Barrier of despair

"Most devil gods are able to sense his human aura." Canaan stated.

He was now assuming an almost psychopathic level of calm as he studied to map before him.

He pressed his finger to the map and it began to disintegrate from the east. "So they should be escaping from the greed of the house of Arzul which occupies the east.

In the west are the barbarian clans of the devourers. So that course is naturall barred to them as well." Canaa added.

"I can only assume that those who took him need Lothal alive, so they can only travel so fast without killing him. They will need a route with more viable stops.

In the south is a thorny path filled with rampant demonic beast. Taking this path is needlessly rsiky.

And so they have gone....they could only have gone-"

"North." Babel interrupted with understanding.

"Babel" Canaan chanted simply.

Immediately she understood his motives.

Canaan's eyes closed painfully as Babel willed space to shatter around them. Their two figures tore through the void, moving at impossible speeds.

Babel's mighty power beat against the dense, velvety night, propelling them both through the dark, vast expanse expanse of the cursed black sky at inpossible speeds.

Canaan, clutching tightly to her, felt the wind whip through his hair as he peered down at the shadowy lands below, desperation etched on his face. "Fly faster, Babel!" he begged, his voice a strained whisper amidst the rush of air. "We have to reach him!"

Babel's eyes, held every bit of urgency Canaan's did, not because she knew who the mortal was or cared about him, but because she could she could tell that his mind had already been thrown into Chaos and she dreaded the the damage that would be done to him should his friend perish.

Her eyes met Canaans as she tried sound reassuring "I know, Canaan," she replied calmly, her voice resonating with the power that emanated from her. "But we can only move so fast before my speed shatters this worlfs laws of space. Calm down my love, we are nearly upon the location you pointed out."

Despite her reassurance, Canaan's heart contnued to pound in his chest.

For a lttle while longer, Babel and Canaan traversed the dim lamdscape. All that ever saw were dark wastelands where demonic beast laid wate to any and all that moved. This world was sick, it was dying.

Canaan realised this, but it became the least of his concerns as his hand reached towards the gem that always silently hung around his neck.

With trembling hands, he took the abstruse gemstone that always serenly hung around his neck into his arms, its ancient whispers resonating in his very bones.

"Are you sure about this, as its false owner it only responds to you once a year after all." Babel gently cautioned

Canaan didnt respond as he cradled it in his palms, his eyes brimming with desperation and hope.

"Gem of Reality," he murmured, his voice a prayer to the silent heavens above. "I wish to know where he is."

The gem pulsed with a soft light, the heartbeat of a slumbering giant awakening to the call of its master. The air around them grew thick with anticipation as Babel felt the subtle shift in the cosmic laws of this world.

Canaan could feel the gemstone growing warmer, more alive, its rhythm matching the erratic throb of his heart.

The crimson light from the gemstone erupted, painting the ground and sky with an eerie, pulsing glow that illuminated the surrounding wilderness. The very earth seemed to tremble as the light reached out, seeking the resonance of the captive soul. A spot in the distant darkness began to pulse in time with the gem's light, growing brighter and more insistent with each heartbeat.

Canaan's eyes widened with hope and fear as he pointed frantically in the direction of the glow. "Babel," he exclaimed, his voice a mix of excitement and dread, "There! That's where he is!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Babel flew in that direction with Canaan in tow, the crimson light casting long, monstrous shadows behind them as they took to the air.

The wind howled in their ears as they shot towards the beacon. Canaan clung tightly to Babel, his eyes never leaving the pulsing light that grew larger and more intense with each passing second.

The crimson light of the gem then grew so bright that it completely illuminated the darkness around them, revealing a structure of twisted stone and metal that loomed over the landscape like a nightmare made manifest.

A heavy second of blood and sin wafted into both Canaan's ands Babels faces.

Their hearts racing, they descended upon the fortress, the gem's light guided them to a hidden entrance nesteled into the crest of their fortress.

With a fierce determination, Babel and Canaan ascended the winding staircase that spiraled to the peak of the fortress. The air grew colder, the very stones seeming to shiver with each step they took. Upon reaching the summit, they found Lothal bound in chains that shimmered with an unearthly light. His eyes, once vibrant with life were as dim as twilight itself.

Canaan's heart clenched in his chest as he took in the grim scene. Lothal's chains were not mere metal, but rather a twisted web of crimson blood energy that hummed with the power of the captive's soul. He knew immediately that this had been done by a blood wraith.

As they approached Lothal, a sudden formless barrier materialized before them, its shimmering surface rippling like the surface of a pond disturbed by a thrown stone. Lothal, though weak, managed to lift his head and his eyes lit up with joy. "Canaan," he called out weakly.

He offered a wan smile, his eyes reflecting the crimson glow of the gem that waned by the second. It had accomplished its purpose.

Canaan's determination grew stronger as he saw his friend's plight. "Don't worry, Lothal," he said with conviction, "we're here to free you!"

Babel's eyes widened with horror as she recognized the sinister pattern etched into the very air around Lothal. "The Murdering Heart Formation," she murmured, her voice trembling with the weight of the revelation.

"What!?" Canaan asked in trepidation.

"It's a spell of unspeakable malice!"

Canaan's panic grew palpable as the chains around Lothal began to pulse with a malevolent energy, the crimson marks growing darker and more pronounced. "We have to get him out of here, now!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Babel, her form enveloped in a crimson aura, threw herself against the barrier once more, her muscles straining with the effort. Waves of powerful energy belonging to the plane of High gods unrelentlesly smashed into the barrier, but despite her immense strength, the barrier remained undamaged. "It's no use," she gasped, her breaths coming in ragged bursts.

Lothal's eyes grew distant, his body beginning to convulse as the dark energy surged through him. "Hurry," he rasped, his voice barely audible.

Canaan clutched the gem tightly, feeling its power pulsing in his hand. "There has to be a way," he said, desperation coloring his words. "We can't just leave him like this."

With a roar that seemed to shake the very heavens, Babel unleashed a torrent of power at the altar, and the room was bathed in a cacophony of light and sound. The barrier shuddered slightly as ripples spread from it, but it did not budge.

Babel's dark eyes blazed with the intensity of her efforts as she pounded the barrier with all her might. Yet, it remained unyielding, the crimson markings on Lothal's chains pulsing with a sinister life of their own.

"Babel, please!" Canaan screamed, his heart feeling as though it would shatter. But Babel could only shake her head, her expression a grim testament to her failure. "This barrier is not of this world," she gritted out. "It should not be here, in this realm of the weak!"

The shackles around Lothal grew tighter, the crimson marks darkening and spreading like a malevolent disease across his skin. His body contorted in pain, his breaths coming in agonized gasps. "Canaan," he choked out, his voice barely audible. "You must let go of me, I am already lost."

The room grew still, the whispers of the wind silenced themseelces as if even they wished to give theses two suffering souls a modicum of oeace in their final moments together after witnessing brutal reality of Lothal's condition. "Canaan," he gasped, a pained smile playing upon his lips, "Remember when we... when we shoved that bear cat into the bandit's pants?"

Canaan's eyes watered with both laughter and tears as the memory flooded back. "How could I forget?" he chuckled, his fist still raised against the barrier. "They chased us for days, didn't they?"

"Weeks," Lothal corrected with a wheeze, his eyes shining with the warmth of shared camaraderie. "But it was worth it."

"Lothal," Canaan whispered, his voice choked with emotion, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, You were always there for me," he murmured. "Always had my back."

Lothal's eyes gleamed with mirth, despite the shadows of death that grew closer with each passing second. "Always the daredevil," he managed to say. "You had all the luck with the ladies, though." He grimaced, a hint of playfulness in his voice, despite the gravity of the situation. "It was so annoying."

Babel, unable to watch the suffering of the one she had sworn to protect, turned away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She felt Canaan's grief as if it were her own, and yet, she knew that she could not interfere.

Canaan laughed through his tears, the sound a jagged shard of pain. "You were always the better man, Lothal," he said, his voice thick with affection.

Lothal's gaze flickered to Babel, a silent message passing between them. "I know this our first meeting but please...Take care of him for me," he murmured, his voice fading. "He's a handful, but he's worth it."

Babel nodded, her eyes never leaving Lothal's. "I will," she promised, her voice a solemn vow as she beheld the contours of Canaan's face. "Always."

But even as the words left her lips, the final chain shot forth from the altar, piercing Lothal's heart.

Canaan's fists slammed against the barrier, his rage and grief a tempest that threatened to engulf them all. "Lothal, no!" he roared, the words torn from his soul.

But Lothal's gaze remained steadfast, the light in his eyes dimming with each passing moment. "It's okay," he murmured, his voice fading. "I've lived a good life... with you, my friend."

The crimson chain shot forth from the altar like a serpent made of shadow and pain, impaling Lothal's heart with a brutal finality. His scream pierced the silence like a shard of glass, echoing through the chamber as Canaan's grief transformed into a roar of pure, unbridled rage.

Another chain emerged, burrowing into his gut, and Lothal's screams grew more tortured. His skin began to take on the pallor of the grave, the dark magic feasting on his vitality. In that moment, Lothal's eyes found Canaan's, a silent apology for what he was about to see.

And then, with a wet, horrific explosion, Lothal's body disintegrated into a shower of gore, the very essence of his being torn away by the insatiable hunger of the ancient spell.

The air thick with the scent of blood and despair. The magic circle beneath Lothal's remains flickered to life, consuming the last vestiges of his physical form. The room grew still, the only sound the harsh, uneven rhythm of Canaan's breathing.