Alliance

by S. C. Mitchell

  Interlude 4

  Nathan laid the body of Shimone on a stone bier, then thought better of it. Stone would be cold and hard. With a snap of his fingers, he changed the bier into a soft bed. The goddess appeared to be honoring the three days and he bore her no ill will. She might as well be comfortable.

  Not that she was really here. During the three-day period, she couldn’t move her body, but her spirit could roam free within whatever realm her body existed. And her spirit would still have enough power to influence certain real-world elements. This was why Nathan brought her here, to his room in the cosmic ether. There would be nothing within her reach that could be affected.

  He’d dimmed the lights and brought in soft music that he hoped she would enjoy. Would Shimone even notice?

  He didn’t have time to ponder what might be. He needed to concentrate on what was. The next day would be pivotal. All the pieces were in place, thousands of years in the making, but there was still so much that could go wrong.

  Even with his careful planning and the power gifted him from his parents, there was little he could do to direct the course of events.

  With a flash, a new doorway appeared in his room. He knew better, but he tried the handle and found it securely locked. It wasn’t truly a doorway, just the possibility of one.

  “Would you really go?” His mother’s voice came from behind him.

  “Yes,” he answered. His gaze traveled back to Shimone.

  “We’ll look after her, if you go,” his father said. “We’ll have to confine her here though, so she can’t make any more trouble down on Earth.”

  Gaia had her arm around the High Lord. “We’ll keep her as comfortable as she’ll let us.”

  Seeing his parents together again warmed his heart. They had a lot to work out yet, but at least they were talking—trying to work together. It was more than Nathan had dreamed possible even ten years ago.

  And it should help.

  Shimone would need to be watched constantly. If he went to the demon dimension, it could probably be years, perhaps decades, before he would be able to bridge the gap back. The doorway, if it actually came into being, would be one-way only.

  At least for now.

  Shimone lay unmoving on the bed. There were things about godhood even the gods themselves did not understand. Would he ever be able to come back for her? If so, could he convince her to go home, where she belonged, and leave Earth alone?

  Most certainly, her father had promised her the Earth dimension, though what Shoth’s real plan was in all this was yet to be discovered.

  Since the seduction of Gaia and the creation of the demon gate, Shoth, the god of Ballor, had been sowing the seeds of some insidious plan. That was what Nathan needed to uncover…if he could.

  The High Lord unwrapped Gaia’s arm, but he held on to her hand. “Will you be able to come back?”

  That was the ultimate question. “I don’t know.”

  The High Lord narrowed his eyes. “Will we ever be rid of her? Will Shimone ever go back to her home dimension?”

  Nathan sighed. “Only if she wants to.”

  What is on the other side? Only he who went there knows.

  The gate is locked. The key is lost. My curiosity ever grows.

  The man who lived a thousand years, has gone beyond my view.

  Yet I would give all that I have if I could go there too.

  - From The Last Templar by Ryan Chamberlain, 2024

  Chapter 11

  Geoffrey stood facing the gate expectantly. He couldn’t help but enjoy the freedom of his new armor. Kevlar was such an improvement over chain mail. Still he’d chosen to wield the Sword of Light over the array of modern weapons that had been offered him.

  Around him the battle force stood ready for the gate to open. Fifty-seven Templars in black Kevlar stood in a rough semicircle in front of the Demon Gate—their automatic weapons already trained on the portal. Geoffrey noted young Ryan Chamberlain, ready to take command of the Templars once Geoffrey crossed over.

  Ryan was a good man and would make a solid leader of the new order as it worked to integrate with the Arcanists.

  Behind the Templars, on raised platforms, stood forty-six of the remaining Arcanists. Among them was Kelly, beautiful and determined. Both organizations had been decimated by the infiltration and manipulations of the demons over the last hundred years and would need some serious rebuilding. Looking at her with pride, Geoffrey knew that Kelly and Ryan would be a big part of that rebuilding effort. Maybe they would…

  His mind couldn’t go there. He could only hope Kelly would find someone to make her happy. She deserved that and so much more.

  Even if he did find a way to destroy the Demon Gate today, there was still a lot of cleanup to do in this dimension. Thousands of demons remained here, working their evil every day. Reproducing and expanding their influence in this world. Geoffrey prayed the Arcanists and the Templars could continue to work together in common cause. So much depended on that.

  He knew Kelly would do everything she could to cleanse the world. He was filled with pride and love for her. Still his heart also ached, knowing that, win or lose, after today he would never see her again. She would be here, still fighting the demons. Could he do any less on the other side? By Nathan’s account there were people over there—human slaves to be freed.

  He pondered Nathan’s last words to him. I have a feeling you still have much to accomplish in your life…

  The gate began to glow. There was no time for further thought. As the first demons began to emerge, he directed his Templars to fire their weapons into the enemy ranks. The Arcanists cast a shield barrier of protective energy around the Templars and themselves, then began to fire bolts of arcane power, as more demons emerged. It was obvious that the demons had expected an easy entry this time and were not prepared for a fight. They were slaughtered as they came into view.

  * * *

  The sickening stench of death assailed Kelly’s nostrils and built in the chamber. So far, that death had all been on the demon side. Occasionally, a demon would get off some type of attack before it died, and there had been a few injuries among the Templars and the Arcanists, but none had even been serious, let alone fatal.

  The battle progressed to the one-hour mark, and she noted fatigue setting in on her companions. Still, with grim determination they had stood their ground, decimating wave after wave of demons as they’d stepped through the gate.

  At one point, a group of Ballor established a foothold and defended the space in front of the gate using magical shielding to hold back the bullets and magic thrown against them. As more demons poured through, their ranks swelled.

  Geoffrey led a charge, swinging his sword, followed by a specialized group of hand to hand fighters. Jack Hughes was at his side in Whargan form. The Templars held their fire as the Arcanists hit the demons with force bolts from the left, pushing them into a side chamber to be dealt with.

  Once the gate was cleared, the Templars again opened fire on the gate and the slaughter resumed. It didn’t take long for Geoffrey, Jack and the others to rejoin the main force.

  The demon army had been wholly unprepared for resistance. They must have believed the gate still in demon control. The surprise registered on each demon’s face as they stepped through and met their fate.

  Suddenly, the chamber quieted. Demons no longer appeared out of the gate. The group stood in silence for long, tense moments, but nothing happened. Only the sound of heavy breathing filled the great chamber. Was it over?

  Kelly went to Geoffrey and he grabbed her, crushing her to him, his kiss passionate and loving.

  “I cannot stay,” he said, tearing himself away. Tears rimmed his eyes. “There is no telling how long the gate will remain open. I must go now. I have to end this.”

  Kelly felt calm, centered. She’d agonized over this moment for hours, but now that it was here, she was ready to face it.

  “I know,” she said, resolved. “I’m g
oing with you.”

  The shock that registered on Geoffrey’s face only helped confirm her resolve.

  “Don’t be foolish,” he began to argue. “We have no idea what’s over there. They could be as ready for us as we were for them.”

  “Whatever’s on the other side, we’ll face it together. I am resolved in this.” She ran across the room and flung herself into the swirling gate.

  Her head spun and her eyes misted over. She had to blink constantly. When the world finally stopped spinning, she stood on solid ground again.

  A barren land filled her vision. Rocks and sand, but the colors were all wrong, like nothing she had ever seen before. Strange scraggly, thorny plants struggled in the parched land. She turned and behind her she saw the gate—her only portal back home. She knew she had to destroy it.

  Then he was there, beside her.

  “You can still go back,” he pleaded, but the love in his eyes anchored her. There was no way she was leaving this man.

  “No. I can’t,” she answered, smiling at him. “Let’s do this, now!”

  He turned and raised his sword to strike the gate. For good measure, Kelly flung her most powerful arcane blast. Both struck the portal at the same time. There was an explosion that threw them back. When the dust cleared, the gate was gone.

  He pulled himself to his feet and looked around as he helped her up.

  “Not such a bad looking place,” he remarked brushing the sand from his clothing. “Let’s go see what’s over that hill.”

  “Not such a bad looking place?” she questioned. A barren desert, thorny plants, and no sign of civilization.

  He grabbed her hand as they walked. “You, my dear, have never been to purgatory. Now that is a bad looking place. This…looks livable.”

  It was funny, she was in a completely strange and new world, but she wasn’t frightened in the least. She was with Geoffrey and that was all that mattered. Everything else they would work out together.

  Out of nowhere, a new thought hit her. She stopped and pulled Geoffrey around to face her. “Geoffrey! Where are we getting our powers from?”

  She stretched out her awareness. There were no arcane power pools to be found. Still, she felt she could cast magic if she needed to.

  “What do you mean?”

  Geoffrey must not have even considered the possibility that they could have been powerless in the Ballor dimension.

  To be honest, she hadn’t considered it until that moment either. She’d grown up in a family steeped in Arcanist lore and magic. It had always been a part of her.

  “You still have your sword,” she pointed to the weapon in his hand, “and I just shot a bolt of arcane energy, here, where neither of our gods have any power.”

  He cocked his head. “It may just be residual power we brought with us from the other side. It all may fade away over time. With or without it, being over here will be a struggle. We will just have to adapt somehow. I did bring a handgun and some ammunition.”

  He wore a large backpack filled with food and supplies. Still, it would be a struggle, especially without their powers, but they’d face that struggle together. For now, that had to be enough to drive them forward.

  “Well, then it goes away, I suppose. To tell you the truth, considering what Nathan told us about the Earth Mother and the High Lord, I don’t think I could continue to worship either of them.”

  Geoffrey turned to her, cupping her cheek in his big hand. Love glowed in his eyes.

  “I find I am in agreement with you on this, however there is one god I do trust and can believe in.”

  Yes. “Nathan Gray.”

  Interlude 5

  In the cosmic ether of another world a mystic key appeared in Nathan Gray’s hand as he received worship for the first time in his existence. With a click that resounded throughout the heavens, he opened a doorway between worlds. Grabbing up his glowing shrine, the gifted power from his parents, he stepped through.

  Orange sky in the morning, demons, take warning.

  - The diary of Kelly le Courte

  Chapter 12

  Six Months Later.

  Kelly trudged by Geoffrey, grumbling. She was covered in demon ichor.

  “Damn Falgolite just had to splatter all over me when I blew it up,” she muttered on her way to the bathroom.

  Geoffrey suppressed a smile. She was so amazing.

  Kormac followed her into the main room of the house he’d commandeered for his own use. Kormac had been one of the first slaves he and Kelly had freed from slavery. His previous owner was a recently deceased Ballor lord, one of four that had once ruled Cinder. Kormac had a fire in his belly and a good head on his shoulders.

  “East Cinder is cleared, Commander le Court,” the young man said with a broad smile.

  He displayed a lot of leadership potential, something Geoffrey needed.

  “How many did we lose?” Geoffrey steeled himself for the worst. At this point he couldn’t afford to lose anyone. But each victory had had its own share of loss.

  “Only two, sir.” The young man smiled. “The demons gave ground quickly, then routed. We freed twenty-seven.”

  That was a good sign. Either the troops were coming together as a unit or word of their strength was starting to spread. In any case, he’d take an easy victory whenever he could get one.

  “Good work, Kormac,” he said, patting the young man on the shoulder. “That first batch of ale we brewed should be ready enough to try. Go ahead and pass some of that around to the troops. They’ve earned it.”

  The young man smiled and sauntered away.

  Six months had passed since he and Kelly crossed over and destroyed the Demon Gate. And they’d been busy ones. Their powers had waned for a bit. But that hadn’t stopped them. They’d started small—raiding outposts and rescuing any human slaves they could find. Slaves that were the descendants of those humans sent back over the years.

  Humans on this side were treated somewhat better by the demons here being as they were rarer. But they were slaves none-the-less.

  The newly freed people had been glad to have an alternative to worshiping the demon god, Shoth, and became enthusiastic followers of the god from another dimension. As the faith grew, so did the mystic energy that could be funneled.

  Geoffrey and Kelly could use all their magical talents, which allowed them to become more daring in their raids. And their forces grew. A human army of over five hundred fighters now defended their new community of almost two thousand freed slaves.

  Today marked a great victory for the humans on Ballor. They’d taken possession of the entire city of Cinder, a hilltop fortress which could be easily defended if the demons ever tried to counterattack in force. It would easily accommodate their growing numbers and become their new base of operations—their new home.

  It helped that the demons continued to fight among themselves. The world was in a constant state of war. Geoffrey’s forces continued to stay below the notice of the most powerful Ballor houses. Cinder was a fairly remote outpost.

  Today was also the day that Kelly had led her newly trained mages into battle for the first time. Geoffrey wondered how they’d done, but he suspected they played a big part in keeping the losses down. He looked forward to Kelly’s report.

  “Ahh! A real shower, what a treat!” Kelly exclaimed from the back of the apartment. The demon city had proven to be surprisingly modern, with plumbing, electricity, modern appliances—things Geoffrey had come to enjoy and understand.

  There were differences, of course. There were no cars here. The beasts they rode on were somewhat horse-like, but scaly, with webbed toed feet. And there were no firearms or explosives. Sword, bow, and club were the weapons of choice, and that suited Geoffrey just fine.

  Still, for the most part things were very Earth-like. Obviously, the demons had passed information back and forth between the dimensions. Someday Geoffrey hoped to discover how they did that. Communication with Earth could be beneficial. Right now,
he had too many other needs to attend to.

  He heard the water running, and his mind locked on to the image of Kelly, naked, the water streaming down her body.

  Considering things that needed attending to, Geoffrey decided he could probably use a shower himself. It was convenient that Ballor demons were big. Their showers tended to be quite roomy—roomy enough for two humans with ease. And saving resources, like water, should always be considered as they moved forward.

  He stripped off his clothing as he made his way toward the bathing room. The sight of Kelly under the streaming water had him instantly aroused.

  She chuckled as he advanced toward her. As he slid into the stall, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close.

  “So, you plan to get clean, before you get dirty.” The gleam in Kelly’s eyes told him she was fully onboard with that idea.

  “You know,” he said, as if it were a new thought, “if we’re going to win this war, I’m probably going to need a couple of sons.”

  It was a good excuse. Though, to be honest, he and Kelly both suspected she was already pregnant.

  “Or daughters,” she corrected for the umpteenth time.

  “And daughters,” he affirmed, silencing her with a kiss so passionate she melted in his embrace.

  Postlude

  Just as Geoffrey and Kelly had been able to keep hidden from the major factions of the Ballor world, Nathan Gray had been able to carve out a small section of the dimension’s cosmic ether without attracting the attention of Shoth. Here he kept the shrine, watched over the new community of his followers, and drank in their worship.

  The day would come when he’d need to face his rival. But not now. Geoffrey and Kelly had a lot of work to do first.

  And, so did he.

  * * *

  Footnote: This chapter is finished, but the story continues. The Templars and the Arcanists return in the third book of the Demon Gate Chronicles: Annihilation.