Soon the odd alliance of hunters and Amazons had moved out, with the two Amazons leading the way. Emma gamboled along between them, sometimes hanging back to stride along beside her father and uncle, other times darting ahead to walk with Amani and Eleni. Sam could overhear them chatting, Ancient Greek phrases interspersed with English. He glanced over at Dean and caught the pained expression on his brother's face, lines of anguish visible beneath the layers of caked-on grime. It didn't matter, Sam thought, that Emma was family, a Winchester. She was also a monster, destined for an eternity in the monsters' afterlife of Purgatory.
"At least now we know she'll have family here to take care of her," he offered, knowing Emma's fate must weigh heavily on Dean, but Dean just grunted, schooling his features to the usual Winchester stoicism.
A short time later something burst out of the cover of the drab, grey underbrush. Werewolf? Shapeshifter? Whatever it was, Emma and Eleni sprang to meet it, Amazon blades slicing it to ribbons before Sam and Dean could get within striking range with their own weapons. Vetala, Sam realized as the hapless creature crumbled to ash. Eleni stifled a battle-cry of triumph at Amani's quelling look, settling instead for exchanging an exuberant high-five with Emma.
"Cut it out," Sam snapped, disturbed by his niece's glee.
"You object?" Amani asked curiously. "Why? It is kill or be killed, here."
"Sure, but that doesn't mean they have to enjoy it."
"Humans used to have a similar concept of the afterlife. Delight in battle all day, in feasting all night," Amani pointed out.
"Valhalla," Sam nodded understanding. "And that's fine, Amani, but Emma's got a long life ahead of her first. One that doesn't involve endless killing."
That elicited an alto chuckle from the Amazon leader. "Strange words from a Winchester. Your name is legend for the number of souls you and your kin sent to this place."
"Yeah, well, speaking of…" Dean shouldered in, changing the subject. "The soul bond. I take it you memorized the incantation?"
"Of course," Sam assured him.
"Teach it to me. I want to transfer that bond to me. Emma's my kid; I should be the one to carry her soul out of here."
"You'll get no argument from me." It made sense, and besides, Sam thought, the less time Emma's soul spent connected to his own mangled and battered one, the better.
It was midday when the small group reached the outskirts of the territory the Vampires had claimed as their own.
"Good," Dean grunted with satisfaction. "With any luck, they'll be sleeping. We can catch them by surprise."
Even the wan sunlight of Purgatory was bright enough to irritate the Vampires' sensitive eyes, and, Sam thought, it made sense for creatures who could see perfectly in the darkness to be active at night, but Amani shook her head.
"They will not all be sleeping. They'll have lookouts posted. We must be silent, and silence them before they can warn the rest of the nest. Even so, it is unlikely we will take them all by surprise."
"We'll see how it goes. Let's split up. Emma, Sam, you're with me."
Sam recognized the glint in Dean's eye. He'd taken Amani's words as a challenge. The Winchesters moved carefully through the forest, their progress slowed as they avoided rustling leaves or stray twigs that might snap underfoot. Dean gestured, silently indicating a clearing up ahead where a rock formation loomed. Their pace slowed to a crawl as they picked their way over the forest floor, hyper-alert for the promised lookouts.
A faint, sibilant hissing was their only warning. Sam let out a soft, startled "Oof!" as a vampire dropped from a tree limb onto his back. The big hunter instinctively ducked, sending the vampire tumbling over his head, and Dean stepped in with his femur-handled blade and severed the creature's head from its shoulders.
The Amazons weren't so lucky. A high-pitched scream echoed through the clearing before cutting off abruptly in a death rattle. The warrior women had killed their lookout, but not before it had alerted the sleeping nest. Dean cursed softly as vampires began to spill out of a cleft between the boulders. Seven of them, Sam saw as they ran to join the battle. That wasn't so bad. Then he cursed, too, as more followed, their movements sluggish as if they'd just been roused from slumber, but the vampires quickly recovered and arranged themselves in a fighting formation.
The outnumbered humans and Amazons did the same, moving forward slowly as Amani and a short, stocky, female vampire exchanged taunts. Then a male vampire leapt at Sam, fangs bared, and the fight was on. Sam wasted no time severing his attacker's head from its shoulders, moving on to the next opponent as the battle raged around him, glimpses of it catching his attention like images flashed on a television screen: Amani cleaving a vampire nearly in two with her Amazon blade. The female leader hitting Dean with enough force to make him drop his weapon. Emma decapitating her before she could sink her fangs into Dean. Dean retrieving his femur-handled blade and rushing to help Emma defend against two more of the blood-suckers.
Another vampire swung a weapon at Sam and he parried it, the blade of his machete catching on the vampire's blade. Muscles strained as they struggled to tug their weapons free, the vampire hissing and baring its fangs barely an inch from Sam's face. He drew a knife from its sheath inside his jacket and slashed the creature's arm. It fell back with a scream of pain, echoed by the eerie, ululating battle cries of the Amazons. Sam turned the machete in his hand and stepped in, slicing the wounded vampire's head from its neck. It fell, spurting dark crimson onto the monotone scattering of leaves on the ground just as Eleni's harsh yell of triumph fell silent.
Sam watched the Amazon warrior fall, the sword of the vampire she'd just finished off buried to the hilt in her chest.
"Óhi!" Amani screamed. She ran to catch Eleni, cradling her in her arms. "No, no, óhi, no," she murmured frantically.
Sam saw a tear trace a path through the grime on the Amazon leader's cheek as Eleni shuddered and gasped out her last breath. Emma stifled a sob and clung to Dean. The bodies and severed heads of the vampires lay scattered all around them, blood pooling on the ground, but the victory felt hollow.
"I'm sorry," he told Amani. "We'll help you bury her," he offered, but she stood, drawing her dignity around her like a cloak, and stared back at him, dry-eyed.
"Do you think we monsters can escape our fate so easily, human? My sister will return soon enough, and when she does, she will have her vengeance." The warrior's stern features twisted into a wry, humorless smile. "Thus the cycle continues, forevermore." She held out a hand to Emma. "Come here, kóri."
"Yes, Mother Amani." The teenager had quickly stifled her own tears and stepped to the taller, older woman's side, her expression stoic.
"Emma. Your bargain is fulfilled." Amani turned and pointed. "Continue north along the ridge and you will reach the portal tomorrow." When she looked back at Sam and Dean there was a gleam of humor in her eyes. "Now go, and get these males of yours out of my sight."
Chuckling ruefully, Sam offered the Amazon his hand. After a moment, she took it, returning his handshake with a firm grasp. "Thank you, Amani."
The Winchesters walked away from the clearing, leaving the carnage of the vampire battle behind them. Later, as the sky gradually darkened, heralding Purgatory's colorless version of a sunset, Sam slowed his steps as Dean lagged behind.
"Cas," Sam heard his brother say softly, and he realized Dean was praying, trying to communicate with Castiel. "Cas, we're almost to the portal, buddy. Come on, Cas. It's time to go home."
Author's note: Thank you to all who so kindly reviewed this off-again, on-again story: jennytork, RHatch89, princessbatbird, nani'anela, whack sparrow, XxXLuvTheOriginalsXxX, Nyx Ro, Star Trail, Trucklady53, CommChatter, CatastrophicCarnival, SonAletaDee, randomcupofnoodles, Olivia Crane, AB Feta, asha74, KittyCaterpillar, fanimeLex, Mewlover, and RuexMytholover. I am grateful for the feedback!