The Chronicles of Logan DeRais: The One That Bleeds

Christina bolted up, and shot to the Chosen One’s side. She put her hands on him, and I could see the energy crackling from her to him.
“Logan. Logan! Wake up!” .
Nothing happened. She shook him. .
“Please Logan, please!” .
I slowly got to my feet, and limped over to Christina and the Chosen One. .
“He won’t wake up,” I said, “He’s in a coma. We have to take him to see Mason,” .
“Warren...” Christina said, “How did this happen? How is he alive? How did you find him?” .
“It wasn’t easy,” I said, “I found him in Rhühmoüs’s lair. He was disguised as the Beast itself. I was out looking for him for the last week. All over Hell,” .
“Warren...thank you so much. I know that it had to be hard for you, bringing him back here when you knew about Us. Thank you,” she said, then grabbed me in a fierce hug, and kissed me on the cheek. .
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered into my ear. .
“Come on,” I said, “Let’s get him inside,” .
I stood up, and so did Christina. I bent down, and picked the Chosen One up in my arms, as gently as possible. .
“What is his name?” I asked as we walked through the portal together. .
“Logan,” she said, smiling, “Logan DeRais,”
I stopped, “But isn’t that...” .
“Yeah,” she replied, “He’s Mason’s older brother,” .
“Whoa,” I said, astonished, “Why didn’t he tell us?” .
“He thought it was better to keep it quiet,” said .
Christina, “Only a handful of us knew. Vic, Joshua, Myself, Aốdfin, and of course our sage. He wanted it like that. Less attention. Please don’t tell anyone,” .
“If you say so,” I shrugged as we walked through the forest. It was interesting...how Aốdfin had managed to transport all this here, I didn’t know. How he had kept Lucifer out of the loop, I really didn’t know. The lord of Hell knew everything that went on in his domain. But apparently not, for we were still alive. We walked through the trees and the moss, the dirt playing over our feet. The river flowed to our right, and there were animals drinking from it. I didn’t recognize any of them. It had been a very long time since I had been anywhere but Hell, and there weren’t any animals in Hell. We reached the fortress in good time. I walked to the secret entrance, and hammered on the door. It opened, and Irene was standing there. .
“Welcome ba-” she started to say, then stopped when she saw me, bruised, bloodied, and lame, holding the Chosen One, and Christina at my side. .
“Whoa,” she said, “Is that...” .
“Yeah,” I replied, walking past her. Normally I wouldn’t have been so rude, or I would have offered an explanation, but today wasn’t really a good day for manners, and Irene would understand when I explained later. We walked into the city, where the crowds that had gathered eagerly in wait for us quickly made a path. We walked through. No stops to talk. No gifts. We proceeded to the steel wall. Christina placed a hand on the wall, and said, "A message for Supreme Commander Mason DeRais,” .
The wall buzzed for a moment, then the commanders voice came from it. .
“This is Mason,” he said. .
“Commander,” said Christina, “I need you to bypass the electrical currents, the disintegration ray, and the flamethrower. We have a guest,” .
“Of course. Wait one moment, please Christina,” .
“Got it,” she said. A moment later, a mechanized voice said, “Security system override in five, four, three, two, one,” .
“You are clear for thirty seconds, Lieutenant,” said the commander. .
“Thank you,” said Christina, and we quickly walked in through the hole that had been made in the steel wall, which closed behind us just as we got through. .
Past it were the warriors, who, at the sight of the Chosen one, backed away and cleared a path. I don’t think that they knew who he was, only that he was an angel. It was more our condition that made them step back, to give us space. We didn’t look so great. After a few more minutes, we were at the next door. Christina opened it, and slide aside. I walked in to the inner sanctum, the Chosen One in my arms. .
The room was empty when we walked in. I walked towards the cell area, to place the Chosen One in my cell. I was growing weaker all the time, losing my strength. It was as if it was leaking out my very pores. This was the magik taking its affect. We had almost made it to my sleeping area when Vic emerged from his. .
“Welcome back, Warren. I say, you’ve been gone for...” he trailed off as he saw Logan cradled in my arms. .
“By the Gods!” he swore loudly, and ran towards us. When he reached me, he dropped down to his knees so he was at my level. .
“Is this...is...Christina?” he said, lost for words, looking to Christina for an explanation. She nodded. .
“Sweet Mother of God,” he swore more loudly, then shouted, “Aốdfin! Joshua! Mason! Everybody get out here!” .
I heard scrambling and papers flying from one of the cells, and Joshua emerged, fully clad in his black robes, holding his scythe at the ready. .
“Whats going on?” he shouted, then stopped when he saw the Chosen One in my arms. Aodfin and Mason came running from the larger room as well, also with their weapons at the ready. Mason ran to me. .
“Congradulations, Liuetenant Warren,” he said, “Well done. You did very well,”
“You knew about this?” Christina demanded, turning flaming eyes on Mason. .
“Yes,” he replied, “I sent the Liuetenant to find him,” “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” yelled Christina in a fit. Aodfin inturrupted her. .
“That’s Logan, isn’t it,” he said. .
“Yes,” I said, “It’s him,” .
“Amazing...” Aodfin, “That anyone could return from the Abyss...it is inconcievable,” .
“He wasn’t in the abyss,” I said, “I found him in the first circle,” .
“How did he come back?” demanded Joshua, sweeping his hood from his head, “Is he okay?” .
“No, he isn’t,” said Mason, “He needs rest, and healing. What he doesn’t need is an enormous crowd all hanging over him. Warren, take him to Chalbys Anguїs. Tell him that my orders are to begin the restoration process, and allow no one to see him but you and I,”
“Why him!?” shouted Christina, but Mason ignored her again.
“His cave is that way,” said Mason, with a vague wave of his hand at the dead end of the cavern. The wall disappeared to reveal golden coins littering a large hallway going deeper into the cave.
“I get to go...in there?”
“Yes,” said Mason, “Don’t worry. He won’t harm you,”
“If you say so, commander,” I said, and proceeded to walk down the hall, the Chosen One in my arms. The cavern was very different from the rest of ours. There was gold and other valuables everywhere, and moss growing on the cave walls. I could feel the aura of pure evil surrounding the cave. Who the hell was this guy? It was like he was a dragon or something. But there weren’t any dragons in Hell. I kept walking. The cave seemed endless. There were no landmarks, no way to tell how far I had come, or if I was making any progress. Only the endless stream of golden coins. Finally, I reached the end. There was a great door, made of solid platinum in place at the end of the cave. I approached the grand door, and kicked it three times, since my hands were full. The door slowly creaked open, an eerie feeling going through my body.
“Enter,” croaked a deep, dark voice from inside the void. I slowly walked through. It was different on the inside; there was a circular room with artifacts and paintings and old spell books and enormous gems. There was an immense throne at the back of the circular room. It was flush against the well, though the wall was round and the throne circular. Sitting in the throne, staring directly at me, was the sage, Chalbys Anguїs. I had never seen him before, only heard descriptions. They did not do him justice. His eyes were tiny red pinpricks of light, deep inside his sunken eye sockets. His bald skull, for the flesh that had once covered his head had rotted away, was pure white. His fingernails were long and jagged. He wore clothes that were rotten and old, but obviously of royalty. His entire body was rotting, barely holding itself together. This being was not human. I knew that for a fact.
“What is your purpose here?”
“Commander Mason sends me to you with a message. He requests that you begin the restoration cycle on the Chosen One, and that you allow no one to see him but he and myself,”
“Very good,” he said, “You may let go of him now,”
I slowly lowered my arms. The Chosen One hung in the air, suspended by an invisible force. The sage opened both his hands, and the Chosen One came wafting towards him, accompanied by a spell book. “You may leave, now,” said the sage, turning to the Chosen One, and laying his hands on his side. The Chosen One began to glow. I wanted to stay, but then my strength left me, and I began to wobble on my feet. The sage looked up at me.
“Go back to your cell,” he rasped, “And drink this. You’ll heal faster,”
A potion came floating over to me, full of a black liquid. I snatched it out of the air.
“Thanks,” I said, and turned to leave.
“Come back here in twenty four hours,” the sage said.
“Okay,” I replied, and left through the door. I was seriously trembling now, and I started to run through the passage. I had to get back to my cell, to my coffin, before I passed out. I pulled the cork from the bottle with my teeth, and downed the potion. It didn’t really taste like anything. I kept running, a little of the black stuff dripping down my chin. I was having trouble seeing out of my good eye. Finally, I reached the end of the passage. I ran out, and turned into my cell, where I collapsed. I crawled slowly to my coffin, threw the lid open, and pulled myself in. I only had time to close the lid before I lost consciousness.
A guard outside the commander’s room heard noises coming from inside the wall at the end of the tunnel. He thought that it was noteworthy, so he went to inspect. What he saw nearly made his heart stop. Emerging from the stone wall were three beings. One, too rotten to discern who or what he was, in the back. Another, a young beautiful girl with barely any clothes on. And one more. A young man, with flames for hair and a very large sword was in the lead. The guard turned and ran back to the commander’s room.
“Commander! Intruders from the sorcerer’s quarters!” he shouted.
“Calm down, André,” said Mason, “All is well,”
“But-”
“I said everything is fine. Return to your post,”
“Yes, sir,” he responded.

Mason walked out of his quarters, to be greeted by the sage, and two unfamiliar people.
“Logan?” he whispered, looking at the normal man with a confused expression. Then, his head turned at a tap on his shoulder. No one was there.
“Ah, there you are,” Mason said, reassured.
"You were successful, then?” he said, looking at the sage.
“Yes,” he hissed, “He is fully healed. I however, require rest. Do not contact me for three full days,”
“As you wish,” bowed Mason, “But what of your companions? Who are they?”
“My name is Irîna,” said the woman.
“And I am Edward,” answered the man, “We are both here to help you as much as we can. I am one of the sage’s oldest friends, and this is his daughter,”
“Daughter?” asked Mason, then thought better of it.
“Thank you, Chalbys Anguїs,” he said, “Thank you very much,”
“All debts will be fulfilled in time,” responded the sage, and disappeared. Something tugged at Mason’s sleeve, and his attention went to it.
“Oh! Of course. Please, follow me,” he said, gesturing for the three to go into his quarters. He shut the door. Logan reappeared.
“Its good to see you again, brother,” Mason said, clasping arms with Logan.
“Likewise,” replied Logan. “So, do you want to fill me in? You seem to have quite a thing going here, from what that sage guy told me,”
“Yes, yes, we have prospered since you left us,” he said, “And now that you have returned, we will be even more powerful. After you were murdered by Lucifer, we retreated to a small colony of the Damned, who sheltered us. After that, we went and set up shop in Aốdfin’s place. This is where we are now. He created a fortress for us, on top of the river in his domain. Most of our lieutenants you are familiar with, but there are a few that you don’t know. I’ll call them in,”
“No,” said logan, holding out a hand to stop his brother.
“Why not?” asked Mason.
“I don’t want anyone to know that I’m alive,” said Logan.
“Why? Are you afraid of Lucifer?” laughed Mason.
“Of course not. He can't do a thing to me. But right now, he thinks I’m dead. If he were to discover otherwise, we could all be killed,”
“But come, you must let some of them know,” persuaded Mason, “Think of Christina...or the one that rescued you, Warren,”
“Oh, fine,” Logan replied, “Send them in,”
“Good,” said Mason, and whistled. Five people came into the room. First was Christina, who ran in ahead of everyone else, and wrapped her arms around Logan in a great bearhug, coming into a long open mouth kiss, and ended with her still holding onto him, with her head on his chest.
“I missed you, you asshole,” she whispered into his chest, her black tears leaking down her face, “Never do something like that again,”
“I’ll try not to, baby,” he said, kissing the top of her head. After Christina came Vic, bounding in and shaking everything in the room.
“Logan!” he shouted, “Terriffic to see you again, my friend. I’m ever so glad you got out!”
“Me too,” smiled Logan, shaking his massive hand.
Then came Joshua, who gave Logan a nod, and stood with his back flush to the wall and his arms crossed, his scythe in between them. Then was Aốdfin, who acted in kind. Last came Warren, supported by a large, black staff.
“Hey,” he said, “Glad to finally meet you under calm circumstances,”
Logan let go of Christina, and moved towards Warren.
“You did very well, out there,” he remarked, and they shook hands.
“Thank you, sir,” Warren replied, “I did my best,”
Logan noticed a slight stiffness in Warren’s posture, and was about to ask about it when he felt Christina kick the back of his foot. Later, he supposed. She would explain it.
“I owe you a debt that cannot easily be repaid, Liuetenant Warren,” said Logan, “If there is anything that I can ever do for you, just say the word,”
“I’ll remember that,” chuckled Warren.
“Now that we can dispense with the pleasentries,” said Mason, “Logan. I have lead our movement against Lucifer in your absence. Now that you’re here, if you so desire, I will step down and yield control to you,”
“I was hoping you would say that,” grinned Logan.
“Now, all of you,” he began, “Please. I want my existence here to be a complete secret. It’s okay if everyone else knows that someone else besides Mason is calling the shots, but both my name and the fact that I am in fact living again are not to leave this room. Understood?”
The lieutenants gave rigorous nods. Logan turned to his brother.
“Now, Lieutenant Mason,” he grinned, “I believe you’re in my chair,”
“Asshole,” remarked Mason, getting up and relinquishing the commander’s chair.
“Hey hey. I was just kidding. You can stay here. I’ll find quarters somewhere else. Trust me. I have ways,” Logan said.
“Of course,” said Mason, settling back down into his chair.
Logan looked to Christina.
“Is there anywhere that you know of that I could sleep?”
Christina shot a strangled look towards Warren, knowing how much it hurt him to see Logan and her like this.
“I think I know a place, Commander,” she said, and took his hand, leading him out of the room. Warren was boiling in rage.