GARGOYLES: Re-Awakening

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Goliath and the Elder were alone again on the castle tower, looking out over the city. The Elder was wondering why Goliath had chosen to delay retrieving the Phoenix Gate, but he knew Goliath was about to tell him, so he waited in silence.

"The Phoenix Gate is not what Xanatos thinks it is," Goliath finally said, without looking at his companion.

"Oh?" The Elder responded.

"It is not a weapon. It is a means of travel through time."

The Elders eyebrows raised.

"Demona wishes for us to retrieve it and then use it to return to the time before this curse befell us. To undo the past and return to the lives we once had."

The Elder pondered for a moment.

"Sounds right with me," he replied. "But I needn't be a sorcerer to see that you aren't convinced."

Goliath groaned his low, growl of a groan that always signaled his displeasure, or his mental energy when working through a difficult decision.

"Our new friend confirmed my suspicions. Xanatos is not to be trusted. He breaks the laws of this place and this time. He is also amassing some kind of army. He has an agenda that he is keeping from us."

"Army?" The Elder said, incredulously. "Where is he keeping them? The castle is nearly deserted."

"I do not know. Elisa believes it may have something to do with machines and men. I did not understand. But he is planning something which he has not disclosed to us," Goliath responded.

"Aye, Laddie, that Xanatos is a scoundrel most likely. But if what you say be true, he'll have little chance to make mischief, no? It's a simple matter of giving you and Demona a chance to work your sorcery. The lads and I can handle that."

Here Goliath turned to face the Elder.

"I fear Demona can not be trusted either," he said.

The Elder was surprised. He knew of course that Goliath had his concerns about her, hence their last few nights of work keeping her in the dark, but he had assumed it was because he felt Demona was too impulsive, too angry. He had not suspected that Goliath saw her as a potential opponent.

"Goliath," the Elder began. "Demona has always been a wild one, and she has a hot flame of anger inside, that's certain, but she is a Gargoyle, one of our clan, and your beloved. You cannuh possibly believe she would betray us."

The Elder's words were firm but also desperate. He felt a father figure to them all, but most of all to Demona—the tiny Gargoyle he had carried away from an unjust punishment one night long ago.

"I no more wish to believe it than you," Goliath said. "But there is something else. Something that did not occur to me until after our first attempt to retrieve the Gate." Here he paused, and looked back out over the city. "I could believe that Demona would have learned about the Gate somewhere over her thousand years. But," he turned and once again faced the Elder, "she should not have known that it was I who hid it. That was between only the Prince and me—it was his design, in case the castle should fall."

The Elder thought a moment.

"Is it not possible the Prince told her? Perhaps after the invaders were driven off?"

"Possible yes," Goliath replied. "But I do not believe it. Demona claims that when she returned the castle had already fallen and all had been slaughtered. Even if the Prince were spared, which may be likely, he had wished that only he and I know what we had done because it could not be forced from me and the invaders would not dare put him to torture. It was his design that should they enter the castle, they would be told that the Gate had been removed and there would be no one to refute this claim. I see no reason for the Prince to have deviated from this plan."