Hell's Gate Keeper: The Story of Sibyl

Before the Council (Part 2)

Fredrick's P.O.V.

        I counted to 25 before I followed her into the woods. A smile teased my mouth as I sped through the trees. I was glad that everything was finally falling into an easy pattern. After she was born, my bride and I were constantly worried about how she would grow. There was no way to tell how long she would live, what powers she would obtain as she reached adulthood.

        I had kept myself focused on protecting my family for all these years, and after Sibyl turned five, I finally decided to ask my wife what she wanted to do for the future. 

Flashback

"My love, I need to speak with you seriously for a moment." I began, turning from the sight of our daughter playing with Helen outside. Amelia looked up from her meal, her brow furrowed with worry. 

"What's wrong, Fredrick?" she asked.

I sat next to her, grabbing her hand and rubbing soothing circles on the back of it with my thumb. I paused for a minute to gather my thoughts, thinking about the best way to voice my concerns.

"Fredrick?" she asked, her voice thick with concern.

I hadn't realized that I had become engrossed in my thoughts for so long. I shook my head to clear it, turning my full attention to her. 'Here goes everything.' I thought to myself.

'Sweetness, we need to discuss what you want to do with your mortality. With Sibyl still growing, I want to know if you want to continue on as a human, or if you want to become immortal?" I asked.

She looked down, seeming to ponder her choices carefully. Anxiety was clawing at me as I tried to wait patiently for her reply. I had been thinking about this for a long while, telling myself that I would be prepared for whatever her response was. If she chose to remain human, I would spend the rest of her life making her happy until she died of old age, most certainly following her to the afterlife shortly after she passed on.

If she chose to become immortal, I would have to find someone who could change her. I couldn't change her myself, as Incubus weren't created with the ability to change humans. If she said yes, she would have to decide what she wanted to be for the rest of eternity. 

I told myself that I would continue to love her no matter what she chose, whether that was a Vampire, a Werewolf, a Ghoul, or any other for of shape-shifter or supernatural creature. She was my bride, my everything and I would do whatever she wanted until the end of time.

After a few minutes of silence, she finally looked up at me, her eyes filled with determination. "I want to be with you forever. I want to be immortal so that I never have to leave your side. My love, please, don't ever leave me." she plead.

I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her close and burying my face in her neck. Her sweet scent wrapped around my heart, easing my anxiety as I drew it in. Vanilla and Chamomile. The smell calmed me every time and I knew that I couldn't live without her.

"I will never leave you, my darling. Not even Satan himself could keep me from you. You are mine, and I am yours, forever." I told her.

I pulled away, giving her a small smile before saying, "If that's the case, then you must tell me what you want to be. I cannot change you myself. I do not have that power, but I will find someone who can help to change you into whatever you will be satisfied to be for the rest of eternity."

She nodded, worrying her lip as she thought of the possibilities. I waited for her to make her decision, not daring to rush her, for fear that she would change her mind. 

"A Werewolf." she whispered, looking at me, slightly uncertain.

I smiled, nodding in agreement. That was the most logical choice, after all. If she were a Vampire, she wouldn't be able to enjoy the forest or the daylight anymore. Not to mention the fact that I would have to seek out a Vampire who would be willing to turn her without keeping her as part of their coven.

A Werewolf would ensure she was protected, she could run through the forest with Sibyl and I, matching our speed. And she would be able to protect our territory and our daughter from any would would dare try and harm her. 

Helen would also be there to change her, I wouldn't have to find a rogue to do it, unless Helen said no. But I doubted that would be the case.

After dinner, Sibyl was bathed and tucked into bed, falling asleep almost instantly. I left the door slightly cracked before I returned downstairs to speak with Helen.

Helen and Amelia were seated on the couch, both had a glass of wine, and they were speaking lightly about their respective days. When Amelia saw me, she smiled nervously, already knowing what was about to be asked.

Helen seemed to notice the tension that filled the room as I sat down, she carefully placed her glass on the coffee table, turning to look at the both of us directly. She didn't say anything, simply waiting to hear what we had to say.

Before I  could say anything, Amelia broke the silence by blurting out, "Helen, will you turn me?"

I expected her to think about it for a while but with no hesitation at all, she said, "Yes."

End Flashback

I had taken no time at all to prepare for her transformation, Helen had prepared everything and I had been instructed to leave them in Helen's cabin for a week before returning. Everything had gone perfectly, and now I had my Werewolf bride and my daughter living happily, with no fear.

I continued to follow Sibyl's scent until it stopped in a clearing. I looked behind the trees, listening to see if she was sneaking from tree to tree as I searched. I was about to give up and call her, when I heard the crunch of heavy footsteps on the leaves. 

I whirled to look at the source of the steps, my fangs sharpening when I saw a tall man in a white robe, the hood up hiding his face. A low growl bubbled up from my chest and I hoped that Sibyl was close enough to stay hidden.

"Who are you and why are you on my land?" I demanded, prepared to attack if provoked.

The man pulled back the hood, revealing an elvish face. I tensed even more as I realized that he was a member of the High Council. Why was he here? What could they possibly want?

I didn't let my shock appear on my face, remaining tense as I waited for a reply.

"The Council wants to speak to you and your bride. We have been watching for quite some time and it's time to discuss what must be done about your daughter." He seemed to choke on the last word in disgust.

Before I could deny his statement, there was a light rustle behind me and I turned to see that Sibyl had revealed herself. She ignored the man, grabbing my hand and saying, "Come on, daddy. Let's go home. We need to see mommy."

I followed her, not bothering to say anything to the man, unsure why she was so calm, but sure that he would follow us.

Sibyl's P.O.V.

As soon as the man finished speaking, I dropped down next to my father. He appeared frightened by the man's words, but I refused to fear it. From a young age I had been warned that this would be a possibility. Even though I was only 15, I decided that I wouldn't fight my destiny. Whatever It might be.

When we reached the house, my mother and Helen were already outside, both snarling and shifting when they saw the robed man. Helen's wolf was of medium build, with light grey fur, her eyes were a blazing emerald green. My mother's wolf was slightly smaller, sleeker. Her fur was the same color as her hair, a deep blue-black, her eyes a deep, dark chocolate brown.

Both wolves trembled with rage, ready to attack before they noticed my behavior. They stopped growling, tilting their heads to look at me. I smiled, reaching up and wrapping my arms around their necks, a tough task considering I was only five foot nine inches and the two wolves towered over me at a staggering seven feet tall.

A mild rumble emerged from my mother's chest before she relaxed a little. Helen remained tense, not letting her guard down, her eyes locked on the man who seemed undeterred. He dusted off a log nearby before sitting down, his lightning blue eyes sweeping over the scene in front of him.

I turned from my mother, crossing my arms, glaring at him. He saw my expression and merely chuckled, clearly amused at the sight of a stunned silent Incubus, 2 furious and confused Werewolves, and a small teenage girl glaring at him.

After he finished his laugh, he wiped the tears from his eyes, his expression  turning serious. With a wave of his hands, the forest faded away, replaced by a large ornate room. I spun around in awe. The floor was a pristine white marble that gleamed in the light. The walls were a dark mahogany, untouched by any sort of artwork. We were in the center of the room and in front of us were five thrones, each one seated by a robed person.

I couldn't tell what they were, or what they looked like, their hoods making their faces seem as though they were pitch black, even to my heightened senses. The man who had brought us here turned to them and bowed before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

I turned my attention to the five people in front of me. Although they were silent, I could feel their disappointment as they continued to stare at us. I looked at my parents and Helen, seeing that they had their heads bowed with respect.

The fear radiating off of them was almost palpable. After what seemed like forever of nobody saying anything, a soft female voice, that sounded like honey being drizzled over a warm biscuit, finally spoke.

"So this is the family that has been causing such an uproar from the Oracles. They don't look like anything special." 

"The sheer number of visions the Oracle has had and their varying predictions was enough to warrant bringing them here, Teresa." a low male voice replied.

I couldn't tell which of them was speaking, and my head began to spin. I tried to focus on what was being said but it was as if a storm of mosquitoes were in my head. I felt my body break out in a cold sweat, my heart beating faster than it had ever beat before.

My palms were clammy, my eyes fogging over as I heard my mother scream my name. I couldn't answer as an excruciating pain started in my chest and traveled to my shoulders. I felt like I was being ripped apart. What were they doing to me? Were they going to kill me?

I couldn't focus on anything but how my body was feeling. I vaguely hear the sound of fabric ripping and shocked gasps, when I feel the skin of my back rip apart, causing an ear splitting scream to emerge from my mouth before I lost consciousness.

I was in complete darkness. There is no light, no noise, no anything. I felt a cold floor under me, forcing myself to stand. I tried to let my eyes adjust to the darkness, hoping for any thing that could tell me where I am.

"Sibyl? Sibyl, can you hear me? Please wake up! Please!" I heard a voice say.

"Where are you?" I called in response.

"Sibyl!!!!" 

It was as if thousands of voices were calling my from a distance. I followed where I thought I heard the voice coming from, seeming to walk for miles before a dim, flickering orange light slowly became visible. The sound of a thousand voices whispering my name drew me closer to the source of the light.

I reached the edge of a pit, looking down and almost screamed when I saw what was inside the pit. Inside was a writhing mass of thousands of faces, all of them seeming to melt together. The flickering light was all the fire that surrounded them.

I had no idea what I was looking at but I tried to back away, my hand covering my mouth to conceal my need to scream in terror.

"Sibyl. Sibyl. Sibyl! Sibyl!!" the voices chanted as arms grabbed my legs and began dragging me in with them. My hands clawed the ground, trying to find purchase. There was no escape. I couldn't get away. This was my fate. 

I woke up screaming, still in the middle of the large room. My parents and Helen were crouched around me, their eyes wide, filled with tears. I looked past them to see that the five people who had been watching us had thrown their hoods back and were staring at me with wide eyes.

I went to sit up but felt something weighing me down, feeling as if I had sand bags attached to my shoulders. I looked behind me and jumped in shock, my head looking back and forth trying to see better.

Attached to my shoulder were wings. They were thick and just as long as my body. I wanted to touch them. As if on command, one wing wrapped around my body. I ran my fingers over the surface and felt myself shudder.

They felt like leather, cool to the touch, veins running under the surface. The wings were crimson red, stripes with black. After I adjusted to the weight of them, I pulled myself up to my feet, bringing my attention to the Council. 

From right o left they appeared as follows. A ashy pale man sat in the first chair, his hair a messy black. It looked as though he continually ran his hands through it, his eyes blood red. He was a Vampire, a very old one by the looks of it. 

Second chair was a bronze skinned man, his chiseled features set in a scowl. Eyes a deep amber and hair a rich brown. It was hard for me to pinpoint what he was exactly but the longer I stared into his eyes, the more aggressive he became something wild flashing behind his eyes. Werewolf, I told myself.

Third was a petite woman who appeared to be in her mid thirties. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid, bright green in color. Her ears were pointed slightly, not as much as an elf, but enough to notice. Her eyes were as clear as water, seeming to shimmer with some unshared knowledge. A Nymph, spirit of nature that could take human form as they pleased.

Fourth was another man. His black eyes sunken into his skull, grey skin stretched tightly over his face. Thin, cracked lips barely hiding a set of razor sharp teeth. A Ghoul, an undead creature that eats flesh. From the books I had read, I knew that they were a lot like zombies that were shown in movies except they had full awareness, and rather than changing someone through a bite, the person had to be near death and their hearts had to be exchanged.

The fifth and finally person was a woman. Her hair was silver, flowing loosely down her back, her eyes hazel grey and her ears were pointed high. An Elf. Her beauty and those knowing eyes giving her away.

They all started down at me with contemplation clearly wondering what to do about me. I put myself in front of my family protectively, unaware that my wings had spread to conceal them from the Councils view.

I looked at each of them, staring straight into their eyes and refusing to back down. At this point, I didn't care what they did to me but I wouldn't let them hurt my family. They had done nothing wrong. Each of them could argue all they wanted that an Incubus and a human shouldn't have bore a child, that their union was an abomination. But every race had it's own guide for destiny and everyone had someone they were destined to be with.

Mates for Wolves and Shifters. Brides for Incubi and Vampires. Countless others. My parents shouldn't be punished for following their souls. After what seemed like forever, the Ghoul finally broke the silence.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected." He exclaimed with a chuckle the others joining in reluctantly.

"Yes, it appears that the girl isn't a mere mortal after all. Perhaps we should seek guidance from the Oracle once again before we pass our judgment?" Questioned the Nymph.

The Vampire and the Werewolf grumbled in agreement and all eyes turned to the Elf. Her eyes still stared at me, calculating her best course of action. Everyone waited tensely, seeming to hold their breath waiting for her response.

After an age of waiting the Elf closed her eyes briefly before saying, " I agree that we should consult with the oracle, but this is the last time a decision must be made."

As a phone command, even though no one had said anyting the elf from before reappeared. "What is it I can do for you madam?" he asked. Her eyes shifted to him coldly seem to look at him with the disdain before she replied.

" Bring the Oracle!" she declared

The male elf gave a bow before disappearing in puff of smoke. In a matter of seconds he reappeared with a slender woman standing next to him. Without so much as a word to the woman, he turned to the Head  Elf and asked, one more time, "Is that all I can do for you ma'am?"

Her eyes never left the slender woman, she just dismissed him with a wave of her hand. As soon as the man disappeared all eyes were on her small frame.