My apologies for the wait, everyone. No, I haven't died. I just have been extremely busy. What was supposed to be a busy week turned into a busy month. I haven't forgotten, don't worry! One thing I pride myself on is that I always finish what I started, and this story is no exception. For those who are reading "Tearing Me Down", I'm hopefully going to have that updated soon, too. Right now though, this story takes top priority. I hope this chapter at least makes up for the wait a little. If not, I promise the next one will. ;)

Beastboy4pres: Sorry about not replying to your reviews. Thanks for all the feedback! I'm glad you really like this story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 26: The Demon's Den

"Mm, let's hurry this along shall we?" Calabos said as he watched his servants prepare Raven. They were busy slipping her into some crimson (in honor of her father) robe to be prepared. Her blue cloak was gone, but for some reason, maybe out of some respect he, allowed her to remain in her leotard. Any shred of it however was covered by the flowing garb that now adorned her.

"Perfect," he said as he examined her. "Pity, something so beautiful has to die. Had circumstance been different, Raven, you would have been my wife." He said this with a certain tone that made it unclear if he was joking or not.

"Are my servants gathered, Eutonos?" he asked the Templar, who was there with him.

"Yes, master," he answered with a grin. "Evad and Lekim are watching them now. The garrison from the north is still not here, but they will arrive soon."

"Excellent." He took a step closer and examined Raven. She was almost like a living zombie. Even though she was standing and breathing, her eyes had no trace of life or emotion. Her violet eyes had faded so much they were now practically a solid white, a testament of her spirit having been shut down.

Casually, Calabos traced an ethereal finger along her cheek. "Eutonos, why don't you take her down and get her ready. I shall be down shortly."

"Yes master," Eutonos replied with a bow. He motioned for two guards to grab her, and he led them out of the room.

"Worek, there's one thing I still don't understand," Robin said as they rode. "Trigon used Raven as a portal to try to take over our world. How is it Calabos's father never did the same thing to him?"

"Good question," Worek answered. "Nobody is really sure. Some believe Calabos' training among demons and his acquisition of the ultimate chakra stone allowed him to control his powers completely, thus cutting himself off from his father's influence. Others believe that when Arturus cursed him with no flesh and no powers, he became useless as a portal."

"So where is his father now? What happened to him?" Robin asked.

"Again, nobody is positive. Caldeon wasn't as powerful as Trigon, but he was all the more manipulative and cunning. Legend states that Trigon passed over this world because he did not wish to clash with Caldeon and his son, at least not at the time. Some say he hid when his son was defeated, others say instead he moved on to conquer new worlds. Nobody knows. If his son dies, the last link he has to this dimension will be gone. But like I said, nobody is sure."

"Well, that's comforting," he replied dryly.

It was not until almost sunset that their grueling journey came at last to an end. They found themselves at the top of a tall (and rather chilly) mountain, overlooking a deep riverbed. When they finally rounded a curve in the path, it at last came into view. Beast Boy's expression grew grim as he beheld the vast, dark edifice of Calabos's lair overlooking them. A solitary bridge linked their path up ahead to the castle's gates. The stream from which he escaped still flowed, and that would be where they would enter. Nevertheless, a look of triumph crept onto his face, knowing he had been the one to lead them there.

"So, where is it, Beast Boy?" Cyborg asked. Said changeling looked absolutely baffled.

"What?" he asked as spun around. "It's right there!" Cyborg and the others stared blankly ahead, as if they couldn't see the huge structure.

"Where?" Robin asked. "I don't see anything."

Beast Boy stared at them in amazement. "Are you blind? It's right there! Can't you see it?"

Everyone else shook their heads.

"Beast Boy, perhaps it is somewhere else?" Starfire suggested innocently. Meanwhile, Beast Boy groped his head in frustration. Something wasn't right.

"No, no. You guys, something strange is going on here. Are you sure none of you see it?"

"Beast Boy, I'm telling ya, I don't see anything but a mountain!" Cyborg replied.

"Maybe it's disguised," Jinx suggested sarcastically.

Beast Boy sighed and almost collapsed out of frustration. However, Jinx's comment gave him an idea. This place was full of magic, perhaps something of that kind was going on. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he had to try. He strode up to the only one it could possibly work on - Starfire.

"Starfire, I need your help," he asked earnestly. "Could you close your eyes?"

Starfire looked confused, but the pleading look in his eyes prompted her to comply.

"Do you trust me Starfire?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes," she replied unsurely.

"Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No."

"Would I lie to you?"

"Of course not!"

"So would you believe me if I told you it was there?"

"I…yes, Beast Boy," she answered confidently.

"Then open your eyes, and believe it's there," Beast Boy asked firmly.

Starfire did as she was told, and when she opened her eyes, she gasped. She saw a huge, dark castle jutting out of a mountain in the distance. A solitary bridge stretching over the river linked the pathway to the castle's gate, like something straight out of a children's fairytale.

"Friends, I see it! Beast Boy was right! It is there!" she said excitedly.

"What?" Cyborg asked in confusion. He pressed his hand against his forehead and shut his eyes.

"Wait! I see it, too!" one of the Zamoans shouted.

When Cyborg opened his eyes, he saw it, too. "Holy crap! He's right! There it is!" he exclaimed.

One by one, Calabos's lair was revealed until everyone beheld it in all its dark glory. When everyone saw it at last, Robin shook his head in amazement.

"Okay, that was weird. What just happened?"

"It's a spell! And a brilliant one, too!" Worek exclaimed. "Calabos must have placed a protective hiding spell over his lair! You can't see it unless you know it's there!"

"Clever," Beast Boy said.

"Definitely. We've been through here before, and it was right in front of us the whole time," Phanos lamented.

"So that's ugly's lair. Raven's being kept in that awful place?" Cyborg asked.

"I cannot bear the thought of Raven being trapped in there! We must get her out!" Starfire wept.

"So Beast Boy, where's this way in?" Robin asked.

"There's a drain this way. Follow me. Try to stay hidden."

Beast Boy led them through the pass toward the place where the River flowed out of the mountain. As they neared, they heard something sounding off in the distance.

"Get down!" he ordered. Everyone hid behind what little brush and trees lined the river. The team watched as a column of gnolls led by a darkly armored figured appeared on the path in the distance and marched toward the gate. They crossed over the bridge that led to the gate, where two rather huge monsters were waiting. They were broad and stocky, almost ape-like in build. However, their faces were entirely different, resembling something more like a cross between a wolf and an alligator. Their huge jaws hung open, revealing long, sharp teeth, and narrow, yellow eyes that stared blankly ahead. A shaggy main of fur stretched from their heads and down their hunched backs. Their broad, long arms hung down their sides and ended in huge claws. Overall, they were mostly white, with only their mains being a light shade of grey.

"What the heck are those?" Cyborg asked as the column of gnolls entered the castle.

"Trolls," Phanos answered. "Not very bright, but very ferocious."

"What about that thing leading them?"

"A death knight. Don't want to get in the path of those."

"Well, they're not gonna stop us getting through. Follow me," Beast Boy ordered. Once the coast was clear, everyone discreetly followed him up the river to the opening cavern. Getting there was a little complicated, since first they had to climb up the rocky bank without being seen. The entrance was a narrow squeeze, and they had to go in either one or two at a time, taking even more time. However, everyone managed to get in without being spotted. Once they were in, Beast Boy motioned for them to follow.

"This way," he commanded. They followed the narrow pathway by the river, with the path getting progressively darker as they went. It got so dark at one point that Phanos had to ignite a fireball to light the way. It wasn't long before they came to the heavy iron grate barring their way.

"Starfire, care to help us out?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire made short work of the obstacle, and they continued on.

"I see light ahead," Robin said as he spotted two pale orbs in the distance.

"We're close," Beast Boy replied.

"Here we are," Beast Boy said once they had reached the light. Before them was the staircase that led to the castle above. The light came from two solitary torches flanking the entrance. Everyone followed the changeling as they crept quietly up the stairwell. This time, a heavy wooden door barred their way. This time, Cyborg took care of the object to allow them passage.

"Man, somebody call a maid," the metal man remarked as they stepped into the demon's lair. The Titans and their friends were staring down a long, dark corridor that split into a "T" at the end.

"So where now, Beast Boy?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy sniffed the air as he tried to remember where to go. He just realized in this moment that he really had no idea of knowing if Raven was still in her former cell or not.

Even in human form, his sense of smell was better than a normal human's, and he sniffed the air to pick up Raven's scent. Even though he didn't have a clue where to go, he might as well start somewhere. Wait, he knew the way to Raven's cell, didn't he? That's it! He would find her cell and go from there.

It was then he realized that he was the leader here. Robin wasn't leading, he was following. The Templar, who were Calabos's real enemies, were following him too. This was all in his hands, now.

"This way," he pointed to lead them down the hallway.

Beast Boy was sure they would have run into resistance, but the entire time went by without them even seeing an enemy. It confused Robin so much he finally stopped and threw up his arms.

"We should not be in here this easily! This has to be a setup!"

"Yeah. Did ugly decide to take a vacation?" Cyborg added.

Beast Boy shrugged. To be honest, he was just as confused as they were.

Phanos's eyes widened "This is bad. If nobody's around, it could mean Calabos is already preparing for his ritual! He's too busy to even care!"

"Well, that's great," Robin huffed.

"Beast Boy, is it much farther?" Starfire asked. The changeling shook his head.

"We're almost there."

No less than two minutes later did they come to the familiar door. Nobody was guarding the outside, which made Beast Boy's stomach curl.

"Raven? Are you in there?" he asked as he rapped the door. "Raven?" Still no answer.

"I shall get it," Starfire said, and ripped the door open with sheer force.

Beast Boy was the first in, but his heart fell when he saw an empty bed and a cold fire. Raven was gone.

"Great," Jinx remarked when she saw the empty room.

"Do not lose hope, friend Jinx," Starfire said encouragingly.

"Hey, she just called you friend," Cyborg said playfully.

"Can it, tin can," Jinx shot back.

"Well, now what?" Robin asked Beast Boy.

"I can follow her scent from hear," Beast Boy assured him. "But we'll have to move."

"Hide!" Worek suddenly shouted. "Get in the room!"

Everyone piled in, and the blue templar quickly shut the door.

"What's wrong?" Cyborg asked, but was quickly shushed. In the dark room, it was almost impossible to see, so Beast Boy shifted into a moth and peered out the tiny window.

Outside, he saw what at first looked like a huge spider crawling along the wall. However, when it rounded the corner, he saw that where a head should have been was instead a huge eye. The eye continuously darted and spun, even turning around 360 degrees in its socket. The bizarre creature paused for a moment, blinked, then continued crawling past the door.

When it was gone, everyone released their breath and piled out.

"What the hell was that?" Cyborg asked the Templar.

"A sentinel. What it sees, Calabos sees. I guess he's not completely careless after all," Worek answered.

"Guys, I hate to be a Miss Raincloud again, but what are we going to do once we get there? There's only about twenty or so of us, and he's gotta have a freaking army wherever he is."

"Hey, impossible odds and a small chance of success have never stopped us before," Cyborg said.

"Don't worry, I have that part taken care of," Worek said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry. I'll show you once we get closer to Raven," the Templar answered reassuringly.

"Well, we don't have much time. Let's go!" Beast Boy ordered.

A multitude of gnolls, trolls, necrowings, and other grotesque creatures filled the dark, yet huge chapel. A vast circular standing pit filled almost the whole space except for an altar at the very end. Interspersed in this crowd were the three evil Templar: Eutonos, Evad, and Lekim, all keeping order.

A hush grew through the crowd as the large doors opened. In stepped two heavily armored death knights leading none other than Raven clad in her sacrificial robe. The mage still stared blankly ahead with milk-white eyes as they led her up to the altar.

A moment passed before in stepped another figure, and this time it was Calabos himself, leading a line of more guards. He wore his familiar black cloak and hood, and it billowed underneath him as he walked.

A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd of monsters. Packs hollered, screeched, or clanged their weapons as they watched their leader's triumphal entry. When he reached the altar, he turned and hushed the multitude of beasts.

"My loyal subjects!" he addressed them. "Tonight marks the rebirth of our power! What was lost hundreds of years prior will be regained! Though we sacrifice one legendary demon, another will take her place! Tonight, I am reborn!"

Another wild cheer echoed throughout the room.

"And now," he whispered evilly as he turned to the unconscious Raven. "It begins."

Dun dun duuun! If you haven't guess already, this story's close to being finished. I hopefully will have it finished by Christmas, unless I get horribly busy again. In the meantime, I'll try to update "Tearing Me Down" so you don't have to wait three months for it. Thanks for being patient! As always, let me know what you thought.