DLB7 The Dark Lord
Howling in delight the Dark Hunter turned to face them, daring them to attack. Baring his teeth he watched them. He would no longer suffer their torment. Retribution was at hand.
Sam's jaw dropped in surprise. The Demon MC had paid for his torment.
The Dark Hunter had retaliated and severed his head from his shoulders. The black clad body slumped to the floor. The keening cry of a dying demonic soul wafted through the air. Gone forever!
Deathly silence filled the cave at the sudden unexpected conclusion to the fight. A thousand pair of eyes stared up at the creature standing still and silent on the dais. Fear filled their heart. Pulsing power surrounded him, not dark as expected – but golden and destructive – and it was aimed at them.
Shocked by the sudden turn of events Sam could only stare at his brother in awe and confusion. Dean was still in there somewhere.
"Dean," he called softly
The Dark Hunters head turned slowly his eyes downcast.
"Look at me Dean," Sam pleaded.
He did! Slowly Dean's head came up afraid of what would be revealed. The darkness in Dean's pain filled eyes was slowly washed away as he looked up and stared at the man in front of him. They were so damn broken the both of them. He shook his head sadly knowing he could never go home. His brother had risked all to save him but it was useless. There was no way out for him. Dead was dead!
A sob was torn from his throat as he looked at the one thing he loved the most in this or any world. He leaned forward wanting desperately to hold his brother in his arms, hug him tight and never let him go but it wasn't meant to be. Instead he stepped back, his voice gravelly, filled with despair and desperation when he finally spoke. "Go home Sam," he whispered brokenly, "Go home."
"No, Dean," Sam cried quietly. "We go home together."
"I can't," the Dark Hunter ground out.
"Yes you can," Sam cajoled, "Together we can find a way out, I know we can."
Dean shook his head in denial. "There's no way out for me!"
Sam growled deep in his throat. Fear warred with anger, "What the hells wrong with you," he screamed. "I came here for you, to get you out. The least you could do is try!"
"You don't understand," Dean cried out.
Huffing angrily the young hunter stared at his brother. "No I don't understand Dean, why don't you explain it to me?"
Before he could reply a deafening roar filled the cave shaking the ground beneath them.
The gathered crowd erupted into chaos as thousands of demons screamed in fear as they scrambled away into the darkness.
Mere seconds later the cave was filled with deathly silence; every creature that had once stood there surrounding the ring disappeared in a flash of fiery light and smoke.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
In the dark reaches of Tartarus he stood on a black dais overlooking his domain. Head cocked to the right his eyebrows were tilted in astonishment as he listened to the faint sound of cackling laughter. Laughter was unheard of here. Lifting his head his body rose into the air and drifting toward the sound.
Below him a lyrical voice, familiar and adored captured his attention.
"What is it my love," she asked gently.
"Laughter," he replied distracted by the sound.
"Laughter," she replied in shocked amazement.
Drifting back to the ground he held out his hand, "Come sweet lady, we shall discover the source of this laughter together.
Twinkling amusement filled her eyes at the frown that marred his ruggedly handsome face. An air of boredom was his usual demeanor. What she saw written there now was bewilderment, a very unusual emotion for him.
Hades God of Tartarus shook his head. As the ruler of Hell, most days he lived a dark and bleak existence. Laughter was unheard of – it was usually the screams of a tortured soul that filled the darkness. He sighed! He had been lax of late, his mind filled with thoughts of his beautiful wife Persephone. She was the only light in his life, the only laughter in his soul.
He had lost track of his domain and the souls in his care. Growling beneath his breath he moved through time and space with Persephone at his side. It was time to take back the reins of control and put an end to laughter.
Persephone sighed, she loved her husband dearly but this place, Tartarus – or Hell as some had named it was desolate in the extreme. She spent months at a time in the dreary realm and was glad to escape its horrors, but she hated leaving him behind. She was the only comfort in his existence she knew that. She had tried pulling him from this place but he was its warden, guardian of the dark souls that existed there. He could not abandon them to chaos.
What ever this laughter was – was probably her fault. She had distracted him from his duties, lured him to the Elysian Fields and had her way with him. Sighing she glanced sideways at his handsome face. The spark of battle was in his eyes dimming the light of love he held for her. It was there, it would always be there – but the God Hades was on a mission.
Swiftly they flew across the gray skies toward the sound, their flight giving Hades time to survey his domain. He didn't like what he saw. The ranks had grown thin as many of the demons had found a way to cross over.
He sighed as the muffled laughter grew stronger, harsher. Not a true laughter but a cackling wretchedness, callus and unfeeling.
The resonating sound bit into her flesh, foul and evil as it wafted into the air. She shivered at the feel of the malicious laughter surrounding her.
Hades growled and pulled her close. He should have left her behind, or better yet sent he back to the Elysian Fields where the evil could not touch her. She was too precious to him; he should never have exposed her to this place. What she was feeling now, tore at his heart.
Persephone's laughing eyes turned somber as she watched her husband. His face was grim, his body tight with anger. She knew someone was going to pay dearly for their mistake, but the warmth of his body the gentle touch of his hand brought the smile back to her rosy lips. As long as she was with him nothing else mattered.
Hades dropped a gentle kiss on Persephone's cheek and pulled himself together. He was hell's guardian but he had grown lax of late. The inhabitants had taken advantage of his inattention and the human's were suffering. It was time to take back control.
Floating through a black gaping hole in the top of the mountains of hell he slowed their descent and touched down lightly setting his lover gently on her feet when the floor evened out below then. His jaw was set in harsh lines as the sound of wicked laughter echoed through the cave. Silently they moved toward the riotous laughter.
Slipping into the huge cave unseen Hades stared in amazement at the chaos that reigned. Thousands of creatures were gathered in the dark halls their jeers and laughter caused by the two figures clashing in a pitched battle on a raised dais in the center of the cave.
He watched his surprise evident when the battle suddenly took an unexpected turn.
He snorted in amusement. One of their own had paid dearly.
The amusement quickly faded replaced by the harsh visage of the God of Hell. It was time to intervene.
The power of his voice shook Tartarus. "What is the meaning of this," Hades shouted into the darkness.
Creatures scrambled for cover. They knew that dark booming voice intimately. Hades had arrived.
With an angry snarl he snapped his fingers sending all but two of the cave occupants to the fiery bowels of hell to await their punishment. With a second snap of his fingers the two remaining occupants went suddenly still – frozen in place.
Striding forward the God of Hell slowly, methodically made his way across the cave and up on to the dais, never taking his eyes from the problems that now confronted him. Persephone, his beautiful wife walked close beside him a frown of concern written on her face.
With a flick of his hand the spell that held the two fighters in place fell away. Staring at the wounded, bedraggled, axe wielding fighter, Hades eyes widened, "You do not belong here," he mumbled.
Old habits die hard and the Dark Hunter dropped his eyes to the ground. This being standing before him was no demon – and he could find no trace of evil in his soul, but there was power. More power than anything he'd ever touched. This was a God, a creature of legend!
The tortured bedraggled figure didn't respond, didn't look up. He stood as if carved from stone. It was only the glinting anger in his eyes that gave him away.
Hades chuckled, liking what he saw.
Sam flew to face the duo, "What do you mean he doesn't belong here," he demanded hopefully.
The God of Tartarus almost laughed. He turned a haughty stare on the human, impressed when he stood nearly eye to eye with the creature. Snorting he reached out with his mind, surprised when he felt the power sliding through the human form. The touch of something… Frowning he delved deeper but couldn't seemed to pierce the wall that protected him. His frown deepened at the puzzle that was Sam Winchester. Liking what he saw, he turned quickly away, he had another problem to deal with before he sent the human back to his own plane of existence. For the first time since entering the cave a small smile tilted his lips. He wasn't going to make it easy for him, a human, soul intact didn't belong in Tartarus and this one had jumped in head first without thinking about the consequences.
Ignoring him for the moment Hades turned back to the still figure of the Dark Hunter in front of him, and sighed.
"Your destiny is clouded now, hard to see. "Still...," he paused assessing the creature that was Dean Winchester. "You should not be here." Hades mussed. Slowly he circled the hunter's ravaged form. With a flick of his hand Dean's wounds were healed.
Still Dean didn't look up or acknowledge the powerful creature in front of him, but his body sighed with relief as the pain was washed away.
Stepping close Hades placed his right palm on Dean's forehead and closed his eyes. His voice dropped to a low whisper so even his beautiful wife couldn't here the words. He whispered, "I have a job for you!"
The hunter lifted his head, his eyes blazing with excitement as he gazed into Hade's eyes. Baring his teeth at the Ruler of Tartarus, a menacing growl of pleasure escaped the hunter's throat, "Accepted!"
Hades threw back his head and roared his laughter. Clapping his hands, Dean disappeared from view.
A piercing cry shattered the God's laughter into silence. Startled he spun to face the keening sound.
Sam screamed and rushed forward, "Noooooooooooo," falling to his knees where his brother had stood only seconds before. "Dean," he cried brokenly.
Hades whirled to face him, his brows puckered in concentration. "I smell the taint of death on you Sam Winchester. Why are you here?"
Sam ignored the God's question and leaped to his feet and jumped forward with the need to pummel something. He slammed against an invisible, impenetrable wall in front of Hades and bounced backward somehow staying on his feet. Rushing forward a second time he stopped just short of the barrier. "Bring him back," he growled.
"Or what," Hades sneered.
Sam saw red, he felt the heat of anger rising inside him. He didn't know what he was doing or why it was happening, but the cave around him shook with the pain of loosing his brother once again. He'd been so close and now it was all washed away. Rocks tumbled from the ceiling, the earth beneath their feet rumbled with anger.
Hades didn't acknowledge the human's tantrum, but the power of it surprised him.
Eyes snapping the God circled the shaking figure and slapped at the power surrounding Sam.
The furious energy building inside the young hunter slipped away. His shoulders slumped as the tension holding him up eased.
The God of Tartarus felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time - compassion. His heart skittered in his chest at the emotions that filled his heart for the human standing in front of him. Startled by the feeling he drew his anger around him. "What is he to you?" Hades taunted.
Eyes flashing with his need Sam replied. "Everything," The cry was torn from his heart; it was a cry of desperation and despair. The anger had quickly faded, his voice dropped low, urgent as he replied, "He's my brother."
"Your brother," he sneered. "Why should I give him back to you," Hades roared.
Sam didn't back down, but the hurt, the longing, the love he held for his brother spilled over. A shaking hand came up to swipe at the lone tear that coursed down his cheek. "Please," he cried softly. "I need him."
"A deals a deal," Hades ground out. "Your brother's soul belongs to me now." He chuckled; Lilith only thought she owned it. Once a soul was trapped in hell, it then belonged to him, to do with as he pleased. Torture and torment – or anything else he chose.
"You said he didn't belong here," Sam whispered.
"True," the God snapped. "Tartarus was not his original destination. His soul was destined for the peace and comfort of the Elysian Fields.
Sam's eyes widened and he stumbled backward. His legs gave way and he sank heavily to the gray stone of the cave floor. The fight inside him fled. Dean was destined for the Elysian Fields. He would no longer suffer hell's wrath. A joy like nothing he'd ever known filled his heart. The tears he'd held back broke free. Trembling hands covered his face as he sobbed not in sorrow but in happiness at the thought.
With the shine of tears still bright in his eyes Sam climbed slowly back to his feet. "Is that where you sent him," he pleaded. "Is Dean there now?"
Hades fierce gaze stabbed at the young hunter. A sneering tilt lifted his lips as he replied, "No!"
The hurt shock tore through Sam's broken heart.
A light touch of Persephone's hand on Hades arm softened the harsh lines of his face. He felt the gentle touch of her thoughts. "I want him to suffer a little before I let him go," he whispered.
"Has he not suffered enough, my love," she returned softly.
Slightly chastened he pouted mulishly, "No." But the look on Persephone's face was implacable.
Grumbling beneath his breath he resigned himself to the inevitable. "What would you have me do my love," he sighed.
Smiling at the gruff tone of his voice Persephone leaned forward and brushed a light kiss across his cheek. "Let them go," she breathed softly.
Not him but them, she had whispered and Hades ground his teeth in frustration. It was a childish gesture but he scraped the toe of his right boot across the rock in consternation. He wasn't a cruel god, but that was how the world perceived him. They never saw the other side of him, the side that sent deserving souls to the Elysian Fields. They only knew of the darkness and torture that Tartarus offered to the condemned rotting souls. He had no choice. Hell was his dominion and he would rule it with an iron fist.
Sighing he turned to his lovely wife knowing he would grant her anything she desired. Hades slipped a resigned smile on his face. "As you wish, my love," he chuckled.
Hades spun to face the young hunter, "Sam Winchester you carry a living soul within your body – I cannot keep you here. Yet I cannot just wiggle my nose and send you home." He could but he wasn't going to. "What shall we do with you now," he offered ungraciously.
Persephone winched but cracked a smile at her husband's joking words. He watched too much TV. She loved his strange sense of humor – which he rarely showed, so even these silly words made her laugh.
Hades eyes sparked with suppressed frustration as he watched the young man in front of him. He was tempted - sorely tempted to grab the boy by the scruff of the neck and kick him back out the way he came in, but his brother presented another problem. Dean Winchester made a deal - death for life.
The deal had been fulfilled. Dean's soul had gone to hell. What to do about him now was the big question. Tartarus had rules – booting a wayward soul out of hell because he felt like it wasn't one of them. A deal had to be made.
Sam stood straight and tall but even his six feet four inch height did not get him eye to eye with Hades. "I won't leave without my brother," he shot back.
Hades snorted mockingly, "Why did I know you were going to say that."
Eyeing Sam the dark God leaned close assessing the man, as before he liked what he saw, "Ok, I'll make you a deal," Hades offered.
"What kind of deal," Sam asked warily.
Hades smiled, hooked!
"I will set you on the path that will lead you out of Tartarus. Many will try to stop you or distract you from your path. If you make it out, your brother is free and will live again."
Sam's brow furrowed in confusion. He'd already faced a little of what hell would throw at him. He'd been a hunter most of his life, and battled the dark creatures for years. It wouldn't be easy of that he was certain. He sighed, knowing he would face any trial if it meant bringing Dean back, but it sounded too easy.
"That's it, follow the path? What's the catch?" Sam asked cautiously. "There's always a catch," he ground out.
Hades smiled and circled the hunter, "How right you are Sam," Hades chuckled. "Many have taken the deal – few have bothered to ask that very question."
"It's simple enough so I will tell you, to win your brother's soul free of hell don't look back, not once, not ever, not even a little. If you do – your brother will be lost to you forever."
Leaning forward he stabbed the young hunter with a fierce gaze. "FOREVER Sam," the Dark God whispered slowly. "If you fail, your brother will be chained here for all eternity and I will personally see to it that he suffers."
Sam hissed and felt the knot of stress growing in his gut.
"Don't look back," Sam replied thoughtfully. It seemed such a simple thing, but he'd learned from experience that nothing in this world or the next was ever simple. What if he failed?
He wouldn't fail!
He had a chance, one chance to save Dean. He wasn't about to turn it down now. "Deal," he answered holding out his hand to seal the deal.
Surprise washed across the God's face. He knew he was a handsome man – some would call his features perfection. Most men feared him. Few had ever offered to touch him or offer their hand to the Dark God, Sam Winchester was different.
He felt no fear in the human as he reached out and clasped the man's hand, only determination. Maybe, just maybe this man would win.
Hades whispered a word and the air around them crackled with power. In the blink of an eye Dean reappeared to stand behind Sam. Eyes downcast the dark figure didn't move didn't blink or acknowledge his surrounding.
Sam hissed and caught himself before he turned back to look at his brother. Instead he looked up to find approval in the God's eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.
Hades chuckled, "Don't thank me yet Sam Winchester," Hades answered quickly. Turning to the side Hades took a deep breath. The air around them hissed and changed. The cave walls slid away. In the blink of an eye they stood on a cliff overlooking the searing earth of hell. Thousands of feet below them the rivers ran red with molten lava. the ravaged earth hissed, steam filled the air with the rancid smell of sulphur.
Pointing to his right Hades whispered slowly, "This is your path Sam, tread carefully. From this point forward I cannot help you.
The young hunter eyed the God one last time before he moved away and stepped onto the path that would lead him out of hell. "Thank you," he breathed with heartfelt gratitude.
"Don't look back," a soft voice whispered in his mind, he wanted to turn, thank her. He didn't. Instead he strode determinedly forward, his eyes straight ahead on the path that lay in front of him.
Minutes later Sam groaned beneath his breath. He was tired. Thirst and hunger were already gnawing at his gut. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten or even how long he'd been there, but none of that mattered. His path lay ahead of him, he would not fail - not this time!
Long strides carried him across the treacherous rocky trail, he felt a sudden bump against his left thigh. Surprised when he felt the familiar hilt of the dark sword in his hand, it hadn't been there a second ago – or had it, he asked himself. Didn't matter, he was just grateful he had a decent, if slightly unpredictable weapon at his disposal.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Persephone was startled by the look of pure joy on her husband's handsome face as he turned toward her. "What is it my love?" she asked curiously.
Hades chuckled. More than one deal had been struck that day. A deal that would greatly benefit him. The tall figure of Sam strode confidently up the trail, behind him, a shadowy figure, seen, yet unseen marched close behind him. "There stands Hell's Champions my love," he whispered happily
Hades turned away to plant a soft gentle kiss on his wife's cheek. He had set them on the path, his job was done, his mind already on his beautiful wife and how he planned to spend the afternoon.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Woo Hoo! Another chappie down, a few more to go – story is close to completion. Please take a moment and let me know what you think by way of a review. No flamers please. Huggers, have a great Supernatural kinda day!!
