by P. S. Power
“One step at a time, keep going.”
It was close to being too much for him. For all of them it was clear. The only being that seemed unaffected was Balthias, who merely walked at the same speed the rest of them did. If he was being plagued with anything he didn’t mention it, but the creature also didn’t act as if they were all being weak or foolish, so perhaps there was something there too? Richard hoped so. It would be less embarrassing that way. Luckily he was a Vampire though, which meant he didn’t really need to use the bathroom. If that wasn’t the fact of the matter, he didn’t doubt that he’d have wet himself by the time they finally stepped in front of the door.
Then, instantly, a small light came on from above the door and all the fear stopped. Jonas sniffed openly and shook his head.
“I get it. My greatest fear is that I’ll give in to temptation and not be able to control myself, so I was almost overwhelmed by the scent of prey.” He didn’t mention that it would be human blood that did it, probably to be polite to Hally. Richard approved.
That showed enough control and sensitivity to be making a good and healthy start on his new career in politics.
Hally, now able to see like the rest of them, put a hand out to try the door handle. It didn’t budge at all. She tried to push on it, which didn’t even make the thing creak a little. It would have been embarrassing if she were a boy, but she sensibly just stood back a bit.
“Maybe one of you can get it open?”
Jonas tried first, Balthias last, mighty blows raining down on it that would have destroyed hardened metal, much less thin wood. The sound from it was deafening, but it didn’t move at all. They even tried to all hit it at once, even the human girl kneeling in the snow and trying to push on it. Nothing happened at all, except the snow under their feet melting from the friction and pressure they were producing on it. The dirt under that turned rapidly to mud.
It wasn’t until a few minutes later that he realized that Hally was shivering, her body made cold. He didn’t have body heat to warm her, none of them did. In fact he didn’t even feel the air as cold. That being the case he took off his jacket and helped her put it on, Jonas doing the same, trying to add layers for her. It looked bulky and inefficient, but she didn’t complain, even as her teeth chattered.
“Now what?” There was a shaking to her words, her teeth clacking together slightly.
“Well, we know that at least one of us should be able to get past this, if not each individually. I…” Richard really didn’t know. He wanted to sound like he did, but puzzles had never really been his strong suit. “If you can’t use a door, try a window?”
There were none to be seen, even as they made a full circuit of the place, Hally changing colors, becoming first pale in the dim light, then slightly blue. She was illuminated well enough in the infrared light coming from the chimney…
“The chimney, of course. It must be how Saint Nick did it. We can enter through there, or we could if the fire were put out. I don’t know that we’d be able to fit…”
That got a low growl from the giant brown form behind him.
“Wait by the door. I’ll return soon.” There was a strange sight then, as with a single bound the huge beast propelled himself upward and forward, then vanished.
They did move over by the door, not knowing what to expect, it wasn’t a huge or thunderous sound however, but the turning of a lock that came next. A simple door lock that couldn’t have kept them out at all. After a second the door opened, showing a well lit room, done in cream and bright red. It wasn’t high fashion, but it wasn’t exactly what he would have expected from a log shack in the woods either. The outside wasn’t nearly as fine.
“Enter.” Balthias made the word sound like an invitation, even though that wasn’t needed. None of the old methods of stopping a Vampire really worked. Except beheading and fire, but those pretty much worked on everything.
“Thank you Bal.” Hally said sweetly, even as she kept shivering. It was far warmer inside and the girl moved closer to the fire, trying to warm up. The rest of them just went in. Richard after stomping his feet a few times, which got Rebekah to do the same. Jonas tracked in snow though, which was enough to make Richard wince.
“Politeness Jonas. This is someone else’s home. Bad enough we’re breaking in to steal a child, we don’t have to be heathens about it.” It came out sounding stuffy and old fashioned, but the younger man still moved out quickly and did as he was asked, without comment or seeming to be overly concerned with the suggestion.
“Sorry.” When his shoes were clean, he came back into the room, shutting the door behind them to keep in the heat. Richard nearly called out, but Balthias merely walked back and opened it again, then shut it firmly.
“We seem to have defeated the door. That used my abilities. It would seem that each will face a trial? If it is not unfairly weighted at any rate.” It was said quietly, the low voice so powerful that the near whisper still carried.
They all moved into the dwelling then, each room having lights recessed into the ceilings, the tone bright and cheerful, which wasn’t what he’d expected at all. For some reason he’d been thinking of something closer to a dungeon for some reason. It was a little disappointing, but there was no use trying to outguess Greater Demons.
There was a hallway to the right, and a room directly in front of them, which turned out to be a sitting room, that didn’t seem to hold anything more than furniture, and the entry to another hallway. The place, somehow, seemed to be larger inside than out. Rebekah had gone to check the other section and came back a very short time later, having clearly hurried.
“Nothing back that way, except a bathroom with a very nice tub. That thing is huge. We could go swimming in it. Very Roman in feeling.” She smiled at the others and shook her head a little. “Not that I remember Rome, but I’ve seen books on the subject and television programs. The Mistress of Souls allows us to view such things when we aren’t working.”
Balthias made a low grunting noise then.
“I was there for the fall. Of Rome that is. I helped to bring it down as the Christians rose up from within it. Some of my first memories are from those days.” He stopped then and looked at Hally, who was watching him closely. There was a small smile on his fat bull like lips. “Sometime I shall recount that for you. When you’re older and others have ruined the world for you already.”
Almost as a group, with Richard in the lead they headed to the last hallway. When he reached it, he stopped, not able to keep going. It wasn’t a force pushing him back at all, he just couldn’t go any further. It wasn’t possible for him to make himself push into it.
There was a single voice, a female one that spoke, as if from the air itself.
“No. I am not here for you Vampire. Stand away and bring forth your champion.” It wasn’t anyone he recognized, but he got the idea. One of them was expected to fight so that they could pass this point. That’s what a champion was after all.
And it wasn’t going to be him.
“Jonas, perhaps you should try next?” If anyone there could be said to be his “champion” it would have to be his new secretary, wouldn’t it?
Apparently not, because he couldn’t pass either. The voice from the air chuckled. It didn’t even give them more instruction, there was just a laugh that lingered for about ten seconds.
Rebekah didn’t get that though, she got a low grunt that sounded meaner than what the others had encountered by far. When Balthias tried he was thrown back, hitting the far wall with a mighty crash that made the wooden support beam buckle and give way. Everyone else jumped back, except Hally, who tentatively moved towards the hallway, her left hand out, clearly afraid.
That only made sense. Each reaction had been harsher than the last, and if she were flung harder than the Lesser Demon had been, she’d simply die. Still, Richard watched her move, ready to take her turn, no matter what came. It was incredibly brave.
Nothing happened to her, not at first. A
fter a brief time a dark haired girl with a button nose appeared, wearing, of all things, a rather ugly blue and orange cheerleader’s outfit. Hally gasped, a frightened sound that was worse than anything Richard had heard that night. She seemed at least as fearful of this attractive girl as he’d been of Balthias earlier.
He didn’t get it, not at all. Why would that be? He nearly asked when the girl spoke, her voice pleasant enough, cultured if in an American sounding fashion.
“Ah, here she is now. Your champion. The rules here are simple little Hally. You must fight me and win, in order to pass this point. You must face your worst enemy in the whole world and prevail, or die in the attempt. Guess which one I’m voting for?” The girl smiled and it didn’t even look evil, but Hally whimpered slightly.
Richard looked at the others, who seemed more than a little shocked.
“Who is this?” He was looking directly at Rebekah, but Balthias answered, his voice angry and dark.
“This, it seems, is the Greater Demon Xenses, who Lady Hally must now fight to the death.”
Richard blinked, not able to make sense of it all. Finally he shrugged.
“Run?” It was probably too late for that, but they had to do something.
Chapter four
“No.” The voice from the redheaded elf was funny sounding. Half filled with desperate courage and half… Bitterness. “This is my fight.”
The idea was insane of course. Even if the child was a brilliant fighter it wouldn’t work. No one human could face a Greater Demon and defeat them. If that was what the challenge then they’d already lost and the best thing they could do was just try to survive. That didn’t seem to be the plan however as, fearful or not, Hally moved forward in a rush, yelling as she did…
And grabbed a big handful of long hair on the other girl. The Greater Demon. The one dressed as a cheerleader returned the move and then they started to slap at each other, both crying after less than half a minute, but neither backing off once the fight was joined. He didn’t understand it at first, but after a moment Rebekah did, and shared with the rest of them.
“It isn’t really Xenses. It’s just a form made to look like him.” The Vampire yelled then, her voice powerful, as the girls stood striking each other at close range.
“Hally, you hear me? You can win! It isn’t really Xenses. Um… Bite her!” The words were heeded, which got the other girl to scream in pain as teeth sunk into forearm and some shins were kicked fiercely by small elf tennis shoes. Both the combatants cried loudly, gasping for breath as they kept going.
It was equal parts sad and heroic as the young redhead tried her best not to fail them, even as she took nearly equal damage, her arms scratched in several places, blood slowly seeping out. Some helpful hints were called out, most of which came from Balthias and involved things that polite people didn’t do in a fight. Richard had to agree with the giant however. This wasn’t some small and polite disagreement amongst children.
It was a fight to the death and Hally was being far too kind for that sort of thing. If they were going to pass, she had to win and that meant killing her rival, or at least stopping her to the point where they’d be freed from this part of the game.
“Hally, listen to Balthias. Do as he says!” It was perhaps too commanding, given that he wasn’t her master, but slowly over the course of minutes, the girl started to follow the brutal suggestions, almost not moving both fighters too tired to do much at all by that time.
Then finally after several bouts of eye gouging and picking up a heavy stone ashtray to use as a bludgeon the simulacrum of Xenses vanished. Why the male Greater Demon had looked like a young girl Richard didn’t understand, but it was perhaps better that way. The two forms seemed to have been equal in strength and speed, and a large male form would have been too much for the girl.
Who sat on the ground holding her arms and panting, tears starting to dry.
“I… won?” She sounded confused by the concept, but Balthias moved to her and picked her up, setting the redhead on her feet and fixing the elf costume a bit. There were some scratches, but the bleeding wasn’t too bad. The girl would have a blackened eye from it, but that would probably come the next day.
The beast nodded.
“Aye. You fought bravely. We should test the barrier to see if we might pass now.”
Hally, still tired from fighting, was the closest to the hallway and started walking down it, which got everyone else to follow along faster than was probably safe, not wanting to leave her to trigger the next trap alone if possible. If things were going to be fair, that probably wouldn’t happen, but this whole thing wasn’t about being even handed, that was clear.
The next problem came when they got halfway down the beige carpeted hallway, Hally still in the lead. It was an odd guardian that showed up, a large teddy bear the size of a small horse blocked their path. It was brown and fuzzy looking, the fur fake but the eyes having a disturbing appearance of life.
“Go no further.” The voice was warm and familiar. Richard couldn’t place it at first, but after a few seconds Jonas did.
“It’s a care bear? Wishing bear or something…” He didn’t sound that certain, but there was a well on its stomach, with a shooting star over it.
“Close enough.” The bear didn’t look at him, but rather at Rebekah.
“There are three doors here, and only two wishes. Behind one of these doors is the girl you seek, behind another lies only death. The third… would make you all wish for death and not find it. Choose your wishes wisely, for once done they cannot be undone.” The eyes rolled to the side, looking at Balthias and then Jonas, who both seemed ready to call out suggestions. “No cheating. She has to figure it out for herself, or it won’t count. You can’t think for her. You have two minutes to decide.”
There was no more speaking or movement, as Rebekah froze.
“Oh crud… Oh crud! I hate these kinds of things. What do I do?” She paced rapidly, her eyes looking frightened, and worse, unsure of herself.
There were several answers, it was clear to Richard at least, and it had to be to the Manthori as well. She was clearly intelligent, so this probably wasn’t about her ability to reason at all, but rather her willingness to take charge when it was important. It was a hard thing to watch, harder in its own way than the desperate battle that Hally had just gone through.
Oddly enough, it was the Lesser Demon that helped her, not giving a hint at all. The teddy bear stared as he started to speak, but didn’t call foul on it.
“I believe in you Rebekah. You are a good, strong and fair leader. Believe in yourself as well.”
Hally rubbed at her upper lip, which was starting to swell, already more than double its previous size. “Me too! You can do it!”
Rebekah didn’t look convinced at all, but just as the bear started to move a bit, her time nearly up, she spoke.
“Um, I wish the door with Maci behind it would be opened?” She winced, probably expecting there to be a trick or a trap behind the door. Maybe they’d find out that Ma’at had also named her killer pet monster Maci or something.
Who knew what would happen?
The bear shifted a bit and pointed to the door on its left, which clicked open, the light from inside dim, but enough to see by.
“Done. You still have one wish left. It’s non-transferable and only to be used within the fifty states. You may not wish for more wishes, the destruction of Ma’at, or for anything that would change history dramatically. That just gets messy. So, what do you want? I don’t really have all day. Actually I’m going to stop being in about fifteen seconds, so you might consider being quick about it.” The big thing started to fade after about five seconds, a low countdown being spoken as it vanished.
“Um… I wish… To find true love.”
The thing laughed a little, but there was a single word that lingered after that.
“Done.”
Richard looked at the woman and smiled. There were worse things
to wish for after all. True love was a thing that he’d never found himself, not while a living man or a Vampire, but he wished her the best of luck with it.
“Personally I would have wished that we all got out of this alive, but that’s not too bad.” Jonas spoke the words calmly enough, starting towards the door, then holding back, looking at everyone else. “Ah… OK. Um, maybe we should have Hally go in first? Me second and maybe move the rest of you back? I don’t want to be rude but…”
No one asked what he meant or hit him, just taking a few steps back and Hally called out from the door.
“Um, Maci? Are you in there? It’s… We’re friends. Richard Swerlin got your letter and we came to get you. Can I come in?” She waited, looking at someone it seemed, though it was hard to really tell until the soft, scared voice came from within.
“Yes.”
Hally disappeared through the door and was followed by Jonas, losing sight of them made him feel suddenly uneasy, but a moment later Hally called out for them to come in. He went first, being the most normal looking one of them. Balthias hung back still, knowing human reactions to his form as well as he did.
The girl was small and dark skinned. Her hair was uncared for and matted on one side, sticking out in all directions in others. She had only a bare mattress on the floor and a cardboard box to use as a table, along with the remains of a single red crayon. It was a nub no longer than his thumb was wide. The box had simple drawings on it. She didn’t touch it, staring at them all instead.
“Are you the Vampire man that Santa told me to get?” The small face looked at him, scared, but more fierce than he would have believed possible, given her isolated surroundings.
“I am. I’m Richard Swerlin. I’m a Congressman, do you know what that is?” It was an odd thing to say, but he waited anyway, in case Santa had explained the concept to her. It was possible after all.
“No.” She sounded more than a little suspicious about it too.
