CHAPTER 17:

2008, somewhere in the underworld.

Gredam followed the others into the room of the master. He was surprised of what he saw. The place he just walked through was enormous and guarded by tens of demons. And here he was -the master- the one everyone was scared of and it was just a normal looking guy and there were no guards near. Nothing looked like there was sitting such a powerful man. The man looked ordinary, the room looked ordinary, nothing pointed out that this man or demon was the leader of all evil. But somehow Gredam knew this was him.

The master began to talk to them and Gredam knew he had been right. He recognized the voice from when he was called for and he wondered 'Why is he so special?' Gredam stared at the man and kept thinking 'Why is this man so special that everyone listens to him or is scared of him? His only thread is a power that doesn't even exist yet and he is making sure that it will never exist either. How come no-one can get rid of such an ordinary guy but a future power of three?' Gredam was interrupted in his thoughts as the master began to speak to them.

"We lost a team", the master started. "That's why I called for you. You are going to go further, complete the assignment." He stood up from behind his desk and that surprised Gredam even more. The master seemed to be certain no-one would harm him, he didn't even had a weapon on him. 'Maybe I can just kill him now', Gredam thought. But then he saw the other men around him and knew that wasn't the best plan if he wanted to get out of this place alive.

Suddenly the look on the master's face changed as he thought of something. He knocked his fist on the work desk and he shouted angry: "It was one of those good doers. One of those lame elders who got to the other team. When you have finished your mission you'll go after them. They cannot get away with the murder of my five best man." He took a deep breath to calm down and continued: "You know your mission everyone is working on it right now. We need to find out where they have hidden that little monster. If we don't we all be history in a few years."

He stepped forward to the leader of the man and gave him medallion Gredam recognized. 'Gwen's necklace', he thought surprised 'How did they get a hand on that?' The leader took it and the master said: "Take this to find the kidnapper. I am pretty sure she isn't in this dimension or time so make sure you use the most powerful seeking method there is. You know what I am talking about."

The master turned around and sat down behind his desk. "Now go", he said. When they didn't immediately walked away he lost his temper again and quickly stood up while he pointed his finger to the demon next to Gredam and he saw him turn into ashes. "I said go!", the master was shouting now. "And make sure you find a replacement for that pile of dust over there", he said still pointing to the spot next to Gredam. "Make that three replacements. A team of eight will do for this mission."

The leader nodded not showing any form of emotion when one of his men got vanquished. He turned around and motioned the others to do so to. He walked out of the little room and Gredam followed him. They went passed the guards again and when they got out of what seemed to be the main room they made a turn and followed the long path again.

After a few minute walk they stopped and they got into what seemed to be some kind of dining room. There was space for at least a hundred demons in there. Looking at the large tables full with dirty dishes it was normally filled which so much demons. But at the moment the place was entirely empty. They went through the room in another one, from which the door was subtle hidden in a closet. 'What a maze', Gredam thought as he shook his head.

In the hidden room were more higher men. They all seemed to be busy in some kind of training program. Shooting flame balls at the same time, trying to avoid attacks and trying to kill each other seemed to be the order of the day. The leader of Gredam's little group randomly appointed three men and demanded them to come with him. They did so and they left the room.

They went to the main corridor again and this time they went to a little room nearby with a small table and a few chairs. They were told to sit down and they all did so. 'Finally', Gredam thought as he took a seat and stretched his legs. 'It looks like we just walked a marathon.'

The leader walked to one of the men who seemed to be his personal assistant. Gredam saw how he quickly gave the man the medallion and whispered something in his ear. When the man went away the leader walked to the middle of the room and asked for attention.

When he stood in front of them he quickly recapped what had happened and what they were supposed to do. "If we don't find the girl our end is near. If the master will not kill us because of our failure, the future power of three will", he ended his little elucidation.

At the same moment his assistant came rushing in. "We have found her", he whispered in the leaders ear. "It was as we could expect from the sign they found in the house. They escaped to another time. To February 4th 1991, to be precise."