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Whatever Happened to Ethan Rayne?
Author:
Bill the Bloodless
Rating: 15
In response to the challenge set by Margot to write a fic which
contains a new demon, an old character and a film quote.
My quote is "...beauty that killed the beast." from King Kong.
Set some months after Chosen with a rating of 15 for swearing and
violence.
Disclaimer. All familiar characters are owned by JW and ME.
Thanks to Shona for reading over my fic and pointing out the errors.
Ethan Rayne, dark sorcerer, one time disciple of chaos, raiser of the
demon Eyghon and all round ne'er do well had had enough. Three years he
had languished in this pitiful cell, isolated from the world. Three years
he had bided his time, playing by their rules but soon, very soon, it
would be time to leave the rough hospitality of the United States Army.
And there would be nothing they could do to stop him. All he needed was
one more item and he would be ready. Unable to keep a grimace from his
face he looked around his cell, the place that had been his home ever
since he'd been brought here. His grimace turned to look of pure malice,
brought here at the instigation of that little bitch Buffy Summers. Apart
from the narrow uncomfortable bed only a toilet, a washbasin and a small cupboard
interrupted the pale blue monotony of his surroundings. A lesser man would
have been turned into little more than a gibbering idiot by the bland
oppression of the place but Ethan Rayne was not one of those lesser men,
he was made of much stronger stuff. He had endured worse and had used the
adversity of his situation, Ethan had learnt patience. He knew many people
would dismiss his achievement as laughable but it was not to be sneered
at. How many people, himself included, had been brought down through a
rash act or impetuosity that was more suited to a rank amateur? Too many.
Everything comes to he who waits was Ethan's new motto and this time it
was everything he wanted. There would be no half measures, it was all or
nothing.
"Time for exercise duchess."
At the sound of the nasally voice Ethan turned. "Well, well Private
Smitz how nice to see you again," he said, his tone mocking. "I
thought I'd seen you for the last time. I'm sure there was some talk of a
big promotion?"
Smitz swore. "Shut up duchess," he snapped before unlocking the
cell door and swinging it open. "Now get your ass moving before I
kick it."
There were three things that relieved the monotony of his existence at the
military prison. Shower time every morning, meal times thrice a day and
exercise four times a week. Ethan usually hated all three but not today.
Today he had to see a man about a toad.
Surrounded by electrified fences topped with razor wire and overlooked by
three towers containing armed soldiers escape from the exercise yard was
meant to be impossible and probably was. Only an idiot would attempt such
a foolhardy enterprise and while Ethan had been called an idiot more than
once he was not that stupid. Apart from himself there were perhaps a dozen
other prisoners in the yard, each of them slowly walking around the
prescribed path, many of whom he had seen every week since he had been
here. How long they would remain here for or what their crimes were he
didn't know and didn't care. They were nothing, of no use to him at all.
The man he had to see was a guard. Ethan frowned, a guard who didn't seem
to be here.
Ten minutes later with the exercise period half over the guard still
hadn't appeared and despite his hard earned patience Ethan began to worry.
He needed that toad. Tonight was the night of the full moon when his spell would be at its greatest potency. If he was unable to
perform the ritual tonight he would have to wait another four weeks. There
were only a couple of minutes of exercise left when Sergeant Banford appeared, stepping from a wooden guard hut as Ethan was passing.
Tall and thin with a shock of grey hair beneath his peaked cap the
sergeant surveyed the prisoners for several seconds then snorted.
"Rayne a word now."
Stepping from the line of prisoners the middle aged Englishman forced a
suitable look of fear onto his face and followed the sergeant into the
hut. Once inside the look of fear was gone. "Have you got it?"
he demanded.
"I don't like your tone Rayne."
"I don't care about your likes and dislikes, have you got it?"
Looking far from happy Sergeant Banford went to a filing cabinet and
opening the top draw removed a grey plastic box. "Here you are."
Ethan took it, gave it a shake and was rewarded with a deep croak.
"It's alive."
"Yes it's bloody well alive. If you want it dead you can kill it
yourself."
Giving the man a look of contempt Ethan opened the container and quickly
grabbed the toad before it could escape, then held out his hand.
"Your knife then."
"I think not Rayne, do you think I'm stupid?"
Ethan snorted. "Actually I do but that's beside the point. I want
your knife to kill the damn toad," he explained slowly. "It's
going to be difficult enough to get it back to my cell without it bloody well croaking."
"Oh, I see," the sergeant said and grudgingly handed over his
knife. A couple of seconds later the toad was dead leaving Ethan with the
quandary of where to hide it. Finally and reluctantly he decided that
there was only one place he could put it and stuffed the slimy little
creature down the front of his trousers.
"So when do I get my reward Rayne?"
Ethan gave him his most winning smile. "Soon enough my dear sergeant,
soon enough," he lied.
The remainder of the exercise period was a fairly uncomfortable time for
Ethan as was the walk back to his cell but more importantly he didn't get
caught. And once back in his cell he was able to stash the dead amphibian
with the other ingredients he had managed to accumulate over the past few
months. From simple things such as a paintbrush and seven candles to more
exotic items, including a dozen leeches and a jar of human blood.
The wealth and power he had promised to gather such things had been great
indeed. Not that he intended to keep his promises but the amount of
persuasion and false sincerity he had had to use had been damn hard work.
With everything he needed now gathered all that was left for Ethan to do
was wait for the right time. He looked out the window and saw the sun
still high in the sky. Oh well just another eight hours to go, he decided.
Unfortunately time seemed to slow and the hours dragged by. In the past
the frustration would have gotten to him and he would have done something
stupid or reckless but that was then. The new Ethan used the time wisely,
going over in his head what he had to do. A mistake could very well prove
fatal.
Eventually the sun did set and the moon gradually rose into the night sky.
As midnight approached Ethan decided it was time and gathering his stashed
items he began his preparations.
The first of which was to make space so tipping his bed on its side Ethan
moved it out the way. This done he picked up the jar of blood and painted
a large seven sided heptagram on the floor of his cell and placed a candle
at each of the star's points. Satisfied with its shape and size he then
cut out the eyes and tongue of the dead toad and placed them in a dish
with the leeches and a little of the leftover blood. He then mixed them
together until they had formed a thick dark coloured liquid, which smelled
terrible, and after removing his shirt Ethan daubed his chest and arms
with arcane symbols. At which point he was ready.
Stepping into the centre of the heptagram Ethan took a deep breath, it was
now or never. After a moment he determined it was now and began to chant.
"Ad ille malus imperium ego implorare vos, ad ille potestas ex
Cambris et Sampiris ego implorare vos, apparere apud ego implorare vos,"
he incanted, his voice growing stronger with each word until by the time
he reached the end, he was shouting at the top of his voice.
As the echo of his last word died away there was a moment of complete
silence which was shattered by a blood curdling scream. Ethan shuddered
then swore when all the lights suddenly went out leaving him in complete
darkness. But not for long. No more than a couple of yards away on the
very edge of the heptagram a point of light appeared, which almost
immediately began to expand and pulsate. For several minutes Ethan watched
in a mixture of fear and excitement as the light continued to grow, until
it filled the whole of the cell except for the heptagram. In the centre of
the magical symbol the sorcerer struggled to keep his fear in check.
Assaulted by self doubt, his heart began to race. Had he done the right
thing? Had he bitten off more than he could chew? He gulped, he hoped not because
it seemed it was too late anyway.
The pulsating which had been getting faster as the light expanded had
stopped and then without warning there was a blinding flash. By the time
Ethan's eyes stopped watering the glow was gone leaving him in darkness
once more but somehow he knew he was not alone anymore. "Who are you
mortal, to summon me?" The question boomed from the darkness each
word like a crack of thunder but also like a thousand pain filled screams. Physically assaulted by the voice Ethan stumbled
back, only just stopping himself from stepping out of the protection of
the heptagram. Recovering his balance he stared into the shadows trying to
catch a glimpse of the demon lord he had summoned.
"You can not see me mortal unless I wish to be seen," the demon
boomed. "Now answer me."
"I…I." Ethan stopped, come on you old fool he urged himself.
He took a deep breath and tried again. "I am Ethan Rayne, a sorcerer
of renown" a bit of exaggeration never hurt anyone "and I have
called on you D'zarneklah, greatest of the Jhandari, ruler of the Carazon
hell dimension" neither did a bit flattery "to offer you an
alliance."
"An alliance with a mere mortal?" D'zarneklah sounded amused.
"What need do I, the greatest of the Jhandari, have for an alliance
with a mere mortal?"
Ethan had done his homework well, for many years he had studied the hell
dimensions, reading texts and interrogating lesser demons and he knew the
seven Jhandari were very powerful demons, strong, cunning and great
practitioners of dark magic. Each of them also claimed to rule Carazon but
none of them did. For untold millennia they had battled each other for
supremacy but they were equally matched and in their own dark demesne,
supreme. He also knew that each of them hungered for victory and it was
this that he would use.
The Jhandari were not the only ones who were cunning "But I am no
mere mortal," he told the demon lord. "I am a mortal who has the
power to summon a Jhandari. Has that ever happened before?" There was
a moment of silence. "That is true," D'zarneklah conceded. Ethan
rushed on. "And I have much to offer in your fight against your
brethren. New ideas and new strategies, a multitude of slaves and a host
of magical artefacts. Enough to finally vanquish your brothers for
good."
"And you own these slaves and these artefacts?"
Now they had reached the tricky part. "Not exactly," he
admitted, "but they are here for the taking. With your help I can
conquer my world and then with our newly gained resources the other Jhandari will not be able to resist us."
The demon lord didn't reply immediately and as the silence stretched
Ethan's confidence slowly began to evaporate. If D'zarneklah refused and
decided to take revenge he wasn't sure that the heptagram would be enough to stop him. "All that you have told me is not true Ethan
Rayne," he said finally.
The Englishman began to protest. "I would not…"
"ENOUGH!" Ethan's protests died on his lips. "But there is
enough truth in what you say to interest me. I have considered your
proposal and I accept. Your world will kneel before me and you will help
make it happen. Then with the power of this world at my disposal Carazon
will also be mine."
The alliance had somehow taken on a very one sided appearance but even the
best laid plans had to change and Ethan was happy. In his heart he had
always been a follower and this time maybe he had picked the winning team. And he also knew it could have been so much
worse. "So it is settled then?" he asked.
"Almost, all we require to seal our bargain is a sacrifice." A
sacrifice! Ethan knew nothing of this. He had nothing, not even a single
leech was still alive. Just then he heard the sound of a key rattling in
its lock and turning he saw the wavering light of a torch.
"Rayne, if this power cut has something to do with you,"
Sergeant Banford threatened, "by God, you'll wish you had never been
born."
Ethan smiled and said nothing. It must be his lucky day. Reaching Ethan's
cell the sergeant stopped and pointed his torch inside. Seeing Ethan
standing in the middle of the heptagram, shirtless and daubed in strange
symbols must have come as a bit of a shock to him because he cursed and
dropped the torch. "What the fuck is going on?" he demanded.
Ethan's smile widened. "I'm just arranging your reward old boy,"
he told him then to D'zarneklah. "Your sacrifice has arrived."
In an instant the lights had returned, banishing the darkness and
revealing the demon lord in all his evil magnificence. Seven feet tall his
purple tinged skin shimmering in the light D'zarneklah's appearance was roughly human and to Ethan's eye it made the differences
even more pronounced, even more terrible. Three large golden eyes surveyed
the cell from a face that had no nose but an impossibly large mouth, a
mouth full of razor sharp teeth. A blood red robe cloaked most of his
massive body leaving just his hideously scarred arms free. Flexing his
clawed hands the demon lord opened his mouth and hissed in what Ethan
could only assume was either pleasure or hunger and strode forward.
Sergeant Banford stared in absolute terror as a creature from his worst
nightmares ripped apart the cell bars like they were made of straw and
bore down on him. What came next could only be described as horrific and
even Ethan who had seen many awful things in his life had to turn away as
D'zarneklah tore apart the unfortunate soldier and devoured him piece by
piece until only his head remained.
Then with blood dripping from his lips and sergeant Banford's head poised
to go the same way as the rest of him had the demon lord looked at Ethan
and hissed. "A tasty morsel," he boomed, "just enough to
awake my appetite." Involuntarily Ethan looked down to make sure he
was still in the heptagram and D'zarnklah hissed again. "Do not fear
great sorcerer our pact has been sealed in blood, you are safe."
Ethan answering smile was somewhat sickly but after a moment he shrugged
and stepped from the heptagram. "If it's more snacks you want, the
whole building is full of them. Just try not to take too long." His smile turned more predatory. "There's a young blond
girl in California I would like you to eat." And this time, he told
himself confidently, it isn't going to be beauty that killed the beast.
*****
A thousand miles away in California Buffy, her blond hair tied back,
picked up the final glass, dumped it into the now dirty bowl of water and
sighed. No matter how many girls there were in the house it was amazing
the number of the times it was she who somehow ended up doing the washing
up. She again, they definitely needed a dishwasher.
When the glass was sparkling and draining on the side with the others
Buffy plonked herself down on a stool for a well earned rest, slaying
vampires was like shelling peas when compared to a mountain of washing up,
and switched on the radio.
"…and in national news," the radio newsreader intoned
precisely, "the FBI have been called in to investigate the apparent
motiveless massacre of thirty three prisoners and staff at the Military
detention camp in Liberty, Missouri. The camp…"
Buffy froze in the act of changing channels and frowned. Why did that name
sound so familiar? After a moment she shrugged and put it to the back of
her mind. It would come to her eventually, she decided.
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