Charlie still had the phone held to her ear as Belphegor ran through the portal. The sin of sloth paused for a moment taking in the room and its occupants. Wreckage and golden blood told a chilling story of what had taken place. She could sense lingering in the air the remnants of power from the royal family. Charlies was the most dominant followed by Alastor. Lucifer's felt like a subtle undertone barely there showing he had not put up much effort in what had happened.
An overly sweet scent of angelic grace was coming from across the room, Gabirel was standing in the corner trying to make himself appear smaller so as not to draw was not much of a fighter, and didn't enjoy hurting people. He was not as strong as the other seraphim, his power could best be compared to one of the lesser sins. Belphagor didn't know what the messenger of god was doing here but she would like to know. The curiosity would have to wait as more pressing matters required her attention.
Lucifer was hunched over Alastor, his wings curled protectively around the pair; the sloth queen had to duck under a pair of wings to get to them. Golden blood soaked into the wool of her legs as she did. The king was mumbling words of comfort, the sinner's head tucked under his chin, held close by his right hand. The glow of angelic healing shined bright in the enclosed space. Red eyes looked up when a paw was placed on his arm, he let out a choked breath, words quiet and pained.
"I tried..I tried to heal it, but the wounds keeping fucking opening. It's not working" The desperation in his voice scared the sheep, she had never heard him sound like this before.
"Start talking. What happened?" She listened, getting to work at the same time.
Belphegor's power reached out performing a quick diagnostic of Alastors condition. What she found was grave and troubling. His brain was hemorrhaging. Lacerations cutting into the soft tissue, even with the king trying to stop it, they were multiplying much too fast.
"Stop, you'll purify him if you keep going" It may have done more harm than good. New and old scar tissue criss-crossed through the brain matter. She had to take a calming breath when she realized some predated this event. How many times had this submissive been given orders so powerful they could cause this type of damage? How many of those had he fought against following? She could feel the sinner's own demonic healing at work, focused solely on the brain stem keeping the damage from spreading there.
Belphegor had only ever treated such patients a few times in her life, the results varied with each case. More often than not the patients died. Those who survived took up residents within the asylum of sloth. Someone was going to pay for this. Alastors vitals signs told another story, widening pulse pressure. Bradycardic with cheyne-stokes respirations. A omniss sign. Time was of the essence now she needed to get him to her lab, the bleeding was causing an increase in intracranial pressure. She would have her work cut out for her, the disobeyed laws still punishing the slave would need to be handled and fast.. Growling the sloth queen took a step back focusing on herself, the small stuffed body glowed before a blinding flash filled the room.
When it faded the lesser form of the sloth queen appeared. Unlike the other sins she had a more humanisk form, she was shorter than Lucifer, the smallest of the sins. Her hair was a rainbow of colors reminiscent of the lights that covered the skies of sloth, appearing as a puff ball around her head. Large black sheep ears poked out from the mess of fluff, twitching at the sounds around her. Wool covered her torse making it look like she was wearing a bodysuit. The exposed skin of her arms and legs was a dark royal blue, with stretches of black running through that seemed to move and shift as she did.
Large golden eyes looked out from behind round glasses, she pushed them up her nose before hooking an arm under the queen's back and legs. Standing she rushed across the room, it would have been a comical sight if the situation was different. The portal she entered from closed another opened just behind it. This one was to her lab, she barely crossed the threshold before a pair of twin cow demons were taking the deer from her arms, laying him down on the table in the center of the room.
"He's Cushing .ICP increasing we need to relieve the pressure" Bel spoke to the twins Mo and Oo who had worked by the queen's side for thousands of years; they ran the ins and outs of the facilities within the realm.
"Trauma?"
"Multiple laws given, the patient resisted" Oo tensed eyes looking to those who followed her queen through the portal. She lowered her voice not wanting to be overheard.
"Domestic abuse?"
"No Lucifer didn't do this" Oo nodded her head while opening the eyes of the sinner frowning at the twitching orb.
"We have nystagmus. He's seizing" Mo had been cutting through the sinner clothes, tossing them into a pile on the floor.
"Get me a line, I'm drawing up medication now"
"Charlie! Get over here now" Belphegor demanded. A white mark on her forehead that looked like a crescent moon opened her third eye looking around wildly. It wasn't seeing the room, it saw everything happening with her patient. It's what helps make her the most powerful healer in all the realms.
"2.5mg Versed" Oo held up a syringe MO nodded when she saw it.
"Verified"
"Pushing now"
The princess approached slowly, hands clasped to her chest, she didn't understand why her father couldn't just heal Alastor.
"What..what can I do?"
"I need you to try and retract the laws you gave" Charlie closed her eyes, focusing her aura to stretch out reaching for Alastor's own.
" You don't have to follow my laws, disregard them" she put as much authority into her words as she could, holding her breath after waiting for a good sign.
"No aura response. He's down to deep"
"Lady Belphegor he's status epilepticus. He's not coming out"
"Push another 2.5."
"Sterilize" Belphegor was holding her right pointer finger up, the claw at the tip growing longer. A greenish colored goop was slathered over it followed by a flash of flame. The digit burned for about 10 seconds before it was put out.
"Relieving pressure" the sheep slowly inserted her finger into the side of the queen's head, third eye watching closely to make sure she didn't go too far. When she pulled it out a stream of blood followed.
"Who did this?" Oo was a submissive she specialized in sub care, to see one hurt in such a way hurt the younger twin.
"Charlie the princess" Bel was running her claws over Alastor's head power working its way into the injuries inside.
"That's not possible, she's a Mama dom her instincts would never have allowed this" Mo shook her head in disbelief.
"Mo you should see to the princess, we should begin treating her for dom sickness. Oo focus on Alastor's aura as soon as you find it let me know. I'll cancel out Charlie's laws myself" even if they managed to save the body the real problem was with Alastor's mind.
"How are you feeling at this moment?"
"I feel fine, Alastor he's going to be okay right…" Charlie felt a little nauseous but she could easily ignore that.
"I am unsure the damage is extensive Lady Belphgor will do everything she can. He's in the best hands possible" Mo continued her examination of the princess. This wasn't her area; she hated talking to patients that was Oo's department.
"I'm not the type of person to do this.I would never hurt someone, it goes against my very nature" her secondary class should have prevented her from even doing this. Why hadn't her instincts warned her to stop.
"Does it? You are angelic. But also demonic. It is possible for one's very being to over power your nature. I am a dominant myself but should I give into my demonic nature I can easily ignore those instincts of my secondary class" This girl needed a better understanding of the way things worked down here. Had she not been properly taught all of this? It was troubling to think she hadn't. But the more Mo lishened the more she found that might just be the case.
"I've never had an issue with that before. Why is it different now?"the princess pulled away from the doctor's hands looking at her with a frown.
"I do not know. I lack knowledge of your everyday life. Perhaps something has changed recently. A hardship you are endearing. I would guess it has been happening for a while. The way it was portrayed to me, you had quite the outburst. Have you noticed more of these as of late?" It was hard to be compassionate towards the princess with her own sister being a survivor or dominant abuse.
"I guess yes. I've noticed I lose my temper faster. I have to calm myself down. Maybe over the past five years or so" she was thinking hard about her life and the things that had taken place. Charlie had a major life change when she decided to leave the castle and set out into hell, had that been when everything started? She was about to say more when there was a knock on the door.
"Can we have a moment alone please" Lucifer stood in the doorway face blank of emotions. He hadn't wanted to leave Alastor's side but Belphagor told him that there was nothing more he could do at the moment. She urged him to talk with Charlie and told him that he needed to decide what he was going to do about what had happened.
Mo stood walking past the king she told them she would be just outside if they needed her, Vaggie tried to enter behind Lucifer but was stopped by the cow demon.
"He asked for a moment alone. You wait with me"
Charlie watched as her father moved across the room standing as far away from her as was possible in the tiny space.
"Dad…I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt Alastor…" what was she supposed to say? I'm sorry didn't feel like it was enough.
"I know you didn't"
"Ever since you killed mom I've just felt so angry… like I'm not myself. I don't know what's wrong with me" she felt out of control and lost. The conversation with Mo ran through her mind; she wished she could have talked longer with the cow.
"You know Lillith didn't even want children. I begged her for years. When she finally said yes I was excited. I had never been happier in my life" Charlie hadn't known that. The princess was unsure of why he decided to start the conversation that way.
"I took care of you everyday for two years until the day I caught her plotting to use you as a weapon against heaven…" The king took a deep breath.
"I lost control, kind of like you did today. I passed a law on her preventing your mother from ever plotting to use you in that way. Afterwards she convinced me that I was a monster that I would hurt both of. I kept myself away, and she filled your head with bullshit" he spat the last word, arms crossed over his chest leaning back against the counter behind him.
"I know that but it sounds so hard to believe. The woman who raised me was full of nothing but love and kindness. She raised me to be the person I am today" Lillith had said that in her confession. Charlie thought there must have been more to it, she had wanted to ask her, but with her mother dead she would never get the chance now. Everything she thought was true was turning out to be a lie and she was just so confused.
"Even when it comes right from her mouth you don't believe it…you still think of me as some type of monster. So much so you convinced yourself I was forcing Alastor to be with me." He shook his head, eyes locked on the ground.
"He loves me and I love him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I was living a delusional lie with your mother, I would never force that on another person and I just feel that no matter what I do, you'll never see me for who I truly am"
"I don't really know who you are. You were never there for me. All my life you felt more like a strange then my father" Charlie wrapped her arms around herself in a hug.
" I did everything for you. You wanted to leave home after Lillith disappeared. I let you. Not only that, I made sure you stayed safe. You had a dream of rehabilitering sinners, I gave you the hotel. You wanted a meeting with heaven's higher ups and even though it kills me to have to talk to any of them I still did it for you. Everything you have asked of me I have done. I have never once hit or yelled at you. I have never once given you any reason to dislike me so much. I was absent in your life yes, but it's not like you ever reached out to me. I was there the whole time. And unless you needed something you couldn't be bothered to come to me" Red flashed in his eyes he forced down his anger, refusing to let it consume him.
"Dad..I know you've done those things but mom" he cut her off.
"Stop, you will listen to me! I'm not sorry I killed Lillith. I am sorry for the way it happened in front of you. But as you learned today when you lose control of yourself, when you let your more demonic half take over…the things you will do… will shock you. Your mother abused me. I suffered at her hands for thousands of years, your existence is nothing but blip compared to that" he pointed to her, taking a step forward, breathing slowly and calmly.
"I didn't know any of that until recently. You could have told me. I would have tried to understand. We could have worked it out as a family" things could have been different for them. If only Lucifer had talked to her, it didn't need to be this way.
"But instead you choose violence. How am I supposed to react and feel after watching what you did! I can never forgive you for that. I'm so angry and hurt over everything. I feel like at any time I could just exploded"
"Charlie…after today I can't have you around us anymore. I don't think the two of us talking right now is going to fix anything. You need help, you need to figure everything out. Sloth has a lot of good doctors who can help you. It's not safe for anyone us being near each other. I can't have you become another Lillith to me, I can't spend the rest of eternity trying to make you understand. Anyone else would be killed for what they did today, you have to face the consequences of your actions. I can't protect you anymore"Lucifer spread his wings power shaking the room. He had thought hard about this on the way over, deciding this was the best action to take. Until he knew he could trust Charlie again he had to cut her off. She needed to learn that not everything could be fixed with a simple I'm sorry, and not all her mistakes could be fixed by himself.
"Charlie Morningstar. For attacking myself and the attempted assassination of a heavenly diplomat on a peace mission as well endangering the queen of hell. I strip you of your title of heir and princess. The protection and privilege you have been given all your life are no longer yours. You now hold the same standing as any hellborn. Until a time when you are proven to be no longer a threat to the realm and its crown" It hurt to do this, but maybe it was what was needed. Maybe she would grow from this or she would just hate him more in the long run.
"Dad please don't do this!" Tears gathered in her eyes, quick to fall. She couldn't believe this. Vaggie rushed in, taking the crying princess into her arms; she had felt the rise and fall of the king's power.
Nothing else was said between them Lucifer exited the room stopping next to the cow demon standing outside.
"Make sure she gets set up with someone who can help her, send her home after"
"Of course sir"
Time didn't really mean much in hell. Centuries came and went sometimes without notice. Every second of the six hours Lucifer spent waiting outside the lab doors felt like its own eternity. He was hyper aware of time passing. When the door finally opened he jumped to his feet, Oo motioned for him to come through. In his rush he nearly knocked the poor cow down. Alastor was laying on the table a sheet pulled over his body, he was motionless but the rise and fall of his chest brought comfort to the king. Tension leaving his shoulders. Bel had returned to her stuffed sheep form she was standing on the table, paw on the deers forehead, when he reached the table she looked at him with a loud yawn.
"Is he okay?"
"Yes and no. We did manage to stop the law from killing him. The injuries old and new have been healed. I know that angelic healing feels like a fix all but it's really not, it's for emergency use until true medical care can be reached" she would leave the lecture at that.
"I understand. What did you mean by no? What's wrong with him?" No use beating around the bush, Lucifer probably already knew but he wanted to hear it from her. The hardest part of being a doctor was giving bad news.
"He descended into secondary madness. He's down to deep. I can't bring him back. The most I could do was stop the laws by overpowering them with my own but just the fact we even managed to reach him to do that was a miracle"
"... is there anything we can do?" Lucifer took one of Alastors hands in his own, giving it a hard squeeze trying to let the sinner know he was here.
"Give me some time to look into some things. I'll let you know" she knew the answer already but she didn't want to say. Needed time to weigh the pros and cons.
"Can…can I take him home?"
"You can take him to your room. It's best if he stays in sloth"
"Okay.."
Lucifer picked up Alastor holding him close to his body, he took careful steps not wanting to jostle the deer as he walked through the golden portal into the room they once shared. Only when the portal closed did Oo speak.
"There is a way. Are you not going to tell him?" The sloth queen sat down, squeaking when she did.
"Bahh I don't know yet… You nearly died doing that" She didn't want to risk her brother's life on something that had proven a failure.
"The sky outside has gone dark once more… I don't think we have a choice in this. If the queen does not recover Lucifer will be lost as well. You should tell him. Let him make this choice for himself, at least this way we can prepare for the worse" Bel covered her face with her hands shaking her head back and forth.
"I know all that!"
A day had come and gone each second slowly ate away at the frayed ends of Lucifer's sanity. Closing his eyes he focused on their shared connection. The link between them had been a comfort for the king, a reminder that he wasn't alone, that Alastor was always there beside him. Those pushes and pulls are gone. A once constant hum in the back of his mind gone silent, a cold empty void was all that remained.
Opening his eyes he tightened his hold on the limp hand in his grasp, bringing it up to press against the side of his face.
"I know you're in there you stubborn deer, I bet you're getting a kick out of making me worry" turning his head he placed a kiss to the back of the hand.
"Just hold on a little longer" The devil wasn't alone in the room. Alastor's own shadow curled around him on the bed, sad chitters left it every now and again. A twin silver bell clock laid discarded next to them, the shadow had set it off multiple times in hope it would awaken its master. It hadn't worked.
Standing Lucifer placed a kiss to the green X on the queen's forehead, the horsemen shifted around the room impatient and ready for action. He had waited long enough he needed to know if Belphegor had found something yet.
"If anyone besides myself or Belphegor enters this room, kill them. No hesitation fucking end them" the shadows nodded chittering there understanding. Lu and Con stood by the bed while War and Pest guard the door, slipping into the shadows waiting to strike.
The king of hell and queen of Sloth sat across from each other. Belphegor had just finished telling Lucifer about the possibility of a cure. In her younger days the sloth queen figured out that it was possible in theory to pull a person from secondary madness by going into their subconscious.
"We've only done it once…" she wanted that to be very clear.
"How did it go?"
"I won't have an asylum full if it went well" the look she received at the statement made her sit a little straighter.
"Oo nearly lost her life, the patient died from cerebral hemorrhaging. We couldn't stop it a second time… it's a deep dive into the person mind that's unpredictable territory"
"Possible outcomes?"
"Okay. One you go in, find him and pull him out" Lucifer liked that one.
"Two You go in fail and he dies you might die as well. Finally you go in and he drags you down with him and no one comes out" silence stretched between them.
"I wanna do it. If it's the only way I'm going to do it" She already knew he would want to.
"Okay I'll get everything ready."
"We need to let the sins know…in case this doesn't work. Ruling of hell will pass to you and Satan you're the only ones powerful enough to stop hell from falling into the void" the two sins together should be enough.
"What about Charlie?" Belphegor figured they would rule until Charlie was ready to take over.
"No she's no longer princess and heir. She has no rights to the throne. Don't worry you two will do fine, I trust you both completely"
(︎)/\(︎)
"Well now don't that just change things" Arnold grinned, flicking the butt of his cigarette. The others in the room looked around at each other in excitement before all eyes turned to the sin.
"Yes. I won't get another chance like this one" So Lucifer was doing something stupid as always. Whatever it was would leave him defenseless for an extended period of time, a perfect chance to strike. The only issue was the devil was in sloth under the protection of the rings queen, Belphegor might appear to be a joke but she was powerful.
"What of the other sins? They could be a problem should they come to the king's aid" so he was not the only one who thought that.
"Spread your troops out, create a distraction. Keep the others occupied protecting their own rings"
"It would be the best move, sloth has the weakest defenses. It depends on the upper rings for protection" the sin made up his mind standing he moved across the room.
"Have the troops focus on causing the most destruction. Draw out Belphegor to assist. I'll take the titans with me to sloth. We will burn it to the ground" cheers followed the statement.
They had double checked the symbol on the ground making sure no mistakes had been made in its application. The ritual was set to begin soon, Oo was on stand by and she would do everything she could on her end to ensure it was a success. Alastor was placed in the middle Lucifer kneeling at his head with his hands on the deer's head.
"I will be beside you the whole time. It'll be disorentating at first, nothing is going to make sense. You'll need to find the first fragment once you do, just keep going until you find him. It can be frustrating but keep pressing forward" she wanted this to work.
"Why did it fail?"
"The girl I attempted to save attacked me…she did not want to be saved. There is comfort in madness."
"Ahh well that's something to look forward to" Lucifer would deal with that when the time came.
Belphagor was pacing she couldn't hold still. She should have gone in herself, should have never let Lucifer do this.
"How long has he been down?"
"A little over an hour…" An hour was too long .They should pull him out now.
"Please calm yourself my lady. It took me two just to find the first fragment. His vital signs are good. Aura holding strong. The queen's mind in tact no signs of damage. Everything is going well at the moment" She already knew all that. But it didn't stop her worrying. This thing could go wrong at any moment; it was uncharted territory there was a reason they stopped research into this.
RING RING
Who was calling her? She asked not to be bothered. Mo should be handling everything while she is busy.
"Hello?" it came out a little more snappy then she meant it to.
"Ozzie? I told you I'm busy with Luci..being attacked? By who? Angels? Heaven is attacking Lust? What of the other rings? Are they under attack as well? Shit" the sloth queen looked around thoughts running wild. Did Gabriel say something? Was this why heaven was attacking? But how did they even get into Lust? To get to Lust you had to pass through Pride, Wrath and Gluttony.
"Give me the phone" a voice was yelling in the background before someone else was talking.
"Ozzies hurt! He don't want to say nothin but it's bad"
"Fizzy No" the lust lord protested.
"Be quiet! You're hurt, you need help"
"Okay I'm on my way just hold on" she hung up the phone. The timing of this couldn't be worse or perfect depending on who you asked.
"Oo heaven is attacking us. Ozzies been hurt. I need to go up. If anything happens you pull him out, understand!" A rainbow portal appeared in the room, and Belphegor moved over to it. Looking back at the cow demon before she stepped through.
"You go my lady. I'll take care of the king until you return"
"Thank you I won't be long. You four do your job and protect this room, got it" she pointed at each of the horsemen.
"Protect"
"We do"
"Bored"
"Shut up"
Lucifer was standing in the destroyed remains of Alastor's radio tower, it looked like it had fallen from its place attached to the hotel. A single red light casted an eerie glow around the room. Outside the shattered windows he could only see darkness.
"I wish I had a better idea of what I was looking for" talking out loud always helped calm him down. The process of picking through the wreckage was taking far too long in the king's opinion, nothing was standing out. He wasn't sure how long he had been down here for, felt like forever. He had an uneasy feeling like if he didn't hurry at any moment Belphagor was going to pull him out. It was when he was about to leave the tower and venture outside that he finally heard what sounded like muffled music coming from under the control panel.
Putting his foot on the side of it he shoved hard, the panel slid across the room with enough force to break through one of the walls. Disappearing into the darkness outside. A trap door with a brass handle was hidden underneath.
"Duh Lucifer of course it would be music" pulling the handle to open it he jumped inside.
"The boy aint right!"
"There is nothing wrong with him" a man and a woman were arguing.
"He don't talk. He aint got no friends. He's a freak, people in town are talking." A young Alastor was standing outside, he was looking down at the ground. Bringing a hand up he waved it, the shadow on the ground copied the action. It made him smile. He liked the shadow. Besides Bart it was his only friend. He could hear his Ma and Pa fighting, the window of the kitchen had been left open. Even though it had been closed he'd still be able to hear them.
Lucifer landed outside a plain house that looked to be in disrepair, standing a few feet from him was a small boy with brown hair. Voices could be heard shouting from inside the ran over when he got close he found himself standing in the back of a classroom.
"I heard his Mama aint nothing but a slave whore"
"No way really?"
"That's what my daddy said. Said his daddy aint nothing but a drunk who's got the whiskey dick" Alastor kept looking out the window appearing as if he wasn't listening to his classmates, the hand gripping his pants was the only sign of how bothered he was.
"I thought a whore got paid? Why doesn't he get better clothes?" Lucifer glared at the children, found them horrible for saying such things. Looking at the small form of his love he thought he had to be the cutest thing he had ever seen. The king guessed Alastor was maybe 10 at this time.
The classroom faded Lucifer was sitting at a kitchen table a late teens maybe early was sitting next to him. A woman that could only be the deers mother was also at the table, the environment felt relaxed.
"I got a surprise for you when you get home tonight" Alastor already knew what it was, having seen the bus tickets hidden away in their secret spot.
"You don't have to get me anything Mama" they were finally leaving this place, they were going to be free from him. He would get paid in two days, the same date as the bus was set to leave. They would pick up his check then leave this place behind. A new life for the both of them.
"It's for both of us" she smiled at him, his own matched hers. He was always smiling just like she told him to.
Lucifer didn't know how long this was going to go on for, he had watched Alastor come home and find his father beating his mother. Alastor killed his father afterwards in the same way. Hunger and desperation had driven the deer to cannibalism; he struggled to pay the bills until his radio career took off. Every murder the king had a front row seat to, each one a dominate more worse than the last. How ridding the world of such horrible people could be considered a sin the devil didn't know. The king had learned alot about the sinner had witness things that he knew Alastor wouldn't want him to know. It didn't change how Lucifer felt he still loved the deer deeply nothing was going to stop the king from finding him,
The bayou was his newest destination. The devil recognized it from the pocket dimension that took up half his Alastor started staying there more often he had added it in. Said it wasn't home without it. Pushing through the thick brush he pressed forward, looking around for his missing queen.
"Alastor?" he called for the third time with no answer. As the king approached an open field he stopped just on the outskirts of the clearing. This was going to take forever. This place was huge. Belphagor was going to pull him out at any moment, he'd lose his only chance to save Alastor and…
"Who do we have here?" a knife was pressed against his throat from behind.
"An unwelcome guest I think" Lucifer knew that southern voice anywhere, this must be the end of the line. His six wings burst out, throwing the sinner back with the force, turning Lucifer faced the human version of his queen.
"I finally found you"
Lute flew through a portal landing on the ground she tucked the amulet back inside her shirt. Heaven seemed to be in some kind of stand still, the gossip was that Gabriel had returned from some kind of meeting that had ended poorly. Word was Lillith was dead and had been murdered by the new queen. At the meeting Charlie had attacked her father and the queen seeking revenge for her mother. Lute had a hard time believing any of that, if it was coming from Gabriel you could only guess about how much of it was true. Not only that from what she had seen of the princess the girl was more of the push over type. Far too nice for her own good.
The good thing was this had given her time to sneak away, she was excited to hear what the sloth queen had figured out in regards to helping her sisters. The charm Belphegor gave her was useful, having easy access to hell was a blessing. Much better than flying around trying to get cell service to reach.
Digging in her messenger bag she pulled out a container of cream puffs, she bought them from the bakery down the street from her house. They had a lavender filling, it seemed like something the queen would like.
"Lady Belphegor?" She called walking through the towers of pillows, she eyed each stuffed animal closely making sure the other wasn't hiding among them.
"I got cream puffs" she shook the container like one would do to a pet showing they had treats, trying to lure the sheep out could be a pain at times. It seemed like the promise of hugs and treats was about the only thing that worked.
Mo glared at the invading angel, she resisted taking action at first. This one fit the description of her lady's special friend. But with heaven attacking the cow couldn't let her guard down.
"Oh um..I'm looking for Belphegor. Have you seen her?" Lute felt awkward under the intense stare the dominant's aura was pressing down on her. She narrowed her eyes, reading herself for an order, if the demon tried she'd cut her down.
"She is away at the moment. Angels are attacking the upper rings. Know anything about this?" Lute was shocked by the news. She would have been made aware of any attack that was going to take place, she would have been expected to lead her own platoon into battle if that was the case.
"That's impossible. I have heard nothing of this" A branding iron appeared in the demon's hand, glowing red hot at the tip.
"Lies. Have you come to kill the queen?"
" I am loyal to my king. I would never betray him or this realm. I work with hell for the liberation of my sisters!" her own sword appeared in hand, if this cow wanted a fight she was going to get one. Before the two could begin the ground began to shake, pillows raining down on the pair.
"What is it now?" Mo cired trying to keep her hooves under her.
Lute ran over to one of the large windows, pulling back the curtains she froze at the sight. Lava was spewing from a hole in the ground, it consumed everything in its path. Rock titans crawled from the burning liquid, she counted three. Heaven didn't use power like this. Someone else was attacking. She searched her memory trying to figure out who could be behind this, the only thing that made sense was also the less believable.
"This isn't heaven. This is the work of a sin"
"A SIN?!" Mo cried. Lute rounded on her. A powerful flap of her wings had her right in the cow's face glaring up at her.
"Where is Belphegor? We need to tell the king!"
"Bel has gone to Sloth. Lucifer is not able to help" She told the angel everything she knew, keeping it short and sweet. The pair rushed down the hall entering the room that contained the king.
"Oo you must pull him out. We are unders attack" Oo shook her head at the words.
"I can't, he's too deep now. It will kill them both if I try" Lute growled balling her fist. What the actually fuck was going on? Why was a sin attacking?
"Did anyone else know about this" she needs more information.
"Yes they told the…sins…just in case something went wrong" So this was her lady's special friend, Oo had hoped to meet her in better circumsations. Kinda a bossy little thing.
"Of course now would be the best time to act. Lucifer is vulnerable" It was a solid battle plan, whoever was behind this had been planning to take out the king for some time. When they learned of this moment of weakness they chose now to act. Which sin was it?
"How much time do you need?"
"How much..I don't know this isn't an exact science" Lute nodded. She had hoped for a time frame but would work with what she had.
"I'll hold them off as long as I can" Mo snorted at that.
"You? You're just a little angel you can't do anything against the power of a sin. You're no seraphim. Those are titans out there!" She knew that didn't need to have it thrown in her face. If even one minute would make a difference then she would give it.
"I have to try, this is my duty. I swore to serve Lucifer. If it means fighting titans and sins then that's what I'll do." Lute looked around the room, stopping when she spotted the horsemen.
"You can help me, yes?" They looked at each other then back to her.
"We help"
"Protect master"
"Protect mate"
Pest rolled its eyes at its brothers. Winding it's way up the angel's body till it could wrap around her shoulders. It had missed the female found great pleasure in eating her food before she could. The misery and starvation she felt was a feast for its own ravenous appetite. The snake was the only one of the horsemen who could speak in the human tongue clearly.
"My old vessel, you require power for your task. Pest can help, give strength to weak angel" a serpent tongue flicked out against the shell of Lutes ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Okay I'll take whatever edge I can get " Mo moved in front of the girl shaking her head wildly.
"You can't be serious? Pestilence is the most toxic of the horsemen. To harness its power as your own will-" Lute cut her off pushing her way past.
"I don't care. Me and Pest will handle the sin. You three focus on the titans. And YOU find Belphegor and get her back here" The angel's armor appeared on her body, the same one she once wore to attack hell was now going to be used in its defense. Things had a funny way of working out. Here she was about to march into battle with a Sin, for a realm she had spent most her life trying to erase. Lucifer and Belphagor had shown her more kindness and compassion than anyone ever did in heaven. She was a person here not just some mindless soilder or fuck toy. The king could have killed her that day but chose instead to spare her life, introducing her to the sloth queen. Bel had worked tirelessly to help in the plan to save her sister. She would return that kindness here and now. Prove to everyone what a simple angel was capable of.
When she made it outside a burning pain ripped through her right shoulder as Pest bit down, it's venom burned through her veins but with it came a rush of power she never felt before. It was eye opening, this was what a single horseman was capable of? No wonder heaven had kept them locked up, with all four at his command Lucifer would have no issue laying waste to the holy land. She had no doughty by his mercy alone; heaven remained standing.
"Okay our goal is to buy time. Bring down the titans if you can, if not just play for time. We have to hold the line long enough for reinforcement to arrive" Spreading her wings she took flight headed straight for the approaching titans she scanned the area until her eyes landed on an out of place figure. He was the only one not in a panic.
"That's him" Diving down she stayed airborne. Mask hiding the glare on her face.
"Stand down. This is an act of treason against the crown" The sin laughed at her, what the fuck was a angel doing in sloth? No matter what, he would swat this annoying bug out of the sky.
"Ozzie?!" it had taken the sheep far longer than she liked to hunt down the lust lord. Lust was in ruin, angels flying around attacking anyone and everyone. A imp was pressing down on a bleeding wound on the sins side.
"Bel..you shouldn't have come. The other rings are under attack you need to get back to sloth" the sheep hopped up onto the rooster's body, waddling over to the wound she got to work repairing the damage.
"And leave my little brother to suffer! I don't think so" the imp was standing near by looking around worried.
"Just hold still. Stop squirming so much"
"My lord!" A succubus flew down toward the sins, one of her horns had been broken off in a fight her right arm missing. She had news to relay, the group she was with gave their lives so she could escape.
"What is it? What's happening now?" Seeing one of his people hurt had rage boiling inside Asmodeus, so many innocent lives lost for nothing.
"Not angels…their shape shifters. They're all SHAPE-SHIFTERS!" The sins looked at each other, the same thought running through their heads. There was only one rind in hell that had shapeshifters outside of lust.
"This isn't heaven attacking…I need to get back to sloth. Lucifer is defenseless. Satan has betrayed us!" The ground below them cracked and split the two sins and imp falling into the darkness below.