开云体育

Castiel tried his best. The earth here, despite its occasionally dark nature, had healing elements as well. There were willing sacrifices made here,?herbalists, healers of the Earth, alchemists, scholars, and men of peace. The land contained memories of them all. Of those who rose above, who set themselves apart, who became great despite the odds. If it were a human body, it would certainly be enough. If it were an angelic aura in need of fixing, it could have worked to correct the energy path. But either the demonic aura was vastly different, less against his natural intuition, which likely was the case, or something terrible was done to it, which likely was the case as well.

?

"I see the turn and twist she had induced. The blockage to natural pathways. I see the spike she embedded that I cannot even touch. And Raphael would not answer me. Perhaps he remembers the old score," Castiel thoughtfully spoke. "I?know?human healers?of every sort, but mostly?they could fix only humans, maybe some angels. I wish I consorted with those who would fix you. Alas, I am not a healer myself, not truly, not beyond the basics. Do you happen to know a witch who could help you? I am desperate enough to work for favors this time," the angel sadly admitted. Briefly wondering if Ashtaroth could have done something, and if he really was gone for the moment, the angel continued pouring more of his essence, while feeling something that could either be a token of curiosity from local dwellers, or equally possible, a hostile presence of sorts. ??

Castiel may have expected many things, but this was not one of them. He could?indulge himself and experience many regrets, but as Sam had taught him, they were rather useless indulgencies. They solved nothing, saved nobody, and would certainly not make the situation any better for his innocent child. He would simply have to come back for him later. After he had reinforcement and found the way to meet the?ancient whore?on his own terms. "I'll be back," he promised his child, Halbrek and even himself, feeling reassured from the simple words.

?

But?his actions had to be prioritized. Halbrek had to be taken care of. Looking around he realized why this place was so familiar. That was where Molokh received his sacrifices with eager laughter. Where Nimrod almost made Abraham sacrifice Isaac to the bull headed god, until Gabriel stayed his hand. A place of blood and fire. Of sacrifice, war and conflict. But all of this was in the past. No demon or other Neither being attempted to assault them. They were?safe for now, and hoping for some assistance. Castiel drew the ancient Enochian symbols to summon Heaven's?utmost healer, Raphael. He could have simply used a prayer, but something told him this place had ears and a verbal component might make the archangel reluctant.?When the summoning was complete, the angel of war leaned over his partner, and began pouring his energy into her, hoping that would be sufficient until help arrived.

"If you believe the Fire Realm would be occupied with your smug water ally, you might be in for a surprise. Some great powers are very interested in keeping him at bay. I have heard rumors of even...well it doesn't matter. You should better concern yourself with your own dominion and stop playing games. You are surely not the only Earth Demoness around, and no, I don't mean Halbrek. You have not endeared yourself to your subordinates. I would bet you have no idea how many of them desire a change in regime. If given a chance, a weapon, an ally, they will turn on you in the blink of an eye. Even and especially the ones you consider to be your friends.

?

And you may have forgotten, because you were beneath my notice for now, that I am an angel of war. I am an invaluable ally, I supply the rarest of weapons and create my own opportunities. You still have a chance to remain in power if you are wise enough to abandon such unnecessary pursuits as our captivity. But then something tells me, wise you are not. So with that in mind, good luck trusting your minions. A single opportunity to double cross you, and they will take it to stab you in the back," Castiel vehemently retorted.

?

"That is correct, Halbrek did drink of my blood. It didn't make her invulnerable but supplied her with some advantages, not the least of which was a link to the angelic realm. It is only a matter of time before somebody comes. Even if you are extra crafty?with what you do and prevent them from entering, they will lay a siege to this realm and none of your charming messengers will ever get out again. You go ahead, use my child's blood well. Craft all the creatures and weapons you can, and see how many of them would suffice when Michael, Raphael and Gabriel come for a visit.?If forced into battle, you would need every single one of them, just to survive. If such limited existence happens to give you some perverse pleasure, why not bury yourself deep in the ground right now, before the angelic host descends onto your head? I say it with all the due sincerity, letting us go is the only chance you have to survive what you started. Recompense would have to be made, but at this point, not with your very soul. Take the time, think it out, make the right choice, while you still can," Castiel bit out every word, his voice increasing in volume to reach all those who might still be watching from their hiding place. ? ? ?

Castiel never expected his participation to be unasked for. He had been tortured before, he had spoken the truth. Only he had been tortured with the intention of obtaining valuable information, secret code sigils and the like.?To not be needed at all, it might spare him some pain, but it would also detract from his already insignificant ability to control the situation.

?

That was disconcerting, to say the least. And the fact that he didn't know enough about this demon race. He could almost curse himself for not studying them more in depth, but that was probably a knee jerk reaction rather than a valid judgment, he reminded himself at once. All the while trying to figure out which of the demons were the more dangerous ones, the red skin demons the queen had summoned, or the pale shadows with the yellows eyes, seemingly aimlessly drifting about. If only he knew which of them to level his threats at, but to his regret, he understood by now that he would have ample time to study the situation. More than any one should have to need, to stay in this realm.??

?

The drawing of blood wasn't pleasant, to be sure, but paled in the face of the sinister purpose behind it. "I am a very sharing kind. Should you think of consuming it, you should know, angel's blood is never to be used in vain. It creates a connection, between an angel and the demon, it can possess to some degree, even override orders. If your intention is to make your demons stronger with my blood, they could become so, but at a price you would not like necessarily, " Catiel cautioned, Not truly hoping to offer a valid distraction, he simply did not have sufficient bargaining tools, no other leverage to work with, until his backup arrived.

?

"I highly doubt you are right about my child. Halbrek is pretty special and I am no less so. Even halflings with lesser parents managed to overcome their dark upbringing, my child would succeed even more, I am sure," Castiel proudly declared, trying to remember the names of the two half angels. He thought their names might have been Talia and Amara, but wasn't sure. Nor could he guess if their fate was more difficult because they were girls or less. He would not envy the newborn at any rate, but the Earth ?demoness did not need to know any of his doubts.

?

He knew he had to keep bluffing somehow. At first, entertaining the?idea to speak of never dying love, he realized it might present too much of a challenge that could only be answered with greater torment. Settling for the?less confrontational words, Castiel hedged. ?"Of course I would not have killed Halbrek, anymore than she could kill me. We would strive to work on whatever was the problem, and conquer it together. But it doesn't matter if the Duke of Hell made a mistake. Nor that he is truly dead. Not even that he is utterly heart broken, provided he truly is.

?

His overseer would either nominate a replacement or step in himself. And trust me, whatever the person filling in for?Ashtaroth may feel about me, they would like you less. Far less. And take action against you just as well. You would not benefit from the Duke's absence.?If you did what you say you did, Sulfur himself might get tired of your antics. Last time I checked, when Earth encounters Fire, it burns, oh so very painfully, it burns," Castiel spoke with utter indifference as if the whole matter was completely irrelevant to him. He figured that may be the best way to get to some lesser demons and frighten them into alliance. ??

?

?

?

?

?

?

"Very well. If it is?as you say, and he is temporarily incapacitated , who is to say Ashtaroth would not coalesce back really soon, and arrive with reinforcements. Do you have a contingency to hold his army ay bay then, and if another comes to assist, how much siege are you prepared to bear, before you lose your position as a queen to somebody younger, prettier and more flexible? How far ahead have you thought of the great retribution your actions would?force onto you and your followers? Not much, I wager.

?

Seeing Halbrek's condition, he has begun losing his confidence for the very time. A child was not supposed to be in all of this. It was a new start, a balancing factor for demons and angels to allow them to get along. The child could have grown to be magnificent,?and now, the bets on its successful growth were becoming pointless. With Aohila's guidance, he would learn to?be vicious and wreak havoc in the world. It was not good. Not good at all.

?

Castiel clung to his memories of earlier days. When Urial smote those humans the wrong way, the became utterly corrupted. Subhuman with very special abilities. Most became pawns in the grand monster games, but Nimrod and Methuselah managed to overcome the corruption inside of their very blood, to rise above, and start a new,?magnificently. Nimrod was even able to figure out Uriel's treachery ?and turned?his own maker to the highest tribunal for judgment.

?

If it came to that. his child with Halbrek should not be any weaker. It had to survive, to persevere and?do even better then his human counterparts. He would have so much to do, when he grew up, and Castiel frowned, just imagining how much supervision the child would need. Thoughts of the continuing future made him realize that his hope was not lost yet. He was going to keep fighting on, and betray any unnecessary details, to protect the more important goals.

?

"4 Horsemen? What an unruly group, they are notoriously difficult to control by those who were excluded from playing the great game, such?as yourself. I would know what to do with them, and I am not the only one. Virtually everyone I know has some box they want to shove the Horsemen into, and make their bidding. Be very careful with the child then. He will grow very strong. If you diminish him now, or teach him in your twisted ways, you might deprive yourself of the strongest player yet to control the Riders. You might have ample power but not finesse or skills to use it. You need to keep me satisfied, I am the only here who knows how it is done and if other reasons are need, yes, Heaven will definitely bargain for me..." Castiel declared though his certainty was conditioned on Rafael's absence when the terms of negotiation were discussed. ? ??

"Well, first of all, I don't need any help except from my superiors. Secondly, I highly doubt your tale's veracity. Demons are not known for being forthcoming," Castiel spoke imperiously, mentally excluding Halbrek from the ranks of?lying demons. He simply did not wish to apologize?to her and thus draw the Evil one's attention to her. She seemed to be in sufficient pain already and he?did not wish to inflict further suffering onto her lovely shoulders. Perhaps if he kept being distracting, her agony would diminish, for he could take the burden, or at least it was his duty to be able to do so.

?

"I don't believe you for a minute that Ashtaroth is dead. And if he is, he has his overlords with whom I have an equally pleasing alliance. You are in no position to directly challenge an entire realm which is outside of your control. And trust you me, Lucifer does not care for boundaries. He goes where he pleases, which is everywhere, and punishes those who displease him. As soon as he learns of this development and your mishandling of his demons, he would strike back. In force. How long can this flimsy earth shield of yours, or imprisonment in your mirror protect you from his all pervasive fire, do you think?" Castiel demanded, not bothering to defend Grey Shadow of whom he knew too little.

?

The water demon barely talked to him, seemed likeable, but the connection between him and Ashtaroth was too unnatural for anyone's taste. It was well known that demons mixed half truths with their lies, perhaps therein lay the seed of truth then. If it was her work...the situation could get too dire to contemplate, and for now he refused to do so. Help would come, somehow. One day. And hopefully they would both last until that day. Perhaps of he stalled some more...

?

"And your pathetic sea filth. You cannot even imagine the various realms?of demons he had unsettled with his disgusting manners. Almost everybody, other than yourself, seeks to see him bound. Should he be released, they might decide to destroy him once and for all.?Prey that the enraged demon lord Leviathan does not come out in person to take both of you into the accursed Abyss of Shadow where none can escape. You make an alliance like that, and your days are numbered. Your old age must have dulled you to the?ever evolving reality and the change of great powers and their whims.?Whatever screams you enjoy eliciting from your demoness would pale compared to the ones either Fire or Lightening would?evoke in you..." Castiel?ominously promised. ? ? ??

?

?

?

?

?

Castiel was never a man of words. He had expressed himself with a sword well enough, or blasts of angelic power. While all the troublesome emotions he could only emote with the somber expression in his eyes. But when he got to see Halbrek again, the angel of war smiled. "You are alive," he spoke unnecessarily, disregarding the demon queen for the moment, or the enticing shadows with?disturbing eyes?floating on the air. There was some presence in the shadows, perhaps remnants of souls twisted into a new life form with obscene magic and torture, but none of it mattered. He knew his demoness should have been alive, as indicated by every logical reasons. But seeing her directly as priceless.

?

The dark silhouette hovering in front of him may or may not have been the ancient demoness. It perhaps should have exuded more power had it been more than a mere observer or at worst a temporarily vessel. He was not going to assume anything until he learned more. "You have been tolerated for the sake of the greater balance, until now. But you have overstepped yourself. You do not have the protection of Lucifer or any of his lieutenants behind you. Only alliances inconvenient for both sides. You have dared to assault an angel of the Lord.

?

I have been there when Michael Smote Lucifer. When Gabriel banished the first humans out of Paradise. When Uriel followed father's will to destroy the two cities of sinners. It will not go unnoticed. I will be missed. You have not only offended me. You will have offended Michael himself, and he does not need his sword to?cast you down. Your transgression is great, and this entire realm will quake with consequences, but I will speak on behalf of those who show remorse and mitigate their sentence. If you are very lucky, Michael will not strike you down with eternally burning lightning, but how lucky do you feel this day," Castiel rhetorically demanded, borrowing sand adapting some of his lines from a Western movie Sam had shown him.

??

He doubted Auhila herself would be moved, but she had many acolytes, not all as powerful and confident as herself and he'd threatened them all. Some might eventually decide it was in their best interests to help him out.?He spoke his mind at any rate, and now prepared for some long lasting agony??to strike him. It wasn't going to be his first, and he was going to share it at least with the best of company. ? ??

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?