The Rule of Succession:
Only the strongest can rule Hell. Any may challenge the monarch to a duel to the death and the victor will rule.
Prologue
Lucifer's wings were useless. An extra pair of limbs that hung limp. If they worked, he wouldn't be falling at the speed of light right now. The wind rustled his golden hair, and whistled in his ears.
Around him, empty space whirled around him. Things would have moved in and out of his vision, if he hadn't been outside the plane of reality.
His thoughts raced through his head. Namely, the time before this and his actions that had resulted in his fall. He rebelled against his father, God. Simple as that. His ego got the best of him, and he decided to wage war against the Heavenly Host. He raised an army, made up of an entire third of the Host of Angels. His brother, the Archangel Mi-ka-el had rallied the rest of them against him, and ended up defeating him.
Now, God had exiled him. He was now one of the fallen. The first Fallen.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw other falling angels, each one's wings as useless as his. Strangely, the feathers on their wings were falling off as they fell through the air. Slowly, each angel's wings were plucked clean, with only the flesh underneath remaining. Lucifer's wings remained intact. Whether it was because of his status as Archangel, or God's mercy, he didn't know. But it fueled his pride nonetheless.
Below them, something appeared.
If Heaven was light and warmth and everything good, this something was the complete opposite. It was dark and cold and stunk of sulfur, of wickedness. A place for the wicked, sinful. Perfect for Lucifer and his band of Fallen.
They were not the only ones in the barren wasteland. There were camps of other creatures. They seemed so small from so far up. Their small fires looked like tiny blips on a black background.
The sound of Lucifer crashing into the rocky terrain echoed throughout the plains. A crater surrounded the archangel, cracks spider webbing out from him. He slowly got to his feet. Around him, his army of defeated angels crashed around him, each one striking the ground at terminal velocity.
Above Lucifer's head, a golden halo glowed. He gripped it with his hand and tore it away. He held his halo in his hand and grinned. The once holy light would provide him with enough light to see.
He shakily took a step forward and began to climb his way out of the crater. His halo lit the ground around him. The ground was made of red rock, cold as ice. There was no warmth down here.
In the distance, a large spire rose from the ground. Once he set eyes on it, Lucifer knew that was his target. He started his journey to it. With every step came a sharp pain in his leg that made him limp. He did nothing more to show it than grit his teeth.
There was a lack of scenery to enjoy on his trek. The landscape was barren and made of the same red rock. The sky was black and a heavy mist laid in the distance, where the spire jutted out from. There was a small cluster of black rock here or there, or a fire in the distance, but that's it.
Lucifer came across a crater not unlike the one he had created when he had hit the ground. In the middle laid one of the angels that had sided with him in the war. He looked so different now as he looked up at Lucifer with broken, insane eyes. His halo had broken into two and stabbed him in the forehead, forming horns. Black blood leaked out from his forehead, falling down into his eyes and down his cheeks. It looked like he was crying blood.
Lucifer recognized the angel. Sandalphon. His general.
"Sandalphon." Lucifer spoke for the first time since his exile.
The fallen angel just stared at Lucifer, his eyes shining with amusement. A smile began to etch itself on his face. Lucifer wouldn't admit it, but he started to feel a little creeped out. His general was a serious angel. To see insanity shine in his eyes and a wide grin on his face... It was unnerving.
Lucifer decided to walk past the Fallen. As he turned his back on his former general, a mad laughter began to fill the air. The laughter got quieter with every step he took away from Sandalphon.
The spire in front of him got taller the closer he got to it. He could see that it was made of black basalt rock. Large columns stacked together. At the top of it was a chair with a golden light sitting on top of it. Lucifer didn't know how the light wasn't visible from far away.
The man on top of the spire stood up and slowly floated down. As he got closer, Lucifer was able to take him in more. He had large white wings, not unlike Lucifer's. That wasn't the only similarity, they had the same blond hair. Only, Lucifer's was cut short while the other's was long and had a braid in the front. He had dark green eyes and a golden tan. He wore a cloth made of white fabric that covered his legs, midsection and one pec. At his waist, hanging off of a rope belt, was a sword that alight with red flame.
"Halt, newcomer." The man said, raising a hand.
Lucifer looked at the man and felt an instant disdain for him. How dare this man stop him? Him, the most beautiful of God's angels? How dare he hover above him like he was better.
"Who are you?" Lucifer demanded.
The man looked at Lucifer like one looks at dog shit on their shoe. "I am Samael, the Poison of God. The Warden of Hell."
Lucifer eyed the angel. His name sounded familiar. Maybe he heard it in brief passing when he was still singing God's praises. But how did this angel, who wasn't even allowed in Heaven and was sentenced here, dare to presume that he had dominion over him, Lucifer?!
Samael's eyes widened and narrowed within a second. "I know you. Lucifer. What are you doing down here?"
"I could ask the same of you."
"I was sent here to be a warden. The warden. This is my job. As it is yours to sing. In Heaven."
The way Samael spoke, it was like he was making it clear that Lucifer wasn't allowed here. Didn't belong here.
Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "Are you insulting me... brother?"
Samael flew closer. "I'm just pointing out that you shouldn't be here." His eyes lifted to above Lucifer's head. Then he noticed the halo in his hand. A small grin appeared on his face. "You're fallen." He said. "Huh. Welcome to Hell, then, brother. Take a look around your new prison."
Samael floated away slowly as Lucifer growled. His hand tightened around his halo. His face twisted in anger. He grabbed his halo with both hands and cracked it over his knee. The sound of shattering glass filled the air as Lucifer held two jagged pieces of his halo in his hands.
He rushed forward and stabbed Samael in the back. Hell's Warden let out a breath of air before falling. He fell to the ground, on his hands and knees. He reached for his sword, but he was kicked by Lucifer, as the Fallen angel pulled the halo shard out of his back.
Samael was rolled onto his back. Lucifer stood over Sanael with a crazed expression on his face. The same insanity that was in Sandaphon's eyes was now shining brightly in Lucifer's amber eyes.
Samael looked up at Lucifer with wide eyes. He thought to beg, to plead, but he resigned himself to his fate. Lucifer wouldn't see reason. His confidence and ego had turned into arrogance and hubris.
And unknown to Samael, Lucifer had just come off of a high from the war in Heaven, where he had slain many of his brethren. What was one more to add to the list.
Lucifer raised his foot and stomped in Samael's head. White blood stained the ground as brain matter ended up spraying across the ground and Lucifer's leg. Lucifer's wide, insane grin remained on his face.
With the Warden of Hell dead, this place was no longer a prison. No, he had killed the Warden, and now, Hell was his. His to do with as he pleased. He had been denied becoming God and ruling the Heavens and the Earth, but now, he could rule something else. Something that even God didn't want to touch.
He spread his wings and flew to the top of the spire. He sat down in the seat on top and surveyed his land. Changes would have to be made, immediately.
Prince of darkness? Fuck that, he was the KING!
And aloud, he spoke. "I have slain the Warden, and now I am King! May any who kill the King become King, as I have."
And while he spoke, his thoughts raced along the lines of 'Who could defeat me?'
And so, the new King of Hell reigned. A monarchy that would have no foreseeable end in sight.