Mala Fide Part Two
Title: Mala fide (2/3)
Author:
scyllaya
Rating: NC-17
Characters and/or Pairing: Dean/Gabriel
Spoilers: Up to 6.11, goes AU from there.
Warnings: cursing, graphic sexual content (male/male), threesome (Dean/Gabriel/Gabriel-copy)
Word Count: ~ 10 300
Summary: Sequel/Prequel to Sum quod sum. Dean and Gabriel investigate the case of the missing children in La Crosse, Kansas.
Disclaimer: All names and characters in this story belong to CW/WB and Kripke. I’m making no profit whatsoever. It’s just for fun! Don’t sue me! :D
AN: This is the sixth story of my “ Numinous verse”. Un-betad, sorry for that. Ignore my mistakes please!
MASTERPOST
<<< Part One
Part Two
Dean found himself in a warm place, sun shining so brightly that he had to close his eyes for a bit and even after it took him a few seconds to adjust to the brilliance. When he looked around they were walking in soft grass, a light breeze carrying the scent of water and he could almost hear the water flowing from somewhere far, but mostly it was just the sound of the wind catching the leaves in the tree crowns. On every side, tall grey-white stone walls towered and if anything everything looked like he was in the garden of a medieval fortress.
The grass turned into a stony path but Dean only noticed it later as he was taking in his surrounding and he probably would’ve stopped to just look around for a few seconds if Gabriel wasn’t dragging him along.
‘Where are we?’ he asked.
‘In-between’ Gabriel said.
‘If you keep being cryptic for one more second I swear I’m gonna find a way to punch you without braking my hand’ Dean grumbled, but he only managed to get a chuckle out of Gabriel. It was really disappointing that he couldn’t actually threaten Gabriel in any way. He was an archangel, so he couldn’t just punch him or anything and they both knew that he wouldn’t actually use any weapon that could really harm him. He could always try the classic chick-move, which of course made him feel like one, but he really sucked at the withholding sex thing. First he liked having sex all too much and secondly, Gabriel could shatter his resolve in the matter in two seconds flat, the bastard was way too good at what he was doing.
‘It’s a place that is not in the human world, but it’s still not a completely different reality. It’s a place in-between two places.’ the archangel answered. ‘Cool, huh?’ he looked back over his shoulder. ‘Think of it like an unused space, like a small alley between two skyscrapers.’ he simplified it.
They reached an enormous wooden door at the end of the stony pathway and the Traveler pushed it open with an easy movement.
‘We have guests’ he announced to the completely empty entry hall. A few seconds later a woman in her mid-forties appeared from one of the doors, he eyes widened at the sight.
‘Loki!’ she called. ‘It’s Loki!’ she turned back in the door. Gabriel let go of Dean’s wrist as they walked inside and the next minutes were so hasty that Dean absolutely lost track of things. People appeared after the woman exclaimed their arrival. The fist wave was mostly women and girls, but then Dean started to notice men appear from up the stairs and side-doors.
The first woman seemed to have been the oldest among them all, and Dean counted nine women in grand total. Dean started to suspect that they were the so-called “daughters” of the stranger. He almost lost sight of Gabriel as he was ran down and hugged and encircled among them. The guys, there were five of them, none of them seemed older than Dean himself, one was definitely just a teen, didn’t get that enthusiastic, but there were cheerful greetings and friendly shoulder pats. When the younger women started crying Dean seriously just wanted to get the hell out, he didn’t like seeing women cry, even if it was tears of joy mostly in this case. As the whole riot started to calm down it was only two of the younger girls, they looked around 15 to Dean, who just didn’t stop sobbing, one of them encircled her arms around Gabriel’s neck and the other was clinging to his jacket, her face buried in his chest. Dean saw that Gabriel was talking to them in a quiet tone and they nodded and cried, but it finally took some of the older women to pry them off of Gabriel.
‘Now children’ the Traveler spoke up after that. ‘Let Loki breath for a second, I’m sure he will have time to spend with us’ he said. He took his hat off, which revealed short black curly hair, his eyes didn’t seem like that of a demon’s now in the bright light, but it was a very deep sparkling black color that was almost unnerving for Dean to look at and he was used to intense stares.
He started walking towards the stairs at the end of the hall and Gabriel once again turned to Dean.
‘C’mon’ he gestured with his head. Dean still had no idea what everything was about, but he sure as hell would get everything out of the archangel as soon as they were alone.
‘Who’s this?’ asked one of the women; they obviously just noticed he was there of course.
‘He seems cute’ he heard one of the others say.
‘Hands off ladies’ Gabriel said in a positively playful tone. 'I'm not sharing.' He started walking after the Traveler and Dean followed. They were almost at the top of the stairs when the dark man spoke again.
'Despite being happy seeing you alive and well Loki, I do wonder what your explanation is about why I have a hunter in my house.'
'I would not bring someone here who would be a threat to any of you' Gabriel answered.
'Good, I'd hate it if our friendship got jeopardized.'
'How d'you know I was a hunter?' Dean asked. The Traveler chuckled.
'Oh I'm really good at spotting your kind, boy' he told him. He opened a wooden door and stepped in. Gabriel and Dean followed. It was some sort of a library as it turned out as there were books and scrolls all over the tall shelves. The traveler sat down onto an armchair, Gabriel dropped himself down onto the couch so Dean sat next to him.
'So, what brings you here, Loki?' he asked. 'And please enlighten me about your companion's presence.'
'He's here because of the children' the archangel replied.
'The children?' the man asked in return.
'The kids that went missing in town, that's the case I followed and was working on before... Loki got us here' Dean said. The Traveler shared a look with Gabriel that Dean couldn't understand. Then the man started laughing quietly.
'Oh, this will be utterly delightful' he said while he shook his head. He looked at Gabriel one more time before shifting his dark gaze on Dean. 'I congratulate you young hunter' he told him, then smiled. 'I am your case.'
'What do you mean that “your my case”?' Dean asked with a frown.
'That the children are here, I took them' the man answered. Dean snapped his attention at Gabriel as for confirmation, which he got as the angel nodded at him. The hunter couldn't believe his ears; he looked back at the Traveler with narrowed eyes.
'Why?' he asked. 'What did you do to them or planning to do?' Normally he would have a gun out by now, or a stake or a knife, but Gabriel was sitting calmly by his side. And the archangel was not a hunter and the guy was obviously his friend, but he would not take Dean to some nasty monster’s house.
'Raise them with care, cherish them, love and teach them like a good father does' he answered calmly.
'What?' he was confused now.
'They're my children, I just brought them home to their real family.'
'Their parents are back in the town, looking for them' Dean said.
'Their so-called parents gave them to me' was the answer he got. 'They had wishes, they asked for things and I fulfilled them, I merely took what was promised to me as an exchange.'
'We're talking deals' Dean said as he got it as an unpleasant feeling was overwhelming him. He wasn't sure who he was starting to get angry at yet.
'Dean, calm down and listen' Gabriel told him. Dean looked at him.
'What the hell you mean I should calm down, your buddy just told me that he deals with humans for their kids. Why the hell would you take them?' he looked back at the man.
'I told you, they are my children. They were promised to me long before they were born.'
'Oh so that should make it OK?' he asked. 'Kidnapping kids from their families, just because some desperate human makes a stupid decision?' His mother's image popped into his head as she sealed a deal with a demon for John Winchester's life.
'I can assure you that they were not desperate' the Traveler told easily. 'I'm no demon boy, do not treat me like one.' his voice was still calm and Dean wasn't sure whether he was threatened or not. 'They summoned me and I merely agreed to what they have decided on their own free will and I explained my terms very clearly.' he locked his black eyes on Dean, looking searchingly at him. 'Who are you really angry at?' he asked then. 'Me? Or the humans who were so willing to sell their own blood, their unborn children for wealth, success and beauty, because those were the things they asked for.'
'He's telling the truth' Gabriel spoke.
'But it's... they're still their families!' Dean argued. 'The kids belong with them.'
'Why?' the Traveler asked in return. 'Family is no right boy, but a privilege. They gave up that, they threw it away carelessly, sold their blood out like a piece of property. You really think that a parent capable of such thing is what a child deserves?'
'Well...' he couldn't say anything to that even if he was not yet ready to admit that.
'And you met my other children just now, do they seem like they hate me as their father or that they do not love this family?'
'Everyone?' he asked. 'They are all kids you took?'
'Yes, all of them' the Traveler nodded. Dean frowned and let the whole thing sink in first, digesting the news.
‘You want to see my youngest to see with your own eyes that they’re fine?’ the Traveler asked.
‘Yeah, sure’ Dean nodded; he felt it like he was in a daze. He thought that there ought to be something else he could say to prove that the parents deserved to have their kids back but he didn’t find the words. He followed the Traveler and Gabriel down the hall deep in thought. He was mildly aware of Gabriel saying sorry for all the trouble and how the Traveler just waved his hand dismissively saying he understood. Dean was still just trying to figure out what he should say to make a valid point. He met the parents, they were not downright lovely people, but that didn’t mean they weren’t good parents, but then again if what the Traveler said was true, and Gabriel confirmed that it was, then they willingly sold their kids, which was just plain wrong in Dean’s opinion. At least when making a demon deal, you were dealing with yourself, gave away something that belonged to you, sealed your own fate, well in most cases anyway. This was an entirely different matter.
‘There they are’ the Traveler said and it snapped Dean out of his thoughts. Both Gabriel and the man were standing at a large window so Dean stepped closer too. He saw a different inner garden outside and he recognized the missing children from their photos right away, they were with some of the older “children”, running around, giggling and laughing. There were balls and other toys scattered around on the green grass and it took Dean a second to notice the little black fox kits running around in the grass, it’s were the things the kids were chasing around.
‘What’s up with the foxes?’ he asked. Both Gabriel and the Traveler chuckled at that.
‘That’s Urdung’s familiar’ Gabriel said. ‘You did notice that he’s a god at this point, right?’
‘Yeah, I got that one’ Dean answered. ‘Never heard of you though.’
‘I’m not surprised by that, humans tend to remember gods who demand to be worshipped, and tricksters are rarely among those.’ Dean took a halt and stared at the god after that.
‘You’re a trickster?’ he asked in surprise.
‘I am many things, boy. But yes I can be considered as one.’ He stepped away from the window and started to walk down the corridor again, Dean followed and Gabriel walked beside him.
‘Simply calling you a trickster does not do you justice Urdung’ Gabriel told him. ‘He’s actually a creator god’ he turned to Dean. ‘I told you this is the place in-between, this is Urdung’s realm, his world.’
‘You mean he’s the God of this world, like… the Big Guy back in our world?’ Dean asked.
‘Oh, please do not compare me to Him’ Urdung said looking back over his shoulder. ‘It’s something both of us might be offended by.’ Gabriel laughed at the remark.
‘They’re different in many ways’ Gabriel continued. ‘But mainly by that he’s not a god of the human world, not exactly; he just passes by once in a while. He’s the Traveler because he has a door to every possible realm that’s out there and all can be reached from here.’
‘Huh’ was all Dean could add as a reaction.
‘The kids’ been here for a little while now’ Gabriel spoke again, but this time he was clearly talking to the god. ‘Anyone else visit already or am I the first one?’ he asked.
‘Oh no, some were quicker. Coyote and Raven arrived first, as always I might add, but Anansi reached me too. Then there was Tanuki and of course Set, and now you. I still expect Heyoka, Nanabozho, Eris and Crow to show up soon, they always do.’
Dean was running the names around his head quickly and he definitely heard one or two already in the past, but it took him a few moments to realize why he heard those names before.
‘Tricksters… those are all tricksters’ he said finally.
‘It’s a thing… whenever Urdung has new children we drop by, it started as a casual thing, but now it really grew out to be a mandatory social thing’ he chuckled at the end.
‘It’s an optional visit I can assure you’ Urgung replied.
‘Yeah I remember all your kids sulking for years when Tanuki didn’t show up one time, I think the only reason why they forgave him was that the reason he didn’t came was actually that he was captured and bound by a witch.’ It was Urdung’s turn to laugh.
They reached the library again and this time the Traveler offered drinks, Gabriel accepted, Dean declined.
‘I still can’t help but wondering Loki if that was all of your reasons to search me out’ he said after he sat back in his chair.
‘No, if I want to be honest’ Gabriel replied. ‘There’s a third reason. Many things happened in the past two years and it made me realize that I owe you the truth.’
Urdung leveled the archangel with a stare. ‘The truth?’ he asked. Dean was looking at Gabriel too and he wasn’t sure whether he meant what Dean thought he did.
‘About me’ the angel said and that made it quite obvious and Dean couldn’t help but remember how the last pagan gods reacted upon figuring out the truth, so he just hope Gabriel knew how to get out of this place or plane or realm quickly if they had to.
‘I am not one of the gods of Earth, or any god for that matter. I’m not a trickster or a pagan, it was just something I pretended to be to hide from my family’ Gabriel continued and Dean got quite tense as the words left the archangel’s mouth, he wasn’t sure if the angel was anxious or not, but he certainly didn’t show it. ‘My name is Gabriel’ he finally said and he looked the dark god in the eye. Urdung was regarding him with an unreadable expression.
‘The Archangel Gabriel’ he said after a long pause and the angel nodded. ‘Well, that certainly explains a few things’ Urdung added, like this was the last piece of a puzzle and now that it clicked into place everything was clear to him.
‘That’s… all?’ Gabriel asked.
‘Where you expecting something else?’ Urdung asked.
‘Yeah well, Kali stabbed me in the hearth while the others watched so, yeah I expected a little more indignation’ Gabriel admitted, which made the Traveler laugh again.
‘That’s the exact reason why I told you not to meddle with those kinds, bloodthirsty, jealous, and very prideful beings, all of them. But that pretty thing got your head so twisted around on your neck that it was almost falling off’ he said with a meaningful eyebrow-raise.
‘I learnt that lesson, trust me’ Gabriel told him with a chuckle. ‘But really? Nothing’s changed?’ he asked then.
‘I have offered you my friendship and you did not betray that, you’ve never done any harm to me or mine. And if I would be offended every time one of the tricksters manages to trick me I would be constantly angry. So I will just tell you this: you fooled all gods and Spirits, leading us ashtray for centuries, angel or not, you are a trickster my friend, a damn fine one.’ He raised his glass and emptied it. Gabriel did the same with a smile.
‘I’m really glad that you say that Urdung’ Gabriel said.
‘Yes, well I still hope you will feel glad after I tell you that I’m not going to be the one telling all my children this.’ Gabriel groaned and hung his head.
‘I should’ve brought some gifts… lot of gifts’ the archangel said, then he turned to Dean. ‘You mind waiting a bit while I deal with all this?’ he asked.
‘Nope, go ahead’ the hunter told him. Gabriel got off the couch and headed to the door closing it behind him.
There was a long silence after Gabriel’s departure and Dean started to feel that he should’ve gone with him.
‘I think Gabriel failed to introduce us properly’ Urdung said after then.
‘Yeah, um… I’m Dean Winchester’ he answered. ‘And I don’t think I can possibly pronounce your name properly’ he added then.
‘Traveler is fine’ the god answered. ‘Did we manage to put your mind at ease about the children?’ he asked.
‘I guess… it’s still weird, but… I get that you’re not the bad guy in this’ the hunter told him.
‘I’m glad to hear that, I have not encountered many hunters that thought that.’
‘If I met you a few years ago I probably would’ve tried to kill you’ Dean admitted. ‘I mean, I tried to kill Gabriel too, several times actually… when I thought he was only a trickster’ the memory made him laugh, because it seemed like a completely different life now that he was looking back at it.
‘What changed?’ the god asked.
‘Too many things to count’ Dean said. ‘But mainly me. Things used to be black and white, supernatural things are evil, it was simple as that, but damn… there is just… good and evil everywhere, humans and angels and now this? Some humans are willing to kill and torture for pleasure and then there are some vampires who try to hold onto their humanity, there was this rugaru guy, fighting against his nature and a hunter forced him to be a monster when he tried to kill his wife, and I met those parents now and here are you… and… I just don’t know where I stand anymore.’ He took a deep breath and then realized how easily he started talking. ‘Why am I telling you all this?’ he asked.
‘I have one of those faces’ the Traveler told him with a shrug and a smile.
‘You don’t have any sort of mojo on me here, right?’ he still asked because it was not like him to speak his mind so easily to an almost stranger, to a freakin’ god.
‘I would not treat a guest in such a way I can assure you’ he told him. ‘Humans tend to be able to share their thoughts with me quite easily; I really think that I just have one of those faces.’
Dean just looked at the guy and thought otherwise. It was not the face, but his whole presence, his gestures and posture, how he formed the words, how he looked at everyone. And suddenly he thought he knew why Gabriel liked the guy so much.
‘Some humans change very hardly, especially those who see what lurks in the darkness, what evil is out in your world, but I am quite glad to see that someone like you is willing to see everything for what it is rather than clinging to what was thought to you.’
‘Someone like me?’ he asked.
‘The humans who summon me usually do that because either they’re too afraid to summon a demon or they do not know about the crossroads, but those humans tend to have selfish or ill intentions, I treat them accordingly. You found me on your own.’
‘It was your… familiar… the black fox.’
‘This just proves that you’re a good man and you were driven by good intentions when traveling closer to my door. You were led by… faith’ He said then. ‘You did not know who you were looking for since you didn’t know who I was, so you put your faith… in Gabriel, so that’s how he found me’ the last was just an after thought, like he finally had the explanation to an unasked question.
‘I guess’ Dean shrugged he had nothing to say to that.
‘This is a good thing, a worthy trait in a human I can appreciate. I’m glad you have found your way here, good fortune may bless your future travels when you leave from here’ Urdung said finally.
Part Three >>>
Author:
scyllaya
Rating: NC-17
Characters and/or Pairing: Dean/Gabriel
Spoilers: Up to 6.11, goes AU from there.
Warnings: cursing, graphic sexual content (male/male), threesome (Dean/Gabriel/Gabriel-copy)
Word Count: ~ 10 300
Summary: Sequel/Prequel to Sum quod sum. Dean and Gabriel investigate the case of the missing children in La Crosse, Kansas.
Disclaimer: All names and characters in this story belong to CW/WB and Kripke. I’m making no profit whatsoever. It’s just for fun! Don’t sue me! :D
AN: This is the sixth story of my “ Numinous verse”. Un-betad, sorry for that. Ignore my mistakes please!
MASTERPOST
<<< Part One
Part Two
Dean found himself in a warm place, sun shining so brightly that he had to close his eyes for a bit and even after it took him a few seconds to adjust to the brilliance. When he looked around they were walking in soft grass, a light breeze carrying the scent of water and he could almost hear the water flowing from somewhere far, but mostly it was just the sound of the wind catching the leaves in the tree crowns. On every side, tall grey-white stone walls towered and if anything everything looked like he was in the garden of a medieval fortress.
The grass turned into a stony path but Dean only noticed it later as he was taking in his surrounding and he probably would’ve stopped to just look around for a few seconds if Gabriel wasn’t dragging him along.
‘Where are we?’ he asked.
‘In-between’ Gabriel said.
‘If you keep being cryptic for one more second I swear I’m gonna find a way to punch you without braking my hand’ Dean grumbled, but he only managed to get a chuckle out of Gabriel. It was really disappointing that he couldn’t actually threaten Gabriel in any way. He was an archangel, so he couldn’t just punch him or anything and they both knew that he wouldn’t actually use any weapon that could really harm him. He could always try the classic chick-move, which of course made him feel like one, but he really sucked at the withholding sex thing. First he liked having sex all too much and secondly, Gabriel could shatter his resolve in the matter in two seconds flat, the bastard was way too good at what he was doing.
‘It’s a place that is not in the human world, but it’s still not a completely different reality. It’s a place in-between two places.’ the archangel answered. ‘Cool, huh?’ he looked back over his shoulder. ‘Think of it like an unused space, like a small alley between two skyscrapers.’ he simplified it.
They reached an enormous wooden door at the end of the stony pathway and the Traveler pushed it open with an easy movement.
‘We have guests’ he announced to the completely empty entry hall. A few seconds later a woman in her mid-forties appeared from one of the doors, he eyes widened at the sight.
‘Loki!’ she called. ‘It’s Loki!’ she turned back in the door. Gabriel let go of Dean’s wrist as they walked inside and the next minutes were so hasty that Dean absolutely lost track of things. People appeared after the woman exclaimed their arrival. The fist wave was mostly women and girls, but then Dean started to notice men appear from up the stairs and side-doors.
The first woman seemed to have been the oldest among them all, and Dean counted nine women in grand total. Dean started to suspect that they were the so-called “daughters” of the stranger. He almost lost sight of Gabriel as he was ran down and hugged and encircled among them. The guys, there were five of them, none of them seemed older than Dean himself, one was definitely just a teen, didn’t get that enthusiastic, but there were cheerful greetings and friendly shoulder pats. When the younger women started crying Dean seriously just wanted to get the hell out, he didn’t like seeing women cry, even if it was tears of joy mostly in this case. As the whole riot started to calm down it was only two of the younger girls, they looked around 15 to Dean, who just didn’t stop sobbing, one of them encircled her arms around Gabriel’s neck and the other was clinging to his jacket, her face buried in his chest. Dean saw that Gabriel was talking to them in a quiet tone and they nodded and cried, but it finally took some of the older women to pry them off of Gabriel.
‘Now children’ the Traveler spoke up after that. ‘Let Loki breath for a second, I’m sure he will have time to spend with us’ he said. He took his hat off, which revealed short black curly hair, his eyes didn’t seem like that of a demon’s now in the bright light, but it was a very deep sparkling black color that was almost unnerving for Dean to look at and he was used to intense stares.
He started walking towards the stairs at the end of the hall and Gabriel once again turned to Dean.
‘C’mon’ he gestured with his head. Dean still had no idea what everything was about, but he sure as hell would get everything out of the archangel as soon as they were alone.
‘Who’s this?’ asked one of the women; they obviously just noticed he was there of course.
‘He seems cute’ he heard one of the others say.
‘Hands off ladies’ Gabriel said in a positively playful tone. 'I'm not sharing.' He started walking after the Traveler and Dean followed. They were almost at the top of the stairs when the dark man spoke again.
'Despite being happy seeing you alive and well Loki, I do wonder what your explanation is about why I have a hunter in my house.'
'I would not bring someone here who would be a threat to any of you' Gabriel answered.
'Good, I'd hate it if our friendship got jeopardized.'
'How d'you know I was a hunter?' Dean asked. The Traveler chuckled.
'Oh I'm really good at spotting your kind, boy' he told him. He opened a wooden door and stepped in. Gabriel and Dean followed. It was some sort of a library as it turned out as there were books and scrolls all over the tall shelves. The traveler sat down onto an armchair, Gabriel dropped himself down onto the couch so Dean sat next to him.
'So, what brings you here, Loki?' he asked. 'And please enlighten me about your companion's presence.'
'He's here because of the children' the archangel replied.
'The children?' the man asked in return.
'The kids that went missing in town, that's the case I followed and was working on before... Loki got us here' Dean said. The Traveler shared a look with Gabriel that Dean couldn't understand. Then the man started laughing quietly.
'Oh, this will be utterly delightful' he said while he shook his head. He looked at Gabriel one more time before shifting his dark gaze on Dean. 'I congratulate you young hunter' he told him, then smiled. 'I am your case.'
'What do you mean that “your my case”?' Dean asked with a frown.
'That the children are here, I took them' the man answered. Dean snapped his attention at Gabriel as for confirmation, which he got as the angel nodded at him. The hunter couldn't believe his ears; he looked back at the Traveler with narrowed eyes.
'Why?' he asked. 'What did you do to them or planning to do?' Normally he would have a gun out by now, or a stake or a knife, but Gabriel was sitting calmly by his side. And the archangel was not a hunter and the guy was obviously his friend, but he would not take Dean to some nasty monster’s house.
'Raise them with care, cherish them, love and teach them like a good father does' he answered calmly.
'What?' he was confused now.
'They're my children, I just brought them home to their real family.'
'Their parents are back in the town, looking for them' Dean said.
'Their so-called parents gave them to me' was the answer he got. 'They had wishes, they asked for things and I fulfilled them, I merely took what was promised to me as an exchange.'
'We're talking deals' Dean said as he got it as an unpleasant feeling was overwhelming him. He wasn't sure who he was starting to get angry at yet.
'Dean, calm down and listen' Gabriel told him. Dean looked at him.
'What the hell you mean I should calm down, your buddy just told me that he deals with humans for their kids. Why the hell would you take them?' he looked back at the man.
'I told you, they are my children. They were promised to me long before they were born.'
'Oh so that should make it OK?' he asked. 'Kidnapping kids from their families, just because some desperate human makes a stupid decision?' His mother's image popped into his head as she sealed a deal with a demon for John Winchester's life.
'I can assure you that they were not desperate' the Traveler told easily. 'I'm no demon boy, do not treat me like one.' his voice was still calm and Dean wasn't sure whether he was threatened or not. 'They summoned me and I merely agreed to what they have decided on their own free will and I explained my terms very clearly.' he locked his black eyes on Dean, looking searchingly at him. 'Who are you really angry at?' he asked then. 'Me? Or the humans who were so willing to sell their own blood, their unborn children for wealth, success and beauty, because those were the things they asked for.'
'He's telling the truth' Gabriel spoke.
'But it's... they're still their families!' Dean argued. 'The kids belong with them.'
'Why?' the Traveler asked in return. 'Family is no right boy, but a privilege. They gave up that, they threw it away carelessly, sold their blood out like a piece of property. You really think that a parent capable of such thing is what a child deserves?'
'Well...' he couldn't say anything to that even if he was not yet ready to admit that.
'And you met my other children just now, do they seem like they hate me as their father or that they do not love this family?'
'Everyone?' he asked. 'They are all kids you took?'
'Yes, all of them' the Traveler nodded. Dean frowned and let the whole thing sink in first, digesting the news.
‘You want to see my youngest to see with your own eyes that they’re fine?’ the Traveler asked.
‘Yeah, sure’ Dean nodded; he felt it like he was in a daze. He thought that there ought to be something else he could say to prove that the parents deserved to have their kids back but he didn’t find the words. He followed the Traveler and Gabriel down the hall deep in thought. He was mildly aware of Gabriel saying sorry for all the trouble and how the Traveler just waved his hand dismissively saying he understood. Dean was still just trying to figure out what he should say to make a valid point. He met the parents, they were not downright lovely people, but that didn’t mean they weren’t good parents, but then again if what the Traveler said was true, and Gabriel confirmed that it was, then they willingly sold their kids, which was just plain wrong in Dean’s opinion. At least when making a demon deal, you were dealing with yourself, gave away something that belonged to you, sealed your own fate, well in most cases anyway. This was an entirely different matter.
‘There they are’ the Traveler said and it snapped Dean out of his thoughts. Both Gabriel and the man were standing at a large window so Dean stepped closer too. He saw a different inner garden outside and he recognized the missing children from their photos right away, they were with some of the older “children”, running around, giggling and laughing. There were balls and other toys scattered around on the green grass and it took Dean a second to notice the little black fox kits running around in the grass, it’s were the things the kids were chasing around.
‘What’s up with the foxes?’ he asked. Both Gabriel and the Traveler chuckled at that.
‘That’s Urdung’s familiar’ Gabriel said. ‘You did notice that he’s a god at this point, right?’
‘Yeah, I got that one’ Dean answered. ‘Never heard of you though.’
‘I’m not surprised by that, humans tend to remember gods who demand to be worshipped, and tricksters are rarely among those.’ Dean took a halt and stared at the god after that.
‘You’re a trickster?’ he asked in surprise.
‘I am many things, boy. But yes I can be considered as one.’ He stepped away from the window and started to walk down the corridor again, Dean followed and Gabriel walked beside him.
‘Simply calling you a trickster does not do you justice Urdung’ Gabriel told him. ‘He’s actually a creator god’ he turned to Dean. ‘I told you this is the place in-between, this is Urdung’s realm, his world.’
‘You mean he’s the God of this world, like… the Big Guy back in our world?’ Dean asked.
‘Oh, please do not compare me to Him’ Urdung said looking back over his shoulder. ‘It’s something both of us might be offended by.’ Gabriel laughed at the remark.
‘They’re different in many ways’ Gabriel continued. ‘But mainly by that he’s not a god of the human world, not exactly; he just passes by once in a while. He’s the Traveler because he has a door to every possible realm that’s out there and all can be reached from here.’
‘Huh’ was all Dean could add as a reaction.
‘The kids’ been here for a little while now’ Gabriel spoke again, but this time he was clearly talking to the god. ‘Anyone else visit already or am I the first one?’ he asked.
‘Oh no, some were quicker. Coyote and Raven arrived first, as always I might add, but Anansi reached me too. Then there was Tanuki and of course Set, and now you. I still expect Heyoka, Nanabozho, Eris and Crow to show up soon, they always do.’
Dean was running the names around his head quickly and he definitely heard one or two already in the past, but it took him a few moments to realize why he heard those names before.
‘Tricksters… those are all tricksters’ he said finally.
‘It’s a thing… whenever Urdung has new children we drop by, it started as a casual thing, but now it really grew out to be a mandatory social thing’ he chuckled at the end.
‘It’s an optional visit I can assure you’ Urgung replied.
‘Yeah I remember all your kids sulking for years when Tanuki didn’t show up one time, I think the only reason why they forgave him was that the reason he didn’t came was actually that he was captured and bound by a witch.’ It was Urdung’s turn to laugh.
They reached the library again and this time the Traveler offered drinks, Gabriel accepted, Dean declined.
‘I still can’t help but wondering Loki if that was all of your reasons to search me out’ he said after he sat back in his chair.
‘No, if I want to be honest’ Gabriel replied. ‘There’s a third reason. Many things happened in the past two years and it made me realize that I owe you the truth.’
Urdung leveled the archangel with a stare. ‘The truth?’ he asked. Dean was looking at Gabriel too and he wasn’t sure whether he meant what Dean thought he did.
‘About me’ the angel said and that made it quite obvious and Dean couldn’t help but remember how the last pagan gods reacted upon figuring out the truth, so he just hope Gabriel knew how to get out of this place or plane or realm quickly if they had to.
‘I am not one of the gods of Earth, or any god for that matter. I’m not a trickster or a pagan, it was just something I pretended to be to hide from my family’ Gabriel continued and Dean got quite tense as the words left the archangel’s mouth, he wasn’t sure if the angel was anxious or not, but he certainly didn’t show it. ‘My name is Gabriel’ he finally said and he looked the dark god in the eye. Urdung was regarding him with an unreadable expression.
‘The Archangel Gabriel’ he said after a long pause and the angel nodded. ‘Well, that certainly explains a few things’ Urdung added, like this was the last piece of a puzzle and now that it clicked into place everything was clear to him.
‘That’s… all?’ Gabriel asked.
‘Where you expecting something else?’ Urdung asked.
‘Yeah well, Kali stabbed me in the hearth while the others watched so, yeah I expected a little more indignation’ Gabriel admitted, which made the Traveler laugh again.
‘That’s the exact reason why I told you not to meddle with those kinds, bloodthirsty, jealous, and very prideful beings, all of them. But that pretty thing got your head so twisted around on your neck that it was almost falling off’ he said with a meaningful eyebrow-raise.
‘I learnt that lesson, trust me’ Gabriel told him with a chuckle. ‘But really? Nothing’s changed?’ he asked then.
‘I have offered you my friendship and you did not betray that, you’ve never done any harm to me or mine. And if I would be offended every time one of the tricksters manages to trick me I would be constantly angry. So I will just tell you this: you fooled all gods and Spirits, leading us ashtray for centuries, angel or not, you are a trickster my friend, a damn fine one.’ He raised his glass and emptied it. Gabriel did the same with a smile.
‘I’m really glad that you say that Urdung’ Gabriel said.
‘Yes, well I still hope you will feel glad after I tell you that I’m not going to be the one telling all my children this.’ Gabriel groaned and hung his head.
‘I should’ve brought some gifts… lot of gifts’ the archangel said, then he turned to Dean. ‘You mind waiting a bit while I deal with all this?’ he asked.
‘Nope, go ahead’ the hunter told him. Gabriel got off the couch and headed to the door closing it behind him.
There was a long silence after Gabriel’s departure and Dean started to feel that he should’ve gone with him.
‘I think Gabriel failed to introduce us properly’ Urdung said after then.
‘Yeah, um… I’m Dean Winchester’ he answered. ‘And I don’t think I can possibly pronounce your name properly’ he added then.
‘Traveler is fine’ the god answered. ‘Did we manage to put your mind at ease about the children?’ he asked.
‘I guess… it’s still weird, but… I get that you’re not the bad guy in this’ the hunter told him.
‘I’m glad to hear that, I have not encountered many hunters that thought that.’
‘If I met you a few years ago I probably would’ve tried to kill you’ Dean admitted. ‘I mean, I tried to kill Gabriel too, several times actually… when I thought he was only a trickster’ the memory made him laugh, because it seemed like a completely different life now that he was looking back at it.
‘What changed?’ the god asked.
‘Too many things to count’ Dean said. ‘But mainly me. Things used to be black and white, supernatural things are evil, it was simple as that, but damn… there is just… good and evil everywhere, humans and angels and now this? Some humans are willing to kill and torture for pleasure and then there are some vampires who try to hold onto their humanity, there was this rugaru guy, fighting against his nature and a hunter forced him to be a monster when he tried to kill his wife, and I met those parents now and here are you… and… I just don’t know where I stand anymore.’ He took a deep breath and then realized how easily he started talking. ‘Why am I telling you all this?’ he asked.
‘I have one of those faces’ the Traveler told him with a shrug and a smile.
‘You don’t have any sort of mojo on me here, right?’ he still asked because it was not like him to speak his mind so easily to an almost stranger, to a freakin’ god.
‘I would not treat a guest in such a way I can assure you’ he told him. ‘Humans tend to be able to share their thoughts with me quite easily; I really think that I just have one of those faces.’
Dean just looked at the guy and thought otherwise. It was not the face, but his whole presence, his gestures and posture, how he formed the words, how he looked at everyone. And suddenly he thought he knew why Gabriel liked the guy so much.
‘Some humans change very hardly, especially those who see what lurks in the darkness, what evil is out in your world, but I am quite glad to see that someone like you is willing to see everything for what it is rather than clinging to what was thought to you.’
‘Someone like me?’ he asked.
‘The humans who summon me usually do that because either they’re too afraid to summon a demon or they do not know about the crossroads, but those humans tend to have selfish or ill intentions, I treat them accordingly. You found me on your own.’
‘It was your… familiar… the black fox.’
‘This just proves that you’re a good man and you were driven by good intentions when traveling closer to my door. You were led by… faith’ He said then. ‘You did not know who you were looking for since you didn’t know who I was, so you put your faith… in Gabriel, so that’s how he found me’ the last was just an after thought, like he finally had the explanation to an unasked question.
‘I guess’ Dean shrugged he had nothing to say to that.
‘This is a good thing, a worthy trait in a human I can appreciate. I’m glad you have found your way here, good fortune may bless your future travels when you leave from here’ Urdung said finally.
Part Three >>>