Faithfully Yours

Part 6: War is hell

 

Chapter 53

"The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means." 
 Oscar Wilde

As Phoebe moved backward through the minions, she never took her eyes off Glock and Cole. Paige and Piper had a chance, however to see the confusion and concern on the faces of their companions, as they cleared the path. Both held their breaths as whitelighter warriors lowered swords to let them pass. Both also glanced nervously over to where the twelve Elders, were held behind a barrier of witches. Several had swords drawn. It crossed Piper's mind that leaving them with swords was not a good idea but she was to busy to push the issue.

 

Glock marched past the last of the Minions of Good, with barely a glance at the impotently angry Elders, which added to their fury, he walked toward the edge of the crater, while Phoebe moved to one side to let him pass.

 

"See not so hard" she said brightly to Glock.

 

Cole hidden behind the hood of his false Burvjarian robe laughed.

 

Glock looked at her, his yellow eyes bright, skin flushed dark orange "I do not like you" he said but his voice softened slightly.

 

"I don't care" said Phoebe but she half smiled shyly as she said it.

 

 Paige and Piper also reached the front of the army of Good, stood beside Phoebe so the Burvjarians could reach the edge of the crater. Glock saw Piper watching him and for a second he hesitated then his nose twitched and as his ragged army passed through the minions, he moved to stand on the edge of the crater.

 

Below them, the battalions of evil, were marching forward with clear intent to take on the army of good and anyone else in their way. The black legions were surrounded by fire as many connected to magic fire and lightning spread out of the crater.

 

Looking at the sea of warriors, and fighting demons, Glock nodded to Cole "Do you think they have any cohorts left in the canyons of hell?"

 

"They have" Cole told him "evil can always find vanquish fodder." Another volcanic eruption happened and  it lifted a space could be seen in the ranks. "If we stay here long enough do you think they may kill themselves with their own magic?"

 

The volcanic eruption ceased and the dark ranks could be seen closing together.

 

"No I do not believe that" said Glock.

 

"Neither do I" said Cole with a shrug.

 

Slowly behind Glock the Burvjarians, once they passed the last of the Minions of Good, formed their ragged army again. Several of their leaders walked to the edge of the crater. They barely nodded as they saw the dark battalions below, moving toward them.

 

"Better to fight down there where we have room to fire a weapon than up here." A Burvjarian said waving his hand toward the Minions of Good crowded in the narrow spaces of the pathway to the crater.

 

Cole sucked his breath, knowing this was a test of Glock's resolve, to see if he was willing to lead the Burvjarians to battle.

 

Glock looked at the dark massed below and with nothing more than a shrug summed up the situation. "It will be the bodies of the first fallen that protect the others" he said. "Unless you can find protection behind the bodies of the demons we fell."

 

"Yes" Cole said. "Not an easy task, either way.'

 

Their was some nasty murmuring in the ranks of the Burvjarians, as they heard Glock's doubts and the Charmed Ones watching held their breaths.

 

"Who goes in first?" asked a Burvjarian behind Glock, his voice rough and nasty.

 

"I do "said Glock without hesitation

 

The Burvjarian stopped "You really are Glock" he said his nose twitching in obvious surprise. Several other Burvjarians also murmured in surprise or simply nodded.

 

"I do not understand your people" Cole told Glock one more time "they disbelieve who you are but follow you to fight.'

 

"They believe in what I fight for" Glock said but his eyes flashed with humour.

 

"I thought it was they believed in fighting" Cole sighed.

 

"That too" said Glock his nose twitching. He started to move forward as the demons approached near the edge of the crater.

 

Cole suddenly caught Glock's arm. "The army behind you had the choice not to fight' he said. "Call on the demons to leave, ask under a truce."

 

"Why?" said Glock "You think they will leave when we ask nicely?"

 

"No" Cole snorted. "But justice says they should be given the choice." He caught Glock's arm "Glock, I need this" he said his voice rasping. "Glock I can't help you fight an …unjust battle" Cole told him in his guardian voice. "And I am the only weapon you have."

 

Many of the Minions of Good behind gasped as they heard the voice and the Charmed sisters standing to one side, arms around each other as they watched, all drew a hard breath.

 

"Do not threaten me Ogre" Glock said. He took a deep breath "But if you must have justice, do it."

 

Cole took a deep breath "Justice may save you yet" he said.

 

"Better it saves Burvjara" Glock told Cole.

 

"And who goes down to ask for a truce?" One of the Burvjarians asked sarcastically. "Who wishes to die?"

 

"I go" Cole said and Phoebe sensed that he had a wry grin on his face as he said it.

 

"As do I" said Glock

 

Cole looked around. "We need a truce flag" he said.

 

He saw Phoebe standing not far away watching awkward, frightened. He moved over to her and before she could say anything he caught the edge of what was left of the white and singed dress. .

 

"I need this" Cole said softly and she was able to see him suddenly grin as he yanked hard and what was left of the dress fell into his hands. Phoebe found herself standing in Burvjara with only her parka, knickers and what was left of Piper's rapidly unravelling wool knit coat to cover her modesty.

 

"OHHHHH" she gasped, "Bastard." she snarled at Cole

 

"Love you too" he murmured and moved away, stopping only to remove a sword from a stunned whitelighter.

 

Cole attached the dress to the sword and walked over the edge of the crater, and feeling he was carrying the weight of all the magic in the realms, half sliding, half falling down the shale and loose dirt toward the approaching demon army. Glock glanced back once to where Piper was watching, nodded and stepped over the edge, sliding down the slope, hob nail boots scraping on the rocks until he reached the bottom and then walked beside Cole.

 

"We need to help them" Piper murmered her voice panicky "The demons, there are to many. And they won't care how much damage their magic does and how many it kills."

 

Phoebe said nothing but started to step forward.

 

 "It’s the Burvjarians fight. If they don't fight they can never win" said Paige firmly catching her sisters and holding both tight.

 

Cole and Glock ,Cole holding the sword high with what was left of Phoebe's once white dress swinging off it, moved straight toward the demon army.

 

The Burvjarian leaders looked at each other and then wordlessly the whole ragged army spread out long the crater and began to slide down to the crater floor where they formed ranks and stood back watching Cole and Glock approach the demons.

 

The Charmed Ones and as many of the Minions of Good as could fit around the accessible part of the crater, moved to where they could watch what was happening below. Others stood on rocks to see below and the twelve Elders pushed their way not far from the Charmed Ones to see what happened, watched closely by suspicious witches and whitelighters.

 

"You think the demons will care about a truce?" demanded the Elder leader.

 

"No" said Paige "But they just may care about a surrender. They'll listen before they fight."

 

The Elder leader snorted his disgust.

 

As Cole and Glock approached, it was clear to the watchers above that there was some dispute and agitation amongst the approaching demon army when those in the front saw the white flag Cole was carrying. It was also clear those in front were not the leaders who could respond. Behind the armies, Paige using her whitelighter eyesight could see the Geztalt masters huddled in their dark robes, hidden behind a shield that crackled flame and arguing amongst themselves.

 

"Maybe we should send the Elders in to fight those Geztalt bastards and let everyone else go home" said Paige.

 

An Elder tried to approach the Charmed Ones but was blocked by a whitelighter sword.

 

"Do not malign our courage, you will find we can fight the battles" snarled the Elder.

 

"Then go fight the little Geztalt bastards" said Piper.

 

"The time will come to find retribution from our enemies" the Elder said angrily but stayed behind the sword.

 

The whitelighter holding the sword laughed maliciously.

 

Finally after what seemed an eternity to those watching while the demons battalions forged closer to the Burvjarian army, one of the Geztalt, hood down and revealing a mortal form came forward, accompanied by what seemed to be leaders of some of the more ferocious demons sects, some razor demons, some acid spitters and a vile gorgon looking creature encased in black scale like armour.

 

"And what truce do you want? You wished to surrender?" the Geztalt leader asked in whinny sing song voice that seemed to ring out in the cold Burvjarian air. He was staring at Glock as if he was some thing less than sentient much, as he would snarl at one of the lesser beast of the lower levels of hell. "They at least know when they cannot win," the Geztalt commented to his supporters "Burvjara is ours "he said raising his arms in a victory gesture that seemed out of context.

 

"Burvjara is for Burvjarians "Glock said calmly "Go now before we have you gone."

 

The Geztalt laughed scornfully "I am the Honoured One of the Geztalt" said the robed leader "I lead the nation of the most powerful demons in the realms."

 

"They have a new one already "Phoebe muttered to Paige "so much for George."

 

"Got the hots for this one?" Paige asked Phoebe with a smirk.

 

Phoebe hit her. "No" she said wrapping what was left of Piper's wool coat around her.

 

"Your choice is to join with us and support us, to accept what we offer and how we rule" the Honoured One told Glock as if he was reading lines form a play. "And rid this place of those" and he waved his arms at the Minions of Good. "Vermin." he said scornfully. "Or die."

 

An Elder behind the Charmed Ones started to scream that the Burvjarians would join with the demons to murder them and it was the Charmed Ones fault.

 

"Shut up" said Leslie firmly.

 

The remaining Elders angrily moved toward her and the whitelighters placed themselves between the Elders and the witches.

 

"Why should we join with you?" Glock asked calmly "Burvjara is ours, ours to deal and ours to chose."

 

"Not any longer "claimed the Honoured One. "You had your choices, and we will finish those who resist and we will smite your allies as they deserve."

 

"We fight all those who invade our realm" Glock told him ignoring the scorn. "Good and evil are not so different to us. We will destroy all invaders."

 

Behind the whitelighters the Elders began to restlessly turn, agitation and anger in every movement.

 

"Good have recognised Burvjara belongs to the Burvjarians "Cole interrupted glancing back to where then Elders were almost dancing in impotent rage. "Mostly" he added "I need to tell you "he said "that to invade this land that belongs to Burvjarians is a travesty of all justice. It's not up to you to decide how a land is ruled because you want to control what that land has. Because you fear the power this land gives it rightful owners and what they could do to you."' In the Burvjarian air he could be clearly heard by the demons, the Burvjarians and the Minions of Good.

 

On the edge of the crater the Elders laughed hysterically and scornfully and one threatened to break through the lines of whitelighters.

 

"Bugga it I hate it when he goes all guardian" whispered Paige.

 

"I love it" said Phoebe wistfully.

 

The Honoured One openly laughed and the Geztalt masters, safely behind the demon battalions sniggered so loudly it was heard over by all their legions.

 

"All of you who invade. You must know justice has a way of demanding a reckoning" Cole pushed as he glancing back at the Elders, who were trembling with anger.

 

The Honoured One laughed again.

 

Glock shook his head "Are you satisfied Ogre?" he growled at Cole.

 

"I am satisfied" Cole said.

 

He had barely spoken when one of the huge demon warriors beside the Honoured One swung a wicked serrated edged axe at Glock. Cole spun the whitelighter sword in his hand and deflected it. The axe fell from the demon's hands and another one raised a weapon. Cole swung the sword taking the heads of two demons in his path. He shook the now bloodied green and black dress off the sword and flung himself into the charging demons.

 

Behind Cole and Glock the Burvjarians surged forward. In terror the Honoured One spun and ran and was felled on the sword of a demon as the demons moved to fight the Burvjarians. As the Honoured One's body crashed Glock ducked and was protected from a burst of demon acid and laser fire by the Honoured Ones fallen body, before it disintegrated in a pile burst of green goo.

 

The Burvjarians behind them were firing weapons. On the ground Glock retrieved the sword of a fallen demon warrior and standing with it in his hand charged into the demon army as fire from the burning air, as magic acid and hellmade weapons discharged into it.

 

"Oh god he'll die, he has to go in first he has to. Damn him" whimpered Piper and Phoebe and Paige hung on to her to stop her running.

 

Cole fought his way to where Glock was crashing at demons.

 

"Sometimes you need to wait, to use the weapons you have" he said and pushed Glock behind him. A demon weapon hit Cole but he ignored it and raised a fireball in his hand. Flame and fire burst in ball around him as he threw the fireball. Then he calmly stood watching as everything to the front of him exploded in a huge ball of fire that swirling like tornado through the demon ranks.

 

"I warned you of your magic here, what would happen if you used it" Glock gasped from the ground, protected from the flame by Cole's magic.

 

"I know" Cole told him. "I listened."

 

Cole watched as the blasts from the fireball mushroomed like a nuclear explosion made all who watched turn away. It subsided and where some of the demon battalions had been there was now a pile of charred remain and demon goo.

 

"You have used your weapon and now you have the bodies of the first fallen, to hide behind" Cole told Glock as he stood up. "And you can call it justice."

 

Glock looked at Cole nodded and sword raised, he ran to face the demon army followed by a horde of Burvjarians, as Cole still covered by his mock Burvjarian robe stood in the midst of the battle, leaning on the whitelighter sword.

 

With barely a hesitation the Burvjarians charged to war with the demons. They used the bodies of the fallen demons and the protection of the smouldering smoke and the black powder and green mass still in the air, to reach the demons. As they charged forward they fired weapons, used swords, fought hand to hand and any demon weapons they could find in the melee. They fought the acid spewing demons, the terrifying gorgon demons, and the scaled and armoured warriors, razors and all the other sects used as vanquish fodder of the greater upper level demons hell bent on war.

 

When the demon sword he found broke Glock elbowed down the first demon he saw breaking its neck and taking it a fork like weapon from it which he welded to skewer demons in all directions, sending their bile into the blue soil of Burvjara. The bile of demons was soon joined by the orange blood of fallen Burvjarians and it burnt and boiled in the firestorm that descended over the crater as demons tried to connect with their magic.

 

For those others watching, it was clear that after generations of nothing but warfare, the Burvjarians knew how to fight and as a race of warring combatants and warriors they knew how to die, and they had no fear of either. They knew that survival in such a close battle was a combination, of quick wits and body, out sensing the enemy and a great deal of luck. And they knew how to make their luck. Many of those fighting died, many survived attacks which to any one watching was unbelievable that they would.

 

Except perhaps to someone like Piper who had know a Burvjarian well and seen him connect to his magic and find a strength in the magnetic burst of magic that was apparently fatal to all other magic creatures.

 

With various levels of fear, awe and trepidation, the Minions of Good watching could finally understand why fighting the Burvjarians at the magic pole was always going to be an impossible task. The only exception was the Elders who still kept screaming and pleading and ordering the witches and others to enter the battle and take control.

 

"Crazy on blood lust" Phoebe said nervously as she glanced over her shoulder. She shivered and it was not all from the cold Burvjarian air.

 

"Even second hand," sighed Paige.

 

Demons sent lethal sword blows, acid spit and tried slaughtering with fireballs, killed many more of their numbers in the eruptions than Burvjarians who somehow made the fireballs splinter and fracture.

 

"How do they do it?" screamed a witch overwhelmed by the tension and fear.

 

"I saw Glock hold onto the roof when any one else would have fallen" Piper sold the witches near her. "Rescuing a kitten." She added

 

Edna behind her said "Kitten?"

 

"It was chocolate that caused it" Piper tried to explain.

 

Edna began to laugh and some of the witches around looked shocked.

 

"You must tell me about it in…a friendlier place" Edna said.

 

The Minions of Good pressed forward and Piper and Paige and Phoebe were tottering to the rim of the crater, seeing the horror of the hand to hand fighting as Burvjarians s and demons fought each other to death.

 

“Oh god" Piper moaned against Paige's shoulder. "Glock " she whimpered as she saw him crash under the weight of five axe wielding. Then she caught her breath as she saw him, taller than the other Burvjarians rise from under their exploding bodies. He started hacking his way toward where the Geztalt leaders watching from the safety of their shield and urging the demons to fight, clearly still unaware that demons could be defeated by mortals in combat.

 

Piper hid her face against her sisters.

 

Edna watching started shaking her head "We should help" she said "Get those bastards behind them, stop them urging the fighting on. The ones hiding nice and safely at the back."

 

"Just like those bastards were going to do" said Matilda a dead voice. She waved a hand at the bitter angry Elders, to shocked at the reality of what she was seeing to feel anything, even anger.

 

Phoebe looked at the impotently angry Elders "If we fight the Burvjarians will never ever be innocents. They have to win Piper" she said as Piper sucked her lips. "If we fight we'll only be doing what we stopped the Elders doing. Destroying Burvjara."

 

Phoebe could see Cole now way behind the fighting demons and Burvjarians still leaning on the whitelighter sword "Justice will get the warmongers, in some form or another." She said.

 

"Maybe justice needs some help" Piper bit out angrily as Cole showed no sign of moving.

 

The Geztalt leaders screeched out orders and encouragement, demanding the blood of every non-demon in Burvjara. Their robes flapped as they screamed and they raised arms in mock fighting gestures but still stayed safely behind the shields.

 

"I just hate that we went through the hell of that walk just to do nothing" Paige sighed.

 

"We can't fight" Phoebe said firmly.

 

"I hate being helpless" Paige replied.

 

"Look at those little Geztalt bastards" Piper interrupted scornfully "acting like they were the generals as some idea what it is to fight." She stopped and thought about it. "Paige you know that spite told us that those damned Geztalt were really just little sludges. I wonder if they demons would fight, if they knew what useless little runts they are behind the robes" She turned to her sister "Maybe the demons should see the Geztalt as they are" she said slowly.

 

"We can't fight" Paige said. "And we shouldn't use magic. Here."

 

"Phoebe's been using it" Piper said reasonably "and managed to not quite get everyone fireballed."

 

"I don't think of magic. I think of doing things" Phoebe explained. "If I thought of magic I would have got burnt to a crisp, not been able to levitate."

 

"Then Paige just needs to think about it" Piper insisted.

 

Paige winced "If I get it wrong I could blow up everyone here" she said. "It’s a hell of a way to the Geztalt and I usually need a lot of magic to call anything any distance."

 

Piper caught her breath as she saw Glock fighting his way to the Geztalt masters half fall and then rise again.

 

"Do it" she said. wiping her face and leaving blue and orange splashes "Just think about them without the robes. Just think about the robes, just mention the word. Don't call, don't plan on magic. Like the first time you ever used magic. Remember the candle. You didn't even believe in magic then."

 

Paige, swallowed hard, went to move her hand then stopped, and as calmly as she could, as disinterested as she could said "Geztalt robes.'

 

They never made it to her.

 

The robes flew off the demons in a fiery ball that exploded the shield that protected the Geztalt and then as they flew through the air in a fiery ball disintegrated and rained more fire down on the fighting armies.

 

"Wow" said Edna.

 

"Hell" said Tisha.

 

"Gosh" said Matilda.

 

For what seemed forever to the Minions of Good watching as the Geztalt jumped around like naked imps, their unmasking had no affect on the battle. The demons were caught up in the bloodlust and were fighting to kill.

 

However as more and more demons fell under the power of Burvjarian warriors, they looked their masters for guidance. Instead of seeing great hooded demons of power and awe they saw tiny naked creatures, less than spites, barely sludge like. They had small ugly small heads on top of distorted little bodies and long stubbly arms and legs. Their voices were now a high squeak, until stunned surprise they stopped calling, cowering in fear as they realized they had been revealed as the weak creatures they really were.

 

"Hell even the spites were more…demonic" Paige said stunned at the unveiling while a murmur of bewilderment and disgust went through the Minions of Good.

 

Tisha shook her fist at the Elders "So that is the great evil we were going to fight" she said. "Liars" she yelled as Edna put her arms around her.

 

Cole watching turned toward edge. He looked up at the witches watching on the rim and waved to Paige then he slowly bowed. And then deliberately raised the sword he held and stepped into the battle.

 

"Why is he fighting now?" asked Paige curiously.

 

Because of their connected auras the magic of the pole, was allowing Phoebe to feel what Cole could feel. She sighed . "He thinks justice has been done, unveiling the leaders so he can step in and save a few innocents without influencing the result." Phoebe explained. "I would love to slap that grin off his face" she muttered

 

"You can't see his face" said Piper.

 

"He's grinning" said Phoebe with certainty. "And no matter what he says about war, its …like he enjoys those court room massacres. He enjoys stepping up to the fight, and he can't do it much now. Taking his chances when he gets them"

 

"He hasn't changed that much since you first met him' Piper snarked.

 

 "No" said Phoebe smiling herself.  "Just grown." She looked at the naked Geztalt cowering behind anything they could "That's what George looked like "she said with a shudder. "Without the mask."

 

"Not much of a fantasy" Piper agreed.

 

As the Geztalt scurried for cover and more demons saw the unveiling of their masters, some of them some stunned by the whinny high falsetto voices stopped fighting the Burvjarians.

 

In an eerie moment, the Burvjarians also stopped fighting in order to see what the fuss was about, and then with barely a shrug of concern moved in to finish the demons who did not fight.

 

The demon cult leaders, no longer having any direction lost all sense of control of their cults and suddenly any order that demon may have had fell away, and demons uncontrolled swung at any victim they could find. Without even a pretence of leadership, the battle turned to a massacre as the Burvjarians butchered their way through the demon hordes, totally unconcerned about any cost to themselves. The demons started to lose all semblance of unity as many fell and some started to run.

 

Some of the demon leaders watching their hordes butchered by the Burvjarians started looking around for someone to blame. They turned toward the shivering midget naked Geztalt leaders now trying to hide behind rocks.

 

The demons, razors and Gorgons, ferocious eyes flaming from the heat of battle, bitter, angry as the Burvjarians slaughtered the battalions, turned on their masters. Angry creatures worshipping strength, the demons ignoring the Burvjarians, chased the naked little creatures, who ran screaming like frightened mice. As they reached the creatures, the ferocious fighting cult leaders swung their swords and axes and massacred the Geztalt, slaughtering them into a sea of green blood that added to the orange Burvjarian blood and black goo of lower level demons already covering the blue Burvjarian earth.

 

"It not even red blood "said Paige in disgust.

 

"They weren't in human form" Piper said fighting to keep her bottom lip from trembling.

 

'"George didn't plead red" said Phoebe bitterly. "They could not even manufacture a proper upper level demonic form between them" she said "Just one lousy imitation one."

 

Many of demons seeing their masters fall tried to save themselves by sliding or whizzing out. They did not seem to be high level enough demons to shimmer. The fire from their magic added to the general carnage, destroying many other demons and killing some Burvjarians and only a few demons actually escaped. Other demons caught in the general blood lust continued to fight but without direction and without backup they were no match for the remaining bloodied Burvjarians warriors.

 

The carnage continued for some time but against battle hardened combatants of Burvjarian bred to endure, brought up to battle and fighting for their whole eternity the defeat of the demon battalions was an inevitable conclusion.

 

The minions on the rim could only watch what was now a massacre and pray that at some time it would finally end. Even the Elders were reduced to a painful and angry silence as they watched their dream of power and control of the magic pole disappear. The watchers on the rim did not see the final defeat of the demons, the pole in retaliation of all the magic erupted into a volcanic fireball, spewing orange and red fire bolts and flames which mixed with the churned up earth and orange mists to hide the final ending in the crater from those who watched.

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