The Emirge

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"The Émigré"
By J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: T (for mild language)

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 5 episodes "Siren Song" and "Magic Wears A Mask".)

* * *

When Phoebe is kidnapped by a demon, the sisters must turn to Cole for help. He tells them to save her they must go to the Émigré: a realm for banished demons.

* * *

ONE

Piper stormed into the manor with two bags of groceries in her arms. She put the bags down on the entryway table and looked around. The look on her face indicated she was not a happy camper.

"Phoebe," she called into the manor, "I know you're here. Your car is still outside. Where are you?"

She was met with silence.

"Come on, Phoebe," said Piper. "You were supposed to meet me at the market and help with the shopping. I hope you have a good reason for not showing up."

Still the manor was quiet. It wasn't like Phoebe to be so irresponsible. Perhaps a few years ago she would have been that way but the past three or four years she had matured greatly. Especially since Prues' death. Even though the two had never been real close Prues' death had affected her as much as it had affected Piper.

It also wasn't like her to back away from problems. She was a Charmed One and had learned to face her problems head on. If she had been forced to miss her appointment with Piper she would have a good reason. And she knew that Piper would understand.

"Phoebe?" Piper questioned out loud.

There was no response. Piper moved upstairs and checked each of the rooms. Then she moved to the attic and looked up there. She returned to the first floor and checked the living room and the kitchen. She even looked in the cellar. Even though Phoebe had defeated the Woogie years earlier, going in the cellar still gave her the willies. Phoebe was nowhere in the manor.

"Leo," Piper called into the air.

Almost instantly Leo orbed into the manor.

"Get all your shopping done?" Leo asked.

"Yes," said Piper, "no thanks to Phoebe. She was supposed to help me but she didn't show up. And I can't find her anywhere. Her car is outside but she's not here."

"Maybe she's at one of the neighbors," offered Leo. "Or maybe she and Paige went somewhere together and they took Paige's car."

"Doubtful," said Piper. "We aren't exactly the neighbors best friends what with all the demon attacks and everything. And Paige had a date. I doubt she'd take Phoebe along on that."

"You're right," said Leo. "Any ideas where she might be?"

"I was wondering if you could sense her," Piper said. "I'm sure she has a good reason for not showing up. I’ve to admit I was kind of pissed off but I know she's busy. I'd just like to know where she is and that she's okay."

Leo closed his eyes and concentrated. For several moments nothing happened. Then Leo's brow furrowed.

"That's odd," he said. "I can't sense her."

"That's impossible," said Piper. "You're supposed to be able to sense her no matter where she is."

"Yes," said Leo, "unless she's magically concealed or not on the mortal plane."

"Well," said Piper looking around the manor, "nothing is out of place here. If she ran into any trouble there's no evidence of it. And all she would have to do is call for you. So where is she?"

"I don't know," said Leo. "I'll go talk to Paige. Maybe she knows something."

"Hurry," said Piper. "I don't like the looks of this."

"Let's not get worked up just yet," said Leo. "There might be another explanation why I can't sense her. You said yourself there was no indication of demonic activity. Let me check with Paige before you go getting yourself all worked up."

"Then get going," said Piper.

Leo orbed out and Piper went back out to her car to get the rest of the groceries. Leo was right. Unless they had something to go on there was no reason to be upset. Leo often said that he could sense any of them no matter where they were as long as they were on the mortal plane. From the way he sounded just now, that may not be wholly true. There might be one or two reasons he couldn't sense her.

She didn't feel convinced. In the back of her mind an alarm was sounding that said Phoebe was in trouble. Piper wasn't sure if the alarm was real or just her imagination acting up. But one thing was certain. Evidence or not Piper was sure it was demonic related.

[noazmale]

TWO

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Piper asked Leo very slowly and deliberately.

Leo recognized her tone. It was all she could do to keep from loosing her temper. And he had to admit a missing sister was good cause for concern. He knew going in that this was not going to be easy.

"No one seems to know where she is," said Leo. "I can't sense her anywhere. And none of the Elders can find her either."

"Wait a minute," said Paige. "I thought you said you could sense all of us no matter where we are."

"As long as they're on the mortal plane he's supposed to," said Piper. "So, Leo. If she's still on the mortal plane, why wouldn't you be able to sense her?"

'Well," said Leo, "if she's magically shielded I might not be able to sense her. And there are a couple of places on the mortal plane where a White Lighters' sensing ability won't penetrate. But none of them are near San Francisco."

"What aren't you telling us?" Piper asked.

"I wouldn't be able to sense her," said Leo, after a short pause, "if she were dead."

"Dead?" shrieked Paige. "What do you mean, dead?"

"If she was killed, I wouldn't be able to sense her," said Leo. "When I sense someone it isn't their body I'm detecting. It's their soul or spirit. And their power. If Phoebe had died, her spirit would have moved on and there would be nothing to sense. She could be in the next room and I wouldn't know it."

"No," said Piper defiantly. "I will not entertain the thought that another sister is dead. If someone or something had tried to kill her she would have put up a fight. Nothing's been disturbed in here. Which means that there wasn't a fight. There has to be another explanation."

"I agree with you," said Leo. "But I just don't know what to tell you. Even if someone had taken her there would be signs of a struggle. Something to indicate she hadn't gone willingly. But like you said, this place is completely undisturbed."

"Well, something has happened to her," said Paige. "She wouldn't just blow off Piper unless it was important. And she would have left a note or something."

"Okay," said Piper, "first, let's start by rechecking the entire manor. Maybe she left a note or something and I just missed it."

The three split up and began to check the manor. To be thorough, they all checked the entire house looking for anything that might indicate what had happened to Phoebe. Just as when Piper had searched, there was no sign that anything was out of place.

"Something screwy is going on here," said Paige. "Phoebe wouldn't just disappear like this."

"You think Cole has something to do with this?" Piper asked.

"I doubt it," said Leo. "Cole's trying to win her back. Even though that's not going to happen I don't think he'd risk his chances by harming her or kidnapping her."

"I agree with Leo," said Paige. "Cole may be evil but he loves Phoebe. I don't think he'd do anything to hurt her."

"So, what do we do now?" Piper asked. "We have absolutely no clues to go on."

"I have an idea," said Paige.

She picked up a pad and began to write on it. After a few moments she stopped and looked at what she had written.

"This might help," she said. "I've never written a spell like this before but I think this might work."

Piper looked the spell over.

"It's worth a try," she said. "Go on. Cast it and see what happens."

Paige took the pad back from Piper and began to read the spell.

"A sister missing we search for her now, show us what has gone before."

The three watched as a vision formed in front of them. Phoebe was in the entryway of the manor and turned to answer the door. When she opened the door, a man in his late thirties was outside. There was no sound from the vision so none of them could tell what was being said.

Phoebe smiled at the man and pointed into the living room. Then she turned and headed for the living room. As she did, the man reached up and touched her. Almost instantly Phoebe collapsed unconscious. The man caught her as she fell to the floor. Then he shimmered slightly and his form changed.

Piper, Paige, and Leo stood watching as a demon replaced the man. It was about average height and had yellow skin. Its eyes were solid orbs of blue with no pupils. It had pointed ears and only three fingers on each hand. A red strip ran from its neck down both arms. Small markings like tribal markings covered both arms.

It smiled and looked around. Apparently satisfied that it had been unobserved, it turned and closed the front door behind it. Then it shimmered and was gone from the manor. The vision ended.

"She's been kidnapped," said Piper. "By a demon."

"That's why there wasn't any signs of a struggle," said Leo. "Whatever it did to her knocked her out instantly."

"Paige," Piper said, "come on. We're going to check the Book of Shadows and find out what this thing is. Leo, go back to the Elders and let them know what we found out. Maybe this will give them some clues about it."

"Right," said Leo as he orbed out.

"Good spell," Piper said as she and Paige headed for the attic. "Now, let's find this thing and go kick some demonic butt."

[noazmale]

THREE

"It's a Carack demon," said Leo after he had returned from the Elders. "They're mid level demons used for a variety of purposes. Apparently each has different markings and you can tell which one it is by those markings."

"Which doesn't do us any good since we don't know about the markings," said Paige. "Any idea how many of these things there are?"

"Not exactly," said Leo. "It's not like we have a running total of all the demons in the underworld. I do know there aren't that many of them."

"Well," said Piper, "according to the Book of Shadows it can emit a secretion that has the affect of rendering its victims unconscious. That's apparently what happened to Phoebe. It also explains why there were no signs of a struggle."

"There's more," said Leo. "According to the Elders, enough of the secretion can cause memory loss in a victim. It can completely submerge a victims memories so they have no idea who they are."

"Which means Phoebe may not even know she's a hostage," said Paige. "If she has no memory, she wouldn't know she was kidnapped."

"By why take her?" Piper asked. "If it's using her to get to us why haven't we been contacted? And if it wanted to kill her, why take her? Why not just kill her while she was unconscious?"

"Maybe they don't want you to know she's dead yet," said Leo. "No, that doesn't make sense. It must have known you'd realize she was missing. After all these years it's not easy to get to one of you without the others knowing about it."

"So we're back where we started from," said Paige. "At least we know who took Phoebe. But we don't know where. Or for what. And since Leo or the Elders can't sense her, she must be on some other plane."

"Can the Elders give you any idea of what's going on?" Piper asked.

"No," said Leo. "The underworld is still in pretty much an uproar with the Source vanquished. Most of the hierarchy is so suspicious of the others that few of them are willing to work together."

"We do have one option," offered Paige. "At least someone who knows about demons and might be able to give us some information. And I'm willing to bet that since it's Phoebe in trouble, he'd be willing to help."

Piper looked at Paige for a moment. She didn't like going to Cole Turner for anything. He was evil and couldn't be trusted. But she also knew that Paige was right. If anyone knew something about this demon it would be Cole. Piper didn't say a word. She simply walked over and picked up the phone. She dialed a number and waited.

"Hello?" she questioned. "I want to speak to Cole Turner . . . I don't care how busy he is. You tell him this is Piper Halliwell and I want to talk to him right now."

"Piper," said Cole after a moment of silence, "this is a surprise. I never expected you to be calling me."

"This isn't a social call, Cole," said Piper. "We need your help. Phoebe's been kidnapped by a demon and we don't know where it's taken her."

Suddenly the phone went dead. Almost as quickly, Cole shimmered into the manor.

"What do you mean, kidnapped?" questioned Cole.

"Boy, talk about instant service," said Paige.

"Just that," said Piper, ignoring Paige. "A demon attacked her and kidnapped her. We don't know where it's taken her or if she's even alive. We figure you could probably help in this since you're a demon yourself."

"Former demon," said Cole. "And I'll be glad to help. Which demon was it?"

"It's called a Carack demon," said Leo.

"I know them," said Cole. "It probably won't hurt her. At least not right away. If it kidnapped her it wants her for something. What did it look like?"

Piper gave him the description of the demon. Cole stood thinking for a moment.

"It could be any one of them," said Cole. "Most of them look the same. Can you describe the markings on its arms? That would help me narrow down which one it is."

"I can do better than that," said Paige.

She quickly incanted the spell again and they all watched as the vision played out before them. When it finished, Cole turned to the others.

"I recognize the markings," he said. "The demon is called Gastion. He was one of the senior Carack demons."

"What do you mean was?" asked Leo.

"Well," said Cole, "I only knew him in passing. About seventy or eighty years ago he did something that angered the Source. I don't remember exactly what it was. But for his punishment the Source banished him."

"Banished?" questioned Piper. "I thought he'd just vanquish this Gastion."

"Not all demons are vanquished," said Cole. "On the outer fringes of the underworld is an area called the Émigré. Instead of vanquishing an underling, a demon can banish it to the Émigré. Gastion was banished there by the Source as I said."

"So this Gastion has left the Émigré and kidnapped Phoebe," said Piper.

"I don't see how," said Cole. "There's only one way in or out of the Émigré. And it's guarded by some very powerful demons. A natural magical shield that prevents any type of transporting surrounds the entire area. Orbing, shimmering, even flaming won't pass through it. The only way in or out is through the single entrance."

"So maybe this Gastion has found another way out of it," suggested Paige.

"That's hard to imagine," said Cole. "It's been used for thousands of years and as far as I know no demon has ever found a way out of it."

"This one obviously did," said Piper. "And it's taken my sister for God knows what reason."

"I do," said Cole. "Gastion always had a fascination for human women. To be honest it kind of disgusted most of his contemporaries. But he didn't care. He always said he'd rather . . . consort with human women than demonic women. I think that was part of the reason the Source banished him."

"You mean he kidnapped Phoebe to be his concubine?" questioned Leo.

"No," said Cole. "He kidnapped her for his wife."

[noazmale]

FOUR

"Excuse me?" questioned Piper.

"Like I said," said Cole, "Gastion always preferred human women to demonic females. He kidnaps them and uses his secretions to subdue their memories. Then he convinces them that they are his wife. When they get too old to be of use to him he discards them and gets a new one."

"Nice guy," said Paige.

"He is a demon," said Cole. "But I don't see how it could be him. Like I said, he was banished to the Émigré about seventy years ago. There's no way he could have gotten here."

"Well, he obviously found a way," said Piper.

"You don't understand," said Cole. "The reason the Émigré was chosen was because there's no way out of it. And like I said, it's been used for thousands of years and no demon has ever escaped it."

"What about his banishment being lifted?" Leo suggested. "If that happened he'd be free to roam the underworld and could easily move to the mortal realm."

"The Source banished him," said Cole. "By the rules of banishment only the Source can lift that banishment. And since there is no longer any Source, there's no one high enough to lift his banishment."

"What about another demon?" Paige asked. "Maybe a high level demon with a lot of power."

"It doesn't work that way," said Cole. "The demons that guard the entrance to the Émigré follow the rules of banishment to the letter. They would never allow a lower level demon to lift the banishment of a demon. It's just not done."

"Demons aren't know for their cooperation," said Piper.

"It's not that," said Cole. "Just because demons are evil doesn't mean they are stupid. Or that they can't work together. Most demons have a particular function or job. They rarely deviate from that. And the rules for banishment are very succinct. A demon can only banish one of its underlings or the underlings of a subordinate. Only that demon, or a higher-level demon, can lift the banishment. And since Gastion was banished by the Source, only he can lift that banishment. Trust me, the demons guarding the Émigré would never violate those rules. They've enforced them for thousands of years."

"Well something's going on," said Piper. "Either this Gastion has had his banishment lifted or he's found a way out of the Émigré. You saw yourself that he was here in the manor. What explanation do you have for it?"

"I don't know," said Cole. "I know you don't accept what I'm saying but I know he couldn't have escaped the Émigré. It's just not physically possible. And no demon is high enough in the hierarchy to lift his banishment. But he was here. I just can't explain how."

"So what do we do?" asked Paige. "Where would Gastion take Phoebe once he kidnapped her?"

"Probably to the domain in the underworld where he resided," said Cole. "Listen, I'm going to go down there and see what's up. If Phoebe is there, I'll bring her back. Even as Belthazor Gastion was no match for me. He won't like it but I'm not going to let him keep her. I shouldn't be gone long."

"Just bring her back," said Piper. "And if Gastion has harmed her in any way then we're going to take care of him for good."

"I'll let him know," said Cole. "That will probably be enough to force him to release her."

Cole shimmered and was gone from the manor.

"What do you think?" Paige asked Piper. "Do you believe him?"

"He seemed sincere," said Piper. "And you're right about one thing. He does love Phoebe. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. But this better not be one of his ploys. If it is I'm going to find a way to vanquish him."

Cole was gone for several hours. Piper and Paige were becoming more than worried. Even Leo was more on edge than normal. It was beginning to look like Cole would never return. When he suddenly did shimmer into the manor, he was alone.

"Where is she?" Piper cried. "Where's Phoebe?"

"She wasn't down there," said Cole, a perplexed look on his face. "No one has seen or heard of her which means she wasn't taken there. Trust me, you don't just kidnap a Charmed One and take her to the underworld without word spreading like wildfire."

"He's right about that," said Leo. "If she was down there every demon in the underworld would have known about it."

"So what did this Gastion have to say?" Paige asked. "Did he tell you where he did take her?"

"That's just it," said Cole. "As far as anyone knows, Gastion is still in the Émigré. There have been no reports of his banishment being lifted and no demons have seen him since he was banished."

"They're probably lying to you," said Piper.

"Doubtful," said Cole. "My reputation alone is enough to get the truth out of those low level demons. And let's just say that I demonstrated my displeasure at her being taken. No, they were telling the truth. Gastion is still in the Émigré."

"Which means he's found a way out of there," said Piper.

"As impossible as it sounds," said Cole, "I don't see any other explanation. Which means that's probably where he's taken Phoebe. It's the only place he could take her that the underworld wouldn't know about."

"So we just go to this Émigré and get her," said Piper.

"Hold on a second," said Cole. "You can't go down there. It's only for banished demons. No one else has even been there before."

"Listen," said Piper, "this is my sister we're talking about. You of all people should know what she means to me. To us. And if she's being held against her will in a realm of demons, you're going to need us to get her out."

"Piper," said Cole, "do you remember the last time you went to the underworld? Do you remember how useless your powers were?"

"Yes," said Piper.

"It will be worse this time," said Cole. "The Émigré is the lowest part of the underworld. There's not even any guarantee that your powers will work at all down there. And believe me any demon in the Émigré will see you as their way out of their prison. Destroy the Charmed Ones and get instant freedom."

"Piper is right," said Paige. "Phoebe is our sister. If she's in danger we have to go get her. You have to take us with you."

"Leo, talk to them," said Cole. "This is stupid. It could put all of them in danger."

"Sorry," said Leo, "but you know how they are. Especially when one of them is in danger. I can't say I completely agree with this but I also know there's no way to talk them out of it."

"Besides," said Piper, "I'm invulnerable, remember? That will give us a little edge."

"Invulnerable up here," said Cole. "That might not be true down there. Remember, you daughters' powers come from you. If your powers don't work down there, neither will hers. You might consider that before you decide to go down there."

"I have," said Piper, putting her hand to her abdomen. "But it doesn't really change anything. Phoebe's in danger and we can't just sit by and hope you can do something about it."

"Well, I guess that means we're going to the Émigré," said Leo.

"You’re going?" questioned Paige.

"Of course," said Leo. "My powers work differently from yours. Part of my ability is to travel between different realms. It's unlikely that they will be affected even so far down in the underworld. Besides, you might need me. If any of you gets hurt you won't have any other way to heal yourself."

"Okay," said Piper. "It's settled. We're going to get Phoebe."

"Which may be easier said than done," said Cole. "The guardians of the Émigré answer only to the Source. Since there is no longer a Source, they may not let you in. I'm not even sure they'll let me pass. I was vanquished. They may consider that I don't have the authority to circumvent the rules."

"If they don't, we'll just vanquish their butts," said Paige.

"Not likely," said Cole. "There will be too many of them. But I guess we can at least try. If they won't let you pass, I promise to do everything I can to get Phoebe back safe and unharmed. Just be ready in case they won't let you pass."

"We're wasting time," said Piper. "Let's get going."

Still unconvinced, Cole acquiesced. He shimmered them all to the underworld and the only entrance to the Émigré.

[noazmale]

FIVE

"Cole, tell me something," Paige said as they negotiated the caverns of the underworld. "Just how the hell do you know where we're going? All these chambers look alike to me. How do you know one place from another?"

"It's little things mostly," said Cole. "The color and texture of the rocks. The amount of ambient light. Even the amount of light itself. Not to mention the angles the caverns branch off from each other. There are a whole slew of small differences that by themselves don't make much difference. But when you put them together it tells you where you are and where you're going. I've been negotiating them for over a hundred years. By now I could do it in my sleep."

"I'm glad you know where we are," said Piper. "I've been lost for ten minutes. I don't know why we couldn't just shimmer to the Émigré opening."

"You don't want to just appear at the entrance unannounced," said Cole. "The guardians have a tendency to attack first and not worry about questions. Although it's been millennia since it happened, there were some attempts at one time to free some of the banished demons. Trust me. This is the best way. The guardians know where we're headed and won't attack unless we prove a threat."

"Then let's not give them a reason," said Leo. "I don't want to find out that the girls' powers don't work in the middle of combat."

"There won't be any if you don't do anything provocative," said Cole. "The guardians' only responsibility is to make sure that no one leaves the Émigré. And only those demons high enough in the hierarchy enter. Other than that they don't care about much else."

“If there's no Source," asked Paige, "why are these demons still guarding the entrance? If they answer only to the Source, why don't they just go on to something else since there's no Source?"

"This is their function," said Cole. "Think of them as soldiers. They've been given specific orders. Until they receive orders to the contrary, they'll continue to do what they've been assigned to do. Not all demons are interested in advancing in the hierarchy. Some just want to do what they're supposed to do."

"Doesn't seem very demonic to me," said Piper.

"Well," said Cole, "not all demons have the necessary power to remain in the hierarchy once they achieve a high level. It doesn't do much good to rise to a particular level if you get vanquished the next day by a more powerful demon. Most demons know how high in the hierarchy they can ascend to and the smart ones don't try to rise any higher. The guardians know they wouldn't stand much of a chance against higher lever demons so they're more than content to stay where they are and do their jobs efficiently."

"Well, I guess that kind of make sense," said Piper. "I guess I just imagined that all demons want to be the Source."

"It's like winning the lottery," said Cole. "Everyone likes to imagine what it would be like to win millions of dollars even if they know they have no chance of actually doing it. Most demons may imagine what it would be like to be the Source but they also have realistic expectations of how powerful they actually are."

"I guess that explains why there isn't total civil war in the underworld," said Paige. "If every demon was trying to become the Source they'd be killing each other left and right."

"There it is," said Cole, pointing ahead. "That's the only entrance to the Émigré."

Everyone looked ahead to where he was pointing. The passage they were traveling through opened into a larger chamber just several yards ahead. It looked like any other chamber they had passed through in the past ten minutes. From where they were standing the chamber looked totally deserted.

"I thought you said it was guarded," said Paige. "There's no one in there. And I don't see any entrance."

"Things are rarely as they appear," said Cole, "especially in the underworld. That chamber is one of the most closely guarded chambers in the underworld. Just walk in slowly and don't do anything that might be construed as provocative."

The four entered the chamber slowly. It appeared somewhat larger than most of the other chambers they had been in. And it also appeared to be completely empty. But they all knew that could be misleading. If Cole was right, several demons were waiting just out of sight.

Suddenly a demon simply appeared before them. It stood over seven feet tall and even Leo had to look up at it. Its skin was a dark gray color nearly the same shade as the walls around them. Its eyes looked like cats eyes with light blue pupils. Muscles rippled across its arms giving mute testimony to the awesome strength it possessed.

"White Lighter," the demon hissed, looking at Leo. Then it looked at Piper and Paige. "Witches. Your kind is not welcome here. This is a place for demons."

"We want to enter the Émigré," said Piper. "We don't want any trouble from you."

"No one enters the Émigré," said the demon. Suddenly, nearly a dozen more demons virtually identical to this one appeared around the chamber. "My brothers and I guard the entrance. You will leave this place. We have no quarrel with you but we will not allow you to pass."

"I'd like to differ with that opinion," said Cole, moving to the front of the small group.

"Belthazor," hissed the first demon.

"The Source?" questioned another demon. "We were told he had been vanquished."

"I got over it," said Cole. "Since you know me, you must also know that it is my right to enter the Émigré if I wish."

"The Source has been vanquished as my brother has said," said the first demon. "Vanquished demons do not enter the Émigré. They go to the Wasteland."

"Let's think this through," said Cole. "You obviously know I was initiated as the Source. Which makes me the ruler of the underworld. Now I'm standing here before you. And you serve the Source. So you tell me. Who makes the rules here?"

The demon looked at Cole and then at his brother demons. It was obviously thinking the matter over carefully. Leo, Piper, and Paige weren't sure if it would accept Cole as the Source or turn them all away. Piper was prepared to freeze the entire area if they should refuse.

"Forgive me," said the first demon finally. "As my brother has said, we were informed the Source had been vanquished. We have been waiting for word of the rise of a new Source."

"And now?" Cole asked.

"Your initiation as the Source is well known to us," said the demon. "As such, we answer to you."

"Good," said Cole. "Do you know the demon Gastion?"

"A Carack demon," responded the demon. "Banished by the Source sixty seven human years ago."

"Yes," said Cole. "Has he left the Émigré lately?"

"No demon leaves the Émigré unless its banishment is lifted," said the demon. "I have not been told his banishment has been lifted."

"That doesn't answer my question," said Cole.

"No demon has left the Émigré in seventeen human years," said the demon.

"Well, that answers one question," said Cole. "Open the entrance. I wish to enter the Émigré. And these three will be coming with me. If they return without me, they are to be given safe passage back to the mortal realm."

"As you wish," said the demon.

Another of the demons moved to the back wall of the chamber. It passed its hand over the wall and a door-shaped opening suddenly appeared. A vortex seemed to swirl inside the doorway.

"Come on," said Cole to the others. "That's the only way into the Émigré."

Apprehensive, Leo, Piper, and Paige followed Cole through the entrance into the Émigré.

[noazmale]

SIX

"Are you sure we're still in the underworld?" Paige asked as she looked around their surroundings. "This looks like we're on some deserted island somewhere."

The group seemed to be standing on a beach. To one side was a large ocean that was a strange greenish color. To the other side was what appeared to be a thin forest. Overhead dark clouds covered the sky threatening rain.

"I'm sure," said Cole. "This area is only a few miles in diameter. Most of what I know is only rumors. Most demons that are banished never leave here so there really isn't a whole lot of information about it. I can tell you there's a settlement of sorts about a mile or so inland. Stay away from the water. It's more corrosive than any acid known."

"What was all that about at the entrance?" Piper asked. "About if you didn't return?"

"Just a little precaution," said Cole. "None of us know what's going to happen in here. If something should happen to me, I just wanted to make sure that you didn't have any trouble getting back home."

"Aren't you indestructible?" Paige questioned. "Why would you think something might happen?"

"You just never know," said Cole. "I just thought it was best to be prepared."

The group turned and headed inland. As they walked they all felt like they were on a stroll through a lightly wooded forest rather than the outskirts of the underworld. There were no animal sounds but other than that there was no difference between this place and many places on the mortal realm. Suddenly they topped a hill and looked down into the valley below.

Sitting in the valley below was what appeared to be a settlement of some kind. Crude by most human standards, it was still more organized than any of them, even Cole, had expected.

"Well, now that's not something I didn't expected to see here," said Piper. "From the way you described it, I expected something more like small roving bands of demons preying on each other."

"That's pretty much what I expected, too," said Cole. "Like I said, most demons never leave here. Considering that demons rule by fear and intimidation I would have expected something a little more militant than this peaceful setting."

"This place is not ruled," said a voice behind them. "It is governed. And know if you show violence in this place the penalty is severe."

They all turned to see two demons standing only several feet behind them. The demons were about Cole's height. They were black with no markings or identifying features. Their eyes were fiery red and neither had any hair. No emotion showed on their faces.

"I am Belthazor," said Cole, "the Source. I've come here to find a banished one called Gastion. We are not here to do violence. We are here only in search of a human female Gastion has taken."

"There are no humans in this place," said one of the demons, looking at the sisters. "Except for these two. Only demons inhabit the settlement. You are not forbidden from entering but know that violence is not permitted. If you have a grievance you may address that grievance with the ruling body. Guard well my words. The penalty for violating the law is severe."

Suddenly the two demons shimmered and vanished.

"Well," said Cole, "looks like they have something that passes for security around here. I'd say we've just encountered the perimeter guards for that settlement."

"Perimeter guards?" questioned Leo. "Guards from what?"

"Probably on the look out for newly banished demons," said Cole. "This is strange. That settlement looks like something from the early 1900s not on the lowest levels of the underworld."

"Well, Phoebe's in there somewhere," said Piper. "We didn't come all this way to stand and admire the scenery. Let's get down there and find our sister."

The four of them began to descend the hill. It was an easy stroll. As they entered the settlement a few people took notice of them. But most of them went about their business. The settlement was a series of wooden structures the highest being only three stories. The streets were unpaved and it looked to the girls like pictures of the old west they had seen in movies.

But the strangest sight was all the humans. Or what appeared to be humans. They only saw creatures in demonic form scattered through the crowd. Most appeared to be nothing more than humans. Here and there they also saw demons similar to the ones they had seen on the hillside. These demons glanced in their direction but otherwise didn't acknowledge them.

"This is weird," said Paige. "Are you sure these are demons?"

"Everyone of them," said a woman coming out of what looked like a restaurant. "The rules require that all demons remain in human form if they have one. Only on certain days are we allowed to assume our demonic form. You must be new here."

"Yes," said Cole. "We only just arrived."

"A White Lighter?" questioned the woman looking at Leo. "Since when are White Lighters banished to the Émigré?"

"I wasn't banished," said Leo. "We're here looking for their sister. She's a human and she was kidnapped by a demon called Gastion. He took her from their house on the mortal plane."

"Gastion?" questioned the woman. "Now there's a name I haven't heard in a very long time."

"You know this Gastion?" questioned Piper.

"I did," said the woman. "He used to run a store on the other side of the settlement. That was, what? Thirty, thirty-five years ago, I think. He was a good storeowner. But he used to go on and on about human women. Didn't care much for most of us here."

"That's him," said Piper. "That's the demon we're looking for."

"Now, why would you be looking for him?" questioned the woman. "He was a decent store owner but other than that he wasn't much good for anything."

"As Leo told you," said Cole, "we're looking for a human woman he's taken. She's their sister and they want her back. He took her from their house and he's not in the underworld anywhere so he must be here. We just want to find her and get back to the mortal plane."

"Human?" questioned the woman. "You two are human? A White Lighter and two humans here? This is most unusual. We've never had either here before. Who are you?"

"My name is Cole Turner," said Cole.

"The Source," gasped the woman, suddenly dropping to one knee. "Forgive me, my lord. I didn't know."

"Get up, Malatta," said a voice behind the group. "He's no longer the Source. My information is that he was vanquished. By these two no less. They would be the witches I was told about."

The group turned to see a demon standing several feet from them. The demon was Coles' height and was in human form, just as the other inhabitants were. It appeared to be about forty years old, had blonde hair, and was clean-shaven. He stood smiling at the group.

"Samodun," gasped the female demon.

"Samodun?" questioned Cole. "You were banished thousands of years ago. I just figured you were probably dead by now."

"On the contrary," said Samodun. "I'm what you might call the administrator of this place."

"He is our leader," said Malatta. "He makes sure we live in peace with each other."

"So, the former Source of all Evil is here in search of a lowly Carack demon," said Samodun. "I'm afraid you've come all this way for nothing. What you are looking for isn't here."

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked.

"Gastion couldn't follow the rules," said Samodun. "He was much too disruptive for us to remain with us. I'm afraid he's no longer here. If he's taken your sister then she is lost forever. Where he's gone, no one ever returns."

Piper and Paige's hearts sank.

[noazmale]

SEVEN

Samodun had led them back to his residence in the settlement. It was a modest house sitting on a small rise just outside of the settlement. As they walked through the settlement many people bowed to Samodun. It was as if they were paying homage to a great leader. Samodun simply passed it all off in modesty that Piper and Paige would not have thought possible in a demon.

"When I was banished here," said Samodun, "there were very few demons here. That was a very long time ago. We were killing each other off left and right. I guess that's what the Source had in mind when he banished us. Anyway, very soon I was just about the only one left. There were few demons as high in the hierarchy than I and fewer still who could stand against me.

"Well, banished demons began to show up. I soon realized that if things went on as they had there would be nothing left of us. I decided I wouldn't let the underworld win in that way. I established laws by which everyone is required to abide. We have some malcontents from time to time but as you can see, most of the inhabitants live very well."

"How do you maintain control?" Cole asked. "You know as well as I do that demons don't respond well to reason. Most have to be controlled by fear and intimidation."

"The Enforcers," said Samodun. "They are the most powerful demons here, aside from myself. They keep the peace. Violence is forbidden here for any reason. Everyone must be a productive member of the settlement. There are ruling bodies for each area of the settlement that handle disputes between members. All things considered, we do all right for ourselves."

"What were you banished for?" Paige asked. "If you don't mind my asking."

"I don't mind," said Samodun. "You see at one time I was one of the most powerful demons in the underworld. Second only to the Source himself along with only a few others. When the Source was vanquished, there was a power struggle to see who would take his place. I lost. My opponent decided that vanquishing me was too easy a punishment. So he banished me here. I've been here every since."

"What about Gastion?" Cole asked. "You said he wasn't here any longer. This is supposed to be the last place a demon can go. Where is Gastion?"

"To the outer realms," said Samodun. "There are places here that intersect with other planes. Planes that aren't accessible any other way. If a demon can't live here peacefully with the other inhabitants, I have no choice but to exile them to the outer realms."

"You?" questioned Leo. "I thought you said you didn't rule here? That you administered?"

"I do," said Samodun. "I leave most of the governing to the ruling bodies. I only get involved in the most serious offenses. But as I'm sure you can understand, there are those who simply won't abide by the rules. Someone has to decide what to do with them. That duty falls to me."

"We never knew this place was so well organized," said Cole. "So few demons ever return from here that we have almost no information on it."

"I have a question of my own," said Samodun. "The guardians pass on information to me from time to time. I've been here so long that we've developed a sort of friendship you might say. They told me you had been vanquished. How is it that you're sitting here now?"

"I'm half human," said Cole. "After I was vanquished, I appeared in the Wasteland. Because I have a soul, I retained my human form. And I was able to collect enough magic from vanquished demons to return to the mortal realm."

"You said Gastion was banished to the outer realms," said Piper.

"Yes," said Samodun. "He lived here peacefully for about thirty years. But he was always a disruptive influence. Always trying to organize the inhabitants to revolt against the Source and return to the underworld. He kept saying that if we all banded together, the guardians wouldn't be able to stop us."

"That's crazy," said Cole. "Every demon in the leadership would have descended upon you even if you could have escaped. It would have been suicide."

"I know," said Samodun. "I didn't interfere with Gastion because all he seemed to do was talk. I figured he was like a lot of newly banished demons. That he would eventually accept his fate and settle down."

"But he didn't?" questioned Paige.

"No," said Samodun. "The final stroke was when he actively began to try organizing the inhabitants. Some of the younger ones were actually listening to him. That I couldn't permit. It wasn't just them at stake. If we proved a viable threat to the underworld they might come here to finish us. So I banished him to the outer realms. And as I said, no one ever returns from there."

"Gastion has found a way," said Cole. "He showed up at their home and kidnapped their sister. That's why we've come here. To get her back."

"If he has found a way back to the mortal plane," said Samodun, "he didn't come through here. You know as well as I do that there is no way out of here except through the entrance. That and to the outer realms, of course. No one has ever returned from the outer realms so we've always believed there was no escape from them. Apparently there is at least one escape."

"Is there any way you can tell which of these outer realms he was sent to?" Leo asked.

"Oh, that's the easy part," said Samodun. "Each realm has its own entrance. We've identified about two-dozen of them. Most are on the outer fringes the Émigré. I know exactly which one Gastion was sent to. It was my decision, after all.

"Well, it sounds like this is pretty straight forward," said Piper. "Since Gastion is no longer here, we have to go to whatever outer realm he's gone to. It's the only way to get Phoebe back."

"You have no idea what you're asking," said Samodun. "The portals to the outer realms operate in only one direction. You can enter but it is impossible to return through them. Gastion was exiled to the outer realms over thirty years ago. And yet he only recently returned to the mortal realm for your sister. It is fair to guess that it has taken him that long to find a way out of the realm where he's been exiled."

"We don't have a choice," said Paige. "Besides, if Gastion can do it, so can we. It shouldn't be that hard to find an opening back to the mortal plane."

"They aren't that easy to find," said Cole. "Plus there's no telling how these other realms will affect you. There are planes of existence where humans can't survive. You may not live very long once you get there."

"He's right," said Leo. "Coming here is one thing. But going off to some plane of existence that we know virtually nothing about is something else altogether. We can't risk loosing you two."

"Because of the Power of Three," said Piper. "Well, without Phoebe, there is no Power of Three. Without her we're just two more witches."

"I agree with Piper," said Paige. "Phoebe would come after either of us if we were in her situation. Besides, if Gastion kidnapped Phoebe to be his wife, humans must not be affected in this outer realm. We're going and that's that."

"Not if I don't show you where the entrance to the realm is," said Samodun. "I'm the only one who does know. Without my help, you aren't going anywhere."

Piper and Paige looked at Samodun. He was right. They had no idea where these portals were. Without his help it could take them years, even decades to find even one of them. And then they couldn't be sure it was the one they needed.

"Then again," said Samodun, smiling, "you're witches. By definition, we are opponents regardless of the peace we enjoy here. What do I care if two witches are lost in the outer realms for all eternity? I'll show you where the portal is to the realm where I exiled Gastion. What you do with that knowledge is up to you."

"Thank you," said Piper. "We appreciate the help."

"This is crazy," said Leo.

"Well," said Cole, "we can't let them go in there alone. They might need our help. If they're going, I'm in."

"I guess I don't have a choice," said Leo. "I can't abandon my charges or my wife now. But I still think this is very ill advised."

"Objection duly noted," said Piper. "Now, where is this portal you were talking about?"

"Just follow me," said Samodun.

[noazmale]

EIGHT

"This is an outer realm?" questioned Paige as she stared into a cloudless blue sky. "It looks like one big park to me."

They were standing in what appeared to be a large meadow with large trees scattered sporadically around the countryside. A brilliant sun shone in the sky and birds chirped happily in the trees around them. The countryside was a gently rolling hillside covered in the greenest grass the girls had ever seen.

"Not exactly what I imagined," said Cole, looking around. "I'm with Paige. This looks more like a park than some outer realm accessible only through the Émigré."

"Leo," said Piper, "where are you?"

Paige and Cole looked around. Leo was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Leo?" questioned Piper.

"I don't know," said Paige. "Maybe he appeared somewhere else."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Cole. "We all walked through the same doorway. He should have come to the same place."

"He's a White Lighter," said Piper. "Maybe that has something to do with it."

"Then why wasn't I affected?" asked Paige. "I'm half White Lighter. Shouldn't the same thing have happened to me?"

"There's no way to know," said Cole. "Different planes can affect people differently. Maybe your human half countered whatever happened to Leo."

"We can't worry about that now," said Piper. "We came here to get Phoebe. Once we find her we can find Leo. We'll have the Power of Three again and if necessary we can cast a spell to find him."

"Aren't you even worried about him?" Cole asked.

"Of course I am," said Piper. "But we have to stay focused here. We have no idea where he is if he's even here. For all we know a White Lighter couldn't enter through the portal. He may still be in the Émigré for all we know. But we do know that Phoebe is here somewhere. And she's in trouble. Our first priority is to find her."

"So, where do you suggest we start?" Paige asked. "There doesn't seem to be anyone - or anything - around. How do we find Phoebe?"

"I guess we just pick a direction and start walking," said Piper. "Eventually we should come across someone. Once we do they should be able to help us locate Gastion. We might even find Leo while we're looking."

With no other ideas they decided to follow Piper's advice. They decided to head east. There really wasn't any reason for their decision. Just that they had to pick one so they randomly picked east. They agreed if they didn't run into someone in a couple of hours they would change direction.

They had been walking for nearly two hours without so much as a sound that might indicate anyone was about. Just as they were becoming convinced they wouldn't come across anyone they happened upon a small wagon. A figure was bent over the back of the wagon apparently adjusting the load. A creature that resembled an ox or cow was pulling the wagon but the head was disproportionately large for the body. It had horns coming out of the front of its head that curved back toward its spine.

"Well," said Cole, "this is a different plane of existence. It stands to reason a lot of the creatures would be alien to us. My guess is that's a sort of cow or something here."

"Well, at least we found someone, that's a start," said Paige. "Maybe this guy knows where Gastion is."

"Maybe," said Piper. "We won't know unless we ask. But be on your guard. There's no way of knowing if this guy is good or evil or what kinds of powers he might have."

"Piper, look at that wagon," said Cole. "I'm pretty sure if this guy had powers he wouldn’t be driving a rickety old wagon like that."

"All the same," said Piper, "let's just take it easy. We have no idea who or what this guy is."

Cautiously the three approached the figure in the wagon. As they approached the wagon they could hear the figure speaking low and almost gutterly. As if swearing under its breath.

"Excuse me," said Piper when they were only a few feet from the wagon. "We were wondering if you could give us some help."

The figure straightened up and turned around. It was not quite six feet tall. Its skin was a yellowish color and its eyes were a light green. Instead of a nose it had two small bumps with holes in them. Tiny horns that were barely two inches long sprouted from its forehead. It was dressed in some kind of robes that were well worn but still serviceable. It looked at the three for a moment.

"What have we here?" said the creature. "Two calls and a mocall. This must be my lucky day."

"What's a call?" Paige asked as the figure turned and reached into the wagon.

When the figure turned around again he was holding a metal rod about three feet long and three pairs of shackles. He extended the shackles to Cole.

"Bind them first," said the figure. "Then bind yourself. They're a little scrawny but they should still fetch a fair price at market. And you look very healthy. You should be worth quite a bit."

"Who are you calling scrawny?" protested Piper.

The figure stuck out the metal rod and Piper received an electric shock.

"Hey, that hurts," said Piper, backing away from the figure.

"You're a feisty call," said the figure. "That will bring the price down a bit but I can't complain. Two calls and a mocall with no tags. You must be wild. Which means everything I sell you for is pure profit. I just knew something good was going to happen to me today."

"I'm not binding anyone, fella," said Cole. "You'd better put those away before you get hurt."

"I don't think so," said the figure, giving Cole a shock. "I'm the one with the stockley." He indicated the metal pipe he was holding. "Oh, you'll bind them all right. And the three of you are going to make me a tidy little profit at market."

"Not likely," said Piper, bringing up her hands to freeze the figure. "This guy is really annoying."

"My, my, you are feisty," said the figure, shocking Piper again. "Now, put the shackles on before I have to seriously damage you. That will bring the price down even further and I have no intentions of loosing any more on you than I have to."

Piper, Paige, and Cole simply stared at the figure in disbelief. The figure wasn't affected by Pipers' freezing ability. Either that or Pipers' powers didn't work in this realm. If that were true, it also meant that none of their powers would work. And that they were helpless against the figure that had the stockley that presumably could deliver a lethal shock to any of them.

[noazmale]

NINE

"This is crazy," said Paige. She held out her hand. "Stockley."

Nothing happened. Ordinarily the weapon would have orbed immediately into her hand. But apparently in this realm her magic didn't work any better than Pipers'. She looked at Piper and Cole perplexed.

"What?" the figure questioned. "You think I'll just hand over the stockley because you ask for it? Do I look like a fool to you? Put the manacles on. I can't be taking you to market like this."

"I've had enough of this," said Cole.

He raised his hand and called on his magic. He was a demon and his magic worked differently from the sisters. Only nothing happened. He stood there with his hand held up as the others stared at him. The figure next to the wagon extended the stockley and gave Cole a shock.

"Listen," said the figure, "I can't stand around here all day. If you don't put the manacles on this instant I'll take your dead bodies to market. They won't bring as much if you're dead but I'm not about to turn down any profit I can make off you. So make your decision. Wear the manacles or die. It's up to you."

Cole looked at the sisters. There really wasn't anything they could do at the moment. As long as the figure held that weapon and they had no access to their magic, they were at his mercy. Reluctantly Cole picked up the manacles and began to put them on the sisters.

"Sorry about this," he said as he shackled Piper. "But the first opportunity...."

"I know," said Piper. "There really isn't any choice. Let's just go along with it for now. Maybe something will come up at this market he keeps raving about."

When they were all shackled hand and foot the figure loaded them into the wagon. The shackles provided just enough room for them to walk but running was definitely out of the question. The manacles were obviously designed to keep the occupant subdued.

"Okay," said the figure, "if anyone asks, you're the property of Stennish. That's me, Stennish. If they want to know why you aren't tagged just tell them that your fresh stock and I haven't got around to tagging you yet. That will make things a lot easier."

"Whatever," Piper said.

"That's a docile call," said Stennish.

"What the hell is a call?" Paige asked.

"You are, of course," said Stennish. "All females gadlings are calls. What, haven't you ever had contact with demonis before?"

"Demonis?" questioned Cole.

"Me," said Stennish. "My people are demonis and you people are gadlings. The females are called calls and the males are called mocalls. It's been that way for hundreds of years. Honestly, you'd think the three of you just dropped out of the sky or something."

"That's not far from the truth," said Paige, looking at the other two.

Stennish got into the wagon and whipped the beast pulling it. The beast began to move, pulling the wagon behind it. It wasn't an uncomfortable ride although it was not the best way Piper and Paige had ever traveled. Shackled as they were and with no magic, they could do little but sit and wait.

They traveled for nearly an hour. Finally the wagon pulled into a small village made of wooden buildings. The village was bustling with activity. Many creatures that looked remarkably like Stennish walked about the village. There were also a great many humans, all shackled similar to Cole and the sisters. One of the oddest things that the three noticed was that most of the human women were noticeably overweight.

"Well, it seems they feed humans pretty good here anyway," said Paige.

"Of course," said Stennish. "A thin call is not worth much."

"I don't like the looks of this," said Cole. "Humans seem to be nothing more than animals here. It's hard to believe that Gastion would bring Phoebe here to be his wife. I don't think the inhabitants would go for something like that any more than humans on Earth would accept someone who married a dog or cat."

"Marry a call?" questioned Stennish. "Well, it's been known to happen but not often. And then only members of the elite may do so. This Gastion you speak of. Is he a member of the elite?"

"We don't know," said Piper. "We only know he came here a long time ago. And he has something we want."

"Well, you can forget about that now," said Stennish. "Pretty soon you'll be sold at market and then you'll have other duties to attend to. I plan to get a good price for you even though you aren't exactly up to market standards. You're young and strong. That should help augment the price."

"Stennish," said a demonis walking up to the wagon, "it's been a long time. And I see you've brought more goods to trade. They're untagged. Are they wild? Have you been poaching on Glendons' property again?"

"Absolutely not," said Stennish as he got down off the wagon. "I found them on my way into town. Came walking up to me as proud as you please."

"Well," said the other demonis, "if you found them along the road I guess that can't be considered poaching. The calls seem a bit thin, don't they?"

"Ah, but they are young and strong," said Stennish. "And the mocall is very vibrant. He should be very good for producing many gadlings for you. Not to mention all the work you should be able to get out of him. I tell you, Gronnar, these are three of the best gadlings I've ever seen. They are worth a good price."

"Come inside and we'll discuss it," said Gronnar. "You three mind yourself. I don't want any trouble out of you."

"They won't be any trouble," said Stennish, casting a stern look at the three.

Stennish and Gronnar went into the building as the sisters and Cole got out to stretch their legs. It had been a hard ride into the village and none of them were used to it. Cole tested the strength of the shackles once more but found them to be as sturdy as ever.

"Is it true?" asked a young human man cautiously edging his way toward the three. "Are you really wild gadlings? My name is Parno."

"Hello, Parno," said Piper, noticing a small triangular shaped tattoo on the mans' right cheek. "My name is Piper. This is Paige, my sister, and that's Cole. We're kind of new around here. Before we knew what was happening that Stennish used some kind of weapon to shock us with."

"The stockley," said the young man nodding. "It's the way they control unruly gadlings. Do what you're told and they won't use it."

"Thanks," said Paige. "What's that on your cheek?"

"Oh, this," said the man putting his hand to his cheek. "It's my tag. It identifies my owner. I belong to Amadon, one of the richest demonis in the village. You'll get one, too, as soon as your sold. Maybe Amadon will buy you. He's in town looking for new stock."

"New stock?" questioned Cole. "You talk like we're cattle."

"I don't know this cattle," said Parno. "But Amadon is one of the best masters in the village. He doesn't mistreat us and we get to roam free most of the time. As long as we don't cause any trouble."

"It's still slavery no matter how benevolent," said Cole.

"You speak strangely," said Parno. "Where are you from?"

"It's called Earth," said Piper. "It's kind of a long way from here. We're here looking for someone. His name is Gastion. Have you heard of him?"

“The name means nothing," said Parno. "But I don't know everyone."

"He'd have a young human, that is, call with him," said Cole. "About twenty-five, dark hair, very attractive."

"Is she thin like these two?" questioned Parno.

"Yes, she would be," said Paige. "What's with the weight on all the women here? I haven't seen a thin woman in this entire village."

"You're calls," said Parno in surprise. "Calls are supposed to be plump, of course. You can't serve a thin call at donlo."

"Donlo?" questioned Cole.

"The monthly feasts of the village, of course," said Parno. "You are strange gadlings. You act as if you don't know any of this."

"What do you mean serve?" asked Piper, getting a very sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Calls serve three main purposes, of course," said Parno. "They tend to the young gadlings and prepare meals, do the cleaning, keep the homes of their owners, that sort of thing. Then there's the bearing of the young. Producing more gadlings that can be sold at market or put to work or whatever."

"You said three things," said Cole.

"They're for the donlo," said Parno. "When a call is properly fattened, they are served at donlo. We expect to have a record turnout of calls at this month's donlo. It promises to be quite grand and festive."

"When you say served," began Piper.

"Served," said Parno. "You know. Baked, boiled, fried, there are a variety of ways to prepare calls. Which is why they must be properly plump so they can be properly prepared."

"Served," said Piper looking at Piper and Cole. "As in cooked and served. Human females here are considered a source of food to these demonis."

Paige and Cole just stared at Piper in utter disbelief.

[noazmale]

TEN

"Well, not as much as I had hoped for but still a fair price," said Stennish as he and Gronnar came walking out of the building. Stennish was counting some coins into his hand as he walked up to Cole and the sisters.

"You three have brought a fair price, just as I suspected," Stennish said to Cole. "Maybe if I'm lucky I'll stumble across some others on the way home."

"Good luck," said Paige sarcastically.

"Now," said Gronnar, "you three belong to me. But that won't last long. Amadon is in town looking for some more calls. And I'm pretty sure I can convince him to take you as well, mocall. Just behave yourself if you don't want to be punished."

They all noticed that Gronnar was carrying a stockley from his belt.

"Parno, run and tell your master I have three fine specimens for him," Gronnar said to Parno. "And tell him to bring his purse with him. He's going to be very interested in them."

Parno bowed slightly and ran off to find Amadon. Gronnar led the three into the building and sat them on a bench just inside the door. As they sat waiting for Amadon to arrive, Piper was looking around. Across the street and partially obscured by passing traffic she thought she saw someone standing next to the road. When the traffic cleared, the figure was nowhere to be seen.

"I thought I just saw Leo," she whispered to Paige and Cole.

"Where?" Cole asked, looking out the door.

"There," said Piper, pointing across the street. "He was standing next to that building over there."

"Well, if he was he's probably in the same predicament we are," said Paige. "At least we know he's okay."

"Yeah," said Piper thoughtfully.

Leo had been vague and indistinct from that distance. She wasn't sure but she thought she had been able to see the building through him. But that was clearly not possible. Leo was alive. He wasn't a spirit. Finally she decided it must be her imagination.

A few minutes later a demonis dressed in what looked to be very expensive clothes entered the building, Parno and a human female close behind. Gronnar looked up and saw him enter and a huge smile broke out on his face. He walked from behind the counter to the guest.

"Amadon, good to see you again," said Gronnar. "I have three excellent specimens today, as you can see. Two young, healthy calls and a very fine mocall. I knew you were in the market so I had Parno get you right away."

"I'm only looking for calls," said Amadon, looking the three over. "These are scrawny."

"Yes, but very healthy," said Gronnar. "You should be able to fatten them up in no time. And the mocall is very vibrant. He should provide you with many years of good work not to mention many gadlings. I'll make you a good price on the lot of them."

"Let's talk," said Amadon as the two walked to the back of the shop.

The human woman who had come in with Amadon was staring at Piper. A perplexed look crossed her face. Piper stared back for a moment.

"See anything interesting?" Piper finally snapped.

The woman didn't answer. She just continued to stare at Piper. Finally, Amadon and Gronnar came out of the back. Gronnar was counting coins into one hand.

"You've made a good purchase, Amadon," said Gronnar. "These are some of the best gadlings I've ever sold."

"Put them in the wagon," Amadon instructed Parno. "Well find a place for them when we get back."

The human woman walked over and whispered something in Amadon's ear. He looked at her and then at Piper. Then he walked over and looked Piper over carefully. After a moment, he spoke.

"Are you with child?" he asked Piper.

"Yes," said Piper after a moment. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Insolent," snapped Gronnar, grabbing the stockley hanging at his side. "I'll teach you proper manners."

"Gronnar, you fool," said Amadon, pushing the stockley way before Gronnar could use it, "this one is with child. You don't use a stockley on a gadling with child. You could harm the young one."

"With child," Gronnar gasped. "That makes her worth even more. She's worth a great deal more than the twelve shecks you paid for her."

"Not my fault if you don't know your own merchandise," said Amadon. "The deal is done. You asked a price and I paid it. Next time I suggest you inspect your merchandise more closely before offering a deal."

The human woman with Amadon helped Piper to her feet. She treated Piper like a piece of fragile crystal that could shatter at any moment.

"Two for the price of one," said Amadon. "You're right, Gronnar. I did make a good purchase. We'll put this one in with the other breeders. If the child is healthy she may be able to provide even more in the future."

"Breeders?" questioned Piper. "That's not going to happen. I'm not breeding for anyone, least of all some bloated overbearing pig who thinks he can just buy and sell whomever he wants."

"She has spirit," said Amadon. "That's good. She will produce healthy and lively young. Gronnar, if you come across any more like her, let me know. I'd be interested in purchasing them."

Gronnar just bowed slightly, angry at the turn of event. Without another word, Piper, Paige, and Cole were led outside to another wagon. The woman was helping Piper into the wagon as Parno pleaded with Cole and Paige not to cause any trouble.

"Get your hands off me," shouted Piper pushing the woman away. "If you think I'm going to become some kind of baby factory, you have another thing coming."

Amador turned and struck Piper across the face, forcing her to her knees.

"Mind your place, call," said Amador. "Just because I've selected you to be a breeder doesn't mean I won't change my mind. There are worse things, you know."

"Leave her alone," shouted Cole. "She's pregnant for crying out loud."

Cole was forced to his knees by a sharp electric shock to his back. He looked around to see another demonis standing behind holding a stockley.

"Amadon is your master now," said the demonis. "You will show him his due respect. And that means you keep your mouth shut and do as you're told."

"That is getting very tiresome," said Cole, his anger beginning to flare. "If you didn't have that stockley and I wasn't shackled this would have a very different ending."

"Shut up," said the demonis, shocking Cole again. "You're beginning to become more trouble than your worth."

"We may have to destroy him," said Amadon. "He seems uncontrollable."

"As long as you keep shocking me with that thing I am," Cole shouted his patience nearly completely gone.

The demonis with the stockley shocked Cole again. Coles' patience failed completely. In a near total rage he stood up to face his attacker. The demonis looked up at Cole and a look of pure terror crossed his face. The stockley dropped from his hand and he collapsed on the ground a quivering mass of flesh.

All around Cole saw males and females alike running from them as fast as they could move. Many of them had simply fallen to the ground on their knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Even Amadon who seemed to be in complete control of everything was staring at Cole in pure abject horror.

Cole looked at Piper and Paige who were also looking at him. But it wasn't fear or horror that registered on their faces. It was more a look of shock and surprise. Cole wasn't sure what was going on until he caught a glimpse of himself in a nearby window. The reflection that greeted him made him stop for a moment.

He didn't see Cole Turner reflected back at him from the glass. Instead, Belthazor, upper level demon and once Source of all Evil, stared back at him through its coal black eyes.

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

Cole didn't know what was going on. Magic didn't seem to work in this realm. Which meant that he shouldn't have been able to change to Belthazor. Not to mention the fact that Belthazor no longer existed. He had been vanquished months ago.

"Please, I didn't know," pleaded the demonis at Belthazor's feet. "I was not told. Please do not punish me, master. It was not my fault."

Belthazor could sense the fear coming from this pathetic little creature. It was a sense he had relished for decades. The creature was so terrified that it would do virtually anything Belthazor said.

"Remove these," Belthazor commanded, extending his hands.

Nervously, the demonis began to undo the shackles. It was shaking so badly from fear that it had trouble manipulating the catch devices on the manacles. Belthazor just smiled as the creature finally opened the latches and the shackles fell to the ground. Without hesitation the demonis dropped to its knees and removed the shackles around Belthazor's ankles.

"Release them," Belthazor command, pointing at Piper and Paige.

Hurriedly, Amador and Parno began to remove the shackles binding the two sisters. Within seconds the shackles lay on the ground and the sisters were freed. Belthazor smiled. Suddenly he shimmered and resumed his guise of Cole Turner.

"Please, master," the demonis in front of Cole continued to plead, "I meant no disrespect. I did not know who you are. It was not my fault. I was not told."

"I'm not going to hurt you," said Cole, smiling slightly at the sisters.

"What's going on?" Piper whispered to Cole. "I thought your magic didn't work here."

"I don't know," said Cole. "But I'll tell you one thing. I could feel my magic in me. While I was in the form of Belthazor I could feel the magic coursing through me. Somehow I have access to my magic while I'm Belthazor."

"How could you be Belthazor?" Paige asked. "We vanquished him."

"I know," said Cole. "It must be something genetic. You stripped Belthazor from me but I still have demonic genes. They're half of who I am. Somehow this place allows me to alternate between my human and demonic form. In my human form I'm no more powerful than any other human. But in my demonic form I have complete access to all of my demonic powers."

"Well that's something anyway," said Piper. "Now, we need to find Gastion and Phoebe."

"I have an idea," said Cole.

He turned to Amadon.

"You," said Cole. "I'm looking for someone named Gastion. He'd be like me. About your height with yellow skin. His eyes are blue. He has pointed ears and three fingers on each hand. A red strip runs from his neck down both arms. And there are small markings covering both arms."

"Please, master, I do not know this demon of which you speak," pleaded Amador. "We are a small village. No one knew. We were not told. I plead with you. Do not punish us for another's' mistake."

"Stennish said nothing to me," cried Grannor. "Please, master, if he had told me we would have treated you with proper respect. Amador is correct. We are a small village. Please, do not punish us for this transgression."

"Relax," said Cole, "I'm not going to punish anyone. Stennish said nothing because he didn't know. And there's no way you could have known. So don't be concerned. No one is going to be punished."

"Bless you master, bless you," cried Amador. "You may stay in my home. It is the best home in the village. My gadlings are at your disposal."

"Lead on," said Cole.

As they rode to Amador's home, Cole and the sisters discussed the situation.

"Apparently," said Cole, "I'm some sort of celebrity of some kind. And they seem to be terrified of me. Or rather Belthazor. Maybe demons are like the top of the food chain here or something."

"Well, whatever it is," said Piper, "they sure seemed to change their tune when you changed into Belthazor. And you're right about one thing. He scares them to death. But why don't they know Gastion? I would imagine he'd be just as terrifying as you are. It doesn't seem likely that they wouldn't know about him."

"They said this was a small village," said Paige. "That implies there are others. Maybe Gastion is in one of these other villages."

"Which could make finding him extremely difficult," said Cole. "We have no idea how far from here he is. He could live over the next rise or hundreds of miles from here. There's just no way to know for sure."

"Maybe we'll get some answers at Amadors' place," Piper suggested. "But I wouldn't suggest asking too many questions of one person. They might figure out you're not this master they keep blabbering about and we could loose our only edge."

Amadors' home turned out to be a spacious ranch about a mile outside of town. It was full of humans moving about the ranch performing a variety of tasks. There were also several demonis' moving around. As the party rode into the ranch everyone stopped and stared at them. Apparently news of what Cole was had all ready reached the ranch.

Amador gave them very spacious rooms. By the standards they had witnessed in the village the rooms were quite luxurious. He also set an elaborate meal for them. All types of delicacies were served most of which neither the girls nor Cole could identify. Human slaves were assigned to attend to their every need.

"We're not getting anywhere this way," said Piper as they ate. "We have no more idea where Gastion or Phoebe are than we did when we first arrived here. And we still don't know where Leo is. I can't even be sure that was him I saw in the village."

"Just take it easy," said Cole. "At least we know that my demonic form holds some power over these demonis. I think the dominant life form here are these demonis, sort of non-magical demons, if you will. Humans, or gadlings as they're called, are considered nothing more than animals. And demons like me - demons with powers - are probably the elite. That's why they were so frightened when I changed."

"I'll just be glad when this is all over," said Paige. "I'm a city girl, born and bred. All this open space is a bit overwhelming. I'll be real glad to get back to San Francisco."

"San Francisco?" questioned one of the women who was serving them. The woman looked to be about twenty years or so older than Piper. "You're from San Francisco?"

"Yes," said Piper. "It's, uh, the name of our village. It's a long way from here."

"I'm from San Francisco," whispered the woman.

"You are?" questioned Cole. "What's your name?"

"I am called Dolcine," said the woman. Then, in a whisper she added, "but my real name is Margaret Channing."

Cole looked at the sisters. They were thinking the same thing he was. If Gastion had found a way out of this domain without going through the Émigré there might also be a way into it. And if this woman was from their San Francisco, she might know how to get out.

"Tell me," said Cole. "How long have you been here?"

"About ten years," said Margaret. "I was, uh, walking home one night when I just suddenly appeared here. I don't know how I got here. It's like I walked through a doorway or something."

"Well," said Piper, "our sister was brought here. We've come to get her back. When we leave you can come with us if you want. Assuming we can find a way out of here."

"I'd like that," said Margaret. "I can show you where I first appeared in this place. Maybe there's a doorway or something that leads back to our home. When I found out what this place was like I was heading back there to find a way home when one of these demonis' captured me. I've been here ever since."

"That's a good start," said Cole. "If there is a doorway that's the best place to start looking for one."

"You don't know how long I've prayed that someone might come to help," said the woman. "Thank the goddess."

Piper and Paige looked at each other as the woman caught herself. Cole looked at her and then stood up.

"Out," he ordered. "Everyone get out now."

The other humans immediately began to file out of the room as quickly as they could. When they had all left, Cole walked over and closed the door and locked it.

[noazmale]

TWELVE

"Are you a witch?" Cole asked Margaret.

"What?" Margaret questioned. "No, of course not. Witches don't exist. They ....they aren't real."

"Listen," said Piper, "if you are a witch you can tell us. Believe me we understand."

"Witches are put to death here," Margaret whispered. "There hasn't been a witch here in over a century. I'm just another gadling like the rest."

Piper looked at Paige and then at Cole. Obviously ten years of slavery had frightened this woman nearly out of her mind. Even today there were some places where witches were despised and persecuted on the mortal plane. They could only imagine what it must have been like ten years ago. And that would be all the memory Margaret would have of San Francisco. Finally, Piper looked at Margaret.

"Blessed be," said Piper very deliberately.

Margaret looked at her in near shock.

"You?" she questioned. "You're a," her voice dropped to a whisper, "witch?"

"Yes," said Piper. "My name is Piper Halliwell. This is my sister Paige Matthews. That's Cole Turner. He's sort of a friend of the family."

"Halliwell?" questioned Margaret. "I used to know a Patty Halliwell years ago. We worked at a restaurant together."

"That was probably our mother," said Piper. "She worked at a restaurant until about 1975 or so when Phoebe, our other sister, was born."

"Yes," said Margaret. "The Patty Halliwell I knew quit to have a baby. And she had two daughters. Uh, Piper and Prue I think they were."

"Prue was our older sister," said Paige. "She died about four years ago."

"So, you are a witch?" questioned Cole.

"Yes," said Margaret. "I was casting a spell when something went wrong. It opened a portal of some kind and thrust me here. None of my powers work and my spells don't function. My only hope was to find the place where I entered here and see if I could open a way back. But like I said, I was captured before I could do that."

"Well, that answers one question," said Piper. "About whether we have any powers or not. It looks like you're the only one with powers, Cole."

"But only demons have powers here," said Margaret. "And then only the most powerful ones."

"Yes, well, I'm half demon," said Cole.

"Half demon?" questioned Margaret, fear showing in her eyes.

"Relax," said Cole smiling. "I'm a good demon. I'm also half human."

"There are no such things as good demons," protested Margaret.

"Well, he's the closest thing we have," said Paige. "But you don't have to worry about him. He's on our side."

"Listen," said Piper, "a demon named Gastion kidnapped Phoebe, our other sister. We're pretty sure he brought her here. We've come to get her back. But no one here seems to know anything about him. You've been here a long time. Is there anything you can tell us that might help?"

"The name isn't familiar," said Margaret, glancing uneasily at Cole. "I've never heard of a Gastion here or on the mortal plane. But there are a large number of high-level demons around. It's possible he's using another name."

"He would have come here about thirty years ago," said Cole. "More recently, he would have brought Phoebe here with him. Are there any rumors of a demon bringing a human woman here?"

"None that I've heard," said Margaret. "Communication between villages is sporadic at best. Most tend to keep to themselves. Most demons control a specific area and they rarely interact with each other. If this Gastion is here, he probably controls an area somewhere else. The demons don't like to spend much time together. They're afraid one of them might try to take over."

"Sounds like the underworld to me," said Cole. "Is there any way we can find out? Maybe someone who might know what happens in other villages?"

"There's a rumor," said Margaret. "More of a folktale, really. To the north of here is a small mountain. The tale is that a powerful being lives on that mountain. This being is called the Oracle. It's supposed to know everything that goes on around here."

"How far is this mountain from here?" asked Piper.

"I don't know for sure," said Margaret. "Four or five days I think. But you won't make it. Terrible guards protect it. No one ever sees the Oracle. It's supposed to be very secretive?"

"It?" questioned Paige. "Why do you keep calling this Oracle it?"

"No one knows for sure if it's male or female," said Margaret. "It's been decades since it was seen or heard from. Some say it no longer exists but the legends are that it's immortal."

"Well, at least we have some place to start," said Cole. "We can go see this Oracle and find out what it knows. You can come with us."

"I can't," said Margaret bowing her head. "I belong to Amador. Not even a demon has the authority to take a gadling without payment."

"And we have no money," said Paige. "What do we do?"

"Maybe he'll make Margaret a gift to us," said Cole smiling coyly. "I'm sure a few veiled threats should induce him enough to make the donation."

"It won't work," said Margaret. "They have laws here about the sale of gadlings. Not even a demon can take a gadling without payment."

"How come you aren't fattened up like the others?" asked Piper, noticing how thin Margaret was. "After being here for so long I would think you'd have put on enough weight to make you acceptable to these monthly feasts we've heard about."

"I purge," said Margaret. "I make myself throw up after I eat. They think I have some form of illness that keeps me from gaining weight. But I serve Amador well enough in other areas so he keeps me around. I'm the oldest of his holdings."

"Well, don't worry, Margaret," said Piper. "We're going to find some way to take you with us. And when we go back to San Francisco, you're coming with us."

"What's that?" gasped Margaret looking at the window.

The sun had set earlier and it was dark outside. A light mist floated through the air causing strange shadows and shapes in the failing light. When they all looked toward the window they saw the same thing. It appeared to be the face of a man looking in. It remained for only a moment but then vanished. And there was no doubt in any of their minds whose face they had seen in the window. It was Leo.

[noazmale]

THIRTEEN

"I don't understand," said Piper after they had searched the outside of the house thoroughly. "That's the second time I've seen him but he's nowhere to be found."

"It is an augury," said Margaret.

"A what?" Paige asked.

"They are called auguries," said Margaret. "They are a portent, a sort of omen. They appear from time to time but only briefly. They are supposed to predict things for the ones who see them."

"Good things or bad things?" asked Cole.

"That depends," said the woman. "You called it Leo. Did you recognize the face?"

"Leo Wyatt, my husband," said Piper. "He came with us but when we got here we couldn't find him."

"Was he a good person?" asked Margaret.

"Oh, you betcha," said Paige. "The best kind

"The visage of the person is supposed to define the prediction," said Margaret. "If the person is a good person, the portent is good. If the person is not a good person, then the portent foretells evil. And it's supposed to affect even those close to the person that it appears to. Sounds to me like this is a portent for good."

"We could use some right now," said Piper. "Seems we've had nothing but bad luck since this whole thing started."

"Is everything okay, master?" questioned Amador, sticking his head tentatively in the door. "I was told you were outside. And that you seemed to be looking for something. Is there anything I may do for you?"

"No," said Cole. "We were, uh, just looking around. Everything is fine."

"I'm glad," said Amador. "Dolcine, it is late. You should be getting to your quarters and leave the master in peace."

"Yes, sir," said Margaret.

"Amador," said Cole, glancing at Margaret, "I would like her to stay. She is a very efficient servant. I may have need of her later."

"Oh, master," said Amador, "I can provide you with much younger, more robust companionship if that is your desire. Dolcine is an efficient servant but I have others who are more pleasing to the eye."

"She'll do fine," said Cole. "If I need anything else I'll call you."

"Yes, master," said Amador. "Dolcine is yours for as long as you wish."

Amador backed quickly out of the room obviously not wanting to incur Coles' wrath.

"You seem to be taking to this master/servant thing pretty quickly," said Piper, looking at Cole.

"Over a hundred years in the underworld," said Cole. "This is actually old hat to me."

"Are you sure he's one of the good guys?" Margaret whispered to Paige.

"Not entirely," Paige whispered back. "But like I said, you don't have to worry about him. He's on our side here."

"I'll talk to Amador first thing in the morning," said Cole. "Maybe he'll let me buy Margaret on credit. By the time he realizes he isn't going to get paid we should be long gone."

"I don't know," said Margaret. "The demonis have never heard of credit. I'm not sure how he'd react."

"It can't hurt to try," said Piper. "Are there any other people here from the mortal realm that you know of?"

"I've only heard rumors," said Margaret. "And not many of those. By the time we hear about anything like that it's been months or years since it happened. And there's no way to know what happened to those people."

"Well, one thing is for sure," said Paige. "We aren't staying here any longer than necessary. We're going to find Phoebe and get her back where she belongs."

"What about this Gastion?" Margaret asked. "What are you going to do about him?"

"I may just have to teach him a lesson," said Cole. "If he knows how to get to the mortal plane without any problems he'll be a threat in the future. At least to any unsuspecting women who happen across him. We can't just let him roam around free taking other innocent women captive. They won't have sisters to come after them."

"Cole's right," said Piper. "If we let him go he's bound to try it again. We'll have to put a stop to him once and for all."

"How?" Paige asked. "We don't have any of our powers."

"I do," said Cole. "And like I said, Gastion is no match for me."

"We'd better get some sleep," said Margaret. "They get up pretty early around here."

"Good idea," said Piper. "Let's all get a good night's rest and start fresh in the morning."

Realizing they were all very tired, the four got ready for bed. It had been a long day. And tomorrow promised to be even longer. Late into the night Piper thought about the apparitions she had seen of Leo. And wondered just where he was and if he was okay.

The next morning Cole spent a great deal of time talking with Amador. They seemed to be arguing about something even though Amador was clearly very frightened of Cole. He was respectful but appeared adamant about his position. Finally, Cole shook his hand and walked over to the sisters and Margaret.

"Well, he won't budge," said Cole. "He insists that payment has to be in full and up front if we want to buy Margaret. Apparently not even my being a demon was enough to dissuade him."

"I told you," said Margaret. "The law says that a demonis can ask for payment up front if he so chooses. Amador is well within his rights to do it and he knows that not even you being a demon can alter that. Besides, he's a very shrewd businessman. When I came here he only had three gadlings besides me. Now he has over one hundred."

"How much does he want for her?" Piper asked.

"He insisted on twenty-five gold barracks," said Cole. "Whatever barracks are."

"It's the usual form of currency here," said Margaret. "Twenty-five is a large amount. I must be worth more to him than I thought. He's never asked for more than seventeen before."

"Well, it's a sure bet we can't buy you," said Cole. "What about sneaking away after it gets dark? By the time they find you missing in the morning we should be a long way off."

"That's not a good idea," said Margaret. "Oh, I could get away. He trusts me as much as he trusts any gadling. But they'd suspect you of stealing me right away. They'd probably contact the magistrate in the town south of here to send the Imposers after you."

"Imposers?" questioned Cole.

"Kind of like the police here," said Margaret. "Not even demons like you are above the law. Imposers are demons with magical powers that enforce the laws. Stealing a gadling is a very serious offense. The penalties can be severe."

"Well, we can't risk that," said Piper. "We have enough to do without worrying about these Imposers coming after us."

"Don't worry, Margaret," said Paige. "We won't leave you here. We'll find some way to take you back with us."

Before Margaret could respond several of the women began to shriek. The men began yelling. Within seconds the entire yard was in pandemonium. Everyone was yelling and screaming and words like "augury" and "evil spirit" could be heard. Everyone seemed to be pointing at Cole and the sisters.

Almost on impulse, Piper turned to look behind her thinking maybe it wasn't her they were pointing at but something behind her. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. Standing not three feet behind Margaret was a figure. A ghostly figure that was completely transparent.

Cole, Phoebe, and Margaret, seeing Piper's reaction, turned as well. Cole and Phoebe just stared at the figure in shock. Margaret got a terrified look on her face and started to back away from the figure. Standing directly behind her was Leo.

[noazmale]

FOURTEEN

"Oh thank goodness," cried Piper rushing to embrace Leo. "We thought we'd lost you."

But instead of embracing him Piper passed right through him. As if he wasn't there. Leo turned to look at her. That's when she noticed his transparency. Tears came to her eyes.

"He's dead," she sobbed.

Leo looked like he was trying to speak but there was no sound coming out. Cole walked up to him.

"Leo, can you hear me?" he asked.

Leo nodded his head yes.

"Are you dead?" Cole asked.

Leo shook his head no. He mouthed something but Cole couldn't make out what it was.

"I don't think he's dead," Cole said to Piper. "I think something else is going on here."

"Augury," cried Amador. "Stand clear of it. It has come for Dolcine. But is it a good augury or an evil one?"

"For crying out loud," said Piper, "that's no augury. That's Leo. He's a White Lighter. Kind of like an angel."

"White Lighter?" Amador repeated slowly. "Angel? Your words have no meaning for me."

All the time Cole seemed to be thinking. Suddenly he turned toward Amador and the crowd.

"It's because this is an evil augury," he said loudly. "It has bewitched her. Cast a spell so that she serves it. It is an evil omen. And it has come for Dolcine."

"And all who are around here will suffer," said Amador, taking a stockley out of his robes. "We must kill the bearer of this evil omen."

"No," cried Cole. "That will only anger the augury. It will take its vengeance on all of you. This augury is an aid to witches. It comes to make a new witch. It wants Dolcine."

"Cole, what are you doing?" asked Paige.

Cole turned his back to the crowd and faced Paige.

"Go with me on this," he whispered to her. "I have an idea. Just trust me."

Cole turned back to the crowd.

"Ask her," he said pointing at Paige. "She can tell you the truth of this augury. Tell them, Paige. Tell them how this man died in a great war that killed many. How he was returned to guide and protect witches."

"It . . . . it's true," said Paige, not knowing exactly what Cole was up to. "He fought in a great war. Many died, including him. Then he returned as a White Lighter. A spirit that gives aid and guidance to witches. He has bewitched my sister. Caused her to fall in love with him. Now he seeks to bewitch Margaret, I mean Dolcine."

"This is a great evil," Cole called out. "All who have witnessed it this day will die a horrible death. It will seek its vengeance on everyone and none have the power to stop it."

"An aid to witches?" questioned Amador. "This cannot be. All witches were destroyed long ago. There are no more witches."

"This augury will restore them," said Cole. "It cannot harm me. You all know I am demon. My power is great. It has no power over me or those who serve me. But I cannot protect you, alas. It has come for Dolcine and when it has taken her it will destroy all witnesses so that none may tell the tale."

"Master," pleaded Amador, "help us. We cannot fight this augury. We have no power over it. You cannot leave us defenseless against it."

"You have one choice," said Cole. "Send the object of its desire far away. It will follow and leave you in peace. Until it has taken its victim it cannot harm you. If you send the object of its desire away, it will no longer bother you."

"You wished to purchase Dolcine only a moment ago," said Amador. "I give her to you. She is now your property. Take her away from us."

"I don't know," said Cole. "This is a powerful augury. While it cannot harm me it will be a great burden on me."

"Please, master, I beg of you," said Amador. "I am a simple farmer. I give her to you free and clear. No payment. She is yours. Please take her far from us so that this augury will not take its vengeance on us."

"Okay," said Cole. "Dolcine, gather your belongings quickly. We must leave this place immediately." His voice rose slightly so that he was sure Leo could hear him. "When we leave this place, the augury will follow. No one must follow for at least three days. Only then will the augury be taken from you."

"Bless you, master, bless you," said Amador as Margaret hurried to her quarters. "None shall leave this place for three days. We shall pray to the Oracle that you be given the power to overcome this augury. We praise you for your benevolence to us."

Margaret returned a few moments later carrying two small bags. She huddled close to Paige and Piper obviously frightened of Leo. Cole turned to face Leo.

"Hear me, augury," he said loudly. "I am a great demon. My power is immense. I take the object of your desire with me. Leave these demonis in peace. If you wish the woman, you must take her from me."

Cole turned and began to head away from the ranch. Leo had a perplexed look on his face but followed as Piper, Paige, and Margaret hurried behind Cole. Cole glanced back several time to make sure no one was following them. All he saw was the group of demonis and gadlings huddled together in fear watching as Leo walked close behind.

Cole walked for nearly an hour before he finally came to a stop. He backtracked a few yards and surveyed the countryside. There was no sign of anyone following them. Then he returned to the three women and Leo.

"What the hell was that all about?" Piper shouted. "Calling Leo an evil augury. That he was going to destroy all of them. I thought you were claiming to be good. How can you claim that after what you did to Leo?"

"I didn't do anything to Leo," said Cole, looking over at the specter standing next to Piper. "When he suddenly appeared I got an idea. We couldn't buy Margaret. But if they thought she was a danger I figured Amador would let her go. And from what she told us about auguries, it sounded like the best way to do it."

"So, I'm not cursed?" asked Margaret looking fearfully at Leo.

"No," said Cole. "Didn't you hear Piper? Leo's no augury. He's a White Lighter. As a witch, you should know about White Lighters."

"White Lighter?" questioned Margaret. "That makes him good."

"Very good," said Paige. "I have to hand it to you, Cole. I didn't know what you had in mind. But you seemed to have pulled it off nicely. We find Leo and get Margaret without having to pay for her. Not a bad days work."

"Why is Leo a spirit?" Piper asked. "He said he wasn't dead. But look at him. Why can't he say anything?"

"Because he's a White Lighter," said Margaret, now more relaxed. "White Lighters' can't physically enter this realm. Because they've all ready died. The best that can happen is that he can manifest himself as a spirit. But it's quite taxing. And he obviously hasn't gotten it completely right yet since he can't talk."

"So he's not dead?" questioned Paige.

"No," said Margaret. "Well, yes he is. He has to be if he's a White Lighter. But the Leo you know is fine. He's just not corporeal in this realm."

"Cole Turner," said Piper turning to Cole, "don't ever do anything like that again. You had me scared to death of what might happen."

"Sorry," said Cole. He turned to Leo. "Can you still hear me?"

Leo nodded his head yes.

"Do you understand what happened?" Cole asked.

Again, Leo nodded his head yes.

"Good," said Cole. "I didn't want you to misunderstand."

Leo just nodded his head again.

"If he practices," said Margaret, "he'll get better at manifesting himself. Eventually he should be able to speak. But as I said, it's very taxing."

"Well, at least we know he's okay," said Piper. "Don't worry, honey. We'll find some way to help you."

Leo just smiled at her.

"Well," said Cole, "we'd better get going. We have a long way to go."

"Where are we going?" Paige asked.

"To see this Oracle," said Cole. "It sounds to me like it's the one being in this place that can help us."

Without another word Cole turned and began to walk north. With no other ideas open to them, the rest fell in behind him and began the long journey to the Oracle.

[noazmale]

FIFTEEN

"You said this Oracle was four or five days north of here," said Cole as the party made camp that night.

"I think so," said Margaret. "To be honest, I don't even know if it really exists. All I've ever heard are rumors."

"Well, we don't have any other leads," said Cole. "Besides, if this Oracle does exist, it should be able to tell us where Phoebe is. And even a way out of this place."

"I wish I could be more help," said Margaret. "I'm afraid there aren’t many facts I can give you. Gadlings don't usually get told much except what to do."

"Humans," corrected Piper. "You're not one of these gadlings. You don't belong here. And don't worry about it. We'll do fine no matter how much help you can give us. The important thing is now you're free."

"There is no such thing as a free gadling," said Margaret.

"Well, you belong to me," said Cole smiling. "And as far as anyone else is concerned, so do Piper and Paige. If they believe that, it might help to avert trouble."

"I don't belong to anyone," insisted Paige.

"Only on paper," said Cole, "and only as long as we're here. From the looks of things that's probably the best face to put on anyone we run into. Like I said, it might help to avert trouble."

"Well, if there is any trouble," said Piper, "all you have to do is change into Belthazor. That should stop any problems before they develop."

"I'd rather not do that," said Cole. "I didn't say anything before but I had trouble controlling Belthazor. It's like he was a different person inside me. I only changed because I lost my temper. If I change again, I'm not real sure if I'll be able to change back. And you don't want Belthazor loose without me to control him."

"That might be why most of the higher level demons don't appear very often," said Margaret. "Among the gadlings here it's well known that most demons remain in their human form. Only on rare occasions do they ever show their demonic form."

"So what's to stop someone from claiming to be a demon when they really aren't one?" Paige asked.

"I don't know," said Margaret. "I only know that those who claim to be demons actually are demons."

"Let's hope we don't have to find out," said Cole. "That little augury ploy only worked because Amador saw me change. He knew I was a demon. I didn't have to prove it to him."

"Speaking of auguries," said Piper, looking around, "has anyone seen Leo? I haven't seen him since he disappeared earlier this afternoon."

"I told you that manifesting himself was taxing," said Margaret. "He's probably conserving his strength. It gets easier with practice, as I understand. But the first few times can be very tiring."

"How do you know so much about all this?" Paige asked.

"I've been here ten years," said Margaret. "You learn a lot of things in that amount of time. Just like you learned about being a witch after you learned you were one."

"I've only been a witch a couple of years," said Paige. "Lucky for me I have Piper and Phoebe to help."

"Well," said Cole, "I think we'd better take a cue from Leo and get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us and we need all our strength."

"Good idea," said Piper. "I'm worn out. Good night Leo, wherever you are."

The small group got ready to for bed.

* *

Piper opened her eyes and saw that the sun was up. The sky was as clear and blue as it had been on the previous day. Only a few puffy clouds floated lazily in the distance. She looked over and saw Paige, Cole, and Margaret still just waking up. Even though they had to sleep on the ground she felt well rested.

"Good morning, sleepy head," said a voice behind her. "The sun's been up for an hour. I thought you were going to sleep the whole morning away."

Piper turned and saw Leo sitting on a log nearby.

"Leo," she squealed, rushing over to hug him.

But as before, she simply passed through him. He was still non-corporeal. As she passed through his body she tripped on the log he was sitting on and fell clamoring to the ground. She turned over and saw Paige, Cole, and Margaret all laughing.

"It's not funny," said Piper, only slightly irritated.

"I'm sorry, honey, but it is," said Paige.

"I have to remember that Leo isn't real," said Piper brushing herself off.

"I'm as real as I ever was," said Leo. "I just don't have a physical body."

"I see you finally got the hang of materializing," said Cole.

"Yeah," said Leo. "It's really very easy. I guess I was just trying too hard before. It's kind of like orbing. Don't think about it too much. Just decide what you want to do and sort of let it happen. Hello, Margaret."

"Hello, Leo," said Margaret. "I'm sorry if I seem a bit unfriendly. I'm used to apparitions being considered evil omens. Old habits are hard to break."

"I know," said Leo. "Just remember I'm not an apparition. I'm a White Lighter. Maybe that will help."

"I'm hungry," said Paige. "Is there anything to eat around here?"

"There are all kinds of fruit trees, not to mention roots and berries," said Margaret. "You just have to know where to look. Lucky for you three I know exactly where to look."

"Let's get to it, then," said Paige. "I'm starved."

"Where have you been all this time?" Piper asked Leo as Margaret and Paige went to look for some food.

"Right here," said Leo. "I could see and hear everything you were doing. I just couldn't let you know I was here. It's not easy being a ghost."

"Well, Margaret says you should return to normal when we leave this place," said Cole looking around. "Assuming we can find a way out."

"First things first," said Piper. "We came here to get Phoebe. Let's find her and then we can look for a way out."

They all had a good breakfast of the fruits, berries, and roots that Margaret had helped locate for them. It was surprisingly good. It was far from their usual breakfast but they found they didn't miss the dishes Piper usually fixed for them.

"Okay," said Cole when they had finished breakfast, "I think the first thing we need to do is find this Oracle. It's our best chance of finding Phoebe and getting out of here."

"What if this Oracle doesn't exist?" asked Leo. "Have any of you thought of that?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," said Cole.

"You seem to think you're in charge," said Piper.

"Sorry," said Cole. "Force of habit. I'm not trying to order anyone around. And if anyone has any better ideas I'm sure we'll all be glad to hear them."

As it turned out, no one had any other ideas. Not even Margaret who knew this land better than any of them. With no other options available at the moment they all decided to seek out the Oracle. As they continued their trek north a small figure followed from a distance watching for what they would do next.

[noazmale]

SIXTEEN

The group moved north for three days. They were able to find plenty to eat with Margaret locating fruits, nuts, roots, and berries for them. The few villages they did come across proved to be as subservient as the one where Stennish was. All Cole had to do was say he was demon and the villagers couldn’t do enough for them.

As they traveled, Margaret told them what she knew about the Oracle, which was precious little. In the past, the Oracle had helped the villages a great deal. It seemed there was no question she couldn’t answer. And her wisdom was legendary. In the past few decades, however, the Oracle had become more and more reclusive. Many of the villagers had even begun to believe it might not even exist, just a legend made up by the older, more superstitious demonis.

She also warned them again that there were also legends of powerful guardians who protected the Oracle. Some of those that had gone to see the Oracle had never returned. It was one of the reasons that no one had gone to the Oracle in the past few decades.

“It’s a risk we have to take,” said Piper. “We have no idea where Gastion or Phoebe are. It could take weeks or months to find them. God only knows what can happen between now and then. I can’t even bring myself to think what may have all ready happened.”

“Probably not much,” said Cole. “It wasn’t just human women Gastion was fascinated with. He was also fascinated with a lot of human traditions. Specifically courting rituals. He would want to totally convince Phoebe that they were courting before she lost her memory. So that she would willingly consent to marry him.”

“How long would this courting go on?” Paige questioned.

“That would depend on the female,” said Cole. “At least a couple of weeks. I’m pretty sure he’s still in that phase right now. Once he has her thoroughly convinced, he’ll marry her. So you don’t need to worry about anything happening between them yet.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Piper. “If he’s done anything to her. . .”

“Piper, don’t work yourself up,” said Leo, sitting on a log next to her. “You know Cole isn’t about to let anything happen to her if he can help it.”

“So it’s really true?” Margaret asked. “You and Phoebe were really married?”

“That’s right,” said Cole. “But I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. She was a Charmed One and I was half demon. Just too large an obstacle to overcome. But we had some good times.”

“Yeah, before you tried to kill us,” said Piper.

“That wasn’t totally me,” said Cole. “Most of it was the Source who had possessed me.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” said Piper. “The fact is you still tried to kill us and Phoebe had to vanquish you to protect us.”

“Okay, that’s ancient history,” said Cole. “We’re here now to find and save Phoebe. Can we just let the past remain in the past?”

“That sounds fair to me,” said Paige, trying to change the subject. “Margaret, what about you? You said you were working on a spell when you got sucked into this world. Is your coven in San Francisco?”

“Yes,” said Margaret. “They probably think I was killed. My daughter was part of the coven. She’d be about your age now. I’m sure she’s moved on with her life by now.”

“Then she’ll be glad to have you back,” said Piper. “When we get back we’ll help you locate your coven and your daughter.”

“If we get back,” said Cole. “We still don’t know how to get out of this realm.”

“I’m sure if we can find the place where I arrived here we’ll be able to get back that way,” said Margaret. “We just have to find the portal that brought me here and use it to get back.”

“Well, I’m sure this Oracle can tell us how to get back,” said Piper. “From what you’ve told us it seems to know everything there is to know about this place.”

“If it will help us,” said Margaret. “There’s no guarantee it will.”

“We’ll just have to convince it to help,” said Piper.

Alone in the dark the small figure that had been following the group turned and headed north. The group would reach the Oracle the next day. The Oracle would need to be informed of them. It should reach the mountain where the Oracle resided before morning.

* * *

“Are you sure?” questioned a figure in the shadows of a mountain just north of where Piper and the others were camping.

“Very sure,” said the small figure. “I have watched them for several days. They come seeking you out. They are not natural.”

“Inform the guardians,” said the shadowy figure. “These may be the ones I have waited for all these years. Tell the guardians these beings must be tested. If they pass the test they may enter. If they fail, they are to be destroyed.”

“Understood,” said the small figure that then turned and left the chamber.

Alone in the dark the Oracle stood waiting for the party to reach it. For three decades it had waited for those who would be able to do what it needed done. Perhaps these five were those who could accomplish that task. Silently the Oracle waited to see if they would be strong enough to pass the test that was required to gain admittance to it.

* * *

It was just past noon when the party sighted the mountain that legend held the Oracle inhabited. It seemed small for a mountain. And it seemed to be nearly impassable. From a distance there appeared no way to the cavern they could see near the top of the mountain.

“There’s supposed to be a path that leads up to the cave,” said Margaret. “It’s very treacherous and hard to negotiate. I don’t know how long it will take to get up the mountain. Like I said, the last person who went to the Oracle was more than thirty years ago. And he never returned.”

“I’ll go first,” said Leo. “As a spirit there shouldn’t be anything up there that can harm me. And I can warn you of any dangers that might be ahead.”

“Good idea,” said Cole. “Well, I suggest we get started. The sooner we get up there the quicker we can find Phoebe and get out of here.”

Slowly the party made their way up the mountain. Just as Margaret had said, it was very difficult going. They had to backtrack several times to bypass obstacles that were impassable. They had to climb over fallen trees, move around deep gorges, and claw their way through overgrown brush.

There were even a few encounters with the denizens of the mountain. Spiders, scorpions, and other equally dangerous creatures. Leo was able to warn the party of the infestations and they were able to avoid most of them. Finally they stood only a few feet from the entrance to the cavern.

“Well, I’m glad that’s over,” said Piper, sitting down to rest. “I’m not looking forward to going back through that when we leave.”

“No choice,” said Cole. “It seems to be the only way up or down the mountain. But at least we know what to expect on the way down. Now all we have to do is get in there and see if this Oracle will help us.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen,” said a voice behind them. “Unfortunately for you, your quest ends here.”

Everyone turned to see who had spoken. All except Margaret recognized the figure instantly. It wore gray colored robes but didn’t have the hood drawn. Its face was covered in tribal markings similar to those that Belthazor had. One side of its face was marked and disfigured by what must have been a horrible accident.

But it was no accident that had disfigured this creature. It had been disfigured when it had won its bid to replace the former ruler of its kind. They all stood facing a creature that couldn’t possible exist. They were facing the Source of all Evil.

[noazmale]

SEVENTEEN

“This is impossible,” gasped Piper. “We vanquished you. You’re dead.”

“Foolish witch,” hissed the Source. “How little you truly understand your opponents. I could never be vanquished by witches, not even the famed Charmed Ones. Your supposed ‘vanquishing’ simply forced me from your world into this one. Here, I am unchallenged. There are none here who have the power to oppose me.”

“That can’t be,” said Cole. “I was also the Source. When they vanquished me I was sent to the Wasteland as all demons are when they are vanquished. I had the same power you had. This has to be some sort of trick.”

“Belthazor,” said the Source smiling, “you were the Source for only a few months. I was the Source for more than five hundred years. Surely you know that we grow more powerful the longer we exist. And I had all the power of the underworld at my disposal. In five hundred years that can add up to a great deal of power.”

“What do you want?” Paige asked.

“I would think that would be quite obvious,” said the Source. “I want to avenge myself. To make you pay for what you did to me.”

“So you plan to kill us, is that the idea?” questioned Piper.

“Oh no,” said the Source. “Your being here is a much worse punishment than simply killing you. You two shall spend the rest of your lives here as the property of a demonis. And you shall live with the knowledge that your daughter will also become the property of a demonis. All of your progeny shall live out their existence as slaves. A fitting punishment for those who dared challenge me.”

“I won’t let that happen,” said Cole. “I won’t be the slave of anyone. Here, I’m a demon. One of the elite as they have been called. And I won’t allow you to make them slaves.”

“Ah yes,” said the Source. “Join me, Belthazor. The demons of this realm do not possess power anywhere near what we possess. If you join me you can rule at my side. No one can oppose us.”

“Not likely,” said Cole. “I’m not a demon any longer. Despite what happened earlier I’m nothing like I was before. I won’t join you. I’ll do everything I can to oppose you.”

“That will be very little,” said the Source. “I see you have your White Lighter with you. Shame he is nothing more than a mere shade in this realm. Still, he will serve as an effective demonstration of the power I wield here.”

Suddenly the Source reached out and an energy ball formed in his hand. The energy ball streaked across the small clearing the party was standing in. It struck Leo and he screamed in agony. Suddenly the energy ball flashed and Leo was nowhere to be seen.

“No,” screamed Piper. “What have you done to him?”

“I’ve destroyed him,” said the Source. “Now you see the extent of my power. That is why I chose to remain here once you had ‘vanquished’ me from our world. I have more power here than I ever dreamed in our realm. And there are no witches to contend with. Here I am more than just the Source. I am a god. Unopposed by even the most powerful being here.”

“The Oracle will stop you,” said Margaret. “There is no being more powerful than the Oracle.”

“I have disposed of the Oracle,” said the Source. “Not even its power was enough to stand against me. I must admit it was more difficult than I first imagined. But in the end not even it could withstand my power.”

“You slime,” said Paige. “If you think we’re just going to stand here and let you make us slaves you have a lot to learn.”

“And how shall you stop me?” questioned the Source. “Here you have no powers. You are nothing more than gadlings whose purpose it is to serve the demonis.”

“We’ll find a way to stop you,” said Piper. “After all the years of fighting us and you still don’t understand us. We will never willing give into you.”

“You are a fool,” said the Source. “There is nothing you can do about it. I am all-powerful here. And without your powers you have no chance to oppose me. You will become slaves. And I promise you many years of torment and pain before you become the guest of honor at a donlo. And when you die you will die with the knowledge that your daughter will follow you. As will all your female progeny.”

Suddenly Paige reached down and picked up a rock from the ground. She threw it directly at the Source. He barely moved. His hand came up and the rock suddenly stopped, suspended in mid-air. Then it fell back to the ground.

“Stupid girl,” said the Source. “Do you think a mere rock could harm me? I am the Source of all Evil. I am the most powerful being in this realm. Not even Belthazor has the power to oppose me. Do you think you can oppose me?”

“I intend to try,” said Paige. “Like we said, we won’t go quietly.”

“I see,” said the Source. “Your sister will be much easier to manipulate. She will be concerned with her unborn daughter. But you do not have such a weakness. I can see I will have to deal with you differently from her.”

The Source suddenly reached out and another energy ball flew from his hand. It impacted with Paige and she vanished in agony as Leo had only moments before.

“No,” screamed Piper, looking at the scorched mark where Paige had stood only a moment before. “You monster. She couldn’t even defend herself. There was no reason to kill her.”

“Perhaps not,” said the Source. “But I found it so enjoyable. You, however, will live. I can destroy your daughter without causing harm to you. And I can make that destruction slow and painful. So if you value the life growing inside you then you won’t cause me any trouble.”

Piper stared at the Source. She knew he was right. It was one thing to risk her life against him. But she couldn’t risk her daughters’ life. Her maternal instincts would kick in and she knew that she would do whatever it took to protect her unborn child. Suddenly Cole shimmered slightly and changed form. Belthazor stood facing the Source.

“No,” bellowed Belthazor. “You have been vanquished. You are no longer the Source. I will not allow you to usurp the position that rightfully belongs to me. And I will not allow you to cause them any more distress.”

“You are as big a fool as these witches,” said the Source. “Not even your power is great enough to oppose me. Had you chosen to join me you would have been revered as a god. Now I will have to destroy you so that you do not become a problem for me.”

“Not this time,” bellowed Belthazor. “I served you once. That time is ended. Now I am the master. And it is you that shall be destroyed.”

Margaret moved over and stood next to Piper.

“You won’t harm Piper’s baby,” said Margaret. “I may not have my powers but I’ll find some way to stop you.”

The Source simply stared at the three smiling. Suddenly the Source began to fade and within seconds vanished completely. Belthazor stared at Piper and Margaret for a second and seemed to be concentrating hard. He shimmered slightly and returned to his Cole Turner personae.

Piper looked around and saw Leo and Paige standing where they had been when the Source had killed them. Margaret was also looking around in total confusion. Piper looked at Leo and then at Paige and then at Cole.

“Okay,” Piper said finally, “what the hell just happened here?”

“You have been granted audience with the Oracle,” said a voice behind them.

They all turned to find a small figure standing at the entrance to the cavern smiling at them.

[noazmale]

EIGHTEEN

“Who are you?” demanded Piper. “And what’s going on here?”

“I’d like to know that myself,” said Paige. “When the Source attacked I suddenly found I couldn’t move or speak.”

“That’s what also happened to me,” said Leo.

“To be granted an audience with the Oracle,” said the little creature, “you must earn it. This was a test. To see if you were worthy for an audience. You have passed that test and shall have an audience with the Oracle now. Please follow me.”

The creature was no more than two feet tall. It was covered in dark gray fur and resembled some form of primate. It turned and moved into the cave. Unsure exactly what was going on, the party turned and began to follow it.

“The Oracle does not grant audience often,” said the creature. “It is an honor that you have been granted one. It has been a long time since anyone has been granted access to the Oracle.”

“So we understand,” said Cole. “We come seeking help from the Oracle.”

“I am but a servant,” said the creature. “It is my duty to bring you to the Oracle. You will speak of your quest there.”

“Well, that’s clear enough,” said Paige. “I hope this Oracle can help us. If it can’t I’m not sure what we’re going to do.”

“The Oracle can do anything,” said Margaret. “According to the legends, it’s the most powerful creature here.”

The creature stopped just outside a large cavern.

“This is the audience hall,” said the creature. “You may enter and speak your request. If the Oracle will help you then you will receive that help. If it chooses not to help then you will have to leave. I bid you good luck.”

The creature turned and moved back up the corridor they had just come down. Everyone looked at each other.

“We aren’t getting anything done out here,” said Piper. “Let’s get in there and find Phoebe.”

“Not so fast,” said Cole. “We know next to nothing about this Oracle.”

“We passed its stupid test,” said Paige. “I’m with Piper. Let’s get in there and get this over with.”

“Cole’s right,” said Leo. “From what Margaret had told us this Oracle may not be the friendly being we imagine. For all we know it’s some form of demonic force in this realm.”

“Well, there are legends of it helping people, too,” said Margaret. “But as I said, most of the stories are years old.”

“Good or not we can’t stand around here waiting,” said Piper. “We’ve come this far. I don’t see we have much choice.”

“All I’m saying is we need to be careful,” said Cole.

“We will be,” said Paige. “Now let’s get this over with.”

Cautiously the five entered the cavern. Only a single light shined in the cavern illuminating a spot on the floor. It was impossible to see just how large the cavern was. Outside the circle of light on the floor the entire area was pitch black.

They stopped just outside the circle of light. There were no sounds in the cavern, no movement that might indicate if anyone – or anything – else might be there. They all stood looking around for a moment.

“I guess we’re supposed to step into that lighted area,” said Piper. “Well, when in Rome, as the saying goes.”

Cautiously everyone moved into the lighted area. They all tensed for a moment not sure exactly what to expect. When nothing happened they relaxed slightly. They waited for several moments but nothing happened.

“Okay, so now what?” Paige asked. “Where’s this Oracle that’s supposed to do all these miraculous things.”

“I am here,” said a feminine voice from the darkness. “You are impatient beings.”

“We’ve come a long way,” said Piper into the darkness. “We’ve been through a hell of a lot and we just want to get this over with and go home. We were told you could help us.”

“Perhaps,” said the voice. “You have passed the test and been granted audience. I will hear your pleadings.”

The party could hear footsteps coming from the darkness. They all turned in the direction the footsteps came from waiting. The steps grew louder indicating the being – or whatever it was – was drawing closer. Suddenly a figure entered the circle of light opposite them. Everyone except Paige and Margaret stared in amazement at the figure.

Piper, Leo, and Cole all recognized the figure. It was a female who appeared to be just slightly older than Piper. She stood smiling at the group. For a moment no one spoke. Finally Piper found her voice and continued to stare at the figure.

“Prue?” questioned Piper as she stood staring at her older sister.

[noazmale]

NINETEEN

“Prue,” cried Piper, tears coming to her eyes.

She began to move toward her older sister, almost involuntarily. Cole reached out and took her by the arm keeping her from moving to the figure in front of them.

“Piper, that’s not Prue,” said Cole. “I can’t explain it but I know that’s not your sister.”

“You demon friend if correct,” said Prue. “I have taken this form because you are familiar with it. You are comfortable with it. It holds meaning for you. It is my hope that by taking this form it will help to alleviate some of your apprehension.”

“It’s just that you look so much like her,” said Piper. “And she’s been gone a long time.”

“I may take whatever form I choose,” said Prue. “Taking the form of a loved one often puts those who come to me at ease.”

“So, you can read our minds?” Paige asked. “That’s the only way you’d know what Prue looked like.”

“Not exactly,” said Prue. “I can sense things in other beings. My power allows them to see me in whatever form is most appealing. You sister thinks of this form quite often. It holds a special place for her.”

“She was my sister,” said Piper. “She helped hold our family together.”

“And now she is gone,” said Prue. “As is the natural order. The old must give way to the new.”

“Piper,” said Leo, “Phoebe. We came here to find Phoebe, remember?”

“Yes,” said Piper. “We were told that you know everything that goes on in this realm.”

“That is one of my functions,” said Prue.

“Then you must know about Gastion,” said Cole. “You know I’m a demon so you must also be aware that he is, too.”

“Yes,” said Prue. “The one you call Gastion calls himself Lemteck in this realm.”

“Then you must also know he has our sister,” said Piper. “He kidnapped her from our house and brought her here. We want her back.”

“And you have sought me out to aid you in this matter,” said Prue.

“Yes,” said Paige. “We were told you’d know where she is. And how to get back to our own realm.”

“Then you must choose,” said Prue, glancing slightly at Margaret. “You came to this place together. You are allowed one question. If I answer your question I may ask one favor in return.”

“What?” Leo questioned. “Only one question. That hardly seems fair.”

“All who come seeking my aid have many questions,” said Prue. “All receive the same assistance. I will answer one question. But only one.”

“Well,” said Piper, “I guess the most important thing is that we find Phoebe. Once we do we can find out own way home.”

“What if we can’t?” Paige asked. “It might be easier to find Phoebe than finding a portal back to our own realm.”

“Gastion will know how to get back,” said Cole. “Besides, we can locate the portal that brought Margaret here and use it to get back.”

“You labor under a false impression,” said Prue.

“What do you mean?” Leo asked.

“The one you call Gastion is demon,” said Prue. “His power allows him to move between realms. But it will be of no use to you. He may move only himself; no one else. And the portals to this realm work in only one direction. You may enter through one or leave through one. You may not do both.”

“You mean we can’t use the portal that brought Margaret here to get back?” Piper asked.

“That is correct,” said Prue.

“Which means,” said Cole, “that we have no way of knowing how to get back. And it could take years to find one of these portals. Or never. And we’d be trapped here forever.”

“So that means we have a choice to make,” said Piper. “Get a way out of this place and risk never finding Phoebe.”

“Or find Phoebe and be stuck here forever,” said Paige. “And probably end up the property of some demonis. And eventually the guest of honor at one of their donlos.”

[noazmale]

TWENTY

“So we can either find Phoebe or find a way back home,” said Piper. “I don’t like the options.”

“I can assist in only one matter,” said Prue.

“But why do we only get one question?” Paige asked. “There are five of us. Shouldn’t we each get a question?”

“You came to this place together,” said Prue, glancing again at Margaret. “You may ask one question only.”

“Okay,” said Piper, “the most important thing is that we find Phoebe. We can find a way out of here somehow.”

“What if we can’t?” Cole asked. “The Oracle said that Gastion could leave because of his power. Presumably I can do the same thing if I change to Belthazor. But I can’t take any of you with me. Wouldn’t it be easier to find Phoebe than to try and find a way out of here?”

“Phoebe could be anywhere,” said Piper. “We have no idea how big this realm is. We could spend years looking for her. And we might never find her. I’m sure there are other people here like Margaret. People who know things. They can help us find a way out.”

“Besides,” said Paige, “Gastion found a way out. We will, too. I’m with Piper. First we find Phoebe. Then we look for a way home.”

“Well,” said Leo, “we did come to find Phoebe. And the girls can be pretty resourceful when they want to be. And maybe Gastion knows a way out of here. You did say he’d been here about thirty years.”

“It’s your decision,” Cole said to Piper. “Whatever you decide, I’ll back you.”

“Thanks,” said Piper. She turned to Prue. “I want to know where my sister is.”

“Travel west for three and a half days,” said Prue. “You will come to a village. There you will find the one you call Gastion. He has taken your sister there. They are to be married in five days.”

“Five days?” questioned Paige. “Then we’d better get there and stop it.”

“That may not be easy,” said Cole. “I suspect that Gastion has been using his secretions to keep Phoebe’s memories suppressed. She’ll be under the impression that things are exactly what he’s told her they are, whatever that is. She probably won’t even trust you since she won’t know you.”

“One thing at a time,” said Piper. “The Oracle said it would take four days to get there. That leaves us one day to do something about it.” She turned back to Prue. “Thank you. We appreciate the help.”

“Go in peace,” said the Oracle.

The party turned and began to head toward the exit. They hadn’t traveled more than a few feet when Margaret suddenly stopped.

“She said we came to this place together,” said Margaret.

“Yeah, so?” questioned Piper.

“Well, did she mean this plane of existence or this cavern?”

“Gee, I don’t know,” said Paige.

Margaret turned back to the Oracle who was still standing inside the circle of light.

“May I ask a question?” Margaret.

“Do you seek assistance?” Prue asked.

“Simply clarification,” said Margaret.

“Then you may ask your question,” said Prue.

“You said we had come to this place together,” Margaret said. “Did you mean this realm or this cavern?”

“They are one and the same,” said Prue. “This cavern exists because of this realm. Without this cavern, this realm would not exist.”

“Okay,” said Margaret, “except I didn’t come to this realm with them. I’ve been here for ten years.”

“Then you are not of them,” said Prue. “You did not come with them.”

“Does that mean I can ask for help, too?” Margaret asked.

“All who are granted audience may ask for help,” said Prue.

“Then I want to know the way back home,” said Margaret. “How do I get back where I belong?”

Prue stood looking at them for a moment. She seemed to be thinking.

“The answer stands before you,” said Prue. “When the joining is complete, and the circle is formed, you will return to the place you belong.”

“What does that mean?” Cole asked.

“Time will reveal the answer,” said Prue. “It is all I can tell you.”

“What joining?” Piper questioned. “Joining of what? And what circle?”

“As I said,” said Prue, “time will reveal the answer. However, for my assistance I will ask one thing of you.”

“Well, I guess we can’t say no,” said Paige. “Even if your answers are couched in riddles.”

“The one you call Gastion,” said Prue. “He is not natural to this realm. He subverts the natural order here. Just as you subvert the natural order. When you have returned to your realm, I ask that you seal the portal that brought you here. So that none may ever come here again. So that the natural order may be restored.”

“Assuming we can figure out this riddle and get back home,” said Cole, “I’ll see what I can do about closing the portal.”

“Thank you,” said Prue. “That will help to restore the natural order in this realm. And it will prevent further disorder in the future.”

With nothing left to do the five turned and walked out of the cavern. When they reached the entrance the same creature that had led them in was waiting for them. In one corner of the entrance were several blankets and some food.

“The Oracle has allowed you to remain here in the safety of this cavern for the night,” said the creature. “When the sun rises in the morning you will find your way easier than when you came here.”

Without another word the small creature turned and disappeared into the cavern.