Several days later

Rows and rows of angels stand in their gold and silver armor awaiting for the portal to Tartarus to open with weapons at the ready. Toward the front of the army stood Sean, wearing silvery gold archangel armor armed with his sapphire lance with Quiver at his side armed with her steel hatchets. In front of the angel and the she-elf stood Vita wearing the best armor made and a confident smile. Next to her was Norah quivering in her clanky iridescent armor. Vita glanced down at the shaking child. She sighed softly and crouched down to Norah’s level.

“ Norah, what’s wrong?”

“ I don’t think I can do this… I’m not ready.”

“ You are ready, you are prepared to face them. You won’t be alone. You'll have your sister and Sean at your side. And remember everything I told you.”

“ But I have to face my friend..”

“ If Taurus was your friend then he would’ve stayed by your side and not abandoned you for evil.”

“ You’re right, Vita.”

A black lab hellhound trotted to Vita’s side then shifted into a woman with reptilian features but no scales. Vita looked at the being with a soft smile.

“ Are we ready to open the portal to attack?”

“ Yes ma’am, they are completely unprepared,” replied the reptilian woman.

“ Perfect, open the portal.”

The reptilian woman pierced her fangs into her arm causing blood to ooze from the wound. She then made a symbol with her blood a portal opened revealing the obsidian constructed palace, with the front gate wide open. Not a single demon or hellhound were wandering around the castle grounds, but Vita and her army marched forward through the portal. Angels of the army began separating from the group investigating the castle grounds, while Norah, Sean, and Quiver headed to the throne room. All of the halls were empty, no guards, or servants, no one.

“ Sean, Norah I don’t like this one bit. This all seems to-”

“ Easy? I’m glad you think so lassie,” Taurus interrupted Quiver. The shollie was laying on the left side of Azrail’s throne with Hatsu sitting on the right side of the throne. Azrail was sitting on the throne staring down at them with, what looked like, disappointment in his dark crimson eyes. He also seemed very sleepy and weak compared to his powerful presence in Norah’s dream.

“ Azrail would rather not risk thousands of lives for the inevitable of you defeating all of the guards and coming here then start monologuing on how evil we are. Then about how twisted I am for sending the fallen angels after you guys then revealing I tried to kill you two with the hippogriffs and yada yada yada. How about we skip the chit chat and get straight to the bloodshed,” the hellhound giggled similarly to a hyena laughing for food, “ or you can have a lovely chat with yer precious Mama Willow. Before you do somethin’ you’ll regret.”

Mama Willow closed the doors to the throne room, standing behind the group. Norah turned around, startled at the doors slamming, she looked at Mama Willow tears forming in her eyes

“ Norah, Quiver please trust me when I say Vita isn’t all that good. I saw with my own eyes what she’s done, now there isn’t time to explain. I know I haven’t taught you both much but please it’s not too late to help King Azrail and make things right. I’m not saying we have to kill Vita. She just needs to be stopped before you plunge the world into chaos. The idea of no one dying is great for mortals, but in reality more people and animals will suffer more compared to a world with death. It’s not too late to help us dethrone Vita, please.” Mama Willow reached her hand out to them.

Turquoise-violet flames surrounded her body. Norah slowly looked at Azrail with pure hatred carved in her face.

“ Did you honestly believe I would be foolish enough to think that thing is Mama Willow? H-How could you be so cruel to try to make me think my mother was alive?! She’s obviously a fake! Mama Willow is dead and with the angels! Vita told me you would pull something like this!” Norah blasted the freezing fire at Azrail, but Azrail quickly moved to dodge the blast. Hatsu snarled then leaped at Norah. Quiver then swiftly jumped shoving Hatsu into the sidewall before he reached Norah. Norah flew toward Azrail pinning him against the wall while Sean and Taurus began fighting ruthlessly with biting teeth and swinging spears.

Mama Willow flew over to try and get Norah off of Azrail, in response, Norah shoved Mama Willow off her, sending the elderly elven woman flying into the doors knocking her out.

Black sludge started fusing with the dog skulls that Azrail wore, as the sludge drenched Azrail he began shifting into a large three headed black pelted dog with crimson soulless eyes. Scars were raked on the back and front legs of the menacing dog. When Azrail finished shifting he used his claws to pin Norah to the ground. Norah stared up at Azrail in horror and began shaking.

Hatsu had Quiver under his paws pressed against the ground, wearing a menacing grin on his muzzle. Quiver squirmed under his paw and struggling to breathe. Hatsu continued to put pressure on her chest. While Taurus was pinning down Sean, forcing the angel to watch Norah and Azrail. Then the hellhound started laughing then said in a sing-song voice.

“ You woke up Cerberus.”

After the heroes got over their shock they all soon resumed fighting. Sean and Quiver somehow managed to flip their opponents off of them then swung their weapons in defense. Eventually overpowering the two dogs.

Meanwhile Norah grabbed one of Azrail’s paw toes then began burning it. Azrail reeled back, growling in pain. While Norah flew up to be at Azrail’s eye level then began blasting in Azrail’s face. Azrail snapped his three jaws, somewhat tiredly, at Norah as she flew around like an insect, the blasts left nasty burns on his jet black fur.

“ Enough!” Azrail bellowed as black tentacle-like arms made of the pitch black sludge sprouted from his back and began wailing around constricting Quiver, Sean, and Norah holding them tight. Hatsu and Taurus slowly stood up, looking up at them.

“ I won’t allow anymore bloodshed, you all need to listen. Vita isn’t who-” Azrail snarled as all three heads spoke together.

Norah and Sean broke free from the tentacles that constricted them. Sean used his spear to pierce the right head in the neck. Quiver squirmed free then distracted the two dogs while Norah used her freezing fire to scorch the middle head’s face. Sean jammed the spear deeper into the black canine’s necking causing him to growl in agony. Azrail’s three dog heads released powerful violet fiery blasts from his jaws. One of the blasts struck Sean in between his wings causing Sean to crash into the ground.

Quiver looked at Sean, she swiftly ran over to Sean carrying him to a safe corner of the throne room. Taurus flared his green fire to life as he encroached on the two, with his fangs bared and his haunting greenish yellowish glowing eye staring them down.

“ Taurus please. Your leader needs to be stopped, look at what he’s done.”

“ What he’s done is his job.” Taurus responded.

His eye started to glow eerily orange and his form appeared more wolf-like then Quiver and Sean to unknowingly dozed off.

Hatsu climbed his way up the dark red wall then he leaped at Norah grabbing her in his jaws. Before they reached the ground Norah blasted Hatsu’s heart with her colorful fire. The white wolf-dog then howled in agony as Norah wiggled her way out of his jaws, and let his body fall onto the rough ground. Hatsu’s dark blood was splattered on the ground around the area of his head. Taurus sprinted to Hatsu’s body trying to wake him up. The hellhound then stared up at Norah, snarling. But the only response she gave was silence.

She looked away and while she flew back to Azrail, she grabbed Sean’s spear from the beast’s neck. The mesmerizing green and violet fires swirled around the angel’s spear as she landed on top of Azrail’s head. The left and right heads struggled and snapped their jaws at Norah trying to stop her, but she was just out of reach.

Norah then stabbed the spear into Azrail’s skull to pierce his brain. Then as the three headed beast released his last howl. The dog’s form dissolved away revealing Azrail's true identity. Azrail’s skin was pale. His jawline was lined with a well trimmed beard and black hair spiked hair with both sides of his head shaved. Azrail’s eyes were wide open revealing his black eyes, but the eye color part of his eyes were redder than blood. There was no life in his dark eyes that remained open. Norah’s spine shivered in guilt.

Golden blood flooded from the wound on the top of his head streamed down his face and the scorched burns that stained his face along with scars that riddled his wrists. Tears trickled from Norah’s eyes. She gazed back at Taurus who was turning to stone, she slowly walked over to Taurus with an emotionless expression on her face that had Azrail’s golden blood splattered on her.

“ Taurus, what's happening to you?”

“ Ya see lassie Azrail made a deal with his Hellhounds that we serve him for life and in return, he grants us powers along with the ability to return to the mortal realm. If we fail or he dies we turn to stone... search for his son. Ye hate me I know but, just do me a favor and bring my statue to a cold forest,” he darkly chuckled “ ironic you did all of this to make sure no one would die and yet I’m dying again, technically. Don’t forget we tried to warn ye.”

Taurus’s body then became completely cocooned in the stone. Sean stood behind Norah with Quiver supporting him. Vita along with some of her angels broke down the doors then began to investigate the room. Some of them carried Hatsu’s lifeless corps out of the room.

“ Good job Norah! You did it!” Vita praised as she entered the throne room.

“ What about those who are already dead? Will they come to life..?” Quiver questioned as Norah stared at Taurus’s statue.

“ I’m sorry but those who are dead stay dead… since they now have a new life in Tartarus or Heaven. But now they’ve been avenged and the world can be perfect once again,” Vita replied.

“Queen Vita, do you mind leaving us alone for a bit..?” Quiver asked.

Vita nods as she and her angels leave the throne room, closing the doors. Sean and Quiver sat beside Norah staring at the lifeless statue of Taurus.

“ I did the right thing but I can’t believe I actually did it… I should feel proud but I don’t, I feel awful like I ate something bad that’s turning my stomach inside out.”

“ That’s okay Norah it’s natural to feel guilty Azrail was still a living being, he had a life and a soul,” Sean said in a comforting tone.

“ Yeah sis it will all be okay we’ll help you recover from this.”

Norah and Quiver stood to their feet while Sean stayed sitting in front of the statue.

“ You two go ahead, I'll stay here a bit longer. I need to figure something out.”

The girls nod in understanding, walking away from Sean heading out of the throne room and out of the palace. Sean kept staring at the statue of Taurus with his back throbbing in agony, and his stomach knotting up in regret. Alright, Boogeyman. It’s time we have a chat about the dream you gave me. I hope it wasn’t a trick of yours, Sean thought to himself as he reached out touching the cold stoned statue.