...A short while later, after an uncomfortable swell of quiet sadness had settled over the two, Ammon attempted to apologize for his inappropriate behavior. "Uh, Rin, I...uh—about earlier... I," he started, stumbling over his words. "I'm sorry. I should have kept my big mouth shut..." He averted his gaze and tucked a lock of black hair behind his pointed ear. "I... I'm not very good with people...and I usually don't think before I say something...so, uh..."

Rin cut off his rambling with a boisterous laugh. "You remind me of Izumi—he would always apologize for stupid stuff he said." His smile and wistful tone managed to calm Ammon's racing nerves—if only a little.

"We're still about ten minutes away from the palace," he said after a short pause, "so, in the meantime, I'll tell you a little bit about Gehenna.

"The Infernal City is circular and broken up into nine parts, each separated by farmland. There are eight equally divided 'Octants' and the center point where they meet, called the 'Palace District', (for obvious reasons.) Each Octant has its own name and belongs to one of the eight demon kings, while the Palace District is considered sanctuary, (in case, for example, Dad and Astaroth try to kill each other...again.)"

Rin leaned an elbow on the open windowsill and rested his chin in his hand. "What's a 'demon king', anyway? I thought Satan was king."

Ammon perked up at his sudden interest. "We have different levels of government, much like humans. Demon kings are direct descendants of Lord Satan that govern a population relative to their 'element'. For example, Astaroth is the demon king of rot, so he is responsible for lesser demons related to rot like coal tar, ghouls, death hounds, and so on and so forth. Lord Satan governs the demon kings. The vast population is easier to care for this way."

"The population is separated into elements? You mean like fire and water and stuff?"

"Correct! The eight demon kings are, in no particular order: light, time, fire, water, earth, rot, insect, and spirit."

"I'm a direct descendant, right? Sooo...that makes me a demon king, doesn't it?" The idea of sharing responsibility with eight other people seemed to make his burden less daunting. "Do I get an element?"

"Nope." Ammon's answer made Rin's shoulders droop considerably. "Your 'element' is technically Lord Satan's flames, which automatically puts you higher up on the hierarchy than a demon king. Hence why we call you 'prince' and 'majesty'."

He groaned, face scrunched in annoyance. "I don't get it—what's so great about blue flames?..."

Ammon laughed cheerily. "That's something you'll have to discover for yourself." He stopped as Chaul rolled safely through a pair of open gates. "Rin, look!" He gestured eagerly out the window like a child, disturbing Shesha's sleep. "That's the Obsidian Palace!"

Rin took a deep breath and braced himself for the demon horrors that he would find outside the carriage—blood and gore, monsters with disfigured faces and mangled bodies, death and destruction and disease, and everything in between that demons were known for. But, the sight that awaited him was something he never expected to see.

The Infernal City—the world ruled by Satan—was a suburb.

Albeit a bit decrepit and stained gray by years of ashfall, it was a perfectly normal neighborhood. In fact...it looked eerily similar to the area where he grew up: he recognized fancy, two-story houses with slanted roofs, squat, austere homes with small, decayed yards, and tall structures that could function as apartments or office buildings. The only thing that looked out of place was a mass of seven spires stretching high above them. Rin assumed this was the Obsidian Palace based on Ammon's overly excited grin, (sheesh what was wrong with this guy?)

Against the backdrop of stout buildings, the Obsidian Palace's monolithic bulk gave it a daunting appearance. It was made up of seven pointed towers: the center spire was the tallest, and the remaining three on either side of it decreased significantly in specific increments. It reminded Rin of the morning sun peeking over the horizon.

"Cool, huh?"

"...It's huge."

"Nah," Ammon dismissed his awe with a wave of his hand. "It's mostly for looks. The inside is pretty disappointing as far as palaces go. It's...kinda like a backwards TARDIS."

Rin frowned and raised a brow. "A what?"

"Uhh..." Before Ammon could explain his unwarranted use of British TV references, one of the demons quietly passing the carriage caught his eye and called out to him. He waved to her, an exaggerated smile brightening his boyish features.

"Ammon brought the prince!" The girl's outburst quickly traveled through the small area, and soon a crowd of demons were eagerly gathering by the side of the road, trying to sneak a peek at their new ruler.

Embarrassed and overwhelmed by the sudden attention, Rin leaned back and tried to hide his face behind a hand. "What are you doing!?" Ammon scolded through his tight smile. "Wave to them! This is why you're here!"

Rin did not want to wave to a mass of demons, especially when he considered one might try to bite his hand off if he did; but, in the end, his curiosity won and he peeked at the people from between his fingers. He saw horns and wings, scales and hooves, snouts and claws, hair that seemed to move on its own, long tails with furry tufts... And yet, despite their varied appearances, they all looked at him with the same expression: hope and respect. He gave in and waved a few times, excited—and frightened—that so many people were eager to meet someone as insignificant as him.

"See? Demons aren't all that bad." Ammon gave him a soft smile, satisfied to find him enjoying himself a little.

He quickly tucked both hands under his arms and made a stubborn face. "I-I never said they were!" Ammon shook his head, amused.

Soon enough, the crowd thinned and vanished, and the carriage came to a stop. Ammon shoved the door open with a foot and hopped out, thankful for the opportunity to stretch his rigid muscles. Shesha left his perch on the Lord Commander's shoulder to go do...whatever it was snakes did when they returned home. "Thanks for the ride, Wren!" He caught the hound as he jumped off Chaul and stumbled. "Meet up with us in the throne room once Chaul is taken care of."

"Y-yes sir!" He bowed deeply, an unnecessary action, and earned a sympathetic pat on the back from Ammon.

He glanced around and sighed with frustration when he noticed Rin was still hidden in the safety of the carriage. "Are you going to sit there all day?"

"No!" Rin spat, glaring. "I just want to make sure there are no hungry demons around..."

He rolled his eyes, exhausted with the prince's behavior. What happened to the curious Rin who engaged him in conversation earlier? "Look, Rin, I promise no one is going to hurt you. If someone tries, then I'll protect you."

"Yeah? How do I know that's not another one of your tricks!?"

Ammon scoffed, offended. "Do you really think I would go out of my way to trick you back into a dangerous situation after all the trouble I went through to bring you here?" He held up a hand to silence Rin as he opened his mouth. "Don't answer that. The point is, if I wanted to hurt or humiliate you, I would have done it by now. I know it's entirely my fault you're here and I don't expect you to ever forgive me for that. But, I've been nothing but polite this entire time, and if you can bother to return even a fraction of the trust I've shown you, this will be a hell of a lot easier for both of us."

Rin pressed his lips together and shamefully lowered his gaze. It annoyed him to no end that a demon could make him feel like such a jerk, but he was right. No one had acted overtly hostile toward him, (yet), and he would be stuck here for a few days regardless, so it was in his best interest to suck it up and cooperate. With a huff, he reluctantly jumped out of the carriage and joined Ammon beside the dirt road.

"Not so scary, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

"It's nice to see you've learned to keep your temper under control, Lord Commander."

The two jumped at the sound of a woman's voice. Rin turned to find a tall, elegant woman standing by the Palace's main doors. "U-Undine? O-of course! I'm an adult!" Ammon placed his arms on his hips and puffed out his chest.

"You've been an adult for over a year now, Ammon. Acting like one now isn't something to be proud of." Ammon's confidence deflated. "And who's this handsome young man?" She smiled at Rin.

She was absolutely beautiful, almost like a goddess, and nothing like what he expected a demon to look like. Her skin was parchment white and flawless, and her incredibly long hair was a deep, transparent blue. She wore a simple, cream dress and a thin, golden chain with a small teardrop pendant. Both the fabric of her clothes and her hair moved strangely, as if she was being pushed by an underwater current.

"Oh, Rin," Ammon gestured to her. "This is Undine and Grim—two members of the Order of Angels."

"So your name is Rin?" Undine dragged their attention back to her. Her voice was not as lithe as Rin thought it would be—it was firm and strong and seemed to give her an air of power. "What a wonderful name. As Ammon said, I am Undine—distant nephew to Egyen, king of water. We've been so eager to meet you, Rin. Please allow me to welcome you to Gehenna."

"Is that why you two couldn't be pissed to wait inside with everyone else? Grim isn't exactly someone who exudes hospitality." She frowned and tugged roughly on Ammon's ear. "Ow! Oww—ok, I'm sorry!"

"Mind your tongue," she scolded. "What happened to being an adult?" Rin snickered as Ammon rubbed the pain from his ear. "Grim and I are out here because Toor is waiting for you in the throne room." She paused to shake her head, hair flowing oddly with her movements. "You know how much Grim dislikes lizards. Oh, where are my manners? Rin, this is Grim—kin to Astaroth."

Rin, enraptured by the woman's otherworldly beauty, failed to notice the impressive, hulking beast standing behind her until it grunted and moved. Grim was at least eight feet tall and wore oversized, frayed, black robes that seemed to make him appear even bigger. He had a massive, dark, skeletal body, though his face and hands were all Rin could see through the thick, overlapping fabric. His head was skull-like and had no lips, revealing a set of sharp teeth arranged in a permanent scowl. His bony fingers ended in long claws. Grim was the antithesis of Undine—exactly what he expected a demon to look like.

"Uhh...n-nice to meet you..." He stepped back nervously, placing Ammon between him and the monster.

The Lord Commander ignored Rin's apprehension, his rage quickly resurfacing. "What the hell does Toor want now!?"

"What else? To meet the prince."

Ammon snorted, an angry, disgusting sound. "His balls can meet the bottom of my boot..." He growled under his breath, (and shrugged innocently when Undine frowned at him again.)

"Who's Toor?" Rin asked, mispronouncing the name.

"The bane of my existence." He turned back to Undine. "Can't you deal with him?"

She shook her head again and stepped aside, gesturing to the entrance. "You're an adult, Ammon. Sometimes adults have to do things they don't like."

"Ugh, I know..." Ammon groaned loudly in defeat and allowed his entire posture to slump, as if all the air had been knocked out of him. "Come on, Rin... Let's get this over with." Giving Grim an unnecessarily wide berth, he followed Ammon into the Obsidian Palace.

Rin, having never been inside a castle before, wasn't sure what to expect. The doors opened up to a large foyer and he found himself...thoroughly unsurprised. There was a wide staircase in front of them that led to a second floor, flickering torches in metal sconces on the walls, an old rug, and a dusty but well-lit chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. No elaborate paintings of Satan, no creepy gargoyles glaring down at him from their pedestals, no gold, no stained glass windows, not even suits of armor, (that was a thing palaces had, right?)

"Wow..." Rin glanced around him once, and saw everything there was to see. "This place looks haunted." Ammon ignored him and hurried up the staircase, taking two steps at a time. He burst through the double doors at the top without a moment's hesitation, and charged forward, his stride heavy and angry. "H-hey, wait for me!" Not wanting to be left behind with ghosts and cobwebs, Rin hurried to catch up to him.

The doors led to a long room lit by strategically placed torches and candelabras, each blazing with a bright blue flame, making the place feel cold and desolate. Eight large, carved pillars sat on either side of a gray rug that stretched to the other end of the room, leading to an austere, stone chair upon a wide dais. Small, evenly spaced windows allowed in light, though it didn't do much to brighten the atmosphere.

Was... Was this the throne room?

Rin couldn't decide whether to be relieved or upset that Ammon hadn't lied about the interior of the Palace.

Off to the side of the dais, two people were engrossed in what appeared to be a rather heated discussion. Well...Rin thought they were people at first. One of them could be mistaken for a man...if it weren't for the bull's head and furry legs. His skin and hair (fur?) were pitch black and his eyes, golden and impatient, seemed to glow under his thick brow. Two lightly colored horns jutted from his temples and curved back sharply, following the shape of his head. They both ended in dull, sawed-off points. The other demon was nothing less than a green lizard, complete with scales and a long face. Unlike the bull, he was dressed in a lavish, colorful robe with an overlapping triangle design.

Rin, uncertain of exactly what he was getting himself into, quietly followed behind Ammon, making sure to keep his distance—just in case.

As they approached, he could pick up pieces of their conversation. "...and illogical. This is not how he wanted us to continue his reign." The bull had a deep, booming voice and oddly flat accent.

The lizard, however, sounded...like a lizard. "What else are we supposed to do? Sit idly by and watch our children starve? Your plan is nonsense, not mine!"

The black minotaur hesitated, a hand under his furry chin in consideration. "Of course not. But...using unnecessary violence won't get us any closer to Assiah. Causing a war will bring nothing but suffering to both sides."

"Ahh," the lizard shook his head in disappointment. "I see the 'Lord Commander' has poisoned you as well. What a shame." At the mention of his title, Ammon cleared his throat loudly. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

"Well aren't you just hilarious," he spat sardonically. "What are you doing here Toor? Didn't we agree that you'd be a rat somewhere else today?" He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Thanks, Asterius—I can take it from here." The bull nodded once and stepped aside to allow them room to speak.

Toor laughed, an airy, inhumane sound. "'Somewhere Else' was full so I decided to spend my time here instead. Are you going to kick me out?" He spoke evenly and stoically, without a trace of passion in his demonic voice. It suddenly occurred to Rin that all the demons he'd met so far, (especially Ammon), had a very human way of speaking.

"You know I can't do that." Ammon waved a hand angrily. "Just say what you came here to say and get out."

"Very well." He leaned to look over Ammon's shoulder at Rin. "Greetings, your majesty." He bowed his head. "I am Toor. You may also call me the...leader of the rebellion, for a lack of better words."

Rin raised a brow and studied him, exceedingly suspicious. "Rebellion against what?"

"Humans, of course."

"W-what?"

"Having grown up in Assiah, it should come as no surprise to you that our kind is being abused by various 'exorcists' around the world. I—and my followers—merely wish to see demons treated fairly. And, if humans just so happen to be eradicated in the process..."

"Enough!" Ammon snapped, stepping in front of Toor. "Killing and enslaving humans is not what Lord Satan wanted! He wanted a peaceful agreement, not a war!"

The lizard shrugged, (or at least it looked like he shrugged.) "Things have changed since Lord Satan's passing. There's nothing wrong with a little revenge. Besides, it will make combining our worlds that much easier. Wouldn't you agree, your majesty?"

"R-revenge...? What? N-no!" Rin shook his head, eyebrows coming together in a scowl.

"That's enough, Toor. We're no better than the exorcists if we try to start a war with Assiah. We need to come to an agreement so everyone can benefit—not just demons." He glared at the lizard. "If you truly believe taking Assiah by force is the only option, then the Palace has no place for you."

Toor let out a slow breath, his eyes closed. "You are still very much a child, Ammon. Yes, everyone knows that a compromise with humans would solve all our problems. But, think, Ammon! How likely is it that humans will agree to any type of alliance with us?" Ammon opened his mouth, but had no response. "You often seem to forget that what's left of Lord Satan's army still blames the exorcists for his untimely death. And they still blame you for the incident that took place shortly after—back when you thought we could just walk into human society and be accepted."

Devastation lanced through Ammon, ripping all the anger and confidence from his face. Try as he might, he couldn't compose himself, and so he stood there, horrified and confused. "I... I was just... I..."

The lizard continued, relentless. "It is childish of you to think that anything but war is in our foreseeable future. If Gehenna does not go to war with Assiah, then it will go to war with itself, and we vastly outnumber you." He paused and then nodded to himself, satisfied with the reaction he received from the Lord Commander. "That was all I came to say. I shall take my leave now." He brushed by Ammon and stopped in front of an utterly confused Rin. "I make regular visits to the Palace District, so this is not the last time we'll meet. It would be wise of you to consider what has been said here, your majesty. And—please—do not believe all that Ammon tells you. He may have good intentions, but good intentions in the hands of a fool can be a dangerous weapon." With that, he shuffled out of the throne room, passing Wren as he did.

"Your majesty," Asterius started, his voice comforting and soft. "I'm sorry you had to hear that. Toor has been giving us trouble for...a while now. He doesn't seem to understand when he's not welcome."

"W-what was he talking about? War? An army? Enslaving people? What's going on!?" Rin looked to Ammon for answers, but the green-haired demon couldn't meet his gaze. Wren stopped just short of them, awkwardly aware that whatever was happening didn't involve him.

"Ammon?" The bull reached out tentatively, attempting to offer a bit of comfort.

"Don't!" Ammon cringed away from him and pressed his hands firmly to his chest, as if the minotaur's touch would burn him. Almost immediately, he caught himself and lowered his arm, a generous smile on his face. "Don't worry about me—I'm fine! The shit Toor says doesn't bother me anymore."

"Ammon, please." Asterius regarded him with concern.

"I'm fine—drop it," he snapped curtly. "Rin! I'm sure you're tired after coming all the way from Assiah, right?" The upbeat tone in his voice was unnaturally forced.

"No, not anymore!" Ten minutes ago, Rin would have gladly accepted any offer to be alone for even a short while, but, now, his mind was reeling with the possibility of his friends and family becoming slaves to monsters like Toor. "Why didn't you tell me anything about this!?"

"It's difficult to explain. Give me some time to think—I'll answer all your questions in the morning, okay?"

"No!" he spat. "I want answers now!"

"Rin, don't-"

"You never said anything about taking over my world! Tell me what's going on!"

"I said I'll answer your questions in the morning!" Ammon suddenly shouted, his angry voice echoing off the stone walls. This drastic change of tone caused both Rin and Wren to jump in surprise. "Look," he started, calm but firm, "there's too much you don't understand. I can't just tell you everything right here right now. Wait until the morning—I'll gather everyone for a meeting and we'll explain what we know then. All I ask is that you be patient for just a little while longer. Can you do that for me, Rin?"

"I... I-"

"Good." Ammon cut him off sharply and turned to Wren. "Please show the prince to his room." And, with that, the Lord Commander turned on his heel, cape billowing with his hard movements, and quickly exited through one of the side doors, leaving the three to fester in the quiet, blue gloom.