The rocks that form the circle around the talisman are haggard, windswept by the acidic gales breezing through Hell. Their forms are scathing and their shapes terrifying, cutting into the orange sky with a vicious sharpness that tears through Hell and obliterates any remaining hope. Souls weep as they approach and the demon who guards the portal’s key is far from kind, relishing in their suffering.
As we all do.
“Amaymon.” The keeper of the portal bows, following high protocol, guarding the entrance to Hell while paying an appropriate amount of respect to his superior. “To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?”
“I came to retrieve an item, Egin.”
The tip of my head and wave of my wrist return the greeting, completing our ritual.
“Lord, if I can be of assistance…”
His eyes flicker with ambition as he postures, drawing himself up and showing me his full prowess. Egin is massive, a hulking demon with muscles stacked on muscles and wings that are as sharp as scythes. His horns twist as they divide and his sharp teeth make him more loathsome.
Egin is a force to be reckoned with, and his mind is cunning, too. I’d do well to bring him under my control, but I doubt he’d want to stay there. The fucker is greedy and he’ll try to usurp me, seeking to rise at my expense.
“Your offer is appreciated, but I prefer to do this task myself. I’ve missed the glories and debaucheries in Hell, and abrief trip will refresh me. The sulfur is as invigorating as their screams.”
He laughs and stands aside, revealing the blue orb glowing in a landscape painted with shades of amber, rust and burnt orange. The rays that spread from its center flicker as magic disperses into Hell, pouring a little light into a place filled with darkness.
I step over the runes that mark the entrance to the portal and extend my hand, letting my clawed fingers bask in the cool blue rays. It’s a moment of relief that hurts when it passes, the returning agony a thousand times worse than it was before.
My lips curl into a wicked smile, amused by the thought it’s crueler to be kind.
Egin shifts his weight, and I won’t allow him a second opportunity. I grasp the talisman, enduring its pain as the oranges fade and I move through the circles of Hell.
I emerge in my halls, staring at the torches trying to light their gloriously ostentatious arches and walls. The gold I’ve spent years acquiring to adorn my chambers should be glistening in the firelight and instead, it’s dull. It’s tarnished. It’s almost drab. My domain is not burning as brightly as it should and someone will pay for this insult.
Perhaps more than one, depending on how grave an insult this is.
My temper is flaring and I need to control it. I need to find out what the fuck is going on and the best way to do that is not to raise Hell. It’s to move through the halls of my palace undetected, spying on the demons and underlings sworn to serve me. They’re derelict in their duties, and their blood will pour through my halls just as soon as I discover the reason for their betrayal.
I move with the stealth of a panther, gliding through the shadows as I pass through the grand halls and into the inner domain. My private rooms still show all my prestige and power, my wealth on display for anyone who dares to question my position.
A familiar scurries across the floor, freezing as it catches sight of me. The small, goblin-like creature crouches, flinching as my fury bears down on it.
“Master.”
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Master, we serve only you.”
It trembles, certain its time has come. The ashen beige pales to a grim shade of grey and it crawls towards me, begging for mercy when it knows there is none.
“My halls have been abandoned. My fires allowed to dim. Tell me what is going on and I’ll consider sparing you, you disgusting, unworthy piece of filth.”
“Master, we have tried. Your power is not…” It grimaces and a trickle of urine leaks down its leg. “Forgive me, Master, but your power is not as strong as it once was. It fades and we have tried to keep it burning. Sacrifices were made. Rites performed. Incantations…”
I cut the familiar off with a flick of my wrist and its control breaks, resulting in a puddle underneath it.
“Why wasn’t I informed?”
“We did, Master,” it says, pleading as it struggles to form words because of the fear overcoming it. “We told our superiors and they informed your lieutenant. We were assured it would be taken care of. We were not…”
The begging grates, and my patience expires. I clench my fist and a fire lights around the familiar, consuming it in an inferno that will give it an eternity of pain.
It’s fucking joyful and its screams ring through my being, silent to everyone except me.
The damn thing was too terrified to lie, and I’d know if it tried to deceive me. My rage boils into something more vicious as I stare at the pile of piss-soaked dirt at my feet, certain that someone is siphoning my power. I’m not weaker, but my presence is being drained as something tries to weaken my grip on the masses orbiting me.
