Gods who had once made this realm their home. In those days, they had gathered affectionately here in this hall to share time with each other as they watched over the human world and protected it.
But those days were long gone.
The ancient gods themselves were long gone.
Ash headed for the throne room that faced the main doors. The doorway to it was flanked by the likenesses of Apollymi the Destroyer and her husband Archon Kosmetas, a surname that meant Order. At one time, the two of them had presided over the nether realms of Katoteros and Kalosis and in one fit of anger, Appolymi had laid waste to all who dwelled here.
All of them.
Not a single Atlantean god had remained standing after she had swept through this temple in her violent fury. Ash had never understood what could possess her to do such a thing.
But as he entered the throne room of the ancient gods, he was beginning to have enlightenment.
"Urian!" he growled, summoning his servant to him.
Urian popped into the Atlantean throne room ready to take on the devil himself. He drew up short as he caught sight of Ash's true form while the Dark-Hunter stood before the gilded dais that contained two gold thrones that were carved into the shape of dragons.
Urian was still having trouble dealing with Ash when the man looked like this. The blood-red, flaming eyes were enough to make even a demigod like Urian cringe, and Ash's iridescent blue-streaked, marbled skin tone...
Errr...
But the most disturbing thing was the deep, vicious scar that ran from Ash's navel to his throat where someone's handprint had been branded. It looked as if someone had once held the man down by his throat as they sliced him open.
Urian had learned from Alexion on the day he had arrived at Katoteros that while the hand scar came and went, the vertical scar was only visible in this realm and that he should never react to it.
Not if he valued his life, anyway.
Ash's unbalanced temper was present in the lightning bolts and thunder that crackled and sparked outside the leaded windows of the temple.
There were very few things in life that frightened Urian. The extremely powerful man before him was one of them.
Not even Ash's pet pterygsauri would come out to be with their master in this mood. Unlike Urian, the small winged dragon-like creatures had stayed wisely hidden.
"What have you to report?" Acheron asked him, his voice thick with his Atlantean accent.
"Basically that all hell is breaking loose in hell."
Acheron looked less than pleased by the news. More lightning shot across the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling windows behind the thrones. It gave an eerie glow to Acheron's body. Thunder clapped ominously as it shook the temple floor where Urian stood.
"What is happening?"
Urian bit back his sarcasm as he started to point out that the weather in Kalosis mirrored the weather here in Katoteros. That would most likely be suicidal.
"I don't know. Desiderius came back to the hall with his son in tow a little while ago. I was told that he said something to Stryker that caused him to reward Desiderius by giving him the ability to reincarnate. Apollymi the Destroyer is locked inside her temple and no one is allowed to see her. Apparently someone did something wrong and she has since sent her Charonte demons off on a blood hunt throughout Kalosis to find the perpetrator. There are Spathis dropping like flies all over the place and everyone is pretty much wetting their pants in fear of her wrath."
"And your father?"
Urian tensed at the reminder that Stryker, the leader of the Spathi Daimons who were controlled by the Destroyer, had fathered him. "I don't know. The minute Desiderius left, he flipped out in the main hall and has been tearing the place apart ever since." His face hardened. "He keeps screaming out my name and I don't know why. Maybe he learned that I'm alive."
Acheron looked away from him.
"What's up with all this, Ash? I know you know."
"No, I don't. The Destroyer is silent to me. I hear nothing from her and that's what concerns me most. She's never silent in our battles."
Urian cursed at what that signified. "What could have set them both off at once?"
The muscle in Acheron's jaw beat an impressive staccato rhythm. "My guess is Stryker sent Desiderius out with a test for me. Once Desi saw that it was effective, he reported it back to Stryker, who had all the confirmation he needed."