FIVE
"How's that list coming?" Piper asked Cole when he came into the kitchen
later that afternoon.
"Phoebe told you, huh?" questioned Cole.
"Yes," said Piper. "We're preparing a defense against demons. Of course
she's going to tell us."
"I know," said Cole. "It's coming slowly. Like I told Phoebe, there
really isn't much contact between the Order and the Brotherhood. Most of what I
know is only rumors and innuendo."
"Well, anything can help," said Piper. "At least we have something to go
on. And I think we can expect more attacks in the future."
"Piper, I'm sorry about all this," said Cole.
"Not your fault," said Piper. "Besides, we have demons attacking all the
time. At least we have someone who can give us some information on the demons."
"I know," said Cole. "But I can't help but feel that I'm somehow
responsible."
"Nonsense," said Piper. "Demons are always attacking here. Besides, even
if it was because of you no one can hold you responsible for what demons do.
It's not like you're going out looking for trouble."
"That's true," said Cole. "Where is everyone else?"
"Let's see," said Piper thoughtfully. "Paige went out to pick up a couple
of things for dinner. Leo orbed up there to check with the Elders to see if
they knew anything about this Order of Tallock. And the last I heard Phoebe was
checking the Book of Shadows."
"Is it a good idea for Paige to be going out?" Cole asked.
"We can't put our lives on hold because of a few demon attacks," said
Piper. "Now you go find something to do while I get dinner ready."
"Yes ma'am," said Cole smiling as he turned to leave the kitchen.
Cole wasn't sure what to do. His memory of the weaknesses of the Order of
Tallock was woefully inadequate. Half the ones he could remember didn't apply
any longer. Those members had been vanquished. And the ones he that hadn't he
wasn't completely sure his memory of their weaknesses was correct. He decided
to go up and help Phoebe with her research with the Book of Shadows.
As he entered the attic Phoebe was searching through the book. She seemed
completely absorbed in it and didn't notice him enter. He glanced around. As
usual the attic was in complete disarray. Phoebe had been saying for years that
they were planning to straighten it up but they just never seemed to find the
time.
"How's it going?" Cole asked as Phoebe continued to look through the book.
"Not good," said Phoebe. "Other than what you've told me there doesn't
seem to be anything more about the Order of Tallock in here. Nothing that might
give us an idea of why they'd be attacking right now. How's the list?"
"Not good," said Cole. "I never thought I'd be sorry for avoiding the
Order of Tallock as I did. The Brotherhood always considered them sub-demon.
Not really worth our time."
"Not your fault," said Phoebe. "And I'm sure what you have will be of
some help. Besides, it's not like this is our first demon attack. We do have
some experience in this, you know."
"I know," said Cole. "I just wish I could be of more help. Without my
powers there just isn't much I can do for your guys. At least as Belthazor I
could...."
He suddenly stopped in mid sentence as they both heard a noise from
downstairs.
"What was that?" Cole asked.
"It sounded like Piper blowing something up," said Phoebe, concern in her
voice.
Immediately the two turned and ran for the door. There would be only one
reason for Piper to be using her explosive power. There was a demon in the
house. And since she hadn't called to them it wasn't hard to figure out what
had happened. It had suddenly appeared and attacked leaving her no time to call
for help.
They reached the landing on the stairway just as Piper was coming out of
the kitchen. She looked around apprehensively and nearly blew up Cole and
Phoebe before she realized whom they were.
"We have company," she said, looking toward the living room.
Suddenly Leo and Paige orbed in beside Piper.
"I sensed something," Leo said. "I got Paige and orbed here right away."
"We have company," Piper repeated. "Two demons shimmered into the
kitchen. I was able to vanquish one and the other one ran into the living
room."
"What kind of demon?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know," said Piper. "It looked like of like Sona except it was
yellow with red horns."
"Blatell," said Cole. "He was second-in-command in the Order of Tallock.
If there were two of them I'm betting the second one is Martell. They usually
travel together. Be very careful. Martell will be able to reconstitute himself
if you blow him up."
"What about weaknesses?" Piper asked.
"I'm not sure," said Cole. "He's extremely private. Not even Blatell
knew much about him."
"Okay everyone," said Piper. "Let's go introduce ourselves to this
Blatell. Cole, you wait there. You'll just be in the way."
Cautiously, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige made their way to the living room.
Leo followed closely behind knowing that in a fight he wouldn't be of much use.
He was a White Lighter. None of his powers were offensive. The girls were the
best equipped to deal with the demon. The sisters entered the living room but
there was no demon to be seen.
"Maybe it shimmered away," Paige whispered.
Suddenly four demons shimmered into the living room. One stood in front
of the fireplace. It resembled the demon Piper had vanquished earlier in the
kitchen except that its markings were blue, not green. The other demons, each
similar to this one but with different colored markings, had shimmered in next
the sisters. Before the sisters could move, a demon grabbed each of the sisters
pinning their arms behind them.
"If you try to orb," said the demon in front of the fireplace, looking at
Paige, "the others will die instantly."
Paige just looked at Piper and Phoebe. At the moment they were helpless.
Phoebe had no offensive powers and with her arms pinned as they were, Piper
couldn't freeze or blow up anything. There was nothing Paige could do except
remain where she was and hope for an opening later.
"How's that list coming?" Piper asked Cole when he came into the kitchen
later that afternoon.
"Phoebe told you, huh?" questioned Cole.
"Yes," said Piper. "We're preparing a defense against demons. Of course
she's going to tell us."
"I know," said Cole. "It's coming slowly. Like I told Phoebe, there
really isn't much contact between the Order and the Brotherhood. Most of what I
know is only rumors and innuendo."
"Well, anything can help," said Piper. "At least we have something to go
on. And I think we can expect more attacks in the future."
"Piper, I'm sorry about all this," said Cole.
"Not your fault," said Piper. "Besides, we have demons attacking all the
time. At least we have someone who can give us some information on the demons."
"I know," said Cole. "But I can't help but feel that I'm somehow
responsible."
"Nonsense," said Piper. "Demons are always attacking here. Besides, even
if it was because of you no one can hold you responsible for what demons do.
It's not like you're going out looking for trouble."
"That's true," said Cole. "Where is everyone else?"
"Let's see," said Piper thoughtfully. "Paige went out to pick up a couple
of things for dinner. Leo orbed up there to check with the Elders to see if
they knew anything about this Order of Tallock. And the last I heard Phoebe was
checking the Book of Shadows."
"Is it a good idea for Paige to be going out?" Cole asked.
"We can't put our lives on hold because of a few demon attacks," said
Piper. "Now you go find something to do while I get dinner ready."
"Yes ma'am," said Cole smiling as he turned to leave the kitchen.
Cole wasn't sure what to do. His memory of the weaknesses of the Order of
Tallock was woefully inadequate. Half the ones he could remember didn't apply
any longer. Those members had been vanquished. And the ones he that hadn't he
wasn't completely sure his memory of their weaknesses was correct. He decided
to go up and help Phoebe with her research with the Book of Shadows.
As he entered the attic Phoebe was searching through the book. She seemed
completely absorbed in it and didn't notice him enter. He glanced around. As
usual the attic was in complete disarray. Phoebe had been saying for years that
they were planning to straighten it up but they just never seemed to find the
time.
"How's it going?" Cole asked as Phoebe continued to look through the book.
"Not good," said Phoebe. "Other than what you've told me there doesn't
seem to be anything more about the Order of Tallock in here. Nothing that might
give us an idea of why they'd be attacking right now. How's the list?"
"Not good," said Cole. "I never thought I'd be sorry for avoiding the
Order of Tallock as I did. The Brotherhood always considered them sub-demon.
Not really worth our time."
"Not your fault," said Phoebe. "And I'm sure what you have will be of
some help. Besides, it's not like this is our first demon attack. We do have
some experience in this, you know."
"I know," said Cole. "I just wish I could be of more help. Without my
powers there just isn't much I can do for your guys. At least as Belthazor I
could...."
He suddenly stopped in mid sentence as they both heard a noise from
downstairs.
"What was that?" Cole asked.
"It sounded like Piper blowing something up," said Phoebe, concern in her
voice.
Immediately the two turned and ran for the door. There would be only one
reason for Piper to be using her explosive power. There was a demon in the
house. And since she hadn't called to them it wasn't hard to figure out what
had happened. It had suddenly appeared and attacked leaving her no time to call
for help.
They reached the landing on the stairway just as Piper was coming out of
the kitchen. She looked around apprehensively and nearly blew up Cole and
Phoebe before she realized whom they were.
"We have company," she said, looking toward the living room.
Suddenly Leo and Paige orbed in beside Piper.
"I sensed something," Leo said. "I got Paige and orbed here right away."
"We have company," Piper repeated. "Two demons shimmered into the
kitchen. I was able to vanquish one and the other one ran into the living
room."
"What kind of demon?" Phoebe asked.
"I don't know," said Piper. "It looked like of like Sona except it was
yellow with red horns."
"Blatell," said Cole. "He was second-in-command in the Order of Tallock.
If there were two of them I'm betting the second one is Martell. They usually
travel together. Be very careful. Martell will be able to reconstitute himself
if you blow him up."
"What about weaknesses?" Piper asked.
"I'm not sure," said Cole. "He's extremely private. Not even Blatell
knew much about him."
"Okay everyone," said Piper. "Let's go introduce ourselves to this
Blatell. Cole, you wait there. You'll just be in the way."
Cautiously, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige made their way to the living room.
Leo followed closely behind knowing that in a fight he wouldn't be of much use.
He was a White Lighter. None of his powers were offensive. The girls were the
best equipped to deal with the demon. The sisters entered the living room but
there was no demon to be seen.
"Maybe it shimmered away," Paige whispered.
Suddenly four demons shimmered into the living room. One stood in front
of the fireplace. It resembled the demon Piper had vanquished earlier in the
kitchen except that its markings were blue, not green. The other demons, each
similar to this one but with different colored markings, had shimmered in next
the sisters. Before the sisters could move, a demon grabbed each of the sisters
pinning their arms behind them.
"If you try to orb," said the demon in front of the fireplace, looking at
Paige, "the others will die instantly."
Paige just looked at Piper and Phoebe. At the moment they were helpless.
Phoebe had no offensive powers and with her arms pinned as they were, Piper
couldn't freeze or blow up anything. There was nothing Paige could do except
remain where she was and hope for an opening later.