The red god opened her mouth and fire came spewing out. It poured into the streets and consumed the citizens below. Screams of terror erupted from the flames. Although they were several blocks away Atticus could see them flail about and throw themselves to the ground.
The other two gods followed in their leader’s behavior and spewed flames around them.
Atticus got to his feet, picking up Io and Amara. He ran with them to the river in the hopes that they could still make it to the temple.
The gods walked through the city, burning down anyone and everyone in their way. The red god spread its wings and flew over them, the fire just barely missing Atticus and his family.
The hairs on Atticus’s arm singed off. His cheeks, chest and arms flushed red. Io cried out in pain as a single flame licked at her leg.
The red god landed on the opposite side of the river, facing them. Atticus darted to the side, drawing closer to the Abyss along with dozens of others that ran with them. The god opened its mouth and fire spewed out.
Atticus lifted Io off her feet and clutched Amara to him before he leapt into the river, just missing the fire by a few hairs. Even under the water the temperature turned from cool to warm then to unbearably hot.
The current swept them off their feet and pulled them into the Abyss. Atticus tried to fight against it but it dragged them along and sucked them into darkness. When Atticus looked behind them the god’s eye was firmly trained on them.
“Atticus! Atticus, hold onto me!” Io screamed as she gripped his arm.
“I am!” Atticus shouted but even as he said that the current ripped his feet from under him, pulling him away from Io.
The ground beneath them shifted and soon they found themselves falling. They sunk into water. Atticus’s head hit the ground and pain instantly spread from the back of his head to the front. The waves tossed and turned them and somewhere along the way, Io’s hand slipped away from his grip, leaving his hand empty. When his head breached the surface he gasped, clinging to Amara who coughed and cried uncontrollably.
“Io! Io where are you?” Atticus cried out.
“I’m here!” She replied but he couldn’t see her. He couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face.
They called out to each other but the sound of the waves quickly drowned out their voices. It steadily became louder and the waves grew faster. Cold air hit Atticus in the face and the ground beneath him disappeared again.
The fall was a lot longer than Atticus anticipated. His body twisted and turned when it reached the bottom, the water pushing them down and forward.
Atticus held tight to Amara and tried to keep calm as the water forced them under. He couldn’t tell which way was up or which way was down. His lungs burned and he became desperate for air. Is this what the Abyss led to? Was this how he would die? Was Amara already dead?
He couldn’t give up.
Not now.
The current was strong but Atticus fought against it, breaking the surface. He swam until his feet touched the ground. Once he could stand he scrambled until he found the riverbank and crawled onto dry ground.
The earth was cold and soft, very unlike what Atticus was used to. The cold pierced his skin and burned his flesh not after too long. He sat up, Amara still in his arms, and checked to see if she was breathing.
The youngblood shivered. Her teeth chattered and her breath was labored. She cried to the point of hiccups, but she lived.
Atticus sighed in relief. He stood up on shaky feet, holding the youngblood close. He stumbled to the river and peered into the water. Was Io in the river still? Did she find her own way out? Was she nearby?
“Io!” Atticus screamed. “Io are you there!” He waited but other than the sound of the water nothing else made a noise.
Atticus stood there for some time, screaming her name but never received a reply. When he had gotten too cold, he reluctantly decided he needed to move. Find some place warm for the sake of himself and his youngblood.
During this time his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The world around him had changed to one that was very different to what he knew. Atticus turned around, following the river until he found where they had come from.
In the distance the river fell from the mouth of a massive mound that went as high as his eyes could see. A fourth god sat near the waterfall, lunging its head every so often and snapping its jaws at water. Or rather, snapping its jaws at what was in the water.
Atticus jogged away from the waterfall and the god. His eyes taking in the world around them.
Trees weren’t on the ceiling but on the ground he walked on, and they spanned as far as the eye could see. The ground itself was soft and covered in something white, wet and cold. Tufts of what looked to be grass peeked out from the white substance and something strange and green covered rocks and trees.
With no idea where to go Atticus walked along side the river in hopes that he would find Io. As he walked, he noticed dozens of bodies floating but when he checked none of them were Io.
After some searching there wa a growl, a cross between a low rumble and a hiss, that came from beyond the darkness on the other side of the river. Atticus looked to the sound and his gaze met with a pair of eyes that belonged to a creature that he didn’t recognize. The creature was on all fours. It bore its sharp teeth and snarled.
“What is that?” Amara whispered.
“I don’t know.” Atticus replied.
Atticus dug into his pocket and pulled out the stone then stepped back. The beast stepped forward then leaned down, its hind legs poised in a bent position. Atticus didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he didn’t want to find out.
Atticus turned and ran as fast as he could, holding Amara close in his arms. He weaved through the trees and hopped over strange objects. Twigs broke under his feet and other unknown items.
The beast growled. It’s paws hitting the earth in a heavy step. Atticus glanced over his shoulder. The beast was behind them, a rivers width apart.
A cry escaped Atticus. His legs burned as he picked up speed. Would he be able to keep this up? When would the land end? It just kept going.
Before long the beast was out of sight, its voice couldn’t be heard.
Atticus slowed his pace, wheezing. His lungs burned. Tears stung his eyes. But he kept walking. He had to keep walking. There could be another beast out there that could come after them. And that one might get them next time.
Yet the longer he walked the colder it got and the darker it became. He shivered violently and so did Amara. He couldn’t feel his fingers and toes anymore and the sensation was making its way to the rest of his body.
“You know, Amara,” Atticus said between his chattering teeth. “I really loved your mom. And I loved you too. I mean, I love you. I do. So much.” Tears streamed down his cheeks. “I know I wasn’t there for a long time; I should have been. I’m sorry. But I need you to know that I love you. You know that right?”
Amara nodded into his chest. “I know. Mama told me.” She answered.
Atticus laughed. “That’s good, that’s very good.”
In the distance Atticus noticed an opening. He stumbled to it and found himself on a very long stretch of road on either side. With no direction in mind Atticus walked down the beaten path.
As he walked the darkness slowly changed. It shifted into a dark blue with pink and white blending into the ceiling. It turned bright, nearly blinding. Streaks of orange and gold spilled into the mix of colors and with it, warmth.
It was beautiful. Nothing like the things that Atticus had ever seen. It painted the world around him in brilliant color which only continued to change and deepen as time went on.
Atticus fell to his knees, unable to keep moving forward. The stone he held fell to the ground. He lay on his back, arm over his eyes.
“Get up!” Amara cried as she shook him.
“I need to rest, young one.” Atticus wheezed through shallow breaths. “I need to rest for a little bit.”
“Papa, please get up!” Amara begged.
Atticus lifted his hand from his eyes and placed a cold hand on Amara’s cheek. He struggled to smile but his happiness was immeasurable.
“You called me papa.” He murmured. “I am so happy to hear that even if I don’t deserve it. Thank you.”
Atticus let his hand fall and slowly closed his eyes. His breathing slowed and the cold sank into his bones. But funnily enough warmth spread across his chest to the point it was too hot. His blood screamed through his skin and his heart raced.
Out of everything that happened, in this moment he was the most alive.
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