"Don't you think that funny? Wolfram and Hart picked the wrong target!" He looked at his demonic visitors, willing them to understand.
"Well, of course they did, dear boy. They are not and never will be part of this world. The just arrived here, one day, found a little followed tribal deity and built him up to their figure head. Oh they knew that any God will collapse in on themselves with too many followers all making demands on you at once. All those contradictory prayers, too many voices screaming all at once. It's why so many of the sucessful belief systems are Pantheons. The more Gods to share the duties the more they survive and grow stronger. But, either they do not understand what drives the beings born herein, or more frighteningly, they simly don't care. But I think it is that they do not understand our world. Not entirely. They are fools playing with dangerous toys, and like all fools they really should expect to be blown up occasionally." Mister Becker smiled at him. It was an oddly comforting gesture. Lindsey smiled back, shyly. "Now, let's finish Angelus' tale of woe and get out of here. You have the key of light you know? There's a lot of lost souls that will be so grateful to see it, and you. Come, there's not much time to waste, I don't doubt. Somehow with these things there never is!"
"That's twice you've mentioned this key of light. What is it?"
"Why, your little light here. It's the key to unlocking the gates between this underworld and our own underworld, the real underworld. You have in your hands the key to the gates of Tartarus." Mister Connors smiled, gently, reassuring the young lawyer. "When those various hangers on that your people think of as 'The Powers that Be' came on the scene, the Olympians, our people, had been subjugated for so very long under the rule of our own children. The Romans replaced many of our Gods with their own, when they were driven out of Greece as their empire collapsed our Gods were too week to really lead our people. Hence when the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart came to this world they found it so easy to shut off Olympus. Closing in the rightful Gods. Ironically, even the Roman Gods lost out, they too were closed in, imprisoned in their own paradise. So many millions of their believers, the Olympians lost children, were left outside Tartarus when they were forced to shut the gates. I don't think it was ever envisioned that all gates to Olympus and Hades' domain would close as one. The gates to Tartarus can only be opened from the outside. Getting that light to you must have been difficult, it could have destroyed the soul bearing it as a gift." Mister Connors stopped talking, obviously thinking about the logistics involved in getting the key out of Tartarus at all.
"It was Darla, remember, I told you. She had been Angelus' sire. She had been returned from here by Wolfram and Hart's magicians and turned back in to a vampire against her will by Angelus' insane childe, Drucilla." Lindsey wasn't looking at the demon doing the talking. He was trying to take in as many of the vanishing words as he possibly could. "Why did William accept Angelus' being a vampire so easily? Even Angel never figured that out."
"His step father is Gronmann. A rather sweet young Trasker demon. He was so deeply in love with William's mother, and her children. And, in deed, she and they with him. He helped raise them all after their father died. Out in India I seem to recall. Demons were nothing new to our dear William. He eventually came and worked for us, after all." Mister Becker stopped assimilating for a moment to look directly at their new, young lawyer friend. "I take it that it never occurred to Angelus to simply ask William why he feared him not? Oh, my dear Mister Connors, you don't suppose it was you and I, and out dear friend Gronmann that lead to young William's demise do you? Should we have instilled a greater fear of demons in his heart." His fear at having been a possible cause of William the Bloody's demise was entirely genuine. A fact that rather reassured Lindsey that things would be fine, in the long run.
"No, and we can not allow ourselves to think like that! If William had not become the demon he was we might yet be playing dead, awaiting the return summons." Mister Connors' face hardened somewhat, a look of determination that Lindsey didn't want to challenge, but felt he must.
"I still think something happened to William. I think he's dead. Well, deader than a vampire certainly. I think that that is possibly the only thing that would push Angel into Angelus' waiting madness."
"I disagree young Lindsey. Quite simply put, if our dear William were truly dead then he could not have uttered the awakening summons in a mortal court no less. So, surely, he still lives. But I shall have words with your Angel, or indeed Angelus, which ever incarnation has control of that body, just as soon as we all get to where ever they are." Mister Connors nodded at Mister Becker, the latter restarted assimilating the words carved into the wall.
"We all? The three of us? Where are your bodies anyway?" Lindsey was becoming very intrigued by his demonic visitors and their strange history lessons.
"Why, with our dear Gronmann, of course. I expect he too will be desirous of getting back to his William. He has been alone too long has our William. They were such a close family. Until Angelus and his jealous rage, if you and his words are to be believed." Mister Connors' good humour had seemingly returned.
Lindsey still had questions however. "Young Gronmann? How young is young in a whatever you said he was demon?"
"Well, when he first loved William's mother that was somewhere about one hundred and forty years ago. Roughly, I'm not too sure of the passage of time in the real world. And he was only two hundred and sixty something then. Traskers live for maybe eight hundred years, give or take fifty. He stayed with us, waiting for William's summons and, low, we are summonsed." Mister Connors' smile was genuine this time. He was clearly looking forward to meeting up with his demon friend, and of course his dear William.
He couldn't help it. Lindsey felt that same enthusiasm fill him with new hope. If this were his delusion it was by far the best he had ever devised. So full and complete. If it were true, then his life, or in deed his death, was about to become a whole lot more interesting.
"Finished!" Mister Becker's ever cheerful voice sang out. "And if everyone is now ready, shall we get started?" He looked to his fellow demon for confirmation, and to his surprise he looked at Lindsey too and did nothing until he nodded his assent too.
"Together then, brother." Mister Connors stood behind Lindsey and reached out around him clasping Mister Becker's arms as he did so. Mister Becker did much the same to Mister Connors. "Now, Lindsey, we need you to wish to see the lock that fits your key with all your heart. Now!"
And Lindsey wished, with all the power in his heart, his soul, his darkest despair and his brightest hope.
He closed his eyes too, for good measure.
Seconds later he was standing on the shore of the strangest sea he had ever seen. It seemed almost alive. Until he realised that what he thought was viscous water was individual souls. Millions of them, twisting and turning over and over again. All straining towards one small former mortal's soul.
They reached out to Lindsey. And the key!
"Shouldn't we have face untold horrors and trials to get here?" He asked his senior partners.
"My dear child, I do believe that you have read far too many Gothic Romantic novels." Mister Becker accompanied his response with his almost omnipresent laughter.
"Oh, now what?" Lindsey asked, he looked at the sea of souls and let his eyes track upwards until the citadel filled his mind. What was left functional of his mind. For there, floating above the sea of souls was the strangest city he had ever seen. It had everything; Gothic spires, flying buttresses, impossibly white walls and roofs. It had a pulsing light in its core. No doubt the door out of this literal Hell for those lost souls endlessly swimming beneath the citadel. Out of line of sight with the torment that was their personal salvation and redemption.
"You ask them, politely mark you, to form the bridge of souls. And we cross to the citadel. All of us. And we go home. All of us. Finally!" Mister Connors couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice if he tried. Not that he did try. They were so close to home, to rejoining their old friend Gronmann and their dear William.
"Could you please make a bridge so I can go open the door to Tartarus? For all of us!" For good measure Lindsey held up the little light, the key of light to let his audience see he was telling the truth.
He could never have begun to imagine the sheer wall of sound that the sudden voiced excitement of a million or more souls as they all danced, and cheered, and sang in their rush to carry him to the citadel and the door home. He couldn't understand a word they were singing, or crying, or shouting. However they were rejoicing he heard it in the emotion, if not the words.
A bridge was formed. It shone with hope and glory and salvation. Never in all his years as a lawyer for Wolfram and Hart had he ever had such a moment as this. No victory he had ever won in any court or boardroom battle had ever had the emotional impact of this very moment. They were finally going home, and they were taking him with them. They were saved and he was the one that had saved them.
He was the hero, the good guy, the one carried home in triumph royal. This was his victory, and he revelled in its wonderment..
As the bridge formed the senior partners stood poised ready to ascend to the citadel above. They watched nervously as Lindsey watched the bridge form. They could understand what drove the young soul to its raptures. Being demonic did tend to have a detrimental affect on their public image. No one ever expected the gentle nature they showed to the world. Even Wolfram and Hart had underestimated them. So many of their enemies had simply believed that they had died. Not one of them had ever come looking for them, especially in their own stronghold, amongst their best kept secrets. Just as no one had ever looked beyond the surface bravado to the soul that resided within the young lawyer before them. He reminded them both of a somewhat more confident William. Both were so sure that young Lindsey would be such a better match for their dear William that that awful Angelus. Not that either had any intentions of playing matchmaker. Not right away at least. Not until they knew where Williams tastes lay these days. There was so much catching up to do. So much history to learn.
Eager to see what changes the world had wrought on their dear William, they both returned their vigilant gaze once more towards the bridge home as the final few souls needed slid seemlessly into place. As the bridge finished taking shape the feelings of happiness and of rejoicing intensified. Those souls not actively forming the bridge danced around and around those three souls waiting to cross to the door between the worlds of eternal subjugation and just adjudication.
Freed from imprisonment without trial to their so long sought after free trial at the hands of Hades, their God, flying on the wings of hope. The ancient Greek souls waited, almost patiently, as the key holder tried to gather his scattered wits.
"Come, child, up with you and open that damned door!" Mister Becker's ever present smile grew wider as he looked forwards to seeing his family once more. "I've waited since the year 350AD, in your counting, for this moment and, sadly, have to admit I don't want to wait any longer." He made shooing motions with his hands and urged the fascinated Lindsey forwards.
"What happened in 350AD?" Lindsey asked as he moved to place a foot on the first portion of the bridge of souls.
"Monotheism, took over from our family, the Pantheon of Ancient Greece. And all the gates shut against us. The Earth living children of Echidna, and our followers souls." Mister Connors placed a light hand on Lindsey's back and guided him forwards. It was as if the physical contact between them filled Lindsey with all the excitement of the exiles, he hurried forward, knowing somehow just where he was going. Almost as if the key was drawing him forwards. After all, he was only the key bearer. Mister Connors didn't miss the passage of the young souls thoughts as he fled in his excited rush from all of Hell behind them.
That thought galvanised the ancient soul. He too began a head long flight into the depths of the citadel. Heading to the doorway he knew was at that very moment being unlocked.
"Hurry, everyone, before they can rouse themselves to stop us! Move... move... move!" The former lawyer began waving all those long forgotten souls forwards. His voice had filled the citadel just seconds before the booming alarm of the great door opening sounded.
Outside the early stages of the alarm were effectively drowned out in the cacophony of off cadence singing and shouting and merry making. The oldest of the Gods forgotten children were making sure they would get away. That this time nothing would stop them reaching their long lost friends and families. That they would go home, finally.
Inside the citadel Lindsey MacDonald, former rising star of Wolfram and Hart was standing there, holding a giant door open. On the other side of that great monolith stood a sea of expectant faces.
And a three headed dog. Each head ready to do damage to anyone that even thought about hindering that long awaited flight. Encouragement was being called out all around them, more and more of the trapped souls flew through the door. With each passing soul the alarm sounded louder and louder as there were fewer and fewer voices to camouflage it.
A baying sounded in the distance. The very shrill note they uttered was enough to terrify Lindsey. He had heard as many folklore tales about the hounds of Hell as any other living soul. He had never envisioned himself as being their idea of a midnight snack.
"Hurry! Hurry!" He urged his charges onwards, waving them on in an ever faster cascade through the doors. It would be a finely tuned race, the escape of the last soul versus the arrival of the owners of those screeching voices.
As the last of the lost souls fled through the door Mister Connors finally ushered Mister Becker, Lindsey and himself through the door. It automatically closed behind them leaving the only angry animal sounds those of the great three headed dog snarling at the now firmly closed door.
"Did everyone make it?" Lindsey asked his travelling companions.
"Everyone did, child, thank you. Thank you for getting us all home. Come, let us see what we can now do for you!" Mister Connors smiled, a soft comforting expression and changed before the younger soul's eyes. He grew, up, out, bigger than any being Lindsey had ever seen.
He turned in time to see Mister Becker metamorphosise in the exact same manner. Gleeful laughter echoed around both beings as they took on their own true shapes. This much Lindsey realised for himself. They were finally free of Hell and had no reason left to deny themselves their true forms.
"Children?" A soft, almost hissing voice called out from the depths of Tartarus around them. Immediately followed by a creature half woman, half snake. Then a huge lumbering giant of a man exited the darkness right behind the she snake creature.
"Sons?" the giant uttered, awe-struck at the sight before him.
"Mother - Father!" Both of the senior partners uttered, quietly, in unison. Right before parents and missing children met in a tangle of arms and laughter.
Lindsey fully understood that they would not be moving on from there for any appreciable time to come. One thousand, six hundred and fifty something years was a long time to be separated from ones parents.
And it was the first time he had ever thought of demons as creatures having parents. Loving, caring parents, families every bit as like mortal, human families as made no difference what so ever. It was a humbling thought. That he could have ever been quite that arrogant.
[Reviews - 0] [Kudos - 298]
Download story PDF format or ePUB format or MOBI format
Table of Contents
Download story PDF format or ePUB format or MOBI format
Table of Contents