Hazbin Hotel: The End of the War for the Pentagram
When another trebuchet lobbed a fireball at the palace gates, the shockwave was enough to rattle the table Lucifer was at with his generals. "Useless useless useless! All of you!" He slammed his fists on the table, before them a map of the pentagram spread out. A black raven carved from stone was the marker for Caine's forces, and right now he was looking at a table covered in them. They'd taken everything from him, every scrap and territory save for the one his palace was in. "Sir the Imp brigade is ruthless in their assault on our forces. They have hellhounds with them, they're heavily armed thanks to Carmilla Carmine." They were just giving him excuses. He wanted results. "Your majesty his forces are Hellborn, they outnumber us. Even the sharks are on his side." That and Lord Zestial's brilliant cunning and strategy. He'd put together a force to be reckoned with.
"Just…just get out…" One of the generals tried to speak but Lucifer was in a full rage now "GET OUT!" When he spit fire like that no one dared argue. The room cleared in seconds leaving just the king, head hanging over a losing war. The battle was raging on outside; it was only a matter of time. Lilith had been evacuated long before they reached the palace. She was his last hope, the ruler he could never be. She would do well in his place and be able to put all this to rest. "Failure…. useless failure." He swept his hand and sent the carvings of ravens and snakes flying to the floor. From the table he picked up a holy firearm. How easy it would be. How quick and painless it would be. He drew his fingers over the holy markings. All of his hard work, for nothing. A full-scale rebellion in Heaven, banishment to this wasteland with his wife. All his hardships and trials and for what? To lose it all to some sinner.
He was so focused on the weapon in his hand that he didn't see the candles on the table flicker, feel the cold wind stir around him, even the fireplace dimming. "The coward's way-out Lucifer, come now, that's so unlike you" He knew that voice. It was full of darkness, evil…. wickedness. Quickly he tried to catch his visitor off guard, but a knife emptied his hand, sending the gun flying out of reach. "There's the king that I know. "Always full of surprises" From the dark corner of the room, Caine stepped forward so that he was barely visible by candlelight "One last ditch effort to save your pride. Going down standing up…. a noble defeat" He walked around Lucifer and over to the table, his face so bored, as if the war was merely a pastime he'd grown tired of "You could have cut the supply lines here….set up defenses here…pincer maneuver there…" he pointed to various points of the map "I'm sure your generals told you all this, what do you need my input for?" He picked up one of the little carved ravens, turning it this way and that in the light "This is beautiful work, may I keep one?"
Finaly the king had had enough, and he started to turn into the demon everyone feared. Horns sprouting from his head, eyes turning to that of the beast that he was. "WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" He roared, the fireplace bursting to life, fanning flames out all around him to make him look even more like the king that he could be. "Temper your majesty, it's so unbecoming" he spotted Lucifer's throne and walked over to it, jumping up and landing in the cushioned seat, legs over the arm, just lounging in a chair meant for Hell's supreme sovereign. "Comfy, I could get used to this" Lucifer was still fuming but he dared not make a move when Caine was at full guard. He was dangerous even when his guard was lowered. The resulting battle would level the place.
"YOU HAVE 5 SECONDS….!" Just when he was about to totally lose his cool, from inside of his coat, Caine produced a rolled-up piece of parchment tied with a ribbon and bearing Caine's raven seal. "Full surrender and retreat of my armies. No conditions, no terms…we just go home and pretend it never happened." That brought Lucifer out of his rage, and he came back to his regular form. As soon as Caine tossed the scroll on the table and it rolled toward him, he snatched it up and tore open the seal. It was all there, everything he'd said and already bore his signature. "But…. but why?" He was shocked beyond belief that this was happening. "You're winning…and you just want to quit?" Caine shrugged as he studied his nails "Why does anyone do anything…I was bored" he chuckled evilly as he got down from the throne, moving around as if he was the conquering hero even though he was about to fully surrender.
Once again Lucifer's eyes grew full of pure unfiltered anger "You did all this…. all of this…because YOU WERE BORED!" He kept his form in check, but he was feeling murderous. "I should destroy you where you stand!" Caine was not even remotely worried as he picked lint off his cloak "Oh how silly of me…I forgot…there was one, tiny condition in the surrender." When he looked at Lucifer again, that playful façade was gone and in it's place the true overlord stood there, unamused and as dangerous as the legends told. "I want the book Lucifer" He watched as the king raked his fingers through the map and wood beneath it. "How do you know about the book?" It was one of Hell's greatest treasures, full of dark and arcane magic that only the most powerful of demons could perform. In the wrong hands…it could end all creation. "That's not part of the deal Lucifer." He held up his hand, his magic forming the shape of a very familiar object "Kitab al-Azif" even as he spoke the words in the ancient Arabic tongue, the wind around them stirred as if moved by some unknown power, causing the candle on the table to dance "The Necronomicon"
Lucifer shook his head "I can't…if I give you that book…there's no telling what you'll do with it" He turned away, eyes in a panic as he ran fingers through his hair, causing his hat to go askew "You'd be…" But Caine finished for him "The most powerful being in all of Hell, yes, I know. Fortunately for you, Hell is not what matters to me. You can rest assured it will be quite safe. Even put it in writing if you like?" he brought out an ink well, a ravens feather sticking out of it "But that is my price. You know you can't win this. In another hour or so my army will breach the wall. Your men, what remain of them, will put up a valiant effort. But we both know how this plays out. What story do you want to tell from this day forward? How you lost the fight? Or how I surrendered?" Lucifer knew deep down, it was his only ticket out of this. "Damn you Caine…"
He pulled a knife out and cut a slice into his thumb. On the table before them, in golden blood, he drew a pentagram. Once it's last point was complete it glowed bright red and in a burst of magic a portal opened, casting an eerie glow about the room. From a deep, dark, forgotten pit of Hell, The Necronomicon rose, floating above the table until the gate closed and it slammed down on the table with a deafening thud. Neither demon moved to handle it, their eyes shifting from the book to each other and back. Then both of them moved, each having a hand on the book at the same time and looking up at the other. Caine said nothing, but Lucifer wasn't about to let the most powerful object in all of creation go for nothing "Your word…. this ends today" Caine pushed the inkwell closer to him "Write it down. Then sign it." Reluctantly the king took his hand away from the book, Caine pulling it toward him and holding onto it as if it could disappear at any moment. The surrender was signed, the deal done. "Whatever you do with it…. know it takes a heavy toll. Nothing in this life, even the afterlife, comes without paying a heavy price for it." Caine's one good eye left flashed red and he almost growled "I paid my price years ago" he turned to go, walking back into the darkest corner of the room "Remember Lucifer, I would stop at nothing to get what I want and neither would you in my position" he left those parting words as he disappeared into blackness.
Almost within the hour the armies retreated and an end to the war was called. It wasn't until he was standing on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, surveying the damage, that Lilith returned to his side. After they shared an embrace and much needed kiss, they stayed close to one another as she caressed his face "I thought the worst until word came that you'd managed a surrender. How?" He could see the disbelief in her eyes and on her face, as if a miracle had occurred. "Come on, it's me. I just did what I always do. I showed them whose boss." He chuckled even though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Whether or not his wife believed him, she never said.