Chance paused at the outer ledge of the most miserable canyon in all creation, Gluttony. Thick brown clouds poured never ending torrential rain into a muddy swamp. The unfortunate souls stuck here had exhausted themselves in pursuit of a destination that didn’t exist—the end of the canyon. They didn’t know it was a massive circle and toiled themselves to a crawl, clawing their way forward until they dug themselves into holes.
Daniel and his two unlikely companions slogged their way across the canyon toward Greed. Unbeknownst to them, Cerberus, the giant wolf infested with snakes would be after them. They would make a fine treat for that horrible monster, but not on Chance’s watch.
He tied a red bandana around his head, covering his mouth and nose. It would do little to stifle the stench but was better than nothing. He pressed his cowboy hat down onto his head, leaped into the deep canyon, and landed feet from a deep cavern. Cerberus’s home.
How Daniel and his companions got through the monster’s lair unscathed was a wonder to Chance. He, himself, may not be so lucky. Within the empty blackness of that dark hole emerged a long gutter growl that rippled the glistening brown waters of the swamp. Two snakes slithered from either side of the cave, hissing as two incensed red eyes loomed in the shadows.
Lightning flashed and the dark figure of Cerberus sprang after him. To Chance, it seemed like slow motion. To Cerberus, Chance would be a blur as he ran beneath it and grabbed its hindleg. Cerberus was able to handle his weight, and it dashed through the swam toward Daniel.
Not the best start. Cerberus heeded no remorse for those lying in the mire, smashing its giant paws against their backs, but sparing them its horrendous appetite. It wanted to sink its teeth into Daniel Strong, the only one in Gluttony, or any of the nine circles of the Inferno, who still shined with life. At this rate, Cerberus would be upon the man in minutes.
Chance let go of its mangy leg, sprinted in a loop, and smacked against its ribs, knocking the ravenous creature to its side. Though Cerberus was a powerful beast, it took a moment to get back to its feet.
“Ooooh Wee!” Chance tried in vain to wave off the stink. Gritty rain soiled his coat. His boots sank slightly in the sludge. “Smells worse than an outhouse in the middle of summer down here.”
Cerberus lunged at Chance and missed. The lightning-quick angel jumped onto the monster’s back and took it by the scruff. That sent Cerberus into a frenzy, jerking its head left and right snapping at Chance. It bounded and twirled, unable to get a hold of him.
This took Chance back to his rodeo days. He wasn’t very good then, but now that he could move at high rates of speed, he could do this all day—but the snakes!
The snakes were wrapped around Cerberus’s gut. One had slid slily down Cerberus’s spine and was coiled. Venom dripped from its fangs. It snapped.
Chance dropped to the side of Cerberus and splashed into the swamp. His hat fell off. The snake clamped down on Cerberus’s neck. The giant beast yipped like a Yorkshire Terrier. It tickled Chance so much that he nearly cried. The thunderous thuds of the wolf’s barrel-sized paws almost found him.
Without his hat, Chance couldn’t move fast. He felt around in the mud avoiding Cerberus’s trampling steps. Seconds felt like minutes, but he found it, rolled to all fours, and sped a few feet away. Cerberus had the snake by the back of its head and shook it violently. Such a thing would kill most creatures, but those who wallowed an eternal miserable demise in this place weren’t so lucky. When Cerberus let go, the snake merely retreated toward the foul giant’s backside.
Cerberus locked its glowing eyes on Chance, but it thought twice about lunging again. It sniffed the air and turned. Daniel, Beau, and Heartless Charles were still in the canyon. It sprinted after them.
Chance jolted ahead and Cerberus tried to dodge him, but Chance easily used his speed to keep the monster at bay. Cerberus grew frustrated. It stepped back and paced, glaring at Chance.
He tipped his hat. “May as well move along, big fella.”
Cerberus sprang for another bite. Chance ducked under the slow-moving monster and clung to its bottom jaw. It reared and snapped. Chance leaped up and plugged his forearms into its nostrils. This drove the hungry beast insane. It somersaulted, crashed on its side, and sneezed, blowing Chance back.
Covered in slimy mucus, Chance got up and half-wished he wasn’t so bold to enter Hell without a weapon. What was he thinking? I wasn’t thinking I’d have to wrestle a giant, nasty wolf for one. Cerberus struggled to get up from a particularly slippery spot in the swamp. Its claws dug a little deeper into the loose mud. Chance got an idea.
He sprinted underneath Cerberus and it fell back to its side. Each time it tried to get up, he did it again. Eventually, Cerberus was as stuck as all the other gluttons. It growled and barked.
“Stay!” Chance pointed his finger. “Next time I see you. We’re doing something about those snakes.” He turned back to the path that Daniel and his companions had taken, and tracked them to the cliffs that led to Greed. They had climbed to the summit and he followed after them.