For a long moment, there was stunned silence on both sides, the other Elders looked between each other nervously, then Lapetus tipped back his head and started laughing heartily. This got his companions to join in hesitantly.
Then he stopped suddenly, pointed glare at me. “You dare to dictate ultimatums to us? It is time to put this charade to rest. I acknowledge that you Avatars which the Scales had let infest this realm were a formidable adversary, and give you one last opportunity to leave this realm, without the combined power to...”
I sighed heavily and said as I channeled my inner Ella, “Would you just shut the fuck up you gobshite? Monologue this...” I chanted the words from an ancient language forgotten in the days the Elders were young, and ripped the talisman from the chain on my neck and threw it into the air.
It exploded into flames that stank of brimstone, and it tore a mile-long rent in the fabric of reality which shimmered and expanded. A gaping chasm in that reality expanded, and heat, rot, and brimstone assaulted our senses.
An army of demons as far as the eye could see through the portal into their hellscape stood at the ready, a single hooved demon who resembled a great horned devil stepped through to my side as I held a halting hand toward my sisters, again begging them with my eyes to trust me before they went to war against our... well... our allies.
I looked up into the hellfire eyes of the ten-foot-tall demon as he glared at the Elders, his batlike wings, dripping in black ichor and blood, slowly spread behind him to their thirty-foot wingspan as he showed his eight-inch fangs to Lapetus. I inclined my head and greeted the demon, “First.”
The first of the demons, the father of the very demon whose curse I carried, drew his eyes from the shocked looking Elders to look down at me, he cocked his head in acknowledgment. “Maireni, Bane of Styche, head of the Damned family of Damaschin.” Then he took a knee, still towering over me as he bowed for effect. “What boon do you ask of us to seal our contract?”
I smiled up at an extremely nervous looking Lapetus, as he saw the most powerful and vicious of all demons, First of the first, the ones they could not defeat, the ones who had killed an Elder in the days before days, as he bowed to me... a human.
This was my last-ditch plan. If we weren't able to defeat the Elders or make them see reason with the bestowing of the Scales mantle upon them, then as the saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
I had summoned the First before the battle to discuss the pending obliteration of the mortal realm. He was not amused by being summoned and looked confused as to how I even knew his summoning name until he saw Illya with me. He had hissed at her and she took a step toward the summoning circle that would keep him bound until I broke the circle or banished him back to the demon realm.
He actually flinched at her advance. No matter how big or scary or eternal he may have been, he also knew that she was one of the two ways that could bring about his true death. It was good to see that the king of demons was also intelligent. It was that same self-preservation I was about to play upon.
I offered, “The mortal realm is in dire danger and we seek your help.”
The First cocked his head and asked, “So why do you risk your own eternal damnation to tell me of mankind's pending downfall? You do realize that no mortal has ever summoned me, and when I get a hold of you, I will let you live ten thousand excruciating deaths before I make you one of us in eternal agony for your arrogance?”
I sighed and said, “It's simple really, exalted king. I wish for you to fight by the side of mankind to repel the Elders from our realm.”
He had laughed maniacally at that and gasped out between laughs, “Why should we care if someone wipes out the plague of humanity from this pitiful rock? It would leave this world like ours.”
I shrugged as I stepped up to the very edge of the summoning circle, my toes an inch from the chalk. “It would be in your best interest.”
He seemed to contemplate for a moment before lunging at me, his huge claws raking at a shimmering wall of hellfire and force that bloomed around the circle while he snapped his jaws at me. He didn't seem to care that his flesh, horns, and claws were all sizzling at the touch of the barrier.
He chuckled when I didn't flinch. “Ah, a predator... I smell my son's stink all over you. The one thing he almost did right was the lupus plague he besieged this realm with.”
Then he moved back and crossed his arms in amusement and asked, “Convince me, and we will see for how long I torture you when I get free of this accursed circle. Amuse me and maybe I'll just make you a pet. What will you give for this assistance you ask? Your soul perhaps, tainted as is is with Styche's filth.”
Again I shrugged. “How about I offer your soul instead?” He narrowed his eyes and I took the biggest chance in my life. “If I break this circle so we can talk as equals, instead of imprisoning you like this, do you give your promise not to attack me...” He started to smirk. “Or anyone else, and then to go back to your realm after we are done?”
He smirked again. “A contract then? Ah, you disappoint, I thought maybe you were different than all the other mortals.”
I shook my head and said, “Not a contract, just your word.”
He chuckled. “The word of a demon? You truly do amuse me, mortal. I am half tempted, just to hear what you have to say.” His eyes betrayed his words as he looked at the chalk circle and the world beyond me. A living world, not one consumed by fire and the overpopulation of corrupted souls.
I moved my toe toward the chalk and asked, “Your word?”
He blinked in surprise. “You're serious? You'd free me from the circle without binding me to a contract? You know the hell I could bring upon this realm.”
Nodding I told him. “It would be no different than what is coming. But I offer something that you will never have if the Elders set foot in the mortal realm.”
He hissed at the mention of the Elders again. I could see the stories of bad blood between the species was not exaggerated. I prompted again, “Last chance before I banish you back to your home, your word?”
He looked at me, and then blinked as I stepped through the barrier into the circle and offered my hand. “Your word.”
As if this were some sort of trick, he looked at me, his eyes darted around the area to see if it were some ill-conceived trap. Illya just inclined her head at him. Then he lunged his horns down at me, roaring menacingly, his breath stank of death, rot, and brimstone and I could feel the raw power emanating off of him in waves of unimaginable magical potential.
I didn't blink, nor flinch as his fangs snapped an inch from my face. I sighed and asked, “Well?”
The demon King paced around me, his massive hooves clomped with each step as he ran a claw around the perimeter, sparks and flames licking up from the contact. Then he stopped in front of me. “You're serious about this. Things must be dire indeed to take a chance like this. You know I could kill you now with no effort?”
I nodded. “Yes, they are beyond dire. And yes, you could kill me now, but inside the circle it would just banish you back to your realm. While outside there, is fresh air, and freedom... unbound. It is that chance of freedom that I offer.”
He looked at my offered hand and said, “Done,” then grasped my arm.
He studied me, not releasing me as I moved a foot back, not looking, to break the chalk circle and the barrier fell. He tensed, as if waiting for an attack, when none came he released my arm and said as he walked around the area, picking logs up with a hand to sniff them, scuffing the dirt with his hooves, taking in deep breaths of fresh air, leaned his deformed face into a cool breeze, “Speak while I still feel like entertaining your foolhardiness.”
I nodded and sat on a huge stump and motioned for him to do the same. He shook his head, instead moved around, examined and smelled everything around us. He even leaned in to sniff me. I realized it was the lack of rot and brimstone that had him looking around in wonder. The Fi
rst has never been summoned before, and this was his first time in the mortal realm, seeing all it had to offer over the hellscape he lorded over.
Taking a deep breath, I began as Illya stepped up behind me to lay a hand on my shoulder in support. “All the realms are locked off from your kind now except for the mortal realm, now that Neverland and Oz are secure, is this not true?”
“It is true, but what does that have to do with you wanting us to interfere in the downfall of humankind?”
Sighing I shared, “Actually, it has everything to do with it.” I motioned around. “Look at this world, it has so much that your kind covets as only a dream. And it is the only realm you can reach from your own anymore.”
He made a motion with his hand indicating I should get to the point. “Right now the hope is alive that you will someday break down the barrier between realms and roam the earth freely, unbound by the whims and contracts of man.”
I locked eyes with him. “If the Elders come and complete the reset then that hope will die forever and your people will truly be damned to wander your own hellscape for all of eternity. It is that hope that I offer you. If you help defend the mortal realm with your demons, then that hope remains. That is what I bargain with.”
He chuckled sardonically. “So you would have us remain slaves to the whims of man?”
Shrugging I said, “That is all I have to offer. The hope that one day you would stand under the sun and breath clean air not tainted by the brimstone of the eternal fires in your realm.”
“Your name human, so I will know who offers a poison pill for us to swallow.”
“Maireni Damaschin, the Red Hood.”
He chuckled. “Of course... I feel the power of your bloodline. The eternally damned Damaschin line. I know who you are now. No wonder Styche hated you so. Your family has been a thorn in our side since mankind summoned the first demon. So righteous, so very hard to corrupt.”
He contemplated me for a moment. “I will make this pact with you, but only if the way between our realms remains open for us to pass freely unbound to your world.”
Shaking my head I said, “No. I offer only the hope of freedom from your self imposed chains. We cannot have demons destroying everything we have built.”
He smirked and shrugged. “Without incentive, we would simply live as we had. Locked away in our own realm and...”
I knew it would be a negotiation, demons never just did something or simply accepted a deal. I was prepared and said, “I will help negotiate a treaty between our peoples. One that allows your kind to come through a portal unbound in regulated groups, but blood oaths and curses must be sworn by each traveling demon, that they will abide by the laws of our people. Any laws broken would have them banished to your realm, never to return. Any serious crimes will have them put to true death.”
He looked taken aback. “You off free access to your realm?”
I shook my head again. “I offer that I will aid in negotiation in good faith. I cannot speak for all of mankind.”
He nodded. “So you offer nothing.”
“I offer everything, now stop getting your panties in a bunch and shake my hand.”
He hesitated then started to shake my hand. “I have free access regardless.”
We kept shaking as I said, “You have seven days a year regardless and under my supervision and under the same provisions I have already laid out.”
“On your soul.”
I chuckled, he was good. “No, on my blood.” I took a knife from my cloak and cut it across our hands. I winced as his blood mixed with mine and it sizzled into a brand of the number one.
He looked at me as he released me. “What a fine consort you would make. Dealing like a true demon.”
“I'm spoken for.”
He walked around Illya and me, hooves clomping heavily. Then he leaned down and whispered ancient words of power into my ear as he handed me a talisman. “To open the way when you need us. We will be waiting. And if you back out on our deal, your soul is forfeit to me.” My arm burned and smoked at the brand to punctuate his threat.”
“Just be there. My word is already given in blood.”
And here we were, testing the word of a demon in a battle for our realm. I replied to his question, “The boon I would ask of you is to help defend the mortal realm from the threat of the Elders.” The demon smirked at me and inclined his head in acceptance before standing. I felt the demon brand on my hand smoking as the First stepped up to Lapetus, huffing black smoke up into his face, his eyes drizzling hellfire.
Lapetus growled out, “This is not your fight, demon. We have left your realm in peace, now begone and...” The next instant, he was skidding across the ground, to slam into his companions. The First had struck him faster than my enhanced senses could follow, backed by dark, corrupted magics.
“Do not deign to command me! I have a deal to uphold with the mortals. Leave this realm and never return or my people will hunt you to the ends of eternity... Elder.”
Ok, that right there, was a good threat.
As Lapetus regained his footing, a burning wound in his lower gut, rage painted his face, the First just made a come hither motion with a finger behind him and with the screeches of millions of tortured souls, the demons flowed through the portal toward the Elders.
There was abject terror on the other Elders' faces as they looked to Lapetus, and they turned and were tearing holes, in reality, to step through before he knew what they were doing. He roared out to them as demons started diving on him, “Cowards.” He turned as he wiped the demons off of him like bugs off a windshield, chunks of his flesh in their mouths as he followed his brethren,
That's it Lapetus, run away and never come back.
He locked eyes with me as his portal closed around him and a few dozen demons, “This isn't the end, Red Hood. There will be a reckoning, I will return.”
I growled back, “And I'll be waiting right here.”
Then he was gone. I worried about the demons that got through with him, but that was a worry for another day. Right now we had other problems.
The demons kept flooding out of the portal, surrounding us. Hissing, snapping, growling, and screeching. My sisters were pulling their power to them, and raising weapons. I had to blink. Did Parker and Mandy have some sort of ray blasters?
I turned to a grinning First, his smirking face full of malice. I lifted my hand to show him the mark of the beast. “Your word?”
He chuckled and bowed. “Of course my future bride.”
I rolled my eyes as Daria growled violently at that, “In your dreams, First, in your dreams.”
He chuckled again, then roared, the world shook from the force of it and all the demons scurried back through the portal, some with their tails literally tucked between their legs. Then he simply snapped and the portal was gone.
I exhaled loudly. “Why are you still...”
“I have to be sure you will abide by our contract. Besides, I have seven days of freedom in your realm.”
He growled when his eyes caught Masika with the others. I assured him, “She's with me.”
The First clomped over to her and they had a good stare-down before he told her, “You...”
She just made a mouth with her hand and said as she mimed, “Blah, blah, blah... threats death gloom destruction... blah blah blah.” She turned her back to him to regard us. “It is time for me to return home to Neverland.”
Mandy was almost instantly by her side and the woman kissed her forehead. “I expect you to visit an old lady.”
Mandy was crying and nodding as she hugged the woman she saw as her grandmother.
Masika looked at Wendy and said, “Dear sweet child, repair your ship and come home often, bring your baby girl.”
Hook landed by her side and hugged her almost desperately. Then the Voodoo Queen stood and held a hand out to Mandy, looking at her patiently and our weapon's specialist blushed then pulled
a small alligator from her pocket and handed it to the woman.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I felt power gathering. Oh god... Dot. I spun to see her about to attack our group with a huge buildup of power. Parker's voice, raw with sorrow and emotion called out as she stepped in front of everyone, “Dot?”
The wicked witch faltered, and asked as if she wasn't sure, “Parker?” There was shared grief between them that somehow got through the wicked corruption of the power in Dorothy. She stepped up to our Den Mother and the two looked at each other before hugging tightly, crystal tears falling from Parker as emerald tears that fell from Dorothy's eyes sizzled off her skin as it crystallized.
Masika addressed us all while keeping a wary eye on the First. “I wish I could undo what my kin had perpetrated here today. So many souls lost. But I held on to what I could, so as a gift to you...”
And the Elder walked away from us a portal opening before her as she whispered four words filled with immense power, “Once upon a time.”
And the portal closed, it caused a whirlwind of dust and smoke to surround us all. And a figure stepped through the smoke, looking back calling out, “This way, they're over here.”
I blinked. “Isla?” A very much alive and human little girl pulled someone through the smoky air and figures started appearing. My heart stopped as Ella, Marie, Katiana, Robyn, Belle, Toto, and Tink stepped out of the haze, dazed looks on their faces.
That's when all the tears started to fall.
Epilogue
On the one year anniversary of the Battle for the Mortal Realm, we sat around the table in the Avatar Headquarters, one of the first buildings constructed in New Seattle. My girl called out as we all held our glasses up over the feast, “Hey you bloody wankers, my girl has a toast, so shut your fecking pie holes.”
Then sweat as you please, Marie said in her delightful French accent which makes my knees weak, “Please, my Parker, proceed mon amore.”
I smiled at my girls, knowing I loved them more now than I had before I lost them. I would never survive that kind of heartbreak again. Both Ella and Marie looked so beautiful in their wedding gowns which matched mine, looking like... well like princesses, just don't let them hear me saying that.
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