In blood and tears, a thousand times

We rise against, we'll always hold the line

Of reckoning

Red tears run down like a river

Don't close your eyes, it won't disappear

No fear, you wanna end the pain

Don't let go, don't back down

Hold the line, we'll bring the reckoning

-The reckoning, Within Temptation

The Favored One

Hell

The black ebony throne had been home to demon warlords, would-be gods, darkling creatures with powers beyond human understanding for eons. Before God in heaven created the abomination known as Mankind, the ornate obsidian throne had existed. Always the ruler of hell sat upon it. The throne had existed before the castle it sat in was constructed. Beneath the rust red sky of hell, the throne had been polished with a reverence until it reflected like dark mirror, the intricate images of flames and carnage seemed to move of their own accord. The heat arm rests were held aloft on twisted vien like feet, as jagged teeth like shards protruded skyward, creating the back rest for rulers.

Nevan had been a demonling when the great room was constructed. Barefoot, she waited using the thrones pavilion, as echoes of the carnage filling the hallways resounded in the room. Silence fell, save for the wet sounds of eating. The skirmishes were over or ending and Hell was losing. Clenching her jaw, Nevan glanced over to the only other occupant in the room still loyal to the current King of Hell.

"My Lady," The crocodile's voice came out shuddering and wet. Already the demon Lord's chamberlain had seen battle. He'd narrowly escaped, with half of his hide sheern of scales. Multiple scratches ran down his hide, black blood creating rivulets over his armor. His clawed hand gripped his weapon tightly. His good eye was trained on the great doors of the throne room. They had been bathed in demon blood, creating a thick protective barrier. It was cracking, tinkling like glass as the crystalized demon blood broke beneath an outside assault. "It has been an honor." With a dip of her chin, Nevan acknowledged him.

Silence sat heavy in the room, oppressive and apprehensive, blood seeped into a pool beneath the great doors. The sounds of chewing and eating could be heard, slowly increasing in volume as the whimpers of the fallen littered out. Slowly the doors swung open, letting in the dim light of hell sky. Outlined by the scorched copper sky, a small shadowed frame entered the room.

Behind it, demons ate each other. Not an uncommon sight in hell. However, even most demons had the decency to kill their prey before consuming it. Not so in this case, as the victors eyes were blank, their mouths furiously chewing as they dug into screaming, enraged vanquished foes. Among the sounds of feasting and despair and rage, A barefoot anklet chimed delicately. Its wearer trod carefully through the carnage and chaos. Never seeming to draw the attention of the infected demons. Nearer the commander of the hordes approached. Along with the chiming foot anklet and soft metal sound accompanied it. Nevan narrowed her eyes.

Tink! Chime. Tink! Chime. The stranger's voice became all too recognizable as she spoke.

"I offer you the same as your underlings," she said softly, yellow panther eyes alighting upon the two demons. "You will bow, submit and obey. Or you will perish." Her mouth widened into an unnatural smile, one with far too many pointed teeth. Nevan felt her gut stiffen. She knew what controlled the puppet before her. She had been young when she'd last encountered this being. Slightly, eyes still upon the human puppet, she murmured quietly. Blinking the other demon looked to her.

"Go to the Emperor," Nevan commanded. With a nod, Crod turned. The ground rumbled and broke at his feet as a silver scythe gouged out a trench in the floor of the great room as it circuited the room. The flying circle of death came to halt in the hand of human that owned it. Her black hair fell down her back like a waterfall. She wore a simple white shift, somehow it was untouched by the foul innards that had been spilt in her wake.

"I didn't say you could leave," the figurehead smirked, her mouth drawing into a cruel smile. Blank yellow eyes, devoid of emotion studied the duo. "You have something I want. Something He wants. Now answer. Will you submit?" Nevan bristled, making the figure head's mouth widen, baring more pointed teeth. She touched the tip of her canin with her tongue, hunger suddenly expressing itself in her eyes. "Or will you struggle hell spawn?"

"I said he could leave," Nevan growled back, smirking. Darkness grew about her. It had taken years to mature back from a soul arm. Magnetic lightning struck and crackled along her skin as her simple black gown expressed her aura. It pooled spreading across the floor in a wave of black. With a meaningful glance, she swept past the crocodile demon. "I have fought you and your hordes before and won," Nevan growled. "I was alive when they threw you screaming and mad into your prison. I will not be insulted by a spineless would be god too weak to fight his own battles and too cowardly to show his own face." Her eyes blazed amethyst as the shadows around her deepened. The squeaking of tiny animals echoed in the chamber. Nevan drew herself up to her full height, red eyes glaring at the human puppet. "If God is a title you even deserve," she spat out. Electricity crackled, traveling along the black void her gown was creating. Nevan threw her arms outward. "Come on, sugar. Let's sing this old song one more time."

Hunnigan

The meeting had gone well. Or at least well enough. Chris, Sheva and Jill had been dispatched to their individual missions. Mike was continuing his ETAP side project while digging through any information Raziel had left behind. With the damage done to Raziel's lab, it would be a difficult job to say the least. With a second meeting looming on the horizon with Otherkin, Hunnigan knew she had just enough time to visit the most junior-and recent-member of her task force.

She paused, knocking softly on the wood door. Opening the door, she stepped inside and was greeted with three pairs of very strange eyes.

They gleamed in the fluorescent light like black oil as they took the sight of her in, unblinking. The two farthest from the door bore alien like appearances. One-the female-had braided hair woven into a crown on her head. Old wooden buttons and glittery plastic beads were strung in intervals along with golden charms along the length of her braids. The man had equally long and braided hair. HOwever small animal bones decorated the waterfall mane coursing down his back. They wore feathers, furs, leathers, twigs, and on the whole looked out of place with the 1970 wood paneling and modern medical machinery around them. They were bed bound still, suffering curious third degree burns. High pointed ears poked through their hair. In a word, Hunnigan could describe the pair of them from a single glance. If fairy tales were true.

The third one-their leader-was the most human of them. Although Hunnigan couldn't help but notice they all had the trademark pointy ears. Sitting in the only chair in the room, the green haired youth raise his gaze, greeting hers. Hunnigan's glance shifted over to the closest of three beds. She looked down on a pale Sarah. The Nurses assured her that Sarah was merely suffering from acute exhaustion. A constant saline drip and sleep were her only medical needs. Hunnigan however, wasn't satisfied.

"Welcome," the green haired one, their leader said. His voice as surprisingly deep for such a young looking man. He rose to his feet slowly, his lanky arms hung at his side. He wore three gold hoops through the lobes of both ears. His hair was a bright green, styled short and spiky. If she hadn't known any better, he could have passed for a teenager. HIs eyes however, had an alert light to them and despite that, she did know better. Hunnigan nodded her greetings. She approached the foot of Sarah's bed. The young woman was sleeping, her lips cracked and dry.

"How is she doing?"

"She sleeps," Green hair said simply.

"I can see that," Hunnigan replied. She turned back towards the young man. The other two in the room watched her carefully, mistrust evident in their gaze. Although he appeared to be a teen, Hunnigan knew better than to make assumptions. This man was far from what he appeared to be.

"We haven't been introduced," Hunnigan straightened herself. "I am Ingrid Hunnigan. The current head of Delta Two." She paused. Green hair and his two companions were watching her. Closely. "Our previous governing official was misguided and has since been replaced. I would extend my deepest apologies on behalf of the government of the United States of America. I am prepared to assist you in way of reparations." Green hair raised his chin, his face blank. He was a moment before talking.

"Tweak," he said, extending a hand. Hunnigan took it for a brief shake. What kind of ethnicity was that name? She couldn't place it.

"I've been told the saline drip should help with the exhaustion," Hunnigan paused, not sure where to begin. Her head was beginning to pound; a stress migraine. She crossed her arms and looked over to Sarah. She studied the young woman. Sarah had been cleared with a vaccine weeks ago, and now this. Hunnigan gave Tweak a weak smile. "You have a reliable friend. She was brave."

"All due respect," Tweak moved to stand next to Hunnigan at the foot of the bed. "You should have never asked her to help you."

"I had no choice," Hunnigan sighed. "The previous general was going to liquidate you." Turning she slumped into the seat Tweak had vacated. "It wasn't my intention to recruit untrained civilians for military coups."

"However?" Tweak prodded, leaning forward. He rested his hands on the metal railing of the foot board.

"Sarah was also scheduled to be terminated," Hunnigan looked down at her hands in her lap. "We believe the general suffered some kind of mental break. He turned away numerous civilians seeking asylum here as he grew increasingly paranoid." Hunnigan paused, tilting her head back against the wall. After a moment she leaned forward, pinching the bridge of her nose. "In all honesty, there is little I can do in the way of reparations. Most of our resources are already stretched thin as it is, but I will do what I can to help." Tweak studied her for a moment before turning to his two comrades.

They spoke with each other in a language Hunnigan didn't know. It was a tilting, almost lyrical sound. Maybe the kind of language a lover whispered in your ear. She waited for them. Allowing them to conclude their conference.

"And so?" she asked after they fell silent. "What have you decided?"

"We've decided on the truth," Tweak said, "Since you did the same." He tilted his head to the side, "We were sent as delegates. Emissaries."

"Emissaries?" Hunnigan repeated. "There are no countries closer than Canada and Mexico." At that Tweak smiled. It wasn't a kind smile.

"Humans assume that because they draw lines on maps of land that they own those lands. Most of the time, humans are idiots for believing so." At that Hunnigan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Tweak continued. "You are aware that there are many things in this world that are not human," Tweak paused. "We are emissaries sent by the King Obrion."

"I'm not familiar with that name?" Hunnigan's voice was confused.

"King Obrion is the King of the Fair Folk. A King of the Seelie courts, a light fairy," Sarah's voice was clogged with sleep and exhaustion. She gazed sleepily about the room. "The fair folk gather in the wilds. They belong to two courts, the seelie and unseelie, day courts and night courts."

"Fey?" Hunnigan said blankly, doing her best not to let her gaze wander to Tweak's pointed ears.

"Fairies," Tweak said bluntly, "brownies, nymphs, dryads, trolls, the fair folk, banshees, will'o wisps, chupacabra." He recited more names and words, many of them Hunnigan recognized from other languages and places in the world.

"Fairies," Hunnigan repeated, thinking, absorbing.

"Fairies," Tweak agreed. Suppressing a groan, she reached for a pen and pad of paper. First zombies, than vampires and woman with the same powers as Thor. Twins with swords the size of humans, a woman who could survive impossible conditions. Now fairies. As she gathered supplies from her shoulder bag, Tweak spoke with Sarah. Of course, illegal experimentation had been done otherkin. Of course they were emissaries from a king (?) of some land (?) Of course this day was just going to get longer and longer. Hurriedly, Hunnigan began to write down notes…

Meanwhile Tweak's hands gripped the bed frame tightly. His eyes flickered like lightning.

"What are you doing here?" his voice was soft, but heated. He spoke elvish slang. The kind of hybrid language only human born fey, and court born humans, used. Rowan with her buttons and beads and Sage with his horse like mane couldn't understand it. They were full blooded folk. Hunnigan definitely couldn't understand them. For all intents and purposes, Sarah and Tweak were alone in the room.

"Why do you care?" Sarah retorted tiredly. "I didn't think you would." Tweak looked down for a moment before speaking.

"It is my business to care. I made-

"A promise to my brother," Sarah interrupted bitterly. It hurt to see Tweak again. She had purposely pushed thoughts of him away. "Then you sent me away. "

"I promised Aaron you would be safe," Tweak's eyes flared as he looked up to her. "I gave my word."

"And?" Sarah demanded. "Did it help?" She clenched fistfuls of bed sheets. Her body hurt and her throat was dry. She licked her lips, feeling them splinter under a sandpaper tongue. "At least you kept your word." It was said with spite and felt both ugly and satisfying rolling off her tongue.

"That I did," Tweak agreed, "If nothing else I kept my word. In response to your question, yes I think it did help." He studied the evident pain that welled up in Sarah's face. "You wound up here," he offered, "There are no dead here. Be-"

"Grateful?" Sarah spat. Her mouth became a hard line and she willed tears not to come to her eyes. "I loved you," her voice was soft. She glared at him. "I still love you. The second I told you, you sent me away with one of my brother's buddies. You didn't say good-bye. You didn't let me-" Sarah paused, swallowing hard. "Do you know where I went? Where Lauren took me?"

"Not the place I wanted her to," Tweak's voice was soft, his face blank. He looked to utterly foreign to Sarah. She shuddered. "Definitely not the place we agreed upon."

"To the highborn courts of Salt and Sand?" Sarah was disgusted. "We were halfway there when we came upon a town filled with dead people. Dead humans. Lauren sent me here after the dead surrounded us. She stayed in the fire of a dead place, but she sent me here. I almost died with infection and complete strangers helped me."

"Do you want me to apologize?" Tweak demanded. Sarah's mouth opened, but the fey halfling cut her off. "I won't," he growled. "Do you know what happened to the humans who stayed in the Thorn City Court?" His jaw grit. "After the plague broke out in the court, order dissolved. The high born fled, only after they ordered me to execute any infected. They had me murder friends, nearly half the court." Tweak's grip on the foot board didn't slack. His eyes took on a haunted look. Sarah paled.

"But the highborn aren't like us," Sarah began. "They don't feel emotions the same way we do. You can't think-"

"They invoked my name," Tweak's voice was very quiet and controlled. "My true name." When he looked to her it was a thousand yard gaze that burned. "You would have been dead, had you stayed, by my hand. You who told me you loved me. The sister of my closest friend." He turned away from Sarah then. Still he spoke to her as he studied Hunnigan. "I will not apologize for my actions." Sarah's mouth dropped open to talk, but Tweak had moved on.

"I understand that what I am going to say will sound very confusing to you," Tweak switched to English. Hunnigan's head popped up from her work on the writing pad, her eyes focused on the young man. "I am not an emissary for your government. King Obrion doesn't care for humans. I have come seeking the Sons of Sparda. The demon slayer and dark knight. My King has given me a task and a message. One that I am to relay personally."