Chapter 10: Sole Desire
"He's moving!"
Galamoth opened his eyes slowly. As the world around him came into focus, he realized that he had eyes to open, and that he had heard a voice. He was no longer a soul. As he started to find joy in the fact that he had been released from his unfortunate fate, he looked around to get his bearings.
He was back in the middle of the main room of the underworld. Demons had crowded around him, but he noticed that there were far fewer of them than before.
He remembered that he could speak. "Where is everyone?"
"They went with Death to the castle", answered a demon that resembled a small walking suit of armor.
"How many?"
"Most of them. All of the lords. They took the other captives there, too."
Galamoth remembered the circumstances before Soma had showed up. "I was a captive, then?"
"Death said it was the price you would pay for opposing his master. And then he..." The armor hesitated.
He wasn't the only one. The demons around Galamoth were looking far more uneasy than usual.
"What? Did something happen?" Galamoth demanded.
A witch spoke up. "I think... you should look at your chamber."
Without pausing further, Galamoth stood, made sure he knew which direction he was facing, and headed directly back to his room. The demons followed at a more cautious pace. If Galamoth had to guess, he would have said that they wanted to be present when he saw what they were talking about, but also wanted to stay far enough away to run. This was a very bad sign.
The imp appears to be confused. "But if you don't trust these humans enough to agree to a pact, why did you trust them enough to get summoned?"
Galamoth points down at the circle. "A circle lasts as long as a caster maintains it. A pact is in effect for the entirety of a demon's existence."
"So you're only wasting a century instead of wasting eternity."
"Exactly." When you are a demon, Galamoth notes, a century is a lengthy but acceptable amount of time to accept the consequences of your actions.
The imp thinks for a moment. "What if the circle's caster becomes immortal?"
Galamoth hesitates. "She has discussed her candidates before, and she has never once referred to herself as one of them. She has also described her goal as creating "evil" to strengthen the power of "good". While she desires to live in a world with a dark lord, she may not actually seek his favor or blessing."
"Leaving you here doesn't sound very good to me."
"I was hoping to actually meet with her and discuss the situation." He notes that the man from before is reentering the room from its sole doorway. "I did not come here without a backup plan. Perhaps now is the time to use it."
The man gets to the point immediately. "Dario is gone."
Galamoth's eyes widen. "The remaining candidate is dead?"
"No. He fled the premises. It seems that the demise of his demon may have cost him his natural advantage."
The reptile winces. "So Agni..."
"Soma claimed his soul. Celia believes that, due to our lack of candidates, now may be the time to convince him to become the dark lord again."
Galamoth's expression becomes worried. "Won't that result in Dracula's return?"
The man shrugs. "It's certainly a possibility. It is hard to say if Soma truly is the dark lord reborn..."
The demon shakes his head. "I don't like this. Let me out. We need to find another solution."
The man eyes the demon warily. Then he turns and leaves without an additional word, not even one about forming a pact.
"If Dracula comes back," Galamoth grumbles to himself, "I should just save time and throw myself into the lava pits."
The imp winces in sympathy.
It was as bad as he had feared.
The chamber was a mess. Many of the objects he kept were strewn over the rocky floor. And in the middle lay the unconscious body of
For the love of everything in hell or on the surface, no.
"REBECCA!"
Galamoth rushed to her side with all the grace of a distraught oversized demon and picked up her body. She didn't move. Her body was cold, and not in the manner that was expected from an ice witch. While there was no evidence of blood, the wound she had suffered was obvious. A large sickle was sticking out of her chest.
If the demons had ever wanted to see a thirty-foot lizard cry, this was their chance.
"You can't be dead! We can't die! How did this happen? I can't let you leave me like this!"
"We couldn't stop him."
Despite the fact that his eyes were full of tears, he turned to face the demons who were still at the door.
"After he punished you and the others, we tried to stick up for you. We tried to tell him that you didn't deserve it. He didn't stop! He seemed to have gone completely insane! He just kept saying that the job wasn't done! He grabbed Frozen Half and took her to your room. When we caught up, we saw him plunge the thing into her, he vanished, everything was like this... it was terrible!"
"I heard him say..." one of the witches started mumbling "...he said she didn't belong with you..."
Galamoth tried to pull the sickle out, but it refused to budge. He tried pushing on it, and it proceeded to sink deeper into her flesh. He stopped immediately.
"WHY? WHY WOULD HE DO THIS? Why didn't he just punish her? Everyone else went to the castle!"
A werecreature spoke up. "There was... something else. Some kind of message, we think. He may have written it."
Galamoth looked at him, anger not yet subsided. "What message?"
"I don't know. None of us can make any sense of it."
"You have to understand", the imp tells Galamoth, "that humans are afraid of what demons can do. Letting one go free without any kind of safeguard could result in..."
"That's not the point!" Galamoth responds in frustration. "They have a whole army of demons running free! You can leave the castle if you want! They might unsummon you for doing so, but you have the option! So why am I stuck here? I'm the one who's been wanting to help them the whole time!"
"You are a bit more imposing than the rest of us..."
"They didn't even know what I looked like at first! They made the circle the wrong size! I think they just found my name somewhere and summoned me!"
The imp looks at him. "It is possible."
Galamoth doesn't respond. He stares into space, eyes widened, with a genuine look of fear on his face.
The facts have been right in front of him the whole time, and he has never noticed them. He has been played for a fool, and quite successfully. And now that he knows, he knows he is in trouble. Two possibilities come to mind. He hopes it is the more rational one. That one, he can explain easily.
For someone with knowledge of summoning demons, the process doesn't appear to be too difficult. All it takes is some careful circle design, magical ability, and the name of the demon that you wish to summon.
Galamoth is not well known among the humans. Still, other demons have been to the surface, including Rebecca, and they may have mentioned him. There are several logical ways to figure out that there is a demon named Galamoth that may be worth bringing to the surface.
But those circumstances aren't sufficient. Galamoth isn't his real name.
After a brief search of the room, Galamoth was able to find the message the werecreature had mentioned. It was a piece of paper with writing on it that had been left amid the broken objects. He had almost expected it to be written in blood, but it appeared to be simple ink scratchings with unwieldy handwriting in a written language that was decidedly not English.
/ If you read this my plan has failed. It is the backup plan you do not understand. He sought end of demon life. You seek death as well. Finish the job. /
"What was that?"
Galamoth turned to face the demons, who stared at him with a blank look on their faces. "This is... his ultimatum. His backup plan was revenge. He wanted... he either wanted us to die or to kill... or for me to kill her..."
"You were speaking in tongues. I didn't understand a word you said."
Galamoth looked back at the message reflexively. While the grammar was terrible, he had no problem making out the words.
...because the words were written in his language.
The one used back home. On his planet.
He had even been called "you do not understand"...
Galamoth pounded the floor with his fist, not caring if it led to any structural damage. Thanatos had known the truth the whole time!
After a few seconds, he looked up at the demons again. By now, many of the demons had cleared out, since he clearly had plenty of reason to be in a terrible mood. He didn't blame them. "Thanatos has gone too far!" he roared. "Where is he?"
Collective confusion. "He hasn't come back yet."
Galamoth's eyes widened. "What? The battle at the castle is over! I was present at the final conflict! He should have returned!"
The armor spoke up. "You were the only one to come back."
"This doesn't make any sense! Where are the lords?"
"They didn't come back, either."
"Then who's in charge around here?"
The demons paused, then turned to confer to each other. After a bit of discussion, one of them stepped forward to speak.
"As none of the lords are present, the hierarchy is useless to us at the moment. Under Death's orders, in a case of emergency such as this, a title of lordship should be granted temporarily to the demon of highest rank who remains present and fit to serve."
A long pause.
"...and that would be you."
Galamoth sits on the circle, staring down at the inscriptions that had brought him there.
It has been there the whole time. Yes, the circle reads "Galamoth" elsewhere, most likely for practical purposes, but the key is there. His name, written along one of the sides, in his race's own script. Among the other runes, it almost blends in perfectly.
The imp looks on in confusion. "Is there something wrong with the circle?"
Galamoth doesn't look up. "No. It's perfectly right."
How much do these humans know? And what about the demons? Is this why he is in captivity? Do they intend to exploit him? Question him? And how did they find out in the first place? Did another ship arrive on the surface? Maybe they were the ones pulling the strings, after finding out about his failure...
...why is he thinking like this? None of them have treated him like anything more than an important demon. They haven't spent their time staring at him. He already knows why he's in captivity: they want a pact. They aren't getting one, but that is not the point. There is a more practical reason for what is going on, and he intends to prove...
"She's here!"
Galamoth looks up at the imp, and then past him. Celia enters the room confidently. She looks like she may have been in a scuffle or two, but she appears uninjured.
As she walks up to the side of the summoning circle, she shakes her head in disbelief. "I will never understand why you stand so adamantly against pacts. Must you distrust us so much, Galamoth?"
Galamoth glares at her. "You say that, and yet you do not trust me enough to let me aid you on my own terms, even in a time of need."
Celia's expression remains calm. "We are both capable of betrayal. But I strongly suspect that you are capable of far more damage than us."
"You suspect that I am dangerous." He eyes her with curiosity. "I agree with your assessment, but I must ask nonetheless. Just how much do you think you know about me?"
Celia takes a step away from the circle, reciting an incantation under her breath as she keeps her eyes fixed upon Galamoth. Then, without any change in expression, she immolates the imp. In a high-pitched shriek, it is reduced to ash.
The demons insisted that Galamoth should hold a meeting to discuss the current troubles that had befallen them. He still wasn't sure what had happened in his absence, so he felt it was probably the best way to figure out the chain of events.
He took a seat in the main room, facing the other demons, and began. "I do not know why Thanatos has abandoned us, but I am certain that he has done so. Considering the lack of other representatives, I have no choice but to assume temporary leadership until the problem can be identified and resolved."
The demons responded in a positive manner. Galamoth sighed to himself. It felt awkward having the others specifically think of him as their leader, rather than as a role model. Only time would tell whether or not he would be able to fill the role to their satisfaction.
"The first point of order should be to find the other lords. I suggest that we send a scout team to Dracula's castle, wherever it is. If the war is still occurring, we need to aid in its conclusion. If it is over, then perhaps..."
A demon in the back interrupted him. "My lord?"
Galamoth looked through the crowd, trying to spot the speaker. "Yes?"
"We have no portal."
"What?"
"After Death summoned the others, the portal closed. It has not opened since."
"How did you manage the war effort, then?"
"We didn't. We were cut off completely. We still are."
Galamoth paused for a moment to consider what this meant. "So we can't find the others. We can't get materials. We can't contact the humans. We don't even have the means to tell if the war is still going on. Anything else I should know?"
Another demon, this time closer to the front, spoke. "We have not been receiving any souls, either."
"What?" Galamoth's voice was unsteady now. "He hasn't even been reaping?"
"We told you. We haven't seen him since he left."
He looked at the group incredulously. "Wait. Does that mean that... nothing can die?"
A pause. Then several responses at once.
"I don't know." "It is entirely possible." "Death never explained it to us."
Galamoth took a deep breath. "Let me make sure that I understand the situation. We are the only demons that remain here. No one can leave. No one can enter. No one can die. We will soon run out of materials, and then we will have nothing left but ourselves. The underworld will remain stagnant and meaningless for the remainder of existence."
None of the demons said anything. There was truth in his words, and it was a truth that they would rather not admit. Then one demon spoke up.
"Unless Death comes back... yes."
Galamoth continued. "And yet, somehow, I managed to come back. I was the only one to do so. Thanatos must have arranged for this... knowing I'd be the highest ranked one here... so I could see this... see Rebecca... and lead... utter... desolation... uselessly... forever..."
He couldn't hold his emotions back any longer.
"AAAARRRRRRRGH!"
Complete silence. Most of the demons started backing away from him again. He didn't pay any attention to them, being lost in his own words.
"What is... I can't... This is impossible! Not only has he abandoned us, but he has abandoned us in a hopeless manner!"
"Lord Galamoth..."
"He wanted me to witness this! He wanted me to suffer! That's the only possible explanation why he would set up our entire civilization to collapse and throw me in the middle of it!"
"Are you okay, Lord Ga..."
"I AM NOT A LORD! I have never been fit to be a lord, and he knew it!"
"We don't think..."
"And I can't believe that he's willing to make you all suffer as part of his personal revenge! This is worse than Dracula's war! He has doomed his own people! Deliberately! What kind of leader does that? I'm glad he's gone! I hope he never returns! If that bastard ever shows his skull here again, I WILL DESTROY HIM MYSELF!"
He was close to losing it. He knew this. No demon in his right mind would have ever suggested killing Thanatos, under any circumstances.
Realization dawned.
He really could, couldn't he? Thanatos had fought in almost every war back in the day. And he had lost every time. To humans. Even his ability to control souls was insufficient to defeat the ones who threatened his master.
Galamoth had always been taken by surprise. What if he had challenged Thanatos on his own terms? He could have overpowered him. He had the superior magical ability. Thanatos showed more weapon finesse, but what was that worth against a brawler?
If he had shown any initiative, he could have conquered the entirety of hell centuries ago! The other demons were pushovers compared to him! Their only strength was in numbers! And even the humans had always succeeded against them!
Adrian was a sticking point. He had been defeated by the dhampir twice. But now that he thought about it, he realized that Adrian was the only one who had ever defeated him alone in a fair fight. He had even defeated his father on multiple occasions, correct? And if the son was stronger than the father... there was no longer any reason to believe that Galamoth wasn't!
He had gained the trust of the demons. They had a portal available during every previous war. All he would have had to do was overpower them and use it! He could have gone to Dracula's castle and beaten down the dark lord himself! Why bother protesting Dracula's approach to the war when he could have stopped it by force? Adrian had done the same thing! So had Hector! Why hadn't he?
A girl's voice could be heard. "I miss the Frozen Half."
Galamoth temporarily abandoned his dreams of grandeur to find that he was no longer surrounded by the demons. They had all moved across the room, and were staring at him with looks of utter terror. And one of them, a young witch, was on the verge of tears.
"He listened to her. She calmed him down. She kept us safe from him."
And there was the answer. For centuries, the demons had been feeding his ego. They had convinced him that they liked him, and he had liked them in turn. Rebecca herself was instrumental in this plan. Any time he had come close to the point of standing up for himself, she had stopped him.
It was so obvious now. The demons could not defeat him. They knew it. Yet they had managed to win the conflict, simply by convincing him not to fight them.
They had turned him into a wimp!
The ashes of the former imp settle on the floor of the castle.
Galamoth glares at Celia. "What was that for?"
Celia shrugs. "Demons don't die. You'll see him again later, I'm sure. Right now, I want you to watch carefully."
His eyes turn to the ashes. From within, he can see a glow. As he watches, the spiritual form of the imp rises, looking at Galamoth with a look of surprise on his face.
Galamoth is unsurprised. Ever since Soma Cruz had claimed him a year ago, he has learned far more about souls than he had ever expected to know. And there is the soul of the imp before him. It beckons to him. He knows what he wants to do.
He looks at Celia. She is watching him intently. As she notices his gaze on her, her mouth turns upward in a smile. He wonders why.
And then the imp's soul starts to be attracted by an outside force. It tries to fly away, but the wings are now metaphysical and useless for travel. Instead, it is pulled quickly in the direction of the entrance, where it is absorbed by the man who has been standing there for the last few seconds.
Dmitrii walks into the room. "Hello again."
Galamoth gapes at Celia. "I thought he died!"
Dmitrii gives him a half-smile. "For a long time, so did I."
Celia's smile is brighter than previously known possible. "What you have just observed in action is the power of dominance. Before this day, I had only seen this power wielded by two individuals: Dracula and Soma."
She gives Galamoth a curtsy. "King of hell, I present to you your new dark lord."
Galamoth lay on his back in the library, eyes closed, body quivering rapidly from tension. Four iron golems had accompanied him to the room, and they were currently weighting his arms and legs to the floor. It was the same thing they had done on his first day in hell. But this time, he had ordered the action himself. It was all he could do to keep himself from snapping and attacking everyone else in hell right then and there.
Demons can't die? He had heard that repeatedly since he had arrived. But if that was the case, then why was Rebecca dead in his room? He was not about to take that risk. In fact, he had specifically avoided being confined to that room, because the sight of her probably would have sent him over the edge before the iron golems could even finish their preparations.
Besides, he remembered the fleaman. Some fates could be worse than death.
How could the demons have done this to him? For over five centuries, they had been constantly weakening his resolve to lead, keeping him confined in the underworld, and refusing to let him take any action in the war, whether for or against Dracula. Even the one time they had let him fight, they pitted him against the one person who had been proven to defeat him in the past!
And now they had given him a leadership position, right at the moment when it no longer mattered! And now they were expecting him to solve problems that he was no longer equipped to handle, but could have prevented centuries ago if they had given him a chance!
Worst of all, he was now being confronted by several demons who felt it was somehow their duty to convince him that he was wrong about them.
"Most of the others are still gathered by the passageway."
"What are they doing?"
"Waiting. They're worried about him. They want to know that everything is okay."
"It's not okay", Galamoth growled as calmly as he could manage given the circumstances. "They should get back to their own business."
One demon, who had taken up a sitting position on Galamoth's chest, sighed. "You said it yourself. They no longer have any business. Not unless Death comes back."
"He's not coming back", Galamoth said. "Not unless he decides that I've suffered enough."
"There has to be more to it than that", one demon said. "He wouldn't do this just to hurt one demon. If he wanted you to suffer, he'd just throw you into the other half, right?"
Galamoth sighed. "Go ahead. Tell me about the other half. You mentioned it before."
The demon became uneasy. "Well... Death gathers human souls, right? Well, most of them get thrown in there to get tortured."
"For what purpose?"
"I'm not sure. The popular opinion is that they're evil and they deserve it."
Galamoth gave a short sarcastic laugh, which made the demon on his chest jump slightly. "They should be happy, then. They're not being brought here any more. It must be better to sit around doing nothing for eternity than to be tortured." He sighed. "I know from experience."
"Please stop talking like that."
"Why should I? None of you know what it's like! To be trapped in hell, unable to leave..."
"We're in that situation right now. We've been in it repeatedly for centuries."
"But not while everyone else could leave!"
A loud, ponderous voice came from near one of his limbs. One of the iron golems, most likely. "It was Dracula's decision. Thanatos agreed."
Galamoth shook his head. "As if Thanatos ever disagreed with him!"
"So we're in agreement!", a demon shouted. "Death screwed you over! There's not much we can do about that!"
"Can't find it", a voice said from the bookshelves. "There's no book called Thanatos here."
"Damn!" Galamoth cursed. He had been hoping, at the very least, to figure out something about Thanatos that would explain his recent behavior. Something other than the Crimson Stone, anyway. That bit of information only managed to redirect the blame...
But the book was gone.
"Too bad", said one of the demons. "We really need him back."
Another demon raised its voice. "No! We don't! We don't need anyone who would do this to us! We need a new leader! A better leader!"
A quiet voice. "...we need Galamoth."
Galamoth grumbled loudly. They were trying it again...
"Excuse me?" This voice had a rattle in its jaw. It must have been a skeleton. "You mean this Galamoth? The one we're forcibly restraining? I have trouble believing he's better than Thanatos right about now."
The quiet demon didn't back down. "He once told me... the war could have ended, and everyone could have been happy, if Dracula could have just forgiven the humans for killing his wife. He said that to Death, too. If we needed Dracula, we needed the Dracula that existed before Lisa died."
Galamoth felt a hand touching the side of his shoulder. "And now we need the Galamoth that existed before the Frozen Half died. Please give him back to us."
Galamoth remained silent for a long time. He was thinking just like Dracula, wasn't he? None of these demons killed her. None of them had the motive to bring hell to its ruin. Thanatos... probably. His anger should be reserved for him, if anyone. And yet...
Galamoth opened his eyes. "I will try to be civil." Then, after a pause, he closed them again. "It will not be enough. I can still do nothing." He sighed. "We needed Thanatos. Even when he was not fit to lead... he was still able to keep things running."
A demon on his right sighed to herself. "You'd think there'd be more demons down here who can claim souls."
"There are", another demon responded. "But it's no good if you can't reach the surface."
Galamoth grimaced. "I cannot do this. Find another demon to take over in my stead. I am unfit to lead."
The demon on his chest readjusted his weight. "What? Do you think we are? What makes you think you are less appropriate than us?"
Galamoth sighed in exasperation. "You simply do not understand. I've been here too long... everything you have done... I'm no longer strong enough to command you. A leader needs to be powerful, confident, knowledgeable, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed... everyone here changed me... you made sure I am no longer capable of these things. I have become a servant, not a leader. I need someone to serve. Unless you choose such a person, I am..."
The demon on his chest stood up. "That does it! I have had enough of this!" He raised his arm to the sky and produced a large spear. As the other demons stared in shock, he raised it above his head and brought it down, sticking directly into Galamoth's chest.
Galamoth crosses his arms. "I am not the king of hell."
Celia stares at him in a look somewhere between confusion and disbelief. "We were told that you were. Do you not lead the demons?"
"We lost our leader. I only fill the position due to necessity."
"Then we are not in error. We did not summon the wrong demon. You are the one in charge. You are the one who must come with us."
Galamoth looks at her angrily. "I am still not forming a pact."
Dmitrii sighs. "I really don't think he..."
"I know", Celia responds. "We'll have to do things his way." And with a quick yet complicated gesture, the summoning circle is removed.
In an instant, Galamoth's arm lashes out, seizes her, and holds her tightly in front of his face. "You know, human, I had considerably less reason to kill you before you started treating me like your prisoner."
Celia can only stare in shock at him. Dmitrii's voice finds itself. "We need her for the ritual. Don't do anything stupid."
Galamoth continues to look at Celia, not facing him. "If you do as I say, she may escape with her life." He tightens his grip slightly to punctuate his threat. "You have been claiming the souls of the demons. Explain."
Dmitrii shrugs. "It's the power of domin..."
"I know about your power of dominance! Tell me what this means for them! These demons were summoned to aid you! They are not merely sacrifices for your personal gain! We seek a dark lord to lead us, not to exploit us!"
Dmitrii looks at him for a moment, and then shrugs again and holds out his hand. As he unfolds his fingers, the imp's soul is once again perching on it. He looks frightened, but unharmed.
"I can release them whenever I desire. If you do not wish for them to be eternal slaves, that can be arranged."
"Dracula's power is chaotic but strong", Celia adds weakly. "He needs to be equally powerful to overcome it until it recognizes him as its new master. We need the souls until then. Once he is truly the dark lord, we can return your minions to you."
Galamoth looks at her warily, and then nods. "Dracula's power. Where is it?"
"We were about to take you to it."
He tightens his grip one more time. "And what about your source?"
She winces in pain, then speaks again. "My source?"
"Someone told you who I am! Someone said I led the demons! Someone knew my true name, a name I have never spoken or written in my entire existence as a demon! I demand to be informed of your contact's identity!"
She sighs and looked away. Dmitrii's expression is suspiciously blank.
"He's here, isn't he?" He does a small gesture with his free hand, which causes his finger to catch fire. He brings Celia closer to his face and slowly moves the finger toward her neck. "Death has been helping you the entire time, hasn't he? Bring me to him!"
She can do nothing but sweat nervously.
"You'll meet him along the way", Dmitrii says calmly. "This way, if you will."
The human turns and casually walks out of the room. Without releasing his grip on the woman, Galamoth follows him, passing through the walls whenever the human-sized doorways prove to be an obstacle.
Galamoth opened his eyes in anger at the demon who had just stabbed him. The iron golems redoubled their efforts to keep him from moving.
"How dare you!"
The demon pulled the spear out, lifted it up again, and plunged it into a different spot. "How's this for you? Look at me! I'm challenging your authority!" He kept striking at different spots. "I'm swinging as hard as I possibly can! I'm not holding back! Can you feel my violent rage? At all? Even a nick? I think you may actually be bleeding if I look closely!"
Galamoth started shaking again. He was either being threatened or mocked, and he couldn't quite figure out which. Either way, this demon was testing his patience.
The demon ended his assault by lifting his spear and throwing it directly at Galamoth's head. It struck the forward-pointing horn and bounced off ineffectually.
"There! I've done my worst! Now I demand my punishment!"
Galamoth took the bait easily. Unfortunately, the iron golem continued to hold his arm down.
"I mean it! Release him! All of you! I refuse to allow my actions to go without repercussions!"
The iron golems didn't let go. Galamoth glared at them. "Do it."
"What are you doing?" one of the demons yelled. "He'll slaughter you!"
"He probably will!" the formerly spear-wielding demon said. "I deserve it! I tried my hardest to hurt him! Any other outcome would be unacceptable!"
"But you'll..."
"No! I won't! We can't die! Yet he can still hurt me a lot! Burn me to a crisp, pound me into the floor or any one of the walls, rip me to shreds... he could devour me whole! If he wanted to, I think he could even destroy the walls and bring this whole place crashing down on us! And look at him! My attacks barely scratched him! What was I thinking, trying to take him on?"
"Will you stop that?"
"And yet he has the nerve to claim that he is weak?"
Galamoth finally managed to get the iron golems to release him. He seized the demon with one hand, and...
"This is why I am weak!" Galamoth growled. "Because I am not willing to try to kill you! And when I am willing, it is at a time when I am too irrational to lead!"
"Good!" the demon shouted in response. "No one wants to follow a leader who desires to kill his own people!"
Without a word, Galamoth tossed him to the ground. "This is stupid."
"What if I had been a major threat? What if I had been striking the demons down around you? What if my spear ripped through your chest and you had to struggle to move? Would you have fought any harder?"
Galamoth glared at him. "Yes! I would! Demons like that deserve my wrath! I don't have to be a slave to my weakness then!"
"What weakness? You intend to deliver punishment to those that threaten you and others, and you do not intend to do so to the innocent and powerless? I don't know about you, but that sounds like an ideal leader!"
Galamoth grew more impatient. With a quick motion, his hand pinned the demon to the ground. "Who do you think you are to tell me what
Draghignazzo. Italian for "big dragon". Demon of hell, first officially described in "The Divine Comedy" by Dante Aligheri. Depicted as punishing those who sold public office by throwing them into tar. Currently stationed in the underworld, training in flying spear-based combat and
"Stop that! Why is this happening?"
"My lord?"
"Why do I know your name and literary history?"
"And look! You even know who you're talking to! You didn't think you could spend so much time reading books and not actually learn things, did you?"
"What's wrong with Galamoth?"
"He's going through a tough time. It sounds like Death wanted to make him suffer."
"But what about us?"
Galamoth looked around himself warily. No one else in the room was talking.
"Is he going to kill us?"
"He gets angry, but I don't think he'd go that far."
"But he's scary. He could easily trample us!"
"Daddy, are we going to be okay?"
"I don't know, honey."
"Where's Mommy?"
"Thanatos, where are you? The battle's been over for days now."
Galamoth collapsed on his hands and knees. His head was starting to throb in pain.
"Do you think Galamoth can lead us?"
"After seeing him today, I don't know."
"My cough... it's gone... I feel a lot better now..."
"What is happening to me?"
The pain became too much. Galamoth collapsed flat on his face. Draghignazzo was able to move out of the way in time.
"We're demons. We're not supposed to die. Are we?"
"I wish the Frozen Half was here."
"Galamoth. This is my fault. Learn from my mistake."
"I can't feel my legs."
"What's wrong?"
"Nice going, Draggy. You just made him snap."
"I didn't mean to hurt her... why did she..."
"I wish the portal was open."
"You were on the right track. Find the book. It is there."
Galamoth paused. What was that?
"Death, what have you done?"
"I can't believe he shot me!"
"Can we help him?"
"Will we ever see the sun again?"
"Please get us home. The solar eclipse is gone."
"You must relax. You cannot allow yourself to be overwhelmed."
"It wasn't supposed to end this way!"
"If Galamoth can't lead, who's next in line?"
"Does it matter anymore?"
"His backup plan... what did he mean?"
"You once said the same thing to Rebecca, correct?"
And Galamoth took a deep breath, and relaxed, and all was silent.
The room Dmitrii and Galamoth have entered has what looks like a field of pure chaos energy on the ground.
Dmitrii turns to Galamoth. "She needs to remove the barrier. Release her."
Galamoth shakes his head. "She can unsummon me. She can cast a spell on..."
"Yes, I can", she says weakly. "You can also crush me in your hand. Or stomp on him. But I won't, and you shouldn't. Because we both know we want to finish this, and we still need to help each other."
Galamoth sighs and sets her on the ground. "I don't like this."
She smiles as she starts casting an incantation. "You know, I've dealt with far less sociable demons than you."
He looks at her suspiciously. "If you felt that way, why didn't you release me immediately upon summoning?"
She thinks for a moment. "We..."
"Galamoth", says Dmitrii. "Are you familiar with the phrase that the end justifies the means?"
The demon nods. Celia winces and starts whispering to him. "Dmitrii, don't..."
"It's better that we tell him."
"We want him to continue to help us."
"If we can convince him to accept this, that won't be a risk."
Galamoth crosses his arms. "I can hear every word that you are saying."
Dmitrii steps forward. "Look, it's simple. You know how this plan requires the souls of demons?" Galamoth nods. "We wished to make sure that you didn't get in the way when we were killing some of them ourselves."
Before Galamoth can get angry, Celia joins in. "It was necessary. You'll get them back later. They didn't suffer. Soma killed all the major demons. We needed minor demons to counterbalance him."
Galamoth is only partially placated. "The demons will not look back on this fondly. They may seek revenge."
Dmitrii ponders for a moment. "Is it more appropriate to apologize, or to say that the dark lord does not need to apologize to his minions?"
Rather than answer that, Galamoth moves on to the next question. "When did this happen? I've watched your actions so far, and I've never seen you turn on any of the demons."
Celia shrugs. "Isn't it obvious? We wanted you to be in the summoning circle before we started."
And when he awoke, Galamoth found himself surrounded by the demons again.
Only, this time, there was something odd about them. Something... otherworldly. Even the former humans had this effect. They glowed faintly, and they would occasionally move in ways that should not be physically possible.
The others were still in the main room. Even at this distance, he could recognize all of them. And hear what they were saying.
And then he realized that there were more elsewhere. Far above him, in the sky, approximately where a solar eclipse would have taken place several days ago, there was a massive crowd of demons. He knew most of them. All of the lords were there. And they were... waiting.
And there were others waiting all over the surface. Waiting for what, they did not know...
"What for?" Galamoth asks.
Celia looks at him with a smug look on her face. "You didn't think we knew? It's easier to claim them when you can't interfere."
Thanatos had said something about his book. The demons had looked for it, but failed to find it. Galamoth could not blame them.
After all, it was currently in his room. The one Malphas told him about. No hallways led there, he had said. He had to wonder how he could construct a room like that.
It didn't matter. Galamoth headed into the room and picked up the book immediately. And underneath, he found more paper with writing on it.
Thanatos's handwriting.
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Galamoth exclaims. "I saw the portals earlier! You were trying to summon Death! Yet you had him already?"
Dmitrii shakes his head. "Death never responded to our summon. We had to get all of our information from Thanatos."
And there, on the pages, was a detailed account of the entire backup plan. Galamoth had figured out most of it by this time, but it was good to know that his theories had been confirmed.
Death knew the war was a bad idea. He saw what it was doing to the demons. And despite all this, he could not stop it from happening.
The war was Dracula's idea. And Thanatos therefore had to obey him. He couldn't resist the Crimson Stone. He was a slave to his pact.
And the war of 1999 came and went, and Thanatos realized that his pact would not be fulfilled, even after Dracula had died. His essence still existed, and Thanatos found himself drawn to and driven by the chaotic power. Being a slave to chaos caused him to slowly become insane.
With no other choice, he decided to sacrifice himself. He had to obey Dracula. But no one said that hell had to obey him. Thus, he did the only thing he could do to keep the underworld from collapsing entirely.
He surrendered his position to a successor.
Celia smiles and finishes. "And Thanatos told us that Death was more likely to respond to the name of Galamoth."
Accompanied by a number of the demons, Galamoth slowly strode into the room that was his own. It was still in the same shape that Thanatos had left it in.
He picked up the note again and reread it. / He sought end of demon life. You seek death as well. Finish the job. /
Thanatos would have thought that, wouldn't he? After the invasion, and his attempt to force all of the souls that he called demons to obey him, why wouldn't Thanatos think that Galamoth's ultimate goal was to usurp his position?
He sought Death.
And over the past five hundred years, he had not only prevented Galamoth from taking the position by force, but he had slowly molded him into the kind of demon that would deserve the position in the first place...
Without a word, Galamoth grabbed the sickle that continued to stick out of Rebecca's chest, and pushed it in deeper. And, in a single motion, he pulled it in a manner that caused it to slice through the entirety of Rebecca's body. As it traveled along her length, her body seemed to be drawn into the blade itself. Finally the sickle reached the end of its trip, leaving no remnants of her form to be seen.
He lifted the weapon to take a closer look at it. No blood. She had been reaped. Just as Thanatos had planned.
One of the demons finally said something. "What does this mean for us?"
Galamoth turned to face them. "I do not know. We will discuss it later. For now, I must bring the others home."
And he vanished, only to appear at the former site of the castle, where the other demon souls remained. He looked at the sickle in his hand, and it took the form of several other implements. In the end, he settled for a sword, one that resembled the one he had used against Adrian on the day he first tried to take the souls for his own.
Claiming the demon souls was easy. All it took was one swing. They had even clustered for him to save time.
Upon his instantaneous return to hell, he released them all. Hell was finally filled with demons again, and the lords were back.
Two were not. Thanatos was not among the souls he had claimed. And he couldn't find Rebecca, either. Considering the range of his ability to sense them, he could only conclude that this meant he would never see them again. They were gone. Forever.
Demons can't die, he thought. And yet they had.
And now Thanatos floats in front of him again.
The past year has not been good for him. His manner is no longer refined, his scythe looks to be a more mundane design, and he is lacking a great deal of power that he had possessed before. Galamoth wonders momentarily where the power came from. It was not innate to Thanatos; at least, no more innate than it currently is to him. It's almost as if someone else wanted a demon to claim the souls of humanity.
"You are doing well", Thanatos manages.
He doesn't have to ask Thanatos how he knew he was an alien. First of all, he doesn't feel the need for anyone else to know. Second, he already knows. Somehow, he is capable of remembering the life history of every demon in hell, even those he has never read, and Thanatos would have had the same knowledge.
Very well, he thinks. Ask him something I don't know.
"Why? Why did you force me to kill Rebecca?" Galamoth responds with considerably more force.
"You read the note..."
"It made no sense! 'He sought end of demon life'? She never lifted a finger against any of them!"
"He should have never become a demon."
"How dare you?" Galamoth exclaims. "She was a better demon than most!"
"He was unfit for the task. You, too, came close..."
Galamoth's eyes widen.
Galamoth eventually realized that he was expected to reap the humans as well.
This experience was new for him. Despite the stories that Rebecca and the witches had told him, and the multitudes of books on the subject, he had never actually visited any human civilization that wasn't Dracula's castle.
The rolling hills of the 15th century still existed, but there were now more human dwellings upon them now. Taller ones, too, containing far more humans. He had not expected this complication. How would he manage to reap the souls with any haste?
He looked at his weapon of choice, which he had decided to make into a scepter in honor of his memory of Rebecca, and looked up at the buildings.
Death was capable of many things. He could levitate, although Galamoth had rarely tried that except in cases of retrieving demons. He could teleport and travel through surfaces, which was standard procedure for the duty. And he could take on many forms.
The soul of a man who had committed suicide in his 21st story apartment continued to stare at his deceased body, wondering if he had made the right decision. His family had cried, and the police would be along any minute, and he realized that he would no longer be bringing in the money necessary to support his loved ones. Odd, he thought. He thought that death would have been the end of his worries.
He turned to look out the window, only to see a giant glowing blue eye blocking his view. He screamed and fell to the floor in the manner of a soul who didn't realize that he no longer had an actual body.
As he watched, the eye slowly moved away to reveal that it belonged to a giant humanoid lizard of over 200 feet in height. The beast raised his scepter to the sky and swung it in a circle, at which point he could see hundreds of people like himself floating into the air to alight upon the staff. Including himself.
As the creature vanished instantly into the night, he started to wonder at what point Godzilla had become his savior.
That may not have been the best approach, Galamoth pondered as he returned to the depths of hell. He would need to develop his strategy.
As he considered what he was supposed to do to release all the souls, one of the demons who had been helpfully reciting Thanatos's standard operating procedure to him reminded him that he needed to deliver this batch to the other side. Galamoth thanked him and headed there.
...the place was grotesque. The area looked like a single room, with a massive ceiling and walls so far in the distance that he could not see them with normal sight. A pool of lava covered much of the floor, with multiple stone outcroppings and islands in sight. Demons were common here, but what caught Galamoth's eye was the sheer massive amount of humans in the area. And they were... suffering. Many were trapped in the lava. Others were attacked by demons. Others suffered less violent fates, but nothing there was anything that he would have enjoyed.
A giant red demon with wings approached him. And for the first time in his existence, Galamoth considered, the word "giant" was justified. He was twice Galamoth's height. An imp had once spoken of demons like this.
"So what are you in for?"
Galamoth shook his head. "I am not staying here. Thanatos assigned me to take over for him." He pointed to the scepter. "Where do these souls go?"
The demon pointed to himself, and then demonstrated.
Galamoth's eyes widened.
He resorts to his usual method to get the mental images out of his head. They all deserve it. They all deserve it...
No. Rebecca could not have gone there. While he has tried to ignore that area as much as possible, he is still aware of the souls that are present there. Rebecca was not one of them.
Celia and Dmitrii, who had tried to follow the conversation up until the point when they realized that the two reapers were incapable of settling on a single gender pronoun, proceed into the doorway that Thanatos has guarded. Galamoth follows them soon afterward, leaving all accusations unfinished.
"How did he get here?" Galamoth asks.
Celia ponders briefly. "We had to move Dracula's power to the castle in order to access it. He came with it. I think he may have a direct link."
A direct link, Galamoth thinks. So he is unable to detect the soul because it has nothing to do with him. Interesting to know.
They start traveling through an area that Celia calls the abyss. It vaguely resembles the darker half of hell, except with less lava and fewer suffering people. Galamoth feels the need to ask.
"I suppose this counts as an outpost of hell", Celia answers. "The demons here are all loyal to Dracula, just like Thanatos. We should not let on that the dark lord will not be him. They want him to return."
"Thanatos doesn't want Dracula to return", Galamoth mutters.
"He does", she replies. "He has made it clear enough times."
"No. He believes that Dracula must return. He seeks Dracula's return. But he doesn't want Dracula to return."
Dmitrii stares at Galamoth in confusion. "What?"
"He is no longer Death because he seeks Dracula's return and doesn't want it, because Dracula has pushed him around against his will and he has agreed with it."
"Is this some kind of demon humor?"
Galamoth finally fails to control his temper. "You keep asking me why I do not want to form a pact? There's your answer! He thought that a pact was a good idea! And so he spent the rest of his existence watching the underworld collapse around him because his master made irrational decisions and he had no choice but to obey them!"
"Poor thing", Celia says to herself.
Galamoth sighs. "Let's get this over with. No pacts. You make him into the dark lord, I'll help you, he gets the benefits of the position, we get our leader, you get whatever nonsense you were saying about true good, and we go our separate ways until we meet again. Agreed?"
"You know", Dmitrii says, "a pact is really nothing more than an agreement with a certain degree of obligation. Protesting pacts in general sounds like the words of someone who desires to not live up to their side."
Galamoth glares at him. "That is not my intent."
"It sounds more to me like you are unhappy with the terms."
Galamoth was bored.
When he had come to this planet, he sought to take control of it for his people. And now he had control of the underworld, and there was nothing he could do with it.
It was no longer hopeless. Souls arrived. Demons interacted. And the world moved on around them. But it was aimless. There was no hope for improvement or expansion or human interaction or anything that made it worthwhile to be a demon.
He had kept the hierarchy the way Thanatos created it, and even suggested that their decisions should take priority over his own. He was not very good at making command decisions or planning for the long term, and the lords had such experience in abundance. While he preferred to be informed, he trusted their consensus more than his own judgment.
Some humans had said that the people who want to rule should be kept from ruling at all costs. That certainly had been the case with him. And now that everyone was convinced that he could rule, he no longer wanted anything to do with it.
He went back to the library and pulled out a familiar book. "War of the Worlds". He then brought it back to the room that once belonged to Thanatos.
He never expected anything like this to happen when he arrived. He thought he would either succeed at conquering the planet, and be recognized as a hero by his people, or he would fail and he would never have to think about the consequences.
Even now, he started to feel alone in the world. Rebecca was not the perfect mate, but she had sufficed. And now he found himself wanting, and he...
It was at that moment when he felt the presence of something. Something he had not felt in a year, and something that terrified him.
Dracula's power. It was not gone forever, not even after Soma refused it. It still rested out there, begging for a master. And it had moved. Someone sought to use it. Dracula could be reborn...
...and if Dracula was reborn, Galamoth would be deprived of his position, quite possibly deprived of life, even more probably dumped into the other half, where the demons who were not considered useful spent their eternities suffering...
Galamoth started to panic.
...Thanatos had abandoned the position. Perhaps he had died. Perhaps not. But he had managed to avoid the trap of his existence by passing his duties on to another demon.
Maybe, just maybe, Galamoth could do the same. He could go home. The power of Death would allow him to arrive there safely, and then he could relinquish it. He could live a normal life again, and someone else could take over for him here.
Someone else? The method by which Thanatos had prepared Galamoth was torturous. There had to be another way.
Maybe this wasn't as bad as it seemed. Maybe it would work out. Maybe a Belmont would arrive just in time.
He looked at the two books in the room. "Thanatos". "War of the Worlds". Was he Death, or was he an alien? He would have to decide shortly.
At the very least, he needed to prepare. Thanatos succeeded in passing the torch because he had a backup plan. Galamoth needed to make one, and fast.
In the end, he settled for starting out the same way Thanatos did: by making sure that another demon would hear his life story, and would know why he was being selected for the task. He took a piece of paper and began to write.
'If you are reading these words, consider yourself fortunate...'
Eventually the three reach the room where the ritual is to take place. The bodies of humans are everywhere.
"Are these bodies or souls?" Dmitrii asks.
"Bodies, I think", Celia responds. "They're perfect for sacrificial purposes."
Galamoth does a quick check to see if he can claim any of them, and then nods in confirmation. "How will this ritual take place?"
"It is straightforward", Celia explains. "Dracula's power is strong here. I will make the preparations. At the time of sacrifice, the power will flow into one with the power of dominance. That will be Dmitrii here. Then he shall become the dark lord."
"What about Soma? Is he still alive?"
"It is just as well if he interferes. Certainly, Dmitrii will have more claim to the title if the leading candidate is eliminated."
"And what is my task?"
Dmitrii has a slightly guilty sound in his voice. "It's one pact. We really do need it. I'll even negotiate the terms if you like."
Galamoth sighs in annoyance. "What is it that you need?"
"I need your power."
"What?"
"We've figured out the details", Celia interjects. "Dario and Agni did the same thing. The two remained separate entities, but their spirits were tied and their powers were combined. Dario was able to defeat the Belmont this way."
"The dark lord simply cannot exist without Death's blessing", Dmitrii adds. "And this way, I will also have enough innate power to keep Dracula's essence from overwhelming me."
"So what are the terms?"
"Simple. She will cast an enchantment to bind our spirits together. The bind will be broken upon the death of either of us, or approximately... thirty minutes after my inception as the dark lord. That should be enough time for my body to ensure that it will not be overwhelmed upon your release."
Celia nods. "I can do this."
Galamoth has expected something like this. But the way the two describe it... it may not be so bad after all. It certainly sounded worthwhile if it was a mandatory step on the road to creating the new dark lord.
...did Thanatos feel the same way? Did he fall to the same trick? He can't shake the thought.
...then he remembers something else. "A Belmont was here?"
"Soma did not come alone", Celia answers. "There is also a Belmont, a Belnades, and..."
"Stop."
The three turn toward to the entrance to see a dark-haired man standing before them. All three recognize him immediately.
"Genya!" shouts Celia.
"Alucard..." notes Dmitrii.
"Adrian!" roars Galamoth.
"I will not allow this to continue", Genya says, drawing his sword. "You will not succeed in your plan."
Galamoth immediately rushes forward to stand in Genya's way. "What are you doing here? Why are you interfering?"
"Start the enchantment", Dmitrii hisses to Celia. She nods and begins the spell.
Genya shakes his head. "I thought you had realized that the war was over. Why do you persist?"
Galamoth kneels down to address him directly. "It is necessary for the other demons to have a leader. Without one, all that awaits them is obsolescence."
"Then the suffering will continue. You leave me no choice."
"Agree to the pact!" Celia hisses in his direction.
Galamoth stands, nods, steps away from his opponent, and turns to face the other two. "I ag..."
Without hesitation, Genya releases a trio of fireballs from his suit jacket, aimed in the direction of Celia. Just before they reach her, Galamoth takes a step to the right and blocks them with his body. He roars in pain, and they leave notable burn marks, but he remains standing. "I agree."
And the pact is formed. Dmitrii now stands before the disguised dhampir, magical aura bolstered through the presence of souls. Above him, the spirit of Galamoth lingers, with the dark aura of death inherent in his existence.
"No..." Genya says to himself.
Galamoth cannot describe the feeling. It is like he has taken the form of a six-foot human, yet continues to bear the strength of a thirty-foot demon. He can feel many souls within him; the souls of many of his compatriots in hell. He has carried a number of them within the past year, but this is the first time that he feels like he can actually control them and draw from their power.
And, as the battle rages on, he realizes something even more significant: between his natural strength, Dmitrii's souls, and the innate power of Death, he is actually winning against Adrian. And once he realizes that Dmitrii had taken the souls of several Rycudas, noble birds known for their mastery of lightning, his opponent no longer stands a chance.
Genya collapses on the ground of bodies, barely maintaining consciousness. Dmitrii moves in for the finishing blow.
"Don't."
Dmitrii sighs. "He is a threat to us. We must finish him."
"I will not allow it", Galamoth says. "At least, not yet. He does not wish to see his father reborn. We should complete the ritual, so that he can see that our intent is different. If he knows that his father will never again declare war on humanity, it will give him closure. Then it will be his decision whether he chooses to die or relent."
"You pity him", Celia says.
"Dracula's existence has been difficult for everyone. His family is no exception."
"Alucard may have a point", Dmitrii considers. "The dark lord is no mere human. I will be tempted to unleash demons, enslave humans, and cause destruction. I may even relish it."
Galamoth nods. "Many demons have felt the same way. I do not personally agree, but I acknowledge it. My belief is that, no matter what actions take place between demons and humans, the important thing is that they take place."
"So, the war..."
"The war sought to end humanity in general. This is the point the dark lord should never reach. As long as humans survive and thrive, and the demons do the same thing, all is well."
"But", Dmitrii says, "perhaps we do not need to create more demons at all."
"What do you mean?" Galamoth asks in an almost offended tone.
"A demon is essentially a soul that has traveled to hell, correct? What if the souls no longer go there? The souls could remain a part of the surface population without ever involving the afterlife!"
"That is bizarre, but possible", Celia says.
"How would you go about doing this?" Galamoth wonders.
"Pure simplicity. We have everything we need already. The sole requirement is to have a dark lord who is also Death."
Galamoth gapes. He has just realized what is going on. The pact has left him in a spirit form with a direct bind to Dmitrii's body. The bind is slowly being pulled in, causing his soul to be slowly absorbed by Dmitrii's body.
"Stop! I refuse to allow this!"
"So sorry, my dear demon, but I'm afraid I can make more use out of you this way."
"Your plan is foolish! Death is needed!"
"We are merely changing the need! You sought to bring souls to hell. I seek to bring them to me! I think they may agree that I'm the better destination!"
"This was not part of the pact! I will be released!"
"Foolish demon. I possess the power of dominance. It trumps all pacts. Ever since it was first created by the Crimson Stone. And I don't think you have any precedent to argue." Dmitrii pauses as he allows the last bits of Galamoth's essence to be absorbed by his body, "Thanatos's opinion never mattered when Mathias claimed the stone!"
And at that moment, Galamoth ceases to exist.
...no...
...must resist... power of dominance...
...I have the power of Death... I can overpower him...
He starts to regain partial consciousness.
...Soma Cruz is here...
...Celia is on a cross...
...calamitous demon...
He continues to resist.
He starts to black out.
...what does "calamitous" mean...
...Dmitrii's scream...
...darkness...