FIFTEEN
"Delshun," said Cole.
"Hello, Belthazor," said Delshun. "Returned from the Wasteland I see. Now, I wonder why Cattarrin would let you return? He's never done that before."
"He didn't have a say in the matter," said Cole. "You'd be wise to let us pass, Delshun. She's not going to take another innocent life."
"I can't do that," said Delshun. "When she ascends to the throne, she's promised that I shall be her consort. I will be second in the entire underworld only to the Source herself. Plus we have added bonuses. The Charmed Ones and Michael, Malevants' brother. With them out of the way, there will be no one who can oppose us. This will be a great day for the underworld."
"Now, this is getting annoying," said Kiethran. "Why does everyone keep overlooking me?"
"Demons can be kind of stupid sometimes," said Michael. "They often don't recognize a threat when they see one."
"Why should I be concerned with you, human?" asked Delshun. "You're less of a threat than a White Lighter."
"I suppose you're right," said Kiethran. "That is, if I was human."
Suddenly, Kiethran cast a fireball at the nearest demon, vanquishing it where it stood.
"Druid," hissed Delshun.
But he had no time to revel in his realization. Cole attacked Delshun a moment after Kiethran had vanquished the demon. Piper turned on the demon nearest her and raised her hands. The demon exploded from Pipers' power and dissolved into a thousand dissipating shards.
Another of the demons cast a fireball directly at Paige. She instinctively orbed out and the fireball passed through her, exploding on the wall behind her. Then she orbed back in, unharmed.
Michael engaged the fourth demon and the two exchanged attacks. Neither had a clear advantage over the other. Suddenly, two more demons shimmered in.
Phoebe caught the shimmer of one demon out of the corner of her eye. She swung around, kicking the demon hard. It went flying across the room before it had a chance to attack.
The second demon that had just shimmered in cast a fireball at Piper. Leo was about to grab her and orb her out when Kiethran stepped between Piper and the fireball. He raised his hand and the fireball suddenly swerved off, exploding on a nearby wall.
"I just love my deflection ability," said Kiethran, winking at Piper.
He engaged the demon, keeping it from any further attacks on Piper. Cole was still fighting Delshun. The two appeared almost evenly matched. But Delshun was showing signs of successful attacks against him. Cole appeared to be uninjured.
The demon fighting Michael suddenly feigned to it's left, and then reversed direction. As it did, it cast a fireball at Michael. The White Lighter saw the attack, and immediately started to orb. The fireball struck at almost the same instant Michael orbed out. It was impossible to tell if he had escaped or been incinerated by the attack.
Kiethran dropped to one knee as the demon attacking him cast a fireball. The weapon passed over Kiethrans' head, barely missing the druid. Kiethran returned his own attack, casting a fireball directly at the demon.
Phoebe had been able to keep the demon she was fighting off balance. With no active, offensive power, she had to rely on her martial arts skills. But those had proven effective enough to keep the demon from being able to go on the offensive.
The demon that had apparently destroyed Michael turned toward Phoebe and prepared to cast a fireball at her. Piper saw the demon and moved to get a better aim at it, preparing to explode it as she had the first one.
Before Piper could raise her hands, a massive fireball engulfed the demon, vanquishing it. The attack was so sudden everyone in the room turned to see who had cast it. None of those capable of casting fire was in a position to cast it from that location. The sight they saw caused everyone to hesitate a moment.
Standing in the doorway to the entryway was a demon. The demon stood seven feet tall and its' skin was a dark green - nearly black - with bright yellow markings. The markings were vaguely reminiscent of those that Belthazor had once sported. The demons' eyes glowed bright red like two piercing spotlights in the dark. Everyone except Kiethran recognized the demon.
"Malevant," gasped Delshun. "Your brother, Michael, is vanquished, my liege. Tallick vanquished him."
Without saying a word, Malevant cast another fireball that incinerated Delshun. The other demons backed away in fear. All were well aware of Malevants violent temper.
"Traitors," hissed Malevant. "You desert me for the bastardized child who seeks to dominate all true demons. You are all fools. Do any of you honestly believe that you are a match for my brother? He is at most stunned. You are all as stupid as you are pathetic. I should vanquish every last one of your for betraying me for that interloper upstairs."
Malevant turned to the Charmed Ones, Leo, Kiethran, and Cole.
"Humans," he spat out, "you know I have no love for your kind. Under other circumstances, I would simply destroy you all. Even this half-breed who once was called the Source. But at least he was a true demon.
"The abomination which even now seeks the throne of the underworld does not even have a demonic form. She would corrupt the natural order. I don't care what her lineage, she is not true demon. And I will not allow a human to rule over demons."
"Then let us finish what we came her for," said Piper. "If not for us, you'd still have Beelzbor and those other demons contesting you. As I see it, you owe us for vanquishing them for you."
"I am indebted to no human," said Malevant, "regardless of what you may have done. But I shall let you finish your task. Perhaps the abomination will be successful in destroying one or two of you as well. Then I will have even fewer enemies to concern myself with."
Malevant turned to the remaining demons.
"Come," he commanded.
Malevant shimmered out and the demons shimmered with him.
"I don't understand," said Cole. "Why didn't Malevant try to destroy us?"
"Who cares," said Paige. "We still have a task to finish. We'd better get upstairs before it's too late to stop Ahken Tan."
The six people moved up the stairs ready to engage the half demon that was even now giving birth.
"Delshun," said Cole.
"Hello, Belthazor," said Delshun. "Returned from the Wasteland I see. Now, I wonder why Cattarrin would let you return? He's never done that before."
"He didn't have a say in the matter," said Cole. "You'd be wise to let us pass, Delshun. She's not going to take another innocent life."
"I can't do that," said Delshun. "When she ascends to the throne, she's promised that I shall be her consort. I will be second in the entire underworld only to the Source herself. Plus we have added bonuses. The Charmed Ones and Michael, Malevants' brother. With them out of the way, there will be no one who can oppose us. This will be a great day for the underworld."
"Now, this is getting annoying," said Kiethran. "Why does everyone keep overlooking me?"
"Demons can be kind of stupid sometimes," said Michael. "They often don't recognize a threat when they see one."
"Why should I be concerned with you, human?" asked Delshun. "You're less of a threat than a White Lighter."
"I suppose you're right," said Kiethran. "That is, if I was human."
Suddenly, Kiethran cast a fireball at the nearest demon, vanquishing it where it stood.
"Druid," hissed Delshun.
But he had no time to revel in his realization. Cole attacked Delshun a moment after Kiethran had vanquished the demon. Piper turned on the demon nearest her and raised her hands. The demon exploded from Pipers' power and dissolved into a thousand dissipating shards.
Another of the demons cast a fireball directly at Paige. She instinctively orbed out and the fireball passed through her, exploding on the wall behind her. Then she orbed back in, unharmed.
Michael engaged the fourth demon and the two exchanged attacks. Neither had a clear advantage over the other. Suddenly, two more demons shimmered in.
Phoebe caught the shimmer of one demon out of the corner of her eye. She swung around, kicking the demon hard. It went flying across the room before it had a chance to attack.
The second demon that had just shimmered in cast a fireball at Piper. Leo was about to grab her and orb her out when Kiethran stepped between Piper and the fireball. He raised his hand and the fireball suddenly swerved off, exploding on a nearby wall.
"I just love my deflection ability," said Kiethran, winking at Piper.
He engaged the demon, keeping it from any further attacks on Piper. Cole was still fighting Delshun. The two appeared almost evenly matched. But Delshun was showing signs of successful attacks against him. Cole appeared to be uninjured.
The demon fighting Michael suddenly feigned to it's left, and then reversed direction. As it did, it cast a fireball at Michael. The White Lighter saw the attack, and immediately started to orb. The fireball struck at almost the same instant Michael orbed out. It was impossible to tell if he had escaped or been incinerated by the attack.
Kiethran dropped to one knee as the demon attacking him cast a fireball. The weapon passed over Kiethrans' head, barely missing the druid. Kiethran returned his own attack, casting a fireball directly at the demon.
Phoebe had been able to keep the demon she was fighting off balance. With no active, offensive power, she had to rely on her martial arts skills. But those had proven effective enough to keep the demon from being able to go on the offensive.
The demon that had apparently destroyed Michael turned toward Phoebe and prepared to cast a fireball at her. Piper saw the demon and moved to get a better aim at it, preparing to explode it as she had the first one.
Before Piper could raise her hands, a massive fireball engulfed the demon, vanquishing it. The attack was so sudden everyone in the room turned to see who had cast it. None of those capable of casting fire was in a position to cast it from that location. The sight they saw caused everyone to hesitate a moment.
Standing in the doorway to the entryway was a demon. The demon stood seven feet tall and its' skin was a dark green - nearly black - with bright yellow markings. The markings were vaguely reminiscent of those that Belthazor had once sported. The demons' eyes glowed bright red like two piercing spotlights in the dark. Everyone except Kiethran recognized the demon.
"Malevant," gasped Delshun. "Your brother, Michael, is vanquished, my liege. Tallick vanquished him."
Without saying a word, Malevant cast another fireball that incinerated Delshun. The other demons backed away in fear. All were well aware of Malevants violent temper.
"Traitors," hissed Malevant. "You desert me for the bastardized child who seeks to dominate all true demons. You are all fools. Do any of you honestly believe that you are a match for my brother? He is at most stunned. You are all as stupid as you are pathetic. I should vanquish every last one of your for betraying me for that interloper upstairs."
Malevant turned to the Charmed Ones, Leo, Kiethran, and Cole.
"Humans," he spat out, "you know I have no love for your kind. Under other circumstances, I would simply destroy you all. Even this half-breed who once was called the Source. But at least he was a true demon.
"The abomination which even now seeks the throne of the underworld does not even have a demonic form. She would corrupt the natural order. I don't care what her lineage, she is not true demon. And I will not allow a human to rule over demons."
"Then let us finish what we came her for," said Piper. "If not for us, you'd still have Beelzbor and those other demons contesting you. As I see it, you owe us for vanquishing them for you."
"I am indebted to no human," said Malevant, "regardless of what you may have done. But I shall let you finish your task. Perhaps the abomination will be successful in destroying one or two of you as well. Then I will have even fewer enemies to concern myself with."
Malevant turned to the remaining demons.
"Come," he commanded.
Malevant shimmered out and the demons shimmered with him.
"I don't understand," said Cole. "Why didn't Malevant try to destroy us?"
"Who cares," said Paige. "We still have a task to finish. We'd better get upstairs before it's too late to stop Ahken Tan."
The six people moved up the stairs ready to engage the half demon that was even now giving birth.