Chapter Eight

Warm feline eyes roamed over the shivering male, wincing. She had forgotten that he had been cursed with repetitive sessions of pain before his death. Gently, to keep from scaring him, she laid her hands on his tensed shoulders. Carefully, she allowed her magic to take the pain away, giving it away to a more pleasurable feeling. Narrowed eyes watched as the tension slowly faded as the boy relaxed beneath her furry touch.

Then their time was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a seductive lilting voice, "Oh, look. Fresh meant. And so very young at that."

Bastet snarled, wanting nothing more than to tear the woman apart. She glared at the appearance of the red headed succubus, or was it incubus. She was never sure since this particular demon was always known to seduce many of the lost souls to sin. "Leave, Lilithian. Take your wiles to Mara, like you have been told. Allow that little demon to satisfy your damned soul to his satisfaction."

The very lovely figure stepped forward, confidant to take anyone's form of pleasure for her undying hunger, "The master may not like you telling his child what to do."

A hissing feminine sound called to the glaring pair, True, but that means nothing to me, my dear.

Harry jumped when he heard the very familiar sensation of a snake speaking. Are you of Salazar Slytherin's line? He had asked this because almost all snake speakers were of his line.

All three females blinked, A serpent-child. So few I have heard in my time. But this Salazar, you speak of young serpent-child, is really from me. I am Nina, the Babylonian Serpent Goddess. My sister, Pythia, though a chambermaid in her last lifetime before she became the ancient being we all are, was the one to rescue your just after your death.

Bastet smiled softly at the confused male, "She should be back soon. Come, we were going to my Master."

Tugging Harry along, Bastet tried to leave the one female demon behind. "Now, now, kitty. Sheath those claws."

"That's Lilithian. She's a female demon bent on ensnaring mankind with her wiles as a succubus or an incubus. Lately, she has been controlled by our resident demon of damned souls, Mara."

Harry merely nodded as he thought over the sight of the lovely woman and the sudden appearance of another. Nina look like a pale mermaid on land. The coral colour seashells just covered her front as the lively hair of millions of tiny rainbow snakes hissed freely in waves about her body. He had been shocked to hear the soft words of sleep, sleep but even more shocked to see her lower body was a serpent tail of rainbow scales.

As they left behind the pouting yet enraged demon, Harry was comforted by hearing the soft hissing sounds. Rarely, has he ever been able to find someone to speak with, someone who wouldn't condemn him for that gift nor be condemned for speaking to him. We all have been around for centuries, some before the beginning of time. But rarely are some of us forgotten. I am one of the few forgotten, the real Serpent Goddess. My name has always been given away to new yet we are welcomed here and never forgotten.

Bastet eyed the nervous young male. For once in her life living in the hellish torturing Mitnal she was glad their Master had allowed them to calm the land with a thick red smoke screen. She knew they had made the right decision to only allow a small area of the rich crackling soil to be seen.

Harry was very glad he would not have to see the real torture behind the smoke as the shadows danced, although he shivered at the low screams and cries of tormenting souls. He didn't know that the partially muted scenes were really for his benefit, since he was not truly dead. Nor did he realize that his body and soul had been brought to Mitnal to fulfil a path long ago chosen, though the choice of how had varied.

"The horrors behind the smoke have been shadowed and toned down for you. We did not think you would appreciate your arrival to be marked with the true natures of Hell."

Softly, he thanked them when a familiar seductive voice cried out from behind them, a few feet away, "You are welcome to stay, child. We would enjoy the fresh meat around here."