It was raining. But it wasn't the red rain that drained senses and spewed out monsters. No, it was a gentle drizzle. The Gatekeeper was sitting on a rock, looking out as the desert came to life, wettened by rain. Rain was needed here. It helped life grow, it changed the area, so that the view was always fresh. It also helped wash out the remains of demon filth here and there. Of course, he had to deal with most of it using magic anyway, but still, it was a nice thought.
Ernoth sighed. He took out an hourglass, and set it on a rock, watching as the sand inside started counting time one grain at a time. He took out the crystal orb from his robes, and held it in his hand, gazing inside. His hand did not have flesh, only bones. After the Raven visit he realized that flesh was unnecessary for his duty. It only brought... distractions. Like breathing, for example.
The orb shined weakly, and it brought about an image of the lower floors. The Gatekeeper gave himself small rewards from time to time, as he frequently had long periods of time to spare when there were no demons trying to exit Hell through his gate. Gazing at what his creations were doing was one such pleasure. He looked at Thaed, who was reading one of the earthly books he was immersed in lately. Of course, the latter was powerful enough to notice his gaze, and so the old man waved his hand in greeting, and then returned to his book. It was a shame only a few gatekeepers were capable of noticing his intrusion.
At the third floor, sounds of hammer striking metal resounded in an immense cave. Magma was lining the walls and ceiling of the cavern. In the middle, there was a small, yet burly man, busy hammering at something at his forge. Around him lay scraps of various precious metals, broken parts of some complicated contraptions, and various tools. One could see an uncountable amount of artifacts laying about in the cavern. Armour, weapons, rings and necklaces, all brimming with magical energies. Ernoth could see two small robots scurrying about, attempting to sort things, but they inevitably ended up ruining each other's work, as one wanted to sort them by type, and the other wanted to sort them by density of magical energy.
The hammering paused for a moment, then resumed. An almost unnoticable pause, yet one that indicated Ernoth was noticed. The man yelled something in a hoarse voice about intruders meddling with his work, and suddenly, a curtain of fire blocked Ernoth's view. Of course, he could see through it if he wanted to, but he knew Matve would certainly show him the item once he was done crafting it. Therefore, he restrained his curiosity.
Leaving the smith to his own devices, he gazed one floor lower, towards a dark hell, filled with water.
***
As the storm raged on the dark sea, lightning shot through the sky, casting an eerie glow over the waves. The wind howled like a banshee, battering the massive ship as it battled to stay afloat.
The ship was a sight to behold, with tall masts towering above the deck. Intricate carvings, as well as shields were adorning its sides. Despite the size of the waves and terrifying strength of the sea, the storm was no match for the dark ship. Waves as high as mountains rushed towards the ship, only to be cut in half by the ship's bow.
Ghastly sailors clung to ropes and rigging, desperately trying to keep the ship on course. They shouted orders to each other, their voices barely audible above the deafening roar of the storm. Lightning strikes illuminated the ship's deck, revealing the crew frantically securing loose items before they could be swept away.
As the ship cut through the increasing waves, a strange and otherworldly creature rose up from the depths of the sea. It towered over the ship, its massive tentacles reaching towards the sailors. The creature let out a deafening roar, causing their bodies to tremble in fear.
Suddenly, the door to the captain's quarters opened with a loud bang, and a pale woman clad in dark leather emerged. Eight pistols were on her, four at her torso, two at her waist, and two at her legs. She screamed to the sailors, and their trembling instantly stopped, replaced with determination and will to fight. They brandished their swords and readied their guns, determined to defend their vessel against the monstrous sea beast. With a fierce battle cry, they charged towards the creature, the ghastly sound of gunshots echoing across the stormy sea.
As battle raged on, the ship's captain herself jumped into the fray against the monstrous sea creature. And as she fired from her last pistol, she pulled out a sword, seemingly out of thin air. The sword was black, with a pale blue gem in the hilt.
Seeing as Åen had things under control, Ernoth went on, trying not to distract her. There, on the fifth floor, lived the last Gatekeeper that could detect his presence.
***
The doors of the inn opened wide, letting in the everlasting blizzard. Among shouts to close the "goddamn door", the old drunk quickly closed the source of infinite cold, and looked around. The inn was huge, offering food and drinks from a few counters, located at different points of the establishment. In the middle, one could see tables dedicated to all kinds of gambling games, be it cards, dice, or even a few self-made games, with rules changing depending on who was currently at the table.
The second floor was filled with wide balconies, with a view down below, at the games. A dancer was on standby to provide any services, as long as money was involved. Alcohol was constantly provided, but not the beer or vodka they served below. The upper floor was reserved for those who were a cut above the rabble. Their games took not minutes, but weeks, and the stakes were about more than just simple money. It was about meeting the owner of this establishment. You see, there was one more floor, although one could hardly even call it that.
There was a single balcony, a table with exquisite appetizers, as well as any alcohol one could possibly imagine. There were two pillars, cast in gold, with obsidian peering through the cracks. There was an old drunk, putting his card on the table, laughing. It was the deciding moment of the game, and the hand he was dealt was almost unbeatable. The game they were playing was complicated. So complicated, that their match was already going on for years.
- I win, gambler! Now. Fulfill your end of the bargain! Let me through!
And there was his opponent. Clad in a dark grey suit, with a red-gold shirt underneath. He turned his cigarette to the other side of his mouth. A faint smile was visible below his small mustache.
- Aren't you forgetting something? - He pulled out a golden, card shaped token from his sleeve. The drunk's face switched from one of excitement to one of horror - Three years ago, you gave me this token. Now, I call it in, and reverse the hand.
Seeing the drunk's eyes widen as he realized his defeat, the host couldn't help but chuckle.
- Now, demon. Seeing as you have no more gold or lives to gamble... - His words were ended with a gunshot. The body of the drunk hit the ground, and slowly morphed back into a hideous, black mind demon. The magic of the establishment did not work on the dead. Soon, the next person used their amassed gold to buy into the highest floor of the casino, and the game started anew, as the dead demon was thrown out into everlasting cold.
Ernoth chuckled. This was a lazy, albeit unique way of fighting the demons. He could not help but be amazed sometimes at how good it worked, and that the demons did not simply rebel. Well, at long as Temakina kept winning, he couldn't complain.
Ernoth immersed himself into looking through the lower floors.
***
Noid, the Gatekeeper of the 59th floor, came out of his hut at the edge of the forest, sighing loudly. He looked at the sky, and seeing that the red clouds were still far away, he went into the woods, to a nearby clearing. In the middle of the field of flowers, a huge tree could be seen, the inside of which was full of bees. Little creatures were flying about, collecting pollen and generally enjoying the rays of the artificial sun he created.
Fixing the wolfskin cape on his back, Noid walked forward, trying not to bother the creatures as they went about their day. He smiled, as one of the bees landed on his nose, as if trying to say hi. He gently blowed on it, and the small insect went away. 'Fly, little bee.' He thought, watching it sit on a nearby flower.
The gatekeeper finally reached the tree, carefully put his hand inside the hollow, and slowly but surely, his hands grasped the glass object inside. He took out the jar, and smiled again, seeing that it was full of honey. Clasping a lid on the full jar, he took an empty one from his belt and put it into the nest. Then he hid the full one back inside his belt, and made his way back to the forest, as to not disturb the bees any longer.
He turned around at the edge of the clearing, to gaze at the bees once again. Sure, he could just manifest honey out of thin air. But in his opinion, the best food was the one he made himself. Or at least the one he collected himself. And besides, there was something calming in watching the little ones fly to and fro, collecting pollen and day by day expanding their beehive. The gatekeeper felt an emotion one could not easily feel in a place such as this. Noid was happy.
And the bees were happy, too.
***
Ernoth smiled, not caring that his skull shouldn't allow him to do so. He liked Noid. For someone as weak as him, he made a life for himself here. However, as the time he had left to indulge himself was short, he had to look away. But as he was shifting his attention to the next floor, a small dot caught his eyes. He moved the view closer, until he could see what the dot was. 'A human?' He asked himself, looking at the black haired young man, making his way up towards the edge of the cliff. If everything went well, the human would soon see Noid's hut and his forest.
- Hmm... What was this one's name? - He asked loudly, and the orb displayed the name of the human above the human's head. Ernoth read the name, and remembered. 'Ah yes. Well, if he can get to Noid before the wave hits, he might survive. Good luck, little one.' And with this, he went on to have a quick look at the lower Gatekeepers, even at those inside human lands, those he told to hide, so humans wouldn't try to kill them and get control over more pillars. And finally, his gaze stopped at the two obsidian pillars situated at the centre of the scarred plateau. Instead of a gatekeeper however, he witnessed a crying man, hugging an obsidian statue of the girl who sacrificed herself to defeat the sentient wave. 'Tears?' He asked himself. Even though he was discovering more and more emotions lately, this concept still baffled him. Truly, humans expressed their emotions in weird... no. In different ways.
Ernoth hid the crystal orb inside his robes, and stood up. He thought about Grim. He wondered once again if he should have acted faster, and defend his own creation, and he couldn't find a satisfying answer. Any attempt to save him would be pointless, but also a waste of energy. Why? He was Ernoth's creation. Part of Ernoth's soul made manifest. Even if he died, his soul would just merge back with Ernoth's. That's how he knew Grim was alive. 'Then why am i feeling so... heavy?' Ernoth couldn't understand, nor would he try to.
He looked up, watching a huge leviathan making its way towards him, swimming in the air. Another demon intent on passing through the gate, powerful enough to dominate others of its kind. Another demon who thought it was strong enough. And as the last grains of sand hit the bottom of the hourglass, Ernoth had no choice but to turn back into what he was meant to be. As the leviathan grew bigger and bigger on the horizon, The Gatekeeper quickly erased the hourglass from existence, and stood between the pillars and the demon, ready to fulfill his self-imposed duties.
