SEVEN
Samodun had led them back to his residence in the settlement. It was a
modest house sitting on a small rise just outside of the settlement. As they
walked through the settlement many people bowed to Samodun. It was as if they
were paying homage to a great leader. Samodun simply passed it all off in
modesty that Piper and Paige would not have thought possible in a demon.
"When I was banished here," said Samodun, "there were very few demons
here. That was a very long time ago. We were killing each other off left and
right. I guess that's what the Source had in mind when he banished us. Anyway,
very soon I was just about the only one left. There were few demons as high in
the hierarchy than I and fewer still who could stand against me.
"Well, banished demons began to show up. I soon realized that if things
went on as they had there would be nothing left of us. I decided I wouldn't let
the underworld win in that way. I established laws by which everyone is
required to abide. We have some malcontents from time to time but as you can
see, most of the inhabitants live very well."
"How do you maintain control?" Cole asked. "You know as well as I do that
demons don't respond well to reason. Most have to be controlled by fear and
intimidation."
"The Enforcers," said Samodun. "They are the most powerful demons here,
aside from myself. They keep the peace. Violence is forbidden here for any
reason. Everyone must be a productive member of the settlement. There are
ruling bodies for each area of the settlement that handle disputes between
members. All things considered, we do all right for ourselves."
"What were you banished for?" Paige asked. "If you don't mind my asking."
"I don't mind," said Samodun. "You see at one time I was one of the most
powerful demons in the underworld. Second only to the Source himself along with
only a few others. When the Source was vanquished, there was a power struggle
to see who would take his place. I lost. My opponent decided that vanquishing
me was too easy a punishment. So he banished me here. I've been here every
since."
"What about Gastion?" Cole asked. "You said he wasn't here any longer.
This is supposed to be the last place a demon can go. Where is Gastion?"
"To the outer realms," said Samodun. "There are places here that
intersect with other planes. Planes that aren't accessible any other way. If a
demon can't live here peacefully with the other inhabitants, I have no choice
but to exile them to the outer realms."
"You?" questioned Leo. "I thought you said you didn't rule here? That
you administered?"
"I do," said Samodun. "I leave most of the governing to the ruling
bodies. I only get involved in the most serious offenses. But as I'm sure you
can understand, there are those who simply won't abide by the rules. Someone
has to decide what to do with them. That duty falls to me."
"We never knew this place was so well organized," said Cole. "So few
demons every return from here that we have almost no information on it."
"I have a question of my own," said Samodun. "The guardians pass on
information to me from time to time. I've been here so long that we've
developed a sort of friendship you might say. They told me you had been
vanquished. How is it that you're sitting here now?"
"I'm half human," said Cole. "After I was vanquished, I appeared in the
Wasteland. Because I have a soul, I retained my human form. And I was able to
collect enough magic from vanquished demons to return to the mortal realm."
"You said Gastion was banished to the outer realms," said Piper.
"Yes," said Samodun. "He lived here peacefully for about thirty years.
But he was always a disruptive influence. Always trying to organize the
inhabitants to revolt against the Source and return to the underworld. He kept
saying that if we all banded together, the guardians wouldn't be able to stop
us."
"That's crazy," said Cole. "Every demon in the leadership would have
descended upon you even if you could have escaped. It would have been suicide."
"I know," said Samodun. "I didn't interfere with Gastion because all he
seemed to do was talk. I figured he was like a lot of newly banished demons.
That he would eventually accept his fate and settle down."
"But he didn't?" questioned Paige.
"No," said Samodun. "The final stroke was when he actively began to try
organizing the inhabitants. Some of the younger ones were actually listening to
him. That I couldn't permit. It wasn't just them at stake. If we proved a
viable threat to the underworld they might come here to finish us. So I
banished him to the outer realms. And as I said, no one ever returns from
there."
"Gastion has found a way," said Cole. "He showed up at their home and
kidnapped their sister. That's why we've come here. To get her back."
"If he has found a way back to the mortal plane," said Samodun, "he didn't
come through here. You know as well as I do that there is no way out of here
except through the entrance. That and to the outer realms, of course. No one
has ever returned from the outer realms so we've always believed there was no
escape from them. Apparently there is at least one escape."
"Is there any way you can tell which of these outer realms he was sent
to?" Leo asked.
"Oh, that's the easy part," said Samodun. "Each realm has its own
entrance. We've identified about two-dozen of them. Most are on the outer
fringes the Émigré. I know exactly which one Gastion was sent to. It was my
decision, after all.
"Well, it sounds like this is pretty straight forward," said Piper.
"Since Gastion is no longer here, we have to go to whatever outer realm he's
gone to. It's the only way to get Phoebe back."
"You have no idea what you're asking," said Samodun. "The portals to the
outer realms operate in only one direction. You can enter but it is impossible
to return through them. Gastion was exiled to the outer realms over thirty
years ago. And yet he only recently returned to the mortal realm for your
sister. It is fair to guess that it has taken him that long to find a way out
of the realm where he's been exiled."
"We don't have a choice," said Paige. "Besides, if Gastion can do it, so
can we. It shouldn't be that hard to find an opening back to the mortal plane."
"They aren't that easy to find," said Cole. "Plus there's no telling how
these other realms will affect you. There are planes of existence where humans
can't survive. You may not live very long once you get there."
"He's right," said Leo. "Coming here is one thing. But going off to some
plane of existence that we know virtually nothing about is something else
altogether. We can't risk loosing you two."
"Because of the Power of Three," said Piper. "Well, without Phoebe, there
is n o Power of Three. Without her we're just two more witches."
"I agree with Piper," said Paige. "Phoebe would come after either of us
if we were in her situation. Besides, if Gastion kidnapped Phoebe to be his
wife, humans must not be affected in this outer realm. We're going and that's
that."
"Not, if I don't show you where the entrance to the realm is," said
Samodun. "I'm the only one who does know. Without my help, you aren't going
anywhere."
Piper and Paige looked at Samodun. He was right. They had no idea where
these portals were. Without his help it could take them years, even decades to
find even one of them. And then they couldn't be sure it was the one they
needed.
"Then again," said Samodun, smiling, "you're witches. By definition, we
are opponents regardless of the peace we enjoy here. What do I care if two
witches are lost in the outer realms for all eternity? I'll show you where the
portal is to the realm where I exiled Gastion. What you do with that knowledge
is up to you."
"Thank you," said Piper. "We appreciate the help."
"This is crazy," said Leo.
"Well," said Cole, "we can't let them go in there alone. They might need
our help. If they're going, I'm in."
"I guess I don't have a choice," said Leo. "I can't abandon my charges or
my wife now. But I still think this is very ill advised."
"Objection duly noted," said Piper. "Now, where is this portal you were
talking about?"
"Just follow me," said Samodun.
Samodun had led them back to his residence in the settlement. It was a
modest house sitting on a small rise just outside of the settlement. As they
walked through the settlement many people bowed to Samodun. It was as if they
were paying homage to a great leader. Samodun simply passed it all off in
modesty that Piper and Paige would not have thought possible in a demon.
"When I was banished here," said Samodun, "there were very few demons
here. That was a very long time ago. We were killing each other off left and
right. I guess that's what the Source had in mind when he banished us. Anyway,
very soon I was just about the only one left. There were few demons as high in
the hierarchy than I and fewer still who could stand against me.
"Well, banished demons began to show up. I soon realized that if things
went on as they had there would be nothing left of us. I decided I wouldn't let
the underworld win in that way. I established laws by which everyone is
required to abide. We have some malcontents from time to time but as you can
see, most of the inhabitants live very well."
"How do you maintain control?" Cole asked. "You know as well as I do that
demons don't respond well to reason. Most have to be controlled by fear and
intimidation."
"The Enforcers," said Samodun. "They are the most powerful demons here,
aside from myself. They keep the peace. Violence is forbidden here for any
reason. Everyone must be a productive member of the settlement. There are
ruling bodies for each area of the settlement that handle disputes between
members. All things considered, we do all right for ourselves."
"What were you banished for?" Paige asked. "If you don't mind my asking."
"I don't mind," said Samodun. "You see at one time I was one of the most
powerful demons in the underworld. Second only to the Source himself along with
only a few others. When the Source was vanquished, there was a power struggle
to see who would take his place. I lost. My opponent decided that vanquishing
me was too easy a punishment. So he banished me here. I've been here every
since."
"What about Gastion?" Cole asked. "You said he wasn't here any longer.
This is supposed to be the last place a demon can go. Where is Gastion?"
"To the outer realms," said Samodun. "There are places here that
intersect with other planes. Planes that aren't accessible any other way. If a
demon can't live here peacefully with the other inhabitants, I have no choice
but to exile them to the outer realms."
"You?" questioned Leo. "I thought you said you didn't rule here? That
you administered?"
"I do," said Samodun. "I leave most of the governing to the ruling
bodies. I only get involved in the most serious offenses. But as I'm sure you
can understand, there are those who simply won't abide by the rules. Someone
has to decide what to do with them. That duty falls to me."
"We never knew this place was so well organized," said Cole. "So few
demons every return from here that we have almost no information on it."
"I have a question of my own," said Samodun. "The guardians pass on
information to me from time to time. I've been here so long that we've
developed a sort of friendship you might say. They told me you had been
vanquished. How is it that you're sitting here now?"
"I'm half human," said Cole. "After I was vanquished, I appeared in the
Wasteland. Because I have a soul, I retained my human form. And I was able to
collect enough magic from vanquished demons to return to the mortal realm."
"You said Gastion was banished to the outer realms," said Piper.
"Yes," said Samodun. "He lived here peacefully for about thirty years.
But he was always a disruptive influence. Always trying to organize the
inhabitants to revolt against the Source and return to the underworld. He kept
saying that if we all banded together, the guardians wouldn't be able to stop
us."
"That's crazy," said Cole. "Every demon in the leadership would have
descended upon you even if you could have escaped. It would have been suicide."
"I know," said Samodun. "I didn't interfere with Gastion because all he
seemed to do was talk. I figured he was like a lot of newly banished demons.
That he would eventually accept his fate and settle down."
"But he didn't?" questioned Paige.
"No," said Samodun. "The final stroke was when he actively began to try
organizing the inhabitants. Some of the younger ones were actually listening to
him. That I couldn't permit. It wasn't just them at stake. If we proved a
viable threat to the underworld they might come here to finish us. So I
banished him to the outer realms. And as I said, no one ever returns from
there."
"Gastion has found a way," said Cole. "He showed up at their home and
kidnapped their sister. That's why we've come here. To get her back."
"If he has found a way back to the mortal plane," said Samodun, "he didn't
come through here. You know as well as I do that there is no way out of here
except through the entrance. That and to the outer realms, of course. No one
has ever returned from the outer realms so we've always believed there was no
escape from them. Apparently there is at least one escape."
"Is there any way you can tell which of these outer realms he was sent
to?" Leo asked.
"Oh, that's the easy part," said Samodun. "Each realm has its own
entrance. We've identified about two-dozen of them. Most are on the outer
fringes the Émigré. I know exactly which one Gastion was sent to. It was my
decision, after all.
"Well, it sounds like this is pretty straight forward," said Piper.
"Since Gastion is no longer here, we have to go to whatever outer realm he's
gone to. It's the only way to get Phoebe back."
"You have no idea what you're asking," said Samodun. "The portals to the
outer realms operate in only one direction. You can enter but it is impossible
to return through them. Gastion was exiled to the outer realms over thirty
years ago. And yet he only recently returned to the mortal realm for your
sister. It is fair to guess that it has taken him that long to find a way out
of the realm where he's been exiled."
"We don't have a choice," said Paige. "Besides, if Gastion can do it, so
can we. It shouldn't be that hard to find an opening back to the mortal plane."
"They aren't that easy to find," said Cole. "Plus there's no telling how
these other realms will affect you. There are planes of existence where humans
can't survive. You may not live very long once you get there."
"He's right," said Leo. "Coming here is one thing. But going off to some
plane of existence that we know virtually nothing about is something else
altogether. We can't risk loosing you two."
"Because of the Power of Three," said Piper. "Well, without Phoebe, there
is n o Power of Three. Without her we're just two more witches."
"I agree with Piper," said Paige. "Phoebe would come after either of us
if we were in her situation. Besides, if Gastion kidnapped Phoebe to be his
wife, humans must not be affected in this outer realm. We're going and that's
that."
"Not, if I don't show you where the entrance to the realm is," said
Samodun. "I'm the only one who does know. Without my help, you aren't going
anywhere."
Piper and Paige looked at Samodun. He was right. They had no idea where
these portals were. Without his help it could take them years, even decades to
find even one of them. And then they couldn't be sure it was the one they
needed.
"Then again," said Samodun, smiling, "you're witches. By definition, we
are opponents regardless of the peace we enjoy here. What do I care if two
witches are lost in the outer realms for all eternity? I'll show you where the
portal is to the realm where I exiled Gastion. What you do with that knowledge
is up to you."
"Thank you," said Piper. "We appreciate the help."
"This is crazy," said Leo.
"Well," said Cole, "we can't let them go in there alone. They might need
our help. If they're going, I'm in."
"I guess I don't have a choice," said Leo. "I can't abandon my charges or
my wife now. But I still think this is very ill advised."
"Objection duly noted," said Piper. "Now, where is this portal you were
talking about?"
"Just follow me," said Samodun.