Tablet of Destinies (52 page)

And don't be thinking you can simply teleport yourself elsewhere as, inside this chamber, you are restrained by the same PK teleportation shield lock that keeps me prisoner here, and prevents any visitors. Gwyn ap Nudd is the warden of this place and only he can shut off the shield or release me from this dwelling.
There was an implant inside Shamash which prevented him from leaving the fortress, lest he be inflicted with grievous pain.

‘Exit, stage right,' Tory uttered aside to Maelgwn and they both made a break for the entrance door on foot. Beyond the fortress the PKT shield would not prevent them from using teleportation.

At Shamash's request, the absent stone gargoyles emerged from the large sandstone blocks around the entranceway and, crowding together into the opening, they merged into a solid wall that depicted a mosaic of the devilish creatures.

Both Tory and Maelgwn ground to a halt, trapped inside the circle.

In amidst all the spindly limbs, bodies, wings and ghoulish faces depicted in stone before her, Tory spied a golden object, which upon closer inspection turned out to be her wedding ring. ‘Tobit,' she whispered, and the little devil that wore the band of gold around his neck winked at her and then returned to his lot of appearing gruesome. ‘Traitor,' she told him, as they'd once been friends.

Maelgwn was relieved to have sent the Devas back to Kila. If the weapon Shamash held shot Orme charichalum bullets as feared, then the witch had the power to convert even the holiest spirit to her cause. An overdose of the substance would disperse all cosmic light from the soul-mind, plunging it deep into Density where it effectively put a stop to itself. ‘Why should the shielding of Anu be of concern to you?' Maelgwn walked back over to confront Shamash. ‘Beyond that it will save the lives of billions?'

Ah …
Shamash was pleased they'd finally got back to the issue at hand.
No light from Anu will be able to penetrate the shield you propose, and once cut off from the light of the soul's source, the Nefilim will cease to exist … which will prove awfully inconvenient for myself.

Tory could hardly believe that a Nefilim Lord could be so gullible. ‘Anu is going to self-destruct anyway!
Can't you see that Mahaud is just playing you for a fool so she can wreak some mischief before she claims your soul forever?'

That's not what I have planned at all,
he hissed and it seemed that Mahaud had taken control of the conversation.
I shall have possession of your immortal body, Tory Alexander, so I am no longer confined to this place. And he,
Shamash pointed to Maelgwn,
shall be completely devoted to my cause.
Shamash screeched with the crone's grating laughter.
I will survive this Nefilim fool … he shall be bound to our service forever more, once Anu withdraws from this level of awareness.

Tory squeezed Maelgwn's hand to fortify their love for one another, then let go to approach the crone and her captive. ‘If you can hear me, Shamash, we're here to tell you that your future doesn't have to be as the crone would have you believe —'

Mahaud began growling and snarling loudly to drown out Tory's words.

‘You can return to Anu's fold,' she yelled in defiance. ‘Your mistake doesn't have to cost you your soul! By allowing Mahaud into your body she can now inflict her will upon you, but she cannot occupy your body against your wish. Banish her and save face with the Logoi.'

Shamash released a great howl, as the two occupants of his body did battle briefly.
I'll move when I'm good and ready.
He took aim and fired his weapon at Maelgwn, and although the Dragon dived aside the space-age dart hit his leg.

The sharp tip bore deep into his skin and self-administered its dosage on impact. ‘Oh Goddess, I'm hit!'
He pulled the dart out, having felt the vile substance enter his body.

‘Please, no.' Tory fell to her knees beside him, helpless to change the horror that was about to transform the man she loved into his grossest aspect.

‘I am going to say and do terrible things.' Maelgwn grabbed hold of his wife. ‘Don't hesitate to defend yourself … ah!' He curled up, experiencing great torment as the warm energy centre in his chest began to turn cold, his attitude along with it.

Tory stood, angered by the harsh torture the crone had inflicted on her love. ‘Come on, Shamash, you piss weak excuse for a God!' she yelled, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. ‘You must have a charm that keeps the crone bound to you.
Give it up
, or I shall tear you apart to find it!'

Dragon, control your wife!
the crone ordered as Tory stormed towards her. Mahaud had her own problems as the angry soul of Shamash was attempting to regain control of his right hand to reach inside his robes.
Back off.
Mahaud assumed control of the renegade limb, and with a wave of her hand, sent Tory flying backward into her husband's arisen form.

‘Too easy.' Maelgwn gripped her behind the neck, and Tory's automatic response was to defend herself.

A well-placed elbow to her captor's gut, and a smash to the face with the saxophone she held, won Tory freedom and she darted away to circle her husband in a sparring fashion. ‘He won't defeat me,' Tory told the crone, casting the saxophone aside, regretting that she'd used it as a weapon. ‘You're wasting your time.'

Who said I wanted him to …? I shall find it far more entertaining watching you beat the one you love senseless.

‘Oh, I shall defeat her,' Maelgwn assured, wiping his bloodied nose as he glared at Tory hungry for the challenge. ‘I've just never put my heart and soul into it before.'

Maelgwn lashed out with a fast-moving sequence of kicks and strikes, and Tory found herself on the defensive, for she could not put her heart and soul into the fight.

‘If you are enjoying this, Shamash,' Tory appealed, between fending off Maelgwn's fury, ‘bear in mind that Anu's demise is a blink of the eye away, and if we destroy each other you're going to be Mahaud's toyboy for keeps!'

Take her, Dragon!
the witch urged, whereby Tory suddenly found her movement restricted and Maelgwn copped her a beauty in the jaw.

Crashing to the floor in the arena, Tory regained control but she was not fast enough to her feet to prevent Maelgwn grabbing a handful of hair to drag her up. ‘For better or for worse, wasn't it?'

She blocked his strike and he was open to her attack. A knee in the abdomen and then the jaw, sent him hurtling backwards. ‘Sure was, honey, I'm real sorry about this.' Tory took a running jump, and a flying sidekick to the stomach knocked the huge warrior clean off his feet.

Lamamu.
Tory heard Shamash's true voice for the first time today and turned to find the God holding out an amulet.
Hurry.
He strained to maintain his will.

Maelgwn was still clambering to his feet. Tory made a break past the warrior to retrieve the item that could banish the witch from the Lord's body, whereupon Mahaud would lose much of her influence over the physical world. Maelgwn nearly dive-tackled Tory to the ground, but a well-timed jump and she managed to maintain her sprint for the amulet. ‘Gotcha!' Tory claimed it from the God.

You must completely destroy it.
Shamash began to wail as the crone attempted to force her way back into the driver's seat.
Quickly!

Tory took off as Maelgwn approached, trying to view the charm as she ran. ‘Oh great.' Among the collection of feathers, bones and herbs was a metal trinket. ‘Not even the torches will destroy that.'

‘Come here, bitch,' Maelgwn snarled, infuriated that she kept managing to elude him. ‘I should have taught you to obey me a long time ago.'

Tory ignored his cutting tone, blocking it out of her heart so that she could think. ‘Tobit!' she cried, veering towards the blockade of hardened stone. ‘Ningal granted you your fire aspect, now is the time to show your gratitude. Destroy this!' she commanded.

As the wee stone beast began to emerge from the mosaic, Mahaud cried out an objection.
Aid her, rock rodent, and I shall personally disperse every element from your body myself.

Tobit sank back, losing his heroic urge to rebel against the crone's oppression.

‘She's lying, Tobit. She is weak!' Trapped in a deadend with Maelgwn fast approaching, Tory held the
piece up towards the creature. ‘Please!' she appealed in desperation.

Maelgwn decided to return his wife's kind sentiments by launching himself at her and landing an almighty kick into the small of her back.

A great snap was heard, and as Tory fell to the ground near unconscious from the pain of a mini-death, she realised he'd broken her spine.

‘Let this be a lesson to you … never underestimate a male.' Maelgwn ripped the amulet from her hand, and then dragged his wife's broken body along by the hair, as he returned the item to the crone.

Excellent.
Mahaud applauded her new champion's capabilities.
Drag her up. I want to have a little chat.

‘Ah!' Tory's felt the physical pain as her spine snapped back into place, and the nerves of her lower body began working, along with her legs.

I'll call him off, if you'll just take a little astral trip and leave your body vacated,
Mahaud proposed.
I'll bet it was awfully tempting to break out of your body just then. And I feel sure the Dragon can come up with something suitably agonising to draw you out, if you won't come out willingly.

Tory eyeballed the possessed God, ready to tell Mahaud where she could stick her proposal, when Tory noted Tobit emerging out of the stone floor beside Shamash's throne. ‘Would you consider a time-share arrangement?' Tory made useless conversation to give the gargoyle the chance to retrieve the amulet from the crone's lap.

Don't mock me, slut guts, or I'll hit your pretty boy here with another bullet and send him straight to hell.

‘No,' Tory begged.

Then do as I wish
— Mahaud began, but feeling the amulet slip from Shamash's lap, she looked down.
What?

As the crone spotted Tobit, many of the stone creatures sprang from the floor to harass both Shamash and Maelgwn.

‘Do it, Tobit!' Tory broke free of her husband and ran clear of the commotion to make sure Tobit did the job properly.

The amulet in the tiny creature's hand burst into flame and melted to ashes before Tory's eyes.

‘Okay, Shamash, eviction time.' Tory cued the Lord and the gargoyles backed off as a red mist began to exude out of the Lord's nose, mouth and ears.

‘It's working.' Tory forced a laugh, shell-shocked from her battle — and it wasn't over yet.

Tobit's friends had, thankfully, pacified Maelgwn and Shamash. The gargoyles had dragged them to the ground and encased their bodies, neck to toe, in a thin layer of stone. The huge warrior and the Nefilim Lord lay there cursing in every language in the known universe.

Mahaud's dark, foul vapour whirled together to manifest her loose etheric form. This form was currently that of a partly-decomposed human corpse, with eyes that glowed red as blood.
You're still in my domain, princess perfect
—

And you are still in mine, crone.

In the doorway, vacated now, in the wake of the gargoyles' retreat, stood Gwyn ap Nudd.

You seem to be unable to remain in the lowest of my realms, where I have confined you repeatedly,
the Lord roared.

I was summoned. Have mercy, Lord.
The crone was humbled by his presence, for he held sway over the entire Otherworld and was the undisputed Master of all the psychic arts — negative and positive.

I banish you.
The Lord of the Otherworld held his arm outstretched towards the gaseous red phantom, whereupon the tiny green lights of a healing Pan ray shot forth from his fingertips to surround the crone.
See the captive to the threshold from which there is no return.

At the end of time I'll be waiting to …
The green gaseous vapour of the sparkling elemental force consumed the vile manifestation and suppressed her threat. This spun itself into a funnel that, having an inward spiral, eventually consumed itself.

At the end of time we shall all have moved on to a far better place. Whereas you, my dear Mahaud, shall have to start this whole tedious phase of soul-mind evolution all over again.
The Lord turned his attention back to Tory, who'd collapsed in a heap.
Having a few troubles, Lamamu?
Gwyn approached and gave Tory a hand up.

‘Get your —cking hands off her,' Maelgwn cussed, trying to wriggle free of his restraint.

‘You could say that … but how did you know?' Tory forced a smile as her spouse continued to verbally abuse them both.

The Devas sought me out to report the degeneration of the energies here.
Gwyn appeared to be rather concerned about the speed of the decline, despite his security measures.
I can't understand how Shamash found out about Mahaud.

Oh, for crying out loud, am I the only one here with a brain?
Shamash cut in, rudely.

‘Shamash was the one who devised the legend in the first place,' Tory muttered aside to the Night Hunter to fill him in.

In that case, with her written legend, her evil utensils and now her maker disposed of, we have seen the last of Mahaud,
Gwyn surmised.
I promise. This evolution is moving beyond such low-grade entities now. Those who cannot adapt to the way of the righteous will just have to wait until the next round.