved.

And then there was Eveline, though in his mind, she didn’t really count.  She hadn’t been a demon for a very long time. 

“Maintain your prejudice if you want, then.”

Zeke found that to be the most viable course of action, though his wariness didn’t just extend to demons.  The way he figured it, suspicion was just good sense, and he intended to withhold his trust regarding strangers for the foreseeable future.  Any other strategy just invited betrayal.

“You can’t live like that, Ezekiel.”

“I know,” he admitted.  Though he didn’t know any other way to protect himself.  Becoming a Primordial had put a target on his back.  Doubtless, the gods – lesser and greater alike – would come after him if they knew of his existence.  And for better or worse, he wasn’t quite ready to deal with that sort of attention.

Perhaps at some point soon, but for now, he didn’t even have a good handle on his abilities, the new power of his body, or the scope of his progression.  Hopefully, he would gain some perspective as he trekked across the demonic wilderness. 

Eveline interrupted his thoughts, saying, “No, Ezekiel.”

“What?”

“You know what.  Just don’t even think it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he insisted inwardly.

“Oh, so you’re going to play dumb?  Fine,” she said.  “I’ll be direct, then.  Do not go to the lake.  Avoid it.  You heard Oberon.  Going there is a bad idea, even for you.”

Zeke frowned.  “But that just makes me want to go there even more.  You can see my thoughts, right?  You know what I’m thinking.”

“First of all, I can’t see your thoughts as clearly as I once could,” she admitted. “That ridiculous new skill of yours is extremely powerful.  And second, you are a glutton for punishment.  Did you forget your experiences in Hell?”

“Never.”

“Then why would you –”

“We’ve been over this, Eveline,” he said aloud.  They’d gotten far enough away from the gate that he didn’t think he could be overheard.  “I can’t just sit around and do nothing.  I’m a violent man.  I can’t help it.  I would change it if I could, but I can’t.  I’m going to fight.  I’m probably going to throw myself into impossible situations because I honestly don’t know what else to do.  Or did you think I was going to go back to the tower and start a family with Adara?  Of course not.  That’s not who I am, and that’s certainly not my purpose.”

Indeed, he didn’t mind making the world safer so other people could live that dream, but the notion of giving up fighting to raise a family left his stomach twisting into knots.  And it definitely wouldn’t have been fair for him to start said family and not alter her nature. 

No – he’d already established his goals.  He wanted to climb to the top and affect the eternal war.  He wanted to battle the most powerful creatures in existence, and he wouldn’t stop until he had conquered them all, including the Shattered Mind itself.  Anything less would be a failure.

So, yes – he intended to go to the lake and fight the monsters there.  If that meant he died, then so be it.  At least he’d go down pursuing something worthwhile. 

“What about me?” Eveline asked.

“You knew what I was when you latched on,” he said.  “But I’ll give you a choice.  I can go straight to the tower, and I’ll work toward freeing you.  Part of you is already living there, right? The rest of you can do the same.  If you want to stay with me, though – this is the kind of thing I’m going to do.”

“It’s always so black and white to you, isn’t it?”

“That’s who I am, Eveline.  I can’t change it.”

“You’ve never even tried,” she pointed out.

“Because I’m not broken.  I don’t need to be fixed.”

“Debatable.”

He sighed.  “So, what’s it going to be?” he asked.  “You want to stick with me?  Or do you want to live the quiet life in the tower?”

“What do you want?” she asked hopefully.

“I want you with me, but I can’t let that stand in the way of what I need to do.  I know that’s selfish, Eveline.  I’m aware of my flaws.  I’ve embraced them,” he said.  Indeed, after his time in Hell, he’d been forced to confront many of his issues.  Repeatedly and painfully.  And instead of breaking him into a million pieces, those experiences had solidified his resolve.  “But I only want you here if you’re comfortable with the path I intend to take.”

“So, you want me to be a yes-woman?”

“Not at all,” he answered.  “Object all you want.  Tell me when I’m being stupid.  You’ve never had issues with doing that.  But just understand that the road I’m going to follow is not for the weak of heart or uncommitted.  You made it through Hell, and I’m well aware that it changed you, just like it changed me.  So, I know you have it in you to do what’s necessary.  I just don’t know if it’s what you want.  That’s what this choice is about.”

“You’re protecting me, then?  Is that it?”

“Yes.  I’m giving you a chance to jump from what is probably a sinking ship.”

“You make it sound like you expect to fail,” she reasoned.

Zeke shrugged, glancing at the ball of light dancing beside him.  They were out of sight of the guards, so he wasn’t worried about anyone seeing.  However, he hadn’t realized that she had manifested her true form.

In any case, he answered, “I do.  Not soon, mind you.  And I’m going to fight tooth and nail to stop it.  But you realize I’m talking about eventually facing off against an entity that rivals the creator in power, right?  Nobody expects to join that fight and live.  I’m not crazy, Eveline.”

“The fact that you’re talking about it like it’s inevitable kind of makes me think you are.”

He let out a bitter chuckle. “Maybe.  I wish I could change who I am, but I can’t.”

“Me neither,” she admitted. 

“So, what’s it going to be?  Are you going to come with me to the end?  Or do you want to make the sensible choice and live out the rest of your days in the tower?” he asked. 

“I think you know my answer,” she said, flickering rapidly.

“I need you to say it, though.  I need you to acknowledge what you want.  Anything else, and I’ll end up going crazy.”

“Fine.  You want me to commit?  Here it is.  I want to stay with you.  I want to see what you can accomplish.  I want to help.  I want to see this Eternal War, and I want to oppose the creature literally trying unmake our reality,” she said.  “You talk to me like I’m some blushing innocent.  I’m not.  I have ambition too, Ezekiel.  Before everything went wrong, I was on the verge of challenging the pit myself.  You are not the only one who wants to see The End.”

“Until The End, then.”

“Until The End.”

With that proclamation, Zeke forged ahead and into the demonic wilderness.  When he didn’t concentrate on [Primordial Mind], the illusion returned in full force, filtering the landscape through an idyllic lens.  However, beneath the surface lurked a hellish terrain populated by a multitude of monsters. 

Unfortunately, most scattered before his presence, so he didn’t get the fight he wanted.  Days passed.  Then weeks.  All the while, Zeke trudged forward with determination, following the map Oberon had provided.  Through it all, he was more than a little impressed by the sheer scope of Mak’tar’s domain.  Zeke could move quite fast when he wanted, and he estimated that he covered at least five-hundred miles a day.  So, when the journey stretched into multiple months, he knew he’d found himself in a truly massive environment.

And then, at last, a glimmering expanse of water loomed before him.  It was still a hundred miles away, but even then, he could see it glittering under the harsh light of the demonic sun. 

Briefly, he considered skirting it.  That would have been the sensible course. 

Yet, after only a moment of consideration, he stepped forward, ready to test himself against a horde of demigods.