Chapter 6

Into The Valley of Death They Rode.

Forward or back, it did not matter she/it had said. However, from where he wondered.

If time, past, present and future flowed like a stream then what would be their end.

OH right, Death and Hell. He had seen it. He asked if she/it really had a name, not Athena.

"I have been called many things, in many places and times. You are the only one to join me on my journey so name me as you would, it will end soon and then..."

He knew that, saw it, felt it into his very soul, if he even had one now.

"You are my life, my dreams, and my hope. I should like to call you, Dawn, for if dawn shall not rise the next morning, all is over.'

"We have only two things left to do then as I said all will be over. Whichever way we choose to go it was be the past for me. Even I have some limits so you, my love may need to be strong and perform that which I cannot do, you need but to be with me through it all."

We held hands and when our eyes focused sand and more sand surrounded us. I looked at her and the sound of 'Caw, Caw, Caw' rang out overhead. Some shapes could be seen ahead. We seemed now to float to another place, perhaps another time.

'I needed to be certain they were all dead." Now line upon line of living men, horses, chariots and animals were marching towards a river. Farther ahead more had stopped.

"They are all trapped now." She/it said, almost with a hiss.

There were many more on the other side of that river, much more than the amount near to us. As the columns advanced, those trapped on this side of the river started to lament, some tried to flee, others called out to their God to save them, others made protests as to why were they not saved too.

Men women, children, animals too were being cut to pieces. The sand turned red, as did some of the water. When it was over, we heard the same Caw, Caw, Caw we had heard earlier.

"Four" She/it said as she traced that number in the sand with her foot.

"We rest unless there is something else you desire to do?"

'Damn straight' I thought, as I swept her into my arms and ravished every inch of her.

That night, instead of a more amorous activity she/it told me more about what we had been doing, and why me.

In some future time, terrible things were being done to women, children and even some men and animals. My immediate thoughts were of slaves and harems.

"No, no! I was told of the experiments, vivisection between human and beast, cloning of people to serve the rich and to become their food. As her family had been taken and herself at 14, carted to serve, something or someone offered her a chance to stop this. He/it would grant her a certain gift and in exchange, she would serve him all eternity.

Having nothing to loose, she agreed. For countless years she had done as he commanded, finding some satisfaction in ending the line of humanity that had reached that level of depravity in her time. When I had called out for revenge, her trade with the entity took on a new form. Death and destruction on an unparallel scheme to allow her a companion, me.

She/it had long ago decided on one final course of action. She just could not be alone for it. The things we had done and seen no longer had any reason. Her revenge had long ago been sated. It was to test me, my resolve and the strength of a growing love between us.

Her last test of me was to come. Would I join her in death, even Hell itself since she knew that was to be her fate eventually.

I grasped her hand, held her tight and together we would do that last thing she/it must do.

With eyes closed, we seemed to move in an instant. Where we went, my mind could not even imagine; there was nothing. The sound of thunder perhaps, flashes of lightning. Large and small globs of rock, ice and earth fell around us then a blinding light.

"And so it ends beloved. I was told I would exist for all eternity. Welcome to its end."

There was only a Caw, Caw...

Everything around us seemed to vanish, I reached for her...