Back within the bowels of Hell, Iris and Mephiles had wandered through a forest in order to get their first allies. Iris remembered that when she was little, the stone forest had hell hounds who would come out and protect the gates of the castle. They let her cling to their backs as they raced around the blocks, jumping onto balconies.

Approaching the middle of the forest, small crunches came from some gravel nearby. Mephiles had kept one hand crystalline while the rest of him resembled his Shadow form. Iris had walked in circles for awhile now. The stone forest used to be filled with exotic vicious creatures. Now it just seemed as lifeless as the red desert around it.

"I think I used to call this forest something. I believe I was the only one to do so. If you find a name scratched on one of the trees let me know." Iris said as she started to think that all the creatures must have left.

"Alright. So where is everything? Shouldn't there be creatures?" Mephiles asked as he turned his claws back to normal.

"Well, time has passed. Perhaps something happened that drove them to leave? Mother is stupid if she was the one who drove them away. Their primal power is great and they are extremely obedient. This may be worse than I thought."

A voice telepathically talked to the demon pair.

We had to hide underground. She would have had us hunted down for own skins if we didn't hide. Things are worse now.

Iris and Mephiles and put their backs against one another and put up a protective stance.

"Who are you? And why don't you show yourselves!"

Silence, and then...

Are you working with the kingdom? If you are, leave before your entrails decorate our dwellings.

"Not in the slightest. We come to make friends and ask for pack loyalty.

Well. You have to talk to the chief about that. Fine, we shall appear.

The ground rumbles as a massive crevice splits the earth. Twenty dark orange wolves come up from the earth as huge paws hit the earth, shaking it like a massive storm. Impressive in build and might, the speaker steps forward. Brown eyes the size of dinner plates scrutinize as a heavy stone necklace adorns him.

The chieftan sits atop the stone spiral. Respect him and nothing will happen to you.

So, the pair walks up to the spiral as told to and as promised, find the chief looking down at them. The leg bands and pendant he wears are made of lapis. His eyes the same mystifying color.

" Zuxios? Is that you?" Iris says as she puts up her hand to see better.

Zuxios flattens his ears against his head and laughs heartily.

"By Mercous is that you, Irisatine?" He says as he wags his tail and jumps down from the rock. "You're alive! Your mom said you had been killed."

"Of course she did." Iris said bitterly as she scratched under his chin. "We aren't on the best of terms."

"Oh? So, I've been told you want allies. Planning to overthrow her?"

"Not interested. We need to get back to the mortal world. Then after, we can live in peace as we terrorize the land happily."

"We? Oh. You've found a friend?" Zuxios said as he circled and sniffed Mephiles, then turned his nose away from the death smell. "Unfortunate he smells so strongly."

Mephiles grunted. "So I have been told, many times."

"Mephiles' smell doesn't bother me anymore. Besides,
I have to live with the guy."

"It would be a weird relationship if you didn't." Mephiles said as he was still unsure and analyzing the wolves.

"So true! I have missed you Iris." Zuxios said as he nuzzled her hand. "Our services will always be to you."

Iris smiled as she pointed to the nearby desert. "I'm going to ask as many demons as I know to assist in the journey. Anazerah lives in the Desert of Cries. He should agree to come because he always wants the freshest supply of souls.

"Yes. The last time he talked to me he said that the River of the Forgotten started to dry up. He would have to travel miles to get to the next source."

"Then what we offer him is a golden chance to never worry about lean times again. Besides, he has a history of trading the finest blood gold with the inner castle. He may even remember me as the rascal who stole a jar."

"Let's hope he has no hard feelings then." Zuxios said as he flipped Iris unto his back. Iris, Mephiles, and the hell hounds continued to the red sands ahead. Hopefully, Anazerah was in a decent mood..