The councilors stared at me, wide-eyed and rather shocked. I tapped the floor with my foot and it parted, a long line that cracked open and split the room in two. Fire licked up from the crack, creating an inferno in the cold room. The cries of the damned and the howls of the wind filled the room and reminded those within of who they were really dealing with.

"All of you naughty little creatures are now screwed, after all, you should have known better. Pissing off the devil is rather stupid. I could possibly forgive for what you did for the shadow figure, it wasn't me that was the target. Just my right hand's family. So I guess for that reason maybe I couldn't forgive. I do like my right hand, he seems to be rather good at his job and such a little deviate. Perfect for his role, really."

The winds of hell kicked up, filling the room and dragging at the bodies of those who were about to be damned. And for the three who voted and had not misbehaved, all was well. They sat in their seats, still rather shocked at what was going on but not affected by the drag of damnation. The Duroma councilor was gripping the table, the winds pulling on his feet and trying to drag him under the table.

"Please Master Dremain." he begged.

"Isn't it funny how attitudes can change when a life is threatened. Is that what happened to you? Did the shadow figure threaten your life?"

"My children." he gasped. "There was a messenger, a lad of mid-twenties. He held them hostage until my wife and I were able to obtain the stone. When we had it, he left and I never saw him again. Please, I was not aware of its purpose, he had my children!"

I could see the fear in his eyes, not just for his fate but for the past. There was a sincere tone in his voice, one that made me believe his words were the truth.

With a flick of my hand, the winds let him go and I continued onto the remaining two who held the same fear.

"And what of you two, did a messenger threaten your loved ones?"

The Gaulth councilor slipped under the table. His pleas filled the room as the winds howled with anticipation, feeding on his fear. I stood at his feet, stopping him from being dragged into the pit.

"A messenger and a witch, I had to take the witch to a workshop so that she could make the object. Please, my lord, they threatened me, I had no idea what they wanted. She made me stay outside, I never saw what she made, I was never told a thing."

With another flick of my hand, another councilor was free of the drag. He scrabbled his way under the table and back to his chair, repeatedly offering his gratitude.

I moved to the last of the offenders, the councilor for Solan.

"I've heard you've been a very bad boy. The king is after your head for what you have done. You'll be happy to know that the gem has been returned and is once again safe in its gilded cage. But the king is most upset, the gates were left open and his people have discovered life beyond Solan. You know he is a man that likes control and to have people coming and going as they please has been most annoying for him. After a brief discussion with a herald in the king's employ, he advised what the king has deemed reasonable for your life. You have two choices, you can return to your home world and into the custody of the king and face death or you can die right here and now, no waiting."

"I have the right to a fair trial!" he declared as he gripped the chair. "I have the right to plead my case like the others."

"Well that is true, however, they do not have a crackpot king at the helm who is thoroughly annoyed that he's been double-crossed. Apparently, you were supposed to deliver a fake gem and reap a monetary reward on his behalf, then lock the gate behind you. So by all means, plead your case, I will listen."

But your king will not. Sadly his fate had been sealed.

"I wanted to escape, like so many others we love our home world but we fear our ruler. No matter how much love I could have for my world, I could not turn a blind eye to the injustice that occurs on a daily basis. So yes I swapped the gems and left the fake one with the king, and yes I gave it to the young man in return for money. I wanted to be free from the tyranny and live in a world of hope and freedom. And I wanted the same for my fellow man, so I left the gate open for them to escape as well. If I have truly done wrong then take me now, I would rather die here with a little bit of freedom then return to a world where there is no hope and certainly no freedom."

He let go of the chair, willingly allowing the winds to drag him into the pit. But he didn't move. With confusion, he looked at me.

"You offered a compassionate and reasonable reason for what you have done, they will not take a life or a soul under such reasoning. Lucky for you, you didn't lie."

I turned to the last of the councilors that kept the winds of damnation howling through the room. At surface level she appeared innocent but what I had seen offered a different view.

I gripped her by the throat, dragging her across the table.

"Do you see that, grand councilor?" I whispered in her ear.

She gasped and gargled, her fingers scratching at my hand.

"This is all gone, once you are dead I will disband the council because of these events, and of course the bribery and in-fighting. And when you are burning in the pits of hell you will know that I won. I will rule this world and it will be because of your greed."

Her eyes widened at me as the drag started to pull at her feet. It was taking all my strength to keep her here, especially now that I had her hanging over the widest part of the crack.

"I rule this world now," I whispered and then I let go.

The winds howled and muffled her scream as she fell into the fire. Just as fast as the crack had appeared, it disappeared, leaving the room in disarray. Papers fell to the floor, no longer being flung around the room. The lanterns slowly stopped rocking and the councilors adjusted themselves, looking rather bewildered.

"Right, this is my world now so what I say, goes. First order of business, my phase four with Sarah has just ended and it's happy days for us. Your little rule over the deities and their love lives is no longer any of your business. Second order of business, councilor for Solan. You are to find a world that will allow sanctuary and no, it's not Earth. I would suggest you hurry before your former king finds out you are still alive. For the rest of you, you are welcomed to visit however I would suggest that you behave yourselves. You never know when the pit will open up underneath you. Third order of business, the council is disbanded. Feel free to hang around if you like, I'm sure there might be a toilet or two that needs cleaning. We might turn this into a school for the children of dark beings which is sorely needed. What do you think William?"

"A mighty fine choice."

"Excellent."

I turned and looked at those who had come here to be my witness if needed. Thankfully they weren't. Rowan had brought Sarah in, now dressed and looking rather tired. And shocked, her hands gripped around Rowan's arm, clinging to her as if her life depended on it. The first time seeing the pit crack open to the surface was always difficult, usually, people don't live afterward so there was never really an issue with the mental state of a person after such an event. Then again, maybe it wasn't the crack, maybe it was me. She'd just watched me condemn a life to eternal damnation. It was something that she should not have had to see.

I was wary of approaching her, fearing her rejection now that she knew more of my other side. This was nothing compared to what I could become, I hadn't even transformed into my true nature.

Sarah let go of Rowan's arm and took a tentative step closer. She looked just as wary as what I was.

"Is it over now, are we free to do as we please?"

"We are, my love."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me hard. With a heavy sigh, I laid my arms over her and pulled her tight to me. This was all that I wanted, freedom to do as Sarah and I wanted, not what someone else wanted.