Changes in Allegiances, part 3
Changes in Allegiances, part 2
Confronting Hel...
It took Bobby an hour before he found what Castiel had taken. He shouted from his desk and the Winchesters entered the room.
“What did you find?” Dean asked.
“Two-timing, cunning little bastard, I found the missing page Castiel took. Or at least the copy of said page,” Bobby growled making room on his desk. “He’s summoned Hel.”
Sam glanced through the spell and disappeared into the kitchen. Dean looked at Bobby. The sounds of Sam opening and closing draws, cupboards and boxes echoed through the house.
“We got all that stuff?” he asked.
“More or less,” Bobby answered.
Another five minutes of 'Sam-search' and he returned with a bowl and what looked like bones, bay leaves, grave dirt and some gunky-black fungus. “So, draw straws?” Sam asked putting the spell ingredients together.
“No, I’ll go,” Dean stated and neither Bobby nor Sam argued against him. They both felt that whatever hand fate was dealing them Dean had a better chance at talking down any further crazy Cas talk or ideas.
“Right. Well I’ll talk some more to Ellie while you’re gone. Gotta idea who or what that thing in the north is all Purgatory’s scared of...” Bobby said and with a slap upon Dean’s back and a look at Sam he left the room.
“You sure Dean?” Sam asked.
“Yes.” Dean said. If nothing else he was going to beat the shit out of Castiel for running off after promising not to. “Friggin’ child.”
Sam smiled and helped Dean complete the spell. Then he started ringing around the hunting community and various contacts they had trying to work out where Crowley might be holed up and what the angels might be doing. Both Castiel’s rebel forces and those loyal to Raphael. Not for the first time did he wish God or Death wouldn’t just wipe the whole lot off the face of, well, heaven and hell.
***
Dean Winchester stomped out of the pool he found himself in and stepping up to Castiel punched the angel in the face. Castiel had the grace to take the punch and staggered a step back. “You friggin’ child Cas, how many times do we have to do this before you learn? You. Do. Not. Keep. Secrets. From. Your. Friends.” Dean pushed Castiel back with each word. Again Castiel let himself take the force of Dean’s rage. “Now, where the Hell am I?”
“Helheimr, although this particular chamber is also called Nilfheimr. Well met human. I am Hel.” The goddess looked Dean over and he did the same. She was as tall maybe taller than Sam and long lank black hair and skin that looked like blue-cheese. Corpse Bride, without the wedding dress, Dean thought and wondered what he was to say.
He took the standard way and bowed half-heartedly and said cheekily, “Nice digs, thanks for returning my amulet. C’mon Cas we’re leaving.” There was a low growl behind him and a Giant Wolf came up on his right. A smaller wolf, but still larger than any normal wolf, came around his left side and stood beside Hel. The sounds of paws across stone and stench of a wolf-breath filled the air.
“I can’t allow that Human. Not when there are things to discuss with you, Castiel and ourselves,” Hel said with a gentle pat on the head of the smaller wolf beside her. Dean watched as the wolf seamlessly morphed into a man. A loud growl from the Giant Wolf accompanied his own metamorphism. “These are my brothers Fenrir and Vali. Come sit and we shall decide if Loki was wise or foolish to deem you worthy Little Cousin and whether or not Fenrir eats your Human friend.”
There appeared a table laden with food and fur lined chairs. Dean was thankful for the show of comfort since he, alone of all present, was freezing. He eyed the hamburger and pomme-fritts with a mixture of hunger and wariness, something the Pagan trio noticed and burst into laughter.
“Eat and drink Hunter. You need not fear becoming an unwilling cannibal or of being bound to Hel,” Vali teased. Fenrir laughed into his tankard of mead and Hel said nothing. Hunger got the best of Dean and he chowed down, it was good and the sigh of pleasure that escaped his mouth made the wolf-brothers laugh again. Castiel supposed it was a good start.
The children of Loki paid little heed to either angel or human. It didn’t mean that they weren’t taking the measure of Castiel or Dean. Neither did Castiel’s quiet stance or Dean’s eating and drinking mean both weren’t doing the same. Dean finished his second drink of mead and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It seemed to be a mutual end of pleasantries and the table disappeared.
“You offered help. How exactly?” Castiel spoke bluntly and to the point. Dean tensed instantly but it appeared none of the Pagans took exception.
“You answer my brother's questions satisfactorily and then we will talk,” Hel answered just as bluntly. Castiel nodded and Fenrir spoke.
“You deal with one called Crowley, correct?” Castiel confirmed this statement with a single nod.
“You tortured werewolves, shapeshifters and skinwalkers,” Vali said and again Castiel confirmed with a single nod. A look of fury passed between the wolf-brothers and Dean tensed ready for the fight. Fenrir got up and stormed to the far end of the chamber. Hel followed him with her gaze and something passed unsaid between them before Fenrir returned to his seat.
“To what end?” Vali asked with barely controlled anger.
“I am fighting a civil war against my elder brother Raphael. He is the last Archangel and seeks to begin the Apocalypse again. I and others like me do not want this. We have already fought against Lucifer and his followers for a second time and seen him returned to his Cage. This time Michael, the Archangel, fell with him. I died in the final battle. I was resurrected. I have to believe that God brought me back to bring peace to Heaven and teach other angels about freedom,” Castiel replied earnestly.
“Crowley wants to find a doorway into Purgatory. We are partners. Or were partners but I have no intention of sharing such power with a Demon. I expect he feels the same,” Castiel said.
“How does working with Crowley, The King of Hell which according to your Christian teachings is a place of evil-dwellers, help you achieve this goal? Wouldn’t it have the opposite?” Hel asked.
“I had a moment of doubt and Crowley saw an opportunity and took it. Had I not been so prideful I would have recognised his lies for what they are. It makes no difference to my being guilty of dealing with him. I will win this war at any cost,” Castiel said matter-of-factly.
Dean looked askance at his friend but Castiel didn’t look at him in reply. The three pagans spoke softly between themselves. Dean looked at Castiel whispered. “You really think angels and freedom goes together? After everything that’s happened to you? That you’ve done with freedom yourself?”
“Yes, but it is very tiring and like teaching poetry to fish,” Castiel said and Dean laughed aloud at the image. He shut up at the glare Hel gave him. He’d forgotten where he was for a second of camaraderie with Cas. From the corner of his eye he noticed Cas smile and look away.
part 3