TWENTY-THREE
The fireball flew through the air at Cole who lay on the ground defenseless. Just before the weapon struck, Cole shimmered slightly. Almost instantly he changed form. In his place lay Belthazor. The fireball struck the demon who howled in pain. In an instant Belthazor was on his feet. He towered over Gastion.
"I am no human," howled Belthazor. "You call me weak? I was the favored of the Source. I was the Source. I have been to the Wasteland and returned unharmed. In the mortal realm I am invulnerable. And I will not be vanquished by the likes of you."
Belthazor formed a fireball and cast it at Gastion. The lesser demon was forced back by the attack. Vainly Gastion attacked again with his own fireball. Belthazor simply cast a fireball and the two impacted between the two demons obliterating each other.
"You are the fool, Gastion," said Belthazor. "You were banished by the Source and with good reason. Your foolish obsession with human females. Yes, Cole Turner fell in love with a human. He is human. He has that failing. But I have no such failing. I care nothing for them or any humans. You have challenged me. Now, learn the fate of all those who would challenge the mighty Belthazor."
Belthazor cast another fireball forcing Gastion back again. Margaret and the sisters could do nothing but stand and watch as the two demons battled each other. Gastion made several more attacks against Belthazor but the larger demon weathered the attacks, returning his own. Gastion was quickly loosing the battle and he knew it.
"You are nothing but a pathetic Carack demon," howled Belthazor. "You are not even worthy to be compared to me. You said I was feared in the underworld. I still am. All demons fear and honor me. They bow to me as they should. Even those of your kind dare not challenge me. I am the mighty Belthazor. And those who stand against me find that I am not to be trifled with."
Belthazor cast several more fireballs at Gastion forcing the lesser demon back even farther. He was cut and bleeding in a dozen places. Weakly he raised his hand in a futile attempt to protect against the vicious attacks of his opponent. Suddenly Belthazor cast one last fireball and Gastion was vanquished in a conflagration.
Belthazor howled in victory. His opponent was vanquished. He spun to face the sisters who stood only a few feet away. His eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze fell on them. Slowly he began to advance on them.
"I have vanquished the fool who would oppose me," he said slowly and deliberately. "But he was right about one thing. You have cost me in the underworld. I was sent to destroy you and in a moment of weakness you took from me all that I had worked to gain.
"Now I will rectify that situation. I will destroy you as I should have all those years ago. I will restore my reputation and once again be feared and respected as I was. All demons will know that I have vanquished the Charmed Ones. And you will no longer be a threat to those who serve evil."
Belthazor advanced on the sisters' anger flashing in his eyes. They could do nothing but move away from him. Without their powers they were unable to stand against him or even defend against his attacks. In a moment he would finish what he had originally been sent to do. He would destroy the most powerful force for good in the world.
"No," said Phoebe, suddenly moving forward. "I don't know exactly what's going on but I do know one thing. You're in there somewhere, Cole. You claim you love me. If I ever meant anything to you then fight this. Don't let him win."
Belthazor stopped and looked at Phoebe. There was a strange look on his face.
"You plead for your life," said Belthazor. "How human of you. It will do you no good, witch. I will finish what I started. I will destroy you as I was sent to do."
"No, you won't," said Phoebe. "Cole Turner is part of you. Whether you like it or not - whether you admit it or not - you're half human. And that half won't let you destroy us. Cole, I know you're in there. Fight him. Don't let him defeat you. I know you can do it. Regardless of what might have happened you're strong. You can stop this. I know you can."
Belthazor stood looking at Phoebe. There was a look in his eye that only Phoebe recognized. A look she had often seen in Cole's eye. She knew she was getting through to him. No matter how strong Belthazor was, she knew Cole was stronger. He only had to fight to regain control.
Suddenly Belthazor shimmered slightly and changed form. Cole now stood where Belthazor stood only moments before. He fell to his knees, holding himself up with his arms. His breathing was long and labored.
"That was too hard," gasped Cole. "I didn't think I could do it. Thanks, Phoebe. Belthazor is so powerful here I have almost no control over him. But thanks to you I was able to overcome him. This time. I don't think I could do it again."
"We'd better get out of this village," said Piper. "The villagers are stunned right now by what happened. But I don't know how long that's going to last. I say we get out of here while we can."
"That's a good idea," said Margaret. "You've just destroyed their leader. I'm not sure how they're going to react."
Helping Cole to his feet everyone turned and headed out of the village, glancing over their shoulders periodically to see if they were being followed.
The fireball flew through the air at Cole who lay on the ground defenseless. Just before the weapon struck, Cole shimmered slightly. Almost instantly he changed form. In his place lay Belthazor. The fireball struck the demon who howled in pain. In an instant Belthazor was on his feet. He towered over Gastion.
"I am no human," howled Belthazor. "You call me weak? I was the favored of the Source. I was the Source. I have been to the Wasteland and returned unharmed. In the mortal realm I am invulnerable. And I will not be vanquished by the likes of you."
Belthazor formed a fireball and cast it at Gastion. The lesser demon was forced back by the attack. Vainly Gastion attacked again with his own fireball. Belthazor simply cast a fireball and the two impacted between the two demons obliterating each other.
"You are the fool, Gastion," said Belthazor. "You were banished by the Source and with good reason. Your foolish obsession with human females. Yes, Cole Turner fell in love with a human. He is human. He has that failing. But I have no such failing. I care nothing for them or any humans. You have challenged me. Now, learn the fate of all those who would challenge the mighty Belthazor."
Belthazor cast another fireball forcing Gastion back again. Margaret and the sisters could do nothing but stand and watch as the two demons battled each other. Gastion made several more attacks against Belthazor but the larger demon weathered the attacks, returning his own. Gastion was quickly loosing the battle and he knew it.
"You are nothing but a pathetic Carack demon," howled Belthazor. "You are not even worthy to be compared to me. You said I was feared in the underworld. I still am. All demons fear and honor me. They bow to me as they should. Even those of your kind dare not challenge me. I am the mighty Belthazor. And those who stand against me find that I am not to be trifled with."
Belthazor cast several more fireballs at Gastion forcing the lesser demon back even farther. He was cut and bleeding in a dozen places. Weakly he raised his hand in a futile attempt to protect against the vicious attacks of his opponent. Suddenly Belthazor cast one last fireball and Gastion was vanquished in a conflagration.
Belthazor howled in victory. His opponent was vanquished. He spun to face the sisters who stood only a few feet away. His eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze fell on them. Slowly he began to advance on them.
"I have vanquished the fool who would oppose me," he said slowly and deliberately. "But he was right about one thing. You have cost me in the underworld. I was sent to destroy you and in a moment of weakness you took from me all that I had worked to gain.
"Now I will rectify that situation. I will destroy you as I should have all those years ago. I will restore my reputation and once again be feared and respected as I was. All demons will know that I have vanquished the Charmed Ones. And you will no longer be a threat to those who serve evil."
Belthazor advanced on the sisters' anger flashing in his eyes. They could do nothing but move away from him. Without their powers they were unable to stand against him or even defend against his attacks. In a moment he would finish what he had originally been sent to do. He would destroy the most powerful force for good in the world.
"No," said Phoebe, suddenly moving forward. "I don't know exactly what's going on but I do know one thing. You're in there somewhere, Cole. You claim you love me. If I ever meant anything to you then fight this. Don't let him win."
Belthazor stopped and looked at Phoebe. There was a strange look on his face.
"You plead for your life," said Belthazor. "How human of you. It will do you no good, witch. I will finish what I started. I will destroy you as I was sent to do."
"No, you won't," said Phoebe. "Cole Turner is part of you. Whether you like it or not - whether you admit it or not - you're half human. And that half won't let you destroy us. Cole, I know you're in there. Fight him. Don't let him defeat you. I know you can do it. Regardless of what might have happened you're strong. You can stop this. I know you can."
Belthazor stood looking at Phoebe. There was a look in his eye that only Phoebe recognized. A look she had often seen in Cole's eye. She knew she was getting through to him. No matter how strong Belthazor was, she knew Cole was stronger. He only had to fight to regain control.
Suddenly Belthazor shimmered slightly and changed form. Cole now stood where Belthazor stood only moments before. He fell to his knees, holding himself up with his arms. His breathing was long and labored.
"That was too hard," gasped Cole. "I didn't think I could do it. Thanks, Phoebe. Belthazor is so powerful here I have almost no control over him. But thanks to you I was able to overcome him. This time. I don't think I could do it again."
"We'd better get out of this village," said Piper. "The villagers are stunned right now by what happened. But I don't know how long that's going to last. I say we get out of here while we can."
"That's a good idea," said Margaret. "You've just destroyed their leader. I'm not sure how they're going to react."
Helping Cole to his feet everyone turned and headed out of the village, glancing over their shoulders periodically to see if they were being followed.