Death in Appalachia Chapter 27, Part 2: ...Wicked This Way Comes
Death in Appalachia Chapter 27, Part 2: ...Wicked This Way Comes
Author: atana_blackfox & paintercrow
Rating: Mature. Language (most chapters). Rape and torture chapters have separate warnings. Character deaths (Ballad novels/OCs).
Warning: Language (most chapters). Rape and torture chapters have separate warnings. Character deaths (Ballad novels/OCs). Sex--both hetero and homosexual.
Summary: The Yellow-Eyed Demon returns
Disclaimer: Supernatural or Ballad novel story elements/characters not ours.
Griffin wrinkled his nose in distaste; Dean was rubbing down oddly shaped pieces of metal with something that stank. Still, Dean was his human and he had not spent much time with him recently, so he stayed curled up against his thigh on the couch. One of the stranger-humans who had invaded was playing with long threads and Griffin found himself twitching at the sight of the swaying strands as Ben knitted. He rolled over onto his belly, paws tensing as he prepared to pounce.
The attack was aborted when Star climbed up onto the couch, clearly in a huff. Griffin gave her an inquiring look.
"They doing it again," she grumbled, clearly put out.
"Who?" Griffin was curious.
"My human and Jay. Thunder thinks it's funny. They start making strange noises and smells and won't pay attention to anything else!"
"Oh, that," Griff just rolled over and began grooming the younger cat. "Shade says it's good for them and to just stay out of their way."
Star continued fussing, obviously not caring if it was good for humans or not and wanting Sam's undivided attention. After a few moments, the kitten began to shake and squalled in alarm, causing Dean to jump.
"Something's here! Something bad!" Griffin was shocked; he knew he was not very psychic. He could not figure out what it could be, but he took it seriously when Star scrambled off the couch and crawled under it.
His human was smart and he was already moving when they all heard the gun shot. Griffin rolled off the couch with Dean, careful not to trip him as they both ran for the great hall.
* * *
Damned cat. Why did witches' familiars have blessed claws and teeth? He had to abandon the body of the Comacine nurse. The brat in the hall would have been delightful to have. His shining, trusting and blood-streaked face would have been an absolute perversion as he killed his way through the house. Somehow, the brat had disappeared on him. He could have broken through that strange shielding but he did not want to wait.
An older man had appeared behind the brat, arrogant, self-centered, burnt out and bitter; it should have been easy to possess him. The older man was reaching out for the brat, not afraid of the blackness he was, determined to save the child. He dove for him but drew back in disgust, a Healer. No matter how corrupted they became, all healers were touched by divinity and he could not possess him. He would be the first to kill after the witch-bitch.
Snarling in frustration, he flowed down the hallway. The next person he came upon was another Comacine; a young seer. He was depressed, his shields weak and he was near exhausted.
Perfect
* * *
He had a love/hate relationship with the drugged, painless calm that the Comacines forced on him. It was good not to hurt but they always wanted him to take so many pills he could barely think. He was just beginning to drift off into a sweet oblivion when the sound of a gunshot ripped through the house.
Jay scrambled up off the bed, almost tripping over Thunder who ran in front of him. He threw the door open hard enough it bounced off the wall. He could hear Elizabeth screaming at him to stop, heard Sam's yells from the bathroom, but none of that mattered. It could be Aunt Vera or Dean and he could not stay in his room while one of them might be dead or dying.
Thunder kept barking at him and trying to get in front of him and Elizabeth was racing down the hall towards him as he reached the head of the stairs. The drugs where making him slow, he could barely feel his arms and legs but he had to go.
Elizabeth was right behind him as he stumbled down the stairs, numb hands pawing at the handrails as he saw Pascal at the base of the stairs. His eyes flashed yellow and Jay flew through the air, heard Elizabeth screaming again before the world stopped.
* * *
Starlight's unexpected yowls shot through Dean like a bolt of lightning. Every time that little cat had a fit something was wrong with Sam. Ben and Atin, who had joined them in the living room, seemed dazed, sitting glassy eyed as light from the television flickered over them. Dean did not know what was wrong with them and no time to find out. His stomach clenched when he heard a gunshot.
Griffin ran next to him, skittering out into the great hall, his claws slipping as he tried to find purchase on the wooden floors. Dean himself almost skidded to a stop when suddenly Pascal was in his way, looking terrified.
"Move!" Dean bellowed, trying to get around him. Pascal just smiled and suddenly he was slammed against the wall. Griff leapt at Pascal, but with a yellow flare to his eyes, he somehow sent the familiar flying back into the living room. Dean's guts twisted when he heard Griffin squall.
"No no, kitty. I've had enough of your blessed claws tonight."
Dean could hear Sammy yelling from somewhere upstairs and someone pounding on the walls. Elizabeth was screaming and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jay tumble down the stairs. He could not turn his head. With a laugh and a yellow-eyed flare, Dean heard someone hitting the wall and the sickening crack of breaking bones.
Pascal or whatever thing was in him turned his attention back to Dean, who strained against the wall, still unable to move, unable to even turn his head away from the yellow-eyed son of a bitch. It reeked of evil. The glow of the yellow eyes made the young seer's face look sickly and it was an almost disgusting contrast to his soft brown, curly hair.
"Dean-o! It's been years!" Pascal seemed gleeful. "I knew you when your mamma was still wiping your nose. I'm an old family friend. Sam never got around to introducing me to Jessica so I had to introduce myself. We got along like a house on fire!"
It took a moment for Dean to realize he was being slowly strangled, he hadn't even seen Pascal grab him by the throat. God, this thing killed Mom and Jessica.
"Your daddy chased me for years. You always thought he was some big shot hunter, couldn't believe he got offed by some ghost. Well you're right of course, Constance didn't kill him." For a wild moment Dean hoped John was still alive.
"John was always a loser, he got as many people killed as he saved." Dean struggled fiercely and the demon laughed. "He never deserved your loyalty Dean. He was killed by a human. Yeah, that's right, the bastard was off his game, too drunk to notice getting taken down by a carjacker." Pascal smiled. "Well I had to reward that carjacker for removing that particular thorn, introduced him to Constance."
Dean sagged in defeat. He could not hear Sammy anymore.
"Why he might even still be alive if only he had let other Hunters help him. Even these Comacines here offered to help. Sammy would have never left you. If Johnny boy would have just listened, just been a little less obsessed you all could have been together, happy, even after Mommy."
He tried blinking back tears and failed. He had thought these things; they lurked in the back of his mind. It tore into Dean that this thing was probably right.
"I had to admit, I was curious about the new woman in your life so I dropped by to introduce myself. Vera wasn't very friendly though, wouldn't invite me in. Have to wonder why she's so rude, but what can you expect of a witch-bitch?" Dean realized that the demon was strangling him just enough to make him work to breath, but not enough to actually kill him. "I'm going to drop by and see Nora soon. I'm sure her hospitality will be better then Vera's."
The parody of Pascal's face leaned in close. "Sooner or later they all leave you Dean, but don't worry; I'm a better daddy then John and a better mommy than Mary. I won't knock you up and then leave you alone to fend for yourself. I won't get myself killed doing something stupid. You always were the obedient son and soon you'll be my son Dean. That will torment Sammy. If I can't get Sam to join me then I'll drive him to the edge of insanity. He's so powerful he could level a whole town." The thing barred its teeth and licked its lips.
Sam was still alive; that gave Dean a surge of hope. Dean struggled futilely, fingers clawing at the plaster at his sides. He could feel pressure on his chest now, as if a rock was slowly crushing him. He had to do something. He had to stop this thing somehow. Dean knew he had to protect Vera, Sammy and Jay. Fuck, where were the Comacines? Straining, he could finally hear movement in the living room.
The pressure let off a bit once Dean's vision began to black out. "We need to get going. I had to knock Pascal up fast and messy. He's incubating your sister. The Comacines are all connected you know, like a beehive. This little Seer will infect the entire Comacine Order. I'll take my time with you. I'll actually give you a kiss and a hand around while I fuck you, both physically and spiritually. If you're nice to me, I'll even use lube." It let out a whoop of victory that echoed off the walls.
He began to gasp as Pascal slowly began squeezing his neck harder, obviously wanting to choke him into unconsciousness. As Dean's vision began to fade, he suddenly saw Vera behind the demon, her bitch face on and holding a sword. Damn it, they both must be dead.
* * *
Oh, this was just too good; Sam locked in the bathroom, Jay Kesterson severely injured, Vera slowly choking to death and bodies scattered all over the house. His daughter was growing within the Comacine seer and he had Dean Winchester. The Comacines were reeling from the deaths of two of their members and the possession of a third. The sweet little Priory Empath-healer was dead. He had managed to damage the lives of hundreds of people here; not too bad for a night's work.
Time to leave and let the Orders and local Guardians try to pick up the pieces. He would let the others know this area was ripe for the pickings.
A shout vibrating on his level of reality caused him to turn, dropping Dean Winchester. He almost laughed; it was Ashera. Was she dead already? Too bad, he was hoping she would struggle a little longer. He took a closer look; much to his delight, she was still alive, astral projecting. With a part of her spirit still tethered to her body, she was weak. "You're a tough little witch priestess, I have to give you that. But you can't last for long; you're going to die if you try to fight me."
She snarled, "My physical death won't slow me down, and it's a sacrifice I am willing to make. Are you really willing to face me here, on this ground when I am ready to die and use the power of my death energy to destroy you?"
He laughed; she was so weak she could not do anything but taunt. He jerked Dean by one arm and began dragging him across the scarred and bloodstained floor, throwing the front door open with a crash. Ashera flittered around him like moth, following him out. He slammed the door shut behind him.
The laughing stopped when he stepped out to the porch; there was a priest and priestess, already united. The grim-faced female Comacine facing him was a seasoned veteran and not affected by the sudden deaths of her Order members. She leveled a gun at the meat suit incubating his daughter. He growled in utter frustration.
* * *
By night's dark shade and by this hour
Most ancient of the Gods on you I call
Remembrance of past lives in him awaken
That the dark forces shall no more enthrall
Will was grim; there was no way he was going to let this thing have the young seer or Dean Winchester. It was not just because Dean was Vera's student and Pascal was a member of a friendly Order. He recognized how evil this thing was; no wonder the Winchesters never settled anywhere for long with this thing stalking them. He just praised the Gods that Emma showed up, no matter how unpleasant the woman could be. Pascal's eyes glowed more brightly as the sacred chant flowed on and he could almost see the dark tendrils that entangled him.
We claim our lives, our liberty, our light
Part of all Life that flows eternally
We are the microcosm of the whole
Kindred of star and stone and greenwood tree
Pascal's eyes turned back to his normal brown color, he sank to his knees in slow motion. "Kill me," he gasped. He felt the malevolence of the demon and he could not let it escape to rend and destroy other lives. His former life as a Guardian surged forward, he would give his life to protect his land, and Ravenmocker would welcome him again.
Cheryl kept her gun leveled on Pascal but would not shoot. She did not believe in mysticism, but if Woodfin and this new woman could save Pascal, she would never patronize any of the magicians again. If it came down to a choice between Dean and Pascal, she would have to choose her Order brother.
Awake in us the power to do Your Will
Kindle within us love's eternal flame
Accept us as your own…
Vera saw the demon's grip on Pascal fail. She was weak and could not hurt the damned thing as much as she wanted to so she went after the tendrils that were enwrapping the young man. It actually made the demon scream.
The demon twisted and hissed; the Comacine seer was fighting him with renewed strength and actually gained control for a moment. The priest and priestess in front of him were setting in motion a wave of force and sanctity and the witch-priestess might be feeble but she was smart enough to go after his weakest point. With a snarl, he catapulted himself away from the young seer and fled. He looked regretfully at Dean; there had been no time to plant the embryo of his son. Maybe his daughter could survive by leaping the connections between the Comacines.
In the mean time, he would see how they picked up the pieces.
***
Will & Emma's chant is an adaptation of Doreen Valiente.
Chapter 28
Author: atana_blackfox & paintercrow
Rating: Mature. Language (most chapters). Rape and torture chapters have separate warnings. Character deaths (Ballad novels/OCs).
Warning: Language (most chapters). Rape and torture chapters have separate warnings. Character deaths (Ballad novels/OCs). Sex--both hetero and homosexual.
Summary: The Yellow-Eyed Demon returns
Disclaimer: Supernatural or Ballad novel story elements/characters not ours.
Griffin wrinkled his nose in distaste; Dean was rubbing down oddly shaped pieces of metal with something that stank. Still, Dean was his human and he had not spent much time with him recently, so he stayed curled up against his thigh on the couch. One of the stranger-humans who had invaded was playing with long threads and Griffin found himself twitching at the sight of the swaying strands as Ben knitted. He rolled over onto his belly, paws tensing as he prepared to pounce.
The attack was aborted when Star climbed up onto the couch, clearly in a huff. Griffin gave her an inquiring look.
"They doing it again," she grumbled, clearly put out.
"Who?" Griffin was curious.
"My human and Jay. Thunder thinks it's funny. They start making strange noises and smells and won't pay attention to anything else!"
"Oh, that," Griff just rolled over and began grooming the younger cat. "Shade says it's good for them and to just stay out of their way."
Star continued fussing, obviously not caring if it was good for humans or not and wanting Sam's undivided attention. After a few moments, the kitten began to shake and squalled in alarm, causing Dean to jump.
"Something's here! Something bad!" Griffin was shocked; he knew he was not very psychic. He could not figure out what it could be, but he took it seriously when Star scrambled off the couch and crawled under it.
His human was smart and he was already moving when they all heard the gun shot. Griffin rolled off the couch with Dean, careful not to trip him as they both ran for the great hall.
* * *
Damned cat. Why did witches' familiars have blessed claws and teeth? He had to abandon the body of the Comacine nurse. The brat in the hall would have been delightful to have. His shining, trusting and blood-streaked face would have been an absolute perversion as he killed his way through the house. Somehow, the brat had disappeared on him. He could have broken through that strange shielding but he did not want to wait.
An older man had appeared behind the brat, arrogant, self-centered, burnt out and bitter; it should have been easy to possess him. The older man was reaching out for the brat, not afraid of the blackness he was, determined to save the child. He dove for him but drew back in disgust, a Healer. No matter how corrupted they became, all healers were touched by divinity and he could not possess him. He would be the first to kill after the witch-bitch.
Snarling in frustration, he flowed down the hallway. The next person he came upon was another Comacine; a young seer. He was depressed, his shields weak and he was near exhausted.
Perfect
* * *
He had a love/hate relationship with the drugged, painless calm that the Comacines forced on him. It was good not to hurt but they always wanted him to take so many pills he could barely think. He was just beginning to drift off into a sweet oblivion when the sound of a gunshot ripped through the house.
Jay scrambled up off the bed, almost tripping over Thunder who ran in front of him. He threw the door open hard enough it bounced off the wall. He could hear Elizabeth screaming at him to stop, heard Sam's yells from the bathroom, but none of that mattered. It could be Aunt Vera or Dean and he could not stay in his room while one of them might be dead or dying.
Thunder kept barking at him and trying to get in front of him and Elizabeth was racing down the hall towards him as he reached the head of the stairs. The drugs where making him slow, he could barely feel his arms and legs but he had to go.
Elizabeth was right behind him as he stumbled down the stairs, numb hands pawing at the handrails as he saw Pascal at the base of the stairs. His eyes flashed yellow and Jay flew through the air, heard Elizabeth screaming again before the world stopped.
* * *
Starlight's unexpected yowls shot through Dean like a bolt of lightning. Every time that little cat had a fit something was wrong with Sam. Ben and Atin, who had joined them in the living room, seemed dazed, sitting glassy eyed as light from the television flickered over them. Dean did not know what was wrong with them and no time to find out. His stomach clenched when he heard a gunshot.
Griffin ran next to him, skittering out into the great hall, his claws slipping as he tried to find purchase on the wooden floors. Dean himself almost skidded to a stop when suddenly Pascal was in his way, looking terrified.
"Move!" Dean bellowed, trying to get around him. Pascal just smiled and suddenly he was slammed against the wall. Griff leapt at Pascal, but with a yellow flare to his eyes, he somehow sent the familiar flying back into the living room. Dean's guts twisted when he heard Griffin squall.
"No no, kitty. I've had enough of your blessed claws tonight."
Dean could hear Sammy yelling from somewhere upstairs and someone pounding on the walls. Elizabeth was screaming and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jay tumble down the stairs. He could not turn his head. With a laugh and a yellow-eyed flare, Dean heard someone hitting the wall and the sickening crack of breaking bones.
Pascal or whatever thing was in him turned his attention back to Dean, who strained against the wall, still unable to move, unable to even turn his head away from the yellow-eyed son of a bitch. It reeked of evil. The glow of the yellow eyes made the young seer's face look sickly and it was an almost disgusting contrast to his soft brown, curly hair.
"Dean-o! It's been years!" Pascal seemed gleeful. "I knew you when your mamma was still wiping your nose. I'm an old family friend. Sam never got around to introducing me to Jessica so I had to introduce myself. We got along like a house on fire!"
It took a moment for Dean to realize he was being slowly strangled, he hadn't even seen Pascal grab him by the throat. God, this thing killed Mom and Jessica.
"Your daddy chased me for years. You always thought he was some big shot hunter, couldn't believe he got offed by some ghost. Well you're right of course, Constance didn't kill him." For a wild moment Dean hoped John was still alive.
"John was always a loser, he got as many people killed as he saved." Dean struggled fiercely and the demon laughed. "He never deserved your loyalty Dean. He was killed by a human. Yeah, that's right, the bastard was off his game, too drunk to notice getting taken down by a carjacker." Pascal smiled. "Well I had to reward that carjacker for removing that particular thorn, introduced him to Constance."
Dean sagged in defeat. He could not hear Sammy anymore.
"Why he might even still be alive if only he had let other Hunters help him. Even these Comacines here offered to help. Sammy would have never left you. If Johnny boy would have just listened, just been a little less obsessed you all could have been together, happy, even after Mommy."
He tried blinking back tears and failed. He had thought these things; they lurked in the back of his mind. It tore into Dean that this thing was probably right.
"I had to admit, I was curious about the new woman in your life so I dropped by to introduce myself. Vera wasn't very friendly though, wouldn't invite me in. Have to wonder why she's so rude, but what can you expect of a witch-bitch?" Dean realized that the demon was strangling him just enough to make him work to breath, but not enough to actually kill him. "I'm going to drop by and see Nora soon. I'm sure her hospitality will be better then Vera's."
The parody of Pascal's face leaned in close. "Sooner or later they all leave you Dean, but don't worry; I'm a better daddy then John and a better mommy than Mary. I won't knock you up and then leave you alone to fend for yourself. I won't get myself killed doing something stupid. You always were the obedient son and soon you'll be my son Dean. That will torment Sammy. If I can't get Sam to join me then I'll drive him to the edge of insanity. He's so powerful he could level a whole town." The thing barred its teeth and licked its lips.
Sam was still alive; that gave Dean a surge of hope. Dean struggled futilely, fingers clawing at the plaster at his sides. He could feel pressure on his chest now, as if a rock was slowly crushing him. He had to do something. He had to stop this thing somehow. Dean knew he had to protect Vera, Sammy and Jay. Fuck, where were the Comacines? Straining, he could finally hear movement in the living room.
The pressure let off a bit once Dean's vision began to black out. "We need to get going. I had to knock Pascal up fast and messy. He's incubating your sister. The Comacines are all connected you know, like a beehive. This little Seer will infect the entire Comacine Order. I'll take my time with you. I'll actually give you a kiss and a hand around while I fuck you, both physically and spiritually. If you're nice to me, I'll even use lube." It let out a whoop of victory that echoed off the walls.
He began to gasp as Pascal slowly began squeezing his neck harder, obviously wanting to choke him into unconsciousness. As Dean's vision began to fade, he suddenly saw Vera behind the demon, her bitch face on and holding a sword. Damn it, they both must be dead.
* * *
Oh, this was just too good; Sam locked in the bathroom, Jay Kesterson severely injured, Vera slowly choking to death and bodies scattered all over the house. His daughter was growing within the Comacine seer and he had Dean Winchester. The Comacines were reeling from the deaths of two of their members and the possession of a third. The sweet little Priory Empath-healer was dead. He had managed to damage the lives of hundreds of people here; not too bad for a night's work.
Time to leave and let the Orders and local Guardians try to pick up the pieces. He would let the others know this area was ripe for the pickings.
A shout vibrating on his level of reality caused him to turn, dropping Dean Winchester. He almost laughed; it was Ashera. Was she dead already? Too bad, he was hoping she would struggle a little longer. He took a closer look; much to his delight, she was still alive, astral projecting. With a part of her spirit still tethered to her body, she was weak. "You're a tough little witch priestess, I have to give you that. But you can't last for long; you're going to die if you try to fight me."
She snarled, "My physical death won't slow me down, and it's a sacrifice I am willing to make. Are you really willing to face me here, on this ground when I am ready to die and use the power of my death energy to destroy you?"
He laughed; she was so weak she could not do anything but taunt. He jerked Dean by one arm and began dragging him across the scarred and bloodstained floor, throwing the front door open with a crash. Ashera flittered around him like moth, following him out. He slammed the door shut behind him.
The laughing stopped when he stepped out to the porch; there was a priest and priestess, already united. The grim-faced female Comacine facing him was a seasoned veteran and not affected by the sudden deaths of her Order members. She leveled a gun at the meat suit incubating his daughter. He growled in utter frustration.
* * *
By night's dark shade and by this hour
Most ancient of the Gods on you I call
Remembrance of past lives in him awaken
That the dark forces shall no more enthrall
Will was grim; there was no way he was going to let this thing have the young seer or Dean Winchester. It was not just because Dean was Vera's student and Pascal was a member of a friendly Order. He recognized how evil this thing was; no wonder the Winchesters never settled anywhere for long with this thing stalking them. He just praised the Gods that Emma showed up, no matter how unpleasant the woman could be. Pascal's eyes glowed more brightly as the sacred chant flowed on and he could almost see the dark tendrils that entangled him.
We claim our lives, our liberty, our light
Part of all Life that flows eternally
We are the microcosm of the whole
Kindred of star and stone and greenwood tree
Pascal's eyes turned back to his normal brown color, he sank to his knees in slow motion. "Kill me," he gasped. He felt the malevolence of the demon and he could not let it escape to rend and destroy other lives. His former life as a Guardian surged forward, he would give his life to protect his land, and Ravenmocker would welcome him again.
Cheryl kept her gun leveled on Pascal but would not shoot. She did not believe in mysticism, but if Woodfin and this new woman could save Pascal, she would never patronize any of the magicians again. If it came down to a choice between Dean and Pascal, she would have to choose her Order brother.
Awake in us the power to do Your Will
Kindle within us love's eternal flame
Accept us as your own…
Vera saw the demon's grip on Pascal fail. She was weak and could not hurt the damned thing as much as she wanted to so she went after the tendrils that were enwrapping the young man. It actually made the demon scream.
The demon twisted and hissed; the Comacine seer was fighting him with renewed strength and actually gained control for a moment. The priest and priestess in front of him were setting in motion a wave of force and sanctity and the witch-priestess might be feeble but she was smart enough to go after his weakest point. With a snarl, he catapulted himself away from the young seer and fled. He looked regretfully at Dean; there had been no time to plant the embryo of his son. Maybe his daughter could survive by leaping the connections between the Comacines.
In the mean time, he would see how they picked up the pieces.
***
Will & Emma's chant is an adaptation of Doreen Valiente.
Chapter 28