"I'm getting really sick of people letting me down," I muttered bitterly after the second hour started ticking by.

I did my best to ignore the skeptical look Deekin levelled my way, pushing down the shame that followed my baseless, petty words. The rolling of his eyes was impossible to miss.

I'd sent Valen to get Aribeth when she hadn't shown — first at the tavern, and then again at the Reaper's gatehouse, this morning — the glow of the long hidden sun, (or whatever it was that lit the wastes of Cania), already high in the sky. I figured he was the least likely to anger the paladin further, after Deekin and I had failed to tell her the truth of my history.

Whilst we waited, the little kobold and I had made the most of our restless hands, sorting through all of our glass vials so that the most powerful of the healing positions lining our satchels were the easiest to reach. And — when that didn't end in Valen, Aribeth and the Sleeping Man joining us — we lined up those that we would take to bolster our abilities, ready for the moment before we all left. I even took what was left of my belongings from the Reaper's Well, my supply of ice arrows something I hoped I wouldn't have to use against the Duke of Hell in the coming fight.

Please let his True Name be enough, I wished to whatever god's were listening. And then — just in case — I closed my eyes and sent a prayer in earnest to Shaundakul. At least I knew he was invested in the outcome of today, whatever his reasons may be.

And then, finally — when I could take the waiting no longer, and began seriously contemplating returning to that frozen city myself — Valen appeared from the portal, tail lashing behind him. His eyes snapped to mine, finding me in the dark.

He was alone.

He shook his head once.

I felt my body go stiff, hands clenching and unclenching at my sides.

You can't even convince a paladin and an angel to help you kill a devil, some hidden part of my mind hissed. Only a tiefling and a kobold will follow you.

'Don't forget your vampiric sword,' Enserric drawled in exasperation, poking fun at my pity party before it could even get started.

Immediately, I felt the fire — which had done so well to keep my stubborn arse alive — come roaring to the surface. My mind went blank as I marched towards the portal, fully intending to head back to Cania.

Valen lifted his hand, fingers grazing my forearm to stop me.

"We do not need them," he assured me, confidence in his tone.

"Did you use her Name?" I searched his eyes

His flinch was all the answer I needed. Of course he hadn't.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled my pack tight to my back. Without even a glance in Deekin's direction to see if he followed, I attempted to muscle past the tiefling, and he immediately moved to block my escape.

"They were not there," he stated simply, reaching out a hand to slow me.

I froze.

They left you. Just like Nathyrra, that voice hissed again. My voice. My fears.

I felt the thudding of my heart, in beat with each sinking thought.

They left you, they left you, they left you.

"We do not need them," Valen repeated.

He dipped his chin, willing me to see the truth of it in his steely gaze. I searched his stern features, eyes wide and imploring despite the hard set of his jaw

"We have his Name," he rumbled. "He cannot win."

I swallowed as his words chased away my rising fears, his gaze unblinking as he willed me to believe him.

There was a moment of uncertainty, before he lifted his hands to my shoulders, stepping closer. His warm thumbs brushed the skin of my neck. I blinked back at him, chest rising and falling as I did my best to calm my thudding heart.

"We will win today," he told me in no uncertain terms.

Shocking me from my stupor, Deekin pushed his way into our tight circle, smiling at me from the tiefling's side. Enserric flashed in agreement.

Shaking my head down at my sword, I let him know — with a slowly steadying voice — that if it came to me wielding him in our fight with Mephistopheles today, then we were most definitely going to die. But the words didn't hold a bitter edge, and I found my lips curving. His answering flash sent a flush of warmth through me.

Looking around at our little group, I allowed my wry smile to grow into something more — sending a silent thanks to whoever would listen; for the friends that were with me. I pushed my thoughts away from those that weren't.

I steeled my shoulders, immediately missing Valen's touch as his stepped away.

Deekin smiled, running his claws past my hand before stepping back to give me my space.

Watching them, I let my hand drop to Enserric's hilt, taking comfort in the cold — but familiar — presence inside my head.

I turned to the hooded gaze of the Reaper.

"Take it away Deekin," I hummed, all of us having memorised the True Names we needed. Just in case.

Deekin pulled back his little shoulders, snout high and eyes flashing as he considered the Reaper.

In reply, the gatekeeper dipped his head, robes billowing around him as if on a breeze that only touched him. As if he stood in some other plane of existence.

"Hecugoth the Abandoned," the kobold grinned toothily, eyes darting to me as if to say — look!

I smiled as I nodded for him to continue.

A breath, and then Deekin commanded the Reaper himself to let us return to the world of the living.

A mocking bow and it was done.

In silence, we took the potions. All of our eyes on the gate that would lead us back to the Prime, to the awaiting devil.

I was psyching myself up, already having done two final checks of our armour and weapons, when Valen spoke. His hand was on my shoulder and then gone just as quickly.

"So," he rubbed the back of his neck. "It seems we are arriving at the end." At my raised eyebrows he rolled his blue eyes. "The end of our adventure," he amended. "Soon we will be out of the Hells…" His shoulders were bunched up around his ears, hard and tense.

"And we didn't even see any good intentions." I sighed dramatically. "Not a single paver." I waited for a laugh, but when all I received was a raised eyebrow, I waved him off. "Good riddance."

If I never see snow again, I will die a happy woman.

"Yes," he agreed. "Not a moment too soon."

Voice fading as his eyes went distant, Valen looked at a spot over my shoulder. No; at my neck. The almost completely healed bite mark. I saw him grimace at the memory, eyes darkening — not purple or red, but to a cloudy storm. I scratched at my bumpy skin with a grimace.

His glowing skin — from the power of the potions — was in stark contrast to the gloomy cloud that seemed to hang over his head.

"You seem almost sad," I said cautiously.

I couldn't help my worried frown.

He dragged his eyes back to my own, running a hand between his horns and pulling back the loose strands of his fiery red hair. The moment stretched on between us as he searched my face. I don't know if he found what he was looking for, but eventually he offered me a smile. It was tentative, small. But it reached his eyes, chasing away the shadows of the room and pushing them back into their cold corners. I hugged my arms tighter to my body.

"Sad. Happy. Excited," he shrugged.

"Bored," Deekin perked up cheekily.

He was waiting by the portal, claws looped through his satchel's strap.

"Today will be a day to remember." Valen finished in a rumble, eyes never leaving my own as he motioned to the waiting kobold and the door beyond. "But I have held us up enough." And then, almost to himself, he said; "I look forward to seeing the Seer and Nathyrra again."

And, despite my history with the latter, I found myself smiling at the thought.

"That," I agreed. "And the sun."

We stepped through; my hand wrapped around Valen's upper arm, and Deekin's hand in mine — the connection a habit the tiefling had long instilled in us.

There was a flare of sudden light, followed by the sour taste of ash on my tongue. I stumbled out the other side of the door, blinking.

I was surprised to find it was night. No, not night — the air was hazy with smoke, blotting out the sky I'd been so looking forward to. My hands dropped to my sides, as I turned slowly. All around us the buildings burned, the stink of charred wood — and something meaty that made my stomach roil with disgust — filled my throat.

I felt my stomach clench, saliva filling my mouth as my body threatened to bring my breakfast back up.

I staggered back a pace at the pop of burning timber, and bumped into Valen's chest.

"I am with you." He reached out, clasping my hand. "We are with you."

I swallowed down the panic, nodding raggedly.

There was the roar of flames, and the roof of a building collapsed ahead.

Deekin stepped up beside me, eyes wide and round as he stared at the collapsed building, at the movement of drow as they — impossibly — began funneling out of the wreck.

No — not drow — I realised, drawing Enserric. They moved through the rubble as if in a trance.

Undead.

Mephistopheles' army.

I felt Valen shift as he drew Devil's Bane, even as they paid us no mind, funneling down a joining alley. Their departure was met a moment later by the sounds of battle; shouts and screams, and the clash of weapons.

Valen turned away from the horrible sounds, a snarl on his face and a growl rumbling from within his chest.

"I thought I felt you nearby," a wry voice mused from behind us.

I turned slowly, heart hammering in my chest as I saw him.

Mephistopheles was huge — bigger than he'd been in the Valsharess' chambers — as if he had grown with the release of his power.

Vast and tall and muscled, with a trident balanced in one massive hand. He grinned at us from a joining alley. Just three or four steps of his massive cloven feet and he would be able to swing that weapon right at us.

I swallowed, wondering how anyone could block such a blow.

'You have his Name,' Enserric reminded me in reply to my trembling grip. I forced myself to breath, tightening my hold on my sword as I allowed his calming presence to wash over me.

The devil's tail snapped behind him, the only hint at cracks beneath his show of calm.

Red eyes flashed dangerously as he mused; "Had I not trapped you for all eternity in Cania?"

"Sorry," I replied, testing my voice. Louder, I said; "The Hells froze over."

Mephistopheles smiled, hearing my joke over the sounds of battle and destruction that raged on around us.

Good.

He flashed his pointed canines in another wicked smile, giant wings fluttering at his back. "And here I thought myself so very gallant leaving Cania for you. Imagine: you could have been Lady of the Eighth." His eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring, as he sniffed at something distasteful on the wind. "Or do you have higher aspirations, I wonder?"

I felt sweat trickle down the back of my neck as he ran his eyes over all of us, one by one.

"I see the young tiefling still deigns to travel with you… Valen Shadowbreath, I remember how fun killing you was the first time," his lips pulled back in a cruel mockery of a smile.

'What are you doing, Jane?' Enserric snarled in my mind, the light of my blade flashing bright red for all to see.

I pulled my lips back in a grimace, willing the sword to be quiet. I repeated the devil's True Name to myself, ready.

'What are you playing at?' I heard his hushed musing.

Valen moved past me, one hand splayed out to keep me behind him. "We have nothing more to say to one another," he snarled. "You are baatezu and I am tanar'ri. There can be nothing but death between us."

I felt the tiefling's attention as it darted back to me, the question of my silence in his blue eyes.

"Oh?" Mephistopheles smiled slowly. "But you are mostly human. What if I were to tell you that I could relieve you of your demonic taint—"

"Already done," I cut the devil off, flatly. "What else you got?"

His eyes snapped to mine, flashing dangerously, before landing on the tiefling once more.

I felt Enserric's slow understanding as I baited the devil.

I could see the curve to Valen's lips at my words, his tail slowing to run across my calf in silent thanks.

'It's not polite to play with your food,' he mused wryly. Then, quieter — with real warning colouring his playful tone; 'Or with your friends.'

As always, he didn't let me get away with anything. I will end it soon, I promised Enserric and myself; even as that part of me that always went for flight over fight screamed out for me to kill him.

But I needed to know.

They left you, they left you, they left you, was still ringing in my ears.

"Yet I can still smell the frustration on you, young man," Mephistopheles practically purred.

He considered the tiefling's defensive posture. The way he held a hand out to keep me behind him. His tail where it touched my leg.

Realisation dawned in his eyes.

He threw his head back, laughing. "Oh, how it must have killed you to see what I had done with her! The rage — I had thought there was more than just a drop of demon in you, then." I swallowed at the memory of my death in the Valsharess' chambers. His smile dropped with his voice. "You have my word that she is yours, when I am done. All you have to do is step away." He commanded the final two words, hard and sharp.

Valen's tail wrapped around my calf.

I let my posture relax, knowing what Valen's answer would be before he even said it.

"This fight will not end like our last," he promised with a growl.

Mephistopheles answered in kind, disgust clear in his eyes as he dismissed us. "Then your other follower…" his nostrils flared again. "Kobold, you have a thread of dragon's blood running through you."

Deekin shivered under the arch-devil's undivided attention. He nodded slowly.

"You have been held back for too long, from your full potential." Mephistopheles' eyes narrowed. "Why chase after her like some lost servant, when you could be so much more? All the world could know your name — know it and fear it!"

Deekin threw his head around, eyes imploring. "Boss," he hissed. "Why's you not used the Name, yet?"

I saw the moment Mephistopheles understood, his shoulders tensing and eyes snapping to my own. The very flames engulfing the city around us seemed to stutter right along with him. I saw him pull back his trident, eyes narrowed as he seized me up, contemplated the distance.

I didn't give him time to do anything more.

"Thra'axfyl the Ambitious," I shouted. "Stop!"

The flames around us still raged on, but they'd lost some of their ferocity, and I knew that the citizens of the city would have an easier time containing them now.

'About damn time,' Enserric hummed in approval.

Valen's tail gave my leg a final squeeze, before falling away. I could see his lips were still curled in a rueful smile. Beside us, Deekin beamed back at me, a big toothy grin on his face as his head darted between myself and the stilled devil.

I felt my heart swell at the sight of my friends. My loyal friends, with me until the end.

Mephistopheles himself was gaping at us, as if he couldn't quite believe what was happening.

"My… my True Name," he whispered in disbelief, his trident falling to the ground with a resounding clang. "You? You've commanded me." I could see him fighting it, the beads of sweat dripping from his dark hairline. He grimaced. "But I must obey… what… what is it you wish of me, Mistress? How must I serve you?"

My ring glowed red hot as I recalled the promise I'd made.

Kill Mephistopheles, and I'll send you home.

I was going home.

"Die," I said.

His eyes narrowed, head tilting as if he hadn't quite heard me properly.

"I command you to die."

The command took root, his eyes widening in true fear, as his clawed hand grasped at his chest in pain. And then — without a sound — he fell to his knees. The floor shook beneath our feet when he at last fell flat on his face.

Mephistopheles was dead.

And I was going home.