The late spring rolled into the summer, and as fall started to come and the wind grew chill the tribe packed up their things and began their migration south. Enid assumed they were heading into Southern Utah. She was unfamiliar with the geography of this territory so she probably wouldn’t be able to tell either way. With a strict watch on the medicine man’s diet, she had managed to keep his blood sugar somewhat controlled within the bounds that diet allowed. She had come to realize his name was Elsu.

Over the months Enid had healed many injuries and had gathered many medicinal plants using the tablet in the dead of night while Mitena slept. She would go out and scan plants and then would take Mitena and Niya to gather them as if she knew exactly what they were just from memory. Enid guessed Niya was twelve or thirteen. She was a clever girl and quick study. Enid taught her which animals to avoid because of carried diseases. How to look for parasites in the meat to determine if it was safe. How to purify tools with heat. Mitena and Enid never wanted for food. Several of the non-bonded men of the tribe seemed to be trying to impress her. Enid remained celibate out of loyalty to Allison much to the disappointment of several men who sought her attentions.

By what Enid assumed was October the settlement was set up in their new location which was a sheltered encampment within a rocking area. The choice was deliberate and had been used for generations. It would be protected and hold the warmth from the day but was shaded enough that it kept people out of direct heat. There was no growing here, the tribe survived off of what they grew in the summer and would continue to hunt and fish. Enid had a whole new selection of medicinal plants to find and gather and it kept her nights occupied. They had been there for several days and Elsu approached her as she was showing Mitena and Niya how to properly prepare the plants in their various forms. Whether it be a salve or a tea. She left the pair to their work, leaving Niya in charge. Elsu looked nervous.

“We are near the evil spirit pit.”

Enid nodded.

“I know. I can sense it.”

“I was frightened you would go seek it out. We have come to like your company Koko.”

Enid quirked an eyebrow.

“There is nothing there that can threaten me.”

He rubbed his smooth chin.

“The chief feared you would leave.”

“I told you, I have no control over when I get to go home. I am here until I’m not.”

He nodded.

“If you knew it was near, why have you not sought it out?”

Enid glanced back at Mitena.

“Her. Also, I am still learning your stories. I do not want them to be lost to time.”

“You fear what is there?”

“No, I fear that if I deal with it, I will be pulled home.”

He nodded.

“I will go tomorrow night, tomorrow I will need you to ask the spirits to bless some of the hunter’s weapons. It will make them dangerous to those in the pit. I will take the twins with me. I have been teaching them how to fight my way. I want them to see the evil that dwells there so if I am called home, they can defend the tribe.”

“You should bless the weapons.”

Enid shook her head.

“That is a matter of faith in the spirits, I am one, so I do not have faith, I have knowledge. Do you understand?”

He shook his head.

“Your talismans have power to ward off evil spirits because you believe they do. Just as if you bless the weapons in front of the twins, they will believe they have the power to slay evil. It is that faith that the evil spirits fear.”

“But you believe in a great spirit. I hear you speaking of it to Mitena sometimes. Surely this spirit is the strongest if even you believe in it.”

Enid shook her head.

“Your spirits and gods are just as real as he is. I know this because the spirits you work with call me Mother.”

His eyes went wide.

“Truly?”

“I have been told on several occasions I am referred to as Mother of Spirits, I have no knowledge from whence that title comes, but they believe it, so it has power.”

He took a few moments to think then he smiled and nodded.

“You still know little of our beliefs, yet you teach me of them with your wise words.”

“Its just a matter of age, Elsu. When you speak the spirits tell them Slays-Demons asks for their aid. I doubt mentioning me could hurt.”

“Is that your true-name.”

“According to the spirits, it is.”

“Then why do you allow us to call you Koko?”

“Because Koko is as good a description for me as any. Thank you Elsu. I need to return to my students.”

He nodded and Enid moved back to the girls.

*****

“Momma don’t go into the darkness.”

Enid pulled the braids out of Mitena’s hair and started to brush it out, one of the future luxuries she allowed herself to use was a plastic brush.

“You know I must child. Do you want others to get sick like you did? Have the rest of the tribe look on them as they look on you?”

“I don’t want to lose you too.”

“You won’t.”

“Let the warriors go, it is men’s work.”

“I told you Mitena, nothing is men’s or women’s work. We must share the burden. It is just men are stronger than women, so they often do the heavy work. But women who train can be just as skilled as men at fighting. It is why I have been teaching you the spear and the bow. I have fought many battles and I always win.”

Mitena clutched onto Enid’s arm as she brought it up to sweep the brush down again.

“Please momma, stay.”

“I cannot, but Niya will stay with you. I will be back by morning with new stories of battle to tell.”

“I would rather have you.”

Mitena pouted in only the way a six-year-old girl could. Enid forced herself not to smile keeping her face somewhat neutral.

“Your face will stay that way if you keep doing it.”

“You always say that, and it never does. Why don’t other mom’s say that?”

“Because other moms are not older than the hills.”

Enid pinched Mitena’s nose and was reward with a girlish giggle.

“Now stop fidgeting while I brush your hair, unless you want me to stop.”

Mitena shook her head and sat very still. Enid smiled and finished brushing out the end. She envied the girls straight hair. Her natural form had curly hair that drove her nuts as a child and an adult. Enid put the brush in her pack.

“Go get comfortable.”

“Please sing momma.”

“I will, I will! Let me change while you get comfortable.”

Enid started pulling off the woven top and hide skirt she had become accustomed too. She pulled on a sports bra and a pair of underwear. Mitena watched her holding her feather stuffed toy to her chest.

“What are those momma?”

“Special clothes; So, my armor doesn’t pinch.”

Enid tugged on the Atlantean Body suit and sealed the front. She flexed and made sure the plates still formed. She reached out her other arm she thought of an energy shield and a Greek style shield shimmered into existence on her arm. She flicked her arm and it vanished. It felt good to be in the armor again. Enid pulled Bloodseeker out of her pack and laid it down on the floor of their home as she kneeled beside Mitena. Mitena reached out and touched Enid’s thigh.

“What is that made of?”

“I do not know. It is the work of the gods. Now I believe I said I would sing a song before I leave.”

Mitena nodded and crawled onto Enid’s lap. Enid held her close and she began singing one of the tribe’s songs but Mitena started shaking her head immediately.

“No, that one is boring I want the other one.”

“Mitena that is one of your tribe’s songs.”

“No, I want the one your mom sang to you.”

Enid looked down into her adopted daughter’s brown eyes and sighed. The girl had an insatiable lust to hear about Enid’s culture as opposed to her own tribes. It frustrated Enid to no end. Enid sighed.

“You’re going to want to know the others for your children little one.”

“No, I’m going to sing them yours.”

Enid frowned.

“I’m only doing this because I want you to fall asleep, I don’t want you up all night worrying about me.”

Enid started to sing Lilith’s lullaby rocking Mitena as she did so. The girl was sound asleep by the time she finished. She laid her gently in her bed of furs tugging the softest of them over top of her covering her shoulders. She leaned down and kissed the child’s forehead.

“God please send my brothers and sisters to watch over her should I not return.”

She stood up and pulled a hair tie from her bag and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Niya was waiting just outside, she looked like she had been for a few minutes.

“You could have come in. It is freezing out here.”

Niya shook her head.

“She is lucky to have you Koko.”

“No, I’m the lucky one.”

Enid patted Niya on the shoulder.

“Thank you for staying with her. She has nightmares and wakes up sometimes, just hold her she’ll calm down.”

Niya nodded.

“Are you in danger tonight?”

Enid shook her head.

“I…have so much to learn still.”

Enid smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back by morning to work you to exhaustion again.”

Niya nodded and entered the hut. Enid had to hand it to the tribe their construction held the heat well even during the winter nights. She breathed in the crisp night air and went in search of the twins. They were teenager boys who had asked her to train them. She did so with some resistance at first not wanting to contaminate their culture more then she already had but the chief had insisted using the fact that he was allowing Mitena to live with the tribe. Enid looked them up and down. They were wearing furs to ward off the night’s chill.

“We are going to be fighting monsters the likes of which you have never seen.”

Enid pulled out two of Elsu’s blessed amulets and hung one around each of their necks.

“These protect you from them getting inside you like they did with Mitena. You had Elsu bless your weapons?”

The twins nodded.

“They will hurt the monsters. Are you sure you want to do this boys? Once you send these things back where they came, they will declare you enemy along with all your descendants.”

The pair nodded. They had no parents they were victims of what Enid had come to understand was a demon attack a few winters ago.

“Let’s go kill some evil spirits.”

*****

The trio reached the cave entrance. Enid could feel her gut twisting on itself. It was like having the worst PMS she could recall. She glanced at the twins.

“You will stay here. Anything that tries to leave that isn’t me you need to kill. Nothing gets past you.”

The twins looked at each other. Jacy shook his head.

“No, we will fight by your side.”

Enid sighed and put her hands on their shoulders.

“Jacy and Jolon, this cave has…something in it that will make you sick and there will be nothing I can do to heal you. Stay here. Guard the exit.”

Enid reached into her bag and pulled out a blessed smoke grenade.

“I showed you how to use this weapon. You pull this and throw it. If you get overwhelmed throw it, the smoke will choke the evil spirits. Use the time to escape and warn the tribe. I left more…dangerous ones under my healing supplies. Use them if you absolutely need to. You must not be hit by them they will hurt you just as much as the evil spirits.”

The pair looked disappointed, but Jacy took the smoke grenade and hooked the handle over his boot lip. Enid smiled at them then went into the cave. She paused when out of site of the boys and strapped two Glock 17’s full of blessed bullets to her hips and pulled out two blessed fragmentation grenades. As she approached the hell gate chamber she sensed a large amount of evil. As she turned the corner she popped the pins out of the grenades with her thumbs. She saw a series of etchings in the stone that she guessed was some form of barrier against them. It wasn’t a matter of if they could get out, but more of when would the barrier fail and a few would slip out. There were about seventy demons behind the runic barrier.

The demons were milling about. She whistled loudly and almost instantly the swarm of demons started crashing against the barrier. She lobbed the two grenades over the lead group. She altered time around her and drew her guns and started shooting. As she emptied her pistols into the room numerous demons started to evaporate in black mist the blessed bullets sending them back to hell. She dropped the guns and drew Bloodseeker as the grenades went off. She turned her eyes away from the flash and she felt bits of demon pelt her. The hoard was thinned but even with the twins she was outnumbered ten to one. She lept through the barrier shattering it. She pushed blood to her muscles and altered time again becoming a blur. Bloodseeker became a blender blade shredding demon after demon. She knew a few had gotten past her but knew they would find their trip back to Hell in the form of the twins with spirit blessed long spears. A few more fled through the portal Enid grabbed one of the stragglers from behind. She punched it in the face until it seemed to be knocked unconscious. She wasn’t sure about demon physiology so she assumed it was still alive. She dragged him to the portal and shoved him, so he was stuck between worlds. The portal started to flicker and spark. Enid pulled out her rocket launcher and loaded her one blessed demonfire rocket.

She put it on her shoulder and put in what she thought was a good scatter pattern. She wasn’t unsure if this would even work, theoretically it should if the demon was holding the portal open to transport. She heard footsteps on the stone of the cave and looked back to see the twins she shook her head and pressed the trigger. The missile launched and curved up into the air on the Hell side of the rift. She grabbed the demon who was holding the portal open’s leg and tossed him inside. It seemed to heal instantly once it finished transiting. It had barely stood up when the demonfire lake appeared. She couldn’t hear its screams but apparently the blessing worked as she’d assumed it would. She looked at the twins.

“Get out of here now!”

They heard the anger in her voice and ran quickly. Enid slid the rocket launcher in her pack and looked past the sea of molten demonfire to the Hellscape beyond. Demons were trying for another push and popping out of existence as their feet touched the blessed liquid fire. Unlike a normal Demonfire this one didn’t seem to be solidifying. She took time to look around the chamber now. There was an alter that had two sets of werewolf bones on it. She frowned.

Someone did a ritual to open this.

She pulled the bones off and kneeled beside them asking the spirts to free the wolf-born bound to them. Enid stood after wards and used Bloodseeker to slice the alter to pieces stomping on them to turn them to smaller chucks. Leaving only debris. She looked back to the portal and the lake of fire had not dissipated nor had it lost its potency demons were still trying to navigate it.

Shit it worked.

Enid started collecting her spent shell casings and the grenade pins. Collecting the fragments of the grenades would be hopeless. She shrugged. She then wired the cavern with C4 and pulled the detonator out of her pocket.

Can’t seal the portal but can make it impossible to use.

She looked at the twins. They had a few wounds but those would heal in time. She held the detonator in her hand and looked at them. She offered the detonator.

“Would you like to seal it?”

They looked at each other and Jolon reached out his hand Enid offered the detonator to him. She lifted off the cover and pointed at the button. He pressed it and the ground shook. They both jumped and Enid grinned. She liked explosives almost as she liked jets. She took the detonator and put it into her pack. She motioned back towards the village and the trio walked on. Jolon and Jacy walked silently beside Enid. They weren’t the most talkative pair.

*****

Enid switched into the clothes she had inherited from Mitena’s mother and laid on her furs. Shortly after she laid down, she heard Mitena moving. Soon the girl was snuggled against her. Enid kissed her on the forehead and stoked her back gently until Mitena settled again. The night passed and morning came. She was surprised and relieved that no angel came to take her back. Mitena woke up shortly after dawn and grabbed Enid around the neck kissing her on the cheek.

“What was that for?”

“You came back.”

“I told you I would.”

Enid grabbed her cheeks and kissed her forehead.

“Let’s go get breakfast we have some wounds to tend to from last night’s battle.”

Mitena started looking over Enid’s arms and legs.

“You don’t look hurt.”

“Not me, Jolon and Jace, silly.”

Mitena giggled.

*****

Enid counted six summers and six winters before she had any hint of her of a message from God or Ezekiel. At first, she was angry at being stuck here. After Mitena she was not sure she wanted to leave. Thinking of the little girl abandoned by the mother she’d come to love and know. Enid started to dread the day would come. As time wore on, she decided she still had to do more to go home and resolved to do as little as possible beyond her duties as the tribe’s resident wise woman and mothering Mitena. She assumed this would limit her chances of being dragged away.

Enid wiped down Elsu’s dead body along with his wife and his daughter. He had asked her to take part in the ritual and his family was happy to have her. He had outlived her predictions on his lifespan without insulin by four years. Apparently having a doctor monitoring, you daily and watching your diet like a hawk could help control diabetes with diet. The women began singing their song of mourning. Enid joined in as was tradition for the tribe. Enid always had tears in her eyes as she sang it or listened to it. This time was particularly sad to her. He had spent his last day with her and his successor trying desperately to ensure that the traditions were passed on properly.

Enid followed the men who carried him to the burial ground along with his family and his successor. His successor performed the rites and committed him to the next world. Mitena was by Enid’s side. She was still mostly a village outcast, but Enid was confident the girl could take care of herself when she grew up. Enid had taught her to hunt, fish, planting, judging the season and the rain, as she had been taught by Elsu. She also taught her how to fight. How to tend the sick. Mitena hugged Enid as the pair walked back to the settlement.

“Mother. He meant a lot to you, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Yet another teacher I have outlived. At least he was able to pass on his knowledge to the next generation.”

“Why is it so important to you that I learn about them?”

“Because, where you came from is as important as where you’re going. One day if the tribe fails to pass on their culture and traditions it will vanish into the sands of time. No one would know it even existed save from some cryptic paintings on a cave wall and holes in the ground where the poles of our homes stand.”

“That is sad mother.”

“I know, which is why I remind you of your traditions every chance I get.”

“But I am your daughter now, should I not learn yours?”

“My people are long dead and forgotten except by me and my father. Only stories of how we would paint ourselves have survived. And…the lullaby. So it is no longer important.”

“It is important to me mother.”

“Alright, one story while we walk. We would call the spirts the sidhe. The fair folk. My people thought I was one of them because of the gift of foresight I possess. I was outcast like you are until I was needed. Now, I am one of the Night Sidhe. It is said they would sneak into a round house and replace babies with a sidhe. Which is why I was suspected of being one. I was told my mother tried to drown me and refused to feed me. That a sidhe appeared to be my milk mother after defeating all my father’s men in battle.”

“Wow. There were legends about you?”

“So many child. So many.”

“What have you seen mother?”

Enid smiled.

“More than you can imagine and not even a tiny fraction of the universe.”

She wrapped her arm around Mitena’s shoulders and pulled her close. Mitena leaned her head against Enid.

“You’re staying here because of me aren’t you mother?”

“No, I told you, I need someone else to get my home. I guarantee you that I’m going to find the ritual to get back on my own as soon as I get back so this never happens again.”

Mitena nodded.

“Why were you sent here?”

“I can only assume because someone performed a ritual to open the portal that let the evil spirits lose.”

Enid rubbed her face and swore in English.

“What was that Mother?”

“Nothing. I just realized something.”

Enid hugged Mitena’s shoulders tightly again.

“I’m glad you were sent here.”

“So am I.”

The pair had almost reached the settlement when Ezekiel appeared in front of them. Enid started shaking her head and put Mitena behind her. He smiled as he approached the pair. He looked around Enid and waved at Mitena who blinked up at the strange old man.

“There you are.”

Mitena spoke up.

“Mom should I get the warriors?”

Enid shook her head to her daughter then looked to Ezekiel.

“No, I’m not going.”

“Your work is done here.”

“I’m not abandoning her.”

“Perish the thought. She doesn’t belong here anymore then you do.”

“What?”

“If you hadn’t been here, she would have died, killed by the wolf-born for being possessed.”

“Why was I even here then?”

“Oh, to learn a lesson.”

“What…the…fuck?”

“Don’t be like that child. Come.”

“She can’t come to the future with us. Her immune system is not adapted she might as well not have one.”

“Have faith child.”

“Fuck you and fuck God.”

“Really, you were making such progress.”

“That’s before you tossed me into prehistory to learn a lesson.”

“Prehistory? Nonsense…its after Narfordshire.”

“We can’t just vanish. Let me tell the tribe.”

Enid saw two forms on the path holding spears. They started to rush towards the group. As they came into focus Enid realized it was the twins. She held up her hand.

“You really must come with me now. The boss was insistent that this is the time.”

“You’re acting like I could stop you.”

“All things considered you are my big sister you probably could.”

“She doesn’t know a word of English. What kind of life is she going to have?”

“The boss will make things work. Have faith.”

“Hold my hand tightly Mitena.”

Mitena grabbed Enid's hand and clutched it like her life depended on it. Ezekiel put his hands on their shoulders. The twins arrived where they were standing just in time to see them vanish in a flash of light.