Chapter 11

The door was opened with little ceremony as the seventeen year old girl went inside and shut the door. She walked to the far wall where the altar was. Fitting that the main door sat over a place of worship, she thought as she scanned the wall and then ran her hands over it. Finding what she had been looking for, she gave a wry smile at what she was looking at.

The door opened with ease and revealed a dark tunnel of stairs down into the ground. She started walking down, not afraid of the cobwebs that had gathered from centuries of disuse. The only light was from a lighter she had stolen from some boy or other that thought he was cool to smoke.

Sitting here for over two millennia and no one suspected a thing. Well since they were booted over here is more like it.

It was a marvel since the girl knew that what lay beneath the school was a force that would help to change the world. She paused when her fingers ran against the relief on the walls. Even though it was covered with cobwebs, the carvings were deep and firm.

The relief she had touched was actually a three panel set. It was the story of the Hunter who used the weapons of the belt to subdue the hunger of the beasts that set the rotation of the sun and moon. The beasts were so hungry that they were willing to devour the sun and moon since they had been tricked by Loki into believing that they had the food they found so tasty.

Of course that was when Lucifer started making trouble and the major battle that had him cast out and into the Cage. They had been formidable until the Hunter came. It was then decreed that their release would be one of the seals that held Lucifer in place. Aside from the Hunter, Lucifer and his first could control them and make them do their bidding. That was what made them so beautiful.

The next set of reliefs told about what would happen if they were released and not controlled. She knew the story by heart though. Still it was nice to see such fine work and she could appreciate it. The pictorial form of things was something she could always appreciate and laugh at since humans couldn't possible understand the cosmos of everything.

At the end of the tunnel there was a vast chamber. It was covered with sigils and symbols of olden time. They were meant to keep the place hidden and they were effective. Of course like everything out there, there were the clues that led to it. It just depended on how good you were at interpreting them. Sometimes it helped when you got a few things out of a friendly consultant when the right amount of pressure was applied.

A growl sounded from the far wall. The girl looked at it and smiled. The one thing about doors was that they always looked like a door. She had to admit that the architects had done a good job. She sidestepped a familiar image on the ground as she approached the door. It actually looked familiar to another place that she had paid a visit to a little over a year ago.

The door looked heavy and it probably was given what was behind the door. Funny how doors were the only thing that stood between what it was meant to keep behind it and whatever it was it could do in the world. A simple thing and yet it was so powerful. It amused her greatly. Simple was an elegance to strive for and she knew one person that could do it as natural as breathing; a true envy that could be infuriating.

Reaching out, she touched the door and could feel the power within it. It really was powerful and it had to be since what was behind it had abilities of apocalyptic proportions. She ran her fingers along the script that described the door as well as the warning and blah, blah. What fascinated her the most, was the lock.

Like the other door she had seen, this one required a key. Well, all the seals required a key. Some were just easier to break than others; like a spell to make certain spirits rise and have a little fun. Of course a certain set of hunters put them back to rest but the damage was done and the seal was broken and they were on the way to popping the box.

The lock was peculiar. She put her hand in it and it fit but nothing happened. The key was needed and it needed to be prepped in a certain manner. Now that the second attempt to get the key had failed… the fit of impatience was growing. It had been surprising to learn the result of that failed attempt and she was certain now that the game plan had changed but it could be manipulated to their advantage.

If there was one thing that she was good at, it was stirring up the pot. She had made that very clear on several occasions and even with the recent developments, she was not too worried about it. There was always something that could be used to bring a person back to that state where they felt helpless or even made to feel like they failed. It was a gift, one that she had and loved to use because she was good at picking weaknesses and exploiting them.

The growls behind the door grew to intense levels. She smiled at the sounds. They were getting anxious and hungry. It was like they knew that the time was near. Then again it was probably because the key had been brought here. It didn't matter though. They were ready to go the moment the gate was sprung.

There was a slight shuffling sound. It was followed by snaps and growls. She said, "Yes my babies. That's right."

It seemed like a conversation when the growls changed pitch slightly. This was going to be interesting and fun. Now that there were some added factors, it was going to be fun. She said to the door in a whisper, "Soon. Soon you will be set free and able to do what you do best."

She recalled earlier the arguments that happened on the campus. There was a fistfight that occurred and it was actually quite riveting since it concerned traditional enemies. It was already beginning and they didn't even know it. Well their dead residential expert did and he had the key too. Now it was in another's hands.

She ran her fingers on the runes and gave a last smile. Soon the seal will be broken and it will be another opportunity to show them that they really had no choice about the inevitable. There will also be the guilt of failure. That, and possibly getting a few hits on a few individuals with certain meaning to an old friend; it was going to be grand. The added bonus would be over a dozen innocent souls to torture.

She started back up the stairs of the tunnel. She gave a backward glance when she heard some growls and whining. They really were anxious to get out. She knew the waiting would only make them willing to do it. She ignored them and continued up the stairs and out into the main room. She closed the door and made sure that nothing looked disturbed. Even in her own eagerness she had to be careful.

She was just finished when she heard, "What are you doing here?"

She looked to see the someone to have some fun with. She put on a schoolgirl pout and replied, "I'm sorry Father. I just came to gain some perspective."

"There is nothing wrong with seeking God's grace. It can bring peace to a troubled soul." The priest looked at her with a gentle look that was sincere for a young priest.

"Oh I am troubled Father." She stressed the sincerity while still keeping the pout on her face. It was an effective tool.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

She nodded and sat down with the priest on a nearby pew. "Father, I have been having these urges; unholy desires."

"It is a difficult time in your life but it is good that you recognize them especially if it involves things that accompany a changing body."

It was sheer pain at the attempt the priest was trying to explain puberty and the sexual urges. It was also outrageously funny. She kept a straight face though and responded by kissing the priest full on the lips. She sat back and said, "That is what I have been feeling Father."

"Uh…"

"I know I'm a bad girl. I know I am going to hell." She broke into tears… well fake tears and sobbed into her hands. "I'm going to go hell."

"There is always a chance for salvation. You need to pray to God and ask for his mercy."

"But I have prayed."

"The Father will listen if you come to Him with a sincere heart."

She smiled a bit and replied, "I do have a sincere heart." She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she revealed the white eyes that she was proud of. "But not to that Father."

The priest opened his eyes wide in fear and reached for his crucifix. He was too late. The door to the old chapel slammed shut as the screams reverberated throughout the building. No one heard since it was a fair piece from the main school grounds. They died presently and she opened the door to the chapel and stepped out. She stood on the steps and looked around.

Even though it was daylight, she felt good at having a little fun. She looked at her hands and found a slight trace of blood on the side of her first finger. She lifted her finger to her mouth and licked the blood off and looked upwards as she tasted it. "Mmm. I love the taste of a young and dedicated priest."

She started walking towards the main ground. Play time was over now. The real fun was going to begin. She ignored the other students as she walked towards her next class. Patience was a virtue.

"You know you need to make it a habit to see old friends first before making new ones," Akira said in a teasing tone. "Someone might end up getting jealous and then that makes things just awkward." She shifted some papers she had laid out on the desk to give a better view of the information that she had been compiling and waiting to show her friend ever since she arrived.

Angela was looking at her wrist where the bracelet was. She was mesmerized by the blue stone and she stared at it. As she did, she recalled the night's battle and what happened before. She did hear her friend and replied, "I know but when I get wind of a case sometimes I just go to work. You know that."

Akira looked at her friend who was looking at her wrist and a bracelet. She hadn't heard a word she said about making Sam jealous. Normally that sparked some sort of reaction from her friend. It wasn't that hard to see that they were a good pair and it was good that at least her friend realized her feelings. She replied, "I know but even then you succumb to that strange sense of common decency."

Angela looked up and saw the look on Akira's face, "Sorry princess. Just a lot on my mind with everything and I feel like I'm running on fumes at times."

"Isn't that usually the case when you're wondering about a few things?"

"Like?"

Akira knew that Angela wasn't playing dumb on purpose. There were some things she never considered because simply she never had it before or considered having it. She knew the best thing was to be direct, "You didn't call. How are things with Sam and Dean?"

"Dean's fine… mostly. He still won't talk to me about the pit and I keep hoping he will. At least he thinks I understand because of my time with the Old Man. I know he's been having nightmares." Angela looked up from her inspection of her bracelet and went to look at a tapestry that she had always liked. "Sam… I can't tell. Or I can and am not seeing it."

"Still the overprotective brother."

"That and he watches me with this look. I don't know because it's only a glimpse. I think he still feels guilty about me being kidnapped. I suspect Dean made him promise something and he feels he failed in it." Angela glanced at her friend and crossed her arms. "Plus I think he is confused about a few things. Ruby's back."

Akira nodded, "I'm guessing that the truce is back on."

"Same rules but I want to interfere. I won't though and it seems that…" Angela broke off aware that she wasn't making much sense about anything. She instead changed tracks and started on what she was there for, "So what can you tell me about the Orion's Belt."

Akira knew deflection when she saw it and could tell that Angela was in a confusing time and place at the moment. She replied, "Well if you want the basics, it's that grouping of stars in the sky and it often refers to the three pyramids at Giza though any grade school kid can tell you that."

Angela shot a wry look. "Yes I am a grade school kid who needs that lesson." It changed to a slight smile to indicate that she was not offended by it and she was just responding in kind. "I taught you too well."

Akira responded with a smile, "You know you did." She flipped over a sheet to reveal another piece of text. "I went deeper, as I usually do, and I found that it also refers to the gauntlet of Orion but of course it's supposedly near pure myth; no artifacts and sketchy archival evidence."

"I think it is real princess," Angela replied as she leaned over to read the text. Absently she rubbed her wrist and felt the bracelet. "I think Kaye actually found it and it's here at the Academy."

Akira looked at her friend and then at the fact that she was rubbing her wrist with the bracelet. She raised her brow slightly but didn't say anything about it. She flipped another sheet of paper and continued, "Well the legends say that the Orion's belt was made specifically for the Hunter and given as a gift by the goddess Artemis."

"Funny and I just finished telling that story to senior level students," Angela commented. "So any idea what it does?"

"Well that's where it gets a little funny," Akira replied. Having done research in just about every major culture around the world and tracing histories and origins, she was good at making family trees of stories and names. "Most history texts claim Orion and Artemis a myth and all that hoopla which is why you get the comments about bedtime stories. However I dug a bit and apparently there were a couple of documents to suggest a close relationship between the two."

"I would think that would be obvious to you," Angela deadpanned as she shifted a couple of papers to study Akira's flowchart. "You are just like Sam. He likes to organize things down to the handwritten notes on old receipts."

"And I know about your habits," Akira replied jokingly. She sobered though and continued, "The thing is there is not an accurate description of the powers behind the belt. Yeah it was commissioned by Artemis and it does have powers but the details differ. One thing that can be agreed upon is that it heightens abilities of the Hunter. Faster, more maneuverable and in some instances produces an interesting effect with the Orion weapons."

"So there is some connection between them and the belt."

"No duh," Akira replied. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine… just confirming," Angela replied after giving a slight move of her head. "Okay so the trio I kept after Chicago works with it. It would make sense since they are hunter's weapons and Orion is known as the Hunter. The thing is anyone can use the Orion weapons as long as they say the correct incantation."

"True, but I think the belt and the weapons were meant to work together," Akira replied. "I know you used the blade to prevent Absolution from being stolen and it was a nice reference to Three Amigos."

"Finally someone got that reference," Angela replied with a slight smile. "Anything on what it looks like? Anything special other than abilities that seem to be difficult to describe or they are left in poetry form or something like that?"

Akira normally would've liked to have drawn out the suspense but given that her friend had specifically asked about it and seemed preoccupied to the point of potential agitation, she wasn't going to go that route. Not completely at least. She replied, "Well most of the lore is in that poetry prose you love so much. It is described as a guard that often takes on a life of its own. It bears the symbols of warriors and hunters and a piece of the night sky."

"Yeah that is very poetic," Angela replied with sarcasm lacing her voice. "So what is it? Does it look like that of a Roman centurion, samurai armor, or what?" She started looking at the genealogy tree of the lore of the Orion's belt. Her finger traced the lines trying to find something.

"The thing is if there is a picture of it, it is in the hands of a private collector. However from early versions of the Orion-Artemis story, it had the power to take on many forms and often it was attuned to the Hunter's personality or something like that. I am never sure when it comes to objects of power especially with things like Absolution." Akira picked up a heavy book that she had and placed it on the table.

"Light reading," Angela muttered sarcastically.

"Christian was interested," Akira defended.

"I see that has worked out for you," Angela replied giving a slight smile as she looked at the engagement ring that was on her friend's ring finger. "I knew I was good at matchmaking when I was I Russia but I never expected that." She took joy out of dishing back the teasing about her friend's love life. "So did he do it or did you?"

"We are not here to talk about me," Akira replied with a sweet smile. She knew it was payback for the times she had teased Angela about Sam. The thing was that joke was much more funny since they had spent nearly a year dancing around each other and then one actually realized how deep those feelings extended; it was just more entertaining. Still she knew that what was dealt out was dealt back and sometimes tenfold if you weren't careful. "He did."

"So Fang Boy does have bite."

"And he still doesn't like it when you call him that," Akira replied. She pointed while giving a slight smile for emphasis. She found the name calling a new and interesting side of things. Having no siblings she loved the idea and plus it was how she and Angela bonded when they first met.

Angela gave a slight grin in return. She knew that Akira found the name calling endearing. It was pleasing and yet guilty that she made the princess like her in sarcasm and brand of humor. "He does so. He just won't say it. So how does daddy feel?"

"He likes Christian and he's happy that I'm happy. You know he never wanted me to be a part of this." She looked up at her friend with a quiet look.

Angela remembered that conversation. She happened to be there and that was her first time meeting the progenitor of the Kuran line. Apparently it had been when they discovered that the princess was that in every sense of the word. Of course Akira was already going through the change at the time and she was at the craving stage. Angela knew that where they were, Akira would have gotten to the point of going after an innocent. Akira didn't remember, at least Angela thought she didn't, that she had given her blood for the cravings. She replied, "And I get that. Of course I'm selfish in keeping friends close."

"You're not selfish." Akira muttered it in a low whisper. Her friend wasn't selfish because she never asked for anything; never asked for a reward for her services even if she was at a low point in her life. She diverted her attention to the large tome and opened it to where her marker had been placed. She ran her finger to find what she was looking for. "Here is it. The belt of Orion takes on many forms, often to hide itself in plain sight with its wielder."

Angela paused and looked at her wrist. She had a thought but it was a really big if. If she was right it might explain things. She touched the stone and rubbed it. Slowly she removed it from her wrist. Her wrist felt lighter and strange without it on but she had to know. She turned towards Akira and held it out. "Do you think that it could turn into this?"

Akira looked up and saw what was being held out to her. She peered at it with an inquisitive frown. "Huh. I didn't know you were into elaborate jewelry."

"Seriously," Angela replied. "I went to bed and woke up with that on my arm and that was after I got into a celebrity death match with the demon that possessed the Iron Fist."

Akira looked at Angela as she took the bracelet gently. She looked at the metalwork and noted the scrollwork. It was much like what she had seen on her friend's leather gauntlets along with some other markings like those that indicated a hunter. The blue stone though caught her eye. It was a royal blue and without a flaw.

Akira looked at her friend once more who was pinching her brow and rubbing her forehead. She had a thought. She looked at the stone and just stared at it. It was then that she noticed the stone glitter and it looked like a swirl in the middle of the stone. She blinked and then it was gone. She could feel the heat from her friend's body temperature on the metal and it felt like it got hotter. It got so warm that she ended up dropping it. It startled them both.

Akira looked at it as it burned a perfect ring on the wooden table from the heat. She raised her brow and said more in a joking tone to belie her surprised, "I think I found something that doesn't quite like me."

Angela looked at it. "What is that?" She felt her throat convulse at the slight influx of fear she felt. She had been around objects of power before and she knew that it was like handling a ticking bomb in your hands. She had felt the same when she first held Absolution and that was followed by sorrow at the realization of the burden she carried.

Akira reached out to touch it. It was still hot and when she touched it, it burned her finger. She hissed when it burned and shook the offended hand. "It's hot. Touch it."

Angela frowned at Akira like she was crazy. Sure she would stick her finger into hot coffee to stir it just to freak out the boys but she wasn't that stupid with objects of power. "No way."

"Humor me please," Akira replied as the pain disappeared from her hand. That was one thing she liked being a dhampir. Her injuries could heal pretty fast. She knew it was insane to ask her friend to touch it but she had a theory. She put on her best pleading look. It worked on Christian but the chance of it working on her friend was a snowball's chance yet she had to try.

Angela saw the look on her friend's face and crossed her arms. She raised her brow and was prepared to do a stare off when her friend said the one word that usually got her to do just about anything. Looking defiantly at her friend, she reached down and picked up the bracelet and held it up. "There and it's not hot."

"Exactly," Akira replied with a grin. She pulled another book and opened it. When she found what she was looking for she said, "I knew it. The Orion's belt is an object of power and has chosen its wielder. Supposedly it can only be worn by those of certain bloodlines."

Angela put the bracelet back on her wrist. "I suppose it is way too much to hope that you know the secret to that."

Akira gave a smile and pointed to emphasize, "Well if you really want to know…"

A/N: Trouble is at the doors and Angie learns more about the Orion belt. Stay tuned for more on Howl for the Sun and Moon...