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The two proceeded on their journey, the dragon and the demon side-by-side wandering around the barren landscape of the underworld. The sky lit red as blood with the occasional balls of fire that descended onto the ground. The earth was barren and scorched as though a fire had just ravaged the area. The wind carried the howls of the souls all throughout the underworld, the pain and the agony can be heard sending chills down the dragon's spine. Surely this was a world of punishment, if the elements don't kill you the screams and howls with send you into madness.

"So... um..." Brandon called out, the dragon shifted nervously as the two proceeded. "Is hell always like this?"

"What exactly do you mean?" Draco chuckled, the demon pausing momentarily to view his surroundings. "Hell, as perceived by the mortals, is a land of punishment and torment. Why wouldn't it be so barren and agonizing?" The Demon's answer didn't seem to faze him at all. In fact, he seemed amused... which would be understandable since he's lived here all his life.

"Not that..." Brandon protested, feeling that his competence was challenged by such an obvious fact. "I meant, further ahead I could feel... tranquillity... peace... has hell always had these feelings?"

Draco turned to the direction they were headed to see what Brandon had meant. "Ah, yes... we are nearing the center of the first circle of hell: Limbo."

As they passed a beautiful but poorly lit archway, Draco hopped merrily to the front of Brandon and faced him, walking backwards as to not stop their journey. "Now, for this tour I will be your guide." Draco cooed in an annoying, feminine british voice. "Where we came from, the barren wasteland of nothingness and despair, mortals like to call if the first section of Limbo: the hell of the damned. This being Limbo, all the souls that are placed here aren't entirely sinners... at least... that's how I understood it. Anyway, those trapped in the hell of the damned aren't sinful enough to be placed in the deeper circles, but aren't worthy enough to enter heaven. So they just sit there to rot, waiting for judgement day or something like that."

Brandon stopped and looked back, trying to imagine what other souls he has seen and felt. All of them yearned freedom, but couldn't taste it. They were all rooted to the ground, as if caught by quicksand, each of them trying to claw their way out. "Is that why the place was a desert of quicksand? So people can't get out?"

Draco paused to think about it. "Hm... I'm not really sure... I think so... maybe."

"Well, what about this one?" Brandon asked pointing to the light up ahead. "What's that place called?"

"That, that is purgatory." Draco answered as he pulled the dragon away. "You wouldn't want to go in there, especially since you're in a quest."

Brandon offered no resistance as the demon dragged him away, but he was bewildered by Draco's actions. "Um, why don't I want to go there?"

"Do you NOT know anything about hell?" Draco asked as he pushed the dragon away. "Have you done at least the SLIGHTEST bit research before you went here?"

"I researched on my enemy." Brandon proudly answered. "That's all the information I needed."

"Well, for your information," Draco brashly replied. "Purgatory is where the souls who DO go to heaven are cleansed so that they are 'holy enough'. Honestly, this is basic Christianity, how could you not know this?"

"I don't know... maybe because I've lived this life for more than thousands of years that religion is a very petty thing to think about?" Brandon replied sarcastically. "I'm very practical when it comes to my thoughts and actions these days... I don't think about the religious side of things."

Draco stopped his pushing and the two of them stood face-to-face. "That's... that's a very smart thing to say..." Draco said with awe, Brandon's words still echoing in his mind. "I swear, if you haven't done anything wrong in your life you might actually end up here in our next level: the Limbo of the Patriarchs."

Brandon viewed the area for a short while, getting the data he needs to come up with an answer. "I'm guessing this is where all the philosophers go, those who do not believe in eternal life or God but have done nothing wrong during their time with the living."

"Bingo." Draco replied, giving Brandon a thumb up of approval.

Brandon was still confused though. "My question now is: if they don't believe in a god... why did they go to hell?"

"That's an excellent question." Draco replied with a childish grin on his face. "You see, religion is a very... hm... how you say... petty concept. What is a religion but a term formed by mortals in the belief that there is someone or many people up there, watching over them with the ability to perform wondrous deeds. There is literally no physical evidence that this god exists, or that god exists and so on and so forth. If you look at things logically, all religion is the same, they just have different things to idolize."

"Not all religions are the same." Brandon interrupted.

"MOST then, MOST religions are the same." Draco rudely replied. "The idea of hell for the Christians, the basic, infant understanding of hell, is that it is a place of punishment for all those 'bad people' out there. Where in reality, hell is similar to that of the underworld in Egyptian mythology: a place for the dead. It's just that the Christians believed that there would be an afterlife that they created the concept of heaven, the kingdom of God. The Egyptians have a similar concept, except that 'heaven' is exclusive to gods, no mortal may enter."

Brandon decided Draco's babbling was getting too long and getting them nowhere. "That still doesn't explain things--"

"Dude, stop interrupting me, I'm getting there!" Draco scolded immaturely. "Anyway, regarding your question, every mortal soul has to go somewhere. They can't stay on earth 'cause that's the land of the living, they have to go somewhere else so they go to the land of the dead. But for the Christians who believe in heaven, they are welcome to go somewhere else, to a paradise, those who don't stay here. Now for those who are relatively sinless-ish, they don't deserve punishment neither do they deserve to go to heave, y'know, 'cause they don't believe in it, they are given a place here in limbo where they can live, as though in paradise, peacefully for all eternity."

Brandon took a few moments to let it all sink in. "Okay... still a little foggy but I think I can go with that."

"Word of advice: don't take my word for it." Draco added. "I don't make the rules here, I gave you an explanation based purely on my understanding of things. I cannot guarantee that they are right or wrong."

"It's okay." Brandon replied. "Your explanation was okay... although a little messy in the way you said it..."

"I can't help it..." Draco chuckled. "If I start explaining something, I sometimes lose track of what I'm doing and end up babbling for long periods of time."

"Well, let's keep going." Brandon said, urging the demon to proceed. "I don't have a lot of time."

Draco didn't understand what the rush was for, but he didn't complain. He didn't like staying here in Limbo, it always gave him an odd feeling... possibly because of what lies ahead...

"Waah!... Waaaah!"

The cries jolted Brandon as he turned to see what it was. Ahead he could see a forest, poorly lit but otherwise beautiful. There were meadows and fields decorated with flowers and trees in bloom, there were marble archways and statues that decorated the place quite beautifully. This place would have been beautifully peaceful if it wasn't for all the crying. "What was that?"

"That is the sound of infants crying." Draco calmly answered as they walked through the floral archway of the garden. "We're entering the 'Limbo of the Infants'."

"Where all the unborn babies go?" Brandon asked to confirm his suspicions.

"Most of them are unborn babies, yes." Draco answered as he directed Brandon to a bush where a baby lays, crying. "Some, like this child, was born but didn't receive the baptism to free him of original sin. Thus, he can't enter heaven yet. And since he's a baby, his heart is pure and untouched by other sins that he can't be placed anywhere else." Draco gently picked up the child and cradled it in his arms, calming the baby to sleep.

"So... baptism is crucial in entering heaven?" Brandon asked, staring at the sleeping baby.

"Well duh," Draco replied. "that's common Christian knowledge by now."

"If the land of the dead is linked amongst all religions, why is it that the concepts you present to me are all... Christian?" Brandon asked.

"That should be obvious." Draco answered. "Hell and everything religion related would be perceived as what you are used to. You were obviously born and raised a Christian which is why the underworld you're experiencing is Christian. Egyptians, Greeks, Japanese, and Muslims would all experience different versions of hell."

"I see." Brandon mumbled and gently caressed the infant's cheek. "Does anybody take care of these infants?"

Draco shook his head with a sorrowful expression. "Not that I'm aware of... no..." He slowly placed the infant back in the bush where he found it. "C'mon... I don't like hanging around in Limbo."

"Why?" Brandon asked, though he wasn't hesitant in leaving as well.

"Nothing... it's nothing." Draco replied trying to avoid an awkward conversation. "Let's just get going, get this over with as soon as possible." Draco then proceeded deeper into the forest with Brandon close behind.

After a while of wandering around aimlessly, Draco stopped and sat down on a fallen tree. "Why're we stopping?" Brandon asked.

Draco shook his head and took a deep breath. "It's... nothing..." Draco sighed. "I'm just... tired..."

Brandon sat beside the demon and stares at the forest canopy. Nothing but black darkness could be seen but Brandon felt... calm, as if the feeling of breeze against his scales or the rustling of the leaves were all enough for him in a world of darkness. "Is there something bothering you? Something I can help you with?"

Draco shook his head once more, but immediately wrapped his hands around his head in pain. "It's nothing..."

"It doesn't seem like it's nothing." Brandon pointed out as he produced a piece of cloth and a container of water from his pack. He soaked the cloth with the water and placed it on Draco's head.

"I'm just tired okay..." Draco protested and shoved Brandon's arms away. "My brother and I fought before I went on this journey and I haven't rested since... the strain's just getting to me."

"I see..." Brandon bit his lip, trying to contain his irritation. "Dude, I can't help ease the pain if you're pushing me away like that. I can help ease the pain."

"No..." Draco waved his hand at Brandon. "I just need some sleep. I haven't gotten some in a long time."

"Is it safe to sleep here?" Brandon asked, nervously looking side-to-side. "I mean, isn't hell like a hostile environment?"

"Depends on which circle you're in..." Draco moaned through the pain as he slowly curled up on the ground. "Here in Limbo, it's like an incomplete paradise. The worst you can get is a philosopher babbling on about things you couldn't care less about..."

"Like what you did to me?" Brandon jokingly asked.

"Exactly..." Draco moaned, covering his body under his wing. "Now you know what the worst feels like, you don't have to worry about it."

"Hmph." Brandon grunted and spat out a tiny ball of fire on the ground next to Draco. "Well, might as well camp here for the night then."

Draco didn't complain but he shrugged a little in protest. "Just make sure you contain that fire. I like Limbo and I don't want to see it burning to the ground."

"Wait... I thought you hate Limbo." Brandon asked with a slight chuckle.

"I have my reasons for liking and hating this place..." Draco's moans and mumbles slowly grew softer and inaudible as he drifted into unconsciousness until all that could be heard were snores.

Brandon stared at the sleeping demon, a slight feeling of pride and joy as he saw the movement of breathing beneath the jet black wings. "You make me feel like a father... and you the son I never had..." Brandon whispered, placing a hand on the sleeping Draco's back and slowly caressing it. "I'm... I'm really glad you decided to join me on this quest..." and at that, Brandon slowly lay down next to Draco, his wings wrapped around the two creatures as they slept through the night.

'Uriel... what on earth are you planning for me?' Brandon asked to himself as he slowly drifted into sleep.

When the two woke up, Brandon dowsed the flame and the two continued their journey. The two walked through the forests of Limbo, neither uttering a single word. Brandon stared at Draco, concerned that there was something wrong with the demon.

"Draco..." Brandon started, unable to contain his concerns. "Be honest with me, please, is there something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, okay!?" Draco exclaimed. Brandon stared in surprise and fear as Draco lost his temper. Draco realized what he's done and shook his head, leaned against a tree and sighed. "I'm... sorry... it's just that... Limbo... does things to me okay. I like it because it's the only happy place in hell, or at least as happy as it can get but... it gets me thinking about things... things that disturb me..."

Brandon didn't need to see it, he knew Draco was at the verge of tears. He was in pain, Brandon could sense that. "Then talk to me, what's bothering you?" Brandon urged the demon to share.

Draco was very hesitant. He knew that Brandon may be able to help but... "It's nothing--"

SMACK!!!

Brandon couldn't contain his frustrations, he immediately landed a jaw-breaking punch at Draco's face causing Draco to smash into a tree. "What the fuck--"

"I WANT to help you Draco." Brandon scolded with an angry, stern voice. "But if you keep forcing the fact that there's nothing wrong then you'll only make things worse. So please, just--"

"I don't want to leave another life behind okay!" Draco exclaimed after reattaching his jaw bone.

Brandon felt guilty for what he had done, he rubbed his knuckles just as the pain set in. 'He was a lot sturdier than I thought...' Brandon thought to himself. "... what do you mean?" Brandon dared to ask.

Draco sat there, rubbing his cheek, trying to soothe the pain. "I just... I'm afraid of having to... lose everything. I have no recollection of my life when I was alive... you have no idea how hard I tried to remember why I was in hell in the first place. I've lost the woman I love... I'm sorry by I don't have the strength to share that right now. And lastly, I'm afraid that I'd have to leave this life behind as well. I worked long and hard to gain the respect of the other demons, I can practically waltz between one circle to the next with the respect I've earned. But helping you in this quest to defeat Lucifer... nobody would want to be with me and I'll be all alone again."

Brandon stood in front of the grieving Draco and offered his hand to help him up. Although hesitant at first, Draco took Brandon's hand and stood up. "But you won't be alone. You're free to come back with me to the land of the living if you'll feel rejected here--"

"Demons can't go back to earth." Draco interrupted. "It would take an awful lot of effort and even if we do go back, we wouldn't have this physical form, we would be significantly weaker and we'd have the need to possess a mortal body in order to survive."

"Dude, you're not making it easy for me!" Brandon protested, though more jokingly than furiously. "Then I'll just visit you here as often as I can."

"Can't." Draco interrupted once more. "If I do end up becoming a traitor, they'd either destroy me or lock me up in the deepest circle of hell. And as far as I'm concerned, visitors are either not allowed access to hell, or can only reach as far as Limbo to speak with the philosophers or something like that."

"Well, if you knew you'd be treated differently why'd you agree to help me in the first place?" Brandon asked, beginning to lose his patience once more.

"That's what Limbo does to me, it makes me rethink my decisions." Draco replied. "At the beginning I was all 'Hooray, I'm going on an adventure!' or 'I'm gonna kick other demon's asses, woohoo!' or something like that. But now... I'm all 'Do I really want to leave all of this behind?'..."

"So... will you still accompany me in this journey?" Brandon asked, fearful of what Draco might say in response.

"Of course I will." Draco replied. "This journey will help me bring meaning to my life. Being a demon in hell can get boring when you're given nothing to do. I believe that I may find an answer when I help you... I HOPE you can give me an answer."

"Thank you..." Brandon was almost too happy to hear that Draco would still accompany him. "Now let's get outta here before you start acting all crazy again."

"Sounds like a plan."