Hearing Louraxon address her, Illyria's ice blue eyes locked onto him. She did understand his point about just killing Angel, but she didn't want to strike the half breed down just yet. No, she had other plans. "Louraxon, you seem to forget who you are speaking to." She gave him a condescending smile. She always hated that he deemed himself to be her equal. Or her better as he made it seem sometimes. "I will kill Angelus and everyone he holds dear, but it will be when I see fit. They made me feel human, that is not something I can let go unpunished." Torture was something she used to love back in her original demon form. She wanted to enjoy it again.
"Boris Krekci?" The fact that Louraxon had an emissary amused her so. She wondered if this Boris was going to be anything like her long dead Qwa'ha Xahn, Knox. "I will consider going to Shreveport to look up your demon ally." IF this demon could help her gain an army, he was going to be useful. But she knew of another way that Brois Krekci would be able to assist her in her own plans. "I'm off to do my end of the plan. Have fun, in the Costwolds, raising the dead." And with that she left.
Boldly, Louraxon helped himself to a second glass of Lilith�s French Bordeaux and leaned into the window sill with the lace curtains fluttering around him as he listened to the exchange between Illyria and Lilith.Two supremely powerful female beings in a confrontation, but not a physical bout, rather a fisticuffs of will.One akin to a Goddess, the creator, the other a sly and calculating creation of the former.Would this become a case of the construct outwitting and besting the constructor?Perhaps it was a testament to the current domination of human society, but analogies from human culture came to mind:Frankenstein�s monster destroying Dr. Frankenstein, a supercomputer learning and adapting, developing self will and a survival instinct, destroying the computer engineer that constructed it.
Louraxon ran his fingers through the silken black locks of his vessel�s hair.So luxurious, glossy, and smooth. Perhaps he would make a modification in the design of the Old Ones to include long, thick hair.Or was he, like Illyria, becoming corrupted by his vessel?Were not the Old Ones perfect in every way?He glanced at the wine glass in his hand.Wine was a construct of the humans.Yet it was exquisite.Or was it simply his vessel�s perspective? These were questions without answers until the Old Ones, including himself, could be restored to their former glory.Louraxon put the wine glass aside.
�May I be so bold as to suggest a course of action.�He bowed ever so slightly to both Lilith and Illyria, but a condescending grin contradicted the gesture.He turned to Illyria, �You wish to deceive the vampire, Angelus, and his entourage.Throw them off the trail, as you say.That�s fine, but perhaps it would be simpler to kill them.Kill them all, sister.And while you�re at it, be an agent of chaos.Chaos is a beautiful thing and the perfect cover for the raising of an army.Look up my emissary, Boris Krekci in Shreveport.The demon shall assist you.He has�ah, connections in all the right places.�
Louraxon then turned to Lilith, �Your eminence, if you will, accompany me to the Deeper Well in the Cotswolds.There we shall raise and release my brethren to carry out your ultimate and glorious destiny.�
Illyria looked away from Louraxon and rested her ice blues eyes upon Lilith. There was no arguing that Lilith had a demanding presence, even to someone like Illyria who rarely respected the presence of anyone. "No, it's not all about me. It's about us and the Old Ones who have yet to be restored. It's about taking back this land and returning it to it's rightful state." The corner of her mouth showed a slight hint at a smile. "So yes, Lilith. You have made yourself crystal clear. I will not fight with anyone over what happened in the past. Though I will defend myself if anyone should chose to threaten me."
Illyria was no fool. Just because she understood the stakes of the deal she was making with Lilith and Louraxon didn't mean that the other Old Ones would. Especially the ones that had murdered her in the first place. But she'd play nice for as long as she had to.
"The biggest threat to this plan is the souled vampire Angel and his team, plus whomever else he has found to join his cause. They still think I am on their side and will fight for the greater good. I'll use that trust to keep them away from what our goal is." She glanced between the two, her face expressionless. "There is a member of the team that will trust anything I say." A tiny part of her felt bad about betraying Wesley but it was fading with every moment. Taking a deep breath the blue skinned woman stared into Lilith's eyes. "With your permission, I shall return to Angel and start throwing them off the scent."
The sudden arrival of Illyria was just that � sudden, and unexpected.How could she have surprised Louraxon?He should have known she was coming.Felt her presence as the wolf senses, knows instinctively, when another of its kind has entered its territory.She must be able to block his perceptions of her, which Louraxon found more than a little troubling.Either Illyria had acquired a power she lacked when they were rulers of this Earth thousands of millennia ago, or Louraxon�s powers had waned.Either way, and despite the humanity of which she reeked, Illyria was apparently a more formidable adversary than Louraxon had expected.
Caution was in order.
He glanced at Lilith, who sat stoic and seemingly contemplative.Unreadable, her eyes were as blank as a mannequin�s.In this very room were the forces that would decide the fate of the world.But each was motivated by differing purposes.Could they find enough common ground to move forward in a cohesive manner, or would they clash in monumental fashion, as in the way of colliding tectonic plates, smashing and grinding until all was destruction and rubble?
�Illyria.Yes, in the body of a half breed.Miserable indeed.But my vessel is immortal and strong, unlike yours, which is not likely to withstand your power for long.But I seek a way to restore not only our former glory and dominion, but also our physical form, which was magnificently wicked and perfectly suited to dominant dictatorship.We shall cast off these unworthy shells in due time.�
Louraxon continued to stand, towering over the relatively diminutive form that was Illyria.He smiled, but his eyes did not match that expression.They were cold and calculating.�You wish to be restored to your Kingdom in what is now the rat cage of humanity known as Los Angeles.Granted, and more.Take what you want, Illyria.Take all of the geographic zone the humans call California.Take all the western United States.Do with it as you please.�His gaze narrowed and his smile fell away.�If you are willing to support and help raise the rest of our brethren from the Deeper Well.If you are willing to support the restoration of the Old Ones to their former glory, which of course means that the insignificant beings - the humans, vampires, and lesser demons shall be enslaved and serve only our purposes.�He glanced back to Lilith and bowed his head slightly, �Of course, the Creator must also support this resurrection and restoration of the Old Ones.�
Illyria silently entered the room and watched as Lilith and Louraxon discussed their plan. There would have been a time when she would have brought this information back to Wesley and Angel Investigations, but this time she felt no desire to do so. Instead she was intrigued. The mere thought of the Old Ones being freed from the Deeper Well was too good to fight against. Even if some of the Old Ones were responsible for her death eons ago.
"So you're the one I've been sensing for months now." She confidently strided over to the two great beings. Her ice blue eyes locked onto Louraxon. "I knew another Old One had risen. Though in the body of a half breed, how miserable." Vampires were still as low as one could get in her eyes. Even though she did consider a few to be friends. Or did. Her alliance to those vampires was hanging delicately in the balance. "And you plan to raise the rest of our kind? Then return this world to the one we used to now?" The mere thought of Los Angeles becoming her kingdom once more, brought the slightest of smiles to her face.
"I can help you in this endeavor, Louraxon. You have adversaries out there trying to put a stop to this plan. I know them. I can get them off your scent. All I ask in return is that my old kingdom is to be mine after all is said and done." She tilted her head to the left and ever so slightly shifted her weight, all the while sizing up what abilities Louraxon retained still. If his vampire host was anything like her human body, his powers might burn out. But that wasn't really her problem. Affter all, her own powers had been returned to her, and that's all she really cared about. Herself.
"You know I can be a great ally to you. Or a devastating enemy." In the time of the Old One's Illyria was feared more than any of the others, so she knew he most likely would want her on his side. "Do we have an agreement?"
In the time of the Old Ones, when �human� meant a beast that was barely distinguishable from the other lowly and primitive animals of this world, when true demons ruled, and the hybrid abominations such as vampires, shape shifters, and the fae were rare and cowered in the shadows, in their caves, rotted out cavities in trees, and other demeaning places of shame, Lilith had been busy attending to matters only she could explain.Or perhaps she slept or had moved on to another dimension to expand her interests elsewhere.Whatever the case, she had not interfered to any degree in the lives, the power struggles, and the empire building of the Old Ones.At least not in any way of which Louraxon knew.Perhaps she had believed the world to be firmly in control by her most glorious creations.Which it was.So why not explore other, more challenging and distant shores?
To find her here, now, in this place and time, was disquieting.Did she not trust on Louraxon to implement the revolution?Did Lilith�s purpose run counter to that of Louraxon?If it did, was there a way forward that would satisfy both of their wants and desires?
A warm moist breeze played with the wine red curtains of the open window.That breeze carried with it the scents of the sea � its myriad of life forms, salt, brine, and hints of faraway places.Louraxon poured himself a glass of the 19th century French Bordeaux offered to him by Lilith and brought the cup to his lips.Complexities of flavor played a concerto on his vampire taste buds and heightened olfactory apparati.Complexities of flavor merged and flowed with the complexities of this power play.
Louraxon took a seat at the table across from Lilith.He would not lower himself to remark about his uninvited entrance.He was here for one reason, but would start with the obligatory reverential salutation, hoping he sounded sincere.�Lilith, you know as well as I that I could not kill you.I possess neither the skill nor the desire to harm you.You are the Creator.�He bowed his head once, but only very slightly.�And you must know my purpose here.I wish to bring about a new era of demonic rule.We, the Old Ones, shall wash this planet clean of the hybrids and put the humans in their rightful place, as slaves and prey.My Army of Kathlos is growing as we speak, born of this reputed vampire antidote.And my minions, my supporters, are metastasizing like cancer through human and hybrid demon society.Soon, I will be powerful enough to break my brethren free of the Deeper Well and we shall rule again.�
He sipped on his wine as a wry, somewhat impudent grin played at the corners of his full but pale lips.�Now tell me, oh Great One, are you with me or against me in this endeavor?�
For a long time now Illyria had been sensing a being like herself. It filled her with a nervous energy. To her all this ment was doom for the people she had grown close to over the years, especially Wesley. And the worst part of it was she feared it would be herself to harm them. Yet as the other Old One's power grew the more drawn to it she became. Drawn to the ancient power. Perhaps the Old One would be able to restore her further. The power to open portals had already emerged once more, and she was curious as to what else she could regain. �br��/br� Beginning to feel like she was losing control of her human emotions Illyria stopped watching Wesley from afar and opened a portal one that led her to a bar. She could sense that the Old One was very close by. As she stood in the middle of the parking lot staring at the Merlotte's sign, Illyria's mind began to wonder off. Back to the time when Old One's ruled the Earth. It was a time she greatly enjoyed. She was loved and feared just as much as any other demon. If not more. The only other to even come close to her status was Louraxon. He was similar to her in appearance. In todays world they would have been mistaken for siblings. But Old One's didn't have family. Just ally and enemies. �br��/br� Shaking lose of her daydream Illyria began to wonder if this Old One was a former ally or enemy. And if it was an old ally would it still be one after learning of all the changes Illyria had been through. She reeked of humanity these days and had lost a lot of her blood lust. The only comforting part of the unknown was knowing that this Old One would also be in a shell. So if a fight was to break out, she had a chance of survival. Though she hoped a fight wouldn't occure. To have another Old One to talk to would be soothing.
Sitting in his throne amidst the debris and decayed squalor of the Old Ones� former glory, Louraxon slumbered.His head rested back against the polished stone and his consciousness spiraled into a dream, which was a pleasantly odd experience, because Old Ones do not dream as humans and vampires do.In fact, Old Ones do not sleep.Yet the dream, this novel experience, took him back across the millennia to better times, when he was a King and he ruled his designated slice of the world with benevolence for those who obeyed him, but with a savage, iron fist for those who opposed him.And none who opposed him lived for long.The world was as it was supposed to be, and as it would be again.Ordered, hierarchical, and benefiting those who deserved the spoils this world could supply in abundance.
Perhaps it was the peace that this dream brought Louraxon, opening his mind, retuning psychic abilities that had lain dormant since he and his brethren had been entombed in the Deeper well.But through those reawakened abilities, he felt two powerful entities that he had overlooked up until this point.Threats.One was like himself.An Old One trapped in foreign and unworthy flesh.The Old One, known as Illyria, walked this Earth in a human vessel.But Illyria was�altered.Too long inside a human.How frustrating and degrading to be in the physical form of a disgusting, polluted human.Scum of the Earth, and that scum was seeping inside of her, causing her to forget who and what she is.The other presence was something even older than himself and Illyria.Genesis of the demons.Roots, origins.How odd to find such a creature here in this time and place.
Louraxon�s eyes flew open and he awoke with a start, almost expecting this ancient demon to be here, its bony fingers reaching for his throat.But of course, it was not.Yet he knew where it was, could feel the draw of its presence.It was leagues south.Residing on the coast.He knew precisely where.Although a vampire in physical form, Louraxon possessed the powers of an Old One.He knew that to use these powers to excess would exhaust the vessel, and might lead to a dimensional flux that would eject him from this timeline.But all would be safe if his powers were used in moderation.And so he did.Louraxon found himself standing outside the door of a human habitation.The night air was redolent with the scents of the sea, and serenading his keen vampire auditory senses was the soft, rhythmic sussuration of a gentle tide.Louraxon raised his fist to knock at the door, but stopped and then lowered his hand to the door knob.An Old One, especially a King, need not ask permission to enter any domicile.He turned the knob, found it was not locked, and entered.
The brunette, a slender and curvaceous dancer from a nightclub on River Street, lay lifeless and bloodless in the darkened alleyway, her blue eyes filming over as they starred calmly back at Louraxon.The vessel�s incessant need for fresh blood was inconvenient, distracting Louraxon from the shining path, his ascension and the restoration of order.This world was so very chaotic and abysmally primitive.Technology had taken the place of magic and the Old Ones were replaced by squalling, emotional, and short-lived humans that covered the earth like a massive swarm of cockroaches.
It all was very disquieting for Louraxan, who had made a miraculous escape from the Deeper Well, hoping to find the world a better place than the one he and his brethren left behind two million years ago.His sarcophagus had been breached.Just a tiny hole, and the least of creatures had penetrated into the space where his essence lay dormant.A worm.But it was enough to awaken him, and he possessed that worm.Then the worm made its way to the surface where it was eaten by a songbird, and the songbird was taken by a fox, and so it was that Louraxon the red fox found a creature of darkness hunting, just as the fox was hunting.Louraxon possessed that creature, and it was a vampire � half human and half demon.An abomination in the time of the Old Ones.But in this world it was powerful , and it would do.Yes, it would do very nicely, until Louraxon could begin the transition.He would become an Old One in both mind and body again.
Louraxon knew of certain herbs as well as rare minerals that when mixed together in appropriate quantities and combined with specific incantations, had the ability to transform.It had differing effects on different creatures.But it would, in time, transform the vessel into the magnificent tentacled Old One that he once was.An original demon, not a polluted crossbreed, which the vessel was and which every demon that now walks the Earth is.He would also use the concoction to build an army from the vampire hordes.Sold as a vampire antidote, it was out on the streets working its magic right now.Louraxon could sense their numbers building as the so-called antidote dragged the vampires out of the scum and muck of their miserable existences, transforming them into formidable and honorable foot soldiers for Louraxon.
He slipped through the shadows, unseen and unheard by the woefully unaware humans, returning to his domain beneath the city.This place, these catacombs, had once been a capitol city of the Old Ones.It lay in ruins, most of it buried and collapsed.But Louraxon felt more at home here by far than on the surface where multitudes of disgusting humans reigned.He would wait, for it would only be a few more days before his servants, the foot soldiers, began to flock to him.And then the war would begin.