Page 123 of Hell-Bound

Ren, exasperated at being left behind, bent down, hiding behind the protruding barrier.

Azur’s talons burst from his fingers, and his eyes beamed red light, grabbing the dragon’s full attention.

The enormous creature screeched as it swung its barbed tail in Azur’s direction. He pivoted in the air just in time for the dragon to miss—tail colliding with another wall. The collision shook the grotto, and more rocks fell from above, landing inthe magma pools and spraying sparks of red fire.

Ren’s mind swirled, trying to think of how she could help. She wasn’t sure how much power Azur would have over the beast in his weakened state. She watched as he glided down, slashing his large talons across the dragon’s face. The creature slung its head to the side in pain and collided with Azur’s body, sending him flying. Azur spun twice before redirecting himself and darting back for another attack.

Ren fumbled for her piccolo and raised it to her lips. She squinted her eyes, willing the music to come. But as much as she concentrated, her piccolo remained obstinately silent.

She tapped the piccolo on her hand.

“Come on, girl! What’s wrong?”

She heard another screech from the beast as it gnashed its teeth at Azur, who was still darting around its head. Realizing with a start what he was doing, Ren unsheathed her dagger. She hesitated. If she did this, successfully or not, she would be losing her only defense.

Ren observed closely as the dragon whipped its head back and forth—green acid seeping from its open mouth, sizzling and melting any object it came in contact with.

Azur avoided the barrage deftly, flying high above its head, preparing another charge.

It was her moment. Ren steadied herself before rearing her arm back and hurling the dagger at the dragon.

Her aim was true.

The dagger flew through the air before lodging itself with a spurt in the dragon’s large yellow eye. The creature wailed with pain and spewed acid in every direction, and Ren was exposed, no longer shielded from the barrage.

Acid rained down, burning through her clothes and searing into her skin.

The pain was immediate and excruciating. The skin on her torso and legs bubbled and dissolved as the green liquid melted through layers. Ren shoved her fist in her mouth, biting down a scream.

The monstrous dragon continued to roar—spitting, lashing, and thrashing.

Azur circled again, hands dripping with gore, having successfully blinded the beast’s other eye and now able to fly unhindered. He made two rapid passes around the grotto, picking up speed. He was moving so fast that his fiery face blurred. He then bulleted himself towards the beast’s chest, slamming his entire body in and through the monster, emerging from near its spine.

The dragon, heart pierced, and bones shattered, began to sway on its clawed feet, futility swiping once more before it crashed its long neck into the wall—the sickening sound of bone splitting apart echoed as the infernal beast’s neck snapped in two.

Ren barely noticed. She was yelling and squirming on the ground, her whole body in tremors from the pain as the acid continued to eat away at her skin. She had no way to stop its spread. Her hands began to split apart as she tried desperately to wipe off the fluid. Blood was starting to pool and mix with green ichor as her skin continued to bubble and dissolve. She wasn’t sure at what point Azur landed in front of her.

“No, no, no. Stay with me, Elfy,” he said, grabbing her and pulling her onto his lap.

She hardly felt him lift her head and try to move her arms, but all she could hear and discern was pain. She wasn’t sure if she was still screaming or if the cavern continued to echo forever. Her body started to convulse, and she tasted blood.

“Play Ren,” his voice sounded desperate. “Please play.”

She felt a familiar shape glide across her ruined hands, scraping against the new wounds.

My piccolo.

It was impossible. She couldn’t play—couldn’t move. She could only lay there and exist in agony.

“Ren, my darling, please listen,” his voice was gentleand desperate. “You have to let me have control. Just for a moment.” She heard another scream echo off the walls. “I can save you if you let me in.”

What was he saying? She couldn’t comprehend the words, nothing made sense, and thinking was unbearable. All she wanted was for the pain to end.

He could end it. Yes, I think he could end me. End all of this. Yes, end the suffering, Azur.

Through the waves of anguish, she felt her heart stop, and the pain disappear. She came to consciousness inside her body, existing in the space that was her and also not her.

She watched as her body—bloody and destroyed, lifted her piccolo to her lips, smudges of blood painting the instrument. She felt the flutter of the openings begging for her to play, longing for the next notes. The piccolo took over, forming a quick cascade of lilting harmonies twinning with a tune Ren could swear she’d heard before. Ren saw her fingers caressing the wood and watched as the skin, burned almost to the bone, began to stitch itself together. Ren finally noticed Azur’s face, creased with distress and desperation.

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