“Wipe that smirk off your face, Lamech. It’s not out of kindness that I treat you as an equal in our struggle.” Keiran grabbed the folds of his black robe and bunched them over his chest, meager protection from the air’s chill that filtered in through the window.
      
From where he stood, he had a clear view of the land below and dreary sky above. Gray birds flew overhead, scouring the ground for food with their keen eyesight. Suddenly one folded in its wings and plummeted to the ground, appearing to accelerate beyond the push of gravity. Seconds later it took to the skies again, a wriggling black rodent in its sharp talons.
      
Lamech joined him at the window and rubbed his finger along the crevice separating thin glass from white rock. “Believe me, Keiran. I suffer no delusions of fairness in your sight.”
      
A black river flowed beneath the stone structure, a line of tar staining the otherwise gray-green landscape. “Our friends are restless,” he commented. “Shall we comfort them?”
      
“Let them sleep,” Keiran replied. “Molech has his reasons for sending them here, just as he has reasons for placing you here.”
      
“And yet you still go on with your complaining. There must be an anthro leading the charge, and unless I’m mistaken, there aren’t any others in Hades.”

“There may actually be another.”
      
Lamech cocked his head. “Oh? Do tell.”

“My knowledge of this is limited, but I have heard rumors of one of the dead dragons not showing up in Pangaea. Naturally, he cannot have gone to Heaven, which leaves only Hades or Earth as possibilities.”
      
“And if he were on Earth, he would have been found by now.”
      
“Precisely.” Keiran sighed. “Unfortunately, as with too many of the souls here, he would not likely be able to escape from his current prison. Not until we break the bonds keeping the condemned in their chains will he join the billions who will rise up to join our cause.”
     
Lamech stomped his feet across the marble floor, ready to leave. He placed his hand on the brass doorknob. “I will look forward to that. The look on his face will be priceless.”
      
“Where are you going?”
      
“I suspect our prisoner may be hungry. I’m going to eat a meal in front of him. Would you care to join me? I know you don’t get hungry, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat.”
      
Keiran yawned. “I am beyond such child’s play. But do as you wish, don’t expect me to stop you.”
      
“It was much more fun when you wouldn’t let me do things. You’ve robbed me of the thrill.”
      
“Well, king of Hades or not, this is still a prison. You can’t always have your way.”
      
Lamech laughed. “Touché. Have fun watching the birds.”
      
Keiran scowled at the arrogant anthro and observed the scenery again. Ever-present mist veiled much of the landscape, obscuring all but the nearest objects, with one exception. In the distance, draped in shadow, a mountain rose high above the land around it. The Mountain of God. It resembled a volcano more than anything, with its conical shape and smooth sides. And it marked the boundary of Keiran’s domain.
      
He absently flicked a finger against the windowsill, creating a small spark. “Where are you now, Gil?” he whispered. “I have found your Zephaniah. The smallest of breaths would destroy him.” He smothered the spark with his other hand. “It’s only a matter of when and where.”