Chapter Eighteen

Every effort was made to accept and to integrate the new members into the main body of Ephiny's tribe, but many of them preferred to be housed with their own until they were more familiar with the daily workings and the ways of their adopted tribe.

There were nine women who came with Alara, and they shared four huts. Three of them in two huts. And two each in two more. Alara insisted on sharing a hut with the oldest of them. So old she was only known as 'Old Mother.'

No one knew how old she was, not even she. It was never said out loud, but they suspected she owed her great age to her forbidden knowledge of dark, mystical forces she sometimes called upon. Alara made them swear to say nothing about her, other than she was very old.

Alara entered the darkened hut. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could barely make out the old woman sitting on a raised pallet on the dirt floor. Raised to make it easier for her to get to her feet.

Alara poured a cup of water from a water skin and took it to her. With trembling hands, she took the cup and drank it down.

Alara went to her knees in front of her.

"Your day went well?" she asked.

"As well as can be expected," the old woman croaked, barely above a whisper.

"Are you hungry?"

"No. Marla was by earlier with soup and bread."

Alara arose and went to her own pallet and sat down. It was late, and she was getting sleepy, but first there was something she had to do – a request to make of Old Mother.

She had no idea how long she sat there, forming arguments in her mind so when she made her request, it would seem honest and sincere, but before she could ask, Old Mother spoke with a voice that trembled even more than her hands. "This is a dangerous thing you seek. You wish me to call upon powers beyond even mine to control."

"I only request that you summon this D'Hoffryn. I need to speak to him."

With an effort, Old Mother raised her voice. "You DO NOT summon such a demon! You go to him, begging and in supplication, hoping he does not strike you dead for his own amusement."

"Then send me to him, I beg of you. I have an important issue to discuss with him. You can do it, I know. Help me. Help me fulfill my destiny. The ones the Fates have laid out for me."

"What do you know of the Fates? How can YOU know what they have plotted for your future?"

"Because I know. Must I beg you again? Do this for me, and I'll never ask another favor from you. This I swear!"

"You are a fool. A fool who is destined to cause a death before the sun rises. But so be it, if that is your wish. Lie back on your bed and prepare for your journey."

Alara laid down on the hard pallet and close her eyes. She breathed in and out slowly and tried to lessen the uncontrollable beating of her heart. From the other side of the hut she could hear the low sing-song chanting of Old Mother. The words were loud enough to hear, but made no sense to her. The language was one she had never heard before.

And then she was standing, the air burning her nostrils as she breathed. It was hot, but not unbearably so. She slowly opened her eyes. It was light, she could plainly see, but there were no candles nor torches.

Alara slowly looked around her. She seemed to be in a cave of some kind. She could hear noises, possibly voices.

Taking a deep breath, Alara spoke out, "D'Hoffryn! I am Alara, of the Stag Horn Tribe of the Amazon Nation. I wish to speak with you!"

Her voice echoed, but that was all.

Louder still, she repeated herself a second, and then a third time.

"D'Hoffryn . . . !"

"I hear you. You think I am deaf?"

Alara spun around to find a tall, blue-skinned, horned . . . demon standing there.

"Do you think I should just drop everything and hurry to see what a lowly mortal desires because she screams out my name?"

"N-no. No. Of course not. I – I only wished to . . . ."

"I know. You wish to speak to me. That part you made abundantly clear. So what is it that you risk your very soul to speak of?"

"I wish to serve you, and to do your bidding."

"To serve me, and do my bidding? By doing what?"

"I want to become a Vengeance Demon . . . to aid those who have been harmed by men, to help them get their revenge."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with your distain for the male species in general, would it?"

"No, not at all. I only wish to help those women who have been victimized and mistreated, by anyone."

"Hmmm, I see. And if I should grant you this – wish, what is it that you can do for me in return? Other than your desire to serve me and do my bidding?"

"I don't understand. What is it you want me to do? This is all new to me, so I'm not sure how things are done."

"I was thinking along the lines of a sacrifice of some kind."

"Of course. A sacrifice. Whatever it is you desire."

"What I desire is of no consequence. What is it that you have to offer? What LIFE do you present to me?"

Alara was momentarily at a loss for words. What life? Someone should die for her? Then so be it. She could think of four lives that she could surrender.

"I can give you four lives. "

"Four lives! That IS impressive. And just who might these four be?"

"Their names are Ephiny, Gabrielle, Xena, and Buffy. They are Amazons, two of them anyway, and any or all of them are yours for the taking if you'll only grant me this one thing."

D'Hoffryn nodded, as if he was contemplating the offer.

"Four are unnecessary. One will do fine. But before I make my decision, you DO know the definition of 'sacrifice'?"

"Certainly, it is the giving of a life in exchange for a favor."

"Almost. It is the giving of a life THAT YOU VALUE for these favors. These lives you offer me hold no worth for you. However . . . ."

D'Hoffryn moved his hand in a small circular motion, and a vaguely round "window" appeared, looking in on the withered, sleeping form of Old Mother.

"She," he said, "is one you value. Only by sacrificing her life will make your ascension to Vengeance Demon worthy."

"But . . . You don't understand who she is . . . what she means to me, to my sister Amazons."

"I know exactly what her value is. That is why it is her life, her soul, that must be surrendered."

Despite her heartless ambition, Old Mother was the only one Alara actually cared about.

"No. I can't do this. I will find another way. Please, just send me back."

"Ah, yes. Send you back. As if wasting my time is of no importance. As if I have nothing else to do but cater to the whims of a small, insignificant insect."

"No. You misunderstand. I didn't mean . . . ."

"It is YOU who misunderstands! It's a simple choice. Her life for yours, or yours for hers."

"What? What are you saying?"

"Just that if you want to become a Vengeance Demon, her life is forfeit. But if you wish to return to your mortal realm, then your soul will go into her essence, prolonging her life another fifty years or so, and your body dies. It's up to you."

"I don't know what to do."

"Don't wait too long, or I will choose for you. And you may not like my choice."

Alara's breath was coming hard and fast. Die, or have the only person in the world she cared for die in her place.

"I'm waiting, and running out of patience."

"Okay! Take her! I'll be yours."

"Very well."

As Alara watched, some thing, some indefinable thing seemed to rise up from Old Mother's body. She convulsed, and breathed her last breath.

"It is done. I will return you to your bed so your body can rest while it adjusts to your new powers. Until we meet again, Halfrek. Goodbye."

"Wait! What did you call me?"

"I called you Halfrek."

"No. My name is Alara."

"That is your mortal name. Your demon name is now Halfrek."

"What – what does it mean?"

"Mean? It's a name, that's all. In fact it's my eighth wife's name, or is it the ninth? No matter."

"It's an – odd name."

"Quite the contrary. As far a demon names go, it's quite pretty. So, are you ready to go back now, Halfrek?"

"Yes, I am ready."

"Very well. Oh, and one other thing. Tomorrow morning, after you have discovered your powers, you will find that being a mere Amazon queen pales in comparison, and you will have no further interest."

"Amazon . . . ? How did you know?"

"Did you really think I was ignorant of your actual intentions? That I could not see into your soul?"

"Then why make me a Vengeance Demon?"

"Because I see potential in you. Your heart is not a particular warm one. It will serve me well."

T B C