I.N.F.E.R.N.O.: HELL STARTS ON EARTH

– Go upstairs.

At the door, leaning against the wall, there was a huge katana; Iona, stepping on the stairs turned back. Wanderer’s figure was the picture of strength and determination; his fingers touched the handle. Sliding down the cold steel his hand firmly grabbed the sheath. He walked out, leaving the cloak, leaving the girl, leaving the light, and stepped forward into the darkness. Having moved away from the house, Wanderer faced the frightening gray horizon.

There was silence, the shining of the stars, the sons’ of Light eyes, and frozen tears of heaven. The whispering as echo of pain, as a silent, roaring torturer has plunged into consciousness, entering the brain, covering it with countless, endless voices. And as suddenly as the whisper collapsed into his brain frightening silence descended.

The silence was interrupted by the click – extracting of katana – eyelids opened. Ghoul, standing close to Scott raised his sword from behind his head. Coordinated, immediate movement splitting space with the blade was the response of the Wanderer. His strong hand cut the body in two. True fulfillment of iaijutsu had taken the life of writhing ghoul dipped in the blood on the snow.

Strikes were like lightning, reaching ghouls, it was death on the edge of the blade. Crimson sun of Darkness shone in the Night. Dozens of ghouls were against the only force – Scott Renter. He was the embodied nightmare of evil – the Fighter.

And the main enemy. Old memories, like the tombstone covered the withered vegetation and marked with decay, surfaced by fits and starts. It rained. There was a rich building; and a rushing geek with a grin of a beast. Then Scott was defeated, his escaped was inexplicable. Reflections of the past, which had been buried in the recesses of memory, rose again in the duel… Hard breathing. The uplifted sword. A thrust, another thrust, a stopping counter and sparks from hot steel. The blades are crossed, it was confrontation. Look – the Wanderer and Hondas. They are united; they have eliminated the distinction between them, and the lifetime path is extended and over. They came together in the battle, devoured by the fight.

– Beast’s Eye, Wanderer, Indestructible, no matter which of your names would recur because of soul-chilling terror, you are Scott Renter; and nothing, nothing will change it. Stop escaping from reality, search your heart and accept the your entity – said Aundas, crossing swords with Scott Renter. – Behold, brother!

There was a howl of rage from the mouth of the Wanderer. He lunged, and Aundas, pushed aside, doing flips, soared up the branch of the tree. Around there were blood thirsty creatures immortalized with the damnation and stung with death. Rivers of blood wash the feet of the Wanderer.

– Behold, brother, this is your reflection! You are me, you're part of me, we are all one flesh! You're a traitor who has chosen miserable existence. Let the force, nesting in you free; I feel your fear, your weakness. You're the Beast!

– No-o-o! – Wanderer rushes to the tree, breaking those who stand his way. A ghoul rises close to him, thrusting the sword in the shoulder. Scott

Renter snatches massive colt and lead smashes the enemy's skull. Running up a stout trunk he unleashes series of blows and shouts:

– Swords will not save you from my hand… The shadow does not hold out against the light… A star will never outshine the moon. You will not hold out against me!

– So you liken yourself with the light, don’t you, brother? Wake up! There is not light in emptiness; life doesn't fit in with the decayed body, but death shall rise up in him as the prophecies of the end in reborn Alius, shaking cherished abutment, showing the reign of power, exiled from the depths to the glory of this world, which accepted the law of the Darkness.

– Could the saying of yours come true? My answer is: never!

– The world will be filled with blood, and the blood will be yours. You'll fall down!

– Aundas, I didn’t kill you then, now the clock has struck for you!

– You are fool! Indeed, Wanderer is your name. You can only succeed going into the void, realize the futility of the way you’ve chosen.

I’m laughing at you; you are a fiend and a monster of Darkness, high- handedly you forged into the different way, haven’t you? I’m laughing and making fun of you. Are you the Light? So learn the power of Darkness! Tremble! Behold, and perish: for I will taste your flesh, and I will be afforded the honour of this mission!

Vampires flew as a black cloud, turning into ugly winged creatures. And rumbling, turning into squeak, filled the soul with horror. Human faces were transforming into elongated fanged muzzles, black hair was appearing on the bodies. Ghouls, screaming, lashing out, had sunk his claws into the flesh. Wanderer’s eyes were gleaming when he fought tirelessly, striking at the heart, ripping the wings, cutting off the limbs.

The flute melody reigned, echoing in the clang of steel and the dying groan as the Muse of death. And the climax of horror for Scott Renter whose body was covered with gaping bloody wounds from the claws and blades of swords was echoed in his heart cry of Aundas who stood on the roof of the house, holding Iona in his hands. Surpassing the speed of light, refracting the time, Wanderer raced to the house. Futile was the effort, the ghoul had plunged his teeth into the flesh of the child, drank quickly and threw the young body away onto the white of snow, colouring it with drops of red blood…

The heart beats burned Wanderer’s chest, the world froze. He hid the sword in its scabbard and dropped on one knee, touched golden curls and looked at the blood-stained pale face. His ear was struck by the dying gasp of child’s agony.

– Scott Renter is crying, – scoffing at grief, inquired Aundas. Bowed Wanderer gradually overcame the bitterness, gazing at the sky. And while getting up, he let his righteous anger off the depths of his soul.

– You’ve brought a beautiful rose in the darkness. You've taken the life of a child… I will release the beast, nesting in the snare of my heart seared by the Darkness, and you Aundas, you will learn my wrath. Your power will turn against you and the abyss will consume you; your master is waiting for you! – And there was a shriek, and disgusting huge black wings leapt from Scott Renter’s back with sharp pain.

– So the time of the fight has come; I'm glad. Did you mean to intimidate me? Behold, brother, the true nightmare, – Aundas raised his hands to the gloomy sky, turning into a terrifying giant; bluish-black skin covered the body of a six-meter beast topped with horns. Saliva was flowing out from the stinking mouth, bright yellow pupils victoriously looked in the flushed eyes of the Wanderer; the snatch and there was an outstretched arm with a silver colt in the hand. Shot, step right, shot, step left, movement forward, snatched katana, the flap – deviation and blow. Aundas soars reached by Scott Renter. The clouds swept over the sky; the sky flashed, thunder shook the world, and lightning illuminated the confrontation of celestial creatures and sizzling the soul flame of rage.

The sword and sharp-clawed paw crossed; force, pressure, disarmed. Katana released from the hand flashes and pierces the ground and the powerful hand grabs the neck. He is moved to the rock and the claws plunge deeper into the blooding flesh – the eyes grow dim, veiled with darkness and the wide open jaws are mocking in a hollow voice. The kick, and Wanderer, having released, engages in a fight and tears up immense wings of the enemy; Aundas with one wing falls on the old Church.

Scott Renter in tattered garb lowers at the gates. A movement of his hands – and he embarks on shabby track; the vapor comes from his muscular body, black wings behind characterize the unforgiving figure. The eyes of bloody color take a casual look at marble floor, rows of benches,

massive columns and freeze at seeing Great, Tired and Incomprehensible crowned with thorns, with his head declined on his breast. His gaze falls down: subverted Aundas shaking off the debris and dust rises entirely naked, in a human body. The hand of approaching Wanderer turns into a clawed paw, scratching the rows of the benches and marble floors with long fingers. In anger Aundas, roaring aggressively is confronted with the horrific hand, tearing the belly lightning fast, lifting up his body, making the way deeper, and reaching the heart.

– You caused too much pain, Aundas. Sweet is the moment of punishment for me. I… Feel… your heartbeat. You will die slowly, and infinity will take you, resuming the torments prepared for you. Aundas, I will go after you. The torments will befall me, but you, you, Aundas, Aundas Bertshvain, will learn the value of requital. And my torments, my damnation will vent on you. And the hell torments will seem trifling, as you learn the power of explosive, uncontrollable rage.

You were eager to see the reflection of the Darkness, the evil filling my body on my face. So remember: covenants of mind come true – Scott Renter’s eyes burned trying Aundas – and their reality is horrible. Suddenly as if addressing to himself Scott Renter said the following: – Have you contemplated Lord? Being the fruit of the dullness, clouded eye will represent Him as an anamorphosis. Imagine, all of us, no matter according to our will or not, created by Him, and the disease is inside us. The disease inside me, like a parasite, stuck into the soul, drains, oppresses and deprives of the will, and I can’t resist it. – Tears poured from Wanderer’s eyes. I was born like this, and it is not my will. It’s the fate, you may say, but the fate is in opposition with the existence; aren’t I free and wasn’t it my decision to escape the fate? I’m perishing, I’m dead and lifeless! Lord, where is He? Is he looking at me? No! The essence of me is darkness, and if only this bright look turns on me, I will fade away, unable to endure it, I’ll die, and the Abyss will swallow me. I’m afraid and trembling at this great sight of Him, and I myself don’t raise my eyes. Lord is so great, and I'm so miserable and dark, that I’m constantly in fear, but I don’t want to accept my inner Darkness and I will never do it, the soul is sick of it. I know, my soul has shriveled up, and I’m not sure whether it was in the heart that is not beating and was the repository of stinging

Darkness, – Wanderer looked into the eyes of Aundas, whose heart was squeezed in his hand. – Your heart beating is sweet to hear; I have power to do what I want, for we all are the center of great Darkness.

Terrifying were the laughter and the roar of Scott Renter when rushing in the jump up, he threw the body of Aundas down on the floor – broken glass rained down from the windows of the temple. Aundas was raised, and his body, breaking through the wall, tumbling, brought down slabs and stone crosses in a graveyard. Moving away from the ruins of a fallen temple, Scott Renter was walking to the crypt slowly to finish the execution; and vampires, soaring over his head were afraid to attack and were watching the battle in silence, as the result of the battle is lethal.

Mysterious light of the moon was shining as a halo, pandering to the absolute Darkness; and the Spirit of vengeance descended into Wanderer’s heart, filling his look with unbridled anger and fire. It was fire that shed in the carmine eyes of the legendary Beast, the most powerful in the World but becoming small and feeble in attempt to resist Logo.

Wanderer, taking the primordial nature, turned into a dark winged creature. His brutal body was covered with short fur; blackened skin was bursting with incredible muscles. Clawed paws, long tail and kind of the face, which has lost any resemblance to a human’s one was nasty with pointy huge ears and open wide fanged mouth. Imperious eyes mercilessly gazed down at the worn-out Aundas outstretched at the crypt from the height of four-meter body.

The pain and Darkness devoured the consciousness of Scott Renter into a crushing labyrinth. The Path was Eternal and Beginningless, cruel, senseless and hopeless, Darkness and Pain were the space. They were united with locked and breathless; lonely and helpless, homeless and eternal Wanderer. He cognized Death and Life in death; he was turned from Life into Death; he was damned and insane. And the Darkness, embracing, made him slave and created different creature. And the universe was whispering:

– Your name is Ar-hon! Tireless Slave!

– Begone, Darkness! Behold the collapse of the foundation laid in me. I’ll build something different, and the eye of the depths of my soul will penetrate into your world. I’ll annihilate it and Earth Kingdom will fall! Life

is put in the people by God; you put the distortion, you are reflection of destructive spirit; you're worthless! You're weak! Your essence is Lie, the Power is illusory and the power of yours is deception and shaky. Leave! Leave me alone! You torment me! I’m perishing, and the Life is flowing down as a drop of life-giving water, as hot steel in the soul, in the heart, which you want to subdue like the body! Damn you! And I’m damned! And the Power is flowing away from the wounds of the soul left by the Spirit. It’s not able to accept the Gift of this unseen and taken away from me from the birth, from conception of originally damned soul! I hate you! I’ll destroy you! Begone… Begone! – Wanderer appeared as a child hugged by Darkness, he was twisting, suffering imprisoned in the Void, alone and naked, on bended knees in a vacuum of mob, shedding tears.

Reality dispelled the Illusion, stopping the vision and Wanderer, recovering, gradually approached Aundas. He looked into the eyes of blood brother and stooping down, dug his clawed hand into Aundas’s head and lifted him up. Turbulent flow of life, as pouncing threatening wave, instantly swept and weeded out the hidden anger and bitterness that plagued the innermost part of the soul – the memories.

– Brother, I'm sorry… – said the wanderer, and his hand crushed Aundas’s skull.

Blood dripped from his claws, soaking into the snow. Scott Renter turned and walked away and, gradually taking human form, approached Iona. The bloodied child was lying in a snow-white tomb; the warmth was leaving cold body; and different life, spreading through her veins, was transforming the dying girl. Gasping, anguished breath was bursting from the lips.

Wanderer snatched the blade glittering in moonlight from the earth; and with a cry of anguish, sobbing pierced the child's heart, and froze bowed, on bended knees near the girl. With hers last ounce Iona glanced at the drooped, smiled shyly, and froze forever. Iona’s face stamped in memory of Scott Renter indelibly, and tears shed at the moment shriveled the soul, and henceforth nothing could cause the tears of Wanderer.

A silky tender voice broke into the silence of speechless suffering. Moonlight lit a virgin in a white cloak; her soft hands pulled back the hood, revealing a high forehead, blue eyes an the face, framed by golden curls. Red lips, half-opened sensually, said mellifluously:

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– You have not changed, Anthony…

– The only person who knows the true name of Wanderer…

– Rise, Anthony; this way is given to the dead. You, who tasted life from

the birth, got the force of the mortals. If you recant the original essence, you will be taken away the life, you will become feeble, you will become just like human beings.

Wanderer gave a sigh, grabbed the sword and approached the virgin. His gaze was stern and voice was cold.

– You rose up from the depths of the past… Annette… Are you foreshadowing the Pain and the battle of the feelings implemented in the ashes? The hammer of Fate has shattered Love and will the immortalized know the terrestrial? Will the world of Love accommodate the one who is neither alive nor dead, – lifeless, breathless… And yet, as the dust of sand hides an undercover life…

The virgin stepped forward, threw off her cloak, revealing naked body. Gold pendant hung down to her chest, rounded belly stuck out clearly,

– The son of yours will be born…

Light hand touched the face of Wanderer hesitantly; fingers caressed his forehead went down to the cheeks. His mighty right hand covered her hand; Scott Renter closed his eyes and in a moment opened them again gazing at dearest features. His hand slid to Annette’s chin, thumb gently outlined sensual lips.

The sword ascended, the edge penetrated to the womb, the blood gushed from the mouth, and Annette fell as a leaf plucked by the blowing of the wind.

– I've changed…

Having returned for the cloak, Scott Renter was going away, and bowed lilac-white snowdrop followed with its eyes the stately figure.

Star placer illuminated a person in a black robe, standing at the edge of the bleak mountains of Tandrod; majestic face with thick beard, balls of beads counted by lowered hand, the black robes – Klim the recluse watched Wanderer and with a sigh said quietly:

– Sui cuique mores fingunt fortunam hominibus…1 1 The fate of each person is built by his character…

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Chapter 2

shone from the darkness

Rus. Year 354 from Great Separation. Second Epoch.

The modern era came in the archaic style of the past; the rudiment of neo-history was based on the collapse of the old world; on the cataclysms of the earth and the contentions of the opposing powers, creating one world, based on nature and socio-political thoughts of people who believed that the basis for the creation of the new world had to be enclosed accumulated experience of the past adapted to absolutely different conditions of modern existence. The history took its rise from the Great Separation of the former foundations into the comprehensive unification of powers, nations, and continents. People had no differences either in the language or in the «roots» of their ancestors. United Nation had appeared, and the new world was called the Birthplace of the Surviving Creatures, receiving the title from the antiquity of the earth, which had centralized continents and powers by the cataclysm in the State of Rus.

Nine people were elected, to lead the Grand Council; and one hundred and eighty-eight years – in the year 257 from Great Separation the Tenth was elected, sublimed by the world, which took him as the ruler of the World. And there was a response in opposition systematization of society, realizing the upcoming step of the totalitarian world. Dissidents were sought and condemned to the death penalty; the world was flourishing in well- being and stability; the illusory nature of universal happiness was denied by widespread failure and unfortunate low level of life, when faced with the locality of justice and order established in the consciousness of humanity.

Darkness had covered the sun and the Realm of Dreams had clouded the minds of the people; in the consciousness of one person a nightmare has been creating.

White endless corridor has appeared. An outline of a female silhouette with a tray held with both hands. The loud echo of the steps, spreading,

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reached hearing of the man held down in a straitjacket. Closer… Closer… a Collision is inevitable. Eyes, overwhelmed by fear, toss about unable to stop; the space is absorbed by a ghostly monotone which oppresses the mind in the vacuum of madness. The footsteps are growing louder and closer. Insanity comprehends the nature, destroying the personality. Shivering look is ransacking confusedly, keeping hope to win out, but the path of apostasy is cut off, only a clash… it is impossible to tolerate… The rumble of the steps sneaked into the brain. The thought is doomed to subjugation. Something else is hidden in what is happening… The Illusion is indistinguishable from Reality, since they terminated the existence of the natural order of things. A man. He is tossing, pulsing blood echoes in his temples, trembling grips the gut; the cry is struggling to get out, but fear destroys human nature, turning it into an ignorant beast. Personality is transforming from «person» to «thing», becoming a substance separate from the unauthorized understanding. It is transforming into a particle, driven by a force emanating from a closed realities of the macrocosm – a composite distinctive function of vital principle of the aggregate merger of material and immaterial in inseparable symbiosis, creating the essence, which is determined primarily as a human being.

And something acting from outside is horrible and disgusting, and the essence of Evil is the ill furious mind in the colossal power of the all- powerful mind.

The noise has stoped.

The man is staring at the void brokenly. Time has completely frozen. It’s quiet… quiet to madness. All attention is focused on the door. Something has to occur outside the internal fears; one cannot exist as an eternal fugitive. Fear is waiting for the final failure of consciousness in order to slay, throwing down on a deathbed. The heart beat, rat-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat, echoes in the brain. The damned heart won’t subside; lungs draw in the air brokenly. Shortness of breath. The door. Rat-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat. It’s emptiness. Breathing is erratic as if he has overcome incredible distance; convulsive fear bound the nature unbearably. Embodied fear is coming. It’s impossible to resist; fear is daring, especially having put on the guise of a Stalker, going against the inner self. The door is opening. His heart will burst before he sees what the torturer is, appropriating his consciousness. The

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door opens and… a girl in a lab coat appears. She has walked in, tapping her black heels, walked to the wall, pulled out some transparent plane and put her tray on it.

…He's in a straitjacket, in the exhaustion leaning his back to the firmament of the wall, slid down on the floor. His feverish gaze fixedly followed the preparation of a metal-glass syringe; they approached him, squatted, took his hand and plunged the needle into the freed from sleeves vein.

«They» seemed to be doing everything with him, meekly obeying, but not this woman outwardly beautiful, but frozen inside so much that this ice of insensibility was getting out.

Speechless, tired, but still substantial, he noticed, like old friends – the walls surrounded him in complete solitude with hostility again. Void incinerated faith. The time is flickering unceasingly, it’s slipping away without him; it is unbearable to live in the vortex of this current which never leaves. Pain in his hand persists, although he concentrated on keeping it bent at the elbow, avoiding bleeding. Perhaps a sharp pain of the needle removed from the vein, stamped in the memory is tormenting now. The other Consciousness is ruling the lifeless body; the ear begins to detect disturbing movement of the spatial Force. He perked up from an indistinct echo; a drop of fresh blood was glowing next to him. Is it his blood? There was a new sound and the next footprint.

Having stood up awkwardly, he watches emerged muddy monochrome. And he can see the Palace of comprehensive void.

From a small crack invisible in the drab color of the door crimson blood has flowed as a frightening contrast on the white. And the walls were glowing with sprawling bloody stains; the ceiling was bleeding with hot drops.

Madness is overtaking; it’s impossible to resist it.

«I'm a man, yet a man… alive… yet alive» – the thought flashes in the brain. Straitjacket compresses the body, blocking the air; there was falling… The blood pursues the crawling away body. The blood overtakes, comprising into a ring-shaped frame… It’s a dead end. There is not enough air in the chest, breathing is abrupt and hurried, eyes reflect the despair and confusion of spirit. It’s unimaginable, stuffy… There is the door. A look in the madness of fear is staring at the door… Something horrendous will reach him. What is he? Indeed the identity is enslaved by some unknown

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strongest force, distinguishable from him. Who is he? Mind accepts integrity of itself in case of the terror, renouncing the understanding, representing the ratio of the object, inanimation grafted to it from outside.

Viscous slush is dripping from the ceiling to the middle of the room, turning into a silhouette, seen with silent fear; the product of blood is getting out, stepping its bare heels toward the unfortunate man cuddling up to the corner of the wall.