I was assigned to guard the town square and people came to ask me why I was in battle gear. I explained that the portal to a realm potentially described as hell opens with a planetary alignment. Everyone in the mansion has a designated spot they guard. This was mine. The locals were told to finish their chores and go home. The things that come out won't be gentle. Some of them will drive them mad. But if they stay at home they won't be able to hurt them. The teenagers asked if they could do anything. I told them that once the portal opens everyone needs to be quiet since any sound would attract them. The ex-military group showed up. They tried to set up a perimeter. I told them that these guys can't be hurt with conventional weapons. They require Thaumaturgic energy to destroy. The soldiers promised to stay out of my way as I killed them. I gave one of them a thumbs up as the rift lit up. I asked everyone to walk home in orderly fashion and be quiet. Everyone nodded their heads and went inside shops and houses. The soldiers stood in a straight line like a physical barrier between the monsters and the citizens. The first one to come out was a woman who was slowly rotting. She smelled of decaying flesh and her fingers fell off as she stepped in. She claimed she was the infamous Morgana la Fey.
I laughed as I summoned Mrs. Erebus. She only came because her section had no rip. I introduced her to Morgana. She laughed as she turned into the actual Morgana. A raven haired beauty that was a lethal weapon no matter which direction it was pointed at. The other one let out a shriek and black light came out of her palm. Morgana absorbed it without flinching. They both fought till the one from the rift turned to sand. The next one to exist was a centaur. My Cerberus ate him. I took the bow and aimed at the rift as bats made of shadows fluttered out. I fired an arrow and they caught fire. Lapis lazuli flames engulfed them and they turned to ashes. The next one stood on the other side. He was trying to assess the situation. He looked upset as I heard someone whined, "You said this was the best place to open the rift. Tell Talbot he had better clear the square as quickly as possible. I have unfinished business. I have to get my hands on the Talons. Once I cast the spell the eternal night begins." I pulled the strings and a black arrow came out. I pointed it at the assessor. The arrow shot out and pierced his heart. The rip shut with a shriek. Erebus gave me a pat on the back as she searched where the rip would reopen. The peak just began. There are several possibilities. There was so much interference. I asked her to find Atticus. He has a six sense that magic can't overrule. She waved her hand and he appeared in a black cloud. Atticus turned into a feathered serpent and sensed the rip.
It was near the asylum in the ghost town. We ran to fight the beasts as the soldiers searched everywhere to make sure there were no other rips and make sure no one was harmed. There was one time in history where there were multiple rips and Darklings were spread everywhere. It took more than a year to kill them all. People landed in the asylum because of them. Atticus and Edgar went searching for other rips while Erebus came with me to fight the rip opening in the asylum. Running on foot while armed to the teeth isn't as easy as it looks. By the time we went there she wished she had bent time and space to speed things up. The rip pulsed red hot before many tendrils of fire reached out as though it was checking if the coast was clear or not. I asked her if she could put a ring of fire around the rip so anyone who comes out burns. She happily wriggled her fingers and black fire appeared. I realized it was a pentagram. The rip was pulsing madly. Suddenly there was a jerk and I thought someone had gripped a fabric on both sides and ripped it hard. I watched as it opened up like it was a wound. I watched as severed arms still attached to the shoulder crawled out and also legs ripped from the hip were hopping out. They all hit the pentagram and burned. The ashes flowed back into the rip. I heard a cackle as a soot covered man in wizard robes walked out. They had an intense staring competition and the fighting began.
I kept an eye out for others who were trying to escape. That was difficult because the man kept blocking me. I used the arrow and a black arrow came out as a large black bird flew out. The arrow pierced it and the wizard fell to the floor screaming in pain. The breach started burning as someone tried to make the rip a permanent fixture. There were cauldrons bubbling with green smoke billowing. I took a dagger and threw it at the brewer. The dagger blew to bits but killed the brewer and everything nearby. Erebus laughed as the wizard was pushed back into the hole. The ground cracked open and he asked for a second chance. Skeletal hands wrapped themselves on him as he was dragged to the depths of fire. He was screaming for mercy. A woman wearing a torn dress asked what mercy looked like. Since she had none. She wanted to know if the end was near or here. She stepped out and possessed Erebus. I reached into my pocket for anything that could undo it. My fingers grazed something sharp and I threw it. The tooth turned into a monster which ate the spirit. Erebus was free of the possession and she gave me a smile. As we stood up a scream was heard beyond the breach. A bald man wearing a stained straight jacket stared back. He moved around as though he was trying to hit his own head. I have seen such people but never imagined one to be the leader of such insanity. He was yelling profanities and I used the boomerang to decapitate him.
Moments later blood gathered again and he was standing not far away yelling profanities. I asked Erebus to absorb his healing ability so I can kill him. She simply raked her nails in the air and smoke curled out of his body and entered mine. He coughed up blood as Erebus told me to use the boomerang again. This time he stayed dead. I felt someone's presence and looked to see the underverse in view again. This time the ranger was little more visible. He looked Eastern European and he looked like a Viking in his thirties. I would certainly say he was wearing a fur cloak. His features were still masked by gray smoke. Somehow I can tell his features were very handsome. I looked the other way and I took the step towards the rift. Erebus laughed merrily as a witch yelled in frustration. She was hoping the ranger's beauty would distract me from the rift. I was more concerned about the safety of the town. The witch tried to send thorny vines. But they hit an invisible wall. After several probes the vines went back to guarding a pulsing metal box. There were cracks all over and yellow light was emanating from it. The box was tempting but I was taught that desire is a weakness that I can't afford. So I asked Erebus if she could speed up time. She explained that it could help them escape and leave us helpless. She asked me about the yellow box. I brushed it off mentioning it was a waste of my time. A swarm of bugs tried to ram forward. Erebus blocked it in the opportune time. They joined together and took the shape of a elderly man in his sixties.
The man took a deep breath and began punching the unseen barrier till his knuckles began to bled. He stared at me wondering why I was allowed to be here when he is there. He stuck his tongue out and angrily licked the blood off his knuckles. He stared with absolute malice. He took a few rattled breaths before he roared with uncontrollable rage as he turned around. He was looking for a different place to tear open so he could get out. I checked the watch and I saw that only five hours has passed. So twenty seven hours to go. Time always slows down when we do something we disapprove of. The man asked if they could open a portal elsewhere and the response was simple. The person who could open the portal from multiple places was killed by Tiberius ten years ago. So they can open a portal only when the present one is shut. The possibility of opening a portal incorrectly would kill them. He stared angrily before he kicked the nearest rock away. A blinding light appeared and a chariot made from human bones slowly landed on the grass. A skeleton wearing a royal outfit walked out with the air of entitlement. Erebus explained that he was The Skeleton King. He coldly stared at the old man. The red dots in the middle of his eye socket glowed brightly. The flames above the sockets resemble thick bushy eyebrows. He raised a bone finger towards the man. No words came out of his mouth. But somehow the walking bones was so terrified that he ran away like he was running to hide from Armageddon itself. He wasn't the only one. Everyone else cleared out too. We went back to the town and my stepdad asked me why a skeleton was here. I explained that he is one of the good guys protecting the town from evil. I explained that his presence had the enemy retreating like a coward. The skeleton king wasn't here to hurt anyone he is simply here to make sure anyone who comes out of the rift either dies or goes back in. He won't hurt anyone. He was the most feared guardian before he became this thing. He smiled and I explained that not all guardians were women. Men have been guardians too but very rarely.