Disclaimer: It's the WBs, not mine.
AN: Leave me a review please!.
Chapter 2: Awakening
Xaphan, Vassago, and Melchom waited impatiently for about an hour. Right after the spell to age the demon inside the cage was finished, he immediately went back into the coma-like state he was in before. Xaphan had expected this, however, for his magic was gaining strength, so he needed to be physically sound when he awoke. Every fifteen minutes or so the demon in the cage would grow and age a few years; going from baby to toddler, from toddler to child, from child to teen, and finally from teen to manhood. It would only take another couple of minutes for the spell to be completely done. Watching as the demon slowly opened his eyes, Xaphan rushed to the door and unfastened it. The cage door released with a ominous wail, as what little left over magic escaped.
"Hello, my lord." Xaphan said while looking down at the ground. He bowed lightly, noticing the others were doing the same. He didn't know how the demon would react so he wanted to play it safe; for all he knew, the demon would vanquish him right on the spot.
A deep, echoic voice replied, "Who are you? Who am I for that matter?" The demon said, having no memories whats-so-ever, but knowing how to speak. That was the power of magic, after all.
Vassago bowed in front of the taller demon. Vassago, being close to six and a half feet was by no means short, but the demon towered over him by a good couple of inches. "We are your loyal followers, my lord. You will become the new Source, and rule over all the Underworld."
"Rule over the Underworld?" The demon asked in a rather curious tone. He stepped out of the cage, and entered the shadows of the cavern.
Melchom was the one to answer his question. This moment was crucial; it was when they would solidfy their spots next to the new Source. "Yes, my lord. We will unite all demons under you. Good shall fall, and evil will conquer all."
"Again I ask," He asked, almost in a bored tone. It was as if the demon had no interest in what they were saying. "Who are you?"
Xaphan stepped up, hoping to placate any questions the Source had. "I am Xaphan, my lord. He is Vassago, and that is Melchom: We are your Triad." He gestured to his two comrades off to the side.
"My Triad?" The Source inquired, as the light from the torches danced around his blue skin.
Vassago was getting nervous, as the new Source was a curious one to say the least. He was afraid he might be a little too curious. "My Lord, let us take you to the Source's Lair. There, we will answer your questions, as well as get you some clothes."
The three shimmered out, and the blue and black demon flamed out behind them. They arrived in a cave like structure, which had fire burning all around it. To the left, you could hear screaming that echoed through out the halls. "My lord this is the Source's Lair. This is where you will be coronated. Melchom, get him some clothes." Vassago ordered, guiding the Source to his throne. While the Source to be was getting dressed, he asked what they meant by 'his triad'.
"My Lord, the triad is an ancient covenant. Their powers are linked to the Source's himself. They are his council...his helpers. They carry out plans that are deemed unworthy for the Source to over see himself." Xaphan answered, flicking his hand out to light a torch that was placed on the far wall.
"And how long has the Triad been around?" The Source inquired, throwing a rob over his bulking demon body. Then, all the sudden, he shrunk a few inches and lost some muscle as he took his human form.
"For every Source, there has been a triad, my lord." Vassago said quickly. He hoped this new Source wouldn't destroy all of the customs that had been around the Underworld for eons; after all, if he were to do that, all of their had work would be in vain.
The Source-to-be had a smirk on his face. "Well, for freeing me, you shall be my Triad. But, I for one will deem nothing unworthy. Obviously since good is still around that means the Triad has failed in their responsibilities."
Xaphan visibly tensed when he heard this. His plan was based around using this demon, and molding him into being a servant to Xaphan and the others. He hadn't expected this, and would have to fix it somehow. "Well my lord, we will do whatever you may ask us. We are not incompetent as the others were."
"Maybe so, that has yet to be seen. Who is the Underworld's number one threat? Who should I go after first?" The Source said, taking a seat on his large, stone throne. It was, literally, the seat of power that all demons strived to take as their own. It wasn't only a metaphorical throne, but a physical one, as well.
"The Charmed ones, my liege." Melchom replied in a scared voice. The power of the Charmed Ones was legendary. Demon after demon that faced them died a fiery death.
"The Charmed ones?" The Source barked, laughing at the stupid name. He wouldn't, however, take them lightly if only their name could incite so much fear in Melchom.
"Yes, my lord: The Charmed ones. They are a group of sisters that together have incredible power. That isn't to say individually they are not strong, just together they are almost unstoppable. They have vanquished your last two predecessors." Xaphan explained.
The Source-to-be stared at Xaphan, curiosity laced his features. "I will look into the 'Charmed ones'. When is my coronation?"
"Well, my lord." Vassago began, bitting his lip. "We are the last beings who know the ritual. We were there for the coronation of the Source before the last; which was over four hundred years ago. We have already notified the leaders of the factions that tried to bid for power. We can coronate you right now if you like?"
The Source frowned in confusion. "Why are you the only ones who can perform the ritual?"
Vassago decided to answer truthfully. There would be no dancing around the subject since he would, after all, find out the truth sooner or later. And that, to Vassago, would lead to a fate worse than death for Vassago and his allies. "Because, my lord, after the vanquishing of the last Source, the Council of Evil was destroyed in the process of coronating another Source."
"Well, you are to teach the ancient ways to others. If you should perish, that would force evil back by centuries, maybe even enough to destroy us. Now back to my coronation." The Source scowled, resting his chin in his left hand.
Xaphan nodded, answering, "Of course, my lord, well get to teaching others. Just let us call the leaders of the factions, then we can proceed." A few minutes later, the faction leaders were all gathered around an alter. The new Source was on bended knee; his hand placed firmly on the Grimoire. Xaphan stood chanting the ritual above him. "Rise, my lord." The Source obeyed, rising from his knees to his feet.
"To finish this ritual, blood must be spilled." Vassago said, taking out an athame from his red robe.
Grabbing the athame, the Source quickly pricked his finger, and let the blood drop onto the book. Xaphan spoke a few final words, and then the Source felt an incredible power enter his body. Sure, he was powerful before hand, but to feel the power of the Underworld was exhilarating. "All hail the new Source of all evil!" A demon shouted in the back of the cavern.
The Source then turned back to the book. Putting his hand down on it, he began to chant in a dead language. After a few moments, he gave the athame back to Vassago, who handed his two allies. The new Triad each pricked their fingers, and waited as the powerful connection to the Source came together. When their eyes burned with fire, then turned to pure black, the Source knew it was complete. "Tonight, we ushered in a new age for evil. If we stand united, good shall fall at our feet, evil will be prosperous. Our demon father's deaths will not be in vain!"
"We haven't had a demon attack in days." Piper acknowledged, while cooking at the stove. It had been exactly four days since the last demon stepped foot in the manor; unbeknownst to the sisters, that was the exact amount of days since the new Source took the throne.
Phoebe's eyes darted around the kitchen, ready for the attack she thought would come. "Piper, don't say that. You'll jinx us." She whispered to her older sister.
"Hey! What a beautiful day in the neighborhood." Paige chirped, orbing in.
Phoebe raised an eyebrow, wondering what was up with her sister. She had never seen this happy and content before. "What's up with Mrs. Rogers here?" She said, looking towards Piper.
Piper rolled her eyes, as she took a sip from her cup. "She got her job back as a Social Worker."
"Good for you, Hunny." Phoebe replied smiling, as she rushed past her. "But I got to go, Elise wants me in the office today." Saying her good-byes, Phoebe jogged out of the manor, and jumped into her car. Speeding, Phoebe flew around the streets of San Fransico, hoping to get to work on time for once.
The Source sat on his throne with his head in his hands, losing himself in thought and weariness. He had begun researching the powers of the Charmed ones for the past couple of days by word of the mouth. Flaming from Demon tribe to demon tribe, prying information out of them was quite tiring; he even had to kill some demons to get them to speak. It turns out that there was truly only one individually powerful witch in the group; the oldest sister, Piper, the one with the ability to stop time, would be a threat. This Source had no beliefs of his own superiority to anyone. Sure, he had more power than most, but if he messed up he could be vanquished just like everyone else. A voice from the side startled the great demon out of his thinking.
"My liege, Cudlen requests a meeting." Vassago said from the doorway.
The Source looked up, and nodded. "Let him in." He said, straightening himself in the throne.
Cudlen walked in, and bowed in front of the throne. After a few moments he got back up and began to speak. His voice was confident and loud, clearly showing his superior status compared to other demons. "My lord, I have come to pledge my services to you."
The Source grunted, smirking slightly. "I trust I will have your loyalty like the former Source did? I will have the devotion your brother Ludlow showed the Source?"
Cudlen nodded, looking the Source straight in the eyes. "Of course, my lord."
"Good." The Source replied, standing up off his throne. "Then to prove your loyalty I want you to send one of your men to attack the Charmed ones."
"The Charmed ones? They're far too weak to fight them, it would be suicide." Cudlen muttered in surprise.
A viscous smile appeared on the blue and black face of the Source. Of course, Cudlen couldn't see it through his hood, but the smile appeared non-the less. "Exactly. It'll prove your loyalty to me, Cudlen." He said coldly. Cudlen, no matter what he said, was a threat; he had an army of loyal demons to serve him. An uprising from them would spell doom for the Source.
Cudlen nodded, eyes burning in hidden anger. "Very well, my lord. Reidar will be sent." He responded, a hint of contempt in his voice. This new Source is pushing his luck, Cudlen thought to himself.
"Good, Cudlen. Your loyalty shall be honored when good is conquered." The Source said, finishing the conversation. There would be no room for arguing during his reign, especially from a demon who thought way too much of himself, as was Cudlen's case.
Cudlen bowed again, making his way towards the door.. "Thank you, my lord. I am forever in your service."
The Source nodded, and watched as Cudlen walked out of the room. Cudlen was forever in debt of the former Source, since the Source had created the Demon School for Ludlow and his brother to run. After Ludlow's death, Cudlen had taken over the school, and in turn, Ludlow's power. The former Source had made Cudlen a threat that had to be spied on due to Cudlen's loyalty forever being in that Source's favor. Deciding to find out more about Cudlen, he called in one of his advisors. "Melchom, come here." The Source called out , allowing his voice to echo off the cavern walls.
It took a few moments, but Melchom obediently came in. "You called for me, my lord?" A nervous Melchom asked.
"Yes," The Source barked, internally laughing at Melchom's nerves. He wouldn't tell Melchom this, but he would never vanquish him; after all, if it weren't for him, he'd still be in a cage. "Tell me where has Cudlen been since the last Source was vanquished?"
Melchom took a few minutes to gather his thoughts, until he said, "He has stayed in his brother's compound this whole time, my lord. He feared Warlock insurrection. We told him the coming of a new Source, so he bided his time until you arrived."
"So he is loyal to me?" The Source asked clearly confused. From what he had heard and read of Cudlen, he pigeonholed him to definitely be the former Source's man.
"No, my lord." Melchom replied, shaking his head. "He waits until he has the strength to dethrone you. Permission to speak openly with out repercussions, sir?" Intrigued, the Source grunted out a yes, then leant forward to hear better. "I would say kill him, my lord. But he, like his brother was, is well respected throughout the Underworld. If his death at your hands is heard of, demons will want revenge on you. However, getting his men killed is a different story, though."
The Source let out a laugh, liking Melchom more than the other two. "With out his men, he is less of a threat. Brilliant, Melchom, brilliant. Your loyalty knows no bounds."
Melchom shivered slightly. "I fear you, my lord. Your power is...amazing."
"Why you are loyal matters not, Melchom." The Source chided. "The fact is that you are loyal, and that's all I care about. That is all." The Source said, gesturing to the door.
The girls were sitting down to a nice lunch that rarely ever happened.. Wyatt was upstairs taking a nap, the sun was shinning, the birds were chirping, and evil wasn't attacking. To say it was a good day would be an understatement: no demons, no emergencies, nothing. Just a peaceful normal day that Piper had asked for all along. "Where's Leo, Piper?" Phoebe asked while digging into the gourmet meal.
Piper shrugged, taking her seat. "He hasn't come back since the Elders called him." True, she missed him, but she knew she would have to get used to not seeing him. After all, he was an Elder now; he had responsibilities.
Paige bit her lip, worrying a little. "Perhaps it's something important?" She said, hoping to calm her own nerves.
Phoebe looked over at her younger sister, raising a questioning brow. "Like what?"
"Like…Demon!" Paige yelled, jumping up from the table. Looking behind Piper, the sisters saw a disgusting creature. The Demon threw energy ball after energy ball, but Piper easily stopped them in midair. With a flick of her fingers, the demon blew up at Pipers hands.
"Well, I guess you were right. I really did jinx us." Piper said with a small smile.
They were interrupted when Leo orbed in, looking slightly disheveled. Leo staredat the sisters, fear and confusion lacing his features. "We have a problem."