When the light faded, he found himself on a beach.
Yet it was more than a beach, for it had an air of magic and power that he couldn't comprehend but could definitely feel. The raw energy of the place radiated from the grey sand in the form of multicolored mists, and the sky above displayed a deep, rich maroon with black clouds. The voices continued to whisper, though quieter now, and so jumbled that he couldn't make out any words.
"It is him!" one hissed.
Tetsuda jumped and looked from side to side.
"Down here!"
He lowered his head, and standing just above knee-height was a pygmy troll with grey skin and stringy bits of hair. He had a pleasant face, and he waved amiably to the incubus.
"Greetings, traveler from afar," spoke the pygmy in his raspy childlike way. "You have been selected by the Circle to represent the people of Iyan as their hero."
"Hero?"
"Yes. The Circle knows of all, and they knew of the trouble to befall Iyan, and they knew that you were the one to fix it. Follow me! I'll take you to them."
Tetsuda had much that he wished to ask, but the pygmy took his hand and dragged him along with strength wholly unfitting of his stature. They traveled through the mist, which seemingly stretched for miles without end, and through it all Tetsuda stumbled and staggered behind his guide.
"Wait," he said. "Wait! What is this—?"
"We're here!" exclaimed the pygmy.
He tossed Tetsuda forward with enough force to send him to the ground, yet when Tetsuda lifted his head to finish his query, the pygmy had disappeared.
The mist drifted away from Tetsuda, revealing a floor comprised of massive stone slabs with bits of obsidian filling the cracks between. He looked around in hopes of a marker but found none; there was only the mist—now entirely blue—circling about him.
"Who has come?" boomed a powerful voice.
"Who comes before us?" spake a woman of strong will.
"Who disgraces our presence?" came another with spite.
Shadowy figures came ever so closer from the distance, and the mist dissipated enough to reveal a room with stone walls and no ceiling. Seven thrones sat around him in a circle, each one holding a more...beautiful version of each of the demons. Superbia, Ira, Succubus, Incubus, Avaritia, Invidia—even Desidia and Gulam, the slothful and gluttonous that Tyrannus had always deprecated. Tetsuda had forgotten they'd even existed.
"Speak," said the Superbia, the one with the powerful voice. "What is your purpose?"
Tetsuda opened his mouth to say his name, then shook his head and sat up. "I've come seeking your assistance."
"You wish to gain power, do you not?" said the Ira, the woman of strong will.
"I do," he affirmed.
"And what will you use it for?" asked the spiteful Avaritia.
"Saving my lover."
"Your lover?" asked the Incubus.
"The Ira Tyrannus."
"So you're Tetsuda, then," the Ira said, a hint of a smile on her weather-beaten face. "I've been wanting to meet with you for quite some time."
"Well, here you have me."
"Indeed, we do," said the Invidia. "What power do you seek?"
"Anima Effusio."
"Anima Effusio?" repeated the Desidia in a drawl. "What'll you use that for, eh? How's that helpful to Tyrannus?"
"His mind's been corrupted, and I need to remove the corruption before I lose him forever."
"Corrupted how?" asked the Gulam.
"He absorbed an extremely powerful spirit, and that spirit has begun to corrode his mind. I want to remove that spirit to prevent him from ruining Tyrannus."
"Can't be done," dismissed the Succubus. "You are not strong enough to handle the strain Anima Effusio places on your body."
"Isn't he, though?" asked the Ira. "He's come this far, hasn't he?"
"Tyrannus has thrice your strength, and look what's happened to him," said the Invidia. "If Tyrannus cannot bear Anima Effusio, what makes you think you can?"
"I don't think I can," Tetsuda said. "I know I can. I'll do anything you require, simply allow me to—"
"Best me in battle," said the Superbia, abandoning his throne and stepping closer to Tetsuda, "and we will let you learn."
"Shut your mouth and hold your pace," snapped the Ira.
The Superbia turned. "What did you say to me?"
"If anyone should be making conditions, it should be me. Tyrannus is my child, not yours, and as such, he is my responsibility. I'll take Tetsuda."
"By what authority?" asked the Incubus. "If we follow that logic, I should decide what happens with him. He's an incubus, after all."
"What good can he learn from one who only knows sex?"
The Incubus narrowed his gaze but did not reply.
To Tetsuda, the Ira said, "I shall assist you in your quest, yet you must vow to honor my instruction. I can teach you what you wish to learn, but you cannot save Tyrannus."
Tetsuda blinked. "What?"
"It is true. Removing the cancer from his soul will kill him. The best you can do is give him a peaceful death."
Tetsuda's throat dried immediately, and his eyes widened. To kill Tyrannus...to kill the one that meant so much to him…
His eyes narrowed, and he said, "You lie."
Each pair of eyes grew hateful, and the air grew six times more suffocating. "You call an Originator a liar?" growled the Superbia.
"I do. You're all-powerful beings, but you are not beyond my comprehension." He held the Ira's gaze with steel in his heart and fire in his veins. "You called him your child. There's no way you would dismiss all chance of saving him."
The Superbia started forward, and in his hand there materialized a mace. "You insolent—"
"Did I not tell you to hold your pace?" hissed the Ira. She grasped the Superbia's arm and shoved him back to his throne.
"But he's insulted you!"
"No," she denied. At Tetsuda, she smiled. "He's proven his worth. Far too often do demons lose their resolve in the face of chaos. Many who have come before you have done the same: one of us has told them a skewed agreement, and they've all agreed with barely a question to follow. But you…" She rose from her throne and strode forward, a dark red mist circling about her in place of clothing. Her fingertips grazed his forehead, and he gazed up to view a harsh but approving face. "You, Luxuria Tetsuda, are more than dedicated—you are devoted, to both Tyrannus and Iyan." She withdrew her hand. "Now come. I will teach you what you desire to learn."
