The Supernatural World of Vladimir and Viktor, Chapter 55
On Vladimir and Viktor's birthday night Castiel was in that hospital room healing that young girl's leg. And he did, indeed, notice the boys in the room with Amazing Bob. In fact, shortly after they left, he wrote "HEALTHY DO NOT CUT" on the now fully-healed leg with a marker and followed after them.
He caught up with them light years away on a planet similar to Earth, on a mountainside similar to where Brammerung sat on Earth, and talking to an exact replica of Amazing Bob. He noticed first that there was no room for a Brammerung on the small ledge there.
Vladimir and Viktor stood at the edge of the ledge, looking down into the fog and pines far below. "Amazing Bob Two" sat on the same chair in front of the same little house. Missing was a bus and any human beings.
The smiling doppelganger explained the scene, saying, "You weren't here on this planet, so the Hannah and Rose destroyed the town during their battle and moved on to conquer each her own territory. It seemed they would be around when it was time for them to acquire their powerful demon bodies. But the free-willed humans surprised me. Individuals in the population resisted and after decades destroyed the witches."
"Let's walk down to Hannah's old house," suggested Amazing Bob and he led the boys down to where Viktor had been a work animal for the witch on Earth. They crossed the little bridge and walked into the strangely familiar yard with Hannah's iron works. Viktor stood at the fire pit like the one he had lived in for decades.
Amazing Bob sensed Viktor's thoughts and said, "This Vladimir did not escape the vampires, so he was not here to meet this Viktor. The little dragon did not survive."
Vladimir put his arm around his friend during his emotional moment. "But there will always be you and me."
Castiel stood by Amazing Bob Two. Although the boys did not sense the angel's presence, Amazing Bob Two did.
"I need to tell you something, Castiel. I, and by 'I,' I mean all of the Amazing Bobs across God's universe, am going to return to my universe. I have learned all I need here. But there is one detail I have to settle before I go.
"When I set up my study with the witches, I set up a contract on every planet with the same powerful demon. You know this one. His name is Eufrendus. I know my contract has caused unnecessary grief that I want to end before I leave. All of the contracts need to be ended.
"Soon you will come across Eufrendus on Earth. I know as a warrior of the Lord it is your purpose to protect God's creation. When it comes time to deal with this evil being have confidence that you will not need a battalion. I will lend my power to you. When Eufrendus has been destroyed, that will end all of his contracts all over this universe and the human populations can return to life as usual. I need this done before I return to my universe to create human companions of my own."
Castiel nodded. A battle with a demon, no different than what God demands from him here. But alone?
Amazing Bob and the birthday boys rose up from Hannah's house and Castiel followed them to their next destination.
Castiel recognized the dreary, colorless and violent place immediately. Why in God's Grace would Amazing Bob decide to take Vladimir and Viktor to Purgatory? What could possibly be his motive?
The threesome and their tagalong swept through the grayness to settle in front of a gate where gathered a crowd of people anticipating something to come. The gate was in a long white wall that stretched beyond sight in both directions. And behind the wall was light and color and joyous sounds.
"Where are we now?" Vladimir asked.
"Outside the vampires' portal to Heaven in Purgatory," said Amazing Bob
Why can't we just be inside instead of waiting for a gate to open?"
"You will understand the portal better if we first wait outside with the others."
Vladimir settled for that. Amazing Bob was a god after all. He looked out into the darkness beyond the small group. Things moved out there but even his vampire keenness of sight could not decipher just what they were. They just growled and pounded on things, but stayed their distance. It was all too creepy.
Viktor noticed his buddy's discomfort and leaned up to him to say, "Don't worry. I'll protect you."
Vladimir had no doubt that Viktor could and would do that. It allowed him to relax and look about at the strangers around them.
"Why are you here?" he finally asked one of the strangers.
"Christ is beyond the gate. He has prepared a place in Heaven for vampires and this portal is where deserving vampires can enter," she answered.
"Look!" she added enthusiastically, pulled open her collar to expose an unhealed vampire bite. "This is my ticket to Heaven!"
"And this is mine!" Someone else thrust out his arm to Vladimir to show the same unhealed bite on his wrist.
"How does that prove...," a confused Vladimir began.
"The boy is new here. He doesn't know," another vampire said and he leaned down to Vladimir and Viktor's level to explain:
"Vampires come here to Purgatory when they die. It's a place of never-ending struggle for relief. They bite but get no satisfaction from the blood. And if they are the one bitten, it is painful but the injury heals suddenly and they are back in the eternal battle.
"One day a vampire came without a vampire soul, just his human soul. He was peaceful. And when each of us drew blood from him we also became peaceful and no longer had the urge for blood. We found that a bite from an unchanged vampire only caused the biter to become peaceful.
"Christ came to our band of peaceful vampires and established the portal, saying that from then on vampires who have been changed and afterwards shared their blood with another vampire were deserving of passage to Heaven. The bite on a changed vampire does not heal completely. That's our proof that we did what Christ demanded of us."
"The blood of Beryx!" shouted one of the others and several showed their bite marks.
"The blood of Beryx!"
It hit Viktor first. He grabbed Vladimir's shirt with both hands and jostled him excitedly.
"Vladimir!" he shouted. "It's your papa! This is Purgatory! Your papa went to Purgatory when he died! They're talking about your papa!"
Viktor called out to the crowd, "Vladimir here is Beryx Tomesku's son!"
One of them looked over Vladimir and worried that the boy seemed not to have a bite mark. It did not seem to make sense to her.
Amazing Bob finally spoke up, "The boys have not died. Christ has permitted me to bring them from among the living to visit Beryx. Christ's plan includes Earth and Vladimir will have a part."
The crowd squeezed closer to Vladimir and Viktor, showing their bite marks and exclaiming, "We are with Vladimir! The boys will take us to Beryx! The boys will lead us to Heaven!"
The crowd lifted up Vladimir and Viktor above their heads and passed them up to the front. Hundreds more changed vampires emerged from the shadows and the shadows retreated, giving them more room.
"We're with Vladimir, son of Beryx Tomesku! We're with Vladimir and Viktor!"
Two angels were among the vampires.
"There are so many people. We have to inspect every one of them," one complained to the other and anyone linked into the angel network. Castiel and Amazing Bob listened in.
"No, let them all enter," replied the other. "Look and you will see Castiel is among them. The Lord said anyone who arrives with the angel Castiel shall enter with him. They all shall enter."
Amazing Bob could see the wheels turning in Castiel's head.
He said, "Yes, Castiel, your Lord, creator of this universe and I planned this. Nothing I have done in God's universe was without God's knowledge and approval."
The gate opened and the jubilant crowd paraded into the portal to Heaven, carrying Vladimir and Viktor above them.