Chapter 11: Afterlife

The castle now lays in ruins.

As the sun rises over the mountains in the distance, two men have far more pressing concerns on their minds.

"Tell me", asks the one with white hair. "Just what is the dark lord?"

The man who refers to himself as Genya carefully addresses him. "What Celia told you wasn't necessarily wrong. The dark lord is the entity opposite to god."

Soma turns to face him. "Then that means there will always be a need for a dark lord. All because I ducked out from becoming the next in line!"

"Don't misconstrue me. Perhaps there is a need for the dark lord. But there is no reason at all for you to become the dark lord."

"But if it weren't for me, none of this would have happened!"

Genya shakes his head. "You're neither a god nor a demon. You're only human. You have no chance at ever achieving perfection." He gives Soma an accusing look. "Or are you saying you want to be the dark lord?"

Soma is taken aback. "No... of course not..."

"Then stay true to that. Look." The pair, who under different circumstances could have been called father and son, turn to the distance to watch the approach of their traveling companions. "There are people waiting for you. Don't break their hearts."

Soma nods and leaves his mentor to greet the new arrivals.

Genya gazes into the sky. The souls, most of which had previously been held within the walls of the castle or by the man who wished to rule it, continue to float through the air. In the distance Soma, who appears surprised to see that his good friend Mina has come looking for him, is unaware of the souls that are leaving his own body as well. The power of dominance is dormant again. He no longer needs to possess them.

And among the souls, a single one, seemingly more organized than the others, moves about in an effort to collect them all and return them to the underworld where they belong. That would be Death, Alucard thinks.

But not Thanatos. His soul is no longer present. It vanished at the same time as Dracula's essence.

"If the world needs a dark lord, it will emerge", he mumbles to himself. "Even if it's not you, Soma..."

The reaping soul has completed his task, and he prepares to leave.

"You certainly seem to have climbed the ranks rapidly", Alucard says without turning to face him. There is no trace of humor in his voice.

If Galamoth had been in a better mood, he might have asked how the dhampir was able to detect his presence without his having a body. But given recent events, he is more inclined to get directly to the point.

"Why?" he roars angrily. "Why do you still oppose us?"

Alucard's expression does not change. Nor does he respond.

"You were right! I knew you were right the moment you told me back then! The war needed to stop! And it stopped! The humans won! Your father is gone! You got your wish!"

Alucard slowly turns to face the soul.

"No humans have died by our hands since that day! All we seek to do is rebuild! Why must you intrude and continue to destroy us?"

Alucard takes a single breath. "Don't think that I haven't noticed. You seek to revive the dark lord."

"Why should this surprise you? We lost our leader! We need a new one!"

"My father must not be allowed to return."

"We don't want him! Not after what he's become!"

Alucard raises an eyebrow. "What he's become?"

Galamoth smiles slightly. "He was better once. You should remember the way he was before your mother died. When he didn't wish for humanity to die. When he spared my life. When he brought you into th..."

Alucard shakes his head. "The man who brought me into this world arranged for his closest friend's wife to be kidnapped and killed. He then convinced his friend to seek vengeance and kill the vampire responsible, with intent to loot the vampire's remains. That way, he could become a vampire himself and seek revenge against those he felt were responsible for his wife's death. And his wife had died of illness."

Galamoth stares at him blankly for a few moments. Then he recovers. "Then we don't need him! There are other choices!"

"Such as the respectable man who backstabbed you less than an hour ago? You are fortunate that we were there to save you from your error."

"We will keep trying! There is a worthy candidate somewhere!"

"I highly doubt this."

Galamoth gestures at Alucard. "You could do it! You have the birthright! The demons would listen to you! You would be fair!"

Alucard sighs. "I should have never come to exist. I dream of the day that I will be able to sleep for eternity. But as long as I am here and I can help prevent this nonsense, I shall."

"Nonsense? Hell is in ruins! The demons are aimless! If we are to recover, we need the humans!"

"Have you considered that the humans do not need the demons?"

"How dare you?" If living mortals could perceive Galamoth's spirit form, they would notice that he has taken on a larger and more fearsome appearance. "We have always relied on the humans! Our raw materials, our literature, a large portion of our population..."

"Stolen, I imagine."

"It is a small price for the humans to pay!" Galamoth gazes off into the distance, his anger subsiding. "It doesn't even need to be this way! Demons and humans... we can work together! Share the land! Combine our resources! Make up for each other's shortcomings! It can work! We'll make it work! All we need is a chance to try it!"

Alucard appears to be lost in thought. Then he speaks again, shaking his head.

"You desire wealth, power, and land, and you are willing to exploit the humans for it. Why should they agree?"

Galamoth pauses. "They can share our power! As long as we are there to aid them, they will have no reason to fear!"

"They will fear the demons. You know this. And if their sole refuge is evil, then it is a refuge we must refuse."

"Evil? The demons aren't..."

"They fight, steal, and destroy. They seek power for themselves at any price. No amount of civility will change this."

"We do what we have to do to survive. We won't apologize for it."

"And that is why you are demons."

Galamoth's anger reaches a boiling point again. "And what about your humans, then? Do you think they are above such things?"

Alucard shakes his head. "Some humans behave the same way. But there remain those that are kind and helpful."

"Yes! I know there are! So what about the kind and helpful demons?"

Alucard pauses briefly. "You mean the angels?"

"The what?"

"What you describe, we call angels."

"And just what are those supposed to be?"

"You don't kn..."

And it is at that moment that Alucard realizes that a single assumption, one that he didn't know existed until now, has driven the entire conversation. And now that he knows, the meaning of the demon's words have completely changed in his mind.

The demon doesn't know. He really doesn't. He has spent over five centuries in hell. He has never set foot on the surface, except in circumstances involving his father's castle or his new position, which he could not have had for more than a couple of years now. And before that... it was like he had never existed...

He doesn't know what an angel is. He has never seen heaven. If they have literature in hell like he says, there will not be any holy books there. He hasn't even spent any time with the kind of humans that would end up in such a place. As far as he is concerned, hell is the only afterlife that exists in the world.

Demons and humans. Two sides of the coin that was Dracula's war. And he cannot see the third side.

As evil as demons are, some are better than others. And coming from his limited viewpoint, those at the top would start to look like they fit the definition of "good". Good enough to be respected. Good enough to lead. Good enough to put your faith in them.

And this demon, if he gets his wish, will guide the other demons down a road of good intentions, and then wonder why they keep returning to the place from where they started...

Perhaps he should have never been a demon in the first place...

Then again, he is certainly not worthy of being an angel...

But if he had been given a chance, and obviously a different body, he just might have been capable of being a human...

Alucard's attention focuses again. Galamoth, still fuming, looks like he is about to abandon the argument and return to hell.

He remembers the original question. "Angels?"

"That's what you said!"

Alucard chooses his words carefully. "They are... like demons. But they are found in another land. One you have never visited. They are more... considerate of others. They do not steal or harm others. They do not need to."

Galamoth digests this. "So they're... what demons should be?"

"Some think so."

"They sound like fiction."

"Sometimes myth becomes reality. You know that."

"Have you ever met one?"

"Not yet", Alucard says. "I wish we could."

Galamoth raises his voice again. "They don't sound very good to me. If they were, then why would they refuse to help me?"

A brief silence.

Alucard believes he understands the question. Why have they not been there to set a good example for this demon?

Galamoth's meaning is different. If they are "good demons", why can't they assist their brethren in their time of need?

And deeper still, a more sinister meaning. If they are similar to demons, they should have also been affected by his control device back when he first arrived. Why did they not join Galamoth's army to aid the invasion effort so long ago?

As luck would have it, Alucard's response answers all three questions accurately. "Because they can't."

"What?"

"There is no "light lord". They do not have a portal. They cannot come here."

Galamoth is incredulous. "So they have to live by themselves and never interact with the humans."

"I believe so."

"What kind of life is that?"

"It's not a life. It's an afterlife. Just like hell. The difference is that one is good and one is evil."

Galamoth pauses. "Not always."

"What do you mean?"

"Not everyone in hell is dead or evil. Some of us are recruits."

Alucard blinks. "Recruits? When did this start? How many were recruited?"

"A good number of witches. Some of the animals. Myself."

Alucard stares at him. He doesn't know this, either?

"You were alive when we first met?"

"Absolutely."

"You died. And then you were sent to hell."

Galamoth sputters. "What? No! Dracula asked me directly! Thanatos was with him! They said..."

You are not a living creature. None of us are. You most certainly possessed life before you started your war against us, but this is no longer true.

"...they killed me." He stares at the ground with a hopeless look in his eyes. All thoughts of abandoning his post and returning to his planet have been dashed.

Alucard shakes his head slowly. "In truth... I did."

There is complete silence for a while.

Galamoth sighs. "You must think I am nothing more than a fool."

Alucard thinks about the statement briefly. What constitutes a fool? This demon is certainly not stupid. If he has an intelligence flaw, it is that he was never exposed to all the facts. Otherwise, he is educated, he is practical, he seems to have everyone's best interests in mind...

...and, in his current dejected state, he is fit to be molded. If I handle this properly, Alucard thinks, our problems could be solved for the moment. "I wouldn't say that."

"Don't patronize me."

Using a levitation ability that he has not practiced in many years, Alucard floats directly in front of Galamoth's eyes. "Patronize you? Pay attention! My father actually put his trust in you! Death allowed you to inherit his duty! And despite all logic to the contrary, I have been standing outside a castle's ruins, long after all my allies have left, holding a civil conversation with a demon who has tried to kill me on no fewer than two occasions! If anything, I would conclude that everyone believes you could amount to something!"

He returns to the ground again. "And I know this, despite the fact that I do not know your name or from where you originated."

Galamoth watches him land, and then kneels down to get a better view of the half-vampire. "If you must know, my name is Ga..."

"I will call you Death."

Galamoth promptly stands up again defiantly. "I am not..."

"You are. Because you are unable to be anyone else at the moment. You did not know if you were alive or dead. You cannot decide if you want to be a demon or angel. You cannot tell if I am your ally or your enemy. And when you return to hell, you do not know if you intend to aid the other demons or abandon them.

"Yet, no matter what else happens, I know that you are returning to hell. And I know this because you have collected a number of souls, and they need to go there, and at no point in this discussion have you failed to guard them closely. There is no mistaking it. You must be Death."

"I am only replacing him. I am not him. Death should not be a demon who doesn't even understand how the afterlife works."

Alucard looks up at him again. "Did you know that I have never visited hell?"

"That seems odd for you."

"Not at all. I have never died. But despite my handicap, I know what I would expect Death to do. He would reap souls and deliver them to hell. You already do that.

"I'm not as certain that he would wage war. I've read a few books, and War is a different horseman from Death. He also wouldn't wander the world in a mortal body, although I have heard about some exceptions. Would he use a scythe in battle against a living person? The scythe is designed to cut and reap, so I would expect it to go unused until the end of one's life. And certainly, I would not expect him to take orders from a mortal. If Death did that, some humans could become immortal, and that seems to defeat the purpose."

Galamoth glares at him. "Do not speak ill of Thanatos."

"He stole from me once. He took my material possessions. What would Death want with those? The humans have a saying, that you can't take it with you when you die. I find that behavior very confusing. And yet I am even more confused by the question of why Death, knowing that, would ever think of pledging his allegiance to a material object, such as a stone."

Alucard doesn't give Galamoth enough time to respond to these arguments. He has too much momentum now.

"I asked you a question. Answer it now. Did you know that I have never visited hell?"

Galamoth blinks in confusion. "No, I did not."

"Are you certain?"

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I would assume that Death must be aware of what souls exist in his domain."

Galamoth hesitates. "I am. But it only proves that I have been granted the ability to be Death. It does not mean that I am qualified."

"What other qualification is there?"

"Proper leadership ability. A plan for the future. Whatever skills are necessary to designate and serve a dark lord."

Alucard's face becomes more serious than usual. "Death was wrong to put his trust in Dracula. You know this. But you have yet to learn that Death would be wrong to put his trust in anyone.

"As far as I am concerned, Death should be the dark lord."

Galamoth's eyes widen. "That's treachery! Death has no right!"

"He oversees hell. He collects and observes the souls that go there. These are the activities of someone who is in command."

"But Dracula..."

Alucard actually looks angry now. "My father was the one who claimed that the dark lord has additional duties. He claimed that demons had a right to interact with humans. He claimed that hell needed leaders. And by doing so, he managed to gloss over the fact that Death was his slave."

He was, Galamoth remembers. That's why he had to be stopped. And also why he allowed it to happen.

"This is what you think I should do?"

"I will not tell you what you should do. I told you what Death should do. You may fill in the rest as you desire. But know that the humans have their own goals. If your actions infringe on them, I will once again be forced to oppose you."

With this said, he turns to leave. Before he can, Galamoth interrupts.

"Without humans... how can we possibly thrive?"

Alucard turns again. "Remember the angels. They do not interfere with humans and they are limited to their own devices, yet they are happy."

Galamoth looks depressed. "The demons won't agree. They have grown accustomed, like I have. They aren't willing to make the sacrifices. They will be miserable, and they may fight back."

"Then it is fortunate for you that demons don't die."

Galamoth winces visibly at this. "So that is your demand. You want me to tell the demons to give up. That there will be no portal. They will have to spend the rest of eternity as they are now. Hell will become stagnant."

"It will not be stagnant as long as it has souls, and the means to obtain them."

"This is all part of your plan, is it? Forcing the demons to suffer so that the humans can thrive?"

Alucard glares at him. "I thought you were smarter than that. Have you actually watched the fighting between the demons and the humans? Did you see how violent it was?"

"I will not dispute this. The war was fruitless. Many died for no good reason."

"Many humans died for no good reason. For the same reason, many demons were merely defeated and forced back to their home."

Galamoth cannot think of a response to this.

"Without food, humans starve. Without air, they suffocate. If someone harms their body, they must heal. Demons can endure great suffering. Humans cannot."

It is true that some demons retain an interest in such activities. However, these are merely luxuries. You will find that you have very few actual needs and that your desires are frequently unfulfilled. You must endure nonetheless.

And Galamoth realizes that he has spent over five centuries in hell and has almost never left the premises. He has been happy and miserable and angry and calm and proud and modest and well-liked and disliked and he has frequently stood up for what he believes in, despite the consequences. And he still exists. And it is becoming apparent that he will continue to exist no matter what he does...

Galamoth sighs. "This doesn't sound like the plan of a leader."

Alucard nods. "Hell needs no leader. An overseer will suffice. Someone to make sure that the underworld functions."

And, with an uncharacteristic amount of friendliness in his voice, he adds, "The way you speak about the demons, it sounds as though you have been overseeing hell for centuries. Why should you stop now?"

This is definitely part of Alucard's plan, Galamoth thinks. He doesn't want there to be a dark lord, and he is trying to trick me into agreeing with him. But at the same time, I cannot fault his logic, and I have never known him to lie.

...he lied about who he was when we first met. But I have done it far more often...

"What if I fail?"

His own thoughts answer his question before Alucard can. Hell has nothing left to lose.

Except Death. And if he is lost, even the humans will suffer.

Alucard turns away again and heads into the distance. "You will succeed eventually. I know you will. You have an eternity to do so."

If Galamoth had been paying attention to the earlier conversation, he might have noticed that Alucard addressed Soma with the same tone of voice.

A stack of pages rest upon the floor of the room that once belonged to Thanatos. In those pages are the written words of Galamoth, explaining who he was, how he came to be here, and the events that led him to this point.

With a single fireball from his hand, they are instantly incinerated.

It no longer matters. None of it does. Galamoth died centuries ago. The demon who thought he was Galamoth has done nothing but aid the demons in ways that they do not need or deserve. The demon who wanted to replace Thanatos now knows that Thanatos is not, under any circumstances, worth replacing. All that is left is a demon and his duty to collect souls. And he knows that he cannot abandon this duty under any circumstances.

Alucard made it clear enough. The demons are not wanted by the humans. The only way for the populations to avoid war is to remain apart. There must be no dark lord. The demons must remain in hell, where they belong. That is why hell exists; to contain those who have been deemed demons.

The other aspects are counterproductive. Dracula's influence should be removed from the underworld. The hierarchy must be disbanded. The forges must be closed, and their goods destroyed. The library... it will be set ablaze. Such a waste.

All that will be left is hell, and the souls in it. Souls that, by the world's standards, don't deserve to be treated well. He merely has to collect them and bring them here. And he should do a very good job of it, for it is the sole remaining purpose of his existence.

It doesn't matter who he was. All that matters is what he is now. Even Rebecca had told him that.

...Rebecca?

Galamoth has the mental image of a young "female" witch, her blue hair covering her eyes, sitting alone on the stark stone ground in an empty room. Whenever she looks up, all she can see is the icy-cold blood of at least a dozen innocent villagers on her hands. And so she sits, and waits, and suffers, for eternity.

Suddenly, above her stands a tall reptilian demon, gazing down upon her. And she looks up and tells him that she didn't mean to kill them, and that she wishes she hadn't, and she returns to her sulking.

And the demon looks at her, and tells her that it is too late for her, and she must pay the price for her actions. And he begins to walk away, not even taking the time to notice if his footfalls are far enough away from her...

"Absolutely not!"

Galamoth can perceive the souls that populate the rooms around him coming to a sudden halt.

He immediately starts hating himself for even considering these actions.

He did not come by this position by being the most powerful demon in the underworld, even if he considers himself one of the most likely candidates for that honor. Thanatos chose him because he had the interest of the demons in mind. He had been entrusted with their well-being. No matter how improperly Thanatos had handled his position, that should not change.

Dracula believed that all humans deserved to die. Judging by human history, there were plenty of actions that would have warranted such a punishment for at least a large portion of them. But things would have turned out very differently if his son had simply agreed with him.

Why should he treat the demons as if they are nothing but cruel, selfish beasts who should be kept away from humans at all costs?

Just because they are?

It would be no different than if he had been judged as a threat to the planet and subsequently eliminated simply because he had tried to conquer it.

Adrian knows what the demons are. But he doesn't know the demons. He has never visited hell. He learned what he knows through his father's actions, and Dracula showed everyone what demons should not be.

The course is obvious, he thinks. Reap the souls and bring them here. And then watch over them. Let them live as they wish. Support them. Help them if necessary. Give them a reason to believe that they could be something more than what they were when they died. Who knows? Some of them may actually believe it.

Hell is a far more livable place when the demons have no reason to believe that they are prisoners. Even if they can't leave.

His faith may be misplaced. But what if it is? What could he or the other demons lose? It's not as though they can die.

The demon he has summoned to his room is slightly taller than a human, with large grey wings branching from its back. A glowing halo hovers above its head.

It had been practicing its archery when he arrived. For its sake, he had specifically waited until after it made its shot to make his presence known.

Galamoth stares at the archer with impassive eyes. "Tell me about yourself."

The archer starts talking. "I am often called the Amalaric sniper. I..."

Galamoth interrupts him. "I have heard about it. The young king of the Visigoths was shot by an arrow and killed as he retreated from the armies of Childebert. You are the one who took the shot?"

The archer nods.

Galamoth looks at him more carefully. "Why?"

"He used religious reasons as an excuse to be cruel to his wife. As she was the victim and a Catholic, we took pity on her. When I saw him about to escape his rightful punishment, I... took matters into my own hands."

"We, you said. You were an angel?"

The archer nods again. "I'm confused. I thought my appearance made it obvious."

Galamoth does not react. "I admit to being less than informed about the nature of heaven. What would you say it was like?"

"It was... plain to look at. It's a lot like here, except a lot brighter. Cooler and less dry, too. And there aren't any walls."

"And what are the angels like? Do they all look like you?"

"Some of them, I suppose. Most opt for the wings. It makes it easier to move around. The former humans look like they usually do. Then you've got the ones with the multiple arms and such, and the creatures. They... it's hard to describe. Think of the guys around here and imagine them brighter, I guess."

"I see. Who handles the souls up there? I know I have nothing to do with it."

"I don't know. I came into existence there, so I never saw. If I had to guess, I'd say it was Seraphiel."

At this point, Galamoth thinks, I don't need to know. "Then who is responsible for the fact that you currently reside here?"

"All of them, I guess. It was too quick. The angels were angry. Some of the seraphim showed up. They told me what I did was inexcusable, and I no longer belonged there. And then I was here."

"You were sent here directly? Angel to demon, like that?"

"Yeah. They call us 'fallen angels'. It's unfair! They claim to be just and all, and then they won't let us deliver any justice! If you ask me, I could..."

Galamoth doesn't pay attention to the rant. He is too busy thinking about Rebecca again. She couldn't have died. Demons don't die. And yet he cannot find her...

The evidence is there. It is compelling. Even better, if his theory is correct, it will prove that his approach to his position is sound.

"If I may ask", he says, interrupting the fallen angel between sentences, "have you ever heard of a risen demon?"

There exists a room without doors or windows, or any other openings that lead to the rest of the world.

It was the room of a demon known as Thanatos. Everyone called him Death, even after he had abandoned the position.

The demon who currently fills his position no longer uses the room. It is empty, save for a pair of books that had been left carelessly on the floor, and the ashes that are all that remains of a third book that could have joined them.

Instead, this demon uses a room that had been built for him and the other demon that he once called his possession. It is not nearly as impressive, but it has two significant advantages.

First, its ceiling is higher than the ceilings of the other rooms. He likes this, not only because he likes to stand tall, but also because it reminds him of a time when the demons listened to his requests.

And second, it has a hallway that leads to the rest of hell, and it is open to the demons who exist there. This way, he can listen to their requests as well.

The End