After trekking for a number of hours we finally came across sign of civilisation, the black iron line of a railway stretching across the otherwise barren landscape and in the distance the soft chuffing of an approaching train that squealed to close ready to take on cargo; grabbing what we could we dived onboard one of the cars, I have to admit that, had we been in other circumstances, I might have laughed at the 'american dream' unfolding in front of us, but after our time in the wilderness I was in no mood for it.
We had decided to seek out Helen Siall and see if we could find out what the information was that her late father had possessed, that he was so certain would see the Duwarmish claim on downtime Seattle ratified; we knew where she was, now we just had to get there.
There was a bump as the heaving ponderous bulk of Frank scrabbled into the car, plopping down next to his wife; as the train started to pull off, oblivious to our presence, Pauline looked over at Frank and said the words I know he'd been dreading hearing, "I think it's about time you levelled with me Frank, what the hell is going on?"
Frank began to get fluster and blabber something, stammering and falling over his words, I couldn't help but smile, Frank had once been an angel, like all of us Fallen, striding across creation, and then a demon brooding beneath the soul of the world; in a way he still was, but he was also so very human, I think that might be the greatest gift and also the biggest curse that humanity has given us. I began to talk about angels and spirits, hoping that Frank could get himself together.
Whilst he started going through his explanation, allowing his form to ripple slightly and show some of his angellic glory, I turned my attention to where we were going, after all a man deserves some privacy in a delicate moment like this. I could hear Pauline talking about her dream of two beings dancing in the grass, but my ears really pricked up when she mentioned a meteor and one of the figures being drawn to it, over the course of the next few minutes she talked about successive meteor strikes, seperated by many years, all in the same spot. Is it possible that she was talking about the Fallen Eagle's lost partner and that somehow the black rock was a trap for our kind? If so how was Pauline connected to it?
Nardy also mentioned that Stevens had met one of our kind before and that he was one of the people from Pauline's dream, he had apparently come into possession of a means of conveyance called 'The Chariot of the Dead' presumably some sort of Slayer artifact from the time before.
Frank had finished his explanation and Pauline had turned an ashen grey as her mind struggled to process everything he'd told her; I told Frank to take care of her, the train was pulling to a stop and we needed to get some supplies. Jumping down from the train into the shitty little town I quickly went to a store, but realised that everything was priced in Canadian dollars, luckily I had my American Express card and about maxed it out buying food, water and some warmer clothes.
When I got back Frank looked a bit flustered, apparently he'd been trying to get water from the rail tower and had got his foot caught in the track, it had only been thanks to his powers that he'd escaped before another train hit him; guess we know why Pauline was stressing about him going near the railways now don't we?
A few moments later a scream echoed through the cabin as Pauline sat bolt upright, after she calmed down she said that she had a terrible dream, there were other men after Helen Siall and they were going to kill her at the university near the clock tower; in Pauline's dream we had gone their and attempted to confront them physically, she said that i'd turned into a horned horror (my stomach turned as I recognised the physical manifestation of what I had been in the abyss), Frank had died being hit by a subway train and I had died with my hands locked around the throats of one of the killers.
As our train reached it's destination I finally got a signal on my mobile, it seemed from Pauline's dream that the physical confrontation was a one way ticket back to the abyss, but there were other ways to achieve our aims, I tapped in 911.
"Hello... police... I'm at the university... i've just seen two men with guns headed across the campus, they said that they were going to kill someone Helen Siall at noon near the clock tower"
I hung up before they could ask any further questions and then I followed the others towards the campus grounds, but things didn't pan out exactly as in the dream, the police were already there alerted by my call and I could see Helen about to enter the nearby subway, two suspicious looking figures broke from the crowd and began to pursue her, firearms bulging conspicuously beneath their coats. By the time we got there the train had already left, "Damn it, we're too late" I shouted
"We're not too late yet" said Nardy pulling a battered old biscuit tin from her rucksack, she opened it and a thick cloud of smoke coalesced into the outline of a spectral coach driven by an expressionless cadavar.
"The Chariot of the Dead, you found it" I started, but any further questions were cut off as she gestured for us to get onboard and the spectral coach set off at full gallop in pursuit of the subway train.
Drawing near, Frank reached across the gap between the two vehicles, his fingers brushing the metal of the door, I felt a spark of electricity as his powers forced them open and we jumped inside, the chariot dispersing behind us. Finally, hear in a train surrounding by the minds of mortals, I was in my element, spotting the killers (and recognising one as the demon who had killed Noah) I reached out with my soul, forcing power into my words as I gestured at the killers
"They've got guns, they're trying to kill that woman WE MUST STOP THEM."
The coach exploded into a near riot as my power raced through the minds of the people onboard, amplifying the people's natural desire to help the victim and their indignation towards the killer; one of them was pulled down by the baying mob (humanity at it's finest as the weight of simple people pulled down a demonically enhanced murderer) but the other advanced on Helen Siall who was backing herself into a corner. I attempted to sway him with my voice, but it was clear that his master had proved him against such attempts as he drew a gun and pointed it at Helen, reaching down inside myself I felt an echo of the bile & hatred that had engulfed with within the abyss and a part of my soul darkened once more as I spat an acidic ball of hate at the murder, he screamed as it hit his flesh and hissed.
"We're here to save you" I said, reached out and taking Helen's hand as the mob surged passed me and we headed for the door where a reformed Chariot (now in the form of a steam locomotive) waited for us; Frank was holding the other killer to the floor trying to prevent him drawing a sword made of the strange meteor metal, I could almost feel it's hatred for our kind.
"Get on, i'm right behind you!" shouted Frank, punching the guy attempting to draw his sword.
The giant malefactor hurled himself across the gap between the train and the Chariot, I grabbed him and pulled him aboard as we came out of the tunnel; seeing him onboard Nardy made a gesture and the train soared into the air carrying us away from danger.
I couldn't help but feel proud of what we'd achieved, but what it is humans say about pride...?
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