by Keller, Tom
Ordunez had a good point, I thought, as the caffeine jump started my brain. But not just because the portal needed to be closed. I'd actually considered the possibility before he mentioned it, but I hadn’t put all the pieces together to make it happen. And it wasn't just about the Demons. No, there were some interesting possibilities there. But first, I needed more information. Time to play investigator again. Contacting the Keres was on my list, but first, I needed to know about the orb.
Its appearance just hours before the fight with the.... whoever he was, was just too convenient. As was the ease of dispatching the attackers that carried it. And the Keres? Amazing how someone that transports souls to Hell shows up the day before you're asked if you can go there. Too many coincidences. I figured that Gaea was pulling the strings, but I still couldn’t tell what game we were playing. But first things first. I picked up my cellphone to make a call.
His name was Walter Ferrer. He was a descendant of Vulcanus, the Roman God of Fire, and an expert on ancient Fae weapons. Once again, I was meeting him at a restaurant near Sahara and the Strip. This time it was the Flock and Fowl. Walter had a thing for Asian fusion and this place boasted the best Hainan chicken rice in town. I'd eaten here before. Owned by the same Chef that had built Fat Choy's, it was another hidden gem among Las Vegas' finest eateries. Not to mention that the dipping sauces were akin to ambrosia.
"Thanks for seeing me," I said as I sat down.
"I've been trying to get out of the office all day," he replied, glancing at the menu. "Let's order."
"So what can I do for you?" he asked as the waitress left.
"I need to know if you've ever seen one of these," I said, pulling the orb out of my pocket and placing on the table.
"Where in the Gods!" he said, his eyes wide. "Hold on a minute." He took out an old lighter and lit it, muttering a few words of what I knew to be a privacy spell. When he was done, he looked around the restaurant. Satisfied, he turned back to me.
"Where in Vulcan's name did you find that?" he asked.
"Took it off a Mage," I replied. "One that was trying to kill me."
"A Mage?" he repeated. "Carrying this? Here? May I see it?"
"Just don't throw it at anything," I replied, handing the orb to him.
"This is odd," he said after he examined it for a moment. Then frowned as he ran his hands over the worn script. "Someone has obliterated the characters?"
"I thought it was just worn."
"Wait," he replied. Glancing to the side, he covered the orb with his hands and said a few words, the privacy spell lifting a bit as the waitress returned with our order. When she had gone, he recast the spell, then turned back to me. "Worn? No. Someone did this intentionally. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how. Bastards!"
"Walter," I said. "What are you talking about?"
"This," he replied, holding the worn spot towards me "It's been defaced!"
"So you know what it is," I said.
"Of course," he said, shaking his head "But how did the Mage come by it? And how did it get here? Its existence has only been spoken of in legend."
"I don’t know," I replied. "And he's dead, so I can’t ask him. So what is it?"
"Oh. Sorry," he replied. "It's just that weapons like this are a passion of mine."
"I know it's a weapon," I said. "I've used it. But where did it come from?"
"It's a Demon Queller," he said after a moment. "Or at least part of a Demon Queller's kit. It's ancient Chinese. Way before our time. Way before The Fall, as a matter of fact. The characters have been obscured, but I'm sure it was a weapon carried by Zhong Kui."
"And he is?"
"A Demon Slayer," he replied. "One of the best, too, at least according to the legend. He was sent out by the king of their Hells to return rogue Ghosts and Demons. The Chinese have a lot of Hells and apparently that was a problem in those days. He had a variety of weapons he used to dispatch them. This is one of them."
"You mean those that escaped?" I asked, holding my hand out.
"I suppose, since this is probably only effective on the outside," he replied, returning the orb. "Trying to kill a Demon or Ghost in Hell isn’t going to work since they’re already dead. They'd simply come back. Although it would slow them down for a bit. But why would he do that? He was after those that escaped, he would have had other tools to handle internal matters. We also know he could travel between the worlds. The legend says that he later became the King of Ghosts and would visit the Earth once a year."
"Why would someone try to obscure the name?" I asked,
"That's what I can’t figure out," he replied. "Unless it was to hide what it is. There is no way to know what characters have been removed, but there’s nothing else like it, so trying to hide it is foolish. But I am curious about how a Mage could get his hands on it in the first place. This thing is ancient. We wouldn’t even have known it existed if Zhong Kui hadn’t appeared to the Emperor of China sometime during the 8th century. Even then, it was only in a dream. But the dream was so vivid that the Emperor had everything transcribed. That's the only reason we know about it at all. This shouldn't be here. Wait, you say you used it? How? When?"
"Killed a Demon," I replied. "The other night. Well, at least I think it was a Demon. Big thing, like a Centaur on steroids, only it had the body of a bull."
"Damn," he said, taking a bite from his plate. "I wish I could have seen that."
"Trust me," I replied, picking up my chopsticks. "Be glad you didn't."
I dug in. I hadn’t eaten since yesterday and the meal was, as always, delicious. I spent the rest of the time answering questions between bites, but I didn't mind. Although he'd only given me more to think about, the information I obtained was interesting. It made me more convinced that someone else had already decided where I was going. If that was the case, then I needed to make sure it was worth it.
It was dark by the time I made it back home. First, I asked Charlie to go find Alf, then I started the coffee. As I poured my first cup, he returned with the Imp in tow.
"Sit," I said as I poured a double shot Middleton whiskey into a tumbler, before pushing it in the Imp's direction.
He jumped up into the chair, eyeing me warily as he took the glass and raised it to his lips.
"Tis just a thought, " he said, wryly. "Perhaps it is your intent that I become a wee bit tipsy." Then he downed the whiskey in one gulp, wiping his mouth with his hands."
"Just payment in advance," I said, noting the use of the accent again. He hadn’t used that one since the day he was first caught.
"How then, may I be of service?"
"First off," I said. "Let's cut the bullshit. There's several things going on and I've got a feeling you know more than I do. So tell me what you've learned."
"Much you already know," he replied, and preceded to tell me what I had already been told by the Fed's during the briefing. But then it got interesting. "The Keres is the key. Kyras is a queen herself, she can take you to Hades."
"Even if she leads me to the gates," I said, wondering how he knew so much about her. "What then? How do I get in? Everyone is telling me that it's a one-way trip, and I'll have no power when I get there. That's not gonna be much help. "
"You are not like the other Fae, as I am sure Bernd has told you. You do not need the forests and the light. You can draw magic from anywhere. But it is true; your powers will be greatly reduced in that place."
"I can find the way," Charlie said. "You will need my nose if you must travel there and I already know the dark Fae's scent."
"I'd already planned on taking you," I said. "If I can be sure of at least a chance of being successful. But there's still the matter of getting in; not to mention crossing the gates."
"It is true. Even though you are of the line of Persephone, you cannot cross the Acheron while alive to get to the gate," Alf continued. "But if you could find another way in, as the heir, you would be able to enter the palace of Hades. Therein lies the Helm of Darkness
, as well as other artifacts. If you can acquire that, then all the gates will be open to you."
"What about Charlie?" I asked. "How am I going to hide him?
"The Helm is more than a simple cap of invisibility, as some myths have held. Instead, it shrouds your presence from view and senses, as well as anything with you. As long as he stays close, he will stay hidden as well.
"So all I need to do is find a way into Hades."
"That, the Keres can do," he said.
"I don’t understand," I said. "I thought she only delivered souls to the gates."
"That is true," he replied. "But that does not mean she is barred from entry. It is said that Nyx herself had a palace in Tartarus."
"How do you know this stuff?" I asked, suspiciously.
"Because he is a purveyor of lost and hidden secrets," Lucinda said.
I hadn’t noticed when she came into the room.
"As are all of his kind." She jumped up on the table, her tail twisting back and forth. "Usually dangerous ones, and not always accurate. But this time he may be correct. Now tell him the rest."
"I was getting there," Alf said, defensively. "You didn't let me finish."
"Wait a minute," I said, not sure if I understood what was going on. "Are you two actually agreeing on something?"
"In this case," Alf replied. "She wants the same thing as I do."
"Which is?"
"To return Bernd to the land of the living." she said.
If I was being led down this path, at least this was something that made the risk worthwhile. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be a cakewalk. I wasn't sure what they knew, or even how they knew, but both had warned me that my powers would be weaker there, and I couldn’t use my sword. At least not without abandon. While the Helm of Darkness would help the wearer stay hidden; Zeus' sword would stand out like a beacon in the night. Stealth was the battle plan here, not a full frontal assault. This was not my domain, after all, and each version of Hell had its own rules. I doubted it was even worth bringing a gun. If I was really going to do this, then I'd have to choose my weapons well.
Now, I just needed to call Diantha for any advice she might have as to dealing with the Keres. I could have guessed what she'd say.
Throwing some sweats over my Fae armor few hours later, I left the house looking like just another guy on a jog. The cemetery wasn't far, maybe a mile, and I took the side streets to be less noticeable. I always found it interesting to note the temperature drop as you got close. I'd like to say it was something otherworldly, but most likely it was just the large amount of real grass and the late sprinklers that made the place a bit cooler than the surrounding asphalt and desert. Cutting through a gap in the fence, I ditched the sweats and switched into my Fae persona. No one was likely to notice. At this time of night, the place was deserted.
I walked silently through the grass, just looking, and listening. I finally noticed her sitting by a headstone in the moonlight. She appeared in her human looking form, the mist turning and twisting about her as she moved. I could hear her voice, and by the tone, she seemed to be singing a tune.
"Worry not, my love," I heard her say as the song ended. Then she caressed the ground. "You are not forgotten. I will always remember you."
As I got closer, I got a glimpse of the headstone as she moved her hand over the granite. It was a child's. From the inscription, she had been eleven when she died, some twenty years earlier. How, I had no way of knowing. I suddenly got the feeling that I was intruding and started to back away.
She must have heard me then, because she twisted around, her form changing, and all of a sudden I was facing a monster. Head like a grinning skull, with pale skin and gnashing teeth, her claws stretched out toward me. The mist bellowed up around her, making her look twice the size. I took a step back, almost pulling my sword, but then she recognized me, and switched back.
"Kyras," I said, relaxing a bit. "My apologies. I did not mean to intrude. I can come back another time."
"No apologies are necessary, Lord of the Wood," she replied, in an almost childlike voice, bowing. "I was but singing to the child."
"Singing?" I asked without thinking. This was not what I had expected from the Greek equivalent of a Valkyrie.
"Death comes for us all," she replied. "Not every soul is dark and hard like those of the Topielec. Sometimes, it is good to remind myself of those that I escorted into the light."
"Do you do that often?" I asked. "Take souls to the light?"
"No, only rarely so," she admitted. "There are others of my kind that I grant that honor. But this one I knew, having feasted on he that slayed her, before sending him to his own torments."
"She was murdered?" I asked, fascinated by the conversation. I'd seen her briefly switch back to the monster when she talked about the girl's slayer.
"As the Fates decreed," she replied, before walking away from the grave and moving closer. "But surely you have not come to talk about the Night. You are a Lord of the Wood, and the sun is bright, even in your speech."
Whatever that meant. But she was clearly done with this line of conversation.
"No, Kyras," I said. "I came to see you. As I said I might the other night."
"Seldom do any seek us out," she replied, her voice changing, no longer childlike and dreamy. "It is said that even Zeus feared Nyx, the Goddess of Night. I am her descendant and I have seen how you look upon me when I change." As she said the words she shifted into her other self. A Fae persona of something hideous. The dark mist swirled around her as she stared into my eyes. "You are repulsed, perhaps even afraid, as are all of your kind. Yet still, you asked for my name."
"You're right," I said, maintaining eye contact so as not to appear revolted. I decided on honesty. Gruesome as she now appeared; I sensed no evil from her, and she couldn't help what she was. Which is not to say that what she had become could be ignored. She was of the Keres, after all.
"I do not fear you, Kyras," I said. "Although I admit, I'm not particularly fond of this side of you. But then again, I was raised as a human, and they have an inherent distaste for things that look like monsters; contrary to what their entertainment choices may have one believe. But the humans also have a saying: beauty is only skin deep. I've seen a lot of fairer creatures than either of us, whose hearts are cold as ice. They're the real monsters, and I can promise you this, none of them would be singing to a forgotten child. So forgive me my momentary weakness. Know that it does not make me think any less of you, for we did not ask to be created, yet each of us has their place."
"My Lord chooses his words well," she said, shifting slowly back to her other persona. The mist receded, and once again clung to her like a gown. Only this time it was more revealing then before. There was a glint in her eyes when she spoke again. "Tell me then, what is it that you wish to see?"
"I meant that I wished to visit," I replied. So much for my choice of words. "I wanted to learn about your kind. More specifically, I wanted to learn about you. I was also hoping you could help me."
"I see," she said, in that soft, cooing, voice again. "It is answers you seek." She moved closer, and ran one hand up my arm. "But what are the questions? And what help can I offer?" She put a finger to my lips. "Do not answer. This is not the place for such things." Without another word she raised her arms, and the dark mist encircled us. "Are you willing to accompany me to my home?"
"I am," I replied, wondering what I was getting myself into.
"Take my hand," she said, holding it out. She was smiling, but I couldn’t tell what the emotion behind it was. I guess I was about to find out.
"Let's go then," I replied, and placed my hand in hers.
The mist billowed around us, and then we were somewhere else.
Once again, as when I first visited other Fae lands with Meredith, I was on a sea shore. But this time it was night. Actually, it felt more like twilight; with just the barest hint of what looked like stars visible in the sky. A black sand beach surrounded me.
The dark waves of the sea sounded like the ocean's pulse, gently breaking on the shore in a quiet rhythm. There was a sound behind me, and I turned to see Kyras standing there, the mist swirling around her body. Behind her, several meters past, a walkway led to the opening of a cave.
She turned without speaking and began to walk toward it. As I followed, the tranquility of the scene was broken, as I now realized that the path I now walked on wasn't made of sand. Instead, it was crushed bone. There was a cloying odor of rot in the air and I wondered what I had gotten myself in to. But as we entered the cave, a fresh breeze hit my face and ahead in the distance, only slightly lighter than the darkness that surrounded us, was an exit. It was then I realized that this was just the route to our eventual destination.
Chapter 17
"Welcome to my lands," she said as we came out of the cave. "Ahead lies the Temple of Nyx, the home of the Keres."
I was standing outside the cave entrance. The sky was stuck in perpetual twilight. It was as if the last rays of the sun were just about to fade, but never did. Even so, it was a beautiful world. Set within a large valley, the hills rose up in the distance, and everywhere I looked I could see forest. The temperature was moderate, maybe high 60s. A swift stream flowed in front of me. Across it, what I can only describe as a Greek inspired temple, sat on the other side. It was made of what appeared to be marble, with columns in the front, and steps leading up to a doorway. There were torches lit all around, and it shone in the semi-dark twilight between night and day.
"It's beautiful," I replied as I followed her across a small bridge that led to the other side of the stream.
She took my hand and led me up the steps. As we entered the temple, two people, a male and female, dressed in Greek togas, awaited. I was surprised to see that they were not of the Fae.
"Bring wine for our guest," Kyras ordered, any pretense of anything less than a Queen of Fae now gone. "And fruit and anything else that you think he would enjoy."
