Chapter 2 - An Evil Welcome

Cole held on tight to his mother's hand as they wondered the dark tunnels of the Underworld. They had walked for a few minutes and still, it seemed as if they hadn't left the tunnel they had appeared in. Everything looked the same down here. He couldn't understand how his mother could find her way around. Because it seemed she did. It seemed like she knew exactly were they were heading.

Suddenly, Cole tensed as he heard footsteps approaching them further ahead. A shape of a figure began to reveal itself in the depths. Still, it was dark. So it was hard to make out who it might be. Only a few feet away from Cole and Elizabeth, the man stopped. For it was a man. An older man who looked to be in his fifty's. He had short, silver-grey hair and, to Cole's discomfort, a black robe covering his entire body. Its fabric reaching for the ground like a heavy gown.

"Ah, Belzora. So you're finally here." The man said with an English accent as he looked at Elizabeth. "Both of you." He added, glancing at Cole.

Cole held his mother's hand tighter as the man looked at him, trying to hide behind her leg, barely reaching up to her hip. He didn't like the man. Mostly for the dark robe he wore, it frightened him a bit.

"Yes, Raynor. We are." Elizabeth answered shortly, giving Cole's hand a slight squeeze to assure him there was nothing to be afraid of. "Will he see us?" She then asked.

"Yes. He's been waiting quite some time for this. I'm sure he's eager to meet the two of you." Raynor answered with a smirk.

"I'm sure he is." Elizabeth said, a hint of disgust pronouncing the words.

"It's nice to have you back." Raynor said as Elizabeth tried to pass him. "You are an important ingredient to our force."

Elizabeth gave him a quick smile before grabbing a tighter hold of Cole's hand and proceeding down the tunnel.

Cole had to hurry his steps to keep up with his mother. He was relieved to be leaving that man behind. He didn't like him. He got a creepy feeling off of him. As if he should be on his guard.

Finally, the halls of the tunnels brightened up as the torches lightening them, increased. Further ahead, Cole spotted two forms. As they got closer he realised they were men. They looked like gladiators, tall and buff. Sure, Cole was just a child and so almost every guy seemed like a giant to him. But these two really were huge. Each standing on the opposite side of a gate. A big gate with two doors closing together, looking almost royal. They seemed to be guarding the gate but they oddly carried no weapons. They simply stood there, staring at Cole and his mother as they approached.

"Belzora. You're back." One of the men said, slightly waking up from his blank stare.

"So I am." Elizabeth replied. "Now will you let me pass?" She asked, though it wasn't much of a question.

"Of course." The man answered, seeming almost intimidated by Elizabeth.

He and the other guard moved out of the way. Then they both gave their arms a slight wave, causing the doors of the gate to open by themselves. Cole had never seen anything like it. An object moving without anyone touching it. Even though he was scared to death, because at that moment, he was. But still, he couldn't help to feel fascination about what just happened.

As the gate was fully open, Elizabeth held a tighter grip on Cole's hand and led him through it. Inside, a giant room revealed itself. In the centre of it, an avenue of grand candles, placed upon pedestals, lead the way up to a thrown. Cole couldn't make out how big the room was. Beyond the candles there was only darkness. Pitch black darkness and no signs of walls. It was like staring into a bottomless hole, not knowing how deep it was. Every pedestal was placed with a distant of two meters between each other. Filling that void, more guards stood. Everyone of them wearing black pants and a matching, black jacket. They looked very similar to the guards outside.

Cole frightened held his breath as his mother lead him towards the enormous thrown up ahead. He felt the guards eyes upon him, following him as he walked beside his mother. He felt almost as if they were judging him. For what - he could not understand. Cole walked as close to his mother as possible. He almost tripped on her feet several times, just for walking so near.

Finally, they reached the end of the avenue. And Cole found himself staring upon the man, sitting on the thrown. Cole could not understand why, the man hadn't even spoken. But he felt his entire body shiver just from looking at him.

He wore a black robe, its fabric seemed expensive. Could have been satin. The robe reached beyond his feet, keeping them from being seen. And the man's face was covered with a giant hood, hiding it. Of course, the hood wasn't hiding the entire face. But what the fabric didn't conceal, the darkness did. It was simply too dark to make out the man's face. Cole couldn't even be sure it was a man. Yet, strangely, he had the distinct feeling it was. The only thing the shiny robe didn't cover, was his hands. And that was more than enough to reveal. They rested tranquilly upon the armchair. Providing the man with a sense of power. The color of their skin, palely white, was almost glowing in the dark. Perhaps it was because of the contrast to the black robe. But there was no doubt about it. His hands were white. The nails, at the end of his white, skinny fingers, were long and sharp. They looked almost like claws. Might as well have been. The entire image of the man seemed so unnatural. Even inhuman.

"So." The voice from inside the hood spoke with a raspy sound, confirming Cole that it was indeed a man upon the thrown. "You came." He finished, sounding a bit surprised by the fact.

"You have your ways of persuading people." Elizabeth answered with a direct voice. Cole was surprised at how steady it was. He himself felt like he was about to wet his pants.

"Indeed." The man said with a short chuckle. He had obviously found Elizabeth's answer amusing. "And I see you brought him as well." The man said, turning his dark face towards Cole.

Elizabeth held on tighter to her son, feeling the need to protect him from this man. What she didn't realise was that her action only made Cole more scared. She confirmed him that this man was to be feared. She must have had a reason for wanting to protect him. What reason that was, Cole hoped he would never have to find out.

Elizabeth stared daring at the hooded man, a threatening look in her eyes, saying; 'Don't you dare touch my son'.

The man responded to her fierce gaze by smiling. Of course, none of them could trace his smile, with his dark hood hiding it. But Elizabeth could tell he was smiling anyway. She sensed he was.

The man simply smiled in response to Elizabeth's tough attitude. Because he knew, that if he wanted to, there wasn't a thing in the world she could do to stop him from laying his hands on her son. Not a single thing. But her cold eyes told him, just as well, it didn't mean she wouldn't try. She would do everything in her power to protect her son.

Suddenly, the man felt slightly disgusted about her protective instincts towards that boy. Risking your life for someone else was a weakness his kind couldn't or wouldn't tolerate. Something had to be done about it.

"Take them away." The man suddenly said.

Elizabeth detected a sudden anger in his voice she hadn't sensed earlier. Something had changed. As they had entered, he had mocked her presence. But now, he loathed it.

Two of the many guards watching the chamber, walked up to Elizabeth and Cole. Elizabeth brought her son close to her, enfolding him with her arms as he tried hiding his face in her body, the best he could. Cole felt one of the guards grabbing his upper arm fiercely. Clutching it tight with his strong hand. It even hurt a bit. The guard snatched Cole from his mother's embrace as the other guard grabbed Elizabeth by her upper arm. Together, they dragged both of them out of the chamber as Elizabeth turned her head to face the man. Her eyes warning him, threatening him.

The man watched with pleasure as mother and child were dragged towards the exit. Finding comfort in their pain. He would indeed show her who was the boss. He would teach her to never disobey him again.

As the doors closed behind them and Elizabeth and Cole were erased from his vision. He tightened his hold on the elbow-rests, penetrating the wooden material with his sharp nails.

He would indeed show her...

The guards dragged Elizabeth and Cole through the dark tunnels of the Underworld. To Cole, it looked like the same way they came. But Elizabeth knew it wasn't. She knew very well where they were taking them.

The only thought haunting Cole's mind, was the fear of loosing his mother. He had just lost his father. And if the same thing happened to his remaining parent, it would destroy him. He depended on his mother. He needed her. His feet barely touched the ground as the guards hurriedly dragged them through the corridors. He couldn't reach down far enough. He did his best to keep up with the loud steps of his kidnapper. But he was only a little boy. He couldn't possibly keep up with the man's fierce pace.

The guard seemed to care nothing of the fact that it was a child he was dragging, hurting. He continued, just as emotionless, even though Cole sniffed and muffled. He simply didn't care.

"Mommy!" Cole whined as the guard's tight hold on his arm began to really ache. He didn't care about this horrible place, as long as he was allowed to stay with his mother. He couldn't understand why this was happening to him. He didn't know what was going on. He just knew it wasn't good.

"It's okay, sweetie.." Elizabeth answered, lying. She twisted her head in order to see her son. The look on his face told her he was in pain. The guard was hurting him. And the image of Cole hopelessly trying to keep up with has large steps was tormenting her. She had to do something.

Elizabeth hurriedly freed her arm from the guard's grip. He wasn't prepared for it. She had walked with him almost freely along the way, not giving him much problem. So her sudden snatch took him completely by surprise. As Elizabeth's both arms were free of the guard's grip, she raised her left hand, stopping for a second as an energyball formed in the palm of her hand. She instantly released it, throwing it at the guard dragging Cole, incinerating him on spot.

Cole looked up to his mother, not even noticing his arm was free. But instead coping with the vision of his mother killing a man. Killing him with the same glowing ball as had killed his father. Maybe he should've been grateful to her action, saving him from that evil man. But instead, he felt fear towards her. He wasn't sure what to think of her. He just stood there, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

Elizabeth met Cole's hurt gaze. She hadn't at all meant to scare him. She only wanted to help him. Instead she brought fear to his blue, innocent eyes. For what seemed like an eternity to Elizabeth and Cole, was only a mere second.

The remaining guard quickly woke up from his shock, facing the situation before him. He clutched another tight grip on Elizabeth's arm, so strong she feared he might brake it. He then brought her to his face, shaking her body violently as he stared into her eyes.

"I should kill you right here on spot!" The man yelled at her.

"Then do it!" Elizabeth spat at him, knowing he wouldn't. Knowing they needed her.

A short staring contest took place between the two. Elizabeth never breaking his gaze.

The guard sneered as he turned his attention to the child standing behind him and grabbed him fiercely with his free arm. He was loosing patience with these two.

Cole muffled at the touch of the man's strong hold. He was being even more violent then the one hurting him before. The guard began pacing again, this time holding both the prisoners by himself. Cole desperately tried to keep up with the man as he lead them down the dark tunnel. Fearing what might be at the end of it.

Elizabeth followed in defeat. She had failed her son. She had promised to protect him, instead he now feared his own mother. She knew something like this wouldn't have happened with Benjamin. Cole would never be scared of his father. Her heart sank at the thought of her dead husband.

As the guard reached what seemed to be the end of the tunnel, a light began to shine. As they got closer, Cole realised it was a room at the left side of the wall, its light reaching out to the corridor. Inside the room there was a gather of torches surrounding a large, steel cage. Cole thought it looked almost like a bird cage, only bigger. Big enough to fit a person. Perhaps even two.

As they reached the cage and the guard was in close enough distance to touch it. He swung his arm in mid air, the same arm holding onto Cole, causing the door of the cage to open, outwards. He then tossed Cole into the cage, causing him to collapse on the dirty ground by his strong force. Cole felt his knee scraping against the floor, a burning sensation following after it.

Then, the second he looked up, his mother was thrown inside, too. But she managed to stay on her legs as she entered the cage and immediately turned around to face the guard as he closed the door in front of her, blocking her way out. Elizabeth folded her hands around the bars of the cage, staring at the guard on the other side. And if looks could kill, her gaze would've send the man to his death. She wanted nothing more but to hurl an energyball at him, watch him cry in agony as the flames licked his skin. But she knew of this cage. She knew no magic could escape its bars. She knew it would only bounce back at her. Perhaps even kill her son. So instead, she just stared at the guard. Her fingers clutching tighter and tighter around the bars, turning her usually pale knuckles, fiercely red.

"I'd watch that attitude if I were you." The guard advised her, an evil grin curling his lips.

"But you're not me, are you?" Elizabeth answered, every hateful feeling towards him piercing through her clenched teeth.

"Not many would wish to be.. when he's finished with you." The guard added, mentioning to The Source.

With a chuckle, proud over his own comment, the man turned around and walked away. Leaving Elizabeth at the bars, staring hatefully after him as his footsteps echoed down the hall.

She then softened, remembering her son behind her. She slowly turned around, concerning eyes facing him as he touched his knee in agony. Her mother instincts spellbound her. She took the single step that separated them and kneeled down in front of him, reaching out for his injured knee with worried hands.

Cole backed away at her touch, his back reaching the bars of the cage, the sound of hitting steel finding his ears. There really wasn't much space in it. Its walls were round, a circled-shaped prison, stealing their freedom away. The top if it reached a head above Elizabeth when she stood up. And it carried no bottom, leaving them sitting on the cold ground.

Elizabeth looked up to meet her son's insecure eyes. The shadows from the candles surrounding the cage, flickering across his innocent face. Only once before in her life had she cried, his look almost brought her to her second flock of tears.

"Sweetie, it's okay." She told him, using the sweetest voice she was capable of. "I'm just gonna check your knee."

Cole looked at his mother, not sure what to think. He wanted to believe her. Yet, something was holding him back.

Elizabeth gazed into her son's eyes, waiting for them to soften before saying another word.

Cole met his mother's blue eyes. He thought he glimpsed tears forming in them, but he couldn't be sure. With the light flickering on and off her face, it was hard to make out. He couldn't remember to have seen his mother crying before... ever.

Without thinking, he flung himself at her, throwing his arms around her neck, his tiny hands drowning in her soft, dark hair as he pressed his cheek against her right shoulder, closing his eyes at the powerful emotion he was experiencing. He couldn't be afraid of his mother, he loved her. She was his entire world.

Elizabeth embraced her son with a mother's arms. Enfolding the back of his head with her left hand, releasing a breath at the feeling of his soft, curly hair between her fingers. The relief she felt in that moment, she had never felt anything like it in her entire life. Never before, in her 93 year old life. She felt a tear sliding down her cheek, as she quietly counted in her mind.

Two, she had now cried two times. That was two more times than most demons had.

"Cole?" Elizabeth whispered through her burning throat. "You know I would never hurt you."

Cole clutched his fingers around her hair, grabbing it tight at his mother's words as he set all his feelings free and wept. Of course he knew she wouldn't hurt him. But it still felt nice hearing her saying it. It felt safe.

"I no mommy." Cole answered. His young words bringing joy to Elizabeth, she never thought she was able to experience.

She held him closer, caressed the back of his head as the thought of someone taking him away from her approached slowly. She knew it was only a matter of time before someone would try to separate them. Before The Source would make his move.

I'll be ready when he does, Elizabeth thought as she held Cole in her arms. Comforting him the best she could.