Only in Death Does Duty End
Chapter One
The Shadow Lands, House Kimaris
The Underworld was once a feral land where terrifying creatures and vile beasts wandered unchecked and unspoiled.
It would forever be altered by the arrival of Lucifer and his 72 Pillars.
His followers were few compared to the millions of Angels he once commanded, but the formerly beloved 'Star of the Morning' did not leave Heaven empty-handed. He took the knowledge necessary to raise a civilization that could one day challenge the tyranny of heaven.
Lucifer raised a force of over one million devils cultivated from the genetic makeup of his 72 followers and the body of his comatose wife, Lilith. In a manner of days, he founded the sprawling city of Lucifaad and established a burgeoning civilization called the Infernal Empire.
This dark seat of power became the foundation of Lucifer's kingdom, and within a century, his 72 Pillars created dominions that varied in size and splendor.
The lands of Gremoris are a lush countryside where all levels of Devil Society can flock to its pastures for safety or employment. House Gremory has presided over these territories and has become, in essence, a beacon of stability for its unruly society.
The frozen wastes of Seracan are dominated by House Sitri, where the most sophisticated Nobles constantly delve into the arts of arcane science from within the confines of their towering spires. They test the boundaries of real space to understand their enigmatic homeland's ever-puzzling secrets.
From the island fortress of Agreas to the fiery plains of Beliarus, the 72 Pillars dominated the Underworld in a unified front that would challenge Heaven's power for a Millenium.
Until a bloody civil war destroyed this harmonious front.
Clans that once took up arms for their Satan overlords now strike out against them in a rage that has not been seen since the Great War.
Many Houses have sought to maintain their neutrality with minimal success.
The families with a dominating influence within Devil politics found themselves in the unenviable position of choosing a side either by circumstance or strength of arms.
However, one realm remains separated from the brewing civil war consuming the Underworld.
The Shadow Lands is not for the faint of heart, and only the insane would dare enter its territories without an army at their back. The infamous fog of shadows has beaten even the most determined of Devils, with even the great Zekram Bael and Malroth Abaddon unable to endure its terrible nature.
However, one among their number found success, where others failed.
It was a Devil of unimaginable scale, commanding an inexhaustible Legion that tamed the eldritch terrors that roamed its shadows.
He founded a House built upon empathy and malice, passion and scorn, sensible courage and irrational vengeance.
He created a family tempered in the fires of the Great War.
He is the 66th Devil.
Archduke Cedric Kimaris.
Lord of the Darkness and protector of the Shadow Lands.
In the millennium since the foundation of Lucifer's 66th Pillar, none have walked this territory without the guidance of a Kimaris Clan member lest the Chimeras prowling in the desolate fields tear them into pieces or the tendrils of darkness drag them into the endless night.
However, there are those chosen few who have bested the lethal shadows and basked in the glory of House Kimaris' teeming and magnificent countryside that contrasts the inhospitable environment surrounding it.
These intruders are so captivated by the divergent estates that they are left at the mercy of the Shadow Land's invincible Legion.
For generations, the 66th Legion has defended their homeland with a fervor that rivals the tenacity of Lucifer's Despoilers.
No matter the odds, the Black Guard of House Kimaris has never been found wanting.
Under Lucifer's command, none of the Legions genuinely held his admiration more than the 66th 'Black Guard.'
The First Shadow Lord executed Lucifer's will without hesitation or failure, and his death was a consequence of warfare and not the failings of the 66th.
The Legion still patrols their ancestral home, and their numbers have waxed and waned over the centuries, but they remain a potent fighting force that scours unwanted outsiders and deviants alike.
An impenetrable darkness has always shrouded these lands, and not even the prestigious clans of Bael, Agares, Sitri, and the long-defunct house of Lucifer have ever pierced its protective veil.
A veil that continues to withstand the test of time and the foolish insurrections of outsiders.
Cedric watched his Legion scour another attempt by Rizevim's lackeys to breach the lands of shadow with mild amusement.
For decades the children of Lucifer have been at each other's throats.
In their arrogance, the descendants of Cedric's former Masters chastised their underlings so utterly that the 72 Pillars took up the sword against them in a fury.
The Infernal War between Loyalists and Renegades has ravaged the underworld so utterly that House Kimaris can no longer stand idly by and let the civilization Lucifer created be torn asunder.
It is a war that Cedric wants no part in, and he would rather maintain his neutrality than throw his lot in with a failing regime or fight for a cause led by Zekram Bael and his pawns.
Alas, in a time of war, everyone must decide their loyalties, and the Renegades were lucky to receive his assistance.
"My Lord." A monotone voice belonging to Cedric's many attendants called out to him. "It is time."
"So it is." Cedric turned towards his red-skinned companion, clad in the blackened carapace of the 66th Legion Honor Guard. "Is everyone back?"
"Yes, my lord. Lady Jade and Ghislaine have just returned from patrolling the border." Eleamus placed a wrapped parchment atop Cedric's desk. "I have the after-action report ready, but I imagine you'd rather be present for your son's birth. Lady Elerin may not be in a forgiving mood if you continue to delay."
"As you say, old friend." Cedric closed a logistics report from his Legion's Prefect and immediately vacated his private quarters with a skip in his step.
A son.
He could scarcely believe that House Kimaris would finally receive the blessing of a male heir after all these years. Cedric loved his daughters more than anything else in this mortal plane, but he always wanted a son.
And the fates finally gifted him one.
It didn't take Cedric long to find the birthing chamber. Even in the maze that was his home, all he had to do was follow the anguished screaming of his first wife as his son made every attempt to prolong his own delivery.
Leaning against the chamber door with stern expressions etched into their features were two of his eldest daughters, Jade and Ghislaine, a magnificent yet lethal pair of temptress's who exalted the virtues of House Kimaris.
Ghislaine was the welcomed consequence of a fling during the Great War's final millennia. Her Nekoshu traits showed brightly as her bushy tail swished back and forth in anticipation of her newest sibling. A pair of bright amber eyes set firmly in her sockets reminded Cedric of her mother more times than he could count.
It's a shame she passed not long after Ghislaine's birth.
Standing not far from her half-sister was his eldest, Jade.
Her luscious black hair falls to just above the small of her back, revealing a lean and seductive countenance. A pair of emerald eyes are set graciously within their sockets, glancing between the contrasting heights of her youngest sisters as they stuck their heads into the room with barely restrained glee.
Rose and Sapphire were a rowdy pair of twins who practically lived off their antics around the castle, and their exploits left many of his guards and attendants exasperated. They were barely five years of age and already causing problems for everyone in the clan.
Sapphire, contrary to her name, retained hazel-blue eyes with pink hair done up in two buns on either side of her head.
Her sister possessed the same eye color, but that's where the similarities ended. In contrast to her twin, Rose had thick, stark white shoulder-length hair with crimson red at the tips. She already showed signs of a significant growth spurt and stood three inches above Sapphire.
Both would undoubtedly lead all his daughters in amassing broken hearts and shattered bones. Cedric pitied the fools or fool who managed to vie for their attention because they would be in for a lengthy and infuriating life.
A furtive glance from Jade alerted Cedric that his final offspring was missing.
Or at least that's what she wanted him to believe.
"RAARGHH!" A pair of tiny hands wrapped around his head with a sharp blade pressed against his throat. Cedric could practically feel the amusement rolling off of Jade and Ghislaine as their twelve-year-old sister attempted a faux assassination of their father.
"Surrender and die!" That's not precisely how Cedric taught her to demand an enemy's capitulation, but it was a work in progress.
"Now, now, Ashara." The Shadow Lord struck the jagged blade away and snatched his daughter by the scruff of her neck. "This is not the time or place to play our little game. Your brother will be here soon."
The little Devil hung from his fingertips, allowing him an unabated view of his daughter's pouty facial expressions. Like her sister Rose, Ashara possessed thick shoulder-length hair without the crimson red tips and pale grey orbs.
Ashe, as her sisters sometimes called her, was seconds away from a random tirade before Ghislaine disciplined her with a light strike to the back of her head.
"Keep calm, you little monkey." The Hybrid chastised as Ashe rubbed her pulsing skull. "Now grab your sisters and trust your mother doesn't see you acting up."
"Speaking of," Jade chimed in softly, eyes never leaving Elerins laboring form. "Where is Arwen?"
Cedric's second wife, Arwen Kimaris, was the mother to Ashara and the twins. Her absence was temporary at best, but keeping track of one another was difficult with the castle's current state.
"She'll be here," Cedric replied heartily. "Elerin will kill her if she misses Cyrus's birth."
Jade and Ghislaine perked at the name, eyes searching for deception in his crimson orbs. When neither found their father lying to them, Ghislaine was the first to speak her mind.
"I didn't think you decided on a name yet?" Cedric sent a cursory glance to both his daughters.
"Do you disapprove?"
"Nope." Both Jade and Ghislaine echoed their sentiments in unison, subtly exchanging objects with one another. Both his eldest daughters had a bad gambling habit, and he had hoped they would set aside their pride in favor of the brother's arrival.
A false hope for two devils whose lust was only eclipsed by their pride.
When they were younger, Cedric wished he'd sent one of his Night Wardens to retrieve them for training during their 'prolific' activities, which on more than one occasion escalated into a more…..expansive engagement.
Since discovering these wanton acts of unrestrained lust, he ensured the pair would never waste his precious time again by imparting a painful lesson of etiquette upon them.
"Sorry, I'm late." A dainty hand snatched Cedric's own, and a familiar intoxicating fragrance graced his surroundings.
Arwen Kimaris was an ethereal beauty, much like her sister wife, Elerin. Both were former members of the long-deceased Valefor Clan, and they were his pride and joy for most of his lifetime.
Like most Devils, he valued power above all else and mixing the blood of Kimaris and Valefor provided potent offspring. The fact Cedric was able to take both daughters of the Malephar for his own without complaint from the other Clans spoke volumes of House Kimaris' power.
He was a lucky man in more than one way.
"You're just in time by the sounds of it." Arwen had a sly smile cross her face as the screams of labor began to subside. Cedric dragged his second wife towards Elerin's bed, pushing aside the nursing attendants just in time to see the newest addition to their family.
Elerin's flowing black hair pooled around her pillows as she held a precious bundle of quiet life in her arms.
Rose and Sapphire bounced on their feet, climbing onto the bed and pawing at their youngest siblings' delectable cheeks. Christie did her best to restrain herself, but she was little better than her younger sisters.
"He's beautiful," Arwen commented softly, eyes dancing with a deep fondness for Elerin's youngest and only son.
A cursory glance towards his eldest daughters allowed Cedric to see their eyes light up with intense affection. Jade and Ghislaine were hard women to please as their Legionnaires could abide by, but his son had found a key to their guarded hearts with his presence alone.
Cyrus was going to be good for this family.
Cedric only hoped he would get to see it, but Elerin didn't seem to care in the slightest for the coming battle turning her arms towards the twins in a barely restrained sense of joy.
"Come here, little ones. That's your little brother." Sapphire and Rose each sported innocent smiles while providing his cheeks. "Cyrus is one of us, a precious gift and a substantial responsibility. You must always be good to him, always take care of him, understand?"
A beaming Christie joined the twins, and it didn't take long for the rest of the Kimaris family to gather around their newest addition with motions and words that could only be described as loving.
On that night, Cyrus Kimaris was born into a world of Devils and Angels.
None could truly know that his actions would dictate the course of history.
For in those crimson orbs laid the memories of a life dedicated to protecting the beating hearts of humanity.
In those eyes laid a Spartan with indomitable willpower hardened by years of struggle, genocide, and war. The scales of which surpassed even the brutal imaginations of the most bloodthirsty Devils.
A Headhunter was born that night, and the world would learn to embrace the darkness.
Not in fear.
But in adulation.
For where there is light, there is shadow. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.
The restructuring has begun, and while I can't say I'll be back in earnest, I will be uploading all the redone chapters one by one. Some will upload within hours of each other, and some will take several days until we catch up to the culmination of Lucifaad.
There will be an odd amount of changes in the storytelling, with sections removed, moved, or condensed altogether.
Regardless my goal of bringing down the chapter count from at the end of the Lucifaad Arc from 30+ to somewhere in the low 20s by again removing, reimagining, or condensing sections into somewhat larger chapters was a success.
I hope this change helps smooth out the storytelling, but that remains to be seen. As of now, I have already removed every chapter and will begin the mass reupload, so be prepared for that inevitability.
In other news, I graduated from the police academy, and my first day on the streets is tomorrow. I hope I don't make the news.
Be safe out there, everyone. I'll see you all again.