Reyzenhart chittered in pain as his body was tossed through the tent's opening. The Gelugon barely managed to hold onto his spear even as he crashed into a camp of Barbazus.
The bearded devils at first expressed their outrage, but promptly saluted the Gelugon when they realized who he was. Their military cadence was soon broken however, as Amon the Great Wolf leaped through the air, and landed atop his still recovering foe.
Several bearded devils were knocked over, and one unlucky fellow was crushed unintentionally as Amon slammed into Reyzenhart. Only the Gelugon's hard chitin shell had saved him, and even then he could feel cracks beginning to form on his carapace. With growing desperation, Reyzenhart managed a quick jaunt spell and displaced himself thirty feet to the side. Amon in his bloodlust didn't seem to notice his target had vanished and simply locked his great jaws on a nearby Barbazu and began ripping him apart instead.
Reyzenhart considered striking now that his tormentor was preoccupied. Instead he opted for diplomacy instead. "Klik, klak,klak…klick."
Amon's ears propped up, and some of the fury faded from his eyes. The Great Wolf simply dropped the mauled bearded devil and then spun around to face the ice devil. Then without warning he jumped towards Reyzenhart again, but this time the Ice Devil was readied.
Though magic was more his forte, Reyzenhart was still a master of the spear. Even with one of his arms missing, the Ice Devil managed to set his weapon in time and pierce his foe mid leap in his flank. That didn't slow Amon though. The great beast shrugged off the wound and crashed paws first into Reyzenhart, slamming his body with such force that the ground cracked under their combined weights.
While the war camp of the Stygian Expeditionary forces was centered mostly on a solid hill and surrouding plains, the entire dimension of Phlegethos was one big lava field. Active volcanoes and rivers of lava dotted the landscape, even as the molten core beneath the surface boiled and struggled to be released. Though Reyzenhart's scouts had picked a relatively dormant area to stage their siege, an area that could withstand the weight of vast war machines and legions of devils, that didn't preclude any of the lava tubes and magma lakes below its surface.
The force of Amon's blow broke through the ground, and sent Reyzenhart falling through the suddenly unstable rubble. Amon attempted to jump back from the hazard, but Reyzenhart's flailing legs managed to stab his haunch with two great barbs. The suddenly shifting ground, and the weight of the two caused them both to slide into the ground and fall through the darkness below.
Falling into a pit while being wrestled by a giant wolf threw Reyzenhart's sense of equilibrium to say the least. Still, his insect like reflexes managed to disengage and pull up an upright landing on an island surrounded by magma. Amon on the other hand was not so lucky, the Great Wolf lost his balance from Reyzenhart's last push and plunged backfirst into the fires. Not that a bath in molten rock would stop him, devils were immune to fire after all.
Reyzenhart preferred the cold over the flames, but he saw his advantage. He summoned his spear to his hand and jumped towards his half submerged opponent. The icy spear steamed as it grew closer to the lava, but it still managed to pierce his opponents back. It would have been a mortal blow to most devils, but not to Amon. The Great Wolf spun and bucked with a frenzied strength, and succeeded in tossing Reyzenhart into the lava before him. Though the magma didn't hurt the Gelugon, it did impede his movements. Before he could utter another jaunt spell, his head exploded in pain as Amon's great jaws latched onto his head.
Reyzenhart flailed madly at his opponent as he heard an audible crack come from his skull. One of his multifaceted eyes burst open and began leaking ichor onto his face as Amon literally attempted to bite his head off.
"So that's what it feels like," he thought ironically.
For a second Reyzenhart thought that this was the end. He was considered a Greater Devil, but doubt he would reform in Stygia after this death. A Duke of Hell, especially one such as Amon, could easily stop his reformation. Reyzenhart stared into the slavering jaws of oblivion with his one good eye, and thought of the things he still had to accomplish. Getting his next promotion, breaking the siege of Czinmoch, and especially rescuing Cozbi. All these things seemed trivial as he faced annihilation. Then he thought of the empty feeling he had in his gut and of the Celestial that kissed him so long ago. For some unexplained reason, he felt he didn't want to die without meeting her just one more time.
Amon gasped as his opponent grabbed his jaws with renewed strength. One arm and two legs held his mouth at bay, while a barbed tail began stinging his face rapidly. Amon hacked and threw his opponent to the side under the surprise barrage even as hopped onto one of the small islands in the magma chamber.
"ARRRWWWOOOO! HOWWLL!"
"Klick,klick, klack!" replied Reyzenhart as he struggled onto his own island. His spear flew faithfully to his side.
"AWWRRO?"
"Klack,klack,klack?"
Both combatants simultaneously changed into their humanoids forms. Reyzenhart into an unassuming tiefling with a well-kept goatee, while Amon took the form of a naked man, with bulging muscles and the oversized head of a wolf.
"Sorry, I don't speak Gelugon," said Amon.
Reyzenhart ripped a shred of his tunic and wrapped it around his empty eye socket. It was not an easy task with one arm. "Aye, my wolf talk is not what it should be, and everyone knows of my lack of skill in using telepathy. Half the time I'm talking instead of thinking."
Amon grinned, flashing his sharp teeth. "Before, I slay you for failing Lady Cozibaner, what is that spear made of? I seldom find weapons that can pierce my hide so easily outside of the Heavens."
Reyzenhart twirled his spear effortlessly. "I normally use a cold iron spear, but this one I had specially commissioned before the civil war. Silvered ice, blessed by a paladin."
Amon nodded in approval. "So the rumors were true then. I heard you had a paladin slave during your time in the Gray Wastes. Not only did you slake your savage lusts on her, but you forced her to bless your weapons as while," chuckled the wolf headed man.
"Well not exactly, but that's another matter." The truth was that Reyzenhart had made a deal with a very unusual paladin named Ella to better hunt demons together. She would pose as his slave to avoid retribution from the rest of the Gelugon's troops, while he provided her with plenty of targets for her blessed weapons to slay. Reyzenhart though he would kill her head off after he was called back to the Great Pit, but instead he let her go. He wasn't sure if they were allies, or just business partners but she did have his respect. Reyzenhart could well imagine Ella's reaction if she heard Amon's reaction right know. Knowing her, she would probably play up the damsel in distress part all to extract the maximum embarrassment from Reyzenhart.
"That sounds like a trick straight from Lord Baalphezon. A Paladin that would work with an Infernal to kill Demons? This Ella sounds interesting….I would like to meet her," said Amon.
Reyzenhart rolled his eyes and slapped his fore head again with his remaining arm.
"You really should practice your speech and telepathy and how to differentiate the two. To be honest, it took me awhile after I started adopting a humanoid form,"shrugged Amon. "Now…shall we get back at it? I like you Reyzenhart, you're a no nonsense kind of Infernal. Asmodeus knows why you haven't been promoted to Pitfiend yet, but regardless. You failed Lady Cozibaner, and that demands a swift and painful death."
Reyzenhart nodded but held out his hand. "Wait, can I call on someone to speak on my behalf? "
Amon laughed. "You are stalling for time? Reyzenhart who is famous for devouring the heads of your foes. The merciless Gelugon of Stygia? You who are without mercy, now ask for it? I thought you were made of colder stuff."
Reyzenhart patted his spear. "We could do things your way if you want and you can feel the full wrath of my spear but if you give me a chance and you are not swayed by my council, I'll submit willingly to your jaws. "
Amon's eyes flared. "Very well, but if this is a trick, you will learn like many before you that the Great Wolf is not to be trifled with. I'll make you beg to be devoured. I'll tear off your remaining limbs and make sure they won't regenerate. I'll devour your remaining eye but leave you with whatever bugs use to hear so you can hear the pitiful chuckles of your former subordinates as they look upon your remaining pathetic stump. I'll crack your carapace in so many places, and make sure it heals at odd angles to cause you constant pain. I'll enact tortures so great and painful that even…."
Amon began his rant but was quickly silenced. Reyzenhart had spoken a few words, and in a flash a pale green haired figure was before the both of them.
"Lady Cozibaner?" Amon looked dubious. He took a sniff of her from where he stood, and promptly fell to his knees in recognition. "Lady Cozibaner! I was told you were captured by the Black Duke Bathym. Was it all a ruse? How is it you are before me now?"
Cozibaner leaned against Reyzenhart. Her flawless skin sported many bruises and open wounds, the sign of the lash. She looked around the chamber and weakly smiled. "I was expecting your tent, I wasn't expecting a furnace," she coughed.