Chapter Two: The Order
Twelve years…
Twelve fucking years spent wandering from place to place and I am this close to losing my sanity. Turns out, the consequences that Old Horney – as I like to call the guy inside my head – mentioned was a permanent residence inside my head. It would've been fine, really, if only this guy hadn't turned out to be such a pervert. Every time a woman wearing vaguely provocative attire appear, this guy would start hooting and make comments that'll make me blush. Heck, even when I try something modern, like use a cellphone or watch TV this guy won't stop asking questions. I can't even shut him out since we share the same body.
For an ancient being he sure tries my patience. Worst part is, I can't even tell him off without making a fool out of myself. Some asshole got the wrong idea so I ended up in the asylum because of him. Fat load of good that did to me, my entire stay there was hell. So much so, that I couldn't decide whether to kill myself or burn the whole place down. But even so, something good did happen to me there. For starters, that's where I first found out about the Order.
It was really by accident. The TV was on when I walked by and that was when I saw him, the masked man with the distorted voice. Normally, I would've ignored those terrorist stories, but this time it was different. I knew from the moment he started talking that this guy was different from the other attention-seekers on the net. He spoke of things, things that made sense and things that exactly describe the world we live in. So even though I was still skeptical, it made me wonder…could this man see the same things as I did?
I decided at that moment to break out and ask the man myself.
That plan was put on hold though when a new person arrived at the mental institution. A guy named Zack. He was a violent guy and I didn't want to be near him. Heck, he was literally screaming bloody murder when he first came here and had to be sedated. I would have dismissed him as another lunatic if he hadn't said the d-word.
"You fucking demons! You think you can control me!?" he shouted. He caused quite a scene back then, enough to at least garner a minor audience. I was one of them and once I heard the word demons I stopped to listen. "You think you can keep me as one of your lab rats, huh!? You guys – you guys…" his words became gibberish after that as the drugs took hold. Everyone had left once the show was over, except for me. I was too curious about him then. Don't get me wrong, just because he said the d-word doesn't mean I'll automatically think he's just like me, but the fact that almost all of the staff here were demons made me think. It was the whole reason why it took me so long to break out in the first place. Cernunnos warned me to never reveal my abilities especially my Sight.
Those with psychic abilities were always targeted and unless I wanted to be one of them I had to keep a low profile. It was hard pretending to be a regular human, especially when they had to touch me during examinations and feed me my medicine. So when this guy came I saw an opportunity.
That night, I waited until the lights went out. Once I made sure that all nearby presence was asleep, I took out the bobby pins I hid under my mattress and unlocked the door. Getting out, I closed the door behind me and made my way to where the new guy was. Thankfully, nobody was patrolling the hallways much and even if they were I could easily sense them with my other ability. Finally, I made it to the isolation rooms the place where they keep the crazier patients. Earlier I secretly followed the orderlies as they dragged him away, so I knew which room he was being kept.
The doors here though were sealed by an electronic lock and can only be opened with a key card, something which I didn't have. But that was fine; I only needed to talk to him. As quietly as I could, I opened the slot in the door and peeked in. The room was, as expected, dark, but the moonlight coming from the barred window gave me enough light to see the padded walls and floor. On the far side of the room I could see a hunched figure with his arms tied in a straight jacket.
"Hey," I whispered. I didn't dare try to heighten my voice in fear of getting caught. "Psst! Over here!" at my second call the figure twitched and looked up. Seeing me, the guy blinked in surprise.
"Who are you?" he said, his voice gruff.
"Come here." I said, beckoning him over. The guy complied, though with some difficulty seeing as his hands were bound. Once he stumbled over, I could see his face clearly. He was in his mid-twenties, sandy blond hair and bloodshot eyes. Stubble was also forming on his chin and all in all he looked gaunt.
"My name is Audrey." I said. Long ago, I decided that my real name was too long and decided to cut it short. "I'm a patient here too. I heard you screaming earlier, something about demons?"
"Ah that…" he grimaced. "Listen kid, forget it. That was just some crazy talk. I wasn't in the right mind then."
"No, I understand." I insisted. "I can see them too." He looked at me strangely then, "What? You mean demons?" he asked. I nodded, but then he scoffed. "Kid, I think we have very different views on demons." With that, he started to walk away. I felt irritation grew as the guy clearly thought I was crazy.
"No I don't!" I said stopping him in his tracks. "I see them for what they are. All the staff here are demons! Their eyes turn red and blood drip down their faces and what's worse the security cameras here also transform into these living things!" I was ranting, I know, but I had to get this guy's attention. "And I know that there's a powerful demon called Mundus." That did the trick because soon the guy turned towards me sharply.
"How do you know that name?" he demanded. Even though he was the one in lock-up I still felt scared at the piercing gaze he directed towards me, but I still managed to answer, "The demon that killed my parents said that name before he went on and destroyed my home."
"I'm sorry." He said. His expression changed then and I could tell that he truly meant it. "It seems that you really can see demons. Is that why you're here?"
"No, they don't know that I can See." I shook my head.
"Good." He said. "Don't ever let them, because if they do they would've done worse than just lock you up."
"Why are you here though?" I asked. "You don't seem the type to openly rave about demons. So how did you get caught?" the guy hesitated for a moment. Seemingly trying to decide whether or not to tell but eventually he did. "It's because I'm part of this group." he explained. "Not many people know of us yet, but we're fighting demons in secret."
"You mean the Order?"
"How did you know that?" he demanded.
"You guys are all over the news; it's not that hard to miss." I said.
"Funny, because most people would think that we're just a bunch of terrorists." he said.
"Well I'm not most people." I said, matter-of-fact. The guy laughed a bit, but it was more of a huff of air. "What it's to you?" he countered. "I doubt you just came here for a friendly chat."
"Your right, I didn't." I admitted. "What if I told you I found a way out of this place?" that certainly caught the guy's attention. He looked at me interest then, but it soon turned to suspicion. "What's in it for you?" he asked.
"I want to join your group." I said without hesitation.
"What?" he said in disbelief. "Look kid, I appreciate the offer, but I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because it's dangerous." He said. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm not about to drag a kid into this."
"Oh, please." I scoffed. "I've been in tons of dangerous situations before, this doesn't make any difference."
"That's not it kid." He said. "What we're doing, we're not just causing mayhem. We're waging war. People will get hurt, heck; some of my friends have already been killed. I don't want you to end up the same."
"I understand perfectly." I said, hotly. "You think that I didn't spend the last 12 years of my life without even knowing that?! Just how stupid do think I am? I know that there are things out there…things that ordinary people can only imagine, and I am sick of it. I just want to be in a place where I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder." The guy didn't say anything at first. He looked as though he was seriously contemplating it before he shook his head. "Sorry kid, it's not my decision to make." He said before walking away.
"Wait, please." I said, desperately, before he could go any further. "I don't have anywhere else to go." And I meant it. After twelve years, I finally gave up on finding my sister. The orphanage that I grew up in didn't keep records, so I didn't know who took my sister. Blagden was also gone without a trace, probably under a different name even. So I decided to go to different orphanages that were similar to the one I lived in before. I was hoping that Blagden was still in the business of selling children and that he would turn up sooner or later, but no such luck. The only thing I found was more demons and traumatized children. I let Cernunnos deal with all the demons while I called the cops right after, whatever happened to kids weren't my business anymore. The thought that my sister is dead had crossed my mind several times before and each time had left me depressed and scared. Alive or not, I was still so very alone.
I didn't know what kind of expression I was making, but something in my face must've changed his mind because soon he sighed in resignation. "Alright," he relented. "I'll ask my boss."
"Thank you." I said, relief washing over me.
"Thank me when we get out." He said gruffly. "The name's Zack by the way."
"It's nice to meet you." I said a small smile on my face. "I'll come back tomorrow night."
The next day, I snuck into the security office to steal a spare key card. Normally, this would've been difficult but since most of the patients here were on the loose end none of the staff took us seriously. The security was pretty lax, so the only thing I needed to look out for was the security cameras stationed on the walls, which I already knew how to bypass. Once night fell, I went back to Zack's cell and unlocked the door.
"I'm surprised," He said as he rubbed his arms after I helped him out of his straight jacket. "Didn't think you could actually do it."
"This isn't my first break out." I said, tossing the straight jacket back into the cell. "Now come on, the guard will be here any second."
Sneaking around was relatively easier with a power like mine. Sensing other people's presence before they even arrived was definitely helpful and probably the only good thing I got out of this power. However with another person next to me, I was afraid Zack would get suspicious. Thankfully he didn't ask any questions; just the one of how we were gonna get out. The answer to that was the trash chute. He made a face at me when I told him, but reluctantly agreed when he found out it would lead outside. So we snuck into the nearest trash chute we could find and slid down the slimy walls until we landed on the dumpster. It stank like hell, but we were free.
The first thing we did once we were back on the streets was raid a clothing store, because let's face it, we stank and covered in muck. Not to mention that the clothes that the mental institute provided for us would draw attention. Once we done changing and stolen all the money there we went to Zack's old hideout to get his stuff. He insisted that we had to get them no matter what, so I had to go along with it. His hideout was really just some rundown tenement building with a sleazy landlord and even shadier tenants. Once that was done, Zack lead me to the back door of the building and we ended up in an alley. Kneeling down, Zack shoved most of the trash away to reveal a manhole underneath. Shoving his hands into the handles, he grunted as he lifted the lid and set it aside. Once he did a revolting smell came wafting out and I almost puked, which was ironic since I just slid down a garbage chute earlier. Anyways, Zack said that the sewers would lead outside the city so even though I didn't want to, I trusted him.
We spent several hours inside those sewers, but thankfully we made it outside without incident. We were close to the town's borders, but we needed a car so we went looking for one. It took us five blocks to find a decent one, but by then everything started to go wrong. Zack had just finished hot-wiring the car when we heard them: The mad, cackling laughter and the sounds of engines roaring down the street. Zack cursed under his breath and ordered me to get in. Once we were both inside Zack started the car and drove off with our pursuers' right behind us. I chanced a look behind and saw that the ones after us were the staff from the asylum.
"Dammit! Those demons are right behind us." I said.
"Oh no, kid. Those aren't demons." Zack said, his grip tight on the steering wheel. "Those are Spotters, humans that sold their souls to the devil. Their main job is to look for people like us and have us imprisoned for god knows how long."
"Then how come they have bloody eyes?"
"It just means that they're turning into demons themselves."
"Wait, that can happen?" I asked, surprised, despite the situation we're in.
"Yep." Zack said, his face grim as he concentrated on the road. "Demon's blood is more addictive than regular drugs, which is what they usually use to gain human followers. One sip is all it takes."
After he said that, I flashed back to the time when I was still at the orphanage and remembered that the nuns didn't start showing those signs until Blagden came. That meant they were still human before he arrived and started to influence them to his side. That probably also meant that they were still slightly human when I – or was it Cernunnos – killed them. I didn't know how to feel about that, but before I could dwell any further a honking noise and a sudden blinding light broke me out of my thoughts.
"Look out!" I shouted as a massive truck came speeding towards our right.
"Shit!" Zack cursed as he quickly shifted gears and tried to outrun the possible crash. We barely made it, but we still got snagged at the back. Righting myself after that bump, I looked over and saw that the back fender of the car was banged up pretty good and was barely hanging on.
"Everything alright back there?"
"The truck nicked us from behind, but we're still good." I said, but later realized that I spoke too soon as shots were fired. "Shit!" I cursed as one almost hit me. "They're shooting at us!"
"Hold on kid!" Zack said turning sharply at an intersection. The car tilted for a sec, before swinging from side to side until it finally righted itself. The sounds of gunshots were still there so I ducked down so as not to get hit. Unfortunately, Zack couldn't do the same so he was forced to drive the car in a zigzag pattern. It worked, but I couldn't say the same for my stomach as the sudden movements made me want to hurl. At the same time, I felt useless. Glancing at Zack's hip, I saw the gun tucked in his pants and for a moment I thought of grabbing it and start shooting at the guys chasing us. Thing is, I've never held a gun in my life, and even if I did I wasn't confident enough that I could shoot the target. What's worse, Cernunnos wasn't responding to any of my calls. It was like he wasn't even there, I could feel him alright, but his presence was faint at best. Without his help, I felt like I was back in that orphanage, small and helpless. I hated it.
The chase went on for a few more seconds, before a van came out of nowhere and crashed right into us. The car tumbled off the side of the road with metal crunching and glass breaking as it went. Fortunately, I was wearing a seat belt; otherwise I would've been thrown head first through the windshield. Not that it did any good though. The ride was still rough seeing as the car actually rolled unto its back a couple of times before it finally stopped. Groaning, I took the seat belt off as I tried to get my bearings, which was difficult seeing as the whole world was upside down since the car landed on its back. Beside me, I could hear Zack cursing, but I could care less at the moment. My whole body hurt and I could feel something wet dripping down my face. When I checked what it was, it was blood. Some glass must've nicked my face during the fall. Either way, this was a new experience for me. Don't take me wrong, but it's been awhile since I last felt pain that was actually my own. I was brought out of my thoughts then when I heard the screeching of tires and manic laughter.
"We need to go." I said urgently. From the looks of it, our pursuers were still far off, but I didn't want to risk it. Easier said than done, considering that the door was jammed and I couldn't go out that way. So I had to break the glass with my elbow and crawled my way out. The shards cut me on the way, but I didn't care as I limped my way to Zack's side. Thankfully his door wasn't jammed so I had no trouble opening it, but when I tried to help him he cried out.
"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned as his pain override mine.
"My leg," he said through gritted teeth. "I think it's broken."
"Shit." I couldn't help saying as our pursuers were very close. Gods, knows what they'll do to us.
"Come on," I said as I gently tried to get him out. Zack winced, but he didn't cry out and together we limped away from the crash site. The buildings were sparse then, but thankfully I saw a gas station up ahead and we headed for that. By the time we managed to reach it, I could hear the cars of our pursuers screeching to a stop. Looking back I was just in time to see one of them pull out a huge flashlight and ducked down when beam flew by in my direction. Once it was clear, I picked up a random rock and threw it a window and once a substantial hole was made I poked my arm through and opened the window fully. Thankfully there weren't any alarms rigged near the windows so I was able to sneak inside with Zack in tow. Once I laid him in a corner, that's when I took in the full extent of his injuries. Bruises and cuts littered his face and arms, but the real danger was the huge gash on his left thigh. It was bleeding so much that a small pool of blood actually formed underneath his leg. In the dim light, I could see Zack's pale face and hear his ragged breathing.
"Hold on, I'll get some bandages." I said. We were in the small convenience store that was right next to the station so there was bound to be some medical stuff here. So leaving Zack for a moment, I rummaged through the store until I got everything I needed and went back. Zack had steadied his breathing then, but his face was still twisted in pain. I got to work immediately as I ripped his pant leg off and started to put pressure on the wound. But the bleeding wouldn't stop. I began to worry that neither of us was going to make it. My thoughts were interrupted when I felt a hand on my face. Looking down I saw that Zack was staring right at me.
"You're not like us, are you?" he questioned. At first I didn't understand what he meant until I realized that the gash on my forehead was completely healed. A perk to being a God's Vessel was that any injury I sustained would be instantly healed. I panicked for a moment as my secret was revealed, but upon a closer look, I could tell that he didn't seem to care. I sighed as I realized that there was no point in denying it.
"No," I answered. "I'm not."
"Thought as might." He chuckled, before his face turned serious. "Get me a piece of paper and pen."
"What?" I said, confused.
"Pen and paper kid. Now," he said, his voice stronger and more commanding. Confused, I still did as I was told and got a notepad and pen from the counter. I went back to his side and gave him the items, which he took wordlessly and wrote something down. After he was done, he dropped the pen and ripped the page out and gave it to me.
"What's this?' I asked. I was getting even more confused by the second.
"Go to that place." He said. "That's where all the members of the Order are meeting up. Vergil should be there, he's the boss. Tell him I sent you in my place."
"Wait, you're not…" I trailed off. The implication of what he was saying way too obvious. "You don't seriously expect me to leave you here, right?"
"Kid, if you stay we're both dead." He said sternly, the fire back in his eyes. "I saw a truck at the back. Use that to escape, and take this with you." he fished around his pocket until he took out a flash drive and handed it to me. "All the information I got on those demons are in there. Don't let anyone have it, ok? It's not much, but it should gain you Vergil's favor."
"What about you?" I asked, my hands gripping the flash drive.
"I still got my gun and some bullets." He said. "I'll hold them off while you escape." Just as he said that, the front door of the store slammed open and in came the Spotters. Both of us ducked down as a beam of a flashlight went over us.
"Go." He ordered. I hesitated for a moment, until I finally stood up and ran.
Running was something I was used to by now, but for some reason when I ran that night I felt as though that was the most cowardly thing I've ever done in my life. Even now, after so many years have passed, this night would leave a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I remember it. When I looked back I saw Zack pull something out from his bag. I didn't stay long to take a closer look, but I already had an idea. Once I made it through the back door I heard gunshots and inhuman screams. I tried my best to ignore it as I ran towards the truck that Zack mentioned. Busting the window open, I scrambled inside and hot-wired the truck just like how Zack did and got it to work. Once I got out of the driveway, that's when the explosion happened. It almost caught me, but I managed to speed up at the last minute and out run it. A second explosion occurred and then another and another. When I chanced a look it was like looking into a deep inferno. The whole station was on fire. Zack must've used a hand grenade and the fire caught anything combustible in the store and in turn reached the gasoline in the station, a chain reaction so to speak.
I drove on for a few more miles after that.
By the time I reached a deserted highway, the sun was almost rising and I was at my wits end. Stopping by the side of the road, I got out and that's when I finally broke down. I only managed to take a few steps forward before I had to bend over and throw up. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and by the time I was done I ended curling into a ball and feeling even worse than I did before. It was ironic. I should've been used to death, but for some reason this was different. I ended up crying on that spot, and asking myself why the entire world was so wrong and why it had to happen to me.
"Are you alright Audrianna?"
I stopped crying then when I heard that familiar voice. I forgot all about him due to the chaos, but once I did, anger rushed through me. "What the hell!" I shouted, standing up. "We were in danger, why didn't you do anything?"
"The people chasing you were still human. I had no right to touch them."
"They were shooting at us!" I said in frustration. "You could've done something."
"Perhaps, but my power is weak. Most of my strength was spent keeping you away from the demon's influences while you were staying in that mad house."
"So you're saying that it's my fault."'
"No." he answered. "Even if I was in full power I probably wouldn't have done anything at all."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Zack made a wise decision. He knew that if you two stayed together demons would follow you everywhere and you would finally be blacklisted. He recognized your potential and knowing that you would be a great asset he decided to let you go."
"Bullshit!" I growled. "How could you possibly know that's what he was thinking?"
"Same as I knew that he was going to die." He answered. "The wound he sustained was deep enough that he would've bled out in minutes."
"Couldn't you have healed him?"
"Alas, my powers are only reserved for you."
For a moment I was quiet. Silently contemplating everything that happened and tried to think up scenarios in how things could have gone differently. I couldn't. Finally I sighed and brushed my hair out of my face. "Zack was human too." I said quietly.
"He was a human with a cause. If he didn't die today, then he would have died tomorrow or maybe even the next. There are no stopping people like that."
Again, I remained quiet. What he said made sense in a way. Zack was truly willing to die for what he believed in, of that I was certain from the way he just accepted his death. I may not have known him that well, but I could tell that he was honorable. Without another word, I made my way back to the truck and just sat there for a moment. Looking at the brightening horizon I thought of what may happen in the future.
"This won't be the last time, will it?" I asked.
"No." came the quick reply.
I took a deep breath then. "Any suggestions on how I should get stronger?" it didn't take long for him to reply, and once he did I started up the truck and continued on my way. The meeting place could wait, for now I had to make a detour.
A week after Zack's death I found myself back into my ancestral home. The small village that I used to live in was nothing more than just a pile of rubble and dust. Some structures of small buildings remained, but even they were slowly being swallowed up by nature. In the clearing I stood at the center, the very same spot where I and my sister were placed as infants. Kneeling down, I brushed some of the dirt away until I came across stone. Encouraged, I used both my hands to dig into the soil until I found what I was looking for. Underneath the foliage and earth, there was a stone circle embedded into the ground and was the size of a small plate. Its surface was carved with many lines and rings that it resembled the mazes you'd find on cereal boxes.
Leaning back, I took out a small pocket knife from my belt and sliced my hand with it. The pain was still there, but thanks to Cernunnos' influence it was dulled and the wound was already healing itself. Quickly, I moved my hand over the stone and let a few drops of blood fall on top of it before the wound closed. Once that was done, I immediately stepped back as the stone circle started to activate. Because I was a God's Vessel, my blood was also considered godly, meaning that I have access to secret chambers, particularly the ones owned by Cernunnos. And my blood just so happened to be the key while the stone circle was the doorknob. A faint rumbling could be heard then as the patterns on the stone ring started to rearrange itself until a picture of a circle and crescent moon on top lying on its side appeared. It was the symbol of Cernunnos. Once that was done, the rumbling sounds grew and the ground started to shake.
Alarmed, I moved out of the way, just in time too as the ground suddenly opened up. The shaking immediately stopped after that and I moved forward to see a set of stairs leading downwards. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and went ahead. Once I was in, the first thing I noticed was that the air was stale and that the walls were made up of earth. Looking up, I could see some roots sticking out from the ceiling, probably came from the trees above ground. The place was also dark, so it was a good thing I brought a flashlight with me. Turning it on, I could see that the road ahead of me continued to slant downwards, so the only way for me was forward.
I didn't know how long it took me, but eventually I ended up in a large room. The only reason why I knew it was huge was because my flashlight failed to light up the other side of the room and the ceiling. I kept walking though, and once I made it to the center that's when things got interesting, I heard a series of noises that resembled a switch being flipped, and then one by one, a long chain of torches lit up, casting the room in a warm glow.
Now that there was light, I didn't see any need for my flashlight so I put it away. The room I was in was shaped like a dome and aside from the one I just came from; there weren't any doors or other pathways. Earlier, Cernunnos briefed me about this ancient weapon that was kept here that can be used against any supernatural creature. So it was there on the other side of the room, was my objective. Situated on an old stone altar was a spear, but once I came closer I noticed something odd. It was made out of wood, and upon closer inspection I could see that it was actually decaying! The wooden shaft was thick and covered in dust, but it was also concealed in mold and the blade was rusted, I couldn't help but be disappointed at the sight.
"That's it?" I said, incredulous. I cannot believe that I went all this way for a rotting piece of wood! I
"Don't let its appearance fool you." Cernunnos said. "The outer layer may have rotted, but its power remains the same. Touch it, let us see if you are worthy."
"And if I'm not?" I couldn't help ask. But when I didn't receive an answer I huffed in exasperation and decided to just get it over with. Taking a deep breath, I approached the altar and touched the spear. The moment my fingers touched the thing, light exploded and I wanted to pull away, but quickly found that I couldn't. My body was frozen and it took me a moment to realize that Cernunnos had taken control. "You mustn't pull away! He shouted. "You must accept it!"
I didn't understand what he meant until I finally registered the pain. I screamed. I couldn't help it. The pain was too much; it was like being electrocuted over and over again. It was even worse for my right arm. It was burning hot that I was afraid that my limb would come off. Just when I felt like I was going to pass out, the light intensified and an explosion went off. I felt myself be blown backwards and hit the ground. When I looked up I saw that the altar was destroyed and the room was back to its dim color.
Sitting up, I brushed the hair out of my face and huffed as my whole body was numb and shaking. "So I guess I've been rejected huh?"
"No."
"What?" I said, surprised.
"Look at your arms." he instructed and I did as told. I wasn't surprised to see the tips of my right fingers were burnt and that my sleeve was singed. What did surprise me though was the tattoos that covered my forearms. Rolling my sleeves, I could see that the tattoos went all the way to my elbows and shoulders. The designs were similar to the one on my chest, the one that signifies my contract with Cernunnos.
"What happened?"
"The spear has accepted you." Cernunnos answered. "Like me, it also needed a vessel. Now you have the power to drive off demons without my aid. It is also a living thing, so you must show it proper respect and in turn it will guide you in battle."
"Great, so now I'm hosting two ancient beings. Just great." I said dryly as I picked myself up. It was too late to whine about it now though. After all, I did need to get stronger so that what happened with Zack would never happen again. So with that thought in mind. I took out the piece of paper that Zack gave me and for the first time read the message he wrote. The first thing that caught my eye was this:
Limbo City.