Lost Bloodlines Ch. 06

"And what, exactly, is waiting for me there?" I asked. This was turning out to be much different than I expected, but I wasn't quite ready to trust the charming demon before me yet.

"Your father, for one. I have heard that he's quite anxious to have you back. As for the rest, well," there was something in Berith's eyes that I wasn't comfortable with. She was looking at me with something akin to zealous worship. "Once you're back where you belong, you can have anything you could ever want. We'll give you all of that, and more."

I shifted. Berith's rapid change from a humorous charmer into a devoted acolyte was disconcerting to say the least. "Um, alright. That sounds...acceptable, I suppose." I stuttered. She nodded eagerly. I looked back to the rest of my friends. One of the Caucasian men and Asian women were speaking softly to Alana, but the rest of them were watching my exchange with Berith curiously. "Could I bring the others with me? We'd prefer not to be split up among the Seats."

Her eyes widened as she looked at me. "They're all your thralls? I'm impressed, it seemed Lilith chose her host well. Of course they can come!"

The demon in my head grumbled at her comment, something about 'sexual hang-ups' and 'decent host'. As usual, I chose to ignore her.

"They're not...ah, never mind. If I agree to come with you, will I be allowed to leave again if I wish? Will any of them be allowed to leave?" Berith seemed offended at my words.

"Whyever would you think otherwise? Once you've met with grandfather, you'll have the run of the place, I'm sure." Her smile turned into something altogether more salacious, and by the ways that her eyes darted down across my body, I suspected that familial kinship meant something entirely different in Hell. "Of course," she said in a husky tone, stepping in close to me. "We'll do our best to convince you to stay." I gulped, rapidly shuffling backwards out of my...daughter's... personal space. God that sounds weird.

"Let's, uh, go tell the others," I stammered, wide-eyed and heart beating fast. After the day I've had, a sexual overture by a family member was not something I had been prepared to deal with. Berith just smiled sweetly and joined me in walking back towards the rest of the monsters. Sam, who had been standing towards the rear of the group when we first arrived, was now at the head, arms crossed and staring curiously at the other representatives. As soon as Berith caught sight of him, she jerked to a stop, a hand clenching tightly at my upper arm.

She looked at me with wild eyes, some of that fear when she had seen Victoria for the first time returning. "You enthralled an angel!?" she squeaked. Hearing her outburst, he turned to look at her, and she shrunk even further into herself.

"Well, not exactly...but it's just Sam. Don't worry, he's harmless." I brushed off her concerns.

She was shaking her head. "No angel can ever be described as harmless." She breathed in deeply, and then let out a violent shiver. "Fuck, and he's a big one too. You're absolutely sure that he's one of the Turned? He used to be human?"

I shrugged casually. "As far as I know, yeah. Really, there's nothing to be afraid of. Sam's a big goofball."

Berith gathered herself, took a deep breath, and straightened. She marched over towards Sam as I trailed behind. The large man was watching us with raised eyebrows, arms crossed and halo glinting softly in the dying light.

"Have you had any contact with the Host?" She demanded of him. I detected only the slightest tremor of fear in her voice.

"The what?" Sam seemed more amused by the woman's question than anything as he looked down at her.

"The Heavenly Host. Other angels. Have they visited you? In person, in a dream? Anything?" the demon pressed Sam with a great deal of urgency in her tone.

"Nope. I thought I saw a funny looking cloud the other day, if that counts." Berith just shook her head in frustration.

"What's going on? Why do you care? I know it's a little uncomfortable to be near him, but you get used to it." I asked her.

She turned on me. "You don't understand. No one has seen an angel in over 800 years, and we've all counted ourselves lucky for that." Her gaze shifted back to Sam, and after a moment, she began to look at him analytically, examining every inch of his body with methodical precision.

Sam glanced at me, but I just shrugged. He knew as much as I did about what the hell was going on.

"Can you channel divine magic?" she finally spoke, her tone curt.

"Lady, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm strong, I'm tough, I can fly, and I can turn into a bunch of flaming wheels. That's all I've got up my sleeves." Sam shook his imaginary shirt sleeves for emphasis, but of course he was still wearing one of his ridiculous sleeveless crop-tops.

Berith took another deep breath. "Center you mind," she advised to Sam. "Try to find a connection outside of yourself. I have heard that it helps to send your mind aloft and latch on to the harmonic energies of the sky. Once you've found it, call down the power of your god and smite that bush." She pointed towards a sad looking shrubbery perhaps half a mile away, at the edge of the tarmac.

"Um..."

"Just try!" she snapped.

Sam looked over to me again in confusion, but I had no answers. After a moment, he closed his eyes. His breath deepened. He was still for several minutes until I saw his dim halo brighten slightly, and his eyed wings ruffled behind him. Finally, his eyes opened, and they were glowing gold from within. His gaze centered on the bush in the distance, and he raised a hand dramatically. "I smite thee!" he called out, and I felt a flex of power in the air, something that felt distinctly wrong to my senses. His gaze intensified on the bush, and the power in the air grew and grew until it almost felt unbearable to stand next it. With a final shout from Sam, the power released, and I felt myself await the coming blast.

But nothing happened. The bush was untouched. No flames, no light from the heavens. Just a scraggly shrubbery.

Sam was panting, his hands on his knees. "I felt something," he said tiredly, but a broad smile was on his face. "Did it work?"

Berith had her arms crossed, eyeing the angel speculatively. "Thankfully, for everyone's sake, it did not. If it had, every monster within a hundred miles would have felt it, and immediately rushed here to try to murder you. Myself included."

Sam was taken aback by her frank admission. "Oh. Okay then. I'm...glad?"

"You should be," Berith said, before turning to me. "He can come. Your pet Valkyrie too. I have no concerns about the rest. I must say, however, your dragon is a very fine specimen."

I ignored her last remark. "Wonderful." The rest of my friends, sans Alana, had been watching Sam's attempt at magic with interest, and from their grateful smiles, they had overheard Berith's words as well.

I stepped up to Victoria, who had dismissed her armor, but still seemed rather uncomfortable, despite the good news. "It's okay, babe," I whispered, grabbing her hands and holding them tight. "Berith seems alright. We might be safe there."

Her eyes met mine. "I hope so, Lilith. I just want somewhere I can feel secure again, you know?"

"I know exactly how you feel."

Victoria hesitated for a moment before speaking again, more softly. "Why did she say I was evil?"

"Because your kind are, valkyrja," a deep voice with a thick Nordic accent spoke, and we both turned. Erik, the polar bear man, was standing just behind us. Werebear? Polar Were? I had no idea.

"Berith tells me that she's under your power, Lady Lilith. I hope that's the case. I've killed enough of her kind to know what they're capable of." He continued. His weathered face was gravely serious, but I saw no malice there, only a hint of warning. "Her people helped commit the greatest atrocity the world has ever seen. An atrocity you died to stop, my lady."

Victoria shrunk back from the werebear's intense gaze and I stepped in front of her. "And she's been one for less than a month. So back off," I spat.

He raised his hands placatingly. "Meanin' no disrespect, my lady. Only thought that you should know, given that you've lost your memory." The big man sketched a quick bow. "Erik Magnusson, if it please you. Representative of the Seat of the North to the United States. I wasn't yet born when you passed, unlike Berith and some of the others here, but I know what you've done for us, and I wanted to offer my thanks in person, as well as my apology for my earlier actions."

I blinked. The dichotomy of the frothing rage of the charging bear and the casual politeness of the man before me was rather disorienting. "Well, you're welcome, I suppose. Would you mind telling me exactly what it is I did to earn your thanks?"

Erik glanced briefly over to Berith and then back to me. "Beggin' your pardon, my lady, but it's not my place. What I can say is that you saved this world once, and came to the aid of my people in particular to do so. You'll always have the respect and support of the Seat of the North." His eyes strayed back to Berith, and I saw them tighten slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was considerably lower. "If you find your stay in Hell not to your liking, there will always be a place for you in Jotunheim. My masters only bid me to state the offer."

Dazed, I just nodded my thanks. Erik smiled toothily, and returned to his fellow representatives, who were seemingly uninterested in my presence. I counted myself lucky that no one else was waiting to ambush me.

'I assume you know what he was referring to?' I sent inwards to Lilith. 'Is it true what he said about the Valkyries?'

The demon was silent, and I had already turned start towards Berith when she finally spoke.

The Valkyries are some of the most vicious and barbaric creatures to have ever existed. Her voice sounded in my head, dripping with barely concealed loathing. Your pet knows not of their crimes. I have no quarrel with her.

'And the rest? Saving the world?'

She was quiet again for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was tired. He speaks truly. It is not something I wish to discuss.

Of course she doesn't.

I sighed, and returned my attention to the real world. Alana was slithering her way back to the group, a bright smile on her face. Without warning, I was caught up in a great hug by the snake woman. "They've reinstated me!" She cried happily. She set me down and seemed to realize herself, blushing awkwardly.

"As...a diplomat?" I asked.

"Yes! Great Britain also took Oberon's deal. Her Majesty's Foreign Office has restored my credentials, they wish for me to serve as their emissary to the Seat of the Sacred Lotus! They're the organization that represents the monsters from the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, and China. I never thought they'd allow me to serve again, but apparently I'm perfect for it, given my species."

I smiled. "I'm happy for you, Alana, truly. I know how lost you felt to be stuck in the camp. I assume that this means you won't be joining the rest of us?"

She frowned and shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I was told I'd be welcome to visit, however, and my duties will likely take me to all of the Seats' headquarters eventually."

"I'm sure you will," I assured her. "Better go break the news to Draco, I'm sure he'll be crushed the only other reptile is leaving him." Alana shook her head reproachfully at me, but her smile returned. Victoria stepped forward, and they exchanged their own hug and goodbyes. As Alana began to make the rounds, I made my way back to Berith, who was speaking quietly with a returned Captain Brooks. It seemed someone had something in Cyri's ridiculous size, as the werewolf was now thankfully clothed in a set of dull green workout clothes, holding Aqua upright and speaking with her.

"So," I called out as I approached the demoness. "When do we leave?" Berith gave me a little smile and gestured to Brooks.

"As soon as the Captain's team is ready and the Seat's claimed monsters are gathered, we'll depart."

"The Captain's team?"

Brooks nodded once. "As part of the offer of alliance between the Legions and the US, we negotiated that they would help train members of Tartarus and allow us to remain in control of them. In addition, I believe Agent Riley has been chosen to serve as the US delegate to Hell, given her relationship with you and performance at Camp Alpha. She's bringing a small diplomatic and scientific staff with us."

"Ah, so that's what she meant," I muttered to myself. "Is she really up and moving already? It's only been half a day."

He smiled grimly. "Not quite, but you know Riley. She won't be letting a missing arm stop her from leaving on time. They should be arriving shortly alongside the monsters."

Sure enough, it wasn't twenty minutes later when a large group emerged from near the larger hangers headed our way. It was getting hard to see in the fading light, but I could make out similarities in the figures moving towards us. Other than a small number of humans, the majority of the monsters were either horned and red-hued, or short and greenish. Greenish?

Berith noted my confusion. "We requested that along with any Turned demons or imps, we take control of the Turned goblin population as well."

I turned towards her. "There are thousands of different species of monsters out there, and you're only taking two? Why goblins?"

"The relationship between the Legions and the goblin clans is...complicated, but they are only other species that has settled en masse in Hell. Our Seat is rather singular in this aspect, and the reasons behind it are, well, again, rather complicated. We can speak more on it once we arrive."

With that, Berith strode forward to welcome the new arrivals, Brooks joining her. I chose to merely wait. Besides Damien and Berith (who looked fully human), I had yet to meet other demons, and I was taking the moment to examine the members of my...family.

Somehow, I expected them all to appear as Damien and I had, the stereotypical incubus and succubus, but there was a plethora of features amid the demons joining us. Some were tall and lithe, with spiraling horns and large wings that resembled my own, while others were thickly built and squat, almost hunched over with bulging muscles in their shoulders and arms, with only stubby horns and no wings. More yet were small, standing at most around 5 ft, with dexterous, thick tails and small wings that almost seemed vestigial. All were some shade of red, though the colors in the category ran the gamut.

Alongside them were the goblins. They were all quite short, and very green. As a seeming racial trait, their faces had sharp features and long, pointed ears, but other than that, they seemed no different from a particularly short human.

I'm amazed that the Legions let them settle, the treacherous little bastards. They must have filled some function we needed after the war.

'Okay, both you and Berith are giving me some serious demon supremacist vibes right now. Is that why no one else settles in Hell? Because you're all racist?' I retorted back to the demon.

She seemed almost affronted when she responded. Of course not! All are welcome in Hell, and we have a thriving non-demon community! Or, we did. Perhaps things have changed. A whole species settling there though...it's very unusual for the structure of the Legions. I'm curious as to the cause.

"Yeah, me too," I muttered, watching as Berith delivered some sort of welcome speech to the new arrivals. The arrival of the Legions' monsters seemed to be a cue for the other representatives, and they silently separated from their insular clump, walking individually to different parts of the base. Barely visible were similar groups of monsters scattered about the tarmac, and I imagined that the sorting had been completed by now, with each Seat leaving to claim its due. Alana had joined her new representative, and gave me a final wave goodbye as she departed for her posting.

The human contingent of the group, along with a few dozen armed monsters (likely from Tartarus) separated from the clump and began heading my way. I suppressed a groan as I recognized a figure in their midst helping guide a rolling gurney across the runway.

"Of all the scientists they had to send, of course it had to be her," I spoke ruefully to myself. Dr. Lima, her tan face absolutely beaming at me once she was closer, was surrounded by a small group of lab-coated scientists, some of whom I recognized from Dr. Campbells team. In their middle was the gurney, and my heart leapt into my throat once I saw its passenger.

Elizabeth, unconscious and breathing softly, was laid out on its flat surface. Her injured arm had a new, clean bandage on it, and other than the stillness of her body, she looked much improved. I met the scientists halfway.

"Lima," I said, ignoring the way the doctor's eyes seemed to be undressing me. "How's she doing?"

"Quite well," the buxom doctor responded. "She kicked up a fit when we insisted she be sedated, but the rest is doing her wonders. A soldier cauterized her limb rapidly after she lost it, so she lost much less blood than expected, and we managed to clear out the tissue that was showing signs of infection. The biggest threat to her health was the shock, but that appears to have passed. I expect her to make a full recovery."

I couldn't help myself. I hugged Dr. Lima, knowing full well I would pay for it later. But she deserved it for saving Elizabeth. "Thank you, Doctor." I whispered, but sighed when her hands immediately strayed below my waistline in her return hug. I separated myself.

Thankfully I was called away by Berith before Lima got any more ideas, like molesting me in front of hundreds of people. With her introductions finished, she had directed everyone to the fleet of cars immediately behind us. She grabbed my arm and led me to the lead vehicle, and I relaxed as I saw Victoria, Cyri, Aqua, Sam, and Draco all follow closely behind. I didn't really expect her to kidnap me or something at this point, but my guard wasn't easily let down anymore.

We all filled into the luxuriously decorated interior, the large car rapidly becoming cramped as four winged individuals had to squeeze in. Our driver was an indistinct human man, and I had to wonder if this was another disguise like Erik's had worn, and I assumed Berith had one on as well.

Within minutes, we departed, the rest of the fleet filled to the brim with monsters, soldiers, and scientists following closely behind. As we left the limits of Nellis Air Force Base, the main strip of Las Vegas became visible in the distance, the lights of the casinos beginning to shine in the darkening sky.

"So why Nellis?" I asked Berith from her seat up front. She turned back to look at me.

"It was at my request," the demon replied. "Nevada has a very low Militia presence, and the proximity to Vegas was useful for our transportation purposes in particular. The other Seats weren't happy about having to share, but they'll get over it."

"What, you don't mean to tell me that Hell is in Las Vegas? Sin City? That's a little on the nose, don't you think?"

She laughed. "No, Lilith, Hell isn't in Vegas. It isn't anywhere on Earth. We merely maintain a large hub nearby, as we have many business investments in the city." The car took a turn away from the bright lights of Vegas, and we began to drive in the direction of the desert. The Mojave, I recalled.

"So if it isn't on Earth," Sam asked, "Where, or I guess, what, is it?"

"Hell is a sub-plane," Berith explained. She laid her hands out flat in front of her. "Earth is on what is called the material plane. Basically, where everything fully centered on reality exists." She pressed her hands together, and let them dip where they met. "Extraordinarily powerful beings can stretch and fold the fabric of the material plane, and create small pockets that are connected to, but separate from, the material plane. Sub-planes. Hell is one such place, created by Lucifer many millennia ago. Each Seat has their own, and some even have multiple. There are many more scattered about the world, but that's a lesson for a different time."