Unlikely allies

The chamber fell silent, save for the heartbeat of the sinister heart that pulsed with an eerie rhythm. Mephisto and Auriel faced each other, a stillness descending upon them like a heavy shroud. The air was thick with tension, every breath charged with the possibility of violence. Auriel’s mind raced with possible outcomes should she fight him.

But what if… it was possible. Gazing at her weapon, her grip tightened.

Feeling her intent, Mephisto’s eyes, like the ancient burning coals, narrowed. His tail swinging side to side, aura around him becoming darker.

“Think carefully.” His voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

Auriel felt a tremendous chill. Like it was cutting through very soul. She looked at Mephisto, his energy a black abyss. A warning. She knew he had already calculated his first, second, tenth move. How he predicted her reactions.

Always few steps ahead of her.

Without her brethren, she had no chance.

No… this won’t work. It’s too risky.

Auriel's grip on her weapons slacked, she let Al’maiesh fall on the ground and straightened herself up.

Mephisto’s stance followed. The dark aura around him dissipated, and his form relaxed. As much that could be seen on his skeletal form.

Auriel sighed. “So, now what?”

"Now," Mephisto replied, "we move forward." With a languid wave of his hand, the demon lord gestured towards the maze of living roots and branches that surrounded them.

"We are both trapped in this accursed place, and to escape it, we likely will need to cooperate. I am not sure what this place is or it’s purpose, but I do not intend to stay here longer than necessary.”

Auriel thought for a moment. He wants to … cooperate? She remembered those shades of “fallen angels”.

She clenched her fists. “Was that you that led me here? Causing those blasphemous illusions in the walls? So that we can cooperate?!”

"Do not accuse me of trickery, angel!" Mephisto spat, his voice like the hiss of a snake. "I did not lead you here for I am as much a prisoner here as you. And as for the illusions and traps, they were not of my doing. Whatever happens here, it is because of this place.” The demon lord's gaze shifted, his eyes scanning the shadows that clung to the roots and branches as if trying to find the root of his theory.

Auriel sighed. She relaxed her stance for a bit. “What does this … thing do? This heart. “

"This heart is likely an aberration, a corruption," Mephisto answered. "It behaves like a tumor in the flesh of the tree, but it has not yet metastasized, has not yet spread its rot and decay to the rest of the tree."  He turned to face the pulsating abomination.

As Auriel approached the pulsing, corrupted heart, its awful presence seemed to fill the chamber, a miasma of dark magic and decay. The organ itself was massive, easily the size of a wagon, and covered in a network of pulsing, black veins that snaked and twisted like a nest of vipers. The heart's flesh was a sickly grey, pockmarked with lesions and sores that leaked a thick, dark fluid that glistened in the dim light.

Suddenly, here was a sound, further away from the two of them. Like a cackle of a hyena followed by high pitched squeals. It was coming from the darkness, hidden among the thorned roots.

Auriel turned fast to that direction.

Soon the sounds seemed to come from multiple directions.

Auriel gripped Al’maiesh, ready for whatever that could be while Mephisto's eyes scanned the thorns.

“Vermin.” He growled

Few creatures emerged from the roots into the sickly light.

Their bodies were like giant, bloated larvae, their flesh a sickly pink hue. They were eyeless, their heads nothing more than a mass of pulsing tendrils that wriggled and writhed in the air, like a nest of worms emerging from their skin. Their mouths were circular filled with needle-like teeth. Shadows seemed to swirl around them, as if they were at home in the darkness, their very presence a malevolent stain on the air.

Auriel felt like something akin to begin sick at the sight of them.

They were slowly slithered and lurched towards Auriel and Mephisto, but none of the creatures dared to make the first move.

But those dozens were followed by another dozen, and another and another…

Until there were countless of them circling around the pair.

With loud shrieks, the creatures closed in on Auriel and Mephisto, their tentacled mouths snapping and salivating, their bodies quivering with hunger. Auriel's wings were spread wide, raising Al’maiesh to strike as much of them as she can. Her wings were churning the air as she sliced through the horde, cutting a path of holy flame in her wake. But Mephisto remained still, his eyes flashing with an unholy light, his calm composure belying the rage that bubbled just beneath the surface. His hands crackled with electricity, his growl sinister counterpoint to the creatures' screams as bolts of lightning arced through the air, reducing the nearest creatures to ash and cinders.

The air was soon thick with the sound of holy fire against flesh, lightning crackling and slicing through the creatures' bodies. The stone floor was slick with blood and ichor, the stench of burning flesh and corruption filling the chamber. Auriel and Mephisto fought as one, a strange, unholy alliance forged in the heat of battle. Auriel's wings cast a dazzling, golden light, illuminating the chamber as she cut down the creatures with swift, precise strikes.

As the creatures fell before Auriel and Mephisto's combined might, a momentary lull in the chaos allowed Auriel to cast a glance towards the Lord of Hatred. The demon seemed almost joyful as he fought, his gaze filled with a twisted glee as he watched the creatures writhing in agony under his power. His laughter was a cold, deadly thing, laced with a hunger that went beyond simple satisfaction at the defeat of their enemies. For a moment, Auriel felt a shiver of fear as she realized just how dangerous the demon was, how easy it would be for him to turn his power against her.

The creatures, seeing that their numbers were thinning, began to frenzy, their shrieks reaching a deafening pitch as they swarmed towards Auriel and Mephisto. But Auriel was undaunted, her wings flaring behind her as she rose into the air. The creatures swirled around her like a writhing, deadly cloud, but Auriel's wings seemed to catch the very light of the Heavens, igniting in a blaze of golden fire.

But she felt rush of heat now, and saw Mephisto conjuring some kind of unholy fire magic. His hands making fiery markings in the air. Auriel instinctively flew up as Mephisto released the fire.

The light of Mephisto's infernal spell blazed to life, a swirling vortex of fire that seemed to feed on the very essence of the creatures themselves. The flames consumed the creatures, engulfing them in a white-hot inferno that seemed to burn even the air around them. The roots and branches of the tree burst into flame, and even the heart itself shuddered and spasmed, the fire eating away at its corrupt flesh. Auriel soared  above the carnage, barely missing her feet being caught in the flame.

The chamber fell silent, save for the crackling of the flames as they devoured the remains of the creatures, the roots and branches blackening and curling in the heat.

Mephisto’s skeletal form floated amid the smoldering ruin, his features obscured by the smoke and ash, his eyes shining with a dark, light like ancient burning coals. Auriel landed beside him, her wings folding back against her body as she surveyed the destruction around them.

The silence was soon broken by the cackling laughter that echoed through the chamber once more, reverberating off the walls and ceiling like a ghastly chorus of malice. Auriel and Mephisto turned as one towards the sound, their gazes sweeping across the shadows as more of those creatures emerged from the darkness, their numbers now seemingly endless. They skittered and lurched forward, their shrill cries mingling with the roar of the flames, a cacophony of death and destruction.

As the creatures surged forward, Auriel spread her wings once more, Al’maiesh at the ready, determinated to slice them in half. She swung her weapon elegantly, casting a golden blur as she cut a path through the horde.

Mephisto, however, seemed to melt into the shadows themselves, slithering through a crack in the wall, his presence vanishing like smoke on the wind.

What the -

Auriel was left alone, confused about her “companion” abandoning the battle. Frustrated to be left sweeping after him. Using her lack of focus one of the creatures evaded her attacks and latched itself on her arm.  Auriel yelped and flew up, grabbing the creature by it’s soft slimy skin and ripping it from her arm. From circular bite mark, oozed the liquid light, and Auriel on sight of that threw the still wriggling creature into the dark only to see hundreds of them moving closer, climbing one of top another to reach her.

She gripped Al’maiesh and  faced the creatures alone. With fury unknown to her, she fought, her weapon burning through flesh with a swiftness and ferocity that spoke of both determination and desperation. Though she fought bravely, she could feel her strength beginning to wane as the tide of creatures seemed endless, swarming around her like a never-ending sea of fangs and tentacles.

Surrounded by creatures, Auriel's anger turned to desperation as she realized that she was fighting a losing battle. With a cry of frustration, she began to slash a path towards the root-covered wall, desperate to find a way out of the chamber. But the creatures seemed to anticipate her every move, hemming her in on all sides, their fangs snapping and slavering as they pressed closer and closer. Auriel's wings beat frantically as she struck out at the creatures, her movements becoming more frantic as exhaustion began to take its toll.

Auriel fought on, but with each strike, she felt her strength slipping away. She knew that she could not hold out much longer. Just when she thought all was lost, she saw a glimmer of light from the corner of her eye. She turned, and there, among the gnarled roots, close to the heart, was a small opening.

If she saw it a minute too late, this would be over.

Mustering the last of her strength, she flew up higher, twirled around, Al’maiesh extended burning the creatures and the heart. Using the pause before another attack of the creatures, she stroke at the heart, causing it to split open in, revealing the larger opening.  She dove through the opening, the creatures hot on her heels, their tentacles reaching for her. Ignoring the stench and ooze, Auriel squeezed through the hole and soon felt the tremors of the earth beneath her.

As she was fighting to squeeze through the gap and into the darkness beyond, the creatures pursuing her were crushed beneath the weight of the roots and stone, their shrill cries dying out in an instant.

Auriel managed to get out of the tight opening, finding herself begin able to stand.

And then the ceiling began to crumble, stones and roots raining down upon Auriel. She ducked and weaved. But as the cave continued to collapse around her, she realized that she was running out of time. With a cry of effort, she lunged forward, sprinting through the tunnel as the ceiling crashed down behind her.

As she emerged from the tunnel, Auriel found herself once again in the twisted, shadowed hallways. She wrapped Al'maiesh around her wound and concentrated her light to heal it. The path stretched on ahead of her, dark and silent, but this time, she saw something at the far end of the hall, a faint light was visible, a pure, white light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Cautiously, Auriel followed the light, her footsteps echoing in the silent halls. The light grew stronger as she approached, but she could find no source, no lantern or candle to cast such a radiance.

And so,  Auriel stepped into the chamber, the soft, silver light poured down upon her like a benediction. She looked up the find the source of the light and saw that it was in fact coming from the moon shining above the chamber in the night sky. The walls and ceiling of the chamber had been sculpted into a series of graceful arches, and at the very center of the room was a great shaft, the moonlight pouring down into the chamber like a waterfall. These walls, which had at first appeared to be made of alabaster, now seemed to shift and dance with the pale light of the moon, as though they were alive. The grass was thin and silvery, as made from the finest glass. From the center of the chamber, there was a stream of water, emerging from the underground, and going further towards the misty wall further down the chamber. The air was cool and still, filled with the scent of ancient magic and the distant song of the wind.

The chamber was indeed a marvel to behold. And it almost felt like… home.

Auriel looked around and saw two statues. They were unlike any creatures she had ever seen, with the bodies of great cats and the wings of birds of prey, their features carved with a strange, savage beauty. They were posed in a crouching position, their mouths open in silent howls, as though they were calling to the moon itself.

“Good to see you are still alive…” she heard Mephisto's voice, dripping with sarcasm.

Auriel turned to face Mephisto who was concealed from the moonlight, leaning on one of the statues,"The pleasure is all mine, demon," she replied, her voice dripping with equal disdain. "I must say, running away from a fight seems to be a favored tactic of yours. Or you simply were frightened." She wrapped Al’maiesh casually around her fingers, her wound now completly healed.

Mephisto chuckled “And I must say, I just delight how easily you let your hatred get better of you.” The shadows around him deepening.

Auriel refused to play his mind games and settled with just boring holes in him with her gaze.

Mephisto waved one of his many hands as he exited the shadow of the statue, “During our little clash there, I realized that fighting those creatures any further would be pointless. So I decided to focus my energy elsewhere.”

Auriel sighed. Arguing with him will get her nowhere.

“What is this place?” She asked after a pause.

"This place, this tree," Mephisto said, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and unease, "it is not from any of our realms." He moved towards the moonlight shaft, his eyes fixed on the center of the room. "Yet, it holds a power I have never sensed before. I would dare to say unnatural."

Mephisto's words echoed through the chamber, resonating with a truth that Auriel could not deny. Her instincts told her that he was right, even though she fought them not to trust the demon. The place did seem out of the world. Who knows what other dangers lurked within.

She turned to face Mephisto,. "Then we must search for answers," she said, her voice low and determined. "To get out of here.”

And to help Tyrael and Itherael to find Malthael. She thought.

Mephisto didn’t say anything, his expression unreadable. After a pause he simply moved through the chamber, slowly. His head tilted back as though he were trying to catch the scent of something on the air. His eyes narrowed, his expression focused and intent as he seemed to trace the path of the magic that flowed through the walls and floor. Auriel watched him with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"What is it that you sense?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

He said nothing and followed the stream that ended inside the wall  on other side of the chamber. Auriel followed close behind. Once he got closer, he reached and touched the wall.

Auriel watched as Mephisto's hand danced across the surface of the cave wall, his fingers skimming over the rough stone. As he moved, the runes on the wall seemed to come alive, shifting and changing, until they formed a web of glowing red lines that spread out across the surface. The lined glowed and the light connected them in the center of the wall. He removed the hand and lines disappeared. He placed all four of the hands and moved them in patterns, but after raising them the lines disappeared again.

He glanced up the wall before returning his gaze at the center of the wall.

Auriel approached closer to see what was he doing.

Suddenly Mephisto’s gaze snapped at her.

"What?" Auriel asked.

“Move.”- he commanded.

“I won’t move, maybe I can solve this-“ She protested.

“Move because you are blocking the light.” Mephisto cut her off.

She reluctantly moved away to the side.

As the moonlight from the surface of the stream hit the wall, Mephisto created patterns using the lines that appeared on the stone. Those lines now focused the reflected moonlight into the center the heavy stone wall lifted revealing another dark pathway.

The shadows shifted around Mephisto and he changed into a… smaller form. He was only a bit taller than Auriel. He wore long black robes with long sleeves which were covered in dark ornaments. He took a form of a lanky man, with pale angular face, deep red eyes with slit pupils and two curved large horns that crowned his head instead of hair and he still retained the thin skeletal tail. On his hands, there were four bony fingers with long nails.

“Why did you do that?” Auriel asked in confusion.

“In this place, size matters," Mephisto said, his voice sounding more pleasant. "This place seems to size creatures of your stature more easily, and not for a demon of my size. In this form, I can move through the darkness with greater ease." He shrugged, the gesture almost angelic, yet still twisted. "Besides, I find it much more interesting to observe your reaction when I wear the guise similar to your kind."

Auriel said nothing, as she tried to hide her disgust and went through the opening. Mephisto soon after followed.

As the portal closed behind them, Auriel and Mephisto found themselves in a vast chamber, the walls and floor covered in a thick carpet of emerald-green moss that seemed to pulse and shimmer with its own inner light. The room was circular, with lines carved into the walls, the paths twisting and turning in a complex, bewildering pattern. There were multiple openings in which way one could continue. The air was still and cold, the silence broken only by the soft, hissing sound of the moss as it released its eerie glow.

Mephisto glanced at Auriel, “This is a maze.”

He paused before making his first move. And after he slowly walked into the direction of one opening, only to halfway stop again.

“What is it?” Auriel asked.

Mephisto said nothing and turned to another opening and sped up the pace.

He led the way into the maze, his steps swift and sure as he navigated the twisting, winding corridors. Auriel followed closely behind, Al’maiesh at the ready as she kept a wary eye on their surroundings. As they walked, the darkness seemed to grow deeper, the moss-light dimming until it was little more than a faint, green glow.

Suddenly, Mephisto turned a corner and vanished from sight, leaving Auriel standing alone in the labyrinth.

“Mephisto?” She called out.

Nothing.

“Enough with the games, demon.” She attempted to scold her companion.

Yet her voice echoed through the maze, but her only response was the silence of the darkness. She took a step forward, the light of her wings casting eerie shadows against the walls, the moss glowing more brightly with each step she took. As she moved deeper into the maze, the air seemed to grow colder, a chill settling in her that had nothing to do with the dampness of the cave. The silence of the maze pressed in on her, the darkness seeming to thicken around her like a physical weight.

Suddenly there was a figure in the dark. Standing just behind the corner.  There he was.

“I thought you said that we needed to cooperate.” She said. “You running away has nothing to do with cooperation.”

He silently went behind the corner.

She sighed and with a growing sense of unease, Auriel followed him. Her footsteps were quick and silent as she navigated the maze. But as she turned a corner and another one and another one, she found herself in a small, circular room, its walls covered in moss, the green light casting strange, shifting patterns on the stone.

There was no sign of Mephisto, but in the center of the room, a lever protruded from the floor, its surface glowing with an eerie, green light. Auriel approached the lever cautiously, her being trembling in anticipation in her chest as she reached out to touch the glowing metal.

And just as Auriel's fingers brushed against the glowing metal of the lever, she heard a low, warning hiss behind her. She turned, just in time to see Mephisto's dark silhouette appear from the shadows. Without a word, he seized her arm and pulled her away from the lever, his strength surprising Auriel’s. A moment later, a burst of searing, green light erupted from the lever, the magic arcing across the room like a bolt of lightning, slicing through entire room like hundreds of knives. The light split the darkness for a moment, and then faded, leaving nothing but silence and darkness in its wake.

"You are lucky to still be alive," Mephisto said, his voice quiet, almost contemplative. "Do not go after suspicious objects here." He moved past her, as he let go of her arm.

Auriel turned to look back at the room, she was struck by a sense of unease that settled deep in her. She could have died in here. So easily, in less than a second everything she was would return to dust. She realized just how vulnerable she was in this unknown place. The room that had almost taken her life was now nothing more than an empty, circular chamber, the walls covered in moss, the green light reflecting back at her like a thousand cold, staring eyes. The lever, the danger, the darkness, it was all gone, as if it had never existed at all.

Auriel looked at Mephisto,  "How did you know?"

Mephisto's expression was unreadable as he spoke. "I can see through illusions." he said, his voice cool and even.

"Let us continue." He finally said, leading the way.

The silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft sound of their footsteps as they made their way through the labyrinth. Auriel's thoughts swirled, caught in a tangled web of doubt and suspicion, of gratitude and mistrust.

Finally, she spoke, her voice a low murmur in the darkness.

"Thank you," she said, her words quiet, but filled with meaning.

Mephisto continued to walk, his face turned away from her, his silence an answer in itself. Auriel watched him, her eyes taking in the way the darkness clung to him, as if he were a part of it.

As they continued to move through the maze, Auriel watched Mephisto. He seemed to glide through the labyrinth as if he knew every twist and turn by heart, his steps sure and swift as he navigated the darkness.  And yet, as they walked, the maze shifted and turned opening and closing new passages as if trying to make the duo stray from their path. Auriel wondered how he could possibly know the way, how he could see through the illusions that had so easily fooled her. Was it a demon's skill, or something more? She kept close to him, her hands holding Al’maiesh as she followed in his wake, her eyes searching the shadows for the hint of danger.

Mephisto moved through the maze with an unshakeable confidence, his footsteps never faltering as the walls shifted and changed around him. Auriel watched in awe as the maze seemed to rearrange itself at Mephisto's touch, as if the darkness itself were a part of him. He did not seem surprised or disturbed by the changing walls, his focus on the path ahead, his eyes fixed on the maze as if he could see through the darkness, through the illusions and the shadows.

“How did you end up here?” The silence was broken by Auriel's question, her voice cutting through the darkness like a knife.

Mephisto hesitated for a moment, as if weighing the cost of answering. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and soft, as if he were speaking to himself.

"I sensed a power here," Mephisto said, his voice carrying a faint trace of satisfaction. "A power that called to me and I wished to study it myself without my brothers interfering. So I came here, alone and unbidden, to investigate its source."

Auriel thought about his answer. “So, those creatures that attacked our stronghold and killed our angels, that wasn't you?” She asked another question.

"No." He said, his gaze focused on the path ahead.

Auriel hesitated, unsure whether to believe him. She knew that demons were creatures of deception, of lies and misdirection. But there was something in Mephisto's voice, a certainty that rang true, that made her wonder if he was telling the truth. She decided to press him further, her voice carrying a note of challenge.

"If it was not you, then who?" she asked, her hands tightening on Al’maiesh.

Silent pause.

“Those creatures," Mephisto finally said, his voice heavy with a dark foreboding, "they were not of the Burning Hells, if that is what you mean." He paused, the shadows seeming to cling to him like a cloak. "I first encountered them in the deepest reaches of my domain, hidden among the shadows and the flames. At first, I thought them to be a minor nuisance to be dealt with. But as they spread, as their numbers grew, I realized that they were something more."

Auriel's mind drifted back to the battle, where she and Itherael and Tyrael battled him, to the moment when Mephisto recognized her. She knew that he must have known who she was, even before she had revealed herself. "We both ended up here," she whispered, her words echoing through the darkness. "You knew who I was, Mephisto.”

Mephisto's silence stretched on, the darkness seeming to thicken around them as he weighed his answer.

Finally, he spoke, his voice a low, almost imperceptible whisper. "Yes," his eyes fixed on the path ahead.

“How?” she asked.

Mephisto turned to face Auriel, his expression unreadable, his eyes gleaming with an ancient light. "It was you who stalked me in the back of my mind, angel" he said, his voice low and dangerous.

Auriel's voice trembled slightly, the realization of Mephisto's presence in her meditations sending a chill down her beign. "How did you see me?" she asked, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

Mephisto smiled, baring his sharp fangs. "The mind is not as solitary as you might think," he said, his voice a low, dangerous purr.

But he turned away from her and sighed.

“And that this is a question I would also like to find an answer to.”

And he continued walking.

Mephisto's words hung in the air, unanswered and unfinished. Auriel, shaken by the revelation, took a moment to compose herself before following after him. As she walked, she tried to process what Mephisto had said, tried to make sense of the strange connection that seemed to exist between them. Was it possible that the meditations had been a two-way street all along, a connection that had allowed Mephisto to see into her mind just as she had seen into his?

They walked the long shifting corridors. For minutes, hours… days? Auriel found out that she had hard time keeping the track of time here. She wasn’t sure which corridor they passed, where did they turn, and she wasn’t sure if putting so much trust into a demon, let alone a Prime Evil to lead a way was a smart decision to begin with.

They walked and walked until one point Mephisto's arm reached out, his grip strong and unyielding as he brought Auriel to a halt. She had been so caught up in the mystery of the maze, the shifting walls and the darkness, that she had not noticed the deep chasm that now laid before them. Stretching for miles in both directions. The drop was steep, the darkness of the abyss swallowing any light that came from the surface.

Mephisto turned to her. "We must be careful here."

Auriel looked further and saw a door in the other side with a platform in front of them. The chasm, like a deep barrier that split two mountains kept them from the door.

The door was a beacon of green light in the darkness, a stark contrast to the deep chasm. The platform was narrow, barely wide enough to accommodate both of them.

“I can fly there,” Auriel said and was already preparing her wings to lift in the air.

Yet, Mephisto remained silent, his face unreadable as he moved his hands in complex, fluid patterns. As he waved his hands, the magic took shape, forming a ghostly skull that hovered in the air in front of him. The skull was translucent, its form wavering like a mirage, the faint light of the magic illuminating its hollow eye sockets. Auriel was both in awe and feeling uncomfortable of such dark magic.  Mephisto used his hand motions to guide the skull, sending it floating across the chasm and towards the door on the other side. The skull moved slowly, its ghostly form skimming the surface of the abyss as it moved.

The skull was halfway across the chasm when the lightning struck, a sudden, deafening crack that split the darkness like a blade. Auriel flinched at the sound, as she watched the skull vanish in a burst of light and smoke. Mephisto's eyes narrowed, his expression grim as he turned to Auriel.

"Do you still want to fly over?" he asked.

Auriel felt defeated, her wings drooped. Her idea would have ended very, very badly.

“How will we pass then?” She asked.

Mephisto said nothing as he paced slowly along the narrow platform, his movements graceful and controlled as he searched for a way forward. His eyes raked across the darkness, for a way to move through the shadows without triggering the traps that lay hidden in the darkness. As he paced, his tail flicked behind him, a subtle, almost imperceptible movement that betrayed his frustration as time passed.

At some point he stopped, his gaze fixated on one point in space across the chasm.

“What do you see?” Auriel asked.

Mephisto remained focused, his expression unreadable as he stood on the edge of the platform, his back to Auriel.

"Of course," at one point he murmured.

And then, without hesitation, he stepped over the edge, his body disappearing into the darkness as if he had simply ceased to exist. Auriel's heart caught in her throat at the sight of that. She took a step to a spot where Mephisto stood moment ago.

And she saw him, he seemed walking on some invisible path across the chasm.

Mephisto's voice echoed across the abyss as he smiled at Auriel.

"It is all about perspective," he said, and he turned around to continue his path.

Auriel took a tentative step forward, into the blackness of the chasm, only to discover a narrow bridge of solid rock that stretched across the abyss. The rock was almost invisible, its color and texture indistinguishable from the surrounding walls, so that it blended seamlessly into the shadows. She moved forward, stepping onto the bridge and following Mephisto's footsteps as she made her way towards the door.

A large stone door, its surface covered in a thick layer of moss and vines that reached up towards the ceiling. The door was set into the rock, its edges blending seamlessly into the walls, and two glowing spheres of light hung from vines on either side, casting an eerie green glow over the room. Mephisto stood before the door, his hand resting on stone, his eyes fixed on whatever was he searching on it.

“Another door…” Mephisto said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Auriel moved closer to the door, her fingers tracing the scratches and markings in the stone. She brushed the moss away from the center of the door, revealing a circular hole, just large enough to fit a fist. The scratches and marks around the hole seemed to form some kind of inscription. Mephisto also studied the inscription, his eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher the markings.

"It must be some kind of an ancient language” Auriel concluded. “Seems old.”

Mephisto however leaned closer to analyze the inscription, his fingers tracing the runes and markings as if he could divine their meaning by touch alone.

"No, these markings are recent," he said, "It is almost as if someone was here not long, searching for a way into the chamber beyond." He brushed the moss of a stone.

“This was also put here recently, to conceal something.” He said as he tossed away the moss as an insignificant object.

Auriel joined him, her hand reaching out to touch the surface of the door, feeling the roughness of the stone beneath her fingertips.

“How do you know this?” She asked.

Mephisto chuckled, a low, dark sound. "I have had practice in detecting small details," he said, his eyes gleaming with a dark light. "My brothers were not above stealing from my personal stores, or using my servants for their own ends. I learned to read the signs, to detect the marks that were left by their presence."

He turned to look at Auriel, his expression now unreadable. "The marks on this door were made recently, perhaps an hour or so.”

But this is impossible. She thought. We were only ones here.

Except… maybe Malthael. Could he have found a way in?

She looked at the writings more closely. The runes and markings seemed to come alive under Auriel's gaze, the ancient language revealed to her as if she had known it all along. She read the inscription aloud, her voice echoing in the chamber as she spoke the words of the language. As she was in trance.

Voiceless it cries,

Wingless flutters,

Toothless bites,

Mouthless mutters.

She paused, and snapped her gaze at Mephisto. She was surprised and terrified at the same time. But his expression remained unreadable, though there was a slight glint in his red eyes.

“This is a riddle.” Mephisto said coldly.

“A riddle?” She asked. “Why here?”

How did I read this? She thought.

Mephisto's eyes narrowed as he pondered the riddle, his mind working quickly to unravel the mystery.

"The answer is wind," Mephisto said.

He turned to Auriel, his eyes gleaming in the green light of the chamber. "And now, angel, you must figure out how to unlock the door with the key of wind." He stood back from the door, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for Auriel to find the solution.

“Why me?!” She asked in protest.

“Because you read the riddle.” Mephisto answered. “The reader must me the one who solves it.” His eyes narrowed.

“Or you want both of us to perish if some trap is activated?”

Auriel took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the riddle and the mystery of the door.

"Wind is invisible, intangible, but still powerful," she said, her voice quiet.

Her mind was racing with possible solutions, she was muttering to herself. Her brow furrowed as she struggled to find a solution. Mephisto stood there patiently.

“You are overthinking it.” He finally said.

Auriel rolled her eyes at Mephisto's comment, but she knew that he was right. She had been complicating what should have been a simple task. She took a deep breath, her wings fluttering slightly as she focused her mind on the solution. And then she blew into the hole in the door, her breath carrying the power of her will as it touched the runes and markings. The door responded, the magic in the stone flowing like water as it opened, the hinges creaking and groaning with the effort.

“That wasn’t that hard now, was it?” Mephisto purred as the door opened until the end.

As Mephisto and Auriel passed through the door, the chamber beyond was revealed to be the same one in which they had started their journey, but twisted and distorted by the presence of the green moss and the water that covered the floor. The statues were still there, looming over the chamber, their features softened by the glow of the moss and the reflection of the water. The room seemed to echo with a sense of familiarity, of being both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"We have come full circle," Auriel said, her voice echoing in the chamber.

She continued towards the center of the chamber, her footsteps echoed on the alabaster stone floor that now seemed at least thousands years old, cracked and broken. Her armor and wings dripping as she made her way towards the statues. The chamber was cold and damp, the water rising to her ankles as she moved deeper into the room. She examined the statues, her eyes scanning the details and the carvings, looking for any hint of the magic that had brought them to this state. Mephisto closed behind her.

The statues lost their shine they had. Now they were covered in black pulsating vines that burrowed themselves into the stone.

Auriel looked around the chamber and a strange glow caught her eye. She went between the two statues to investigate the source.

Upon closer look, she realized it was an instrument. A musical instrument.

The glow of the instrument was like a beacon in the darkness, the gold and jewels reflecting the light of the moss and casting a faint green light over the chamber. Auriel reached down, her fingers careful as she lifted the instrument from the water. It was a harp, the wood  smooth and intact in contrast to it’s decaying surroundings. The strings were inlaid with gold and jewels, each one shimmering with magic as she plucked a single note. The sound echoed through the chamber, a haunting, melodic tone that seemed to resonate with the magic in the air.

The vibration of the harp's note seemed to ripple through the chamber, setting the entire space in motion. The ground beneath their feet trembled, the walls seemed to breathe and shift, and the water churned and swirled around their ankles. Above them, the sky was alive with movement, the constellations dancing and shifting as if to the tune of the harp. Auriel looked up, her eyes wide with wonder as she plucked another note, this one higher and sweeter than the first. The constellations shifted and danced, revealing hidden patterns and secrets that had been hidden for centuries.

Mephisto's eyes were fixed on the harp, his mind working to understand the magic that was unfolding around them.

"This  was not here when we entered the chamber," he said, his voice quiet and thoughtful. "It could be a key to our freedom."

“Play it again.” He said.  Auriel nodded, her fingers moving over the strings with a newfound confidence as she plucked another note. The sound was beautiful, almost unbearable in its intensity, and the chamber responded with a shuddering gasp.

Auriel took a deep breath, her wings fluttering as she steadied herself and readied her fingers on the harp's strings. The notes seemed to come from deep within her, an instinctive knowledge that she could not explain. She imagined her realm, her maidens. The High Heavens. The Eternal Conflict. She put all of her emotion into the song.  She played a beautiful melody, the notes echoing through the chamber as the walls shuddered and the vines hissed. The sky overhead was a riot of movement, the constellations shifting and dancing in response to her playing.

The gateway seemed to coalesce out of the constellations, the lights and colors swirling and dancing as the harp's music swelled and soared. Auriel's fingers were a blur, her eyes closed as she became one with the music, her body swaying with the rhythm of the notes. The room seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the music, the sky overhead pulsing with light as the gateway grew brighter and more defined. Mephisto stood beside her, his eyes fixed on the opening, his expression betraying a hint of wonder and awe.

But the sound was getting slowly more and more distorted. Auriel's eyes snapped open as the roots and vines surged towards the gateway, their movements fast and terrifying. The light from the gateway dimmed, the constellations seeming to lose their power and energy as the darkness closed in around them.

"Keep playing!" Mephisto yelled, his voice almost lost in the chaos and noise. Auriel's fingers tightened on the strings, her body trembling as she poured all of her energy and will into the music.

The statues groaned and creaked as the vines dug their way deeper into the stone, their forms twisted and distorted by the dark magic that had brought them to life. They stepped on heavy steps from their pedestals onto the ground, ready to crush them both. Auriel's playing became more frantic, her fingers slipping on the strings as she struggled to keep the music alive.

Mephisto’s movement  was a blur of motion, his hands crackling with electricity as he launched bolt after bolt of lightning at the vines, sending them screeching and writhing in agony.

The statues lurched forward, their forms writhing and undulating as the vines and worms coiled and writhed across their surfaces. The faces of the statues were contorted, their features twisted and unrecognizable as the dark magic took hold. Auriel's music faltered as the statues moved towards them, their movements slow but relentless, their eyes glowing with ancient light. Mephisto's attacks intensified, the air crackling and sizzling as he fought to keep the statues at bay.

But light seemed to dim as the vines reached to the gateway.

Auriel ducked and rolled as the statue's massive fist swung towards her, its fingers raking through the air where she had been only moments before. The beast roared, its voice a twisted sound that echoed through the chamber. Mephisto was locked in combat with the other statue, his lightning tearing at the vines that writhed across its surface. But the beast was relentless, its blows heavy and brutal as it sought to crush Mephisto beneath its weight.

The shadows coalesced around Mephisto as he assumed his true form.

The fight was a brutal dance of lightning and darkness, the statues lashing out with heavy attacks, their movements controlled by the dark magic that animated them. Their entire surface was covered in vines that slithered across them like worms. Mephisto moved like a shadow, evading their attacks and striking at the vines, but each time he struck, the wounds closed and healed, the magic of the statues repairing the damage as quickly as it was inflicted. Auriel lunged and dodged, her wings flared and her harp a weapon in her hands as she deflected the statue's blows, the strings singing with a deadly harmony as she fought to keep herself alive.

Mephisto teleported away from his attacker and with complex pattern in the air of his making summoned lightning from the sky that struck one of the statues down. Pinning them on the ground, impact sending a wave of sound rippling through the chamber.

But it rose to its feet once more, its form twisted and contorted as it the veins pulsed harder. With a roar that shook the very walls, the statue slammed its front legs into the ground, the impact sending cracks and fissures spreading out across the floor.

The other one soon followed, also slamming it's body into the ground.

Auriel's eyes widened as the second statue joined its companion, each beast pummeling the floor with its massive bodies, sending shockwaves through the chamber. Mephisto teleported next to Auriel.

"What are they doing?!" she cried out,. "Are they trying to bring the ceiling down on us?!"

Mephisto's voice was grim, his eyes fixed on the statues as he sought to unravel their purpose. "I do not know," he said.

The light from the gateway in the celling was completely engulfed by the vines by now.

With a final, thunderous roar, the statues slammed their bodies into the ground one last time, sending a shockwave of energy racing towards Auriel and Mephisto. The floor beneath them cracked and splintered, the stones splintering and crumbling as the abyss opened beneath them, swallowing them up in a rush of darkness and cold. Auriel screamed, her wings flaring out as she tried to fight the pull of the darkness, but it was too strong, dragging her down into the depths of the chasm.