Angels and Demons

"Angels and Demons." Rose muttered to herself. "I wonder if our present forms in anyway alter who we are?"
She sat down, mostly to keep from strangling those who were fighting, and she really didn't want to get involved. She pulled up her sleeve and started at her mark, she was starting to feel the pain again.
Could she maybe get rid of this mark? Is that why this had happened to her?

It relieved me greatly to observe that Engel was recovering steadily. Though of course, I risked no more than a passing glance.

This avoidance gave me room to notice Damascus go to speak with James. I wished, in part, that we had gone together, that I could rightfully take the blame for our extended detour, but I was glad to see him go, for I knew that he was better off without.

I never should have led Damascus onward, like that. Ensuring he did not get lost, that was one thing, something anyone may have done, but I never should have manipulated him into spending extra time alone with me. The timing was insensitive in so many ways, I almost surprised even myself with the sheer gross tactlessness of it.

I was questioning the assumption that an apology would not be worth the anxiety my presence would cause him, when I was accosted by the sombre, towering figure of Cornyx.

He knew. He had caught my mistake. I considered denying it, but the futility was clear.

A dangerous player that I barely knew held my fate, and with it, what remained of Engel's peace, in his hands. Nothing had happened, yet, but he knew exactly what advantage he had over me.
It was interesting that he informed me of this advantage, when he could have easily used it without my knowledge.
It seemed unlikely that Boomslang would wish for him to warn me, therefore, there was a good chance that Cornyx was keeping this card to himself.
And if he chose not only to keep it to himself, but to let me know of it...that meant that he wanted something.
I found the implication disturbing.

Through me, Engel's remaining friends could be identified. Anyone already seen associating with me could already be suspect. Anyone subsequently seen close to me could be implicated. This false angel knew that I was in a position to refuse him very little. There was nothing for it but to be civil, and hope that his amusement could be satiated without blood.

I greeted Cornyx with a polite nod.

"I was wondering, if someone had noticed. You were under no obligation to warn me. That's very courteous of you.

I take it your mistress doesn't know, yet?"

"She's hardly my mistress," he said corrected. "We're trapped in the same game but I am not her servant like the vampires. But I don't believe she noticed, to answer your question, and I have no intention of telling her." He glanced at the demoness-gone-angel in question out of his periphery; she was still busy talking to Sieben.

"I doubt you'll be particularly keen to tell me much, but I believe that information could work to the advantage of both myself and your friend, and I'm willing to propose a trade of secrets."

So I was, indeed, only dealing with one of them. I smiled, relieved.

"Information is my most fluent currency, as it would happen. I'll be glad to hear your terms."

"I've got some...sensitive information regarding Boomslang and Apophis, which I believe would be beneficial to yourself and your allies, Engel included. In return, you tell me about the inter-reality incidences and, as far as possible, how they've occurred."

"Very well, I accept."

I intended to protect the identities of our mutal friends, which meant that if I were to tell the events of Wilson's bar, it would have had to be heavily abridged, leaving the story suspiciously muddled. So, I merely told him that Engel and I became good friends when we stumbled into an inter-reality bar, and left it at that.

I completely neglected to mention the time we met as children. I preferred to give the impression that we were simple drinking companions, over childhood friends and sworn brothers.

I went into great detail on the events of the Atlantis escapade, happy to to tell Cornyx all he cared to know of Kartiel's experiments, abilities, and exploitable personality flaws.

"-and despite my efforts, to my knowledge he is unkillable. But he is very sensitive, eager to prove himself. I recommend goading him into boasting. He won't give everything away but it's astounding how much he will. Rendra is equally hopeless..."

I went into comparably generous detail for Rendra, and her strangely flamboyant experiment, documenting well the things she had revealed, the nature of her tests, but only speaking of my friends when they were relevant to that plot, and leaving out the context of relationships.

"There are more such gods, but I haven't met them.
They are not responsible for many of these inter-reality incidents, but the ones they orchestrate tend to follow these patterns, where others simply unfold with no stucture.

I have yet to invent a theory I am satisfied with, when it comes to their purposes and motives. They seem to treat these things like bothersome little preliminaries on the way to something worthwhile, using themes and games simply to make their work more enjoyable.
How many of these gods exist, who organizes them and how many more of these tests will be run before they have what they need, remains to be seen. But I expect I've given you a fair start at working it out.

I trust you are satisfied?"

Cornyx considered this, digesting the information, then dipped his head. "Quite. I suppose it's my turn for exposition. I'm not sure how much you know about the origins of Boomslang and Apophis, but they are a part of an entity known as the Void, as is Auryon, who is one of Engel's allies, if you are not familiar. The short version is that Lucifer summoned Apophis an accidentally made Auryon and Boomslang without being aware of it.

"What this means is that their powers, Auryon's Hellfire included, originates with that entity. Ergo, the more separated they are by distance, the less powerful they become, and the longer they are separated, the more that affects them. Now we're in a different reality. Aside from this, Apophis' and Boomslang's resistance to reaping and seeming immortality is completely discarded when they have no access to the Between where the Void is located. In short, right now, or in any alternate world or reality, Boomslang and Apophis are mortal and their powers are increasingly less potent. Eventually, they may even be weaker than a normal human. As for Auryon, her powers will become inaccessible, but due to the fact she was born human, she shouldn't be made weaker by being unable to access the Void."

James looked over at Damascus with a blank face, but he listened closely to read between the lines. Alright was relative, considering the bizarre situation, but it seemed there were other things stirring beneath the surface. Damascus's smile was forced.

He considered the benefits of prying and encouraging his brother to share more, but with others still in close proximity, he worried that that did not allow for enough privacy were Damascus's worries of a more sensitive nature. So instead, he settled for a small smile, and he reached over, putting an arm around Damascus's shoulders. He pulled him in for a side hug, briefly halting his walk to do so before patting Damascus on the back and continuing his stride.

"I'm about the same as I've always been," he said vaguely. "I'm glad to hear you are well, though."

Damascus brightened considerably through James' thoughtful affection, and he turned to smile at his brother, deeply touched.

"Thank you, James." He said softly. Being the optimist that he was, he took James' elusive answer cheerfully while ignoring the comment about his own well-being. "Oh, that's good to hear. At least you aren't any worse."

Drawing his attention gladly away from his anxieties, he brought up a subject that usually proposed a neutral conversation.

"So, how long has it been for you, James? Since the ball, I mean." He glanced over, a mixed expression on his face. "This has been the shortest time I've gone without seeing you all- it's only been a year or two, for me."

"Hardly even a month," James replied, bitterness working its way back into his tone with an involuntary persistence. "The jarring discombobulation of being ripped out of my reality and pulled into another has become uncomfortably familiar."

Rose continued to contemplate her idea.

It has merit A voice sounded in her head. She started directly at a young sapling tree in front of her.
"I thought I closed you guys off?" The tree waved a little, laughing.
No.
Rose just nodded.
"Okay then." She said aloud.

Aquarius gave a worried look in Rose's direction, but ceased giving the look when Zephyrus leaned over and whispered that she was probably talking to the trees again.


Even though Kratzer tried to assure him that his regeneration would kick in, Maahes still couldn't help but worry about his friend. Being able to regenerate didn't mean he could stop the pain, and he was sure the wait between the regeneration and right now wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

"If you need any help," he said, glancing back at Kratzer, "don't be afraid to ask for it."


The group circled around the church and then began their journey into the woods--going right through the same area some of the people present had already explored. Grim lingered as far behind Schadel and Edward as he possibly could, doing everything in his power to avoid her. He couldn't, however, go too far back. That would mean dealing with people like Boomslang, and he was getting the feeling that she was far from a good person.

They were just about to enter a thick group of trees when he suddenly felt someone (or something) breathing down his neck. Every bit of his now very human body tensed when he realized that person or thing was standing right behind him. He turned and went to let out a scream, but a hand shot forward to cover his mouth. His eyes widened in horror as he was brought behind a nearby tree.

"Hi there," the demon said, eyes a swirling mix of red and black. There was a bat resting on the shoulder of his black leather jacket. All that Grim could think about was how much it would hurt if it penetrated his skin, and how easily he could be beaten to death with a weapon like that when he was stuck like this. His voice was quiet and threatening. "I'm looking for some answers, and I think you might be able to give them to me. Me and the rest of your kind haven't been doing so hot lately, so I'm not exactly afraid to swing this bat around."

Grim followed the demon's gaze to the bat, then cowered up against the bark of the tree behind him.

"The holy water might not have its intended effect," the demon continued, giving an absolutely malicious grin, "but I'm sure it'll hurt."

Rose got up and walked over to Aquarius. "Do you think that our present forms may subtly alter our personalities? It might explain a few things." She asked him.

He shook his head. "I don't think so," he quietly replied. He glanced between himself and his brother. He felt just like he usually did--just as nervous around other people, and just as worried about everything going on. And Zephyrus seemed fine, too. He was his usual loud, loving and protective self.

Cornyx looked up sharply as a familiar scent hit his nostrils, and a few murmured voices from the other side of the group. He couldn't make out much more than a few words, the most prominent of which was 'bat.'

"Excuse me," he said to Boris, striding away from the group before he could answer and using his nose and his ears to find his way to them. Sure enough, through the trees a short way there stood a very demonic Mr. Dean and a terrified Grim.

"He's not an angel any more than I am, Mr. Dean," Cornyx said. "I didn't catch most of what you said but if his expression and my knowledge of you says anything you probably said something about swinging that thing around."