Authors note:
I've actually finished my dissertation now! Should have more time to type but we'll see how things go.
Chapter III: The Citadel
After a happy and tender reunion between the fallen angels, the two of them had spent the 'night' cuddled up together, warming themselves by the fire. Conversation drifted from the current events in Heaven, the public outrage of Lucifer's banishment that the other angel had seen before she left. It seemed that Lucifer had been gaining the favour of more and more angels in her absence. Beelzebub also then asked about her time in Hell so far, the devil describing her entrance into the sea, her encounter with Humo, their journey here and his advice.
The newest fallen angel was surprised at the idea that this realm was filled with wandering Titans, not expecting for Lucifer to be in any danger, just simply banished and left to rot. Would Jehovah be so cruel to put them in danger? Was disobedience, freedom of speech and thought, thinking for themselves, was it all punishable by death?
"I'm glad that I'm still the subject on everyone's mind-" Lucifer had teased, liking the idea that the majority of angels did not support her exile, "-but you haven't told me why you are here" the devil's eyes moving from the fire to the angel at her side, Beelzebub's pristine outfit was beginning to become dirtied, like her's, sitting in this dirty and dusty cave would do that. To this, Beel moved away from her partner, slightly shocked by such as question, the look of confusion in her light blue eyes.
"Because I wanted to be with you? Isn't that obvious? I can't believe you think I'd be here for any other reason", the Manipulative Angel parting from their embrace temporarily, her brow contorted, pouting slightly.
"Did he banish you too?" Lucifer said after a short pause, her eyes again lingering on the orange fire, still in denial about her new abilities...who knew what else she could do...
"No. I left...willingly Lucy" the woman said sternly, "He said that he knew he couldn't change my mind, it was my choice. He even offered to send me to you as a last act of kindness. I thought I better take him up on it or else I'll never find you". The devil's accomplice shuffled closer again, resting a hand on Lucifer's. "I wanted to be here...with you. Where else would I rather be?" that signature mischievous smirk painting her face again.
"You'd rather be hiding in some damp cave, cuddling in the dirt with me than be up there with all of your friends and family?", Lucifer scoffing slightly after this question.
"Without a shadow of a doubt. I've always wanted to go somewhere else, somewhere exotic" it was her turn to tease, the two cuddling properly again now, Beelzebub's arms around Lucifer's midriff, the devil's head resting on her lover's shoulder, closing her eyes every now and again, basking in the radiance of their little fire. If the Manipulative Angel looked closer into the flames, she would be able to see shapes, figures dancing in the different shades of orange, the primitive form of Hell Energy displayed memories of Lucifer's, some old, some new, some yet to be made... However, due to their lack of knowledge of the inner workings of Hell Energy, neither were able to read the hidden messages in Hell...not yet.
"B, this isn't a fucking holiday. We're stuck here...probably forever. This is our home now, we chose to leave...and he won't ever let us back in" the depression tumbling out of Lucifer, it potent on every word that escaped her lips. Beelzebub turned her head, looking at the head that was resting on her right shoulder.
"Don't get suicidal on me just yet-" her partner began but was interrupted.
"Too late" Lucifer half joked, even letting loose a little chuckle.
"Don't say such things. We have simply got to make the most out of the situation we are stuck in. Okay?" the devil's partner giving her bare hand a comforting squeeze, kissing the side her forehead at the same time.
"Okayyyy..." the devil sighed, feeling herself succumbing to fatigue and drowsyness now that she was in the arms of her lover, an embrace that she craved constantly, no longer shivering with cold, it was an satisfying level of warmth, not too hot and not cold. An embrace she would lose eventually...
"You rest...I'll keep watch. I'll wake you when its your-" but those were the last words she had heard before slipping into a murky sleep, filled with worry and hate. Passing out in the arms of her lover, her everything, her world...her biggest traitor...
Over the next two days, our fallen angels hiked across the barren hellscape, this desolate wasteland was unwelcoming, but they would have to make it their home if they were willing to do what it takes to survive. Thankfully, they did not encounter any hostile creatures or wildlife on their journey...in fact they didn't see a soul..nothing but rock and ash. Lucifer and Beelzebub marched across that cruel red land, taking only a few breaks, both of them building up a thirst and hunger. They could suppress these bodily needs much longer than an average human, however they would soon have to address this issue. They couldn't keep running on empty stomachs, in a week or so time, if they had not found any nourishment or water...they would expire...
On their next 'night' the two took shelter in another smaller cave, it hidden down inside a small crevasse, then at the foot of one of those spiked rocky outcrops on the next evening. The ruined city was now slowly coming into sight, Lucifer noticing the black stone walls had been destroyed, torn down, smashed asunder. Whatever had lived here previously had been completely wiped out, there were no signs of life at all.
Beelzebub had theorised while they walked towards the black gates that this was the realm where Jehovah had first tested his ability to create life, expressing that she wouldn't be surprised that he had created a form of intelligent life which in turn created a civilisation, that they were heading towards what was left of it. Lucifer had to agree with this theory, Humo could be a prime example of an experiment of creation. A mistake some may say...The way this landscape was designed, it could only lead her to think that someone had simply used this realm as a sandbox, testing the limits and possibilities of the earth beneath their feet. The infinite sea, the vast mountain ranges, a flat centre, there were probably hundreds of different biomes and parts of this world manufactured purely as a test.
After a another day of hiking, the two of them had finally reached the ruins, both not really sure as what to expect from this ghost town. They had entered through the grand black gates, but the metal barrier had long been smashed open, it no longer serving its original purpose. As the two gazed in wonderment at the prestigious open courtyard, the desolation and destruction of Hell's first and last fortress stretched out into four corners. This...this...was a terrible place, the devil thought to herself. This empty city of course would be the foundations from which Lucifer and Beelzebub would build 'The Citadel' from, Hell's new empire. Whilst its previous history would be unknown to them, its context, the records of whoever lived here were lost to time...at least it would serve as a perfect strategic stronghold for their conquest of Hell to begin from.
Their first night was spent exploring the ruins, finding barely anything recognisable, useful or anywhere suitable to sleep on within the collapsed homes, ruined watchtowers and crumbling walls. However, Beelzebub did eventually find a red glass bottle, almost full with a dark brown liquid within it, but one whiff from the Great Fly made her almost vomit. "I'm n-n-" the woman gagging for a few seconds, retching, keeping the beautifully coloured bottle at arms length, "I'm not fucking drinking that, not unless I get desperate or go mad".
"Phew! It's sure got a-" the devil coughing slightly, Beelzebub offering her a smell, "-a strong aroma too it!". Lucifer, once she was done grimacing, paused to look around this house before they left, seeing if there was anything else of value in sight. "Keep the bottle, who knows, maybe we won't find anything else to drink down here. Might have to end up drinking it after-all".
"God forbid".
One guard tower at the very back of the Citadel, to the South, had an undamaged tower, it seemed that whatever chaos, whatever fate the rest of the city had met, this tower had remained unscathed. The base, the shaft and the room they found at the top were all intact, simply coated with a fine layer of grey dust. This accursed place had been abandoned for a long...long time...
The devil and her angel ascended the spiral staircase, stopping and looking within each room and scavenging what they could find. However, they had found nothing other than the bottle they found previously...well...they found a large graveyard at the foot of this tower, a pile of bones and skulls just before the shattered door, what was left of it hanging off its hinges...as if they were seeking refuge. The two eventually found themselves in a suitable room to sleep within at the top of the tower.
It looked like it belonged to an important person, the room had wide open spaces, a hand carved stone bed-frame, a four poster double bed, dark brown crates piled up in one corner, a South facing balcony and a single large chest in the corner. Above the balcony doorway what looked like curtains had once been hung on railings, now these wooden-like rails lay collapsed, shattered in twain at the entrance to the balcony, the dirty fabric of the curtains having been blown into the corner. Lucifer's first instinct was to go the balcony, stepping over the mess and gazing out of the window while Beelzebub's had been to raid the chest.
The devil peered out and was granted with a view almost as good as the one she had had when at Humo's height, the bleak, flat hellscape was all she could see for miles, a volcano could be seen in the distant erupting, the debris being projected high into the air. To her surprise a sudden breeze cooled her face, the woman welcoming it, the hot temperatures of this realm would take some getting used to.
"Who do you like lived here B? They had beds, homes, what looked like a temple, places of healing. They must be just like us or more advanced" the devil pondered aloud, not turning away from the view of their newly acquired bedroom, awaiting a response from her partner. She waited a few seconds and when she didn't get any, Lucifer turned and saw Beelzebub struggling with the lock on the thick wooden chest. "Hey? Did you hear what I said?" Lucy coming over to see if she could help.
"Ah, fuck it", Beelzebub now stood erect and stomped with all her might, smashing a hole right through the top of the chest, her thigh high boots being more than capable of doing the job. This container was made of a strange wood-like substance, more brittle, looking very much like the roots Lucifer had seen in their first cave. The Fly now reached into this fresh hole, but not was careful enough to avoid any splinters. "Fucker!" she shouted, retracting her hand and pulling out a needle of wood from her right knuckle, casting it aside, a trickle of black blood going down her hand.
"Hmm. That's strange" Beelzebub said, examining her hand, watching the black substance slowly drip down her pale skin, "Didn't think angels bled". The Fly's long tongue came down and quickly licked up the blood, sucking slightly before resuming her break-in.
"We aren't angels anymore B" the devil crossed her arms, receiving no reply from her lover, either she didn't hear her...or refused to acknowledge it...
The woman then tried again and, carefully this time, turned the lock, allowing her to properly open the container, "Score".
"Oh come on Beel. That's not our's. We can't take-" but Lucifer didn't get to finish.
"Our's now babe-" but the Manipulative angel let out a disappointed sigh when scanning the contents of the chest, "Well...nothing in it anyway. Just a stupid arm-band, or bandana shit. I got a fucking splinter for nothing", Beelzebub got up in a huff and skulked off towards the double bed, going around to the left side, kicking off her boots as soon as she was sat, not caring in the slightest about the dust caking the grey duvet. Lucifer now approached the chest, kneeling next to it on her right knee, inside the broken container there truly was nothing but a red arm-band, taking it in her hand she examined it more closely. Along the bright red armband there were two small, parallel black lines that ran the entire circumference of the material, when Lucifer flipped the material over, there were two black X's inbetween the lines.
"Odd. I wonder why someone decided to lock away this...and only this. It must hold some special meaning-" the curious devil hesitated before removing the item from the chest entirely, "-I think I'll keep it safe for them for now", the woman stood, tucking it into her grimy white coat's left pocket. Beelzebub had set the red bottle of the mysterious liquid down at the foot of the bed, Lucifer had now become very parched after her last three days in Hell...she was already reaching her breaking point. The woman took the bottle in her hand and smelled the top again, trying her best to suppress her disgust to the vapours.
"Are you really gonna drink that? I thought you were joking back in that house" Beelzebub watching her building up the courage to take a sip.
"I'm thirsty...besides, if this is all we have then we're going to have to try it sooner than later", Lucifer now cleaned the rim of the bottle with the end of her coat, removing any dust that would come in contact with her lips. As soon as it had been sufficiently cleaned the devil made the bottle touch her mouth, moving to take a sip.
"You know that shit smells like shit. What if that is someone's shit in a bottle?" Beel teased, making the her partner retract the container.
"B!" Lucifer glared, deciding not to listen to her and to just take a large sip in one quick go, rising the bottle back up to meet her. The brown liquid flowed into Lucifer, as soon as it made contact with her taste buds it made her cough violently, causing her to struggle in keeping the liquid down, her entire body clenching, one eye brow raised, face contorted into disgust. "Y-Ye-yeah, I-It's g-good!" Lucifer said between coughs, thumping her chest, the liquid tasting more like a spirit that a flat drink, unfortunately Lucifer and Beelzebub didn't know what alcohol was yet, fortunately for them they had stronger livers than a human. This liquid was the only drinkable source in Hell...aside from Lucifer's personal wine cellar...that's a story for another time. The Helltaker would come to know that this liquid; 'Daru' was what demons had to rely on for being hydrated. If he drank it everyday he would die from liver failure...
It was a strong alcohol mixed with a strange earthy water, while Hell had no natural water cycle, over the centuries, porous rocks would help filter the liquids in lakes scattered around Hell, moving cleaner liquid that could barely count as water into aquifers. 'Daru' would come to be manufactured by Lucifer's servants in time, the woman ordering her demons to discover how this past civilisation were able to make such a liquid, to recreate it en-mass.
However, at the moment the devil's nostrils were on fire and her taste-buds stung, hating the liquid that clung to them. After she had composed herself she noticed Beelzebub was trying her hardest not to laugh. "D-do you want some?" the innocent devil offering over the bottle to her partner.
"A-After seeing you e-enjoy it so much, I must d-decline" the Manipulative angel teased, her laughter was about to explode, the woman sniggering in short bursts.
"Oh just let it out. I know you want to laugh at me" Lucy placed the red bottle back onto the black stone floor, giving her partner a scowl.
"I would do no suc- PAWAHAHA!" but Beelzebub finally broke, spluttering with laughter, crying almost, a well needed release from their last two days, "The look on you f-f-face! Gahaha!" the angel got out between her high pitched laughs.
"Yea yea. Get it all out, I'm just a Court Jester to you aren't I Your Majesty?" the devil turning away in embarrassment, giving their room one last look over. It wasn't clean, it wasn't exactly bright, but it was their home now...Tomorrow they could break open those crates and see if there was anything valuable inside, they must have been stockpiled here for a reason...Rations? Treasures? Resources? Curiosity was getting the better of her. "B, don't you wanna at least clean the bed before we claim it as our own?" she eventually asked, coming over to the bed and sitting on the other-side, opposite her partner, brushing the dust away. The Great Fly had finally composed herself, it had been a struggle to fully calm down, after finishing her laughing she was trying to keep a straight face.
"Uuuh fine, b-but- after I've cleaned it I'm getting laid", it was Lucifer's turn to laugh, not expecting this sentence at all. She was laughing more so at how commanding her partner now sounded, almost demanding...her form of begging. Turning from a cackling mad woman to a superior commander in the blink of an eye. It must have been on her mind over the last few days...the lack of it...
"Oh are you? No complaints from me, but I might need a shower and something for my breath before we do that-".
"Shut up and help me clean. I need to relax".
"I think you're confused on what the definition of relax is-".
"Shut up".
Another well needed release...
As the next few years rolled past, that bedroom would become a comfortable home, the two of them spending the first several months adventuring through the ruins until they had covered every stone within the crumbling four walls, they gathered as much supplies together as they could, a few more bottles of that brown liquid, as well as some strange rations they had found in the crates of their bedroom. They contained preserved meats that also had a foul stench but were more digestible than the horrible liquid. Explorations of a single street could take days or weeks at a time, they wanted to be accurate, searching anywhere and everywhere. Some houses had multiple storey, some buildings had secret, hidden underground passageways that lead out of the Citadel, some had collapsed entirely.
Anyway, they explored it all and all these resources that they had gathered would not last more than another year or so, possibly longer if they rationed, stretched their bodies' limits.
So as soon as the four walls became familiar, the two of them wondered what else there was that they could possibly do, as much as they loved not having to get out of bed, the passionate nights, the romantic views, the lack of work, they were beginning to grow tired of being powerless. This was how they discovered their demonic powers, exploring their own capabilities. Lucifer had shown Beelzebub her new pyromancy skills within the first few days they had met, but the Manipulative angel hadn't been eager to learn such power until the first year dawned, simply content with spending time with her lover. However, the fact that she had lost all angelic and holy abilities grew heavy on her...she hated being vulnerable...hated being normal again. With enough time, practice, meditation, concentration and sheer willpower they soon found out that they had barely scratched the surface of what was possible down here.
When one of them truly tried hard enough, an faint orange energy began to form around their very being, a strange matter that imbued them with power beyond their wildest dreams. This raw Hell Energy needed to be refined, practice and training was needed in order for them to wield it properly...and so...they practiced. They spent days, weeks, if not months learning about these initial powers, a long process even for a well trained demon, after all, these two were the first to learn of a demon's true power.
These two angels practiced in the courtyard at the base of their tower day in, day out, at first they tried projecting the energy out of their bodies, learning first how to summon projectiles, learning second how to control them...Alot of target practice was needed. They also found that the orange power, when materalised externally, it could be molded into any form they could imagine, whether that be a weapon or an object when cast between the owner's two hands, however this was unstable and often failed when they tried to repeat it, the two disregarding that manipulation of power till a later date.
Once they had mastered this simple offensive spell, they moved onto Telekinesis, moving different sized pieces of rubble within the Citadel, tidying up their home bit by bit, deeming themselves as masters in a day. They eagerly moved onto teleportation, the two subsequently learning the dangers of such magic; Beelzebub being Beelzebub was so confident of her abilities that she teleported all around the Citadel in a matter of seconds, but was unable to teleport in a panic. The woman was having such fun with her new abilities that she teleported onto the surrounding roof tops, what was left of the giant walls and on anything else that could hold her weight.
Eventually though, while Lucifer laughed, the devil watching her every movement, Beelzebub transported herself onto an unstable roof of a ruined house, slipping off the sloping surface and falling a few metres through the house and onto the stone floor, the entire building almost collapsing on top of her. The Great Fly had twisted her ankle in the fall, as well as getting pinned by what was left of the sloping roof, unable to teleport away or telekenetically free herself. However, thankfully due to the telekinetic abilities of Lucifer she was able to find Beelzebub with ease.
This little incident had lead them onto the discovery of using Hell Energy for medicinal purposes, when Lucifer was able to reach her partner the devil tried to help as best as she could. All she had to do was channel Hell energy from her own being into Beelzebub, using her mind to heal her partner's wounds. "I'm going to try something okay-" she had said to Beel, "-Just brace yourself". It took a few minutes to work, but the stress of the situation had made her concentrate even harder.
You see, that was the beauty of wielding Hell Energy, one merely had to think of the purpose; fixing a sprained ankle, teleporting, moving a collapsed roof, summoning gauntlets or white chains, manifesting a sledgehammer or notepad or even cigarettes, the powers within would grant you your wish. You had to focus, concentrate, condense your thoughts, remove all other feeling and tell the demonic power with you what you wanted to happen, with practice this became as easy as breathing. Sometimes, the use of a corrupted imagination, the twisted thought power used would cause the action created to end in ruin, other times nothing would happen at all, but most of the time, with enough determination and practice almost anything could be possible. Sheer infinite possibilities at their fingers tips...
Unfortunately, the mind is often the weakest, clouded by judgement, a demon's raw emotions blocking any other thought most of the time. Only truly centered demons, those who do not feel emotion could perform beyond what was possible. While High Prosecutor's were chosen and trained for such purposes, no demon, not even the devil, could unlock the true potential of Hell Energy...you could only refine your abilities...
In this moment, Lucifer had to close her eyes, her hands on Beelzebub's ankle, clearing her mind and thinking what she wanted to happen, guiding the Hell Energy to the pain in her lover. Over the course of a few long minutes, Beelzebub's ankle had been painlessly fully reset, the pain inflicted from both the fall and the rubble ontop of her melting away. She could walk perfectly fine and was practically unscathed, aside from a torn blazer.
"Shall we pick this up tomorrow?" the devil joked, smirking while grabbing her partner's hand and pulling, helping the angel up to stand, supporting her if the ankle gave way, but alas it did not. Once she was stood properly, dusting herself off with one hand, Beel didn't let go of Lucifer's, actually interlocking it after a minute of affection.
It was going to be an intense night in the bedroom that day...
"Mmmhmmm", Beelzebub was flushed red with embarrassment, a timid smile on her bright face, the woman's eyes full of love. Beelzebub loved how strong Lucifer was, simply brushing aside the difficulty of that task, still holding herself high...after everything she had gone through. Now that their love no longer had to be kept a secret, was no longer forbidden, the two could be more open with each other, more in-love. The last year was testament to those moments of love, this was one of these moments...
But there was something else...something hidden with the darkest parts of Beelzebub's mind, something she wished had stayed hidden. After being banished to the abyss by Mantus for the last time, before she once again had to be rescued by the only person who was ever willing to save her, Beelzebub had had plenty of time to think while she lay there, immobile, the cold, unholy darkness whispering to her. The...hate, resentment, jealousy, greed...a lust for power...just waiting to be released.
She regretted the billions of years of it...ever since when it had started...born in that moment of love.
"Do you see now?".
"Do you see how when the sheep stray from the flock, when they are not eaten, they believe they are untouchable, they realise that they too can be wolves?".
"Do you see where this hunger for power began?".
"Do you see why a Rebellion starts?".
"Do you see how when one is presented with the world? The world is no longer enough."
"Uh n-no Mother. I do not follow".
"You will in time dear. Keep listening".
"You don't have more important things to attend to today?".
"N-No, I'd l-like to spend some time with you. Besides- Lucifer and Beelzebub's story is entertaining to say the least".
And so, as the first few years flew by, the two lovers, the two rulers of this dark kingdom refined, practiced and discovered new powers hidden with them. Each day they grew stronger, each day they grew less afraid of the hidden terrors that loomed beyond their four walls. It seemed that this place was indeed a sanctuary, they hadn't been bothered for the entire duration of their exile. There were other, smaller creatures other than themselves in Hell, tiny, scaly, rodent creatures scurrying in and out of the spaces between walls, large red bats with thin, bony wings and giant, pointed teeth flew overhead every so often.
While Lucifer's curiosity burned away at her mind, wishing to observe these creatures in closer detail, the woman was content with their current situation, they finally had a new purpose...a new direction in this bleak life. However, it didn't take too long before the hunger, the longing for something more, began to show in Beelzebub, the two of them had been clearing the Citadel of its ruins one day, simply touching whatever they wished to disappear, dematerialising the structures, homes, towers, temples and infirmaries into red nothingness. They were currently deep into their first year, almost approaching the second one, the days beginning to drag, nothing but monotony to look forward to.
"Lucy-" Beelzebub had asked while they walked through the empty streets, cleaning up the destruction of the past inhabitants.
"Beel" Lucifer simply replied, telekinetically gathering debris from the top of a tower downwards, dematieralising the entire thing into a red dust.
"Why are we doing this? Surely we should have slaves to do this work for us? W-We are above this, we own this place. We are royalty damn it!" the enthusiasm obvious in the way she was speaking as well as the speed at which she was wiping out the ruins from existence.
"Look around genius, we can't be royalty when we have no people serving under us" the woman collapsing the tower completely now, wiping her dirty gloves clean when it had disappeared into the blackened ground, "But I do agree with you, some servants would be nice, let them do the dirty work while we kick our feet up...I feel like I could get used to being pampered everyday" she said with a sigh. An innocent smile was painted on Lucifer, while a more mischievous, more sinister smirk was beginning to appear on her partner's.
"What about those Titans you talked about? If we capture one of them, they could do all the dirty work for us. More manpower than a thousand angels! Hell, they could probably make this what it once was. A fortress of doom!" Beelzebub gestured to their surroundings, getting carried away with the ideas swarming around her head.
"Maybe" the devil hesitated before clearing away the next part of the ruins, turning to destroy what used to be a place of worship. The idea of Humo being enslaved made her feel physically sick, the poor soul being forced to work for her when he had been so kind and protective. "We would have to find one first, that's the first challenge. But Beel, we can't just nab one and except it to start building for us. They're quite feral things from what I've seen, I don't think they would be too happy".
"Well they wouldn't get a choice,-" the Manipulative angel coming over to her partner, "- look we can do all this easily. Who's to say we can't enslave a Titan?". Lucifer had stopped what she was doing and now looked her lover dead in the eyes, unsure as to why Beelzebub was suddenly thinking like this.
"You think we will be able to do it? I know you've been progressing much faster than I have but-" sadly the devil was cut-off from her train of thought again.
"We will be able to do it! I-I've actually been practicing with those lizard things we've seen" the Great Fly now confessed trailing off, looking almost ashamed, breaking eye contact with Lucifer.
"You have? Wait-Wait, what do you mean practicing?" this confession making Lucy slightly confused and worried, Beelzebub had been- what? Controlling the minds of rodents? Torturing them?
"I trapped one in a corner and- after a little gentle persuasion, I was able to make it do my bidding", the angel retracting a small grey handkerchief from her pocket and gently began dabbing her head slightly, the heat was especially intense today...or was that just her?
"What do you mean make it do your bidding?!" Lucifer's worries were only increasing as this conversation went on, her voice being raised, wishing for an answer.
"Look it doesn't matter. If I can control that stupid creature's mind then I can control anyone! We find a Titan and I'll show you how to do it" Beelzebub's steel gaze turned back to her partner, knowing she had already won this argument, she didn't need to explain her actions to anyone. However, what the devil would say next completely took away this victory from her.
"You gonna control my mind next?" the devil's face changing completely, the woman's facial muscles relaxed, a plain gaze as she looked at the other demon, a slight aspect of anger behind those faded blue eyes. A look of superiority.
"Never...I-I'm just prepared to do what it takes for us to survive...to thrive down here" Beelzebub said quietly, maintaining this icy stare-off, the two Queens both remaining silent until the tension dissipated.
"How are we going to make them build for us? Where are they going to get the parts and tools needed for building walls, towers and what not-" the devil was the one to break the silence, the hostility gone in a second, the woman turning away and beginning to demanifest the temple she had started on again.
"Surely we can use the resources, the stone and metals of this realm to make walls, houses, a palace too. I think we would have to make the smaller parts ourselves-" Lucifer felt a pair of hands grab onto her waist from behind, "-a luxurious bedroom fit for the two royals, no longer having to worry about dust while we sleep" a whisper in her right ear.
After a moment of hesitation, Lucy replied; "I guess that would be nice...and I am quite tired of doing all the work around here" she teased back, receiving a playful kiss to her neck, more of a bite than a kiss. "Uhhh- okay okay!" Lucifer enjoying the gesture too much, "You always get your way don't you?".
"Of course I do", the devilish smirk painted across the Fly's freckly face.
The two demons searched for weeks for any signs of Hell Titans, not only were they inexperienced in tracking such large behemoths, they were only able to travel short expanses of the hellscape at a time. Teleporting, telekinesis, dematerialising and materialising objects, anything involving Hell Energy required a monumental amount of energy, using such powers in short bursts was fine, but eventually the strain on the soul would be too much. The two women would teleport in one direction for a few hundred miles before becoming exhausted, one woman would do the first sprint while the other did the second one and vice versa. When both demons were exhausted, the least exhausted one would teleport them home and they would resume their search the next day.
However, after a solid month and a half of searching, they finally found one...they found an entire herd of them in fact. Lucifer had recommended they travel to the very edge of Hell's landmass one day and travel along the shore she had started at, maybe they could locate a giant more easily along the coast. After a couple of thousand miles down the shore the two found a pack of five Hell Titans, two of them exiting from the black sea, looks like a successful hunt. In their hands they dragged a large carcass of some monstrous sea creature, twice the size of the tower the two demons currently resided within. A human would liken the creature to a Whale, one that had seen centuries of conflict, old scar tissue and fresh wounds recently inflicted were all along its body. But this creature also had spiked tentacles coming from its tail, both as a means of propulsion and defence.
The black blood that had been spilt had only darkened the water further, it had struggled for hours on end to break free, dragging the Titans down to the depth, but it was no match for these dominant bipedal predators. It now squirming and writhed as it was dragged to the surface, its head scraping along the seabed as it approached the shoreline. Anyway, it didn't matter what they were eating...they would soon become mindless slaves...
Lucifer had been curious as to whether Humo was amoungst this herd, but a quick look at the skulls of each Titan confirmed he was not. Two Titans, what Lucifer considered the older ones due to their unbelievable height and build had the common Ram's skull, they were twice the size of Humo. The three other smaller but still sizeable Titans had Alligator type skulls with no horns or antlers attached.
The two adult Titans were the ones hauling the twitching, dead sea monster out from the depths while the three smaller ones waited eagerly at the shoreline...w-was this a family of Hell Titans? Guilt started to slowly creep into the devil, the weight of what she was about to do began crawling down her back. "Beel" Lucifer whispered to her partner, the two of them hidden behind a boulder further down the coast from the Titans. "H-How are we going to enslave them without killing them? W-We don't want damaged goods but-".
"Follow my lead" is all Beelzebub said before disappearing entirely, a mischievous smirk on her face as the orange energy consumed her body in a flash. Lucifer scanned the environment from behind the boulder where she was stood and struggled to find where the other angel had gone. The woman's eyes found her answer as an orange glow came from behind the three smaller Titans.
"B!" Lucifer whispered to telekinetically, "You're gonna get yourself killed!".
"Watch and learn" the other angel replied confidently, the woman was on a flat outcrop dug into the hillside, eye level to the three smaller Hell Titans, standing defiantly as she cast her hand forward, palm open, closing her eyes as well. Lucifer teleported closer, to behind an alcove further down the beach from where they originally were, watching eagerly to see how Beelzebub was going to pull this off.
"You...will...obey...me" her voice, a quiet whisper at first, the demon Queen searching the minds of these three younger creatures, looking for their weak-point, the insecurities she could exploit...The fear she could harvest. "You will...obey me!" she repeated louder, almost shouting now, Beelzebub was trying to control the minds of all three Titans at once, this in turn proving to be a harder task than expected.
One of the younger Titans turned and saw the tiny woman stood on the rock in the distance, it felt the magic in the air being used and had an inclining to see where it had been coming from. The innocent Titan then poked its sibling to the right, the middle one, slightly taller than the other two. Now all the smaller Titans had turned away from the sea, gazing to where their sibling was now pointing.
"B. This isn't working! Get out of there now before they g-" but Lucifer realised that her partner was purposefully ignoring her.
"YOU WILL OBEY!" the demented Queen finally roared, the raw, orange Hell Energy travelling out of her being and heading straight for the trio of Hell Titans, it flowed towards them like a hurricane, unstoppable, yet slow enough for them to realise their doom.
The middle Titan let loose a loud hiss, barking almost, alerting its parents of the imminent danger...but it was too late. The three poor young Titans were engulfed in a cloud of orange, the three of them struggling to move, forced to the ground as the orange matter seeped into them through their mouth, nose and eye sockets. A variety of hissing, barking, cries and other raspy noises were heard from inside the orange mass, Beelzebub was concentrating immensely in order to gain control, her hands trembling, shaking intensely. It was a fight to kill the souls of the Titans without destroying their bodies, to wipe the mind clean and to install new orders and instincts into their brains.
To kill the self...to let them know who they would serve and protect until their last breath...
A terrifying, echoing roar came from the ocean, one of the bigger Titans had seen what was happening to their children and began sprinting as fast as it could out of the black sea, generating tsunamis with each stride. The second Titan soon followed, both discarding their catch and hurrying to their children's aid. "B! Get out of there now!" Lucifer demanded, the woman unsure of what she should do, simply frozen in fear as she watched danger approach her partner from the sea, the ground beginning to shake violently beneath her feet.
"I've almost g-got them! Stall the big ones and we'll take them together!" Beelzebub replied telepathically, Lucifer could hear the strain in her voice, how hard she was having to work.
"There's no time! Let them go or they'll kill you!" the devil shouted back.
"N-No, n-not when I-I'm so c-close!" The Great Fly now doubling her efforts, intensifying all the strength she could muster onto controlling the minds of the three Titans. And so...it was down to Lucifer to act, and act she did, the first of many bold and daring moves of her lifetime. Not all would give her the success she wanted, but in times like this, it was a gut instinct. A human instinct.
Lucifer took a deep breath and sighed, focusing her mind on what was to come, when she opened those tired, pale, eyelids, she was infront of the two Ram Titans, stood on the rocky surface further up the beach, more inland, the two monsters had just reached the shore. The Titan on the right looked down and saw this insignificant being blocking her path between her children, this ant being the source of her children's danger. She had to destroy it. The thing roared again, a deep and ungodly noise, charging to attack.
One hand was cast out in front of her, the light blue eyes closed again, the searching of the mind was a slow process, but once you knew what to look for, destruction was assured. "You will obey me" the devil whispered, not frightened in the least as the ground she stood on vibrated incredibly, the thudding of her doom approaching. "You...will...obey" she said again, wondering why Beelzebub's technique wasn't immediately working.
An almost evil smile all of a sudden came across her face, because it wasn't the proper way to do it, her hand now went from flat to crushed into a fist, it trembling intensely at the sheer power it controlled within. The first Titan hadn't even gotten close before it started howling wildly, it fell to its knees and grasped its head in agony, roaring, struggling, desperate to break free, the crushing weight in its head, in its mind, not allowing it to move.
Beelzebub was confused by Lucifer's technique, how was she able to dominate them without using Hell Energy? Was she really that more powerful than herself? In truth, the Manipulative Angel was barely managing to control the three smaller ones, exerting more Hell Energy, more power of the soul than was needed.
The second parent of the trio who had taken longer to arrive now charged, confused as to what was going on, wondering why its partner was on its knees. But it got as close as the other Titan did before its mind crumbled, helpless to fight against such devilry, such strength. Lucifer didn't even need to clear her mind anymore, the woman's eyes opened in a flash and locked onto her next victim. The devil's left hand was still the trembling fist but her right hand was cast forward again, directed at the other creature, but as soon as it was cast it immediately clenched into a fist as well, forcing the Hell Titan to the ground. It seemed she was a natural at this type of domination, now she simply had to break them.
It was a long, tedious battle, requiring immense amounts of concentration, both creatures struggling desperately to move, to reach their children. Both roared out, whether it was in agony, in anger or begging for mercy...Lucifer could not tell. Beelzebub thankfully had followed Lucifer's technique now, using her mind rather than raw Hell Energy as the tool to dominate the three smaller Titans, doing so immediately.
After an exhausting few minutes, the family all finally gave in, unable to defend themselves against such sheer willpower. First, it was the adult female Titan on Lucifer's left that let go, her Ram's head slumping and using her arms to support her body before she fell onto her stomach. A orange energy pulsating in her eye sockets, her breathing heavy. As soon as the other Titan on her right had also bent double with the same effect in its eyes, Lucifer spoke once again, releasing her clenched fists finally, blood coated her fingernails. "To whom do you serve?" her question fully of superiority, already knowing the answer herself, the power she now possessed only making her feel more alive. Those light blue eyes were beginning to change in colour, ever so slightly, aspects of purple mixing in with blue.
The two Titans brought up their ugly heads and stared at the tiny, immortal woman, their gaze not breaking off of her. Lucifer smiled at this, "Good, remember my face. I am Lucifer, I am your master, I...am...your...Queen!". The two creatures both nodded, bowing their heads silently, both Titan's right arm came up and placed itself across their chest, the fist over their heart, the left one still supporting their body. An immortal pledge, an oath that would bind them till the end of time if needs be. If they still had minds of their own, they might beg for mercy, to be released, to be granted death, but they no longer had their own minds.
They had been made into slaves, husks of their former selves, through the Hell Energy of this realm they were binded to their master. Their thought's were her's, their mind's were her's, their lives' now belonged to the Queen of Hell. They were the first, but they would not be the last...
"Rise" she commanded, issuing a simple command to test her dominance over them. In synchronisation, the two abominations stood, going from kneeling, keeping their bodies upright to standing, both motionless when fully erect, awaiting further instructions. "G-Good...I'm sorry about your children. They will not be harmed, none of you will be, as long as you obey", the normal, innocent Lucifer coming back into her own body now. The Hell Titans did not reply, nor move, simply breathing calmly.
"Hey B? Did you get the three little ones?! Were they too much of a challenge for you?!" Lucifer teased, shouting inland, turning and seeing the three smaller Titans taking poses like the older one had done, all kneeling.
"Looks like someone is a natural at dominating!" Beelzebub shouted back, the woman offering a slow clap, hating the fact she had been bested when she had been the one practicing, wiping her brow of sweat with the back of her wrist after.
"Thank you, Thank you! I learnt from the best!" the devil shouted back, bowing in jest. "W-Well- now what do we do? I didn't think we'd get this far!".
"Now we walk our new pets home!".
"I still can't believe you were able to dominate them without any practice-" Beelzebub had said while they rode in one of giant's, the alpha's hand, the finger curled up as to prevent them from falling off, the two were now stood, resting, leaning against this wall of fingers.
"That's the fifth time you've said that. Just admit I'm better than you B!" the devil teased, putting an arm around her partner's neck and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Heh, the day I admit that is the day I die" Beelzebub joked back, not minding the affection.
"Oh fucking charming!" the devil scoffed, laughing briefly at the demon's joke, there was a sliver of truth to this joke though, but Lucifer pushed that feeling to the back of her head. The herd of five Titans were currently forging their way back to The Citadel, following the directions issued to them straight from Beelzebub and Lucifer's mind. The alpha Titan had been destroying mountains and crushing the steep landscape, but now the terrain had become more gentle, the telltale signs of home coming into view on the horizon. Currently, the female Titan with the Ram's skull had been carrying the two Queens, it was followed by the other three smaller Alligator skull Titans with the other older one bringing up the rear.
After a long silence passed, the devil decided to speak while they were looking at the scenic views. "What do you wanna call them? I've been thinking up names and I was thinking we name the smaller ones-" but the devil was cut off...again.
"You wanna name them? Lucy, I know you and Humo were together a while and he saved you- but these, they're just workers. They're disposable. Don't get attached" Beelzebub putting her arm around the devil, resting her hand on Lucifer's left shoulder.
"O-Of course" the devil stuttered, not wanting to argue with her partner, another long pause ensued. "I j-just I can't shake the feeling that I got- got carried away back there".
"What with the whole 'You will obey?'. You only said it once, you didn't even need to say it again. What's to worry about?" Beelzebub unaware of the thoughts gnawing at her partners mind, staring off into the distance.
"I just- I've never felt like that before" Lucifer had to take a step back from Beelzebub, untangling the angel's hand from her shoulder, turning and glancing up at the skull of the emotionless slave that was carrying them.
"Never felt like what? Powerful? Feels good doesn't it?" the Manipulative Angel's enthusiastic voice came from behind her.
"Y-Yeah I suppose it does", the devil finally replied after a moments silence...no it didn't...it was a sickness.
One she would have to embrace...
After a few hours of travelling, the herd of Titans and their new masters finally reached the empty Citadel, Lucifer and Beelzebub were eager to put them to work. Throughout the 'night' they began experimenting in constructing a defensive perimeter before beginning more intricate, smaller scale interior refurbishments. At first, since neither knew anything about construction nor engineering, or architecture, the first defenses of the Citadel were crude but effective.
They had began constructing these gargantuan walls out of the very stone beneath their feet, slowly moving giant boulders towards one wall, the Titans had been sent to find more material and resources, gathering black and dark red rocks from the surrounding area. In a team effort, both demonic Queens and their pets began constructing four one hundred metre high walls, the rocks carefully slotted amoungst each other as so they wouldn't fall. Using their demonic magic, they were able to weld each rock to the other, creating a solid and sturdy perimeter. This process took an incredibly long time, the Hell Titans weren't master craftsmen...and neither were they... Some Titans accidentally knocked a portion of the wall over at certain points,receiving an ear full from the Great Fly, threatening to 'Tan their ugly hides into a giant rug'. While these threats fell on deaf ears, the two fallen angels forgave their mistakes for now...they were exhausted.
Lucifer and Beelzebub hadn't slept for two days, having been tired since their battle for control with the primordial beasts. However, after an entire days worth of lifting and moving rocks, they had finally constructed four solid walls, a square barrier to protect their home. It wasn't the most effective form of defense, but anything other than a Hell Titan was not getting in to their home without coming through the main gate. Thankfully, the previous outline of the defences was used as a basis for size and dimensions, building ontop of the previous architecture.
Of course, throughout time, these defences would receive numerous upgrades; sturdier foundations, metal plating, giant metal spikes to ward off Titans, trenches, walkways to shoot down on the enemy, anything to help deter attackers. The Helltaker hadn't seen the place it in its prime, even though the fortress was impenetrable to attack, it was nothing compared to the defences Lucifer had ordered to be made during sieges and rebellions. The puzzles and traps even inside the walls were just precautionary, worst awaited those who attacked the walls head on.
Once the two Queens had set the Titans to patrol the perimeter and attack anything other than themselves, Lucifer and Beelzebub finally stumbled to their room and collapsed into bed, exhausted after almost two consecutive days of work. Finally, they felt safe in their room, with the abominations as their first line of defence they could finally rest easy, the walls as their second, themselves as the last, they could finally relax.
They finally had something to rule over...
"Wait- so you just enslaved those fucking walking buildings, made them build and defend the place? All in a days work I suppose".
"You make it sound easy. It was far from it my dear".
"Didn't you think to feed them? Everyone gets hungry!".
"Shut up you three, they, unlike you, don't need constant feeding and didn't complain every five minutes when someone wasn't giving them enough attention. Maybe the old ways were better".
"The design of the place was primitive, I'll admit that, but it was better than living in a ghost town".
"I also admit that I miss the privacy we had back then, no kingdom to rule, just free to do as I please".
"Lucy...you're literally free to do as you please here...right now-".
"Shut up you! I was in a pancakeless world before you came and ruined it all! Making me an addict to such- such delicious mortal food".
"Ruined it? You hearing this? This is how gratitude sounds coming from the devil, letting her live in your house, sleep in your bed, eating your pancakes. No thanks at all".
"Gratitude is not a common demonic trait. I've studied about how they are less expressive of any kind of sympathy, gratitude, respect, love-"
"We get it Az, we're the bad guys, ain't that right my dude?"
"You're telling me".
"Hey! I express my love everyday to him!".
"Oh Modeus, you naive fool. May we pause please? I'm running out of coffee".
"Yeah, I want another whiskey. Take five gang".
"May as well bring the bottle dear".
"Not a bad idea".
"I want some too dude. Beer ain't cutting it right now".
"But we're just getting to the good stuff. You all have a shit attention span!".
"Well continue then Your Highnesses, I'll still be able hear from the other room".
"I don't even want to begin to think about how much you guys must have fucked back then with all that 'privacy'. Ha".
"Literally no one wants to think about that you perverted bitch".
"Shut up Malinka, we were all thinking it".
"Come on, let's get to the meat of this story. No one wants to hear about how it started or your love life. When did you make the first generation of demons? When was Damballa, Leviathan, Marchosias, Lilith, Baphomet, Abaddon, Belphegor made? The real demons! WHEN DID I GET MADE? When did those two fuckers get found crawling in the dirt?".
"Hey!".
"All in good time High Prosecutor".