A/N Okay so I couldn't just leave it like that.

Eric's Revenge

Chapter Eleven

Beyond the portal was a strange and barren land, punctuated with crevices and ruts where flames danced. Everything they saw was in shades of red, and the heat was stifling for all but the vampires. In the distance they saw the black angels retreating, even as the remaining Nephilim filed through the gateway between the realms.

Eric's charge had been cut short. Here on the open plain, looking down over the last valley of the first realm of Hell, was not the place to go blindly charging into battle. Arrayed before them were the vast armies of Hell, some creatures familiar, others utterly alien. They all saw the cloud of permanent red smoke that shielded one battalion completely from view, even of their neighbors. From here they could see the command group, watching the portal eagerly for the sign that Julius had prepared the way. This realm would be the staging post for the final invasion of Earth, the end of days.

It was Azazel who chose to explain to the mortals what was happening here.

"In the first war in heaven, God cast out the Devil and his followers to their own realm, Hell. Always they have looked upon and envied that which occurred in yours, knowing that where you had life and creation they had only death and destruction. Just as we did after them they envy human life, but we chose to join with it, they chose to destroy it. These armies have been amassing for the next war between Heaven and Hell," he sounded like the narrator of a Hollywood block buster.

"Why do they wait?" asked Nula.

"They don't have enough power gathered yet to hold the portal long enough. Perhaps they thought that by adding Sookie's not insignificant power to their own they could achieve a breach big enough to let the army through. I warn you, both of you, that your powers will manifest differently here. Your magic is from the world of men, and it may be stronger or weaker here, we won't know until you use it."

"How do you know all of this?" Sookie asked, staring in awe at the forces below.

"I was on the winning side when we put them here," he answered simply.

Sookie nodded at that, drawing a parallel with Eric's battle with the Nephilim and their prisons on Earth. She could see how what went around had come around as her brother would say.

"Can we defeat them?" Eric asked.

"I don't know Northman. The Nephilim are at the height of their powers here, as I suspect Nula and Sookie will be, as for you vampires only time and experience will tell. Do you want to do this?" Azazel looked at him, his expression unreadable.

"The incursions have to stop," Eric told him.

"So be it," Azazel said. At some signal the Nephilim dropped their hosts. With a noise that sounded like a bucket of wet fish dumped on a carpet the bodies fell away, revealing the Nephilim for what they were.

Huge and magnificent, like white men with wings, dressed in gleaming silver chain mail. Their faces were at once angelic and monstrous, beautiful and yet dangerous. They had fangs, a point that Eric seemed to approve of. Two hundred of God's stromtroopers thought Sookie.

Satarel had joined them, he had a bugle ready, awaiting Azazel's order.

"Advance on the command group," Eric told them.

Azazel smiled, he would allow himself to be led by a warrior as seasoned as the viking. Standing in awe Sookie was forced to collect herself and keep up as Eric led the advance. Testing her own limits she began to open doors, accidentally discharging a ball of flaming blue energy in the process. Wow, she thought, I'm smoking here.

Below the command group had seen them. At first they mistook they newcomers as allies, began to ride towards them, but as they got closer the evil horse like monstrosities that they rode balked, and became difficult to handle. In their arrogance they assumed that no enemy would meet them here.

Satarel blew the bugle again, anticipating Eric's order. At the viking's side Nula and Sookie unleashed hideous burning flame on the forward group as the Nephilim swept into them. It was brutal and short, hideous and malignant as they were they were not prepared for the retribution that Eric led against them. There were no survivors.

Alone Eric paced to the front of the vast army that had watched their commanders so completely annihilated.

"My name is Eric," he told them. "Your portal opens into my area, so I've come with a message."

Thousands of evil faces glared at him, but not one moved, they had seen what this group of vampires and Nephilim had done to their masters.

"There's a new Sheriff in town!"