Gabriel was a monster.

  If something looks like shit and smells like shit too, then it is shit; there is no need to taste it to find out. Gabriel looked like a monster, he sounded like a monster and he behaved like one too. Spitting in a man’s face and then beheading him when he had already yielded was not something Gabriel ever thought he would do. He never thought he would become a monster, but he had. Now he sat in a deep, dark cell.

  You are no monster, the voice whispered, they mocked you.

  ‘Shut up,’ he said to no one.

  The dungeon was an underground labyrinth of iron and stone. The bars were splotched with rust and the stones lined with moss. It was a wet place; a drop of water would fall from the ceiling in an ever changing pattern. Sometimes it would rapidly splat over Gabriel’s head, other times it would scarcely come, making him wait until he finally believed the dripping had ceased. Another drop would drip.

  This is no place for a hero, the voice whispered, accept me into your heart and I will break your chains.

  The cell was quiet which made the dripping of water sound explosive and the rattling of chains a clamour in his mind. It made the voice in his head unbearable. They had left his bronze shackles on his wrist as if to insult his honour further. He now wore another set of shackles. These ones had chains unbroken that connected to the ceiling and strung Gabriel into a position he could hardly move. The iron shackles had a monster’s gem heart set into the cuff that released a purple glow. Gabriel had tried to use noctra, but it was absorbed by the gem which would glow brighter in response.

  Under his shirt, they had also left the wooden cross around his neck, but now he wished they took it. It scratched his skin and left a burning sensation. It was almost as if the wood was red steel from the forge, branding him like livestock. It was a reminder of a girl who had abandoned him for Earth.

  That’s right, they abandoned you; they all did, the voice whispered, they were scared of you-

  ‘Scared because I am a monster,’ Gabriel said.

  Because they saw how much greater you were and it frightened them.

  Gabriel truly had gone insane; he was now talking to the voice in his head.

  You aren’t going insane, the voice whispered, you know me and I know you.

  ‘You don’t know me.’

  Sure I do, the voice whispered, I know how great you are and I know how unfairly you have been treated. On Earth you were bullied, your family never loved you, your crush never saw you the way you saw her. They were jealous of you Gabriel. Then when you came to Purgatory and you proved your strength, the women started to love you and the men respected you. Then they took it all away again. Elizabeth left you because you were better than her.

  ‘Elizabeth left for Earth because she had to return to her brother.’

  Then why is she still in Purgatory?

  ‘She’s not.’

  It is impossible to return to Earth, she just wanted an excuse to leave you. But I will never leave you.

  ‘You aren’t real.’

  I am and you know I am, the voice whispered, say my name.

  The voice sounded familiar now to Gabriel, but he didn’t know where from. It sounded like hearing your brother again after years apart, ‘Saleos,’ Gabriel said, ‘you are a demon.’

  Who defines angles and demons or monsters and men, Saleos whispered, all that matters is that I am the strongest of them all and I have a plan for you.

  ‘I don’t want anything to do with a demon.’

  Don’t think of me as a demon, think of me as someone who is enabling you to bring justice to the world.

  ‘Justice?’

  Yes, justice. You shouldn’t have been left behind by Marshal. It should be you, the victor, who is a holy squire, not Elizabeth. You shouldn’t be shackled and locked away in a cell, it should be Sanya who attacked you in the street. You shouldn’t have had your beauty stolen from you, they were all jealous of your looks. I can make things go back to how they should be, if you accept me into your heart.

  ‘You will trick me.’

  Not if we make a deal; demons cannot break deals.

  Gabriel felt like this was true, ‘What’s the deal?’

  I will give you the power to set yourself free, the power to put those who wronged you beneath you forever. In exchange I need you to kill one person for me.

  ‘Who is it?’

  A boy named Alek Howell. He stole something from me and I need you to send him to Hell so I can get it back.

  The wooden cross around Gabriel’s neck grew hotter, ‘Where is he?’

  You will find him in Kerioth.

  ‘Why not someone already by his side?’

  Apart from those I have marked, I can only talk to those inside my city, and out of everyone in this city I chose you Gabriel because I could sense greatness in you.

  ‘Is he a bad person?’ The necklace was unbearably hot; a wisp of smoke rose from beneath Gabriel’s shirt.

  Terrible, he would throw Purgatory into ruins. You could save it; be the hero I know you are.

  ‘And you will give me power?’

  You will become the most powerful person in purgatory, no chain shall shackle you, no blade shall scar you, no man will stand above you. You deserve this power, because you are great. You are beautiful.

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  ‘I will kill this boy for you.’

  The cross scorched Gabriel’s skin.

  I knew you would, my first gift to you has been delivered.

  The small gem heart set into Gabriel’s shackles glowed a fierce purple, the light ever growing until the entire cell was washed in a sunset of violet. The gem heart cracked and the shackles crumbled to dust. The bronze shackles of honour crumbled next, then the wooden cross burst into flames, but it too crumbled to dust and fire itself with it.

  Gabriel rubbed his wrists where the prison’s shackles were, where the honour shackles were; he felt free. No chain, wall or barrier would ever block him again. He walked up to the gate that barred his cell and placed his hand on the cool iron, it disintegrated.

  The first thing Gabriel did with his new found freedom was retrieve his armour and sword. It was still in his room, just as he left it. Head to the docks, Saleos whispered, take the Crow’s wing, it will carry you to Kerioth.

  Gabriel nodded. He would not question his new master.

  People at the docks were scarce. A few cleaning boys were making their way through the murk of the morning, the sun hadn’t risen yet, but the deck needed to be waxed before the captain arrived at dawn.

  Three men stood on the softly swaying Crow’s wing. Two wore blue cloaks, the other was shirtless with fur pelt pants, and he would be the captain. Gabriel stepped onto the boat.

  ‘What are you doing?’ the captain asked, he peered at Gabriel’s face and his eyes were full of confusion. He was clearly trying to make out who Gabriel was in the darkness, then finally the recognition of a monster flashed his face. He went to cry out, but the boat felt too crowded so Gabriel placed his hand on the captain; he became a pile of dust that covered the deck of the boat.

  Before the two mages could react, Gabriel’s hands were on them both, at any moment he could choose to turn them to nothing as he had their captain.

  ‘Make one move, say one word, and you die.’

  They didn’t respond, their eyes were filled with terror.

  ‘Understand?’ Gabriel asked.

  They still didn’t move at first as if they were unsure if they were allowed to respond, but finally the mage on the left with a black goatee nodded.

  Gabriel took his hands off them with a smile, ‘Good, I’m glad we understand each other. Why don’t you guys take a seat?’

  The mages looked at each other and slowly sat down at the back of the ship. More and more people were starting to trickle into the docks as sunrise was approaching.

  ‘Start the ship,’ Gabriel ordered, ‘let’s depart.’

  Gabriel drew his sword, the blade broken into an ugly shard from his duel with Elizabeth. He slashed the rope that hitched the ship to the dock.

  ‘Where to?’ the goatee mage asked, ‘north-east across the step-stones or west?’

  ‘East towards Kerioth.’

  ‘Across the Benjamin Sea? That’s madness,’ the other mage said.

  Gabriel placed the edge of his shattered great sword on the mage’s neck, ‘I am the captain now and you will do as I say, or I will slit your throat.’

  The mage swallowed, his Adam’s apple brushing the cold steel. The two mages slowly lowered their hands behind them so they rested on the water’s surface, and the boat drifted away from the dock.

  Slow and quite at first, the Crow’s wing passed a hundred ships in the docks of Capernaum. By the time the sun was peeking over the horizon, the shoreline city of Capernaum was disappearing behind them.

  ‘Increase the speed,’ Gabriel ordered once they were in open water. The mages complied and the boat moved so ferociously the nose tipped up above the water. The mages followed his every word without question. He was in charge. He was leading. This was how it should be. Gabriel was making the decisions now.

  Steer to the left, Saleos whispered.

  In the afternoon, when they had been sailing in the open water for several hours the mage with the goatee was starting to show signs of wear. His face was strained, his arms were trembling and his cloak was caked with sweat.

  ‘I have had no time to rest,’ he complained.

  ‘You will have time to rest when we arrive in Kerioth.’

  ‘With all due respect, how do you even know where you are going? Every hour you say “steer left” or “steer right,” but this sea is uncharted and I don’t take you for a sailor.’

  ‘Save your energy for powering the ship,’ Gabriel said, ‘Or I will- ‘

  The Crow’s foot rocked under a violent wave that appeared from nowhere. Gabriel caught himself before he stumbled, his first thought was that the mages had tried to knock him overboard, but their eyes were wide with fear.

  The other mage, who wore a pair of circular spectacles had a trembling lip as he spoke. ‘The leviathan.’

  Gabriel’s mind began to panic. There was not a shoreline in sight.

  Do not worry child. It is not the leviathan, Saleos whispered. She would never take interest in a ship so small, but it is one of her children and they are hungry. Few travellers ever cross this sea.

  The water looked still, but again from nowhere another wave passed under the Crow’s foot, more violent than before. The mages cowered like herd animals.

  ‘Double the speed,’ Gabriel ordered.

  ‘We can’t.’

  ‘Do you want to be thrown overboard?’ Gabriel asked.

  The mages looked at each other again, and the ship accelerated. It wasn’t double speed, but for a while they lost the sea beast. It couldn’t last. The mage with the goatee was huffing on every breath, his hair was turning white before Gabriel’s eyes and his skin was gaining wrinkles by the minute. Then after a final hour push where Gabriel had to keep reminding him through use of his blade, the magic stopped coming from his hands. He had turned into a husk with sunken cheeks and bony fingers. His breath was a wheeze and his eyes were grey.

  The Crow’s foot rocked under a wave that came from beneath them. Something was lurking in the shadows of the sea.

  Gabriel growled.

  Throw the mage overboard, Saleos whispered.

  ‘Then who will power the ship?’ Gabriel asked.

  You will, Saleos whispered, I will give you another gift.

  ‘Who are you talking to?’ the mage with the spectacles asked. He was also looking worse for wear, but for now he was still expelling magic.

  ‘Doesn’t matter,’ Gabriel said, and he kicked the mage with the goatee. The mage splashed into the salt water. He didn’t even wriggle as he sank below the surface.

  ‘Oh god,’ the other mage said.

  ‘I am your god,’ Gabriel said. ‘Now prepare to power the ship.’

  Place your hand on him, Saleos whispered, when he uses his spell feel the flow of lifespan and copy his technique.

  Gabriel placed his hand on the mage who began to tremble, but he did as he was told and used his spell. With only one source of power, the ship spun in circles, but then Gabriel felt the flow; it was an amazing feeling. He didn’t need to work to learn spells, he could just steal them.

  Gabriel placed his own hand on the surface of the water and when the ship was aligned in the correct direction, Saleos told him so, he expelled the copied spell.

  Crow’s Wing sailed forward through the sea, behind them the leviathan’s child found its prey.