Chapter 25 - High stakes, getting snake steaks
"No… No, no, No, No, NO! HOW?! How could this be?! I… I was careful! He… That arrogant, pompous freak! That damned excuse of a demon!" restless, panicked buzzing echoed through the spacious throne room, accompanying the fury of the duke of the Abyss, just as the last pulse of a peculiar time-breaking wave faded away. Precious pieces of crystal vases and terracotta sculptures were shattering against the marble ground, brocade cushions and velvet curtains turned into tatters upon contact with Abaddon's claws. The demon was trembling with unimaginable outrage which could only be rivaled by his terror. The abnormal energy surge which had been felt all around had Samael written all over it. Not many demons would know that, but he knew. He had lived long enough to experience the peculiar time fluctuation a few times before. And even though he didn't feel Samael's presence per se, the effects were undeniable. The time flow went crazy when Samael was nearby, unleashing his power. And time was always on Samael's side.
"He must have learned… somehow… Has one of my spies switched sides?! Has any of my underlings rattled on me?! No… No, that cannot be. All who know anything, even a tiniest bit of my plans, are either loyal to me or under my Blood oath. And I only feed his spies the information I choose to. But still… Did he bribe those good-for-nothings?! Did he guess somehow? That bastard!" Abaddon thundered, completely absorbed in his tantrum. His swarm of locusts was shining bright-red as they were flying around in a frenzy. "To feel the time change so much… He must be near. He's coming for that human bitch of his. And then for my head! Damnation!" the duke was breathing raggedly, beads of sweat running down his temples. He buried his fingers into his hair, clutching them so tightly he almost tore them off. His careful plans, his revenge, decades of humiliating bootlickery towards that arrogant, spoiled demon lord for whom Gehenna was but a playground. And now this!
As much as Abaddon hated to admit it, he would be… perhaps outmatched in a fair fight. The mere thought filled him with unspeakable hate and malice. The victory was so close! He had been eliminating his enemies one by one in utmost silence during the last weeks, ensuring their demise would look like the result of various accidents, schemes and assassination attempts, battle injuries… He was in the perfect position to strike! His pet Executioner was already tamed, bound by the Blood oath, fulfilling his every wish and whim, obliterating any opponent he pointed at… "Oh, of course… The Blood oath!" Abaddon paused, remembering his own words. 'By your oath, should you ever encounter Samael, you will do all in your powers to kill him~.' "T-That's right! Samael would definitely want to reclaim the wench first. And when he does… he might just meet his own demise.~" An increasingly louder, crazed, malicious laughter filled the whole hall as the scenario played out in Abaddon's mind.
Samael had managed to cheat death many times, miraculously escaping from seemingly fatal situations. The duke had no idea how that excuse of a demon always managed that, but he suspected it must have been related to Samael's time-related powers. However, he hypothesized that even those would not help him against the permanent obliteration ability the human possessed. After all, that was the very reason Abaddon had captured the wench in the first place. Now, his Executioner would play her part. And as long as the Blood oath was still in place, she would attack with the full might of her peculiar power even The Lord of Time himself. In fact, especially him. True, the human was no match against the high-ranking demons of Gehenna, for sure. Nevertheless, the idea of Samael facing his very own weapon was simply precious. And so, the duke called for his servants and started barking orders before leaving for his secret hideout. He would need to disappear for some time to avoid the wrath of the Lord of Time. And quickly.
OoO
"Shhhh! Damnation! At least wait till we're not within earshot!" Khan chastised Ramil, whose laughter was gaining on power with each step further from the secret prison structure. The snake-like demon kept ushering him forward at a brisk pace to make sure they were as far as possible from that place, before word got out and the reinforcements came. His brutish comrade couldn't hold it any longer, though, and burst out till his chest was shaking and heaving. "Oh, by my demon's heart! I just can't…" he kept laughing wholeheartedly, his black eyes playing with amusement. "What's so funny, anyway? Don't you realize the situation we are in?" the lean, dark-skinned captain shook his head disapprovingly, still moving forward briskly. He was also silently commending himself for briefing Ramil only now about what exactly had happened in the dungeons. Otherwise, he was sure that Ramil's cheerful, cheat-death-attitude combined with his idiotic liking or respect or whatever he felt towards the human would have definitely drawn unwanted attention of their fellow underling guards.
"I knew it! That little, crafty human!" Ramil brushed a tear away from his eye. "She got me there for a moment… Satan's Flames, she got us all! Now look at her! She didn't just bust herself out. Oh no. Did you hear the guards from upper levels? They actually escorted her through the halls and opened the door for 'The Executioner'!" Ramil spread his hands theatrically, feigning a courteous bow while grinning from ear to ear. A facepalm drew his attention back to his snakish comrade. "What? Don't tell me you ain't impressed even ssslightly?" he elbowed Khan, mocking the snake-ish accent the other captain had worked hard to get rid of and did not really have anymore. After all, what are friends for if not to remind you of your past embarrassments? Khan's jaw dropped, then started moving up and down without making a sound. "I… You don't even… Aaargh, that's not the point!" he blurted out angrily, running his fingers through his hair.
Of course, he too was intrigued. The human had outsmarted them all! Even The Father of Lies would be proud, jealous even! The fact that she managed to use even the terrible burn mark to her advantage was just the tip of the iceberg. It's been a few centuries since he had felt completely taken off guard. Impressed. Astounded. And as much as he hated to admit it, terrified. Ramil had been knocked out too fast to witness, but Khan had tasted her raw power and it was… incredible at the very least. The memory of the purifying energy, the ardent halo threatening to consume him, the inexplicable sense of serenity of all things enveloping his senses… Khan closed his eyes for the briefest moment and shook the disturbing memory off. He had to get it together! "We've got more pressing matters to discuss than you rooting for that little human, who - by the way - might have just doomed us both." he pressed, his pace getting even brisker, his red cape flapping behind him wildly. Besides, how could Ramil be so cheerful about all of this? Didn't he realize the gravity of the situation? He was alive, sure, but there was also their failed mission and the certain wrath of their master, the fact that they barely escaped a permanent obliteration, the power which was now on the loose in Gehenna…
"Oh, come ooon, cut me some ssslack, will you? After all, I'm still alive! And damn, does it feel good!" Ramil said enthusiastically, stretching his muscles as he trailed behind Khan. "I mean, I can walk under the suns again - those scorching, burning bastards! I can feel every stupid grain of sand in my eyes again. By my demon's heart…" he chuckled, then started rubbing one of his eyes again, trying to get the sand out with a strange mix of annoyance and gratitude. Khan stopped in his traces, exhaling deeply. He turned swiftly and gave his comrade a strong pat on his shoulder. "Look… I'm glad you're alive, I really am." he said earnestly, mustering a small smile. "Satan's Flames, we both somehow escaped a certain death just now… But that just makes things a lot more complicated. And as soon as word about the human's escape reaches Abaddon… This is bad, Ramil, really bad! We need a plan and be ready for what could come… But…" the snake-like demon trailed off nervously, pacing around in deep thought. "But this 'incident' doesn't fit any of your plans, right?" the brutish demon curled his lips up knowingly.
"Of course it doesn't!" Khan threw his hands up in frustration. "I couldn't possibly have anticipated… well, this! I planned for the scenario where Abaddon decided to finally get rid of us once the human was tamed. I was ready for the eventuality where The Lord of Time found out about Abaddon's plans, even for the day where our dear Poison-maker would get carried away in her sadistic experiments and kill the prisoner. But this?!" came a bewildered, desperate question. "Just give yourself some credit, man. If we stayed in the dungeons waiting for Abaddon, we can only guess if he would have killed us outright in fury or he would have waited until after we informed him we knew absolutely nothing. We had to move, and we did. You planned and I followed. Period. Now, master schemer, what do you suggest we do next?" the brutish demon eyed his comrade expectantly and Khan knew that Ramil was not in the least mocking his skills in strategy with the 'schemer' nickname. He really trusted in his wits. Khan exhaled, grateful for the words of encouragement. He nodded to himself, then started thinking out loud.
"Very well. We are still bound to Abaddon by the Blood Oath…" the demon clutched the fabric over his chest, adjusting it uncomfortably. "I'm sure you can feel it too. It's already tugging at my body, and sadly, or rather fortunately in this case, we have so many orders from Abaddon that we are relatively free to decide which one to follow." "Aye, but Abaddon would definitely want his prisoner back first." Ramil grimaced sourly. "Yes. That's why we must find the human before something happens to her." A low chuckle interrupted his train of thoughts. Ramil refrained from teasing Khan about the shift in his speech, him adjusting the 'it' to 'her' already spoke volumes. So, he settled for another bit of joking around. "More like she happens to some poor fella' and obliterates him." Khan just rolled his eyes at that remark, then pinned his comrade with an annoyed stare. Ramil put his hands up in defense. "I know, I know. She's strong, but this is Gehenna. Not even that outrageous amount of raw power she had surprised us with in the corridor will help her if she ends up trapped in a quicksand or if a storm catches her unprepared. What's worse - Peaks of Peril here, Mountains of Menace there, bandits, wild tribes, mad ancient demons… Not to mention we are in the Wastelands, the border of Abaddon's, Mammon's and Jinn Al Jann's realms…" "Exactly. We must find the human fast, because if she dies…" "...we die. Abaddon will only consider letting us live if we manage to bring him back his lost toy." Ramil finished as if it were a simple matter. "We could summon our own troops to help with the search." the brutish demon offered. "I wish we had that luxury, but troops would draw too much attention of either the human, or worse, Abaddon's. And if he finds us before we get her… And you heard Abaddon - the Executioner's very existence must be kept secret for now. The guards saw the human and the tattoo on her face marking her as an executioner, but to them, it was just a tattoo, they have no clue as to her significance for Abaddon's plans, so we are still covered there. But the fewer demons know about her, the better. It has to be just the two of us."
"Good. Now we have a plan, and we can act on it. So, why do you still look like Beelzebub's flies ate your dinner?" Ramil raised a questioning eyebrow. "It's just that…" Khan frowned in frustration. "Even if we were to locate her, what then? How in Gehenna are we supposed to capture a creature like that? One wrong move and no Sabbath ritual, no resurrection spell will ever bring us back! And even if we manage to bring her back miraculously, we will have to rely on Abaddon's mercy to let us live… Or he will, but we end up guarding the human for the rest of her miserable life, and then he would get rid of us…" he shook his head and stopped in his tracks. "Satan's Flames, Khan, you are as depressing as this barren wasteland." Ramil said flatly. The sour grimace that was his only answer didn't stop him from looking his comrade straight in the eye. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Besides, our orders are to watch the human. Not to fight her, not to try and catch her, not to bring her back. You said so yourself - we get to play tight and loose with our oaths, and for once luck is on our side that Abaddon made the formulation so… open to interpretation…" he made a meaningful pause. "So, we shall watch, and then we shall see…" Ramil said playfully and winked at Khan, whose face took on a stunned expression. "By my Demon's heart…" Khan covered his face, then chuckled. "I sometimes forget what a brutish genius you are." "What can I say, I learned from the best." Ramil grinned. "Just don't learn too much, dammit. I was supposed to be the brains and you the muscle. If you surpass me in wits, I'll only be left with my smoldering good looks." the snakish demon said lightly, adjusting his long black hair and straightening up his pose, received an amused chuckle in response. Then, without further ado, the captains hastened through the desert, trying to catch up with the runaway. No one could pick her scent better than the sharp, smell-sensitive tongue of the snake captain who had spent months familiarizing himself with it.
OoO
The suns were shining onto the barren land of Abaddon's realm, slowly scorching everything their beams touched, making sure to give all the beings - stupid or desperate enough to step into the open - a hard time to survive. The small rocks combined with grains of sand kept crackling under Thea's tired feet, as she was pushing forward through the desert. She turned to face her plush companion, who was safely tucked in the bottle pocket of her rucksack. "I know, Mr. Wooly. I'm thirsty, too…" Thea thought and gulped hard, but rarely any saliva formed in her already parched mouth. She knew that her supplies wouldn't last very long, but she expected that she would be at least able to find some water by now, if not some more fertile grounds with something to eat, or perhaps a demon village. It's been three days since she had escaped the prison. Three days of running, sleep deprivation and exhausting walk throughout the blasted, scorching desert and there was just… nothing.
She could still feel a mix of demonic auras, but unfortunately, she wasn't able to pin-point any particular one. Either they were too far, or it was more of an ever-present mix of auras, a vibe characteristic for Gehenna. Much like the auras she could feel in Assiah, only she learned to ignore them or pick upon them if she chose to. In Gehenna, though, the permanent presence of evil was difficult to ignore even after weeks of imprisonment. It was there, gnawing at her soul, as if trying to crush her, to devour that which did not belong to this world. But apart from that, there really was nothing. Just rocks and small hills. Not a single tree in sight, not a single animal crossed her path. Well, she did see some fascinating creatures on her way, but those had died long ago, their exotic-looking bones leaving the only testimony of their existence. The whole world seemed to be set upon ending its inhabitants. She whined inwardly, tired and discouraged by her poor luck.
"Exactly." she nodded, answering her sheep companion's unspoken questions about the route she had decided to take. She was grateful she could at least think in human language, as speaking it was forbidden to her by the oaths that still had a hold over her. Besides, pretending to converse with her plush friend gave her a small measure of comfort and normalcy, of not being alone - the only Gehennian in the whole of Assiah. "According to the Poison-maker's map, we should have stumbled upon a small oasis right about the second day on the road to the Mountains of Menace. But I didn't spot any place like that." she frowned. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. If I go back to look around, the demons might catch up with me…" Thea shook her head. After a few more hours of walking, she finally came to a halt. "OK, time for a short break." a tired exhale escaped her mouth and she practically slumped to the ground. She was more than tired, she was exhausted. Incredibly so. She had barely rested, let alone slept from the constant fear of her pursuers catching up. The foreign, unexplored terrain of Gehenna kept her senses on high alert due to the anticipation of potential danger. She knew she couldn't keep this up for very long, her body desperately needed some rest. But for the moment, she just had to push through and limit her rest to short naps.
Thea sat down in the middle of nowhere, digging out some crisp grasshoppers she had thrown into her rucksack along with other supplies while escaping the dungeon. She only took a handful, her resources were growing thin, and she couldn't even guess how long till she found something to eat and drink. She was munching on the unappetizing snack, doing her best to ignore the ashy taste. Nothing really tasted any different in Gehenna, except for potions and poisons. She chuckled inwardly - no wonder the demons were trying their best to invade Assiah. If she had to eat insects, roots and tree barks her whole life while all of it tasted like ashes anyways, she would be the first to try and sneak into the world where pizza and Mozartkugeln existed.
Mr. Wooly was sitting right in front of her, leaning on the rucksack. In her mind, he too looked rather dusty and tired from all the observations of the landscape, as he had been trying to spot anything dangerous and alert Thea in time. She really didn't want to risk any unnecessary confrontation. Not in her current state. True, her power was back at its peak, but she couldn't afford to be using it, lest she wanted to alert her pursuers or other demons about her current position. So, she cloaked it by a barrier as always and prayed her body would be able to gradually recover itself from all the tortures. She also had to save her energy for emergencies, and considering she was strolling through Gehenna, danger could pop up on her practically out of everywhere if she wasn't careful. Not to mention that her very presence in hell was taxing on both her body and soul. If she could just take the earrings down, she was sure she could withstand the demonic pressure without even noticing… Her hand reached for her right ear in a subconscious gesture, only for her to realize the piece of jewelry was no longer there. "Oh, that's right…" she thought solemnly, and a thick lump formed in her throat. Unfortunately, she had not been able to find the torn off piece of jewelry during all the chaos of her escape. The precious memento remained lost somewhere in the dungeons. A deep exhale escaped her lips - it surely felt like Hell was consuming her bit by bit. She touched her other earring - still in her ear - for comfort, knowing that removing it would help her tremendously. But it would also make it so much harder, if not impossible, to mask her presence… She had spent hours wondering as to why the earrings her grandma had given her would work in such a way - suppressing her power - but came up with nothing.
"Hmmm? Oh, you're right, I'd better get this over with." Thea nodded towards Mr. Woolly, then she fished out the ingredients for the Beetroot nightmare she had been made addicted to and started mixing them, lowering the dosage of the drug another bit so that she could gradually stop taking it. The familiar smell of dirt and metal reached her nose, and she could already imagine the drug's horrible, revolting taste. Despite that, she licked her lips in anticipation. She was looking forward to it… Looking forward to the strange clarity, to the heightened senses, to the caffeine-like rush… And she hated it. She gritted her teeth. Oh, how she hated it! She was furious about what Zahar and Abaddon did to her. For the first time in her life, Thea actually wanted to return the favor and show the terrible drug down their throats, just so that her captors could taste their own medicine! Literally!
Suddenly, Thea's eyes widened at the train of her own thoughts. No. She had to stop herself from thinking that way! If she kept that up, then Gehenna would not only have taken over her body but also her soul. And while she looked like a demon, it didn't mean she had to act like one, too. "That's right, Thea. 'First do no harm.', remember?" the girl reminded herself of the Hippocratic oath she had taken. "No torture, no meaningless cruelty. Just… Just kill them like any other demon if they attack you again and be done with it…" she nodded to herself with resolve. She would do no harm, but she also wouldn't let them harm her again. She just would not! A shiver ran down her spine despite the terrible heat, the shadow of the horrors she would be forced to endure or unleash upon any demon Abaddon proclaimed his enemy, looming above her.
Her eyebrows furrowed - the place got darker, it almost looked like an actual shadow enveloped her. She spun around swiftly with her shotgun at ready, scanning her surroundings for any signs of danger. Nothing. She jerked her head upwards, peering towards one of the suns, and spotted two winged creatures flying right above her, screeching distantly. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest, pushing the adrenaline through her veins at the anticipation of potential fight. However, the birds - or whatever the creatures were, they were too far up for her to distinguish their features - seemed to be ignoring her, heading somewhere off to the desert. The battle-mindset immediately shifted to excitement. "Great, Mr. Wooly! Now we have a guide!" she exclaimed inwardly and started packing her things swiftly. The break had to wait. "Thank you, Yukio. …I hope you are fine." the girl sent a silent thought of gratitude to her teacher who had explained and shown her many useful survival tips during the intense training in area No. 12.
Normally, she would follow specific landmarks which could point her towards a potential source of water. However, the landscape was rather uniform and void of the usual orientation signs such as small bushes, valleys or mountains in the horizon. She certainly couldn't follow stars - Gehenna probably didn't have any or at least she hasn't seen any in the ever-crimson, twilight sky. Instead, pale outlines of what looked like moons of various sizes and phases adorned the sky, their features barely visible due to the two suns. Another method would be following the wildlife, which after three days of nothingness proved to be unsuccessful, though. Until now. These 'birds' were the first creatures she had so far encountered on her journey, and they would show her the way. There had to be a place somewhere nearby where they nested, and that place wouldn't be too far from water. Energized by the first sign of progress, she set off again.
After about half an hour of quick walking, she almost lost sight of the birds. They were but two little black specks in the reddish sky. But she didn't give into panic and simply kept pushing forward in the same direction, hoping for the scenery to change. And blessedly, it did. After two more hours, that is, but it did change! Even surprisingly so. "Well, that's new." she arched an eyebrow at the tree standing right in front of her. "Naaah, Mr. Wooly. I don't think we'll find any fruits growing on this kind of tree." came a skeptical conclusion after her brief check of the local flora. The withered, leafless stump looked rather pitiful. "The burning branches do create a nice, hellish effect, though." she said sarcastically and shot an amused grin towards Mr. Wooly - he would appreciate the dry humor, which was rather fitting for these dry lands. Then, she turned her attention back to the scenery in front of her. In the distance, she could see a set of small, flickering lights - undoubtedly other burning trees, standing there like little torches marking her way. "Come to think of it, they kind of remind me of acacia trees. Yukio mentioned that the Bedouin tribes use them to detect water. If a few acacia trees are close to each other, an underground water source must be nearby. Well, Mr. Wooly, let's hope he was right." she adjusted her rucksack which despite carrying a slowly diminishing weight started to feel heavier and heavier on her shoulders.
At last, the fiery path had led her to a crescent moon shaped valley. Thea kept looking around, but the place only offered burning trees, some rocks, bushes and… "Oooh, s…?!" Thea let out a disappointed whine, then cringed in the middle of 'seriously' as a jolt of pain shot through her entire body, sending her to her knees. She had just spoken her native language instead of the demonic one, so the bloody Blood oath curse kicked in. A perfected version of it, actually, since Abaddon realized she had pushed herself to speak her own language through the pain. And that was simply unacceptable. Now, all attempts to use other languages but demonic - apart from thinking - were punished with such intense pain that she would find herself passed out, not even remembering what she had tried to say.
She was thirsty, tired, angry, frustrated, lost… and she couldn't even swear properly to vent it all! "Damnation!" she cursed again, this time borrowing the demonic variant from her repertoire, then she angrily threw one of the rocks nearby to the friggin' lake of bubbling lava in front of her. Apparently, the Gehenna version of water springs were lakes and pools and streams of rock-boiling lava! Where was her oasis?! Or a well? Or a measly puddle? Demons too had to drink; she knew that very well. She definitely should have found some by now. She didn't bust herself out of a secret, well-guarded prison dungeon only to meet her demise in an abandoned desert of Gehenna! This was not fair! This was. So. Absurd! And unfair! Thea unleashed a stream of swear words in demon language, flexing her rather rich vocabulary in this area. She supported every angry swear word by throwing a rock which found its sizzling end in the liquid inferno.
Abruptly, the ground started shaking under her feet. Thea's breath got caught in her throat and eyes widened. She ceased her tantrum in an instant and looked around frantically, trying to keep her balance. Suddenly, the lava level in the pool where she had been throwing rocks rippled and trembled, then sprayed upward, revealing a huge fiery basilisk. "Satan's Flames…" she squeaked almost inaudibly, letting go of the rock in her hand. The basilisk unclenched its jaws the size of an excavator bucket and roared so loudly that Thea's ears rang. She dashed to the nearest burning tree quickly, taking whatever cover its withered stem could offer. Did the serpent demon see her? One careful peek answered her question and she barely managed to jump away from the basilisk's razor-sharp teeth as the demon launched at her, toppling the tree in the process.
She picked up her shotgun from the ground, managing a passable 'combat roll' Yukio had been drilling her. A bit clumsy, true… After all, close-ranged combat was never her forte. Nevertheless, she managed to fire two shots right in the middle of the basilisk's forehead. The basilisk paused. A tiny vapor rose from the area she had hit, but the overgrown snake merely flinched a bit. Thea gulped, realizing her mistake. If anything, the demon merely looked more annoyed than before, and it let her know by releasing another deafening roar. It echoed through the valley, making Thea's skin crawl. What now? She definitely couldn't engage in a melee combat with that monstrosity. She didn't have time to search for her special holy-water bullets either. Could she smite it with her power? Perhaps, but that would broadcast her position to every demon in the area, maybe the whole Gehenna… A fatal verse! "Do…! Ughn… Damnation…" Thea let out another painful squeak as she fell to her knees - she had just instinctively tried to chant a Latin verse to deter the demon. This was infuriating! She couldn't even recite any holy scripture against fire elementals because of the Blood oath! Not that she knew any specific one for fire basilisks, that was Konekomaru's and Bon's specialty, but there were some simple, generic charms and incantations which could perhaps slow the demon down and buy her enough time to flee.
She scrambled from the ground and ran as fast as she could, dodging the slow streams and pools of lava around her, trying to get away from the valley. But damn, the stupid snake was fast! And she was just so very tired. Tired to even walk, let alone run around in zigzags in a desperate escape attempt. However, the basilisk must have caught up on that plan because it slithered right in front of her in all its might. Thea halted in her trails, realizing that her escape route had been completely cut off by the basilisk's huge body, which was now fully out of its lava lake lair. It came to a halt and fixed her with its yellow eyes. Her vision blurred for the briefest moment, and she felt her body stiffen awkwardly, unable to move. "Paralysis!" Thea realized with dismay, unable to avert her eyes from the demon. It did not have as much power over her as it normally should, but it still made her slower, as if she was trying to walk in water. The demon looked quite amused, like it had already expected the outcome, like it had done this hundreds of times. It slithered towards her slowly, deliberately, as if enjoying the moment. Thea gulped. She didn't expect to be forced to use her powers so soon after her escape. Letting go of the barrier and allowing her powers to manifest would be like a beacon to her pursuers, and she was reluctant to give them such an opening. But… she couldn't die there either. She exhaled, readying herself to cast a binding circle and reaching to remove her one remaining earring.
Before she could unleash her power, though, she caught the sight of two shadows from the corner of her eye. A screech sounded from above her. It was the sound of the 'birds' she had followed to this place, only so much louder! The shadows grew larger, so much larger than she had originally anticipated. Their presence caused the basilisk to break the eye contact, removing its effects. She used the brief moment to jump over a rather broad stream of lava to her right, finishing the maneuver with a much less graceful somersault (if she could call it that) than she had envisioned in her mind. But hey, as long as it worked… A strong pressure of wind prevented her from standing up. Her eyes shot upward and widened in horror as she saw the two 'birds' descend from above. Their skin was featherless and instead had a thick, leathery quality. Their tails were serpent-like, and they had sharp teeth which stuck out of their beaks, three pairs of eyes, bat-like wings… the closest thing she could compare them to would be pterodactyls! And they were colossal!
Thea tried to crawl out of their path as one of the creatures launched down at a break-neck speed. It clutched the fiery basilisk in its talons firmly around the neck, seemingly unaffected by its burning, coal-like scales. The serpent thrashed around violently, snapping its jaws at the airborne attackers. When that didn't help, it seemed to try and fix the other pterodactyl with its paralyzing gaze. It wavered for a moment in the sky, flying a bit unevenly and erratically, shaking its head. Then, it spiraled down in the same fashion as its companion, talons first. They dug deep into the basilisk's head, causing the fiery demon to let out a terrifying cry of agony. Then it went silent. Thea gulped, shaking like a leaf, still trying to back away from the situation as inconspicuously as possible. The serpent demon was scary, and it tried to kill her, but she wouldn't wish such a painful ordeal upon it…
The basilisk kept thrashing around, apparently post-mortem, while the fire danced around it, engulfing the attackers. This time, the pterodactyls seemed to feel the heat, so they released the snake and after it hit the ground, they set for attacking with their thorny beaks, practically ripping it apart, feeding. The whole ground was shaking from the intense struggle between the beasts, sending splashes of lava flowing out all around her, way too close for her comfort. Thea watched in horror, as pieces of the serpent flew about, the fire burning within it slowly dying, leaving but a mass of flesh, magma and coal-like scales. Gehenna sure was a brutal place. She forced herself to remain alert. Her powers were well subdued both by her will and by her earring, but at ready. The pterodactyls did notice her, she was sure about that, but it seemed like they did not care for her. They merely feasted upon the poor snake, then set off with their catch firmly in their talons, heading in the direction where Thea had arrived from. "Wow, Mr. Wooly… There really always is a bigger fish. Bird. Dinosaur… or whatever…" she scratched her head, rather impressed.
Normally, she would feel relieved, even thrilled that she survived the dangerous encounter without resorting to using her powers. However, there was something about the incident that was gnawing at her mind. Thea's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the direction the supposed 'birds' took, then her palm found her forehead with a loud smack as the realization hit her. All this time, she thought she had been following the flying creatures to their nesting place which was supposed to be close to a source of water. Instead, she had followed them to their hunting grounds… from which they would return with their catch… back to their nesting place… At the bridge between cry and laughter, she stumbled back to her feet, dusting herself off. What now? Where would she go? She wasn't sure she could last any longer without proper supplies and her flask only contained about a gulp of water. If it hasn't already evaporated from all the heat, that is… The temptation to drink it right there and right then grew even more, because her throat felt sore from the thirst. Her vision blurred for a moment, the exhaustion undoubtedly taking the better of her. "Wait a moment… This is not exhaustion. It's this place!" Thea's eyes widened, her dizziness forgotten in another rush of adrenaline. This was the work of volcanic fumes evaporating from the lava pools around her. The symptoms were there, and she almost overlooked them by attributing them to the wrong factors. Now that she knew that, she had to move, and quickly!
"The end of the valley it is, then." Thea nodded towards Mr. Wooly. Returning back would only diminish the distance she hoped she had managed to put between her and her pursuers. And changing directions when she couldn't find any proper milestones on her map could potentially lead to her running in circles. Before she could set off, though, she felt her mouth water suddenly. That was more than surprising considering how parched it was. Another strange effect of the volcano vapors? Or was she that hungry? She didn't realize. Maybe the fight tired her more than she thought. Thea turned her head to her right, subconsciously following her nose to the… "Oh, nooo." a small, nervous whine escaped her lips. Thea shook her head, but she already moved forward, to the fire basilisk's remaining body parts left behind after the intense fight. The pieces of strange meat… which were lying on the hot ground, sizzling on the hot coals… letting out a devilishly alluring smell… Thea gulped audibly. She couldn't possibly eat that! The more she was eying the pieces of grilling meat, the lesser her resolve became.
"Ah, what the hell…" she shrugged, her concern and dining standards forgotten as she crouched carefully next to what turned out to be her dinner menu for today. "I know, I know, Mr. Wooly. But come now, I've already been fed locusts and gruesome poisons and God only knows what was in that gray, muddy porridge. This is, in fact, the closest to meat I've gotten so far." she reasoned with her plush companion. "Besides, it won't make any difference. All the food in Gehenna tastes like ashes anyways. A bit strange considering it smells so great. I might as well restock…" Thankfully, her Swiss pocket knife managed to slice through the meat without problems - it must have been cooked to perfection by the lava and flames. From what she remembered from her conversations with Tomoe, it was safe to eat. And if it was good enough for the flying monstrosities… She was incredibly tempted to eat right away but subdued her urge - she needed to find a safe place first. And so, she put as much of the meat as would fit in her rucksack carefully and decided to put some distance between her and the toxic fumes.
Holding the course of her journey, she headed as quickly as possible towards the very middle of the crescent-moon-shaped canyon enveloping the field of burning trees and fiery pools. Her lips curled into a silly grin as she threaded through the field. "Floor is lava, Mr. Wooly!" The grin soon grew into a soft laughter, then into melodic chuckles. This game-like activity was probably the first fun thing she has done in months, and she couldn't help but enjoy the little jumps and pirouettes. When her head got dizzy for the third time, though, she decided to play it safe. At last, she reached the canyon which revealed a tall, narrow entrance that should lead right through it. Thea peered inside carefully, assessing whether she really wanted to venture into the darkness. Then, she clasped her cheeks to sober up a bit, broke a branch of the burning tree and entered the canyon.
Treading carefully, she didn't really spot anything out of the ordinary. Well, if she could consider her little trip through the natural gems of Gehenna ordinary… The whole place seemed rather empty. Could it be that this was the basilisk's territory, and nothing really crossed without ending up as its dinner? The thought was strangely reassuring - at least that way, nothing would jump at her out of the blue. Right? She pushed forward for about half an hour, her makeshift torch surprisingly still ablaze. It didn't take long, and a familiar sound made her pause. It was the most beautiful sound she could imagine. Droplets. Tiny splashes. Water! She picked up her pace, following the promise of quenched thirst. Gradually, the canyon opened up before her, letting in some golden-reddish sunlight which kept reflecting from the surface of a small lake. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight, and she rushed forward as fast as her exhausted body allowed her to. Her knees hit the ground at the rift of the lake, but she hesitated. Was that really water? Drinkable? She looked around, and to her delight, she spotted some insects flying above the surface and what she could only describe as a tiny demonic mouse taking a sip, then disappearing quickly from her sight. Well, she probably wouldn't get any more reassurance.
Taking a deep breath, Thea lowered the cape of her cloak slowly and leaned above the liquid mirror. The familiar clothes hung loosely on her sickly thin body. A pair of bright orange eyes split vertically was looking at her curiously, carefully. Two horns twisting right behind her pointy ears adorned her otherwise bald head. A distinct black mark of the Executioner stood out noticeably, stretching all the way from her cheek and eye to her forehead. A face so unfamiliar. A demon's face… "Samael might have suffered your presence before, but I wouldn't be so sure about now. Just look at you. Repulsive - by demon standards, and now by human standards, too." Abaddon's voice supplied ruthlessly. Terrible memories threatened to resurface after the sight, but she pushed them back with a firm shake of her head. A few droplets of salty water mixed with the rest in the lake before Thea reached out, cupped the water in her hands and drank thankfully. She washed her face, too. It seemed as if the water was washing away all her concerns, all the fear and sadness. All of it. Then she looked at Mr. Wooly, who was seated right next to her, already refreshed, but bearing a troubled expression on his cute fluffy face. She smiled. "No worries, I'm fine. See, this is… it's… an advantage. Yes, advantage! I don't look anything out of the ordinary in Gehenna this way. My new appearance has helped me greatly in my escape attempt, remember? Besides, this is no time for… veneer of vanity, and the visage is just temporary." she winked and looked back to the water mirror, allowing herself a small, self-encouraging smile. It made the reflection look kind of witty and devilishly mischievous. "Yes. Temporary. I am sure. Temporary. I'm still a human." she assured herself with a firm nod. "Now then, let's hit the buffet, shall we?" Thea offered, fishing out today's specialty - 'inferno serpent flambé with locust crumble'. "See, Mr. Wooly? We fought a snake, got us some fresh steak, and now we're camping at the lake… Why, Gehenna is a piece of cake!~" she smiled at her plush companion. That was the first night she slept, well fed, deeply and soundly since she had come to Gehenna.
OoO
"Correction. We need to thread very, very carefully around her." Khan breathed out a whisper, careful not to betray their position. The captains were standing at the peak of one of the canyon curves overlooking the small lake where the peculiar human girl was resting. "You are overthinking this, Khan." the brutish demon shook his head, amusement playing in his black eyes. "Oh, am I, now? In case you haven't noticed, our runaway prisoner is resting down there after challenging the fire basilisk and claiming its territory!" the snake demon hissed, gesturing importantly towards the girl. Ramil's hand went up, scratching the place at the core of his right horn thoughtfully. "I don't think that's what happened. Well, it did, I just don't think she knows that." he smirked. "Oooh, I think she knows too well. I've underestimated that little vixen once and I'm not going to do it again." came a vehement proclamation from Khan. "I'm just saying, I don't really think she had planned for this to happen…" Ramil kept scratching his cheek where his scar ran, doubtful of his companion's conclusion.
"Ramil, she either has some inexplicable combination of both unbelievably great and poor luck or she's a master strategist. After what she had pulled off in the dungeons, I'm more than convinced it is the latter." Khan pressed his point, then continued to lay the picture out for the other captain. "Think about it. She was free to go any direction and she chose the path straight towards the Peaks of Peril. That's practically a death zone." he emphasized. "Even Mountains of Menace in the opposite direction would have been a much better choice. Or she could have turned the way she came from. Admittedly, she had been blindfolded and unconscious when we had brought her in, but she took the Poison-maker's map. The Warren Caves are clearly marked there. And even if she didn't know, why choose a place where even demons perish as soon as they approach it? " he questioned. "Well, Warren Caves would be anyone's first guess, of course she had to head elsewhere." "Yes, but Death Zone?" Khan pressed. "Perhaps she thought we would be less willing to follow her there." Ramil offered, earning himself an encouraging gesture. "Exactly! She must have known we would avoid that place. And in any normal circumstances, we would…"
"If she planned this so well, then what about her three days of struggle to secure even the most basic resources?" Ramil arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "She must have had enough supplies." Khan shook his head, dismissing the point. "Riiight… Khan, she ate less in all three days than what she had been rationed in her prison for breakfast. And I should know, I'm the one who prepared it for her." he emphasized. "You are completely missing the point. If she wanted some snack, she could have just dug up some amaranth roots. They grow everywhere in this region, she practically kept tripping on their seeds. You wouldn't miss those, they look just like jasper." Khan supported his theory with another argument. "Again, I don't believe that the human can distinguish the seeds from the rocks of Gehenna." came another polite disapproval from the brutish demon. "Minerals. Jasper is a mineral." Khan corrected him pointedly. Ramil stifled a chuckle - Khan's insistence on proper terminology when it came to rocks - pardon - minerals, was just hilarious.
In any case, Ramil wasn't convinced, but Khan did make some valid points. And apparently, he was not finished, his speech gaining on drama. "She was heading one direction and then spotted the ropens - Caim birds of prey. She immediately knew she could use them to her advantage. She must have known about the Great fire basilisk of the Crescent Canyon, dormantly resting there! The burning trees were clear enough territory marks. She ventured straight in. She. Challenged. The ancient fire basilisk Zhee-Zhala! In his domain! And in such a crude, uncaught manner at that! All those insults she used to provoke it out of its lair, calling him all kinds of lowlife…" Khan threw his hands up, then ran his hand through his hair in frustration, trying to banish the appalling memory. "Hey, don't look at me, that perky vocabulary is all you." Ramil lifted his hands up in defense with a wide grin, only to receive an affronted look in return. "Just randomly throwing rocks and yelling insults at the lair of Zhee-Zhala? No. I don't think so." he shook his head. "It was rather unexpected. And daring." the brutish demon said, his eyes playing with amusement. The human sure showed a surprising amount of courage.
Khan regarded his companion with a flat stare - this was serious and Ramil's expression betrayed amusement and appreciation rather than alertness. "Would you focus for a moment? She challenged the fire basilisk. She won. Not to mention without using her freakish powers. If that is not flexing, I do not know what is… She even feasted upon its flesh!" he couldn't help but raise his voice again. "So she did… And good for her, its meat is a far better source of protein than the locusts." the brutish demon kept nodding approvingly. "This is not the time for you to be rooting for that little human." Khan shook his head disapprovingly. True, the human had chosen to save Ramil instead of obliterating that brutish philosopher of a demon into nothingness. An absolutely foolish, irrational move on her end, yet Ramil probably couldn't help but feel indebted to the human. Unfortunately, Khan did too - thus the little push to the right direction when she had set off, determined to escape her prisoners. Looking back at his decision, he thought he might have misjudged the situation terribly. The human seemed to know more than what he gave her credit for. No more!
Ramil's baritone voice interrupted his train of thoughts. "For a moment, I really thought she was done for." he said. "Well, it looked dire, but if you were just listening to me, you could have avoided the little heroic rush which almost betrayed our presence!" came a scolding accusation from the snake demon. "Hey, I was careful. I know she can feel our presence, so we keep our auras hidden and avoid using our powers. But the basilisk had her trapped in its trance spell, it's a miracle she was able to move under its gaze at all. I'm not as fast as you, so I needed a head-start should things turn out ugly. Remember, she dies - we die." he lifted a finger importantly. "Besides, I'm not blind. You too were halfway down the canyon wall on your way to help her before the ropens showed up." he poked Khan between his ribs meaningfully, only to be regarded with an irritated look and pursed lips. "In any case, all the talk has made me hungry. Not to mention the smell from down there." Ramil leaned over the top, regarding the girl curled up in a slumber around a small fire pit. "Keep the watch tonight, I'll fetch us some food." the captain turned on his heel to leave, but then stopped for a moment and tapped a finger on his lips thoughtfully. "You know… It's said that serpent demon meat is one of the most tender sorts." he held Khan's gaze. "Your point being?" Khan raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Do be careful on your watch, my snake-ish comrade. The girl still looked pretty hungry.~"
OoO
"You imbeciles! You damned good-for-nothing Cyclops' brains!" Abaddon's erratic, outraged voice thundered all the way from the reception room through the whole prison structure. The locusts which filled the corridors kept pulsing with a vibrant color of blood, flying around in excitement, mirroring their master's vexed mood. The four remaining lieutenants - currently the highest-ranking soldiers guarding the dungeons - as well as the Poison-maker were kneeling on the ground, their heads cast to the floor as if it was the most interesting thing they had seen in ages. Except for the uncontrollable shaking, nobody dared to move a muscle from the fear they would end up as locusts' fodder. To say that the Duke of the Abyss was furious would be an understatement.
Abaddon paced angrily. "Three days. Three days spent in my secret hideout, waiting for Samael to make his move… And for nothing!" he raged inside. He had been positive that the time-altering outburst of energy was but a prelude to what was about to come… He had really believed Samael had been on his way to reclaim his human toy and to remind the whole of Gehenna just what it meant to suffer the wrath of a demon lord. Oh, and he couldn't have been more wrong… As far as Abaddon's intel could confirm, Samael was nowhere to be seen and he had yet to respond to Abaddon's messengers. Yes, in a moment of sheer brilliance, the duke had sent several 'distressed messages' to his lord and master, inquiring about the bizarre incident and whether Samael required his 'humble vassal's assistance'. Abaddon liked to consider all possibilities, so if there was even the slightest chance that the outburst was unrelated to him and Samael wasn't out for his head, he had to make sure to act like a proper vassal would.
"Turns out I made the right decision, after all." the duke assured himself inwardly. "Why, of course I did! I was right all along - Samael had long grown pathetic and weak! I have already outsmarted that pompous buffoon on multiple occasions. I've taken Samael's precious possession right from under his nose. I've broken and bound the oblivious human filth and molded it into the most powerful tool in existence. I was so close! …To think that I would overestimate that poor excuse of a demon who dares to call himself a lord!" Abaddon could feel the blood boil in his veins at the unacceptable turn of events. Apparently, his only mistake was that he had been too careful, too cautious. As soon as Abaddon had learned that Samael had not the slightest idea of what was happening and the outburst had been felt all the way through Gehenna, he had left his hideout and made his way to the secret dungeons… only to discover that his good-for-nothing servants let his most precious prisoner escape!
"Damn you all! Months of preparation and careful planning… then one 'outburst of foreign energy' and you all forget how to do your job?!" the duke quoted the report of one of his captains angrily. He knew that the guards didn't connect the strange phenomenon to Samael, but no matter where it came from, they were supposed to fulfill their orders! "Tsk, dimwits! Even if they knew it came from Samael, they should have known better! I told them before - Samael is history! A mere shadow of his previous glory! Ha! 'Glory.' Can't even hold his powers in check, that incompetent fool! He doesn't have a clue what's going on and he's completely losing it!" he shook his head with a strange mix of self-assurance and displeasure. Abaddon couldn't tell exactly what effect the time-shift might have, had or would have on time in Gehenna. He had to act quickly. However, he also knew that it must have been an unconscious or at least unwilling incident. Time was always on Samael's side, but this time around, Abaddon strongly doubted it. Nevertheless, he had wasted three days, hidden from Samael who was not even after him in the first place. Three precious days he could have been focusing on bringing the human back to his feet, where it belonged! He had to make up for the lost time. "Master, forgive us… We… We raised the alarm and mobilized all forces at once, went to secure the prisoners, but as stated in the report, the…" one of the lieutenants interrupted Abaddon's musings, but was quickly silenced by the overwhelming pressure when the duke had dropped his barrier, letting the overwhelming aura rage around and sucking the poor demon into a vortex. The insolent guard was reduced to a mash of clothes, meat, and blood in the process.
"Silence! I don't want to hear your excuses!" the duke thundered. Even the pained cries and pleads of his servants - usually a sweet symphony to his ears - didn't help improve his mood in the slightest. He was itching to strike them all down for their incompetence but thought better of it. As incompetent as they were, they could still be of some use. So, he reigned in his presence, then continued in the speech, spreading his hands in an outburst. "The human was frail and broken. She was blood-bound, yet still managed to escape through all the commotion. And you… You even held the door open for her! Does your incompetence know no bounds?!" Abaddon growled, but a low, trembling voice of another lieutenant interrupted his reprimand. "Sire, I beg of you… As per our blood-oath, the identity of your Executioner shall not be betrayed. But our men… they are not in the inner circle, they didn't know… The human presented herself as your Executioner, they assumed she was acting on your personal command. Perhaps if you could share some more information…" the lieutenant reasoned. "You dare order me around?!" came a threatening bellow from the duke. "N-no, my lord, I would never! On my Demon's heart! B-but if they knew…" the lieutenant stuttered through the sentences in the most embarrassing way, only to be taught his place by a firm kick into his face, which practically unhinged his jaw. He cried out in pain and somehow managed to bow down so that his head touched the floor. The jaw hurt badly but would heal soon. Provided he would escape his master's wrath alive…
"You had your orders, yet you wish to know of my plans? You desire more information, more details, more responsibility, hmmm?~" the duke coed with a sickeningly sweet voice as he grabbed the demon by his collar and pulled him up from the ground. "Here's a little detail for you. My Executioner is gone due to your incompetence! So, by your oath, you will serve me as a captain and you will bring her back to this prison in a month's time. If you fail to do so, you will march straight to the Stridulation Savannah for egging as your punishment." Malicious, crimson eyes met the terrified pair of blue ones, then Abaddon threw the newly promoted captain carelessly to the wall in front of him. The captain hit it with a loud crack, then slid down. His body started trembling as he was trying to process the strange mixture of delight at being made a captain and the dread of failure, but he managed a faint "Yes, my lord. Indebted and grateful, my lord!" "And all of you, follow your captain." the duke turned his gaze to the remaining lieutenants. "This is the last time you have displeased me. And if you cannot serve me properly - Blood-oath or not - there are thousands of demons who would be more than eager to replace you in my services. I've been more than patient and generous with you." Abaddon bit off, then turned towards the last source of his foul mood. "Now that… that part applies to you too, Zahar."
"Master?" Zahar's violet eyes widened. Just what was going on? She had returned back from her research of the Death Zone two days ago, just as planned, only to find the whole prison in turmoil and her supplies ransacked. Despite that, she had helped put some of the prisoners back to their cells using her poisons and various kinds of anesthetics. There was no doubt that Abaddon would be furious about what had happened, but she had never even assumed she should be worried about herself. There was no reason to! After all, the incident had nothing to do with her, she fulfilled her role splendidly, and even went the extra mile by aiding Abaddon's incompetent guards. What could she possibly have done to bring the duke's anger upon herself? "No more research trips for you until further notice. Dismissed." Abaddon said with an air of finality. "What?! B-but, sir, there must be a mistake…" the words escaped Zahar's mouth before she could stop herself. The Duke of the Abyss spun towards her swiftly, piercing her with a fierce look. "What was that, Poison-maker? Did I hear an objection just now?" he asked with a horrifyingly low, silent voice, taking a step towards her.
Zahar's whole body started trembling, then she quickly bowed her head, touching the ground. She believed she was long past all that courteous, humble nonsense. In fact, she considered herself to be amongst Abaddon's chosen, favorite servants. Surely she stood above these brutish soldiers! So why?! What was the meaning of this?! "My lord, forgive my outburst, I meant no disrespect… Sire, I did all you asked me for, even more! As I kept informing you in my correspondence, I suspect that the anomaly present in the Death Zone is directly connected to the Executioner. Continuing my research could only be beneficial to your cause. You see, even my last expedition showed a sudden huge change in the energy levels and radius. The time of the occurrence directly corresponds with the approximate time of the human's prison-break, and there is further evidence that…" a loud smack interrupted Zahar's best efforts to explain the importance of her research. "I don't remember asking you about your petty field trips. And yet you pushed my patience in each and every report of yours, bringing pages upon pages of useless rant to my attention. Tsk, wasting my resources to fly back and forth each week, to play in the dirt somewhere in the forsaken Peeks of Peril. Sending demon after demon to assist you and do your measurements… I realize now, I was way too benevolent with you. That ends now. You will remain in the laboratory and await my orders." the duke proclaimed importantly.
"But Sire, I obeyed your every word. My revenge, my research… You… You cannot treat me like this! I'm not like the others! We had a deal! You gave me your word!" Zahar stood up in a swift motion with her hands clenched into fists. She looked the duke straight in the eye with a hiss. Her peripheral vision revealed the appalled soldiers to her left silently exchanging curious, stunned looks. Abaddon's face went from slightly flushed red to purple in an instant. "You cocky bitch! You dare question my word?!" the duke's fury reached new levels as he unleashed another wave of his raw power upon his daring, incompetent servants. He grabbed the poison maker at her hair roughly, pulling her up so her feet barely touched the ground. "Yes, yes, we do have a deal. Let's count those pledges, shall we? We have a deal where you ensure that the human will no longer resemble a human, but a demon." Abaddon said, piercing the first of her five hearts with his hand, getting a pained shriek from the demoness. "A deal where you make sure she is suffering, where she's broken, obedient and tame and remains that way." another heart burst under the pressure of his claws while Zahar was thrashing around in agony. "And most importantly, a deal where you make sure to prolong her lifespan as much as possible in order to serve me. Where she attains the lifespan of a demon." the third heart failed with the last part of their deal, accompanied by the demoness' whimpers and shrieks. "So, how exactly do you intend to keep your word when she is gone, ha?! Is the human running away what you consider 'tamed'?! And do not the threats of Gehenna endanger her life to expire now?! Have you not been out 'researching' and done your job instead, none of this would have happened! The human would have never gotten the opportunity to run off!" Abaddon snapped, then delivered a strong kick with his knee into her stomach, shattering her ribs.
Blood was dripping from Zahar's mouth and she was trembling like a leaf, trying to process what just happened. He couldn't possibly consider ending her, could he?! He couldn't blame her for the prisoner's escape, she was no guard! Shakily, Zahar still dared to speak. "M-my lord, I beg of you… I'm a scientist. I… ughn… I did all y-you asked of me. T-the captains, Khan and Ramil, it was their duty t-to… hnn… to keep the human in here…" she coughed and heaved through another of her attempts to reason with that choleric, unpredictable demon. Simultaneously though, Zahar kept cursing herself silently for ever striking a deal with one of the demon aristocrats. "Blaming it all on the captains won't help you." Abaddon chuckled, amused. "At least those two had enough wits not to show their faces in front of me without capturing the human first. They know better than to return without her!" the duke shot a meaningful glance towards the rest of the audience.
"I've had just enough of your objections and excuses. And the insubordination you just displayed… Insolence!" Abaddon snorted, then smeared Zahar's blood on the ground with the tip of his shoe. "Your name, demoness. Write it." he ordered, receiving a puzzled look in response. Zahar's breath got caught in her throat when she realized the seemingly absent-minded gesture of power was actually Abaddon writing his own symbol. A Blood oath! "N-no! My lord! You cannot…, I-I was loyal, I helped…" the demoness trembled, trying to wriggle her way out of the terrible fate she had been successfully avoiding since her very first encounter with the Duke of the Abyss. "You brought this upon yourself, Zahar of the Alsumu clan. Since you insist on defying me, you will either be put on a leash or put down. But… As you rightly pointed out, you are not one of my men per se, so I graciously leave the choice to you." Abaddon spread his hands, eying the demoness menacingly, his crimson eyes twisting just like his vortexes with an endless void instead of the pupils.
For a moment, the demoness weighed both options and was more inclined to die. After all, it wouldn't take long, the people from her clan would make sure to organize a Sabbath ritual to bring her back. Yes, in time, she would be back. And then, then she would return and make the wretched duke pay! Or perhaps she would just disappear, making sure to flee to some distant realm. Maybe Lady Astaroth would be more welcoming. Or maybe she would simply avoid all the demonic aristocracy all together… A low chuckle brought her from spinning the plans for the duke's doom back to the present. "I know that look." Abaddon chuckled dryly. "Don't get your hopes up, Poison-maker. You didn't think you would perish by my hand, did you? What is the purpose of an Executioner, if not carrying out the executions?" the duke cooed, causing Zahar's eyes to widen at the implications. "And I will soon have my Executioner back - is that right, captain?" Abaddon eyed his freshly appointed officer. "Yes, my lord!" the demon bowed. "So, what would it be?" the duke's tall figure loomed above the demoness, shattering all her plans and hopes with a single question.
OoO
Disclaimer: Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.
Author's note: Hello everyone! ^^
I'm finally uploading the next chapter. And as always, it took me way more time than expected... :D This time, however, I was writing diligently and realized the chapter was over 40 pages long already and still far from finished. So, I decided to split it into a few parts and upload gradually, so you don't have to wait too long for the story to continue. Next chapter should be out by the end of February.
I'm terribly sorry for letting you all wait for so long (300 hours of overtime does bite into my Thea-time). Nevertheless, I hope you haven't lost your interest in the story because of the long wait.
I hope you will cheer for Thea on her journey through Gehenna. Even if I'm rather slow with updates, I repeat my promise that this story will not be left unfinished.
As always, enjoy the reading and please let me know how you liked the story. Your messages and comments really help me keep going and improve my writing, not to mention they make my motivation skyrocket ^^ Thank you for staying with this story.