Genesis End


 

Chapter Eight - Our New Best Friend

We continued walking, but it wasn't long before the cavern's rough exterior smoothed out and seemed to flow into polished stone floors. We all looked around as the cavern now resembled an ancient home, with stone walls and wooden doorways. Larger pots dotted the area. Out of curiosity I looked into one and saw it was filled with water. I guess even demons are reliant on it to survive. Robots are the first things that ever walked the earth that don't, really.

We heard footsteps approach. I looked to Gemini for our cue and, while tensed, he didn't pull out his buster. I guess we are in someone's home, after all. Not very polite to come in guns blazing.

"I'd have knocked," said Gemini to the dank and desolate air, "but I had a hard time finding the door."

"That's rather the point," said a soft voice from behind a corner. Someone walked out into the light and I got my first real look at this Ha'Khael. "I can't say I welcome guests, let alone you, shining knight. Are you here to try your hand at capturing me again?" Ha'Khael actually smirked at that. As if he could take us all on if things got ugly. Or maybe it was just bravado.

The demon's appearance surprised me. I don't know what I expected, but what I got was a slight man in late adolescence. True to Gemini's story he was dressed in white ornate robes of, what I can only assume, is the standard attire of one of the Blessèd Childryn. It was surprisingly unsullied considering we were in the depths of a cave. I wondered if that was a new robe or if he just took really good care of the old one for all those centuries? His shock white skin and long white hair matched in paleness to his robes, except for one stark difference. His face was marred with a large black tattoo, a stripe that spread from his hairline down to his chest, and seemed to run along the length of his arms and even emerged along his legs below the hem of his robes. He stood barefoot in front of us, the tattoo extending all the way to his big toe. He wore an unassuming, open expression belied by black eyes with white irises. I'm guessing the eyes were an after effect of being possessed by a demon.

Gemini smiled back. "I'm not here to arrest you. After learning a bit more about you, I doubt any prison could effectively hold you."

Ha'Khael chuckled a bit, "Indeed so, although I'd rather not be so inconvenienced. Would any of you care for refreshments?"

Ha'Khael was acting so cordial and I felt myself growing impatient. What was the point in playing nice with this guy? Why beat around the bush and not get straight to the point? Shadow must have caught my mood and he gave me a look that seemed to say "you're already knee deep in it, don't start trouble now." I held my peace as Gem continued to schmooze with the mischief demon. I let my mind wander.

I had to make up for what I said to Hard. He had been so morose lately. Sometimes he seemed almost personable, but mainly he'd been depressed at even being brought back. I hadn't been there during the brief time he joined the RPD during War - before he was abducted and reformatted by the Scissor Army. Shadow described him as "distant" and Spark outright refuses to say anything about it. She had encountered him after his reworking by General Cutman. Maybe all he needed was a return to normalcy. Not the sympathy looks we'd all been giving him so far, but something to make him forget his worries for a little while. Hit the arcade. Maybe a roller coaster or two. Not like we ever had much time for fun these days though.

My musings were interrupted by a humming sound coming from Ha'Khael. The man looked to be considering something.

"Of course magic could have the effect you describe. There's any number of spells that could frighten a person to death and - forgive my saying so - leave a neophyte unaware of what had transpired. I assume there is no 'Magic Man' specialist on your team?"

I struggled to suppress a laugh. Did he know there was a Magic Man model? Or was it just a convenient choice of words? Either way the former paranormal investigator didn't seem to like being teased.

"No, there's no Magic Man on this team. I'm the best we have." Gemini took it personally when people questioned his credentials, but what did he expect? Even if he did a lot of research back in the day he really only had two or three cases and everybody had long forgotten the details about them - including him! He'd forgotten almost everything about the paranormal thanks to that weird bald guy. Still, he knew enough to find his way here, so I had to give him some credit.

Ha'Khael made an apologetic gesture, but I could see his eyes glitter with mirth. "No offence meant, Sir Knight."

Shadow frowned. "So you're saying he missed something."

"I merely say he is not an expert in things mystical. It takes a lifetime to become truly great, and I've lived many. One must practice under a learned master of the craft. Books can only take one so far. Unless I am mistaken and our knight has has found himself a master...?" Gemini let out a breath from behind gritted teeth. We all knew he hadn't.

"We'd appreciate your help with this," said the robot master with a sink of his shoulders.

Ha'Khael gave a brief incline of his head, but did not move. "As you may have heard I'm in the business of helping people these days. However, there is a reason I don't often leave my cavernous abode. Like you I have my share of enemies."

"Like your demon bosses!" I added hastily. I guess I wanted to be a part of the conversation. Ha'Khael looked at me in mild surprise. He seemed to squint a bit, sizing me up, or was that my imagination? He gave a nod.

"That's correct, young squire. They, like many of my ilk, are jealous of the powers I've acquired, and have long attempted to undo my great undertaking. I had wanted to use the charm to travel the world with more freedom, however someone interfered with that plan."

Wait, I'm a squire? Does he think I'm Gemini's squire!? Is this because I look to be the youngest on the team!?

Gemini Man bristled. "It didn't belong to you!"

"Just because a mortal man unearths it centuries after I created it does not stop it from being my own."

Gem's mouth clamped shut. I wondered if he'd known it was the demon's own trinket when he first encountered Ha'Khael. If he did, did that make taking it from him less warranted, or even more necessary? How dangerous was this guy, so mild-mannered and supposedly reformed?

The robot sighed and reached into a compartment in his armor. He took something out. Ha'Khael cocked his head in curiosity. Gemini opened up a small bag and took out some of its contents. It was a crushed pendant. A jewel was laid out in two pieces and a broken ring of gold, presumably where the gem was mounted.

"I told them I could get it repaired by an expert in the field. I did not tell them how long it would take."

Ha'Khael's eyes glittered. He seemed to be calculating something. "Those poor people dying... for their sake, not yours, I will aid you. However much it pains me to part with my precious property." Ha'Khael gently took the bag from Gemini Man and walked around the corner. "Follow me if you will. This shall take some time. However, time's essence need not flow straight and true in a place such as this. You may watch me as I repair the charm."

We followed. Partly out of curiosity and largely because there was nothing else to do. Ha'Khael's place was covered in books and scrolls. I guess he does a lot of reading. There was also stacks of newspapers. He must have gotten them from an old folks home; hardly anyone reads actual news papers, but there was still a small market for it in the boonies. I couldn't see any technology.

"Don't like TV?" I joked.

Ha'Khael hesitated before understanding hit him. "It's not as if your 'power lines' reach into a mystical dimension cut off from standard reality."

"Good point. So since you supposedly can't lie, then be honest, have you just been wearing the same robe day in and day out for centuries?"

Ha'Khael grinned. "Of course not. I made more of them. You amuse me, squire. You are not as rigid, nor as hostile, as most beings I meet. I may yet take an interest in you." Oh, great. Was that even a compliment?

Ha'Khael led us into what must be his laboratory, although it looked less like today's modern science and more like the alchemy of yore. Sure, the walls were made of stone and the vials had old fashioned shapes and different measurements than I was used to, it was still, unmistakably, a laboratory. There even seemed to be a bunsen burner.

Ha'Khael shrugged at our unimpressed expressions. "Not all magic is spells and conjuring, some of it requires tools. Still, I admit, I adapted designs found in some of your scientific books to my own uses."

Ha'Khael placed the gem on a tray and put it under the medieval looking bunsen burner. He then took out similar looking dust - gem dust, I guess? - and piled it onto the stone. He hurriedly took out a small jar of what I can only describe as "white goop" and smeared it all over the gem and the dust.

"It's a restorative," he said as he caught me looking. "The dust is made of the same type of gem and the gel acts as a bond. However, unlike a standard bond, this will create a seamless continuation of the gem and has the proper enchantments to dry smoothly. It will be as if this gem was never broken." Ha'Khael raised his voice a touch. "The gold placement, however, will take a longer time to repair. There are gemstones and there is magic and then there is artistry."

Jeez, this guy was full of it.

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