cowering body, the veins in his neck and forehead bulging and straining.
“What should I do with you, eh?” Abaddon regained some composure, leaned back, away from Schnither, and a sinister smile curled across his face. It was more of a snarl, and although the roaring had ceased, Schnither now felt more dread than he had before. Somehow, Abaddon’s thunderous rage, terrifying as it was, was less intimidating than when he spoke in muted tones, which could so easily have lead his audience into a false sense of security. ‘ The calm before the storm, ’ Schnither mused.
“ What is the fate of those who let me down? ” Abaddon pondered the question, and Schnither wondered whether it was rhetorical or whether in fact the Dark Master sought his answer. In the end, he decided it best not to speak – there was nothing he could say to make things any better and in all probability opening his mouth would only make things worse. Schnither shuddered. His instincts told him to get up, to run for his life, to fly as far away as he could get and never come back. But he knew that this was not a viable option – there simply was no escape, nowhere to hide for those of his kind who had sworn allegiance to Abaddon. The thought was sobering and Schnither clenched his jaw, causing the muscles along his jaw line to pop.
Abaddon the Defiler now stood up straight to his full nine feet, his four black wings unfurled to a span of eight feet – he was a terrifying sight, and Schnither was sure that his fate had been sealed. He gulped, and closed his eyes – maybe it would be swift and he would feel no pain…
“ One… more… chanc e.” Abaddon’s voice was soft and compelling once again. “I will give you one more chance to get it right. Yours is not a difficult task – I ask you only to rid me of that pesky girl. She is a human , a mere mortal. How difficult can it be?” He paused as if the words pained him, then spat, “ Phoebe Wren , and her do-good parents, and that boy who encourages her so. The Atoner has assigned seven of His finest. He obviously has big designs for that little girl. But He has not reckoned on what I have planned!”
Abaddon’s face had contorted into a freakish mask of twisted glee, and his eyes blazed with zeal at the thought of scuppering the Atoner’s plans.
“Now, Captain Schnither , go. Leave me. I have assembled a team – a stronger, smarter team – for you. They await your command. But do not fail me again . You will not find me so lenient a third time…”
As quickly as he had appeared, Abaddon the Defiler vanished back into the gloom – it was as if he had been swallowed up by the murkiness, never to re-emerge. But Schnither knew better than to assume that Abaddon was ever far away, and he wasted no time in scrabbling to his feet and backing towards the massive doors of the Dark Master’s chamber. He scurried backwards, arms extended behind him, until he felt the unyielding weight of the doors behind him, then spun around, grabbing frantically for the door knob. Schnither heaved the door towards him with all his might and as it swung open, both guards tumbled through and fell at his feet.
“ Eavesdroppers! ” Schnither hissed, and he wasted no time in kicking them both back out through the doors, which he pulled tightly shut behind him.
“How dare you listen in on a private meeting!” Schnither raged. “I should have you sent to the Abyss for such an act of treachery!”
Schnither lifted a clenched fist and struck one of the guards square across the side of his head. The beastly figure, who had been struggling to his feet, went flying across the marbled floor, and thudded into the wall at the opposite side of the hall. Schnither was about to exact the same punishment on the second guard, when loud footfall heralded the arrival of his new troop of demons, who marched up to Schnither, halted sharply a few feet away, and saluted their still fuming captain.
“Captain Schnither,
“What should I do with you, eh?” Abaddon regained some composure, leaned back, away from Schnither, and a sinister smile curled across his face. It was more of a snarl, and although the roaring had ceased, Schnither now felt more dread than he had before. Somehow, Abaddon’s thunderous rage, terrifying as it was, was less intimidating than when he spoke in muted tones, which could so easily have lead his audience into a false sense of security. ‘ The calm before the storm, ’ Schnither mused.
“ What is the fate of those who let me down? ” Abaddon pondered the question, and Schnither wondered whether it was rhetorical or whether in fact the Dark Master sought his answer. In the end, he decided it best not to speak – there was nothing he could say to make things any better and in all probability opening his mouth would only make things worse. Schnither shuddered. His instincts told him to get up, to run for his life, to fly as far away as he could get and never come back. But he knew that this was not a viable option – there simply was no escape, nowhere to hide for those of his kind who had sworn allegiance to Abaddon. The thought was sobering and Schnither clenched his jaw, causing the muscles along his jaw line to pop.
Abaddon the Defiler now stood up straight to his full nine feet, his four black wings unfurled to a span of eight feet – he was a terrifying sight, and Schnither was sure that his fate had been sealed. He gulped, and closed his eyes – maybe it would be swift and he would feel no pain…
“ One… more… chanc e.” Abaddon’s voice was soft and compelling once again. “I will give you one more chance to get it right. Yours is not a difficult task – I ask you only to rid me of that pesky girl. She is a human , a mere mortal. How difficult can it be?” He paused as if the words pained him, then spat, “ Phoebe Wren , and her do-good parents, and that boy who encourages her so. The Atoner has assigned seven of His finest. He obviously has big designs for that little girl. But He has not reckoned on what I have planned!”
Abaddon’s face had contorted into a freakish mask of twisted glee, and his eyes blazed with zeal at the thought of scuppering the Atoner’s plans.
“Now, Captain Schnither , go. Leave me. I have assembled a team – a stronger, smarter team – for you. They await your command. But do not fail me again . You will not find me so lenient a third time…”
As quickly as he had appeared, Abaddon the Defiler vanished back into the gloom – it was as if he had been swallowed up by the murkiness, never to re-emerge. But Schnither knew better than to assume that Abaddon was ever far away, and he wasted no time in scrabbling to his feet and backing towards the massive doors of the Dark Master’s chamber. He scurried backwards, arms extended behind him, until he felt the unyielding weight of the doors behind him, then spun around, grabbing frantically for the door knob. Schnither heaved the door towards him with all his might and as it swung open, both guards tumbled through and fell at his feet.
“ Eavesdroppers! ” Schnither hissed, and he wasted no time in kicking them both back out through the doors, which he pulled tightly shut behind him.
“How dare you listen in on a private meeting!” Schnither raged. “I should have you sent to the Abyss for such an act of treachery!”
Schnither lifted a clenched fist and struck one of the guards square across the side of his head. The beastly figure, who had been struggling to his feet, went flying across the marbled floor, and thudded into the wall at the opposite side of the hall. Schnither was about to exact the same punishment on the second guard, when loud footfall heralded the arrival of his new troop of demons, who marched up to Schnither, halted sharply a few feet away, and saluted their still fuming captain.
“Captain Schnither,
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