The report was done and given within the next day. Azmodan's realm was lit up once more to show he made his reappearance. And even more excitement was being given out that he had claimed a trophy in a fully suspended state over his throne.
"You have not won," Azmodan said, when he heaved his massive bulk to stare up at the splayed figure of Lilith. "Your sins shall be used to fuel my needs now. Your father would not give you such a kind fate. You should be...grateful. For your new role."
"A new role?" she seemed to smirk at him. "This is hardly a role. You have me before you like a trophy on a spit. This is an act of lust. Speaking of lust...where is she? Your concubine?"
"Preoccupied."
"You mean dead?" she grinned. The glare he gave her was easily smoldering the air around her, and he grabbed a lever at the base of his throne to pull on it. A knobby spike came up and impaled her cruelly between the legs to force her to scream out in agony. It didn't pierce all the way through, but just enough to leave a shameful feeling through her that left a wake of painful pleasure coursing through her body. He left the room with a smug form of amusement to let her hang there in her semi-impaled state, and she shuddered at her predicament.
She had been searching her old rooms in her father's domain when Azmodan's forces found her. They were performing a raid at Azmodan's orders to search for weapons that were left behind. She was able to charm a couple of the demons, but it wasn't enough at all. And her charms wore off quickly. She was weakened from her rebirth. If she was reborn before Azmodan was, the spells would have held from her being stronger to maintain them.
She was quickly bound, gagged, and brought over to Azmodan's throne to be dumped at his feet. Thinking she was harmless, he had removed the bonds, but, when she moved to attack him, he simply backhanded her weakened form into a wall. She had blacked out when he loomed over her slumped form. When she woke, she found herself like this. She could only shiver at what he may have done to her first before putting her in this state. She didn't see any signs of physical abuse, but that was only from the surface.
The four tendrils on her back were each bound in chains and held aloft to keep them from being used as weapons. Her tail was in the same state. The chains on her chest were even clipped with chains that bound to the wall. If she fell, it would be excruciatingly painful. I could get torn apart. And now, with this spike in her, she didn't really know what all she could do. Every time she twitched, it sent a stab of pleasure and pain through her. It was a feeling she wanted and didn't want. He really was using me to help fuel his need for sins for his army.
She suddenly glanced up and over with her burning orbs to see a Greed Goblin skitter across the room. She bared her teeth before wincing at the shock of pleasure she got from trying to twist her body. It was one of Greed's scouts, and it seemed to stare up at her with fascination. On seeing the lever, it ran over to it and studied it with intense curiosity. Now she had an idea.
"Hey," she managed to voice out a touch weakly. "Pull that, will you?"
"Eh?" it asked and reached out to yank down on it. The spike began to recede, but the sound was so horrible from the rusty chains that the goblin let go of the lever for the spike to rise back up and impale her again. She gasped and cringed at what she felt next. She almost gave in to the feeling. If she did that, then she would have never forgiven herself. The Greed Goblin saw this reaction and mused about it. She swore out her frustration and shrieked when the lever was pulled and released again. Now the goblin was simply having fun at her expense.
Another Greed Goblin showed up and was talked to by the scout. Both goblins leered at her, but the lesser one was quick to report to Greed. When Gurzick showed up, the scout gave over control of the lever to him. Greed was quick to take over to speak.
"Why, Lilith! What an...interesting surprise," Greed chuckled darkly from the crown. "As for you two. Make sure the Evil does not come back here."
"Okay!" the other two goblins said and quickly scampered off.
"Who...?" she asked weakly.
"Answer my questions. If you do, I may be able to help you down," Greed said. "A good exchange, yes? You work with me. I help you."
"Who the Hell are you?!" she snapped. Then she squealed when Gurzick pulled and released the lever. "Stop! Don't...do that...!"
"Are you willing to work with me now?" Greed asked slyly.
"Yes..." she shivered. This was why Greed didn't want Azmodan here. If this weakness of hers was discovered, it would be exploited.
"Your father is imprisoned once more. The High Heavens is searching for you to ensnare you once again. You almost killed a rather valuable piece of the High Heavens, too. As much as I want you to suffer here, I feel it may be needed for you to suffer your fate elsewhere," Greed seemed to smirk.
"Father...is trapped...?!" she gasped and winced when Greed pulled the lever to have the spike just barely leave her body. "But...Inarius..."
"He lives. Fully healed," Greed seemed to shrug. "And he is adapting rather well. I had vowed to find you and report of your existence. With the information that another is here that is also being hunted...well...other visitors may be appearing shortly."
"I'll be killed again..." she trembled. Greed snickered lightly at this. She was trying to play off as being the weak female. Greed knew better, but he decided to play her game.
"It's possible," he seemed to sigh. "Not much else to say about it."
"Can't you release me and let me go?" she asked hopefully.
"As much as I want to, I cannot," Greed said lightly. "Your chains are too tightly bound. You will need to see about freeing yourself. You're a succubus! You should be able to seduce your captor."
"He's immune to me."
"Because you are weak."
"How do I get stronger?" she asked with a form of despair.
"How do you usually get stronger?" he asked with a hint of knowing. Gurzick's hand was still on the lever. She looked at her predicament and cringed inwardly. Giving in to unwanted pleasure would definitely help me get stronger. Then she paused with shock.
"I see now..." she whispered. "He...did this...fully knowing that..."
"Hush," Greed said and rose up Gurzick's hand. "There is a chance that, if you gain strength, so does he for his army. Right?"
"Yes," she said and shook her head slowly. Now he studied where the chains were latched in the stonework over the throne. It was impossible to chisel them out. She would have to be freed by Azmodan in order to get rescued. There didn't even seem to be any locks anywhere, either.
"My minions cannot stall him from coming back any longer. So, I'm going to do something to you to help you get his attention. Only he can free you. Are you ready?" Greed asked, and Gurzick tightened his grip on the lever. She steeled herself and nodded. She gave in to what she felt next. For a full five minutes, the sensations rocked her, but the aftermath of power they gave her was what she needed. Now she was strong enough to attempt what she had to do.
Azmodan lumbered over heavily on his spidery legs. He glared around, but there was nothing off about what went on. Gurzick had already left. The most that Azmodan thought was that one of his own minions decided to come in to sneak a chance at tormenting her. He had no problems with that. The pleasure she gave out from my little trap would bolster my army. He would even see about other minions doing this later on.
It was just Lilith's luck that the pleasure gained from it also empowered her. He actually had no idea on this. He only thought that a powerful demoness like her would have given an intense power boost to his army. Mephisto knew, but why would he spill secrets about his family unless they gave him an edge? She was also the Queen of the Succubi. If she couldn't gain power from any pleasure she gained, then there would have been something wrong. She still retained that talent.
"I trust you find your place of rest comfortable?" Azmodan snickered.
"I'd find it even more comfortable in other ways. Preferably around you instead of a cold spike," she crooned sweetly. He knew what she was implying. And the scent she gave out next drew him in. If his old consort, Cydaea, was there, he would have been fully immune to Lilith. But, Cydaea was not there. And it had been far too long since he had such an opportunity. He would also be using her to empower his army even more.
Now that she was being let down in an eager way, Greed had Gurzick in the Angiris Council chamber to report what was going on. Imperius was not pleased at all.
"We need to stop him! Both of them!" he ordered out.
"We are aware of this," Itherael said.
"So, now we have Azmodan and Lilith in the Burning Hells. Diablo and Mitherael are being held by that Baroness. What more is there for us to do now?" Tyrael grimaced. "How do we go about this?"
"I am keeping watch on the Baroness," Greed said from Gurzick's crown. "I would suggest removing the coming threat from the Burning Hells first."
"Diablo is more of a concern than Azmodan!" Imperius insisted.
"Love?" Anaurael asked when Izarius brought her to him from her chambers. She sensed him slipping and had to return to his side. As much as he wanted her to rest, she simply couldn't when he got this upset. Imperius turned to regard her and scoop her up to cradle her. :You are far too tense.:
:Much of this is about Diablo. I must be tense.: He seemed to shiver. At her warm, loving smile, he only sighed and shook his head. "You know...how I am..."
"I know," she soothed and circled her arms around his neck. "You are protecting me. Our offspring. The High Heavens. There is much you are doing right now. But, if you cannot be focused through all of this..."
"I know..." he sighed again, but in a much calmer way now that she was at his side. Now he regarded the others and said, "What do we know so far?"
"I have convinced Lilith to entice Azmodan to free her of the bonds she was in," Greed said. "I am unsure if he'll hang her back up again."
"Hang her?" Itherael asked.
"Yes. He had her suspended over his throne. Like a prize. When she misbehaves, a spike would come up to impale her in such a way..." Greed started, but Tyrael rose up his hands with disgust. "It's controlled by a lever. It was fun to get her to listen!"
"Quiet! Please!" Tyrael scowled out. "Just disgusting!"
"Filth will do such to each other," Malthael muttered when he appeared in his ghostly state. "They leech off the other when they have no others around."
"And they make weapons out of each other. As I believe what may have happened to one such demon," Itherael said thoughtfully of the demon brothers he referred to. While one still lived, the other became a massive sword with a beating heart.
"What options do we have?" Auriel asked.
"I should request the presence of the Nephalem," Imperael said. "We may gain more insight."
"Myriam should also appear," Itherael added.
"I will fetch them both," Izarius nodded. He accepted the warm arm squeeze that Anaurael gave him before he vanished away. When he appeared on Sanctuary, the Nephalem was actually talking to Myriam. It made his job easier. "I need you both to come to Heaven with me. We have news to discuss. And, yes, it's very urgent."
"I know this," Myriam frowned. "Two Evils on either side of the scope. I did have an amusing vision come to me just a moment ago. We need to discuss this."
"What's going on?" the Nephalem frowned. Izarius reached over to grab the champion's wrist and Myriam's wrist to teleport them to Heaven. Once there, the situation was fully explained. "Tell me where to go to kill Azmodan. I'll gladly do it again!"
"We know you will," Tyrael smirked.
"Ah!" Myriam said sharply. "Before that happens, I need to speak."
"Please do," Itherael nodded.
"There was something done with two parties of the same side meeting together," Myriam said calmly. "It was done some time ago to weaken them."
"Two parties meeting?" Auriel asked.
"It was done before?" Tyrael frowned.
"FATHER," Anarius said when he flew in. He was listening in from Anaurael's mind. "REMEMBER HOW WE HAD THE KHAZRA AND THE DEMONS MEET AND FIGHT?"
"Yes! Now I understand," Tyrael nodded.
"We can do the same with the false goblins," Myriam chuckled. "If they see that an Evil has come back to report it..."
"Diablo may go after Azmodan, himself!" Imperius stated quickly. At Myriam's nod and chuckle, he found himself thinking. "But...how are those goblins to know of him? Much less send the reports out about Azmodan?"
"I have an idea," Greed giggled. "I have taken a few choice items of interest from the Baroness. I can set these items in view for demons to gather and show off. My scouts can hint things to the rival ones. Such hints will be reported easily. I can simply leave a trail to where Azmodan is. Let his minions pick up and carry the items around his domain. Once those scouts report that these items are being found, I'm sure she will be quick to act. I'll even have my scout deliver the first item!"
"That will work," Tyrael grinned.
"How soon can we start this?" Imperael asked.
"Right now, if you desire," Greed giggled.
"Oh. We have no way to spy in on the Burning Hells, do we?" Anaurael asked. "Other than with Myriam and her visions, that is."
"You could spy on them from your chambers in my domain with the mirror," Greed said with a rather sly chuckled. "You could even see what my scout sees from the Baroness's domain, too."
"And when were you going to tell us this was possible?!" Imperius asked with a sensation of surprise. Greed only laughed from the crown.
"Greed, you know how important this information is," Anaurael frowned with a sad, worried sigh. That had Greed sigh right back with understanding. "We need to be a step ahead of them."
"I do understand, child. You know how my nature is!" Greed seemed to pout.
"I know I do," she smiled softly now. "But...this is to protect me, too."
"And you are correct in that," Greed admitted. "I'd say to use the mirror in your chamber, but it must be tuned in from my realm to be between realms to see everything easily."
"That is true," Myriam nodded.
"But, I do have something for you," Greed said towards Myriam. A scout appeared to hop over to her and press a small amulet into her hands. She studied it and gasped with shock.
"This charm! Oh! It increases my vision focus!" she said with awe.
"Yes. I found it in that library. I was going to give it to the Fallen One, but I think this is a bit better," Greed said. Tyrael walked over to study the amulet, and he grinned widely.
"Yes. She can use this to help us. It is fine," he nodded.
"What is it?" the Nephalem asked.
"An ancient Horadrim relic that our casters used to broaden their mental scopes," he explained.
"For this gift, I have a vision for you, Greed," Myriam mused. "The next item you find will be something of intense importance to all."
"Oh! I will have to keep myself aware!" Greed said. "Do you, ah, know anything else?"
"Such visions are not always free," she warned. Then she blinked at the powerful staff offered to her by another goblin. "I see you know how this works..."
"You would think I do," Greed chuckled. Anaurael found herself giggling. Imperius seemed to ignore everything around him at the moment. He was too concerned with the pending battles. He needed to see what was going on. And he needed to do this now.
"I CAN WATCH WHAT HAPPENS FROM MOTHER'S MIND. THIS WAY I CAN PROTECT HEAVEN," Anarius said. Imperius glanced over to nod with full agreement. Anarius moved to Anaurael's side to get hugged tightly with appreciation. He sighed and relished her gentle touch.
"You are doing well, my son," Anaurael smiled and pressed a warm, chaste kiss to his lips.
"I LOVE YOU, MOTHER," he whispered.
"And I love you, too," she beamed and let him squeeze her again before releasing her. Imperius let her rest her weary form back on his large shoulder pauldron, and he turned to look at Greed.
"I want to watch what your scouts do," Imperius said. "I need to oversee this."
"Of course, of course," Greed said. Gurzick came to and had his portal appear. When they were ready to go through it, Anarius actually showed a touch of worry for his mother.
"She will be safe," Myriam vowed to him. "I shall stay with her for you."
"THANK YOU," he said. The Nephalem frowned at this, but Tyrael turned to face the powerful champion to speak directly.
"You can either join us, or you can see what the others want to do," Tyrael said.
"I'm joining. I need to see what happens to help stay ahead of things," the Nephalem said. Imperius simply snorted at this, but he went through the portal to Anaurael's chamber in Greed's realm. Izarius decided to stay to watch over Mal. If the baby needed Anaurael, he would use the mirror.
As they waited for Greed to set the stage, a passing male angel from the Courts of Justice was walking past a viewing chamber. He was one of the older ones and quite powerful in his ways. He had just rejoined the Courts now that they were being habitable again. For a long time, he was lost in a form of limbo-like slumber. He was one of Tyrael's trusted followers, and he chose to sleep away the time he was gone. He was glad that he did. The moment he felt the Courts become empowered again, he was quick to wake and inhabit his old chambers. He was brought up to speed and was now wandering the familiar halls as though to refresh his memory.
He was a rather robust, yet slenderly built male angel with an impressive set of bluish-white tendriled wings, and now he paused and glanced over at the pool from his white-hooded form. His burnished silver armor and white cloth garments glinted and moved with a grace that only strong angels held. On his back was a massive and dangerous-looking crossbow of elegant designs with leaves, spindly vines, and it was a sleek, burnished silver with gold finish. Even the ends of the crossbow appeared to fold in for easy carrying. He had no bolts for it. There was no need for a quiver with this menacing weapon. When he looked at the pool a bit more, he noticed that it was beckoning to him. Something had to be going on that caught his interest.
"I wonder. What's going on down below?" he muttered with amusement and glanced into the pool. His voice was deep, but also a touch lighter to show how he usually was. At how the pool now focused in on the Demon Hunter lands, he tilted his hooded head with a sense of confusion. Then he found himself gripping the edge of the pool with a form of intense jealousy and concern. He was fighting the urge to go down and interrupt what was happening.
Kartha was working on her target practice in the forest. She was using her dual set of basic hand crossbows neatly and firing at each moving target with dead-on accuracy. When she finished the refreshing sprint, she moved back idly to reset the traps and collect her bolts. If any knives were thrown, those were just as easily collected, too. It was a basic practice run to keep her senses sharp. It revitalized her to do such a thing.
And yet, as she moved, she found her thoughts going to Vincent. She grimaced. She had to kill those thoughts. He was no longer available. I let him go. Taking in a deep breath, she turned and found herself face-to-face with another Demon Hunter.
"Colk?" she frowned. "What are you doing out here?"
"Just thought I'd check in on you," the figured chuckled. Now showing the presence off as a slender male, he walked out of the trees he was hiding in. She gave a neutral glance at him, but inside she was cringing. He was watching me all this time. "Look. I know you had a rough scrape..."
"You're new at this," she said bluntly and set her bolts back into their protective quivers. "So, yes. I had a falling out. It's a scar now. I've healed. I'm stronger from it."
"As I can tell..." his eyes roamed over her form without any form of shame.
"You've only been here for a few months, if that. You don't know the true meaning of being a Demon Hunter. You have yet to kill your first major demon. Small ones don't count," she said flatly. "Stick to your training. And keep your eyes on your surroundings."
"For what purpose? I've already found my quarry," he grinned dashingly. His light brown hair was dyed black to keep him disguised. His blue eyes seemed to display a form of romantic mischief at her when she looked at him with disdain. At the sudden poke he got in the center of his back, he turned quickly and paused with shock. The elder man was crouched right over him and wasn't pleased. Colk didn't even hear him approach at all.
"You were too locked on to your quarry," the Demon Hunter leader growled at him. "You left yourself vulnerable. I could have killed you easily and without regret. And, once again, you abandoned your post. Get back to it. Now."
Noiselessly, Colk simply nodded. But, he did glance over at Kartha with a small grin before walking away. She shuddered with revulsion and looked at her mentor. "Thank you."
"You are welcome," he nodded. At what just happened, he decided to try and keep her mind preoccupied with basic chores. "Come. Let's go back to camp. We need to sharpen some arrowheads. There's always something that needs to be done."
She nodded back and followed him. Then they both found themselves darting away from several knives thrown at them in a purely instinctive fashion. Colk wasn't going to give up his prize so easily. He was turn-coating. When the Demon Hunter leader was trying to quickly scramble from his jump to get back to her side, Colk was swift to pin her to tree with a poisoned dagger at her throat.
Then he paled at the sight of the massive, angelic crossbow that expanded out when ready to fire with a glowing bolt of Light that instantaneously appeared right in his face within mere inches. The superb artisan craftsmanship of the crossbow showed an arch of gold spirals elegantly twisting around each other from the tips of the bow shaft to the central part where the bolt groove was set. And the dead center circle was glowing from where the bolt of Light formed. It was ready to fly the moment the trigger was pulled. The bolt of Light was glowing so strongly that Colk's sight was momentarily blinded by being so close to it. That was the intent.
"Let. Her. Go. Now," the angelic male said with a seething form of protective hatred. He was there the moment he saw the knife drawn. He knew he couldn't watch any further. He had to act. Kartha had pulled him to her. Like Hell am I going to allow this human the privilege of stealing what was now rightfully belonging to me.
"Sure..." Colk swallowed. The crossbow practically dwarfed the man in size. The bolt would have easily left a massive hole where his face was. The dagger was slowly drawn down. At the gesture for it to be dropped with the slight dip of the massive, elegant crossbow, that was easily done next. Then the angel used his boot in an incredibly skillful way to kick the dagger far off out of reach as it fell.
"And you're here for...?" the leader asked, as he pulled Kartha to safety.
"For her. She called to me. I am claiming her. Any questions?" the angelic male asked calmly.
"None," the leader nodded. "I'd rather see her with you than him, anyways."
"I figured as much," the male chuckled. "I'm known as Xypherael."
"But...she's supposed to be...!" Colk started. He never finished. Both Xypherael and the Demon Hunter leader shot him dead. Kartha was just a trembling mess when she saw the massive, silver and gold crossbow fold in on itself to be placed back on his back in the hidden carry seat. Xypherael stood up tall and gave off the sensation of a job well done. The leader was already impressed with him. He also liked the crossbow.
"How does it fire?" the leader mused.
"With Heavenly Light. It auto-fills. No need for true bolts," he chuckled. Then he nudged the corpse with a silver boot and asked, "Need help disposing of that?"
"No. I have my ways," the leader nodded. "He was acting very out of sorts, anyways. One of us was bound to put him down. Him using weapons against me only sealed it faster."
"Understood," the angel nodded. Now he looked at Kartha and offered an armored hand to her. "Will you join with me and live with me in the High Heavens? You'll be kept safe there."
"I'll want to train and hunt..." she started. He rose up a finger to her lips to quiet her.
"There are always demons to hunt. Don't worry. I'll be there to help you hunt them down," he said with a confident air of pride. "I've been killing demons for a very long time. I'll even teach you some new techniques. And...ah. Your weapons. We'll need to get you better ones."
"They are only training crossbows," the leader snorted. "She does not waste her real weapons on mere training runs. I taught her better than that."
"Good to know! Hmm. And you should tilt your body up the next time you jump away. You'll land on your feet better," Xypherael said to him. This had the leader pondering at that news.
"Do you think...you could...oh...train me?" the leader asked. "I'm wise in my years, but I will always listen to a fellow killer of demons."
"We can arrange something," Xypherael nodded. Kartha seemed to shiver and didn't even stop him from moving to pluck her up and cradle her.
"Before you go, I'd like talk to you," the leader said.
"Sure," Xypherael chuckled and walked with him. Not once did he set Kartha down. That was how she knew that she was finally home and fully protected.