FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A whole new world. A whole new experience. But the same old shit.

Chapter 46: the Monolith

Gabriel proved to have sensibility and heart by leading the way a good few steps ahead, in respectful silence. The angel did not speak for long minutes, and Killer, who followed at a distance, was grateful for it. He was not in the mood to think about anything, or say anything at all. He mechanically followed the angel down the stairs of the tower, then out of the fortress and along the narrow streets of Orion. Killer was grateful for the darkness of what was his first night in Heaven: the dark helped hiding the tears that streaked his cheeks.

Heaven. People connect the word to a perfect place of happiness... but Killer had never felt worse than now. For him, Heaven was actually the worst pit of Hell. The separation from Alexis had just begun, and already felt unbearable. How the hell I'm I supposed to bear it for over two thousand years...?

For sure, people did not make it easier at all: as he followed Gabriel down the narrow, beautiful streets of Orion, people stared at him all the time: most had been in the arena, looking at the battle he and Alexis had had to endure, and who had not been there had already heard plenty of tales from the others. But it did not make him more accepted at all.

The ones that appreciated his presence venerated him like their Savior, kneeling as he passed by and whispering their prayers and well wishes to him... but basically that just felt creepy. They all looked scared of him, to death, and they would have never been true "friends" or at least company at all. It was more like they considered him a "necessary bad"... A powerful monster needed to keep far worse ones at bay. And he was finding out exactly how much it hurt and saddened and made the heart cold to feel people considering you in such a way.

Besides, of course the wide crowd of people that utterly hated him had not vanished nor diminished, and the Righteous along the way still looked at him with nothing but loathing. His show of force in the arena was just over, though, and the memory of it was too fresh in the mind of everyone for someone to be stupid enough to bother him... And Gabriel's presence, anyway, surely helped in ensuring no one moved at all.

Killer closed his eyes, following Gabriel out of instinct and with his other senses, as he focused on his own breath, and tried to calm down, and somehow force out of his mind the booming, echoing and obsessive "two thousand years!" cry that, no matter what, kept coming up.

It took a little while, but some meditation went a long way in balancing his feelings and calming him down some, until he rubbed the back of his huge hand on his cheek to dry away the wet pearl of tears he could feel on his face.

His newly recovered peace was immediately challenged and nearly broken as his eyes caught sight of Michael, surrounded by his troop of warriors: the Arkangel had already recovered and healed from all the damage he had taken, included the maiming of his testicles into pulp. He had also gotten back his Divine Barrier, the magical, permanent protection granted to the Monarchs of Heaven... And, most irritating things, he was already sporting once more his arrogant, teasing grin.

I wonder if I look that same way with my own. Killer wondered absently in a burst of self-consciousness and honesty, even as his huge hands closed into fists. Tightly, angrily.

Michael looked at him challengingly for the whole time, but Killer did his best to ignore him after giving him just a glare of contempt and challenge. Nothing happened, obviously... Killer was wise enough to bottle his rage up and not start another brawl in the middle of the road of a largely hostile town, against a Monarch of Heaven and his personal guard of warrior angels, and Michael would have never dared starting a fight himself, with Gabriel ready to intervene.

Gabriel himself was wise enough to quickly change the path, entering a side alley to make sure Killer and Michael were swiftly separated and muttering something about bad luck under his breath.

Killer smiled a bit at this, surprised and amused of it, but he kept silent for some more. He had been lucky with Michael, earlier on... had not been for Alexis, Killer would have had very little chances to get out of the psychic grip of the Arkangel , and almost none at all to stand up to the Monarch.

Despite the outcome of the... brawl, that's what it was... not a battle, but a brawl..., that hadapparently been victorious for Killer and Alexis, none of the two ligers had been fooled. They were definitely not ready for that kind of battles: even Alexis, despite her supernatural powers and incredible abilities, was mostly unable to react effectively to the magic and powers of foes such as Michael. The angel had the advantage of being a warrior literally from Eons... and even Killer, who in mortal terms and despite his young age was the most battle-hardened of veterans, had seen nothing compared to the Monarch that ruled over the Fourth Heaven. Michael was a powerful, balanced warrior that had both monstrous physical power, supernatural abilities and a massive knowledge of magic.

Killer was good mostly only in the physical realm, with how little control and knowledge of his own powers he had and how he ignored everything at all about magic. Alexis had quite a grip on some of her powers, and her punches could smash mostly anything to bits, so she was in a better position... Yet, had Michael battled them with his own abilities and magic, even together Killer and Alexis wouldn't have lasted much or accomplished any particular success.

Killer was well aware of why he had walked out of the brawl covered in gashes but overall ok, while Michael had had both his face and his crotch butchered: he had been lucky, just as much as Michael had been stupid. The angel had let his rage get the better of him, and his pride had betrayed him: he had charged in without any thought, secure that even using his bare hands he would have won easily.

That, however, was a bit excessive. Killer and Alexis packed nukes in their punches, and challenge them physically was suicidal... try to take on both at once, furthermore, was literally a way to seek lots of pain.

Stupid as he is, I bet he won't make the same mistake again. If not his brain, then his balls will remind him not to.

Killer grinned a bit despite himself at that thought... And then he looked upwards as he followed Gabriel out of the alley and onto the motorway-sized patrol path running atop the immense walls of the fortress that Orion was.

He breathed deeply as he felt the breeze of the ocean, salty and fresh, coming from the non-sea around the island. He could hear the waves angrily slapping the rocks of the cliff at the base of the fortress, and he stared in amazement at the sight of the open night sky above, with no buildings anymore around him closed the view.

He could recognize mostly all of the constellations above, reinforcing the feeling that he still was under the same sky of the Mortal World... But the stars looked so close to seem within finger's reach. They were enormous and bright, the smaller one as big as the Sun would appear from the Mortal plane. The moon was gigantic and beautiful, and the constellation of Orion... well. That was the closer one, with the stars gleaming in the sky above the enormous bulwarks of the fortress.

It was astonishing... and even more so since each star and planet was reflected by the non-water, non-gas sea.

"Is it true, then, that Heaven is built on clouds...?" He whispered quietly, and Gabriel turned to him with an amused snort, giving him his face-less version of a flat stare.

"Gods, how dumb mortals can be!" The highest of the Arkangels observed, before shaking his head slowly. "You've got planes flying in and out of clouds, satellites into orbit, stars exploration ships sailing into deep space, and yet there are people who believe in a world built onto clouds. That's hopelessly stupid."

"I know, I know." Killer replied amusedly himself, before snorting and adding dumbly: "Think of a jumbo airplane sucking Michael into its engine, though. Now that would be a funny image."

"Admittedly." Gabriel unexpectedly agreed, nodding slightly even as he did laugh nor show any clear sign of amusement. Killer grinned stupidly all the same, however.

"Lord Killer, Heaven is a whole different Plane from the Mortal one. Just as Hell is a third world just on itself. Think of it as parallel folds in the fabric of reality. Different dimensions, ruled by far different mechanics, and where even time moves so differently. Yet, you will always find signs that Hell, Heaven and the Mortal Plane are connected, as part of a single Creation. Hence you see the same sky. We are far closer to deep space than the Mortal Plane is... Heaven could be described as standing between the Earth and the open Space. Yet, being in a different dimension, a rocket launched into orbit from the Earth will never find Heaven blocking the way."

"Complex." Killer observed awkwardly, and Gabriel nodded wisely.

"It sure is. We study it from the very start of Time... but not even God understands everything, much as he shaped the world we know."

"Hasn't He created, well... everything...?" Killer asked, blinking in surprise. But Gabriel looked at him with what probably was a smile before shaking his head slightly.

"No. Moreover, He did not create himself... and the greatest mystery that He still dreams to resolve is to understand how and why he came into existence. And if someone created Him, because He can't rule it out."

"Holy fuck!" Killer exclaimed, making a bit of a face as he realized how little Mortals knew, and how wrong most of their most rooted beliefs were. Gabriel looked a bit shocked at his exclamation, but Killer did not even notice, as he crossed his arms and added: "People on the Mortal Plane kill themselves from the very first day of Time to establish who of them believes in the true God, in the almighty, in all that stuff... And now I realize that those wars and deaths have always been even more useless than I always considered them. Which is amazing, since I really, really always considered them the stupidest of deaths."

"Well, you were both wrong and right indeed. Wrong, because your belief was - and despite everything, still partially is - that the only thing worth fighting for was life itself. No gods to fight for, that's what you always thought. That wasn't quite correct."

"I admit it." Killer replied agreeably, nodding as he held his hands up before crossing his powerful arms. "You make some very complex questions evident, though... It is far simpler to think of the universe as a Creation son of the power of an almighty being. It is easy and cheap a way to justify and explain any sort of thing... But if God isn't almighty, and if he did not create everything by himself..."

"There are other Gods. And other universes. And many questions that God himself is still unable to give an answer to." Gabriel concluded calmly, nodding once before he gave him another of his unseen smiles and added: "You will be taught what we can about all of this later on, Lord Killer... but now we truly should move. You are here to train, and every minute is precious. Two thousand years sounds like much to your Mortal hears, but two millennia are the space of a blink for Heaven and Hell. The lowest of angels takes longer than that to be formed... and this gives you an idea of how immense the challenge of bringing your power out will be."

Killer nodded, and gained Gabriel's side as the giant Arkangel walked along the top of the wall, the sea to their left, as they advanced towards the huge shadow of two enormous bulwarks at the sides of the gates leading out of the island: Killer could see a long, straight bridge stretching past these and towards the shore in the distance. "I do realize it will be a hard task. Even more so since I'm... not a fast learner, to say the least. But Alexis will surprise you, at least. She's formidable, and I'm sure she'll soon know enough to teach others."

"Let's hope so." Gabriel replied gently, and then there was a long silence that stretched a few minutes, before Killer asked: "Hasn't Heaven developed a smarter and faster way to travel than walking...? Not to be irreverent, but... it is going to take ages to travel down that bridge. It looks... hundreds of miles long!"

"Well, for a thing, angels have wings." Gabriel replied, and Killer sulked a bit, snorting. "But don't worry, Amon-Ra. We can travel across Heaven in seconds thanks to Portals. It is just that, for security and defence reasons, there are areas where portals are impossible to open. Orion is one of these areas... once it was possible to Portal to just outside the Gates of the island, and move into the town from there. But now, with the war raging and with demons and rough, corrupted angels that have managed to make their way into Heaven, it would be too dangerous to allow portals to open so close to the town. We will take a train, anyway, that will allow us to move down the bridge very, very fast."

Killer was imprudent enough to ask more about Portals, and Gabriel was, in return, kind enough to answer. It came out quite complex, however, and at the end of the explanation, Killer couldn't honestly say he had grabbed the concept. However, by the time they reached the gigantic gates of the island, he could say to know some basics.

Portals were essentially tunnels opened thanks to magic in the folds of reality to connect two far-apart places. It was quite basic magic - one of the first things he would have to learn, in fact... - but it could still become taxing in terms of effort and energy required depending on the places one wanted to reach. In general, though, practically anyone was capable to portal freely around Heaven. The things changed dramatically if one wanted to portal onto the Mortal Plane or onto Hell: it was possible to connect different dimensions like that, but it required an incredible amount of power... and it would eat a lot of energy to keep the portal open. That was a major feat of strength, and only the gods and high-up Monarchs like Gabriel were capable to open such passages.

There had once been fixed portals, kept open by huge crystals feeding the needed energy, connecting directly Heaven and Hell, but they had all been sealed long ago, and with the relations between the two realms that had been only worsening in the millennia, no one had plans to reopen them at all. Diana, however, had been able to get one of the old fixed portals working at least to open portals that allowed her to reach him on the Mortal Plane... something she had been punished for, and a feat that now Killer was able to admire as it truly deserved.

Warrior angels stopped them by the Gates, but it was a rapid check: with Gabriel being the commander of the whole of Heaven's Guard, controls were more like platoons of warriors snapping disciplined, sharp salutes as he passed by.

They were soon walking out of Orion, the enormous golden double-doors closing behind them on their own as they stepped onto the bridge that connected the small island to the continent and approached a small monorail train, slender and tapering, with three interconnected carriages with golden lower body and the top part made completely of transparent glass. A door opened in gull-wing fashion, and Gabriel kindly gestured Killer to climb onto the vehicle before following in, both huge males bending and squeezing through the door before they could, thankfully, stood comfortably in the wide, spacious room.

The fact that there were no other passengers helped, too... It left to each of the two huge males one of the two comfy benches of the carriage, the two facing each other as the door slid closed with a low buzz, Killer putting his huge sword down on the seats at his side after taking it down from the magnetic holder he wore on his back thanks to a leather strap crossing his thick chest.

"Damn the small doors." Gabriel commented, and Killer snorted in agreement, smiling amusedly and valuing that, being even bigger than he was, Gabriel had to be quite accustomed at struggling to fit inside things. Even if in Heaven, honestly, big people were more common, and nearly anything was honestly oversized. So much that Killer had so far found mostly everything far more comfortable than back home, were, save for the Royal Palace, his car and a few other things, nothing was quite big enough for him.

"Welcome on board." A feminine, graceful voice announced from invisible loudspeakers, and soft lights turned on in the compartment, just strong enough to make things visible, validly helped by the stars shining through the roof of glass.

And smoothly, the train moved onwards, quickly picking up speed and yet giving no vibration at all, even as its magnets turned on and made it over an inch or so above the rail beneath. It took a moment, and the speed reached was clearly amazing, as the sea outside began to whiz past with dizzy rapidity. It was scary the speed they were moving at... and it somehow wasn't too reassuring for Killer to be aware that the train was autonomous, with no driver at all: down at the front extremity, there was no cockpit, but just a large window. The train did it all by itself... Either thanks to technology or magic, Killer did not know. For sure, the ride was so smooth that, despite the speed, had he not been looking outside the windows he would have probably not noticed they were moving at all.

Killer was silent for a moment, but he had too many questions rolling around his mind in a turmoil to stay silent. Too many things he wanted to ask... The difficult part was choosing what to ask first. He sneaked a gaze up to Gabriel, but it was hard to say if the Arkangel was smiling, impassive or angry, and the liger frowned a bit once more at how awkward it was to talk to a helmet.

He was about to put forward a question, when suddenly the voice from earlier came out of the loudspeakers again, announcing calmly: "We invite everyone to keep calm. The train is about to deploy its defensive, security protections."

Killer looked up in surprise at this, and his hand moved to rest on the handle of Wyvern as sturdy shutters of steel slid up to cover the glass windows from the outside, until the train was fully and completely locked under thick armour. Immediately, however, images of the outside world were projected onto the shutters, coming from cameras built in the body of the train, giving full 360° view even as the windows were shutted.

The Monarch laughed softly, noticing Killer's fingers closing around Wyvern's handle, before nodding and quietly saying: "No need to worries, Amon-Ra. These are precautions we were forced to adopt in these difficult times to allow the train to keep moving across this area, but there's no danger at the moment."

"Good." Killer replied quietly, but not really reassured, as his hand rested on the handle of the sword, just in case. They had already reached the continent, after shooting down the long, endless bridge in record time... and now the screens projected images of a barren, desolated wasteland where the only vegetation left was dead, skeleton-like trees here and there. Fires were burning in the distance, and there were clear tell-tale signs of harsh fighting all around... the kind of devastation that you can see on a battlefield after a major slaughter ends. The very land had been ravaged and corrupted by it... and there wasn't left a single blade of grass, nor a bush anymore... Only dust, desert, and burned earth.

"What the hell did happen here...?" Killer asked, staring at the desolation showing on the screens, all around them, desert and corrupted wasteland going on for miles and miles in every direction. Gabriel sighed, shaking his head slowly before explaining: "This was never a safe area to start with. The Middle Sea is, as probably you've been told already, a very dangerous place. As beautiful and fascinating as it looks, it is populated by nothing more than terrible monsters and warped souls destroyed and mutated by a corruption far, far worse of that you can find in Hell. The Middle Sea is a horrendous place... probably matched only by the Undersea, in Hell.

Crossing the Middle Sea, you can actually reach Hell... if you were to dive to the very bottom of the Middle Sea, in fact, you could quite easily pass across a main fold of reality... the Border between Hell and Heaven, that there is in its thinnest form. Crossing the bottom of the ocean, you'd emerge out of the "waters" and find yourself in a sort of lake on the very top of Hell's Central Spire."

Gabriel paused, and Killer was pretty sure that the angel stared for a moment at his confused face, and probably smiled at him before admitting that he had been digressing.

"It is a very complex thing, Amon-Ra, to understand how our worlds are interconnected, and yet located in whole different dimensions. We don't expect you to understand it... since neither do we really understand it. The point is that the monsters of the Middle Sea are some of the most terrible creatures to ever exist, and much as they normally stay in their underwater domain, they are a tremendous problem when one decides to come ashore.

This land, however, turned this way only recently..." Gabriel hesitated, his voice drifting into silence before he nodded and continued: "Things have gotten worse since the war with Hell restarted. Rough and corrupted angels have joined the demon's ranks, and somehow they've apparently found a way to cross the Middle Sea border in forces... Something we never expected to happen. Some of us, the strongest ones, and some of the greatest of demon lords, have challenged the Middle Sea. A few made it through, and are to this day admired for the power, courage and skills they showed to posses. But it is so dangerous and monstrous to cross the Middle Sea, that the very thought of trying to move armies across it always sounded stupid, to say the very least."

"But somehow, they did." Killer observed calmly, and Gabriel nodded.

"I suspect that some of the demon lords, helped by the rough angels, and possibly by one or more of the Gods, have come across the ocean and then found a way to rip a Crack in reality, a permanent dimensional wound that, incidentally, works as a huge Portal, while being actually an abomination that should not even exist." Gabriel explained, before resting his hands on his knees. "A Crack, or more than one. It is the only explanation... an army could never travel across the Middle Sea physically, after all. It would be destroyed and obliterated by the ocean's inhabitants well before reaching the surface, I can ensure you that much. Either way, now we have armies of scavengers, demons, monsters and rough angels storming through this land. We tried to get it back... But it was useless. It proved impossible to drive them back, and the more we kill, the more pop up to replace them."

"It does not sound good at all." Killer commented, making a bit of a face. It wasn't the smartest of things to say... but he did not know the situation enough to suggest anything. And he definitely had no reasons to doubt the words of the powerful angel. He just did not like at all the implications of a battle that even beings like Gabriel, Michael and Vesta could not win.

And then his eyes caught sight of something on top of a small hill blackened by recent fires, and he realized it could only mean danger and trouble even before the train's computer located the demons and a circle of red appeared on the screen, evidencing the enemy's position as the voice came a third time.

"Scavengers located. Please keep calm and hold on tight, evasive maneuver started."

"We should get ready!" Killer exclaimed, standing up and picking Wyvern up from the seats, even as the train shook violently and almost sent him flying down the carriage as the vehicle shot forwards with incredible acceleration, going from what was an already suicidal speed to an absurd one in an attempt to escape the threat... And Gabriel quietly touched Killer's wrist, stopping him and inviting him to sit back down.

"It is not necessary. They will not dare to attack us." The Arkangel announced calmly, and Killer sat back down with a snort of what was almost disappointment.

"How do you know they won't...?" The liger asked, and the angel rested calmly backwards onto his own seat, replying kindly: "Because I'm here. And they know it. They would never dare attacking me... unless they had assembled an army first, at least. And I'd know if they had."

Killer snorted a bit, but he did not reply, putting Wyvern back down on the seats and resting back into his comfy seat. He looked up at the screen, which showed clearly that no one was trying to pursue them... and in fact the train had already slowed down to its "normal" speed.

The image of the scavengers was still shown on screen, however... a photo at high definition taken as they had shot by. Killer had never seen such a thing: the demons, of an unknown kind, were wrapped in torn, ruined black and grey clothes and cloaks flapping in the wind, with hoods hiding their faces and features in shadow. The smaller one was probably well over fifteen feet tall, but they might have been some sort of glorified skeleton-warrior, for how slender and emaciated they appeared under the cloaks. However, their arms were huge, disproportionate to their bodies, and he could clearly make out bulging, ungodly musculature under the stretched, ripped and dirty cloth... And their undoubtedly monstrous force told him that they had to be something far worse than skeletons. Their strength was put to good use, anyway, to control the mount they were riding, that certainly was a main challenge in itself.

Like some sort of infernal knight, each demon was in fact mounting an Incubo, the over 20 feet tall tyrannosaurus-like black demon with the front arms muscular, huge and powerful and ending in deadly praying-mantis's blades made of steel. The reptile creatures, with their multiple, expressionless crimson eyes and the thick, long twin tails ending in deadly harpoons of bone, made for frightening mounts... And the demons could veritably be defined heavy duty demonic cavalry. The riders mounted on huge, arched saddles needed to allow the warriors to sit on the back of the Incubi despite the deadly rows of spike-bones and ridges that covered the back of the demonic reptiles from head to tail-tips, and they all carried a wide range of weaponry. Killer saw spears and huge cleaver swords tied to the huge saddles, but also saw bandoliers from which many spherical objects were hanging, definitely looking like hand-grenades, and enormous rifles strapped to the back of the "knights". They were various in shape, size and characteristics, but each rifle could rival in nastiness and sizes with Alexis's own gigantic sniper - cannon, because that's what it really is... - "rifle", which meant they certainly had a massive impact.

To say the very least...

There was a large group on top of the dune... the image showed at least twenty, and more could have been around, yet they had not even tried attacking.

Killer could tell the Arkangel was smiling. He had serenely said the enemy had not dared moving just because of his presence... And Killer could definitely believe it, with how much power the angel radiated. He wasn't the leader of Heaven's forces without a reason, that was definite.

What bugged Killer was that... well. Usually it was he the one that everyone feared, and that people would not dare pissing. Now, instead, he felt like he was... dwarfed, by so many stronger warriors and, worse by far, by so many stronger enemies.

Killer rested silently in his seat for a few long minutes, during which nothing happened: the screens showed only desert, deadly wasteland outside, but no enemies. Not because there weren't enemies spying on the train... no, that would have been wishful thinking at the very best, if the situation was as nasty as Gabriel had described it. They did not saw them because they did not want to be seen. By now, this was their territory, and they knew well how to move around it.

His attention grew again, however, when they came under the shadows of a gigantic fortified wall: it had to be no less than 400 feet high, golden and brilliant under the light of the stars, with battlements protecting the patrol walk on top and with rows of frightening, cruel metallic spikes forming barriers against any attempt of climbing the obstacle. Every mile or so, a gigantic cylindrical bulwark at least twice as tall as the wall towered over the wasteland: the tower, however, was built a few hundred feet ahead of the wall itself, making for a self-sufficient fortress that could be reached only thanks to massive drawbridges to and from the top of the wall. Each tower made for a privileged observation point... and a perfect platform for the heavy artillery that, from the top of each tower, could punish savagely any attacker. The defenders in the circular tower could fire everywhere in the 360° radius... which meant that, even if the enemy made it to the base of the wall, it was still under fire.

The fortified line ran in both directions as far as the eye could see, drawing a solid, insuperable border between the wasteland and the undoubtedly very different world behind the wall.

"This is the border of the First Heaven... the Sky that I have the privilege of ruling as Monarch. Mine is a reign of frontier, Lord Killer... the very first line of defence of Heaven. We've built the Wall many eons ago... but we have had to make it as potent as you see it only in recent times." Gabriel announced calmly, shifting a bit in his seat as he leaned forwards, elbows resting on his knees and hands rubbing together in a gesture of awkward nervousness. "It has proven indispensable to prevent Heaven from falling... this is how bad things are."

Killer nodded silently, standing up calmly to walk a few steps down the corridor in the middle of the train, to look up through the armoured roof thanks to the projected screens. The train was now entering a massive, square fortress with a gigantic tower at each corner, its speed rapidly reducing until the vehicle rolled to a gentle stop inside an hangar sized up for it.

Immediately, enormous robotic arms unfolded from the walls at the sides and literally seized the train, Killer grunting as almost fell over, looking to the door and, somehow unsurprised, noticed that the giant mechanical arms had seized the carriages exactly at each door, making it impossible to dismount.

"No worries. Normal security check." Gabriel said reassuringly, calmly seated at his place even as the train was literally lifted off the rail, making it incapable to go anywhere, as the huge door it had entered from was shut closed by a gigantic golden shutter, leaving them in the darkness for a moment.

It did not last, however, since a ray of green light was aimed onto the front of the train from above, and Killer stared in amazement as the light somehow filtered into the compartment, advancing down the length of the train like a solid wall of green energy.

"The train's being scanned for a security check. We invite you to stay calm and relaxed. It will only take a few seconds." The usual reassuring girl's voice announced from the loudspeakers, and Killer looked down at his arm with interest as the wall of green scanned him, then Gabriel, sliding all the way to the end of the train, before the voice thanked the passengers for their patience, and the robotic arms lifted the train vertically along a dark shaft. Had an enemy been hiding inside the vehicle, or had a bomb or anything suspect at all been located... well. Killer was pretty sure that there was a whole team of well-trained and heavily armed angels ready to intervene in such a situation, and it was better not to know how nasty it could turn out being.

The screens shut themselves down, and the heavy security shutters slid back open, leaving Killer looking out of the glass as the train came out of the dark shaft and emerged in a wide square in the middle of the fortress. Angel soldiers had the control of the situation from on top of the walls and four towers all around the square, and a few more trains of different designs were parked side to side in the large area. They seemed, to be precise, troop transports and heavily armed patrol platforms: similarly sized to the passenger train he was on, but characterized by squareish carriages heavily armoured and with turrets on top armed with missiles and guns.

The robotic arms moved to delicately drop the train near one of those armed vehicles, and Gabriel stood up calmly to walk towards the door as it swung slowly open, accompanied by the gentle voice from earlier, announcing that the destination had been reached.

Killer picked up Wyvern and reached the door, squeezing past it as Gabriel lead the way, and they stepped out in the open, straightening as the Arkangel was saluted by a group of angels nearby: they wore black, solid armor and were armed with swords at their belts, but they also had huge assault rifles in their hands, and hand-grenades secured to the front of their armor. Strange thing, they carried no ammunition pouches... so Killer suspected that magic had something to do with it: they had merely a modular magazine inserted into the rifles, with another connected to the side of the one in use. Once emptied it, the soldier had to just remove the clip and move it an inch to the side to push in a full clip... and probably the empty one fills up again thanks to some kind of magic, stupid as it sounds. I'm not willing to believe they walk into battle with just two clips of ammo when back home the last of grunts carries at least 12 clips and tries hard to get even more on himself...

Somehow, Killer was not as surprised of seeing them with advanced weaponry and high-tech stuff as the monorail automated train itself as he thought he should have been. After all, by the look of Orion, by the look of the ancient wall and even the fortress they were in... Well, everything had sorta of a medieval look. Still, the angels showed to have technology that dwarfed in some cases the cutting edge of mortal tech, and it didn't even surprise him. Somehow, even if awkwardly, the mix of ancient and ultra-modern seemed a natural compromise.

But that's because the Northlands are sorta like this, when you stop and think about it...

The angel soldiers broke their disciplined formation when Gabriel ordered them to continue with their activity, and Killer watched with interest as they saluted and then climbed into their armed train, as their commander talked a moment with the huge Arkangel. The train itself had a middle carriage that was basically a super-armoured troop transport, with a couple of enclosed turrets with heavy machine guns on top and several ports through which the soldiers could fire. Ample doors made mounting and dismounting easy and rapid, and just like with a tracked IFV back home, the infantry, during a fight, was certainly expected to jump down of the vehicle and fight with the support of the train-mounted weaponry.

The front and rear carriages, in fact, were slender and sorta resembled deadly blades. The front of the train was a vicious, sharp and deadly blade that could have smashed into pretty much anything, and on top of the carriage there were several thick turrets armed with a combination of guns and missiles. It was quite some devastating firepower... and a whole Company of soldiers was easily carried in the troop-carriage to add to it and provide mobile teams for on-foot patrols.

Gabriel was soon done listening the brief report of the officer, which after saluting climbed quickly onto the train and vanished under the thick skin of the vehicle as the huge armoured door closed. The Arkangel walked up to Killer calmly, and then waited a moment as he noticed the sheer amount of interest the liger had for the Patrol Train, the giant angel standing near the mortal as the robotic arms from earlier stretched out of the shaft and seized the patrol train, lifting it up into the air and then lowering it down the shaft, out of sight.

"Wow. That was quite impressive." Killer commented cheerfully, and Gabriel chuckled a bit at the way the huge liger looked around at the fortress and at the other armed trains like a children in a shop of beautiful toys. "And do the magazines fill up on by themselves...?" Killer couldn't risk asking, turning to the Monarch with a grin that only widened as the angel nodded quietly. "Awesome. I did figure that out when I saw they carried no ammo... Now, would that be a trick that guys back home would adore, they always bitch about bulk and weight of the ammo load!"

"Magic struggles to work on the Mortal Plane, Lord Killer." Gabriel reminded calmly, holding up a finger to stop Killer's enthusiasm. "Magic works thanks to the Corruption of Hell, and the Purity of Heaven. But on the mortal plane, there are no such sources of energy to draw from, and without a Crystal imbued with Hell or Heaven's essence, there's almost no way at all to turn out a spell successfully. That's why both demons and angels are much weaker, while in the Mortal Plane... and that's why Crystals are so precious, and so dangerous. You have to know that the easier and most effective way to create a large reserve of energy to enable magic to happen in the Mortal world is to crystallize angels or demons."

"Crystallize...?" Killer asked quietly, looking horrified at the probable implications of it, even before Gabriel nodded severely and added: "Yes. Beings turned into Crystal... into power sources like your mortal-engineered batteries and fuel cells." The Arkangel paused, turning away with what probably was a grimace of distaste as he muttered: "A destiny worse than any death."

Killer nodded, and thought bitterly about the few Crystals he had seen in use by enemies that had tried to take on him in the recent past, like the Winged commanders of the RA in Glacial... How many demons, or angels, or both, had been sacrificed and destroyed, turned into lifeless crystal charged with energy...?

The idea alone was disgusting.

But as he turned to Gabriel to ask him more about the crystal matter, he saw another angel approaching, wearing a purple robe and a mask of silver that covered his face entirely, giving him a fixed, impersonal and never-smiling expression. He had two large white wings, currently folded on his back, and he glowed with a golden aura of magic that made Killer nervous, even as he watched with a frown of both fascination and confusion at the long, thin scroll that floated in midair around the torso of the angel, circling him several times, making it look like he was surrounded by a set of solar-system orbits models.

The scroll was covered all over with names, phrases, and other information that glowed now and then, vanished, was replaced by other words, updated, in a continuous, dizzy process.

Killer couldn't make much out of it, as his eyes darted from a name glowing red on a stretch of scroll to a phrase that vanished and rewrote itself in a blink to another name appearing there, without a chance to follow it all... But the angel, he was sure, was in full control of the continuous evolution of the immense "database" surrounding him.

"The hell is that... Heaven's version of boring bureaucrats...?" Killer asked mildly, frowning a bit as he looked to Gabriel, who nodded slightly even as the masked angel himself replied bitterly: "I'm a Metatron, Lord Killer, and my task is to control everything that happens, changes and exist in Heaven, every second of eternity. And since you are in Heaven now, you're on the list as well."

And indeed, Killer saw his name glowing red on the scroll, as all sorts of other info about him started to write itself out, from when and where he was born to where he lived, what he did in his life and who knew what else. The stretch of papyrus floated up to the Metatron's eyes, and the angel murred a bit as he read, before observing coldly: "I see you are the worst of troublemakers, Amon-Ra or not."

Killer snorted, crossing his arms with a wide grin and replying amusedly: "Me? A troublemaker? Wait until you see Alexis, then. You might find run out of adjectives"

"We will take care of her too, as we do of everyone." The angel replied bitterly, glaring up at Killer a bit, and the huge male stepped forwards with a growl now, glaring down at the 15-foot angel as he raised a huge fist threateningly. "Have you ever been chocked with your own fancy floating scroll, bitch...? Because you might find out what's like, right now."

The Metatron half-backstepped, looking terrified for a moment before he pointed a finger mendaciously and shouted: "Try! Come on, bring it on! We Metatrons are protected by a divine barrier in the exercise of our duty. No one can touch us!"

Killer walked forwards with a cold grin, cracking his knuckles and glaring teasingly down at the angel nonetheless, challenging softly: "I've had to fight the Queen of the Lust circle of Hell, you know. And she had the fancy barrier-thing herself. So, just as I told her, I tell you: do you really want to see if the barrier can stand against my fist...?"

"Don't you dare!" The angel squeaked, and he stepped backwards again before Killer shoved his hands forwards against him, snarling angrily: "You are the one who must never dare even speaking Alexis's name like that!"

It was true, a barrier surrounded the Metatron entirely, and Killer's hands slammed into this with a loud slam, which sent the angel falling backwards onto the ground even as Killer was shoved backwards powerfully, snarling in rage and pain as his hands were charred by energy, which also zapped into his arms, making his muscles twitch uncontrollably for an instant, even as the Metatron looked up at him in terror and prepared a sphere of blazing white energy in a hand...

Gabriel grabbed Killer by a shoulder, pulling him back and holding a hand towards the fallen Metatron as he tried to stop the fight on the start, but things had already gone out of control as at least twenty more Metatrons popped into existence in a circle around Killer, chanting a spell as chains made of energy ripped out of the ground, made of sizzling light and thick like trees as they lengthened and shot upwards in front of each Metatron before they shot forwards like cobras, and wrapped around Killer from all sides, one strangling him as many more went for his arms, legs, body.

Killer snarled angrily, even as the chain around his throat viciously squeezed into his aiways, the huge male pulling his arms violently outwards, the chains wrapped around its wrists lengthening and sizzling as his physical might battled the magical power of the angels... And he ripped his arms free, four Metatrons grunting as they were dragged violently forwards and then shrieking as they were thrown into the air, the others visibly repressing shivers as they continued to chant, staring at the giant with eyes wide in amazed terror as Killer's hands reached up to grab the chain at his neck, pulling it wide apart as he roared in rage and tried to break free.

Other Metatrons teleported in, accompanied by warrior angels with swords and spears, as even more chains ripped out of the ground and wrapped around Killer's arms. Four enormous ropes of solid, burning flame erupted from the ground and wrapped around his waist before squeezing his body in a vicious vice, dragging him into the ground, the liger grunting as he smashed into the ground with his chest, feeling the chains burning into his flesh as they ferociously fought to bind him into the earth, even as the warrior angels surged forwards from all sides, charging at him with a wall of spears and swords and rifles as the original Metatron shouted in insane laughter even as he scrambled on all fours fearfully to crawl away from Killer. "Get him! Get him! He dared attacking the Metatrons!"

"You little bastards!" Killer howled in rage, muscles bulging with power as he fought against the chains and tried to force himself back to his feet, snarling and gritting his fangs painfully as he shoved against his restraints, arching his back with a grunt and managing to shove himself back to his knees, grinning even as he panted, giving the Metatrons in front of him a murderous, darkly-amused grin with every inch he gained.

They stared back at him in horror, trembling even as they doubled the efforts of their chants, sending crimson flames down the chains to burn into his body.

Killer groaned and nearly fell again to the ground as the flames charred at his flesh, the chains digging into his musculature hard enough to draw blood as they drew long gashes... Before he roared furiously and launched himself forwards against the chains with all of his strength, sending a dozen of the Metatrons behind him crashing to the ground with loud grunts.

"Bind him! Bind him!"

"Get more Metatrons!"

Killer grinned as the mages all around him struggled to restrain him, some of them shrieking in terror to get reinforces... The first Metatron all but leaping at Gabriel to grab him by the waist, the tallest point of the giant male that he could reach, shouting:"We need soldiers! Tell them to charge in!"

"I said stop this folly!" Gabriel shouted back angrily, as the soldiers on the towers and walls all stared at the battle below with nervousness and uncertainty on what to do...

Before Killer slammed his head into the stomach of an angel warrior who came too close to him to try and restrain his movements, sending the soldier crashing on his back and skidding backwards with a groan.

Killer snarled-laughed at this, and then he felt a sudden surge of tremendous power through his body, his eyes going wide in horror as the world around him faded to nothingness...

And he found himself in the darkness of a luxurious palace, with Black Killer lazily rising up from a chaise longue of gold, grinning as he arched his back and stretched his muscular arms with a yawn and then grinned widely and viciously, walking forwards with a murderous and horribly playful light in his eyes.

We set this now, little bro.

"No!" Killer howled, and then his eyes snapped back on reality as a tremendous blast of energy exploded forth from him, ripping a circular crater in the stone floor all around him, a dome-shaped shockwave of energy pulsing out of him and expanding...

"No..." He exclaimed again, trying to stop his own force, shoving it back inside him even as his rage still roared for revenge... And even as he somehow managed to restrain himself, most of the chains exploded in thin fragments and broken links that hammered all around the courtyard like shrapnel as perhaps forty Metatrons were knocked sprawling, many more being slammed backwards several feet even as they continued to chant... And Killer stared as the warrior angels that had been circling him were hurtled like toys in all directions, many of them smashing into the walls all around the courtyard with shrieks of agony as the fortress itself was shaken by the shockwave, the trains he had earlier seen being slammed each into the other and into the outer wall of the castle in a pile of wreckage.

Killer fell forwards on his chest, panting hard as his eyes shut tightly, his body hurting like hell from the many gashes and from the incandescent chains, even as he cried helplessly an infinite succession of "no". It hadn't been meant to go that way... it definitely hadn't to go that way...

"Stop it!" Gabriel howled, and Killer looked up from the ground to see the giant angel handling an enormous cleaver-sword made of solar-bright energy as he advanced towards the Metatrons, ordering harshly: "Release him, and get the hell out!"

The Metatrons hesitated, but not too much: many of them had been mashed up badly by the shockwave, several angels laying broken and crushed into the floor even as they were quickly helped and regenerated by the spells of the ones in better conditions, as angel-soldier ran all around the base to help the wounded. The Metatrons had no wish to fight Gabriel, on top of the giant mortal, and they finally allowed the chains to dissolve, letting Killer shove slowly back to his feet, the male trembling a bit as he took in the devastation he had caused, staring at the shrieking injured scattered all around the courtyard and the mashed-up Metatrons, and the pulverized slabs of stone that had been a floor before he had crumbled it with the blast of energy, which had dug even into the walls and towers.

Had he not managed to restrain the eruption of power he had witnessed, the whole fortress would have probably been flattened... and probably most of the Metatrons would have been all but vaporized, and not just beaten to pulp.

"We have you on the List, Mortal." The Metatrons announced venomously, glaring at him from behind their silver masks. "The next time you stir trouble up, you will be either imprisoned in the Middle Sea or destroyed."

"Why did I allow you to survive, I wonder..." Killer muttered, even as he honestly was shaken by what had happened, and horrified by what he had done. And horrified by the fact that the Metatrons still had him bound and restrained, despite the horrendous might of his attack, too. He felt like he had been put in a meat-grinder, after all...

"Go away. You have caused enough damage as it is." Gabriel commanded harshly, before pointing a finger to the Metatron that had first caused the explosion of rage of Killer. "That moron! Blame that complete idiot for what happened! There was no need to be such a rude irritant ass."

The Metatrons looked at their compatriot, and he shrunk shamefully under their gazes, before they looked back to Gabriel with hostility, even as they bowed forwards deeply and finally begun to teleport away, vanishing from the courtyard.

"I'm... I'm sorry, really." Killer said quietly, before rubbing a hand in his mane slowly, looking around at the destruction surrounding them. "I... I did not want this to happen... you could almost say it... it wasn't me."

"I know what you mean, Amon-Ra." Gabriel replied calmly, even as he looked around to take in the large number of injured soldiers being healed and brought into the fortress's quarters. Killer missed a heartbeat at this, but Gabriel merely nodded in a silent confirmation that he knew about the Black Killer's problem.

"And you want me to break the Seals all the same...?" Killer asked in horror, looking at the huge angel with shock in his eyes before pointing at the crushed, wrecked armoured trains piled up like junk against the wall of the fortress. "You do see what happens, already now...! We... I can't... I can't let it happen."

"You are here to learn to control and master all of your power. You will tame your darkness, Amon-Ra... In the end, it is your mind which matters. What you decide to do... you will do. It will be your choice, to be a savior or the ultimate destroyer. And I trust you will choose the right path." Gabriel replied quietly, and Killer looked at him steadily, speechless, before making a grimace as he took in the sight of the many injured splattered all over the square.

"Well... we can think of that later on, I guess... We should help here first of all." He said softly, but Gabriel shook his head slowly and replied: "It is better if we just move out and to our destination, Amon-Ra. My men will be able to manage the situation here." He paused, walking up to Killer to gently squeeze the liger's shoulder, before adding quietly: "I'm sorry for what happened, Amon-Ra... but we both know it... wasn't your fault."

There was an awkward pause, before Killer looked up at the angel's face, searching for eyes that weren't there, before he snorted bitterly: "Not just mine, we'd better say. It is already generous enough, with the mess I made."

Gabriel did not reply, merely squeezing at his shoulders gently before asking: "You look pretty battered... Do you need a healer...?"

"No." Killer replied stubbornly, shaking his head firmly. "The healers are busy with people that need help for real... and mine are scratches. Nothing to worry about."

"Scratches." Gabriel repeated with sarcastic and yet concerned voice, but as Killer glared flatly up at him, the angel sighed and nodded.

" Then we truly have to go." Gabriel said kindly, and Killer nodded, stepping forwards readily.

"I'm ready."

"Then we will portal directly to our destination." Gabriel replied with satisfaction, and he idly reached a hand up to point at the air before them as a swirling white wound opened in the fabric of reality, tearing open a tunnel in the folds of the dimensions to connect to... a snowy field with thick, white forests in the distance, for what Killer could see across the "door" in midair. "Just follow me, Amon-Ra. It is quick and easy." Gabriel announced serenely, and he walked straight into the Portal, vanishing through it as Killer shrugged and followed in.

For an instant, everything was darkness, and he felt like he had been thrown in a crazy washing machine as he felt like spinning upside down and made a face at the dizzy sensation it gave him... But it was immediately over, and he found himself walking out into the snow covering a quiet clearing between thick forests that stretched all around towards the horizon.

Everything was peace and serenity, and the difference with the Wasteland he had crossed before was blatantly obvious. It made it clear just why the Wall was needed... without it, Heaven would have looked like barren desert of destruction all over.

However, he had all sort of other thoughts raging confusedly into his mind, and the serenity of the forest did not help him enough to soothe the pain, nor the confusion about what had happened.

"What the hell are these Metatrons, anyway...?" Killer finally muttered, and Gabriel looked at him for a moment in silence before answering calmly: "Well, Metatron is an Arkangel, like me. He's the Chancellor of Heaven... literally God's right arm. He's in charge and in control of everything and everyone in Hell, thanks also, of course, to the help of the Metatrons, the masked angels you've just seen. They keep track of everyone here in Heaven... they grant Divine Barriers, they survey the actions of everyone in real time, they direct soldiers where they are needed when a problem pops up... Their control is unlimited."

Killer made a grimace and then sighed, rubbing a hand in his mane slowly and closing his eyes for a moment before looking back to Gabriel with a dumb grin playing on his muzzle.

"I did make myself powerful enemies for a change, huh...?"

"Yes, definitely." Gabriel remarked with a nod, before adding in a serious voice: "The Metatrons live in constant mental contact: it is like they shared a single, immense mind along themselves, Metatron and God himself. They share knowledge, power and magic that is as old as the Creation, and that increases day after day. Touch one, and everyone else will immediately know."

"Yeah, that also explains why they popped up all around me in a second." Killer grumbled. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I can imagine." Gabriel admitted, mild amusement playing into his voice. "You are used to a different world, with different rules, and Heaven is still a novelty for you. But that should make you more prudent and careful..." The Arkangel added seriously, his voice taking on a note of contempt as the gigantic winged warrior turned to Killer to stare down at him flatly. "While I see you're ready to throw yourself into a brawl even with the most dangerous of beings... while already tired and wounded from taking on an army of demons."

Killer grinned and shrugged, crossing his powerful arms with a little nod as he replied: "Well, I guess you'll have to take me how I am. I don't know what that... fucking Prophecy or whatever it is... says about me, but this is what you get, want it or not."

"I guess so." Gabriel replied amusedly, the two males falling in step together as the Arkangel moved onwards and Killer followed, walking at his side and looking around himself with curiosity as he tried to pick up all the details he could about the forest, about similarities and differences both when Heaven was compared to the Mortal Plane back home, and also, admittedly, observing the surroundings to make sure he was not walking into a trap of some sort and to make himself a mental map of the area and of the possible escape routes.

Trusting people is nice and good. Be suspicious and prepared for their betrayal is smart, instead.

"By the way, I figure you will not tell me anything about this Prophecy you all talk about, am I wrong...?" Killer asked a moment of silence, looking hopefully up to the angel but expecting to get no real info at all even as the Arkangel stopped his steps and turned towards him quietly.

"I'm afraid I can't reveal anything at the moment, Lord Killer, sorry. It is not the right time to do so... you are not ready, even if the Prophecy was pronounced about you." The angel replied calmly, sounding genuinely sorry for whatever denied him the possibility to share his knowledge with the liger, before Gabriel added in an impressed voice: "The Test in the arena was a silly idea. Unnecessary... It was a proposal of Taranis who wanted to get his fun and of... others..." Killer frowned with a bit of a grimace as even that detail was kept hidden from him, but he did not comment, only mumbling angrily at himself for a brief moment. "... who hoped you'd fail and die in the fight. Which of course wasn't the case. I was immensely impressed, however, by how well you fared, despite having so little of your powers unleashed." Gabriel paused, and seemed to look down at Killer intently, like he could see deeper past the skin and muscles, to study something that not even Killer could know about himself. "It makes me wonder exactly how powerful you will get as you break the many Seals that still bind you..."

"We will know if and when I do it." Killer replied calmly, rubbing a hand slowly on his thick, powerful chest. He was nervous about the whole "breaking-the-Seals" thing... His fear was that he'd either be unable to restrain his inner Darkness from taking over, or that he would simply go mad on his own power, rampaging and destroying everything, seeking for even more power, and forcing himself as the ruler of everything and everyone. He knew himself. He was aware of his vulnerability to that kind of factor, and he was too powerful already as it was... with the strength he had, he could literally crush the people around himself to mush, and the temptations that came with the awareness of his unmatched force were already dark and more than enough hard to resist to.

The power that Black Killer had shown, though, was a whole different level. It was godlike and terrible... and there was nothing that could stand up to such immense force. No limits to the devastation it could cause.

Gabriel seemed to understand his inner conflict, his contrasting feelings. At once, Killer had a lustful voice craving for power teasing him into getting it all, and soon; Black Killer grinning and expecting the moment with glee, the scared side of himself praying for the day to never come and the rational side accepting it as a necessity, as the only way to stop the disasters that loomed, storming with Death, on the horizon.

Killer sighed, shaking his head a bit as he tried to get those thoughts out of his mind, trying hard to focus on something else instead, and both loving and hating the silence of the Arkangel at his side as they walked on for many long minutes in complete quiet.

"Are the famous Meadows of Heaven a reality...?" Killer finally asked curiously, breaking the silence and looking fascinatedly all around himself: the forest wasn't that different from a mortal one, but the trees seemed to whisper words that you could not understand, but yet felt soothing and reassuring, deep into the very soul. They were also a lot bigger than normal trees could have ever been... and he could ear birds and other animals in the distance, which made him curious about that aspect of Heaven as well.

"The Elysian Fields, or Meadows, do definitely exist." Gabriel answered gently, smiling a bit as he added: "They make up most of my area, the First Heaven... that is the Sky of the Heroes. I know that the Northlands' legends are quite correct in their descriptions of the fields and even of the Hall of Heroes. But I promise you will see that all by yourself one day... And before you even ask, yes." The angel nodded, looking clearly amused and certainly smiling, even if his face was hidden by the helmet and thus it could not be seen. "Your friend William made it into the Hall of Heroes. He's a commander of Heaven's armies, and you will meet him soon enough... I can promise this to you."

Killer smiled, and nodded with a quiet bow of his head, full of sincere gratitude as he said: "Thank you very much, Lord Gabriel. It... sure is something I crave. I truly need to see him, and say thank you for all he did for me and... and... just meet him, really. We were more than just friends, or pupil and mentor. And I do I owe him lots."

"He will be honored to know you think so highly of him. And he's eager to meet you, Amon-Ra. I hope you'll have the chance of a meeting soon." Gabriel replied quietly, nodding again as he walked forwards into the darkness, made soft by the light of the huge stars shining above and making the snow gleam. Killer followed him immediately, and as he fell in step with the longer, faster strides of the much taller angel, he looked up past the huge trees, to take into the amazing sight of mountains of rock, smooth and bare, looking almost like colossal natural towers that loomed over the forest, the hills and even the other mountains.

They were gigantic obelisks of stone and granite that climbed to the sky with walls pretty much vertical, bare of any kind of vegetation save for their top, where lush forests covered every centimeter. A couple of the weird, tower-like mountains, however, were so tall that they towered over all others... and their peaks were invisible, hidden by thick white clouds.

"The Monoliths..." Killer guessed, and the Arkangel at his side nodded serenely.

"Yes. I see you have studied the map in Orion with the attention I expected from someone with your military heritage and experience." Gabriel commented, his voice tinged by both soft amusement and satisfaction. "You will then know that we have jumped straight into the Second Heaven, the Sky ruled by Raphael... I don't know if Diana ever told you, but the Monastery of the Healers is located in this Sky, and Raphael is the king of all holy Healers. His name, in fact, means "It is God that heals"."

"I did not know." Killer admitted, blushing a bit and not knowing what to add, well aware that Diana's trips on the Mortal Plane to aid him and inform him had been transgressions on her part of the rules of Heaven... and he did not want to put her in any further trouble than she already had had and still had to face. Gabriel seemed good and compassionate... but it was better to be plenty careful anyway.

I just hope Diana manages to come over visiting me every now and then...

_"_You will meet Raphael one day... Just like everyone else, he'll be eager to know the mighty Amon-Ra." Gabriel said softly, nodding a bit to himself, before turning to Killer as the liger mumbled under his breath.

"Actually, I'd very much prefer there wasn't that much fuss about me... And I don't even like that name."

"Ray of Hope, lord Killer... that's what Amon-Ra means. Much as you feel you don't deserve that title, you are clearly the one that will save us all... And nothing, not the hostility, nor the doubts that people show about you, should weaken your awareness of who you are." Gabriel pointed out wisely, putting an armoured hand on the shoulder of the huge - and yet amazingly much smaller - male, squeezing on his thick musculature reassuringly.

Killer smiled a bit at this, but he only murmured a thank you that wasn't totally sincere... And the Arkangel probably noticed, but he did not insist. Instead, after a short moment of silence, the giant observed: "From someone of your caliber and military value, though, I expected another question too, after you saw the Wall..."

Killer blinked in surprise at this, then thought for a moment with a low murr, and finally said: "Let me guess. You expected me to go and say that such a long, fixed defence line is not effective, since it can't be properly manned all along its length and providing garrisons all over the border would thin up and separate the forces, making Heaven weaker instead of stronger?"

Gabriel laughed and nodded, before saying with a clearly amused voice: "Exactly. You don't disappoint, I see."

"Well, I said nothing because I supposed you were more than experienced enough to know it by yourself. I'm expecting the thick of the army to be located in rear echelon, ready on call to intervene to repeal an assault against the Wall when the focal point of the enemy offensive is identified." Killer observed wisely, shrugging a bit as he added: "Back home, we use Mechanized Infantry and Tanks for this kind of reaction force... Whatever forces you have here in your mass of maneuver should be able to intervene even faster thanks to the portals."

Gabriel nodded again, but he also observed: "Yes, but do not be fooled by the power and fascination of magic, Lord Killer. There are always limits... and keep open a portal for a whole Army to pass through is much more of a feat than it may sound like. It requires mages, lots of them... and power, lots of it. So, there's a limit to what you can effectively portal, without having the Mages reaching the battlefield without energy left for the fighting."

"It still sounds like it beats having to provide fuel to hundreds of starving heavy vehicles, though." Killer replied mildly, well aware of how much supplies shaped modern war. In the ancient times, the Army used to ran on his stomach. It still was true... but that stomach did not need just food and perhaps arrows anymore, but ammunitions, fuel, lubricants, spare parts, engineers and a thousand other things.

"So... huh. It is here that I will be trained, anyway...?" Killer asked quietly, looking again up at the astonishing Monolith mountain that reached all the way into the clouds and past them as they walked towards it, and Gabriel nodded calmly.

"It is here that you've been destined for now. Your training will begin in the Monastery that we call Eaglenest, since the idea is that you need to learn quite some basics still, before we can move to something more advanced."

"Sure." Killer grumbled, rolling his eyes upwards a bit. "I bet Alexis was assigned to the super-supernatural stuff already, instead, right...?"

"As a matter of fact, she has." Gabriel admitted heavenly, and Killer snorted, but did so with a proud, loving smile. He had never doubted of her, nor had he expected anything else with the powers she already mastered. His hand reached instinctively up for the golden bullet at his neck, his fingers caressing the metal quietly as a blade of sadness pierced his earth once more at the awareness that she was far, far away, somewhere else in that new, immense world they had to visit... And he sighed a bit as he wrapped his hand lovingly around the golden bullet, almost like it could... connect him physically with Alexis, and let his caress be felt by her.

"I'm afraid I can't be more specific about her whereabouts, Lord Killer." Gabriel added softly, noticing his gesture, and Killer nodded, closing his eyes as he replied emptily: "I did not expect differently. Thanks all the same."

Thanks...? THANKS...? The hell, thanks! Aren't you able to crush that paper basket on his head and break his fucking face, instead of being a moron...? Black Killer rambled angrily in his mind, and Killer winced and made a grimace as he forced the voice away and bitterly replied: go to hell and shut the fuck up.

"I'm sorry." Gabriel said, and his voice sounded sincerely saddened, but Killer didn't felt any better because of it anyway. It simply was too much of a pain to endure... he would survive, perhaps even get... "used" to being separated like that... but until he was reunited to Alexis, nothing was going to really help.

Instead, as his mind processed the last bits of info acquired, his eyes widened and he instinctively looked up again to the mountain that dwarfed the clouds, before asking quietly: "Something tells me that this... Eaglenest... is up there, I am I right?"

Gabriel looked as Killer jerked his head towards the colossal monolith of rock, and he nodded calmly, his voice amused as he answered positively. "It is."

Killer made a bit of a face and nodded, mumbling calmly: "Yeah, it was obvious. And we will walk all the way up there...?"

"You will." A feminine voice replied, and he could hear the grin in the sensual, yet somehow hostile voice. The tone made it clear that, whatever had spoken, probably considered the meeting time wasted.

Ugh. Not a good start at all.

Killer looked to the side, and observed with interest as a tall female walked into the clearing from where she had been resting under a giant pine. For a moment, he could see mostly only a silhouette in the darkness, which could only tell him that he was looking at a Seraphim, since six mighty wings stretched from the back of the tall figure... But as she came more into the moonlight, and he was able to better see her, he held his breath for a moment as he was struck by the absurd idea that Regina might have returned from the dead.

It soon was clear that the Seraphim had nothing to spare with Regina, however... save for the fact that she was a cobra too, her head showing it clearly thanks to the prominent hood, which showed a wide array of golden and silver rings and piercings along its edges. She also had a crimson, bone-fin going down the middle of her skull, starting from just above her forehead to go down almost to the nape of her neck, something that stood out a lot, but just gave her more of a regal look, standing proud like a crown topping her tall, beautiful figure.

Eyes of a glowing emerald gleamed in the darkness, fixing on Killer and studying him intently even as she walked forwards towards them, the moonlight making her black scales shine, and making evident that she had V-shaped stripes of crimson down her hood and all along her back. Her features were slender, feminine, and beautiful, her muzzle sharp and adding to the almost merciless determination in her gaze, as her grin put her ivory, deadly fangs in evidence, her long serpentine tongue licking at her muzzle slowly as she looked at Killer from head to toe, and back.

"At least you are hot." She commented teasingly, her eyes flashing as she added: "It'll make the work of training you a bit less of a nuisance. It might even have its good moments."

"Yeah, well... thank you." Killer replied mildly, crossing his huge arms on his chest and looking flatly towards her. "We haven't even started you and you already hate me. Thanks for the chance."

"You are welcome." The cobra replied ironically, looking unfazed as she came close and crossed her own arms, darting another look at him. "Not your fault, I will admit... but not mine, either." She said pointedly, turning to glare a bit to Gabriel, who coughed awkwardly into an armoured, huge fist before saying kindly: "Thank you for accepting the task, Ira... you know how important it is, and -"

"-... and you know that I did not exactly accept. My choice of answer was between "yes" and "ok", so we can skip the nonsense, thank you." The Seraphim replied with a sigh, waving a hand dismissively before turning again on Killer all of her attention.

Killer's own, anyway, was all on her, so it was at least reciprocal.

She was a good 18 feet tall, and even more impressive about her were her enormous, proud breasts. They were huge, yet arrogantly challenged gravity, standing proudly on her chest, all the more evident because of the smooth, crimson scales covering them: the crimson color, that drew stripes on her back and hood, covered her whole inner body, from under her eyes and muzzle all the way to her crotch. She was slender, toned, and had more than her fair share of muscle: her shoulders were potent, and her arms flexed to proudly display mighty biceps as she crossed them on her chest, and she had powerful abdominals to boot as well. Long, slender and toned legs completed the image of her feminine glory, and Killer had to admit that he would have gladly squeezed her strong thighs and firm buttocks at any time. They promised to be as fun and divine as Alexis's.

"You are interesting, at least. I still wish I had nothing to share with the training part, but at least my eyes have something nice to look at." Ira said with a bit of a grin playing on her muzzle, and Killer grinned back in a playful challenge as he replied easily: "Same here. Who knows...? I may end up training you into some interesting abilities myself, in exchange for all you'll teach me."

"Oh oh." The cobra replied, grinning as she rolled her potent shoulders a bit, making her muscles stand out all the more, along with her gigantic breasts. "Dunno if it is courage or stupidity, but we will find out. You will have to prove yourself a great, great student and learn a lot before you can teach something to me."

"You sure...?" Killer teased, tilting his head to the side a bit as he grinned slightly, his eyes flashing with interest. "Because I think I can teach you something right away, here and now."

She was definitely a challenge... She was both intrigued by him, tempted even, and hostile at the same time. She clearly did not want to end up as a teacher for him, it was definite... She clearly considered it a job unworthy of her, a nuisance, but it sounded like she had had no possibility to back out.

She wore an armor chestplate that covered mostly only her nipples, leaving her golden-scared breasts exposed in all their glory, underlined, more than hidden, by the several chains that went around her shoulders to keep the chestplate in place. A golden chain circled also her neck, while she had simple golden rings on her fingers. Her abdominals were bare, and her belt was made up by three thick chains of golden metal links to which were attached a couple of sloped, curved plates protecting her hips and thighs, with another protecting her groin. Beneath this, she wore a crimson loincloth which dangled down almost to her feet, the piece of cloth edged in gold and covered with runes drawing a complex decoration down the middle. Her feet were bare, showing deadly claws and simple ankle-bracelets of gold, and she only carried two sword, at the moment: a couple of Katana blades were crossed on her back, held up by a simple chain in the back of her armor, and the two long, slightly-curved blades were so exposed in all of their deadly perfection and beauty. They were identical for length and design, with simple, straight handles wrapped in red silk, but one blade gleamed with an icy white pallor that made the snow and ice around them feel like it was hot in comparison, while the other Katana had the flats of the blade wonderfully decorated with chiseled runes, but glowed with a soft, blood-red gleam that was all but scary.

Even more noticeable, though, were her wings: six and angel-like... But not white. The feathers looked steel-solid and sharp like swords, and they all were black: not nearly as dark as her scales, but close to it.

"How interesting." Ira replied teasingly, licking her lips slowly as she walked up closer, touching his thick chest lightly with a hand, stroking her fingers down the profile of his powerful musculature as her eyes grinned, taking in the sight of his powerful physique. She pushed him away shortly after, however, making him grunt in surprise even as she stated clearly: "You are used to get every pussy around you in a thousand miles radius drip with just a gaze, Lord Killer. But this will not work here. You are not here for sex tourism... And I'm not that kind of female."

"I don't even know what sex tourism is." Killer replied stupidly, grinning as he crossed his arms on his chest to look at her challengingly. "And we will see what kind of female you are, believe me."

Gabriel looked confused at the exchange, and probably embarrassed, too, but the helm around his head always made it difficult to guess his feelings... The giant, anyway, stepped forwards with a cough to get their attentions.

"I... I think I will go now." The angel awkwardly started, and Ira only nodded with a little greeting-grunt, even as the Arkangel stretched out his hand to Killer, who took it respectfully in his own - smaller. I think it... like... never before happened. - and shook it warmly.

"Lord Killer, I will come visiting some time, and I'll keep updated on your progresses. I can ensure you that you are in good hands. Ira is a formidable warrior, and I'm sure she'll be an excellent teacher, too."

"She's got more than just good hands." Killer replied, his voice teasing as he half-looked over his shoulder at her, grinning even as she shoved him roughly from behind, snorting out of her nostrils as she glared at him.

Gabriel sighed at this, but he still bowed deeply to Killer before creating a new portal and stepping through it, vanishing from sight as the passage swirled close, the wounds in reality closing without leaving signs at all of its brief existence.

"By the way, seriously... I'm Killer." The huge male liger said gently, smiling at her kindly as he offered his hand to her, and the cobra looked at this for a moment before shaking it firmly, her eyes once again studying him.

"Quit staring at my tits." She snorted, and Killer snickered a bit before observing teasingly: "You like it when people eye you... otherwise you'd use armour that actually covered you up."

"Yeah, well..." Ira replied, before falling silent for a moment, short on comebacks for the situation. "Fuck you, ok...? People normally have a measure. They don't stare to them all the time."

"Yeah, I got the feeling myself that Heaven is full of gay. All those males with the little pretty wings..." Killer replied mildly, nodding agreeably with a serious face, and Ira grinned at this, before laughing and stretching her hand out to him.

"Don't think about doing the hand-kissing shit now after being a pervert from the very first moment. Name's Ira, anyway, but you already know it." She said flatly, but she was smiling nonetheless, and he gladly shook her hand before they walked towards the base of the mountain, her bare feet moving gracefully on the snow without making a sound.

"Why are you all covered in gashes and generally looking like shit, by the way...?" She asked mildly after a moment, and Killer coughed before absently rubbing a hand over an already-healing gash on one of his huge, masculine pecs.

"I was tested." He replied simply, and Ira nodded with a little snort of amusement.

"Oh, sure. Taranis's great ideas. Stupid question on my part." Ira observed with a roll of her eyes, but she stopped dead in her tracks as the male added mildly: "And I had a brawl with the Metatrons."

"You had a brawl with WHAT...?" Ira inquired with a grimace of shock, and Killer winced, holding his hands up defensively as he answered: "Metatrons. Lots of them. I had this argument with one of them, pushed him over, and they were all suddenly on me."

The Seraphim looked over his bruised body once more, her mouth slightly agape as she asked simply: "How many...?"

"Over forty, I think. Some they must be still piecing back together." Killer replied, rubbing a hand awkwardly into his mane as she stared at him silently for a long moment, her eyes darting back and forth along his powerful body and more often than not darting into his own eyes, as if to seek the sign of a lie in them.

"You are not lying." She grumbled in the end, shaking her head in amazement. "But gods, are you stupid! What the fucking hell were you thinking, for ending up in a brawl with the Metatrons?"

Killer sighed, nodding firmly even as he replied defensively: "Look, I didn't even know what the fuck a Metatron is. I'm not sure I know it now either... I just don't bear rudeness. I don't bear people playing smartass to me. And I'm hating people constantly hiding behind magic to bother me. And last, I'm in a fucking goddamn bad mood after being basically kidnapped, brought here, and separated from the love of my life for at least the next 2 or 3 thousand years."

Ira looked up at him for a long moment as he half-snarled the last part, his hands clenching into fists, and in her eyes he spotted a flash of sincere understanding, the Seraphim looking down briefly to escape his gaze before she looked back up with a soft smile, slapping his huge bicep firmly.

"At least, you definitely aren't muscles for show. 40 Metatrons, and only gashes to show for it!" She grinned widely, crossing her arms and tilting her head to the side with an amused look at him. "You certainly realize that this is definitely not normal. Who's got at least a bit of brain does not mess with them... but the few who dared, ended up destroyed."

"Yeah, well..." Killer mumbled, rubbing a hand in his mane slowly. "Gabriel told them to stop in the end of it. It was getting messy for real."

"I thought it was obvious." Ira replied firmly, giving him a flat look even as she walked elegantly on, Killer falling in step with her with a strategic little delay, so that he could eye the movement of her firm buttocks with each step, her long tail waving a bit from side to side in time with her walk. "But honestly, that does not downplay at all what you did." She added gently, smiling at him over her shoulders... before snorting and glaring at him as she noticed his grin and gaze.

She did not hide herself from it, admittedly, but Killer still grinned stupidly at her with a little cough, and she shook her head slowly, crossing her muscular arms on her enormous breasts, tilting her head towards the titanic monolith-mountain. "Well, this is it. Your training starts right now... Climb up the mountain and infiltrate the Monastery on top without getting caught. Find my room, and reach me there." She grinned a bit wider, and nodded a bit as her long tongue slithered over her lips slowly, the Seraphim looking at him teasingly. "That should stop you from being a pervert for some time."

"Nothing can stop me being a perv." Killer replied mildly, looking up at the clouds masking the top of the mountain, hiding entirely the existence of the Monastery, which could well be as high above the clouds as the part of mountain he could see was tall, for what he knew. It loomed over him like an artificial tower of stone, too perfect and too smooth to seem true, and uncountable miles tall, up to the sky... "And you must be joking, right...?"

"Oh, no." The cobra replied with a grin. "I'm deadly-serious. You aren't taking it seriously yet, Lord Killer, so I will have to show you that I'm not here to joke. You'll get no mercy from me, Amon-Ra or not. I'm not one of the sluts all around Heaven that want nothing else than get down on their knees and suck you off... I've been ordered to be your Mentor. I will teach you all you need to know, but I will be the one in charge, and I will decide what to do and even what answers of yours I will answer to, and what I will ignore."

Killer nodded wisely, faking a serious face before straightening and looking into her eyes with a grin, teasing softly: "I will challenge that fact, Ira... The Master of us is yet to be chosen."

"That's Mistress Ira to you." The Seraphim replied firmly, but he only gazed back at her silently, until she suddenly glared at him, her eyes turning into emotionless pits of emerald light, the huge male grunting as he felt a terrible power smashing into his back and shoving him down by the shoulders, and his eyes bulged under such sheer, immense energy, wondering if it could truly be all hers or if she wasn't being supported by something else... He tried resisting, pushing back with his own power against the tremendous thrust, gritting his fangs and looking up at her with a grin of challenge, even as blood streaked out of some of the gashes that had been trying to heal, the wounds almost hurting more now than when they were first ripped in his flesh. He fell forwards on his knees with a grunt, and finally the tremendous force was lifted away from his shoulders, letting him breathe again, panting a bit, as Ira's eyes returned, looking down at him in victory.

He grinned widely, and the Cobra winced and immediately assumed a ready position as he leapt at her, but there was no need for her to react, since he smashed into an invisible wall and crashed violently on his back, skidding backwards ten feet before letting out a dazzled groan.

"Nooo... you too...?" He moaned, looking frustrated as he pushed himself up to seat in the snow, hands in his lap as he sighed and observed mildly. "You are not fun. What's that, Metatrons's help...?"

"It is." The Seraphim replied with a smirk. "This is a minimum example of what they can do, and you should learn from it." Ira nodded, looking over him amusedly as he climbed back to his feet with a snort, patting snow away from his pants as she explained: "We knew all too well that soon or later you would have lashed out at me for a reason or another... And the Metatrons insisted to have me accepting this additional protection. We're taking example from Hell, on this one: the Scholars and Scribes, Hell's equivalent of the Metatrons, grant this kind of protection to the Inquisitors tasked with torturing the sinful souls and turn them into demons. So that even people like you can't react."

"Like Hell I can't." Killer grumbled, but he sure was not going to try another dumb assault anytime soon, either. He might not be a genius, but he wasn't that stupid either... and he had already noticed that Ira wasn't much of an angel. She was a Seraphim, but yet she showed a remarkable... demonic nature. Not just her black wings, but also her fin and her body, beautiful, powerful and seductive in a way that clearly reminded him more of a Succubus than an angel of any kind. And last came her behavior. It all combined into making him finally ask mildly: "So... huh. Are you a demon by chance...?"

There was a moment of awkward silence, the cobra staring at him with her eyes blinking a few times in surprise, before she turned away and crossed her muscular arms under her sumptuous bosom, glaring obstinately to the forest around them. "Stupid question."

"Perhaps." Killer replied agreeably, but he stubbornly insisted: "But much as you look like a Seraphim... you feel more like a demoness."

"Just because I got black wings...?" She asked flatly, but Killer shook his head slowly and replied firmly: "You know all too well that I'm not talking just because of the color of your wings."

"Well, it is none of your fucking business anyway!" The angel grumbled, glaring at him and walking a few steps away from him, before turning back with a snort. "Try and just listen to me, we have serious things to care for, and time is precious."

Killer looked at the muscular female flatly for a long moment, but then he rolled his eyes upwards and shrugged with a soft sigh. He knew it well, time was precious indeed... And anyway, there were so many things he wanted to ask, to learn, to know, that he could barely resist the temptation of burying the cobra under a mountain of questions, while knowing all too well that, to hope in answers, he first had to do what she wanted.

"Fine. I'm listening." Killer sighed finally, and the muscular reptile smiled a bit and nodded before crossing her arms and tilting her head proudly up as she grinned slightly, amusement clearly playing about her as she said: "Perfect. So now I'm going home... and you are coming too. But while I will Portal, you will be tested by taking the hard road up. Climb the mountain, sneak past the defences and magical traps that protect the Monastery, avoid the guards, find my house, and reach me there."

"We're sure the Monastery exists and is actually located on top of this mountain, right...? You are not making me climb this only to find out that it was a funny little joke and the Monastery is on another mountain entirely, yeah...?" Killer asked mildly, looking at her with a little frown, which turned in a facepalm as he saw the cobra grin widely, bringing a long finger to her lips as she licked her muzzle slowly, musing: "Now that would have been an awesome idea, wouldn't it...?" She paused, grinning widely, before shaking her head slowly. "No, Lord Killer. The Monastery is really on top of the mountain, and I'm sure you will find it endlessly impressive... But to be fair and honest, I will make it clear that this is a preliminary test only -"

"Your idea of foreplay?" Killer interrupted cheerfully, grinning stupidly as she glared at him and tapped her fingers impatiently over a huge bicep that flexed idly as she stiffened and frowned at him even as she rose her voice to steamroll his own.

"... and no one expects you to succeed. I'm ready to bet at any time that you are more than strong enough to climb to the top of even the Monolith, despite the fact that most consider it an impossible feat. However, what you have no chances of accomplishing is sneaking into the Monastery: you don't have a chance against the magic and surveillance combined."

"Oh, really...?" Killer asked firmly, grinning slightly. "So basically you want to see how good I am, and how far I go. And what if I do surprise you, and get into your room?"

Ira paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked over him yet once more, before walking sinuously forwards to touch his cheek with a hand, before dragging a finger slowly down his thick, powerful chest, the angel looking at his potent abdominals with a grin before she looked up into his eyes with a gaze that was both seduction and challenge, her long tongue rolling over her own lips before she announced: "Well, if you did prove yourself that much amazing... I guess I could very well drop to my knees, crawl over to you, and beg you to let me suck your cock until you blow your load all over me and drench me in it."

Killer looked taken aback for a moment, and the angel grinned widely before pulling backwards... but he seized her by the wrists, keeping her hands leaning on his powerful chest as he grinned back with fire in his eyes as he replied teasingly: "You got yourself into trouble. You can go ahead and try it out what voice works best for your begging of 'master, please master!'"

Ira snorted amusedly, taking a step back from him and looking at him defiantly as she crossed her own powerful arms, grinning as she replied: "Dude, you still don't get it. There's no way someone can enter Eaglenest, and impressive as you are, Amon-Ra, you are a Mortal with no knowledge of magic. You think you can do better than the Immortals of Heaven and Hell? You are in for a nasty awakening."

Killer shrugged, smirking amusedly as he stretched, arching his back and bringing his arms up behind his head, his muscles bulging and flexing with power as he announced: "Leave it to me. You just think about getting towels. Many towels. I come a lot... and think about getting some pussy-training too. It'll help you taking me in. The first time is some serious destruction."

Ira snorted, but grinned nonetheless, before walking past him and shaking her head slowly... before she turned and asked seriously: "Weren't you desperate for the love of your life being away from you...? You are flirtatious like hell, for one who loves so much."

Killer frowned, looking at her seriously now, before he said softly: "Alexis is always in my mind. But you don't know us yet. Our love is the greatest that can exist, the most sacred of bindings and the deepest of adorations. But this does not mean that either of us would ever deny the other the pleasures of the flesh. Our love is one thing, supreme over everything. Love is another level, a bit lower... and then there's sex."

"I'm not sure I understand." Ira replied, but her voice was interested and her eyes serious and sincere, and Killer smiled before replying gently: "I'm sorry for you. But we will see if you can learn it too... And anyway, so that you know us a bit better, the last thing Alexis recommend me to do was to punish all of Heaven's pussies." Killer grinned widely and nodded. "I take her orders very seriously. And it is a very interesting task I could never say no to."

Ira rolled her eyes and snorted, even if Killer could swear he felt amusement in her voice and saw the same in her eyes as they pretty much sparkled in the dark. "You are impossible, Amon-Ra. A true demon of Lust... of all places in the universe, Heaven definitely isn't yours."

"True." Killer agreed simply, before watching as she walked elegantly away, her step graceful and seductive, showing awesome thighs and slender legs off... before he grinned and asked loudly: "Will you ever tell me what kind of demon you are...? May I dare Succubus...?"

"Fuck you too, baby." Ira replied firmly, before vanishing as she stepped into a Portal that swung open before her and quickly closed.

"Well, I could have made a worse impression." Killer mumbled idly, looking absently over the darkness where the bright white portal had been a moment before, before turning to look at the insanely tall, monstrous pillar of rock. "Did they really build a fortress up there...?" He asked to himself, before scolding in his own mind as he decided that yes, they definitely had. Even in the mortal world, after all, amazing fortresses had been built in the most challenging of places: true, build a castle on top of a rock mountain was a terrifying feat, but it paid off by giving, at the end of the enterprise, an unassailable position to rely upon. He knew it well, since ancient Kesteven had been famous for its fortresses built on top of unassailable mountains, to guard the valleys that lead in and out of the kingdom.

He smiled slightly, beginning to walk calmly along the perimeter of the gigantic pillar of stone, his hand tracing idly on the rock as he walked onwards and looked calmly around himself... before he all but started to run along, knowing full well that it was going to take a long time to circle the many miles of the mountain just walking.

Maybe it would have looked stupid to an onlooker, but it would have been stupider to start miles and miles of vertical free-climbing towards the sky above in the first place, just to maybe find out later that a few hundred meters away there was a far easier passage to exploit. That's why the main part of a battle preparation is reconnaissance, for studying the ground and environment even before the focus goes on the enemy forces.

However, as he ran all around the mountain's base, he verified that, as he had expected, there was no easy way up: the immense mountain was a roughly-cylindrical tower of bare rock, covered in snow and ice here and there along slopes that were totally vertical, if not even pushing outwards in some points, giving the walls of stone an inverse slope even harder to overcome.

The only good news, if there was one at all, was that he was at his best shape, even after all the fighting and beating endured in his brief but intense time in Heaven: he ran the countless miles in just a few minutes, and barely broke a sweat.

Even his wounds were mostly already healed, or rapidly healing, his body regenerating at a steady rate.

Years ago, I wasn't this fast at healing. I always did regenerate inhumanely well and rapidly, sure... but I've been immensely improving in the last few years. I wonder how much more I will change when the... the Seals... are broken.

He slowed down his running, jogging quietly for a few moments more in the snow before stopping as he shifted his focus to another nearby mountain... or better, to what was left of it. It still was over a mile tall in the tallest point, but there was no telling how huge it had originally been: now, a side of the mountain was neatly cut into gigantic steps, from which enormous blocks of stone were still being cut out regularly. The work now was obviously not proceeding, but came the morning, the quarry would have surely returned to life, since Killer could see several massive blocks of stone ready to be removed from the flank of the mountain, while several others had already been brought down on the plain and were now standing atop several huge tree-trunks. Rock fragments and rubble lay all around them, and Killer could easily tell that in the area the blocks were sculptured into perfect, titanic bricks, each bigger than a car. They had to be the building blocks of the Monastery-fortress they called Eaglenest, and the mountain had been cut into bricks in the millennia to provide the material for the construction nearby.

Killer walked towards this with interest, half-gaping at the massive proportions of the quarry and of the stone blocks themselves, his mind struggling to imagine how impressive Eaglenest had to be, if it had taken millions, or maybe billions of car if not truck-sized blocks to build it... and growing eager to see the incredible fortress hidden by the clouds it towered upon. He leaned on the steel net that surrounded the quarry area, looking back and forth curiously and easily noticing that there were no cranes, no bulldozers, and no advanced machinery in sight. Some kind of precious device, probably the instruments used to cut the mountain into cubes, had to be contained in a small building he could see at the base of the cliff, and he wondered for a moment if it was worth climbing the fence and break into the warehouse to find out what exactly was in there. He soon decided that no, it wasn't worth it... He had already enough trouble, and enough people hating him, even without sneaking into places he was supposed to avoid and without breaking doors apart to satisfy his curiosity. One fact was clear, however: there was no vehicle around, and that meant that the gigantic blocks of stone were moved either with magic, or with muscles, like in the ancient times.

Killer looked over at a pile of nearby blocks of stone, perfectly cut and ready for use - meaning that Eaglenest is still being expanded or completed... - and valued them. He could have lifted the stone blocks easily, but they still came at many tons each, and his strength definitely wasn't normal.

So either they have some very powerful workers around here, or they use magic to move the blocks around... and possibly to lift them all the way on top of the mountain. I really don't see an alternative...

Killer smiled a bit to himself, not really able to decide if such a method of work sounded more fascinating or more horrible, before looking at the mountain he had to climb, sighing a bit before taking a deep breath and sprinting forwards as fast he could, feet kicking snow and earth up as he charged towards the vertical wall of rock. He leapt into the air when he was thirty feet away from the flank of the Monolith, growling a bit as he flew across the air, shooting as high as he could manage, before he clawed into the wall of stone with a snarl, skidding ten feet downwards before his hands found enough of a crack to make a grip, leaving him panting even as he grinned stupidly, staring at his hands for a moment. "Well, it could be worse."

He turned back a bit and looked down, grinning a bit as he value he had already eaten away over two hundred feet of his free-climbing task, most trees already down beneath him, giving him a full view over the horizon around. In every direction, it was forest, quiet and infinite, lush and covered in snow. Here and there, odd obelisk-shaped mountains towered over the trees, but none matched the immense mass of the Monolith he had to climb.

He took another deep breath, and tasted the side of the mountain to find a suitable crack or ridge to put his feet on... but the stone was smoothed by countless eons of exposition to the weather, and it truly felt like climbing a man-made structure, more than a mountain. He rolled his eyes upwards a bit, but finally reached up his hand to grab a small ridge, and after pulling on it to make sure it was strong enough, he hauled himself up and started climbing at rapid pace.

The cold grew worse with the altitude, and the icy wind soon began to bite mercilessly to his very bones as crystals of ice formed out of his sweat into his mane and on his face. The worse part of it was how the chilling wind bit into the gashes and wounds on his body that still hadn't completely healed. It literally iced his blood over some of them... and it made even him tremble at times, as his fingers ached terribly as he clawed his way up for mile after mile of vertical climb.

Given that he came from a nation of mountains, snow and ice that all but bordered into the arctic, he had never thought he would have ever suffered the cold, but he now had to realize how fool he had been. In the Arctic he had been fine, but here in Heaven he was experimenting a far worse and far more hostile cold, which only got worse as he climbed even higher, finding the mountain literally covered in a deadly layer of ice, which made the already smooth cliff an even worse nightmare.

Killer's breath all but turned into ice over his muzzle as he continued to move upwards, and he knew all too well that the worst was yet to come: he was growing closer to the clouds, and the icy mist that made them up was going to be a complete torture... apart from probably making him pretty much completely blind.

"If you wanted something easy, you should have taken your path in the Air Force." Killer reminded himself with a voice that trembled a bit for the cold, but still came with a smile.

William, his "big brother", the mentor that had taught him so much when he was a war hero and Killer just a young boy, used to tell that to him every time he dared bitching about the training. It was ungenerous and unfair like Hell to the boys in the air force, who definitely had their own challenges to face and overcome day after day... But William would tell it with even more satisfaction if a pilot, preferably a fighter pilot, was close. It was a joke: William never meant any disrespect for the pilots... yet he was adamant in making clear that "the real job is for special forces".

Not that Killer hadn't tried going down the Air Force route... He hadn't wanted something "easy" at all, but Gods did he love the idea of flying, and even more of battling in the sky. He had craved to become a fighter pilot, and he had piloted a few times when younger, but with his huge mass and powerful body, he truly was not adequate for the relatively tight cockpits of the jets of the air force. Even in the Northlands, where the fighter jets were piloted by people like Talon, huge and muscular and tall, Killer was too much, and too out of place to pursue for real such a career.

Killer smiled to himself despite the blades of ice he felt stabbing over and over again into his lungs with each breath, at the thought that he was going to see William again, that he was... well, not alive, of course... but not lost as I thought he was. William was an angel now, a commander in Heaven's armies, and undoubtedly a warrior as skilled and powerful as always and more. And moreover, he was the brother that Killer had thought lost forever, the one person he had spent so long time with, and learnt so much from.

Indeed, so many years before now, William had been the first to ask Killer to tackle free-climbing as part of his training. A Killer that was little more than a cub had been commanded to swim in the icy waters of the North Pole for over five miles across a channel, before climbing out of the water and up a wicked, four-hundred feet vertical wall of ice, wearing only boxers.

Killer grinned a bit to himself, even as ice now covered part of his lips: back then, it had felt insane being asked to do such a thing. It had been hell, and it had been the worst feeling in his life. The cold had been a torture like no other... something he thought he could have never, never replicated.

Of course, in the afternoon, I had to do it again instead. Killer thought mildly, remembering how he had hated William for it... but then remembering how the hate had helped his own pride in pushing him in the enterprise, not just to complete it again, but to complete it faster, to beat William's own record times, and to set ones that no one else would have been able to improve.

The "Icy Hell" soon became only a part of the frightening training schedule that Killer had to respect. Merely a fraction of a war-route that posed endless challenges, and that he had to complete at least twice every day, if not more times when he deserved to be punished. But he never hated William again. He had understood the rationale behind it all... and to this very day, Killer was only grateful for what his Mentor had done, shown and taught him. _He shaped me into what I am... as much, if not more, as my father did. _

"Our training is the worse of wars. But after it, the worst of wars will feel just like training to you." Killer remembered amusedly, and he shook his head a bit, both to try and move his long bangs of hair out of his eyes as the wind blew them wickedly in, and both in entertainment as he realized that never, in none of his worst nightmares, he had thought he would have missed the times of his training while facing an even worse one.

He had looked down the last time what felt like hours before, and now he didn't even bother doing it again: by now, there was nothing to see. He had already struggled guessing the shape of the trees, miles below... And looking down had the major defect of making him wonder how far away his insides would have splattered if he was to fall from such an height, which wasn't exactly of help.

The mountain was so hostile by now, that to progress Killer had to punch into the rock wall, shattering the stone and breaking holes into the mountain, which he could exploit to haul himself up, again and again. It wasn't much of a problem... But the clouds proved that his expectations were more than true: as he entered their wet, grey mist, the cold worsened to indescribable levels. He winced breathlessly as his body stiffened and his back arched, his grip almost lost on the stone as he felt like billions of tiny but cruel blades of ice had savagely pierced into his body, deep to the bones, from all directions at once. His eyes bulged and his mouth opened wide as his lungs twisted in agony and for a long moment he was left breathless... before he howled: "Holy fucking hell!"

He quickly pushed up from where his feet fit into punch-shaped holes in the rock that he had ripped open, and he smashed his fist lightly into the flat, iced stone as far above as he could reach, the granite shattering into pebbles that fell down in the nothingness below as he hauled himself up as fast as he could manage, fully aware that he had to get the hell out of the clouds, and fast.

He did not climb for too long before he grunted as suddenly his eyesight went missing, and he stopped his movements with a shiver of horror... before finding himself in a dark room, with Black Killer looking up mildly from where he was resting on a golden-framed chaise longue, four beautiful females attending to him, two by massaging his powerful shoulders, two more stroking over his thick chest and potent abdominals. Several more scantily clad girls were waiting patiently for his orders, on their knees on cushions in a wide circle all around them.

Killer looked at this flatly, unsure if it was reality of fantasy... before snorting impatiently. "You are a lazy ass, always dwelling on a sofa of some kind. And you are also inopportune. It isn't exactly the moment for messing with my sensations, since I might just fall down and splatter a ridiculous amount of miles below."

"No worries, little bro, you won't." Black Killer replied mildly, caressing idly the hair of one of his slaves and smiling a bit as she purred happily. "And in fact this is the very moment you need me. You are just about to step into a circle of runes, and activate all kinds of alarms... and far worse defensive spells."

Killer glared at his dark alter ego for a moment, before snorting again, asking darkly: "What do you get from helping me out...? I want to know the price."

"Oh, but you make myself look like I'm so damn greedy." Killer complained teasingly, grinning patronizingly out to him before he snapped his fingers lightly, and the four females bowed to him deeply before stepping quietly back as he straightened and then stood up, walking towards Killer with a little smile. "I just want the best for you... for us, I should say. And since I'm generous, there will be no price for this."

"I don't trust you." Killer replied firmly, and Black Killer stopped, making a face before rolling his eyes and shrugging.

"Ungenerous of you. But you should trust me this time. You stubbornly refuse to let your power our, to let your real might and abilities manifest... But this will ultimately get you... us... in trouble. So I guess I must make you use your skills myself." Black Killer grinned, and before Killer could protest, there was a blurr, and the slightly-larger black furred male vanished.

Killer's eyes bulged, and he dropped instinctively down... But Black Killer was too fast even for that, reappearing behind him and seizing his shoulders firmly as he ordered: "SEE, little brother. Open your eyes, and see."

Killer's eyes snapped open, back in reality, and he grunted as his hand slipped and he was left hanging for a second from his left hand, fingers gripping into the mountain and claws ripping into the stone... before he looked up to haul himself back in place, and he gaped as he saw long lines of runes glowing crimson on the stone, just feet above him: they probably encircled the whole mountain, and they were defensive spells of some kind.

Killer made a grimace, thinking that he had all but been about to step past them, with consequences he couldn't even begin to imagine: there was no way someone could see the runes the normal way, even without considering the misty cloud surrounding him. His eyes, somehow, had activated a new field of view: the world had taken on a slight crimson shade, but in exchange, he saw the runes gleaming like beacons in the night, making it easy to locate them.

See...? I just wanted to be of help. Black Killer commented amusedly in his mind, and Killer only made a face, wondering what the true cost of the deal had been... before he shoved his dark side away to concentrate as he held up a hand and focused his energy into his palm, shaping a small sphere of glowing, terrible darkness before tossing it gently upwards.

It hover quietly, pulsating and growing slightly larger as it absorbed particles of reality from around itself, and it slowly moved up until it almost brushed the rune-covered surface of the mountain, sucking in dust, stone, and the runes themselves, the small sphere growing over ten times bigger in a second before Killer winced and made it vanish, fearing to lose control of it.

He still grinned proudly at the narrow passage he had torn open in the rows of runes, before making a face as the spells began to self-repair and regenerate, runes carving themselves back in the stone, glowing with bright, merciless red light, and he scrambled upwards with a snort, leaping past the rows of spells before they could close again...

He paused, wincing and almost expecting the world to explode or something... but then Killer grinned stupidly and looked down with a pleased nod as nothing happened and his eyesight went back to its normal nature.

He climbed the last mile rapidly, the cold hampering him but at the same time hurrying him up to get out of the clouds fast... and finally, he emerged in full moonlight, over the top of the clouds, looking around to gape at the wonderful sight of a thick grey curtain of fog that seemed to shield the world entirely, covering the land and protecting it from sight, and almost reflecting the incredible beauty of the sky above, with the Moon and the stars feeling so close and looking enormous compared to how they could be seen on the Mortal plane.

Adding to the relief was the fact that the temperature outside the clouds was a little more bearable... And that by now he was just half a mile or so away from the base of the enormous walls of the fortress-monastery known as Eaglenest.

He gaped at the sight of it, seeing a colossal bulwark made of double-deck bus-sized blocks of stone stretching out of the mountain's top almost like a natural growth, a part of the Monolith itself... But the bulwark was a mere base for the incredible building on top. Tall, sloped walls made of enormous blocks of stone were plated all over with silvery armor, that somehow Killer guessed were magic-resilient, and triangular-section towers stretched outwards from the walls, topped by massive war machines, from catapults to ballistae to even more impressive high-tech gun towers, each turret fitted with two enormous cannons. The square bore of each cannon could have hosted Killer comfortably inside, and between the two guns was mounted a Gatling machine gun stretching out from a spherical shield that allowed the machine gun to aim in pretty much every direction.

Killer could not see much else from his very disadvantaged position hanging from the Monolith's flank, so he quickly climbed up to the top of the mountain, and immediately flattened his back against the sloped base of a huge tower, looking upwards at the distant sound of the bored voices typical of soldiers on night patrol shift.

Even in the darkness, he could guess the vague shapes of angels patrolling on top of the walls and towers easily... and as soon as he focused on a couple of warriors walking down the wall, his eyesight turned again slightly-crimson, but at the same time became far more powerful and accurate, letting him see the angels on patrol in every detail.

They wore heavy duty armour and weaponry, included huge assault rifles and grenades, which told him that, as unassailable as Eaglenest was, security was still taken very, very seriously... But, at least, there were no Seraphims on patrol.

The elite of the elites can't waste time in patrols on the walls, after all. It was good news... angels, he could deal with. Seraphims were a very high level threat, and for sure he wasn't ready for a confrontation with any.

Killer hid in a small depression in the rocks, and studied the situation carefully: his new vision - it felt a lot like using Infra-Red goggles, save that those made the world green, and not crimson... - allowed him to see the definite shape of a bubble, a dome-shaped barrier that covered the whole fortress. And it had actually several layers. He did not know how, but somehow he realized that one was meant to make flying impossible... Had I had wings, I couldn't have come up here anyway. And it sorta relieves me, it makes me feel like the free-climbing was less of a evil joke of Ira and more of something serious.

Another layer was meant to block any attempt of portaling in the area... and the last layer was the real problem, since it was a powerful physical barrier that would have undoubtedly slammed him away and thrown him off the mountain if he charged dumbly at it.

Again, Killer's special forces experience and training kicked into gear, and he first of all made sure that he couldn't be seen. He decided after some time that no, he couldn't be seen... at least not enough to start an alarm. Which was already impressive, since he could see, drawn here and there on the walls of the fortress, circles of runes traced around the drawing of an eye.

He knew nothing of runes, spells and magic, but he was willing to bet that those runes were Heaven's answer to mortal camera security systems.

Once relatively sure that his position was safe, Killer waited, patiently, for more than a couple of hours: he made himself a mental map of the fortress, at least of what he could see, and tried to get into the basic, rough scheme of the patrols movements, to make himself an idea of where and when attack. He had a bit of an idea about how to get past the barrier... but he took his time.

War, and for the Special Forces in particular, was a matter of planning, thinking and details: hours of planning for a few moments of crazy, bloody action. If the planning had been done right, there were good chances to succeed. If the plan was a mess, the mission was almost certainly screwed.

No battle plan survives the impact with the battle. You can adapt if you know what you are doing... But if your plan sucks, there's little room for improvisation.

The pause also allowed him to relax his body a bit after the climbing, and he recovered some from the extreme cold that had nearly killed him. His wounds, in the meanwhile, had entirely healed, and most were all but invisible already.

Killer studied Eaglenest with deep interest and admiration, too. He saw a second curtain of turreted walls, twice as tall as the first one, drawing a second line of defence inside the perimeter, and stared in amazement at the gothic bell tower that stretched on top of it all, its pinnacle towering over everything, over the fortress itself and the world around, covered and hidden by a thick carpet of clouds.

He saw the twin Monolith mountain to the west of his position: it was slightly lower than the main one and much smaller, but it was still topped by a fortress, connected to Eaglenest by a small suspension bridge made of wood that stretched for over a mile above the clouds themselves.

"If I'm starting to understand things, the small fortress is the entrance. You probably can portal to it... and then, if you are no enemy and thus still alive, move out to the Monastery. No other way in, no other way out." Killer mumbled to himself, smiling a bit in appreciation for the way it all was thought out.

And then, finally, he moved. He waited until the couple of angels on regular patrol passed on the wall above, and then he moved silently across the darkness until he felt the energy of the barrier making his coat rise.

"If it does not work, I'm screwed." He muttered, even as he held his hands up and focused his energy down both, until his fingers glowed with black, bottomless darkness... and he hesitatingly reached forwards to touch the barrier, wincing when he made contact, expecting an explosion, an alarm, or even worse expecting to be blasted away to fall in the nothingness. But he instead saw the invisible wall tremble, sizzle into view a bit as it rippled in concentric waves like water hit by a pebble... before he felt a terrible energy being sucked into the darkness surrounding his palms, wincing and biting his lips not to scream as it burned his hands like fire, but not letting go as he saw the barrier literally thinning out more and more.

He forced his fingers forwards, his claws piercing across the barrier and giving him hold as his fingers seized the edges of the crack opening in the wall of energy before he shoved off to the sides with all of his tremendous power, muscles bulging and flexing with might as he ripped open a passage and quickly slid inside, sprinting to hide in the darkness at the base of a tower as the barrier snapped immediately back closed.

His hands hurt, and he looked with a grimace at his burnt fingers, the flesh horribly eaten and ruined, to almost show the bones... but, again, he was healing, and at a rate that astonished even him. Dark Killer was helping him... but much as now it seemed awesome, Killer trembled at the awareness of his vulnerability. His inner darkness was showing more and more control, and the fear of losing out to Black Killer sent an horrible sensation in his guts.

Is it that bad...? Hadn't you all these silly fears and actually unleashed your power, you'd be invincible and godlike. Is it such a nasty thing...? Anyone would kill even his most loved ones in order to become a God... and you continue to self-sealing your might away.

Killer made a grimace, grabbing at his own head and shaking it with a growl as he tried to shut the goddamn voice again, howling in his mind: You've answered yourself. They would kill even their family in order to become gods. Goddamnit, I don't want to do that. I will never do that. I will never be the monster I once was, never again. Never. Never. And never.

That's all to be seen. Black Killer replied amusedly, and Killer almost wanted to smash his head into the wall of the fortress... but of course, that wasn't smart, nor was it in any way a solution to his problems.

He instead sighed, glad at least that Black Killer had ceased his mental teasing, likely to go back to funnier activities such as getting blowjobs - hugh, I could use one too. - allowing him to get back to the assault.

Killer took a couple of steps of run-up, before leaping towards the flank of the tower, soaring high into the sky before slamming his feet into the bulwark and propelling himself even higher into the air, enough to flip backwards over the battlements of the wall and land gracefully on his feet on the walkway.

And there, inexorably, the battle plan had its first hard clash with the reality of war. An angel half-sleeping was sitting on the floor, back against the battlements and assault rifle in his lap as he snoozed lightly... and his eyes snapped wide open with a startle at the sight of the giant liger.

At the same time, the door that lead into the tower opened, and another angel stared at the scene in disbelief as well as Killer made a grimace and muttered under his breath.

Both soldiers were about to shout their alarm, hands rising their rifles at him, but Killer was faster than lightning, and his palm smashed out in the solar plexus of the sleepy soldier, knocking it immediately unconscious as spittle flex from gaping jaws... before the second angel was knocked out by the cut of Killer's hand hitting him in the nape of the neck.

The huge male liger easily caught in his arm the falling, unconscious soldier, and he picked up the other with his other hand: he could not leave two knock-out angels on the walkway and hope the alarm wasn't launched. The patrol was going to be back soon, and the only hope he had was for it not to find the two soldiers. It would have still been suspect... but their comrades would have had many possibilities to consider before launching a general alarm.

"Maybe you two are just gay and out in the dark kissing, after all. Or some other shit like that." Killer grumbled, before quickly sprinting to lay his back against the side of the tower, sensing a sentry on top of it moving towards the embattlements to look down, maybe having heard something.

Go away... Killer thought bitterly, gritting his fangs as he looked upwards... but he could not see the sentry, and he soon felt the steps going away.

He immediately looked past the inner-side parapet, seeing that the space between the two curtains of walls of the fortress was essentially a bare, desert yard probably used for training... and short on ideas, Killer immediately jumped down into this, landing silently in a crouch, the unconscious angels thrown on his shoulders bounding a bit with the impact.

He paused again in the shadows, his senses registering the passage of the patrol on the walkway above... and he waited nervously as he heard them stopping, waiting and exchanging a few words that the wind blew away, undoubtedly surprised at the absence of two of their comrades.

It is nothing. They are gone taking a piss, or whatever the hell... go away, there's nothing to see here.

It was an agonizingly long minute, then another... before a loud voice shouted: "Have you seen Sareth and Xin...?"

Killer winced at this, making a grimace and trying to shrink his huge mass in the darkness as another soldier answered from the second, higher wall curtain, his voice booming back irritably: "No! They'll likely be once again sneaking into the kitchens to steal some sup or whatever. Stop bothering me!"

"They damn well shouldn't, man." Killer muttered agreeably, finally relaxing some as he heard the men of the patrol grumble something and move onwards.

He waited for them to get some distance away, before sprinting across the yard to hide in another pit of darkness, avoiding the floating spheres of sapphire energy that provided illumination in the courtyard, ending inside a small but beautiful garden with all kinds of flowers, some definitely never seen on the Mortal plane, included a kind of carnivore plant that literally turned to look at him, making him wince and change quickly his path, moving across a thick bush of innocent, beautiful blue flowers and dumping the two bodies in the thick of luscious rose bushes, where they would have been very hard to find.

He dropped low, laying down into the grass as ten or so angels in light leather armor passed by, panting as they ran training courses in the miles-long courtyard between the two orders of walls, following a muscular officer holding a torch in his hand... and he counted to thirty, looking them vanish into the darkness before moving out again.

He dropped any aspiration at taking a reconnaissance trip around the courtyard, since the surveillance was far too tight, and he couldn't afford causing any more bodies to drop to the floor without the alarm level rising even further. He had to attack the second wall of the fortress immediately... And he doubted there was any easier point where to do it. The fortress had been built intelligently, and he was very skeptical about the chances of finding any real weak spot.

I wonder if Ira told them I was coming... or if really every night the surveillance is this tight.

He moved towards the thick wall, and cursed under his breath as his eyesight turned crimson once more, seeing an eye-rune drawn on the wall turning to literally stare at him... and without thinking, he blew a small black sphere of energy at it, erasing the figure just in time.

At least, I hope I was in time. Anyway, they are likely going to see they have a "camera" less than usual.

Killer charged forwards at the wall, leapt against it and landed sixty feet short of the top, grinning as his cruel toe-claws bit even into the stone and he charged vertically, running up the wall and jackknifing the embattlement... before his eyes bulged as two angels startled at him, before he kicked them hard in the face and sent them sprawling on the walkway with a light meaty thud that, nonetheless, felt to him like the rumble of a battery of howitzers firing.

"Not again." The huge male muttered, making a grimace and rolling his eyes upwards as he grabbed the bodies by the helmets and immediately jumped past the parapet facing the inner courtyard of the Monastery, landing with surprising grace on top of a roof of red tiles, making almost no noise even with his huge mass and surprisingly not crashing through... and he took a quick look around.

To the left, he could see a gigantic gothic cathedral, with two towers flanking the sixty-foot double door leading inside, a gigantic circular window of colored glass above it. One of the two towers was square and relatively low, sporting a massive, wonderful clock: it had a ring of gold that indicated the corresponding Mortal Plane time of the day, another ring of gold chiseled with the days of the year and acting as a calendar, while a last mechanical system showed the constellation of the Zodiac relative to the period and illustrated the position of the main stars and planets... While the statue of a Grim Reaper holding his Scythe and an hourglass loomed in the top left corner... and the statue of a Seraphim guarded the top right corner.

The other tower was roughly circular in base, and far taller, being the one construction that Killer had already admired as it towered over the whole fortress.

Killer had little time to enjoy the view, however, and he quickly realized he was crouching on top of the roof of the cloister of the Monastery: it ran on two levels, defining a massive rectangular inner garden over which countless windows opened, along with the two floors of arched walkways. The left side of the cloister ended as it connected to the façade of the cathedral, the right side was a massive building that undoubtedly served as barracks for the Seraphims and soldiers... and all around this towered the walls of the fortress, which made Killer feel trapped and tremendously exposed.

He quickly moved along the roof, silently advancing towards the tall buildings of the barracks and moving even faster as he started hearing worried voices on the walls and shouted calls for checks as the absence of two more sentries was finally discovered...

The huge liger wondered on what to do, and a rapid gaze around told him that there were no open windows: broking one was a definite no-no option, and so he slid down the roof and dropped to a crouch into the silent, quiet garden, walking immediately under the cover of the cloister.

He walked low under the level of the windows, finally reaching a huge archway where the double door was open... and walking inside after taking a quick gaze in the dark corridor past the entrance.

He looked around himself to find a place where to safely dumb the two bodies resting on his shoulders, but he found none suitable... And indeed, he was lucky enough already, having found no one else to knock out on his way yet.

He quickly but silently advanced down the dark corridor, his eyes caressing the wonderful statues of Seraphims that supported the archway on both sides, but his mind taking no distraction for the moment as he carefully made his way forwards. He did not dare opening any of the massive double wooden doors in the walls, and just tried to move as silently as possible towards the end of the corridor, which opened on a second, even wider cloister enclosing a huge courtyard probably used for sparring and training.

He reached the corner and stood with his back to the wall, sneaking a gaze past it to make sure no one was walking along the cloister... and he did not see anyone, but heard the sound of water and many voices and giggles. He moved onwards, and looking to the right he saw an open archway leading into what was definitely a huge locker room. Past it, Killer could see rows of showers, with at least six Seraphims naked bathing under the raining water. Another one he could see in the locker room, giving him the shoulders as she stepped out of her armor, and it made him grin as he looked at the perfection of the tigress's long legs, his eyes following the curve of her shapely, firm buttocks and then moving to her centre as she bent forwards to push her red loincloth down, uncovering the soft, tight and welcoming lips of her sex.

He knew full well he should have moved on, and quickly, but he enjoyed the view too much to break away without taking a gaze on the showering warriors ahead, the one in the first shower facing upwards into the raining waters, eyes closed blissfully as her hands stroked over plump, firm breasts sitting proudly atop her chest. Nearby, a toned zebra was laughing as she playfully wrestled against a muscular, beautiful mare with long red hair and almost golden fur, made shiny by the water rolling down the curves of her form.

Killer finally managed to tear himself away from the fantastic sight, grinning a bit to himself as he turned to quickly leave, only to wince and backstep in shock as the mare Seraphim appeared out of thin air in front of him, grinning widely as she slipped forwards, naked and dripping water, to put her wet hands on his potent chest, leaning close to push her bare, big breasts against his body as she smiled, looking into his eyes seductively. "Leaving already...? Won't you come in with us for a good, relaxing shower, Lord Killer...?"

"I... kind of have a mission to accomplish." Killer replied stupidly, grinning even as she pushed teasingly into his form, rubbing her naked body into his own, her hands rolling slowly down the profile of his powerful abdominals as her bare sex brushed into his bulging jeans, her eyes going wide with burning flames of lustful interest as she grinned and pushed her hips forwards to press their crotches together firmly, giving him a thrill of pleasure that moved up his spine and made his enormous cock twitch happily.

"He made it into the fortress...!" Another Seraphim exclaimed in surprise, walking out of the locker room with merely her loincloth left on, her breasts bare and her armor discarded, but she didn't mind her nearly-complete nakedness at all as she walked up to Killer and looked fondly up at him, smiling widely as she looked to the two unconscious angels thrown on his shoulders with amusement. "Amazing. So you've climbed the whole mountain and sneaked past the surveillance and the walls. And how the hell could you go past the barrier and the other traps...?"

"He smashed Michael's face to pulp." The zebra Seraphim he had earlier admired under the shower exclaimed in a matter-of-fact voice as she walked out of the locker room and leaned into him, hugging his muscular arm gently and grinning as she squeezes on his massive bicep appreciatively. "It's all you need to know."

Killer grinned widely at this, before smiling over his shoulder as two more naked, beautiful Seraphims still wet from their shower took gentle hold of the unconscious bodies on his shoulders and put them down on the floor, back to the wall, before smiling fawningly up to him and bowing deeply as one of them added: "He also slaughtered Fenrir, the monster that the Gods were never able to deal with... And he has raped the High Queen of Hell's Lust Circle to death, ripping Regina apart and resisting to her powers with the superiority of his own."

"40 Metatrons and their Guards could not restrain him either!" Another Seraphim announced, cheering him on even as Killer smiled awkwardly, not sure if it was that good a thing that the news of his little clash with the powerful architects and controllers of Heaven had spread so widely.

There were murrs and purrs of appreciation at this, as his other powerful arm was hugged tightly by two more of the beautiful warrior-females, while two more of them massaged their hands down his bare, potent back, looking teasingly into his eyes when he turned to smile at them.

Killer was almost soaking wet himself by now, with naked, beautiful females covered in water rubbing against him teasingly from all sides, and he could honestly say he was having the first true glimpse of paradise from when he had awakened into Heaven, as he was gently but insistently pulled back towards the locker room, where even more Seraphims were looking at him with interest, lust and reverence, some of them all but kneeling and bowing their heads before him.

"We have long waited to see you, Lord and Master Killer." The mare Seraphim announced, smiling lovingly at him before she bowed her head deeply before him, leaving him staring at her in stupid surprise. "We are delighted of the honor of having you here, between us. We've long waited for the Savior, the hero that the prophecies announced already Eons and Eons ago. And we could have never hoped for a hero greater than you, Amon-Ra."

"We have watched and cheered, we have been writhing in excitement as we followed your battles and we have admired all of your victories, all of your achievements, as day after day you faced even greater challenges, and always came out on top, victorious. You'll find that you have many friends and admirers in Heaven and Hell both, just like so many mortals look up to you in your Plane. All of us are but your humble servants..." The Seraphim smiled, then slipped backwards with slow solemnity, and she knelt before him and dropped her head, Killer staring at them in amazement as the other warrior angels around him did the same... even as the girls at his side did not let go of him, their hands gently holding on his even as they bowed their heads before him.

"So... huh. You are not going to report on me...?" Killer asked dumbly, grinning a bit as he added: "Because, you know... I kind of was supposed not to be caught on my way to Ira's apartment."

"Oh." The mare Seraphim said, sounding quite hostile as she added: "Her."

"It is true then... she's been chosen to be your Mentor...?" The Zebra Seraphim asked, looking at him with eyes that told him she hoped with all of her spirit that the answer would have been 'no'... Before he nodded, and quietly confirmed it. "So it appears."

There was a mumble of disappointment at that, and Killer caught sight of looks of pure hate and envy on their faces, before one of the Seraphims said gently: "We would have loved to be chosen. Each of us hoped to have the honor of aiding our Master in growing his powers even greater, unrivalled and supreme..."

She paused, lowering her head, and the muscular mare Seraphim looked at her for a moment before her eyes turned to Killer with reverence and adoration as she announced: "We shall serve you and aid you along your long, challenging Path... we shall help you and support you in every way, as you grow owner of your own power, of your own legendary might... and we shall elevate you to the highest of Heavens, for you are our Master and Savior."

"Please, stand up proud. I'm the one who came here to learn... and learn from you all." Killer replied gently, smiling at them all as they looked up at him with sincere dedication in their eyes, before standing up all around him, none of them shy about their naked bodies, all of them offering themselves to his gaze and all but brightening wherever they felt his eyes on them.

"You might be here to learn, Lord Killer, but you demonstrated plenty of times that you are stronger than most Arkangels and Demon Lords already as it is. You've accomplished feats that no mortal would ever dream to do, and made both Heaven and Hell tremble before your very power." The mare replied reverently, and the other Seraphims around her nodded, smiling brightly as she added: "We are here to serve you. Please, if you wish for anything at all, allow us the honor of attending to your wishes."

Sex!

Killer grinned stupidly at the offer, and the Seraphims grinned back eagerly, definitely getting what he was thinking and finding nothing at all wrong about it... pretty much the opposite, indeed, since they were quick in walking back to him, hands massaging over his powerful body as several of the beautiful warriors licked their lips teasingly before him, two of them dropping to their knees and gently taking his strong hands in theirs, to kiss his fingers lightly as their eyes half-lidded at him, enticing him into taking them...

"Why don't you come in...? A hot shower will do wonders for all of us..." A Seraphim teased throatily into his ear, and they gently pulled him towards the locker room, even as he resisted. It took him literally all the will force he could master, with how enticing and attractive the idea was, but he reminded himself his duties here in Heaven, and he finally quietly said: "Believe me, I'd love to... But I have duties to attend to, and I should really get moving with them."

The females around him groaned in disappointment, looking sulky as they ceased pulling him along but still clung to his huge body needingly, and he smiled slightly around at them, his expression making it clear that he was just as sorry as they were.

"Master is reminding us all that we've got duties as well." The muscular mare finally announced, smiling up at Killer affectively. "Much as it takes an incredible effort on our part, we will all be doing our part, and put our fun aside for now."

The Seraphim grinned a bit, and then leaned forwards against him to wrap her arms tightly around his neck, breathing hungrily of his scent and kissing at his neck adoringly before pulling back just enough to stare seductively into his eyes. "Promise us that you won't forget about us, though... We are here to serve you, and we hope to have the chance to do so, very soon."

Killer grinned, and his hands slid forwards to rolls down her hips, caressing their way on her back and then rubbing down the curve of her shapely buttocks before he seized her firmly at the thighs, making her release a groan of surprise and pleasure as he said teasingly: "I'm not one who forgets this kind of things. And I'm definitely interested in your offers."

"Glad to hear so..." The mare purred, smiling as her Zebra friend and the other Seraphims eyed Killer's powerful physique with something that looked like pure awe, before the white and black-stripped angel added: "I hope my turn comes soon!"

Killer grinned amusedly and nodded, touching her cheek gently and smiling as she brightened happily, eyes shining... before he sighed and said calmly: "Now, though, I really should reach my mentor... especially since the soldiers were getting quite worried, and I fear they'll start an alarm over the fortress at any time now."

The Seraphims nodded and traded looks, a couple of them talking shortly before one of them, the one still mostly-dressed up, walked forwards and bowed deeply: "Master, I'll make sure they are distracted and calmed down."

Killer smiled, and gave her a grateful nod as he replied: "Thanks. That would be great... I've... huh. Been challenged at not getting caught, and I'd kind of... want Ira to be well impressed with me."

You want a blowjob from her because she's hot and she's been getting your gaze from the when she stepped out of the dark, actually...

"Bah." One of the naked Seraphims snorted, adding with a bit of a face: "Ira is never impressed..."

"This time she should be." The mare Seraphim replied firmly, her eyes lingering hungrily on the huge bulge in Killer's jeans, which made the male smirk a bit even as he gently tilted her head back up towards his eyes with a finger. The muscular female grinned stupidly at him, before coughing and adding: "By the way, you'll find Ira straight away... she lives alone, in a little house near the walls and the building site of the new wing of the Monastery. You'll find it easily."

"Thank you." Killer replied gently, before kissing her lips chastely, and her eyes flashed happily, before all of the Seraphims brightened visibly as he ensured: "I will be coming to you as soon as I can... and thank you."

He was soon walking on across the huge courtyard, as the still-armored Seraphim jogged in the opposite direction to take care of the garrison's nervousness, giving him more than enough time and quiet to walk across the large open area. It was a parade and training ground, covered in fine gravel and surrounded by the walls of the fortress. To the left, Killer could see a building still in construction phase: it was a massive work in progress, and it allowed him to take a better look at the titanic nature of Eaglenest. Even such a building, built well inside the fortress and not destined to be a bulwark against enemy attacks, was being built with colossal blocks of black stone, undoubtedly from the quarry he had found down in the valley. There was not a block that was smaller than a car, and it gave the idea of the colossal enterprise that building Eaglenest had been, as Killer looked in awe to the sight of immense columns in what looked like some kind of common area, or maybe a worship site. Each column was so massive he couldn't even embrace half of the circumference, even with his huge arms. They were build out of cylindrical blocks of stone, piled one on top of the other patiently and with amazing precision... And, again, no cranes were in sight.

And anyway, most mortal cranes would not lift one of those blocks, honestly. They'd snap apart like toothpicks.

He was once more tempted to walk over and try lifting one of the gigantic "bricks" up to feel by himself what they truly were like... But he was wise enough to ignore the thought and move onwards. He had already allowed himself one side trip, and while he had been more than lucky with it, he had definitely risked to be caught into serious trouble, in the stupidest of ways. It was only a lucky case that he hadn't screwed his performance up entirely: at least, though, he now knew that, at least, for all the haters he had, he also could count on a massive support between Seraphims. It was good news, for a lot of reasons, which covered the whole scale of importance. He wasn't as alone as he had feared he'd be in Heaven, and that would have certainly helped mitigating the difficulties of the thousands of years ahead of him.

Killer smiled a bit to himself at that reassuring awareness, even as his eyes looked around the yard carefully, both to avoid running into a soldier popping up from behind a corner and also to find Ira's house. Straight ahead of him, Killer could see the entrance of the Monastery: a massive, square fortress with four cylindrical turrets at the corners, with a heavily guarded tunnel that, through undoubtedly a multitude of reinforced gates, leaded to the suspended bridge he had earlier seen, and that swung from side to side in the high-altitude winds as it stretched between the Monolith and the nearby, smaller but similar mountain on top of which, if his guess was right, visitors where able to portal to be first checked and accepted into the fortress.

Several windows were open, and lights were turned on inside many of the rooms, which probably were crowded with soldiers on duty of guard at the doors and other personnel of all kinds. Garrison service was boring all over the universe, and Heaven made no exception, so that the building probably also contained a small cafeteria or maybe even a larger rest area for soldiers whose turn finally finished... The voices coming all the way through the yard confirmed this.

And then Killer grinned a bit as he caught sight of a small, simple house built nearby, back to the wall of the fortress: lights were turned on inside it, and both a window and the door were open... and, walking with her graceful and proud step in the blade of light coming from the window, Killer saw Ira herself, moving back towards her home's door.

He put on a silent but powerful sprint after taking a prudent gaze around, and he soon closed the distance between himself and the Cobra, who was just pushing the door aside to step into her house as Killer arrived behind her with a wide grin. He had enough time to notice that she had folded her wings away and made them vanish - all angels often did, when they did not need them to fly - before he leapt at her from behind before she could step inside and close the door... a door that he saw covered in runes, that glowed crimson in the side of his view. He ignored the spells carved in the simple wooden door, but they sure weren't a "welcome" sign, and he could certainly imagine the difficulty of breaking unnoticed past such magic protections had the door been closed. But he was lucky that one night, as he leapt onto Ira's back with a cackle and wrapped his huge arms around her, hands reaching up to grab at her huge breasts gleefully as he shouted: "Surprise attack boobs squeeze!" like a retarded cartoon's character from a bad TV show.

He had a moment to blink in surprise and wince as he saw, before feeling, the Seraphim's head move backwards violently to headbutt him in the chest, as her strong arms reached up and her hands grabbed his wrists, before he was flung over her head and slammed into the floor hard, landing on his back with a grunt before his eyes bulged at the flashes of sapphire and white light that immediately followed.

He was left staring stupidly up at Ira's narrow, menacing eyes as she loomed over him and kept him pinned with her twin Katana swords crossed in an X around his neck, the blades almost touching his throat.

"It's me! It's me, calm down!" Killer winced, and Ira rolled her eyes with a sigh before standing slowly up and drawing her blades away from him, putting them back into the sheaths crossed on her back and allowing him to stand up, rubbing a hand awkwardly in his mane as he looked at her with a stupid grin, Ira glaring at him flatly.

Before she could comment, however, another voice that Killer had already heard observed: "Oh oh now! He did it! I told you so, Lord Killer is some damn serious stuff!"

Vesta grinned widely from where she was seating at a small round table, her muscular arms crossed on the desk and her legs primly crossed as she tossed Killer a wave of her hand, to which the huge male replied with a smile and a small nod.

"How many did you knock out...?" Ira asked firmly, glaring at him a bit as her fingers tapped impatiently on her own huge bicep, her powerful arms crossed on her chest even as she kicked the door closed behind her. "I went out talking to an officer just now: the patrols on the walls reported that some of the sentinels are not in their places."

"I had to put out four of them... Nothing major, they'll be back standing... huh." He paused awkwardly, flexing his fingers meditatively as his huge bicep flexed, reminding himself of just how strong he was, before he coughed. "Well. In a few hours, they will be fine. I hope."

Ira nodded, even as she made a bit of a face. Killer fell silent for a moment, and then he added: "You might want to send someone to the gardens. There's a couple of soldiers unconscious in a bush of roses... and they might be better off resting somewhere without thorns."

Vesta laughed from her corner, grinning amusedly as she exclaimed: "It is still good if it is only thorns the problem. I feared you might have feed them to the carnivore Manticora."

"I'm not so cruel." Killer replied amusedly, before pausing and adding honestly: "Well, most of the time, at least."

Vesta smiled at him with amusement playing in her eyes, and he smiled back quietly before turning to Ira, who just gazed at him flatly, halfway between angry and shocked at seeing him in front of her, apparently.

"Look, if more than four soldiers went missing, check the galley. It wasn't my fault. I heard a few soldiers apparently have an habit of sneaking away from their sentry duties to go and hide in the kitchens stealing food. Which surprises me, because while it is normal back home, I thought that here in Heaven no one ever needed to eat at all."

"Ah, but not needing and not wanting to are two very different things." Ira replied wisely, holding up a finger as he stared at her and Vesta added: "In Heaven, you'll never suffer hunger. No one does... it wouldn't be heaven, if people were starving around, no? But still, even if people do not need to eat, most do it more often than not... Because the pleasure of eating good food does not come with fullness, but with eating."

"Yeah." Ira agreed, nodding before adding flatly: "And I think I know who you heard talking about... Some of the latest angels assigned to the garrison have been mortals until just a few hundred thousand years ago, a relatively insignificant time for Heaven: they have still a lot of mortal habits, and they have a thing for food, especially." The Seraphim paused briefly, and then she walked forwards to look at Killer curiously, poking his thick chest firmly as she asked: "But you...? How the frigging Hell could you get here? I mean, sure... I expected you to be able to climb the mountain and stuff... but I was sure you'd cause the alarms to go off, or you'd just end up stepping into a circle of runes, or, at the most, I expected you to get to the barrier and smash your face into it."

"Well, thanks for the confidence granted me!" Killer grumbled, before shrugging under her flat glare as he said: "I ripped a breach in the barrier. And cancelled a part of the circle of runes to climb past it unharmed."

"Impressive." Vesta commented, standing up and walking up to him with a grin of appreciation. "So I'm guessing you can see the runes somehow."

Killer hesitated, half-biting his lower lip nervously, before he nodded and admitted: "I don't know how. I... learned it tonight. All of a sudden." He did not dare speaking of his inner darkness, of the ferocious, powerful monster - or God...? - that dwelled deep within in and that he called Black Killer, but both Vesta's and Ira's eyes narrowed, and he got the horrendous feeling that, just like Gabriel, they knew it already. And they possibly knew the situation better than even he did. Which, in itself, wasn't that bad. It had the potential to be a good news, in fact... the problem was that no one was willing to share with him what they knew, and it only made him even more worried about the tremendous danger that he carried within.

"And how could you touch the barrier without being incinerated...? And cancel the circle of runes, too... I'm sure you'll have imagined that, even if someone finds those runes during an attack, no one can... like... rub the drawing off the stone with his hand and move onwards." Vesta asked curiously, looking over him with an interest that, now, possibly went far past the appreciation for his physique and for his muscular might.

"I figured that it had to be some kind of dangerous trap, yes." Killer replied quietly, before sighing as he held a hand up and created a small sphere of his glowing darkness as Ira and Vesta watched with rapture. "I used this... thing. I learned to create this kind of black energy some time ago, with Alexis's help. I don't know exactly how it works, but it is damn useful at times."

"Well..." Ira said quietly, before holding up a finger and focusing some energy in a fireball that appeared above her sharp claw: immediately, the fireball was drawn violently forwards into the tiny sphere of darkness in Killer's palm, and the fire vanished, all but making the ball of darkness swell a little bit larger, before Killer closed his hand in a fist, making it all vanish with a few motes of gleaming obscurity. "This is a Black Hole, actually."

"What...?" Killer asked, gaping a bit and looking to Vesta to get a confirmation, which came in the form of a nod.

"Somehow, you do manage to focus an immense amount of energy in one tiny point of space... So much dark energy, in fact, that it becomes a supermassive core, with a density greater than any other thing in the universe, with a tremendous gravity pull, and a monstrous destructive power. Black holes are black because they all but pull light itself inside them, and trap it in a pit of never-ending darkness." Vesta explained wisely, taking his hand in hers to look at his palm with interest. "Yet you made it seem so easy... It takes the destruction of a star or the implosion of a planet to generate a black hole, Lord Killer, I'm sure you know it. You must be able to focus an unimaginable amount of energy. Did it... strain you at all...?"

"No..." Killer replied quietly, shaking his head slowly and feeling almost horrified of himself now as he started to realize the monstrous power of a Black Hole, and the danger it represented: in deep space, black holes were born out of the death of stars like the Sun, that imploded at the end of their lives and became "tiny" planets with an indescribable weight and density, so tremendous that they started to absorb and destroy everything, from Light itself to radio signals to whole planets... whole Galaxies, even...

"Can you make even larger Black Holes...?" Vesta asked gently, and Killer nodded, but with a grimace as he flexed his hand idly.

"Yes, I can. I did it more than once... but I hadn't realized what I was doing. I definitely wouldn't have taken such a risk, had I known what I was doing." He muttered, before closing his hand in a fist, clenching his fingers so hard that his own claws drew blood from his palm. "What have I risked...? Had I lost the control... a black hole could totally destroy everything and everyone! I could have... killed everyone..."

Ira and Vesta traded a worried gaze, before Vesta gently pried his fist open, her hand glowing faintly as she touched his own and his self-inflicted wound healing instantaneously. "You always controlled it perfectly, Lord Killer. You've always been in full and total control."

"You worry far too much." Ira added flatly, rolling her eyes upwards with a dismissive wave of her hand, but Killer only made a grimace at this, still shaken.

"What, are you scared of your own power all of a sudden...?" Vesta asked vehemently, seizing his hand with firmness as she pushed her face close to his, looking into his eyes like she could read any answer into them. "Did you really ignore the massive might you posses...? Do you think it is normal to be able to lift a warship with a fucking finger and take on Gigataurs in terms of raw strength like taking on kids...?" The Seraphim snorted laughter, grinning in amusement before shaking her head as she added: "The Gods would not fear you so much if your power wasn't totally extraordinary, Lord Killer. You'd still be a warrior like the Mortal World never saw, sure... you would still have a throne in the Hall of Heroes... but the Gods wouldn't care that much about you. Get used to it, your power is formidable."

"And we are seeing merely hints of it for now. As the Seals break and as your training progresses, we'll see what you really are capable of." Ira added seriously, nodding a bit and firmly looking into his eyes as he stared at her silently, wondering for not the first time if he wasn't the real, the worst danger for the world, instead of a savior... And asking himself how he was going to control all that power. Asking himself if he could at all. What if my powers end up controlling me...?

Vesta paused, looking at him for a moment, and Killer had the feeling that she was reading into his mind, just like Alexis... and she sort of confirmed it as she added wisely: "Lord Killer, many Gods and Demons have been consumed by their own powers. Many have gone insane, many have all but ended up self-destroying, while others had to be banished or destroyed, to save the world from their fury. But they weren't you." She put a hand on his powerful chest, pushing forwards firmly against him to hear his heart thud as she smiled at him warmly. "I do firmly believe that you are a whole different story. I'm not the only one, either... but fucking hell, I do consider myself your... like... number one fan." She grinned stupidly, looking cheerfully into his eyes, and he blinked in surprise before smiling back at her.

"Scary as it is, this power is YOUR power." Vesta added firmly, her voice underlining the 'your' with vibrant energy before she added: "It is your choice what it is used for. Either for destruction, or for salvation. But it is you, and you should never be afraid of who you are." She nodded wisely, pausing for a moment as he smiled at her gently, feeling a bit better already... before she grinned widely and exclaimed: "You could kill everyone with your fists, but you do not cry about that and you do not feel that bad about your force before squeezing a hand and risking to make dust of the poor guy's bones. So stop being a useless mass of crying male baby already!"

Killer laughed at this, before seizing her arm with a grin and squeezing it hard... but, as he expected, Vesta was more than solid, and she grinned cheerfully back before squeezing on his hand with all of her strength, making him wince in pleased surprise at just how strong she was. "For your information, anyway, I'm extremely careful when I shake anyone's hand. And I never do it with my strength." The male observed wisely, pointing at her with a finger, and Vesta grinned and nodded.

"I know all too well. I still got my hand in place, after all." She replied easily, even Ira looking amused even though she refused to join the two tigers' antics.

"Anyway, Lord Killer. Now you are officially an Initiate of Heaven... and I will start training you right now." Ira announced proudly, tilting her head upwards a bit and grinning challengingly to him as she added: "I will try not to make you cry. Not too soon, at least."

"Keep dreaming." Killer replied easily, grinning back widely, and Ira snorted in amusement before pointing at the only wall inside the house: the small home, after all, was mostly just a single, large room separated in two main areas. The one they were in hosted a fireplace and a small kitchen along the left wall, the right one being covered by shelves bent by the weight of countless huge, ancient books and reverently-conserved rolled scrolls. There only was a small wooden table with four chairs and a humble sofa, with an armchair close to it. An open space without door, only closed by a curtain, leaded into the other area, which undoubtedly hosted Ira's bed. "I've dug up a loincloth for you, proper clothing for an Initiate. I've left it on my bed, you can go changing right now."

Killer looked sulky at this, mumbling something under his breath before he asked mildly: "My pants really can't do...?"

Ira only looked at him flatly, however, and Vesta only looked at them with amusement in her eyes... so Killer sighed and turned towards Ira's bedroom, walking towards the curtain with a grumble. "Loincloths don't work well on me, you'll see." He warned mildly, but Ira only replied stubbornly: "It will work perfectly, instead. I picked up the largest size available."

"It won't work, I say." Killer replied, grinning slightly to himself... before his grin widened as he reminded himself of their little challenge. He stopped and turned around, and as Vesta looked curiously at him, he asked teasingly: "Don't you owe me a little something, by the way...?"

Ira, however, only grinned back sharkishly, crossing her powerful arms and rubbing the claws of one hand on the leather strap of her chest-plate before looking at them idly and saying: "I did not say 'I promise'."

Killer blinked stupidly, thinking back to their little exchange... Hell. She really didn't.

"You said you would do it. This is cheating." Killer grumbled, but Ira only laughed, even as Vesta frowned and asked: "What? What did you promise?"

Killer pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the much smaller bedroom, which basically contained a small desk with a chair, a wooden wardrobe, a comfortable little bed and a simple wooden dummy for her armor: it currently held Ira's wing-armor, the twin arching blades of sapphire light extending on top glowing in the soft darkness. Killer removed Wyvern and the bandolier the sword was attached to from his back and put this carefully down, leaning the monstrous sword against the wall, the blade carefully point down on the floor, before he undid the strap of the holster holding his single, huge Desert Storm handgun and put this on the dummy, figuring that Ira would not mind.

"What the hell did you promise? Tell me!" Vesta finally shouted in the other room, and Killer winced, rubbing a hand in his mane slowly, fearing to have put Ira into troubles. But as he gave a grimace at the simple loincloth of red fabric laying on the bed and began to undue his fly and push his black jeans down, Ira whispered something... only to have Vesta exclaiming in shock a moment after: "And you now refuse to do it?"

Killer could hear Ira's wince even as he stepped out of his boxers and kicked them aside, taking the loincloth up from the bed and looking down at it with a sigh, half-way between amused and annoyed. The loincloth would be fine in terms of waistline... Heaven had a few warrior angels as big of him, and others even bigger, even. On the other hand, as he had expected, the loincloth would fall short of his unique needs.

"You are crazy! How can you refuse that...?" Vesta asked loudly, and Killer could see her gape even as his own mouth opened in surprise. "You must be, like, totally lesbian!" Vesta exclaimed dumbly, and Killer had to suffocate a laugh, even as he tried to keep his voice serious as he mildly announced: "It does not work."

"Shut the hell up and wear that thing, like it or not!" Ira snapped from the other room, and Killer rolled his eyes upwards with a snort.

"Fine, here we go." He mumbled, doing the loincloth up and wrapping it carefully in place, feeling stupid to no end because he wasn't used to such clothing... and moreover because his enormous testicles showed perfectly well, and his balls and massive cock bulged the piece of cloth obscenely. Not to consider that his cock actually dangled past the end of the loincloth at the front.

He looked down at himself with a frown, touching his enormous shaft with a finger and sighing with a light shake of his head, before he walked out of the room, gazing flatly at both females even as the two Seraphims argued loudly.

"Holy fucking hell!" Vesta squeaked when he walked up to them, her eyes wide open in surprise... and yet alive with mischievous, lustful flames that told him that: a), she likes what she sees and b), they expected this.

Ira's cheeks turned deep red - amazing considering their natural jet-black color - and she covered her giggle with a hand even as her eyes bulged and took in the sight of the colossal, python-like head of his shaft dangle down well past his knees and fatally past the end of the loincloth.

"So, like. Believe me now...? It does not work." Killer stated firmly, crossing his muscular arms on his chest and gazing at Ira flatly. "It looks like I'm shamelessly showing off. Worse than if I was walking around the street naked."

"I like it in both ways." Vesta replied cheerfully, grinning widely and nodding, while Ira coughed and half-turned away, even as her eyes soon turned back to him, gazing down.

"Huh. Ok. This time you are right... I guess your pants will be fine for you." The cobra finally said, and Killer snorted amusedly, replying a very ironic-tinged "Thought so".

He walked back into the bedroom, and stepped quickly out of the loincloth, asking mildly: "So, like. You totally planned this out, didn't you...? Who had the idea? Is that you, Vesta...?"

"No, no, no way!" Vesta replied cheerfully from the other side of the wall. "Nice trick, but I can't claim it as mine. Totally Ira's idea. I knew nothing of this."

Killer grinned, picking his boxers up. "So you DID want to see it."

Ira did not reply, but he could almost feel the heat of her cheeks on flames through the air. "You could just ask, though."

"I totally ask to see, then!" Vesta cheerfully exclaimed, and Killer looked in surprise up over his shoulder to see the Queen of Seraphims walk into the room, her eyes flashing with lustful sapphire flames in the dark, her grinning fangs almost gleaming... and once more, he was amazed by how much she resembled Alexis, both physically and in personality, and as she walked forwards towards him, gazing at him teasingly, he felt his shaft throb just like when Alexis gave him her own "I want it here and now" gaze.

And just like Alexis, she did not miss it, even if he was giving her his back, the muscular female gazing hungrily at his monstrous shaft, dangling between his legs, grinning wider still as she walked up to him and pushed gently into him, her glorious breasts shoving into his powerful back as she wrapped her arms gently around his thick frame, hands rubbing lovingly over his potent, broad chest muscles as she leaned her head over his shoulder and murmured in his ear: "Am I worth of seeing it, Master...? Will you be so generous to let my eyes worship your scepter, Lord Killer...? I will beg you, I will pray you..."

"Vesta... you are the Queen of Seraphims... a born-immortal demigoddess of unrivalled power..." Killer replied quietly, but Vesta only kissed his muscular shoulder lightly, her hands rubbing slowly down the bulging profile of his potent abdominals.

"I am, yes... But you are my Master. You are the King of Kings... at a mere fraction of your power, a hundredth sliver of your might, you scare the Gods. One day, they will be nothing to you, they will be powerless slaves of your Will." Vesta breathed, her hand sliding down his muscular arm, caressing a huge bicep adoringly before her fingers gently wrapped around his own. "A finger, it is all it takes you to master a black hole that could destroy the stars. The stars! The greatest power of the universe." She sighed blissfully, and kissed the side of his neck adoringly before whispering: "Lord and Master Killer... Alexis and I have rapidly found just how much we have in common. Her dedication to you is total, sincere, and adoring. And please, oh please believe me...! My dedication is and will always be just as strong and total. We see in you the Alpha and the Omega, the Light and the Darkness, our everything. We've seen your power, and we bow ours to you. We've seen you, known you... and we give our love, our uttermost adoration, to you."

"You had a long talk with Alexis, didn't you...?" Killer asked gently, smiling a bit as he squeezed back on her fingers, and brought his other hand over the back of hers as she stroked her palm lovingly down his powerful physique.

"I had." Vesta admitted easily, smiling quietly. "But, Lord Killer, don't think I was fooled. It does not take Alexis's powers to bind my soul to you, and put my faith in you. I've been venerating you from well before we met the first time. I've been envying Alexis for having so much time to share with you, while we were worlds apart. I still envy her, because she is the Queen of Queens, the Goddess you have chosen to rule with you... But my envy does not weaken my dedication to her. For you are my Master, and she is my Mistress." Vesta paused, resting her head against his neck and releasing a blissful sigh as she shivered at the delight of the mere contact with him... And as Killer squeezed her hands gently, she added softly: "Of me, will be what you want. My position in the scale will be the one you assign me... and if I'll be the last of your bitches, I will adore you even more, for keeping me even if I am unworthy of you."

"You are more than worth of me, Vesta... There is so much you can show me, teach me, tell me." Killer replied calmly, squeezing on her hand gently. "You call me Master and God, but I'm merely an Initiate, in worlds of Immortals, Gods and Supernatural beings... where you are a Queen, second only to the Gods themselves."

"That is temporary, my Master." Vesta replied lovingly. "Whenever you'll want, you'll rise so far higher than the Gods, that your Light, or your Darkness, will reshape the universe to your very Will. It doesn't matter who I am... it only does matter if and how you feel for me."

There was silence for the moment, even as Vesta's hand slid down his thick abdominals, until her fingers scratched slowly and lovingly into the luscious fur of his happy highway, playing with the locks of white fur in there as Killer repressed a shiver of delight, of lust, of fear, all at once. Vesta's words, Vesta's presence and touch... they honored him, they made him aroused and proud, they made him feel like a true savior. Yet, they did scare him terribly as well. Alexis had never overstated her views... Black Killer had not exaggerated. There truly was a tremendous power within him. Light and Darkness.

Light OR Darkness, more likely...

And he did feel so tempted by the Darkness...! All that power! He could feel it in his veins, pushing against Seals that suddenly felt feeble and weak. He felt like he could snap them all if he wanted to, rip them apart like paper. He felt like he could do anything he wanted, anything at all. Hell, the Queen of Seraphims, the best warrior of Heaven, an Immortal demigoddess that ruled over the greatest combatant force of Heaven, mighty and beautiful Vesta the Great, was practically offering herself as a slave to him.

Alexis herself... she was his Queen because he wanted her to be. She had always made it clear that she was his property, his slave. The First of his slaves, his Second in command... as long as he wanted.

It aroused Lusts within him that were monstrous. A hunger for power, for dominance... for utter, complete destruction. Bloodlust.

Darkness. So much easier, so much more attractive, so much more rewarding... Crush everything under your foot, rule supreme. Easy, and tempting like nothing else.

But a monstrous crime...

It was so hard to resist the temptation. So complex to follow the Right path... a path that meant that, for all his power, there would have always been people hating him and not caring for him. People he could have crushed out of existence easily, but that he would have had still to protect and respect and grant freedom to. He would have had to protect and respect their freedom, and bear choices and events that he disagreed with, and that he could have changed in any moment... Because it was Right. His strength didn't gave him the Right to do whatever he wanted. It gave him endless responsibility. And the curse of Temptation...

"Vesta, I truly do like you." Killer finally gently said, shaking himself out of the long silence that had lasted for perhaps minutes between them, with the Seraphim patiently waiting for his word, her hands attending reverently to his physical pleasure. "I liked you from the very first moment... And not just... not because you resemble Alexis so much. You... you are your own proud and special person. And I... I think I love you, honestly. Not as I love Alexis... for Alexis, there's an adoration that is unique and only for her... but I love you."

"I love you too, Killer." Vesta replied adoringly, and she kissed his powerful back lovingly, trembling blissfully at his words. "But Master, please. Let me prove myself to you first... before you decide if you really consider me worth of you. Before you decide what will be my role. Let me show you my dedication and my worth. I must deserve you... and you deserve to know me better. To know all of me."

"I'm sure I will just love you more and more, with every single thing of you that I discover and learn." Killer replied gently, smiling over his shoulder at her as she leaned into his back and looked up into his eyes with a grateful smile, before kissing his shoulder lovingly as his hands squeezed hers gently, his arms covering hers and their powerful muscles rubbing together as she embraced him.

"Alexis has been adamant on me, Lord Killer... I must do all I can to keep you happy and help you out while she's away. I will be your link, whenever possible... and I will do all I can to ensure it is possible more often than not." Vesta explained softly, and Killer brought her hand up to his muzzle to kiss her fingers before replying with endless gratitude: "That will be something I'll appreciate and remember forever. I know how much you risk by aiding us this way, with the Gods wanting us totally separated... Diana has been tortured and caged for coming to me in the Mortal World, much as she never says a thing about it. I know of her sufferance, and I feel guilty for them, all of them. When I first learned she had been punished so ferociously, I felt like I had killed her... again."

Vesta nodded, but she pushed her muzzle against his, nuzzling him affectively as her strong arm wrapped around his waist and squeezed him closer. "I know. And Diana knew the risks and consequences, just like me. We all are well aware of the consequences of our actions. But we will always do everything it takes to protect, help and serve our Master and only real love." The Seraphim paused briefly, smiling at him gently and bringing a hand up into his mane, fingers combing and playing into his long locks of white hair. "Never feel bad for the difficulties we face... You constantly face even worse ones, and you spill blood so often, and you battle your own Darkness minute after minute to protect and save us all. We know you will go to any length to protect us... and we adore you for it, and we will always give you our dedication in exchange, no matter the cost. The cost will never be too high for standing by your side."

Killer thanked her and closed his eyes with a bit of a smile, touched to the deepest part of his soul, as he blinked a few times to chase away tears of gratitude that threatened to spill down his cheeks... before he firmly promised instead: "I will never step back shy of my role and duties. Whatever the risks, whoever the enemy, whatever happens... I will always be fighting for you all. For the ones I love."

"We know it well." Vesta replied with a smile... before a blissful silence stretched for a few moments between them, no words needed at all to express the mutual love they shared, as Vesta clung to Killer needingly and lovingly from behind.

"I like you, Lord Killer..." Vesta started quietly after a long silence, before snorting amusedly and exclaiming: "Hell, no, that sounds like the greatest of all understatements!" She mused for a moment, then wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I fucking adore you. You are hot like Hell. You got a frigging awesome body, beautiful eyes with a cool-looking scar and you've got a train disguised as a cock between your legs. I love all that. I adore it. And I'd have that train of yours running into me anytime."

"Never heard it expressed like that before." Killer commented amusedly with a little shake of his head as he laughed quietly.

Vesta snorted-laughter herself, but she soon talked again, and her voice was totally serious. "Awesome as you are, you would have been merely a good fuck for me, had you not been who you are. Just like Alexis, I have hungers, I have pride... and I have power." The tough female grinned, and then Killer wheezed as suddenly she flexed, huge muscles pushing into his own as he effortlessly lifted him clear off the ground by the waist, before his head smacked into the ceiling and the female winced, putting him down immediately and giving him a dumb grin of apologize as he looked over his shoulder at her with a bit of a frown.

"Sorry. Did not consider how frigging tall you are, too, on top of everything else." Vesta said cheerfully, and he grinned despite himself, snorting laughter as she smiled at him widely, before they shared a little laugh.

"Killer... I'm no good at this emotional-talking shit. Feelings are complex, even for Immortals like me who've been living for Eons." Vesta finally exclaimed, before squeezing him gently around the waist again and leaning her chin over his shoulder as she said: "Reassuming. I love your big dick. But I do not love you because of it. Well, not in the... spiritual way. Physically I do." She paused, then grinned widely and nodded cheerfully. "I also love how, even with how strong I am myself, you could totally beat me down on the floor and rape me into the ground. But I don't love for this either. Nor I do love you for your fearsome power... I do not follow you out of the hope of dwelling in your power when you'll rise and unleash all of your might. No. These are all secondary factors, to say the least... What I truly do love of you, is who you are."

Killer paused, letting the silence between them stretch for a few long moments... before he looked sideways at her and grinned a bit, asking quietly: "And what does that mean...? Who am I...?"

Vesta blinked, looking at him stupidly for a moment... before she snorted and punched him in the shoulder, making him grunt and sway to the side a bit with the force of even her playful blow.

"I totally thought I phrased it all poetic and awesome, and you gotta go ruin it all." The Seraphim groaned, before smiling lovingly as she looked into his eyes, deep into his soul... And Killer stared back in her sapphire eyes, so similar to Alexis's ones, yet different, only thankful that she wasn't hiding her gaze in a bottomless, expressionless pit of light like Seraphims did in battle.

He could read the sincerity in her gaze, deep into her soul, across her eyes. "I love the Killer who strives to redeem himself and his past errors, his past horrors. I love the Killer who feels the power he possesses, who is aware of the extraordinary nature of his might, but that is aware of his Lusts and Darkness, and wise and courageous enough to battle himself to keep his own power caged away. Even if it means being beaten, wounded... even if it means resisting the temptation of ruling supreme over everyone. I love the stubborn, playful and arrogant prick that laughs before Death and seduces her into letting him go yet one more time... I love the warrior and male that always pulls through, that charges ahead on the difficult path of Right, and that never turns back to regret the pleasures darkness would have given him. I love the male who is ready to fight to the end of Time, until he's got the slightest of living force left in him, in order to do what is right and to save his loved ones." Vesta paused, and she nodded with a smile, one hand caressing his cheek quietly. "That's who you are. That's the One we all love... Alexis, Diana, Me, and so many others."

"Thank you, Vesta..." Killer murmured quietly, smiling and feeling his chest heaving with pride and affection for her. "That was... an awesome thing to say."

"It was just the truth." Vesta replied gently, before grinning as she added: "The awesome part is that I can tell you that Alexis is fine. I accompanied her at the Moon's Monastery, one of the main fortresses of the Seraphims. You might also be amused at knowing that, tasked with entering the fortress much like you have been challenged here, she's chosen a different approach." Vesta grinned widely, then nodded and added cheerfully: "She's smashed down the doors and knocked unconscious most of the garrison. Now, half of the troop is being treated in the medical bay and the other half is scared to death of her. But you gotta admire her self-control: it looked like no one would survive with the way she charged into the ranks, but they are... all alive. And even more surprising, they'll also get back on their feet and be able to walk again. Sometime." She paused again, then nodded and honestly added: "Not real soon... but they will."

Killer laughed softly at that, shaking his head slowly and looking up to the ceiling dreamingly, wondering what it must have been like to see... And smiling softly as he saw in his mind a clear image of Alexis grinning cockily and winking at him teasingly, giving him thumb up with a hand dripping with blood that definitely wasn't hers.

"And what about the Seraphims...? Did she tie with them...?" Killer asked curiously after a moment. The garrison of the fortress was made up by angels, but Seraphims were elite, and not even Alexis would have gone much far against a troop of Seraphims. At least until she gets a wider knowledge of her powers, I guess.

"Well... she's not too happy of having 'so much pussy around, and so little worthwhile cock', to say it in her words, and she's been a bit cold, but yes. She's tied with the Seraphims. It helps that, just like me, mostly all the Seraphims adore you... and her too, in consequence." Vesta replied gently, nodding wisely, before they traded a grin at Alexis's evaluation of the situation. "I honestly do agree with her, too... I couldn't have phrased it better than she did. But I've the luck that I can come to you at least every now and then and take advantage of your cock." Vesta added seriously, grinning cheerfully. "And no one could ask for a more awesome and thrilling experience than that."

Killer snorted-laughter at that, grinning a bit, before he wondered if he could dare and ask Vesta indications of where the Moon Monastery actually was... But he knew nothing of Heaven, other than the general outline of the various Skies, so it wouldn't have helped. And he could not dare fleeing and reach Alexis without the Metatrons tracking him immediately and sending angry Gods at him for kicking his ass back to Eaglenest. So he just dropped the idea, and tried to content himself with what he had. Which is far more than I had dared hoping for, to start with.

"The Moon Monastery is where she'll be trained, anyway... and I will train her mostly myself, since she shows an alarming ease at quickly becoming a mistress of whatever she gets to know." Vesta explained quietly, and Killer nodded, looking amused as he smirked proudly. "That's Alexis indeed. She's got a far better understanding and a far greater control of her own powers than I can say to have of mine. And she's... so damn smart and skilled. Be careful around her, she learns so fast that she'll soon be the one teaching you around."

"Now, now." Vesta replied playfully, grinning widely. "Don't you go undervaluing me and the extent of my knowledge and power, after flattering me with the 'queen of Seraphims' and 'demigoddess' bull. Either you believe in my might, or you don't."

"I do believe." Killer replied sincerely, nodding, before he looked at her with amusement in his eyes. "You just... kind of aren't the kind of Queen I expected to rule over the Seraphims. You remind myself too much of Alexis... which means you are more like a Succubus than what one expects from an angel."

"And maybe you think you are the first one who says that." Vesta said agreeably, nodding with a wide smile playing about her muzzle. "And anyway, you are naked against my boobs and I've not yet grabbed your dick to feel its delightful weight straining at my arm. That shows you I have good control and not just strong urges." She added wisely, nodding with a grin.

"I'll give you that." Killer replied agreeably, looking amused himself... before he looking with big, interested eyes as she reached a hand into her cleavage, between her enormous breasts scantily covered by the golden cups of her chest armor... before she pulled out a scroll and handed it to him.

"This comes from Alexis... and even if I was curious like Hell, I did not read it, either. So you owe me double thanks." Vesta said cheerfully, smiling up at him lovingly even as he looked surprised, then endlessly grateful as he reached up to take the small scroll from her hand, as he murmured his thanks almost breathlessly, and quickly unrolled the message.

A thick lock of golden hair, secured by a lace, had been wrapped inside the letter, and Killer took this with a smile, bringing it to his muzzle, to breath in Alexis's perfume again, his eyes closing, and wishing her near...

"I didn't even thought about this when we were separated..." The huge male mumbled, almost embarrassed. Lovers had done it for millennia, and he should have reminded it, instead of risking being left with nothing at all of her beloved, for so long a time. He squeezed the golden lock in his fist, bringing it to his chest... before he smiled a bit as he brought the letter up, taking in the gothic, beautiful handwriting of Alexis, feeling her voice in his ears as he read, almost seeing her hand moving along the sheet as she wrote those few lines, amazed at the comforting power of even a simple letter, in making him feel a lot less alone, a lot more closer to his adored goddess.

Lover,

I hadn't hoped to have a chance to communicate with you any earlier than it takes to one of us to learn to use mind-links that even the Gods will be unable to block.

"This, my sweet, is something you will do soon, I'm sure... But me...? I highly doubt I can pull such a feat." Killer commented amusedly, smiling at the fact that Alexis had generously not excluded the fact that he could have been the one succeeding first.

But Vesta is a friend we can both trust. I'm sending her to you, and I can ensure you that you can trust her as much as you trust me. Her dedication and love for you match mine... and that's why we rapidly became friends. Almost sisters, united by our shared adoration of you. Vesta will do all she can help us, and this is the greatest luck we could hope for... And know that I'm sending her to you under strict orders of keeping you happy, whatever it takes.

_"_A task I've accepted with the greatest of joys, really." Vesta commented cheerfully from over his shoulder, as she curiously peeked into the letter, before he slowly turned to her and looked at her flatly, arching an eyebrow at her. The Seraphim looked at him stupidly, then grinned and stroked the back of her head in embarrassment as she mumbled: "Privacy, right. Huh. Sorry."

She is the kind of girl that truly catches your eye, so I'm sure that you'll have plenty to appreciate in her. Hell, honestly, had I a cock, I would have pounded that pussy first.

Killer shook his head slowly, grinning a bit in amusement, before reading onwards. _By the way, this Moon Monastery place is filled with grade-A pussy. Hell, grade S, even. Seraphims all over the place, and there's not a single ugly one. And all, I can ensure you, are ravenously eager of meeting you, from the first to the last. This should be your place... But Vesta ensured me that you are being assigned to another of the Seraphim's monasteries, so hopefully you'll have plenty of funny bitches to punish, whenever you end up. By the looks of things, it'll be far easier for you to ruin pussy than it'll be for me to find a few good cocks to punish and enslave. Which means I'm gonna miss you even more, if it is possible at all. My life, my king, my love... my god. It's been merely hours from the last time I touched you, and I already feel like I've been drained of all my life essence, without you at my side. There's no poetry, no peace, no beauty... this place must be all but fantastic, yet without you at my side, it is merely a prison I can't see any beauty in. And I'm already slipping out of control, my Master. I've been furious, I've been lustful for blood and carnage. The rage of being separated from you, my Guide and Love, has all but made my darkness deepen... And you do know that the obscurity within me can be worse than yours. I've been challenged to creep into the fortress, and almost killed the whole garrison. I was... so close. It was only the thought of you that stopped me from killing them all, Lion. I went an inch short of ripping them into pieces... And you've taught me that, as much as we love the feeling of it, such violence is wrong. Our great power bonds us to even greater responsibilities, does it not...? You trace my path, my love. You are fighting yourself, in the hardest battle of all, to do what's Right... and I will not fail you by doing the opposite. What you choose, is what I choose. And I choose with equal joy, either you crush the universe in your hand or save and protect it. _

How I need your strong hand, lover... to feel your caresses, but also to know that your fist rules me. I miss you... immensely. Words fail me miserably at telling you how much I miss you already... just as they have always failed me at describing how much I love you. Love... such a weak word, that does not even start to describe what I truly feel. I love you. I adore you. I crave you.

_Best of luck to you, my love. And I won't write "kisses", because it is dumb. I want to kiss you for real. And hug you, and cuddle up with you, and feel your arms around me, and let you fuck me until my insides become my outsides. You know it. I love you. And words will never express it well enough. I hope to hear you soon... every second that passes, is too long already. _

Alexis

Killer read the whole letter again, and then another time, and again, feeling a tear streaking down his cheek, before he closed his eyes and put the letter down on Ira's bed with all the reverence of who touches the hand of a God. That letter was now his most precious treasure, together with the long bang of golden hair that he once more kissed lovingly, before resting it on the scroll with affection.

"I will give you an answer, Vesta... will you please bring it to her when you head back to the Monastery...?" The huge male asked quietly, and the mighty Seraphim nodded with a smile.

"Even if it was to cost me my life."

Killer smiled back at her over his shoulder, and Vesta looked at him lovingly... before grinning teasingly as she asked lustfully: "I had come to have a show, originally... Haven't I been good enough to deserve it?"

Killer licked his lips slowly at this, his eye burning with flames as he looked at her hungrily from over his muscular shoulder for a moment, before he laughed softly as a needy groan escaped Vesta's lips as he flexed leisurely, making her eyes sparkle hungrily as the shadows drew dozens of valleys and hills of pure power as his muscular back rippled. He spread his potent legs a bit wider, loving how her eyes bulged as she gazed at the heart-stopping size of his malehood, as his testicles hung low and heavy between his thighs and his flaccid but titanic cock dangled, thick and monstrous, down well past his knees.

"As a matter of fact, you have." Killer said teasingly, before adding with a grin: "Alexis says you want to keep me happy... And while I do love what I see in you, I wonder if you are up to the challenge."

"Hell yes!" Vesta replied firmly, grinning widely as she crossed her powerful arms on her chest, hands rubbing up her mighty biceps to reach for the chains of gold that kept her chestplate on. She half-lidded her eyes at him, bending forwards slightly to push her prodigious chest forwards, offering it all the more to his greedy eyes before she pulled the chains down along her arms with torturous, delightful slowness.

The golden armor cups of her chestplate finally came off, cradled in her crossed arms as she removed them carefully, grinning as she offered her enormous breasts to his gaze, her huge, black nipples hard and proud before him as her sumptuous boobs were left naked and firm, sitting tall on her chest, atop powerful abdominals that flexed and rippled with a shiver of delight.

The Seraphim dropped her armor on the bed, before reaching her hands up to seize her own huge breasts, taking her thick nipples between her long fingers as she squeezed on her bosom, pushing her formidable swells together and toying with them teasingly before him as she asked throatily... "Turn around, come on... let me see all of your glory, Master..."

Killer grinned, tilting his head upwards as he slowly did so, turning to face the tall, muscular female with his own huge, powerful body bare and mighty, as he made a step forwards and cracked his neck with a smirk, rolling his shoulders a bit.

Vesta released a breathless, blissful groan of delight as her eyes closed for a moment in a mix of ecstasy and astonishment, before opening wide again to marvel at his amazing physique... and at the full, revealed size of him. Even flaccid, it seemed impossibly thick, large veins pulsing over its length, the gigantic member thicker than her ankle, soft where it hung. Massive, white-furred testicles hung heavily behind his shaft, heavy with his prodigious load of potent liger seed, each enormous ballmanly and powerful, mocking all males with their potency. None could have called themselves males again after seeing this true masculine paragon, the godlike male grinning down at her teasingly, his hands resting lazily on his hips.

And his huge shaft dangled down, inches becoming feet with his size until the huge, ankle-thick head dangling below his knees.

Vesta stared at this hungrily for a long moment, before dropping to her own knees with a purr, before she suddenly shouted: "Ira, you fucking can't be serious! Come the frigging Hell here and enjoy the greatest cock of all! There's no frigging way you can say no to this!"

There was a moment of embarrassed silence as even Killer winced in surprise at that, before Ira replied from the nearby room. "No. I'm his Mentor, not his slut. Enjoy that yourself."

Her voice was a bit shaken, however... and a bit louder than normal, while still having a distinct throaty note about it, and it left Vesta pouting for a moment even as she never broke her gaze away from the limp monster.

"You fucking can't be serious, come on! Playing with yourself in the other room while you could be here playing with the real thing. I could use the fucking help with this, too!" The Seraphim shouted again, and there was a loud wince from Ira before the cobra replied bad-temperedly. "I said no...!"

Vesta rolled her eyes upwards and shook her head with a grimace of incredulity, before shrugging and grinning widely, licking at her lips lustfully.

"Fine, more for me then."

"Feeling like you've never seen the real thing all of a sudden?" Killer asked teasingly, and Vesta licked at her muzzle hungrily, one hand squeezing one huge breast almost roughly as her other one stroked down her own powerful abdominals before slipping down into her loincloth.

"Quite." She replied cheerfully, before grinning as she added: "I've seen you. I've been observing you in all those years, I've been loving and adoring you from afar... And today I talked to Alexis, too, had her telling me how talented you are, how beautiful you always make it... how powerful, how delightful... so much that she always craves more. And more. And more. I knew that for me it would not be different. But now..." She paused, eyeing him hungrily before she closed her eyes with a breathless moan of need. "Now I see the real thing. Now I see you, feel you, smell you... And nothing could have prepared me properly for the real thing. I knew I'd want it... but I hadn't dared thinking I'd feel it this much."

"The real thing hasn't even started yet." Killer replied softly, and Vesta grinned widely, before bending forwards to drop on all fours, looking up at him lovingly as she teased: "I guess I'll give you what Ira promised... and now is too scared of giving you."

"I do not fear anything!" Ira replied in outrage from the other room, but Vesta ignored her, instead gazing hungrily up to Killer, looking into his amused, lustful eyes and then tracing down his muscular, powerful body to gaze down the length of his immense cock, letting out a little whistle of awe as she grinned and murmured: "You should..."

Killer grinned, gazing hungrily down at Vesta as he stood tall before her, his huge arms crossed on his chest as the most powerful warrior of Heaven, the Queen of Seraphims, a mighty demigoddess, lay on all fours before him, her enormous, godlike breasts scratching the ground as she leaned forwards with a purr, clawing the floor with her hands as she reached forwards with her mighty, muscular arms, leaning forwards like a tigress ready to launch her attack on the prey.

"Beg your Master, bitch... or there will be no meat for you." The huge male said softly, grinning slightly as he looked down at her with domination, and Vesta purred, half-lidding her eyes and grinning herself as she slowly squeezed the undersides of her enormous breasts, cupping them lightly in either hand, offering both to his gaze as she admired his body hungrily.

"Master..." The Seraphim purred quietly, smiling as she looked at him in total submission, before she bowed her head humbly. "I'm not worth of you, Master... but if you'll be so generous to use me, to use my body for your amusement, to use me as you see fit, I'll be forever grateful. Please, Master... let me serve you. I do not deserve it... but I need it. I need it so much."

Killer's eyes burned with dominance as she implored him to take her, to use her, and he let out a low growl of arousal as he flexed, rolling one shoulder lightly and letting Vesta marvel at his powerfully-built chest, before he grinned and spread his legs a bit wider as his cock gave a hungry throb, the female's stares going from his abdominals and breast straight to his gigantic penis, Vesta all-but-slavering at the sight of the thick, enormous cock as it started to swell and harden before her, rising like a powerful, mighty deity.

"Oh, Master... so powerful and beautiful..." Vesta moaned, looking at him hungrily as she squeezed on her breasts almost roughly, panting as she stared at his cock, loving how it commanded awe and worship even when still flaccid. "I'm so utterly unworthy of your power, Master... I worship you, I think of nothing but you, I care of nothing but you... there's nothing I crave more than serving you, than showing my servitude to you by being a worshipful slave to your mighty, godlike cock. I want it... I need it... I need it so bad that I can almost taste your powerful flesh just thinking about it."

"Crawl, slut... come to your master, and show all of your dedication." Killer growled teasingly, grinning as Vesta beamed visibly, crawling forwards on all fours as she purred a delighted thank you, before she reached his feet and bowed worshipfully, kissing his bare paws lovingly and quietly reaching forwards with her hands to stroke the powerful muscles of his thighs, touching him with such reverence that it almost felt like she was afraid to pass through him.

"I'm real, I'm no illusion." Killer observed teasingly, reaching down with a hand to twirl his thick fingers in her long golden hair, seizing Vesta's head firmly before he said softly: "Don't hold back, Vesta... give it to me."

She shivered a bit, moaning lustfully as she easily perceived the crushing force of his order, even in his soft, almost sweet voice. Never had words carried such power in her memory... he did not need to shout. The dangerous power he possessed made every word feel like divine law.

"Yes, Master... as my master wishes." Vesta said with a loving grin, the huge male looking down at her with a slow lick of his muzzle as he rested a hand lazily against his hip, his muscular chest bare for her to trace her eyes slowly over. She murred lightly, then leaned up, nuzzling gently into his firm abdominals before kissing slowly down them, as her hands stroked and massaged up along his thighs, making his potent muscles flex and relax as her skilled, soft touches sent little, warm shivers of pleasure across his body, making his enormous shaft twitch and throb eagerly as it began to harden, the liger lightly playing his fingers into her long hair, murring quietly as he grasped her head gently.

She did not miss the dominance of the gesture, even if his hold was loving and gentle, but it only made her smile with a purr of delight before she looked up at him sheepishly, and asked quietly: "May I, Master...? Please...?"

She almost prayed him... And Killer grinned, nodding a bit and tilting his head backwards with a hot breath as she grasped the base of his long cock gently, licking her muzzle hungrily as the liger gave a murr of pleasure from above. She stroked it slowly, teasingly urging him towards erection as she leaned down and kissed the head of his huge member, her tongue sloppily dragging across the huge, sensitive head and the male releasing another low murr as the Seraphim slowly dragged her tongue up the long, thick shaft, as the enormous nearly fifty-inch penis of the muscular male continued to engorge and grow towards its full length.

"Yes..." Vesta hissed blissfully, kissing his immense shaft hungrily and looking up at him in adoration. "THIS is a Cock... unrivalled and without equals. Cock. Such a strong-feeling word... wasted so often on pencil-dicks unworthy of sharing your same air." The Seraphim grinned, licking her lips hungrily before dragging her tongue sloppily along his thick shaft, tracing the bulge of a large vein with a tongue that was surprisingly long and skilled enough to tease him into almost double-taking as he let out a delighted grunt of surprise.

Vesta grinned at this, looking up at him teasingly even as she turned her long lick in a loving kiss near the base of his shaft, her hands seizing the monstrous cock from both sides, long fingers wrapping around most of it... and yet, failing miserably at meeting, even if he still was far from fully erect. She stroked his member teasingly, urging him on, before she grinned widely and asked imploringly: "May I have the honor of feeling it harden up to full power... down my throat?"

"That's where I want my cock, bitch. Get moving." Killer replied firmly, squeezing on her skull firmly with a hand as he murred in pleasure, watching in delight as she squatted low between his legs, tilting her head backwards and arching her back to make herself small to kneel under his gigantic shaft, looking upwards to it as she opened her jaws as wide as she could, inhaling a mouthful of his powerful scent hungrily.

She guided his still mostly-flaccid penis to her mouth, and Killer let out a hot breath as he felt the huge, rounded head of his shaft push into her mouth as she stretched her jaws painfully wide, her long tongue stretching out to form a welcoming cradle for the giant penis as she guided him into her maw, her two hands still stroking back and forth along the great length.

It was delightful, a wonderful feeling making Killer grin, as inch-after-inch of his barely-hard, but already-immense length sank into her throat as she slowly squatted upwards, the huge liger's eyes rolling up in his head in pleasure as he struggled valiantly against the ecstasy not to get too hard, too fast... yet feeling his enormous cock growing steadily harder and bigger, shoving against her insides.

"Fuck..." Killer groaned, grinning in delight, as her hands slid slowly up along his shaft until they gripped firmly into the thick base of his shaft, the Seraphim gurgling about around the huge obsidian shaft even as she pushed forwards valiantly, her eyes shut blissfully in a mix of ecstasy and deep concentration and her jaws stretched insanely wide, Killer's strong hands squeezing a bit harder onto her skull as he growled in delight, spreading his potent legs wider to let his enormous, heavy testicles free to hung imposingly before her as her tight throat stretched wide around his cock even as he struggled to restrain his prodigious growth, fearing to hurt her... And grinning widely as he wondered about which amazing depths his cock had already drilled into her as his pleasure grew rapidly, along with his powerful erection.

He soon felt his cock literally pushing into her stomach, spearing her deep as the Seraphim coughed and chocked noisily, her hands sliding out to seize at his hips firmly as her eyes snapped open to gaze up at him in amazement... But she did not relent, closing her eyes again and seeming to grin a bit to herself as she pushed upwards firmly again with her strong, toned legs, until her nose brushed into the luscious fur of his happy highway, tickling her muzzle and making her breath hungrily of his potent scent as she pushed forwards a bit further, grinding into his powerful abdominals as his enormous testicles bumped into her chin as she somehow managed to sink all of him down her throat... Something that even for Alexis was quite a feat.

"You are an amazing piece of cocksucker, huh, aren't you...?" Killer teased hungrily, gazing down at her lustfully: he could feel his shaft hard, engorged and almost fully-erect, could see her neck bulging around his enormous cock, he could feel the walls of her throat and even of her stomach stretched wide and squeezing on his hard flesh.

Her eyes opened, and despite the twin tears that leaked down her cheeks, he could see the delight in her eyes, and even a strange pride, even as she all-but-suffocated around his huge girth, her throat muscles rolling and squeezing at the thick flesh stretching them insanely wide. She looked up at him blissfully, and almost seemed to challenge him as her stretched lips tentatively crested in a grin... and the liger smirked back with a low growl, seizing her head with both of his big hands as he squeezed firmly into her skull and pulled her forwards as he shoved his massive shaft down into her, feeling himself grinding against the walls of her stomach as she chocked and gagged noisily, drool and spittle leaking from her lips, all around his enormous girth.

Vesta's eyes bulged before she gave a muffled groan around his cock, and then she suddenly pulled back, sliding herself quickly down his shaft as he let go of her head, and she jerked back at the last moment, a thick spray of saliva splattering up into the air as she coughed hard and his cock tore free from her maw, shiny with drool and pulling out of her depths a thick, messy web of ropes of spittle and pre which severed in splatters and thick drops as his cock lashed up to stand tall at full erection, slapping into his thick, muscular chest with a loud thud as he tilted his head out of the way with a slight, amused grin, his colossal shaft waggling back and forth a bit in the air, throwing spit and drool all around.

He gazed down at her as she gagged for a moment, coughing hard... But she immediately looked up at him with a wide smile, a few stubborn ropes of drool still connecting her muzzle to the tip of his now-shiny cock, before she licked her lips hungrily, cutting those links and squeezing her huge breasts lustfully together, spreading drool and pre all over her prodigious swells to make them gleam in the soft light.

She licked her lips with a murr, tasting him in her mouth still as she took in the sight of his full potential, his cock throbbing with power at his full 97 inches glory. "Gods... even I can't really deal with this woman-breaker in this position." Vesta said quietly, smiling lovingly up to him before bending forwards a bit to drag her tongue slowly along the great length of his shaft, darting her tongue back and forth in skilled, teasing licks, which she often ended with loving kisses as she slowly pushed up along the towering cock.

One of her hands reached forwards to fumble at his heavy testicles gently, the Seraphim cupping a huge ball in her palm, grunting hungrily at the amazing feeling of the weight of it straining at her muscular arm, before she squeezed on the huge orb, making him groan lustfully and grin as she rolled the immense seed-tank in her hand and pushed her other one up along his strong abdominals, rubbing at them gently.

Soon, as she progressively straightened to give her worshipful licks higher up along his mighty shaft, her enormous, firm breasts pushed into the underside of his colossal member, making Killer grunt in bliss as his eyes closed, a hot breath escaping his grinning mouth as his head dropped backwards.

Slowly, she pushed herself up higher, letting her glorious, firm swells push into the sides of his towering penis, enormous breasts stroking and squeezing into the sides of his great length as she started a slow, rhythmic bouncing, massaging the huge cock with her great bosom, as she got up from her knees and got into a squat, so she could move easily up and down, to let her breasts caress along the entire shaft.

Killer could only let out a sigh of deep, blissful ecstasy at this, dropping his head forwards so that he could grin down at her as he reached his hands up to cup her wonderful breasts from the sides, her hard, obsidian nipples squeezed between his fingers as he support the great swells, rolling them gently and squeezing them lightly against either side of his huge member, so that one of her hands could continue to worshipfully fondle his large, heavy testicles as her other moved lovingly over his powerful abdominals.

"Master... Alexis's told me what kind of shower I must expect at the end of this... And master, I'm so eager to see and feel it by myself, and see how much you will blast all over me, how strong you will fire your load... Show me all you can do, Killer... drench me in your seed... I need it. I need to really be your slave."

Killer grinned at this, feeling his lust and bliss grow rapidly across his body at the feeling of her talented, loving moves, and her words all but added to his delight, even as he replied easily: "To get that, you'll have to do better than this. You'll have to suck me... you'll have to deepthroat my cock, and show me that you are worth it."

"As you wish, Master." Vesta replied easily, grinning as she slowly pushed up, straightening gradually and dragging her huge breasts along his immense cock teasingly as she licked her way up his shaft until she was standing, his enormous member at the same level of her mouth now as she lovingly kissed the head of the gigantic penis, her tongue lapping at his sensitive flange hungrily, making him grunt blissfully before she drew back and looked around herself thoughtfully, until she beamed cheerfully and walked to the end of Ira's bed, sitting down in it and then laying down on her back, head hanging past the edge of it, her legs pulled vertically up against the wall, crossed primly, bare for him to admire, even as her sapphire eyes continued to admire his powerful body even while her view of him was upside-down.

"This position will work better... You just shove that monster inside me and fuck me as you please. Give it to me, Master..."

Killer grinned at this, licking his lips hungrily as he squeezed the base of his huge shaft with a hand, walking towards Vesta and loving the wonderful sight of her mighty, beautiful body, once more struck by how much Alexis-like her teasing, challenging gaze was as her eyes burned with sapphire flames, urging him on.

"Here it comes, Vesta... you better brace yourself."

"Don't worry for me. Use me... I'll be ready." Vesta replied easily, her long tongue sliding out to slowly lick over her muzzle, hungrily and needingly as she let out a lustful grunt before she flexed her powerful body, arching her back as her huge muscles bulged and she took a deep breath, gathering herself before dropping her head back and opening her jaws painfully wide, her strong arms going out along the edge of the bed and seizing into the wooden structure hard enough to make it creak as her biceps bulged in their full power.

She looked up at him adoringly, panting a bit before she let out a deep sigh of pure ecstasy as Killer guided his immense member forwards to push the gigantic head into her maw.

Now fully steel-hard, it stretched her jaws even wider, making them creak loudly, but Vesta did not panic, obviously knowing well what she was doing as she let out a blissful moan, even as his gigantic obsidian cock blotted out her view of pretty much anything else, her world reduced to his enormous malehood and godlike, heavy testicles.

Killer murred in delight, feeling her breath tickling at his sensitive head as she breathed quietly around his huge shaft, and his eyes rolled up in his head with a growl of pleasure as her surprisingly-long tongue pushed gently against the head of his member, dragging down his flesh to tease at the flange of his cock before drawing down the endless shaft, the female cradling hungrily his immense girth on her tongue, urging him on as he slowly thrust forwards, her jaws stretching wider still and her eyes shutting blissfully with a grunt as she took the whole colossal head into her muzzle.

He bent forwards a bit, overshadowing her beautiful body as he seized her by the hips, grinning as he pushed deeper, tempted to just shove hard into her and rape her wondrous-feeling insides forcing his hugeness all the way in... But he drew it out instead, loving the feeling of a tangible, almost electric bliss rolling up and down his spine as his enormous cock invaded her throat and he felt his massive member stretching it wide... He looked down at her, and he could see her neck bulging and expanding, taking on the shape of his colossal shaft, but Vesta only grinned still, not giving any gagging sound, but only trembling slightly with a blissful thrill of lust as he shoved forwards a bit harder, giving a light, easy thrust with a quiet growl at the wonderful feeling of her hot, wet throat muscles surrounding and squeezing his shaft from all sides, her breath whistling quietly out of her nostrils now as he felt her muscles flexing and contracting against him, felt her heartbeat, her life and blood pulsing up the veins in her neck.

"Oh, but you are a pro, aren't you...?" Killer teased, grinning widely as he licked at his muzzle hungrily, now shoving forwards harder with his hips, feeling himself spearing deep into her body, growling in delight as he felt her insides stretching wide to accommodate him in, his cock wrapped in a tight embrace of living, flexing muscle, feeling his pleasure skyrocketing, growing in all of his body as his powerful muscles flexed and bulged with animal delight.

She twitched under his huge form as he shoved deep into her, but she only gave a muffled murr of pleasure, eyes shut and face teasingly blissful even as her claws torn the mattress apart and she squeezed into the bed, her strength cracking the hard wood.

Killer leaned over her as he thrust powerfully now, spearing deep into her, and then he grunted in delight-surprise as his thick abdominals smashed against Vesta's lips, his testicles slamming into her face like heavy, huge wrecking balls, making her arch her strong body a bit as she let out a blissful groan muffled by his flesh, even as she immediately sucked on the immense member, jaws sealing tightly around it as she milked him eagerly, Killer's eyes snapping wide open in surprise as a grunt escaped his lips, feeling her long tongue rolling against the base of his huge shaft, letting him feel all of her talent as he felt the temperature in his body literally grow as the ocean of seed in his testicles boiled, thrills of bliss running along his spine as his cock, buried somewhere insanely deep inside her, burned with a feeling of deep pleasure, teased all along its prodigious length by flexing muscle.

He grinned, licking his lips with animal lust as he brought one hand up and pushed it over her powerful stomach, electing a murr from her as he stroked his palm over her strong muscle, fingers tracing down the profile of mighty abdominals before he slowly pushed her loincloth up and out of the way, gaining another muffled sound of pleasure from her even before he massaged the lips of her exposed sex, fingers rolling between her labia and finding easily the reward of warm, welcoming juices as her legs bucked gently.

He shoved firmly into her throat, and Vesta rocked her body gamely to meet his thrust, murring as his enormous his testicles struck against her closed eyes again, filling her with his strong male scent.

"Now is where you really get tested, Queen." Killer growled teasingly, drawing back his powerful hips to draw almost two feet of steel-hard cock out of her muzzle, ropes and splatters of drool and pre coming out of her lips and hanging from her muzzle and shaft, splattering down to the floor before he shoved back in to the hilt, beginning immediately to pick up a strong, fast pace, curious to see how well she'd deal with him... And knowing that she had an advantage: Immortal beings like her did not need to breathe, so she would not suffocate, even if he selfishly fucked her face and airways to increase his already amazing sexual bliss.

He massaged and teased her blossoming vagina with one hand even as he shoved deep into her maw over and over, his testicles beating a tattoo against her muzzle. Vesta worked back against him, as eager as he was, her huge breasts bouncing on her chest with the force of his shoves and her answering bucks, her hard nipples scratching against his abdominals as her back arched in bliss and he leaned over her, drinking of the amazing sight of her muscular body flexing as she held onto her the table, long and seductive legs bucking and spasming as she eagerly spread them wide to welcome his touch, muffled moans coming from around his huge member.

The two worked powerfully together, Killer feeling a deep pleasure roll through his body and quickly building in him, as he began to work even harder in and out of Vesta's mouth, his masculine body bulging with power as he growled hungrily, feeling his pleasure growing fast and nearing the edge. His enormous obsidian member pistoned deep into the Seraphim's body again and again and his hand massaged over her sensitive crotch teasingly, as his fingers spread the female's sex open wide, revealing the sweet folds of her passage, gleaming with her wet, hot desire as he pushed one finger teasingly into her, rolling it slowly within her as his thumb flicked her clitoris almost playfully, experience guiding the huge male's movements to increase her bliss to nearly unbearable levels.

Vesta's musculature flexed lustfully, her back arching as she let out a loud, muffled sound of pleasure, the walls of her throat vibrating and squeezing against the thick, steel-hard shaft of the huge male liger, only increasing the sexual ecstasy for them both as she moved powerfully against him, her bucks and moves coming in perfect timing with his powerful thrusts as she sucked and slurped noisily on the immense cock, drool streaking from her lips as her insides squelched with wet, messy sounds as he ravaged her insides with ever-growing power and speed.

And finally, Killer growled hungrily as he felt himself reaching the point of no return, his obsidian shaft hardening even further, to the consistence of tempered steel as it bulged even thicker against her insides, throbbing powerfully. His back arched as he straightened and flexed, pulling his hand free from Vesta's soaked sex and leaving a short trail of her own juices up her strong abdominals before he seized her glorious breasts in his hands, rolling them together almost as he flexed powerfully, hammering forwards to the hilt into Vesta's maw again and again and again, as her hands clenched at the bed's structure hard enough to loudly crack it as she braced against the force of the male's strikes. Loud chocking noise came from her as his rhythm became ferocious, his massive testicles smashing against her with brutal power before he released a mighty roar of pleasure that shook the building as he blasted his load deep inside her.

Vesta's eyes bulged as she felt his mighty eruption into her stomach, a huge blast of seed bursting forth with such power that she felt herself shoved away from him even as she sucked on his huge member hungrily, flexing her body with a murr of delirious ecstasy at the feeling of his potent semen bloating her stomach painfully as his thick juices filled her up quickly, the first blast alone cramming her stomach so much that she felt her belly bulge even as great bursts and rivers of hot seed came all the way up to her mouth, bursting free of her muzzle and spraying even out of her nostrils as more and more kept flooding her. Again and again and again he shoved in and out of her face with brutal power, huge muscles bulging, gigantic shaft blasting tremendous load after load of potent liger seed as Vesta bucked violently beneath him, her legs kicking at the air and spasming as her hips rocked again and again, a chocking, muffled cry of shock coming from her as she was almost drowned with how much he shot from his heavy cock, thrills running through her body as he pounded into her again and again, and released huge gout after huge gout of his semen straight down her throat.

Pleasure made Killer's body flex with power as he grinned with animal lust as his seed blasted into her jaws over and over, his colossal testicles seeming to throb and recoil from every great shot, feeling on fire with delight as they smashed into her face over and over again, his cock filled with bliss, feeling so well and squeezed so tightly all around that it was almost tormenting as volley after volley of his load erupted into her. Vesta was chocking on the ocean of semen invading her, seed splashing out of her muzzle even as his immense cock crammed her jaws, torrents of the white stuff bursting out from around his flesh to leak down her cheeks and into her eyes, down her forehead, splattering and squirting over his thighs and crotch and leaking in cascades down to the floor, as she fought to swallow as much of it as she could.

Killer laughed almost ferociously as he felt her squirm beneath him, suddenly jerking backwards out of her as he drew his cock back, seed still blasting out to easily fill the space left as he drew his immense shaft out of her mouth, letting her cough up a waterfall of seed that gushed out onto her own face and cascaded onto the floor, before she groaned in surprise as Killer slapped his steel-hard shaft down onto her face with enough force to bruise her cheek, a blast of seed shooting forth and drawing a thick white river over her breasts, down her abdominals, over her crotch and thighs, before it splattered against the wall with a loud splash, slamming into it with such force that Vesta expected the wall to crack.

The huge male drew back further and grinned widely, grasping his enormous cock with both of his hands to stroke the ninety-seven mighty inches of obsidian shaft, humongous testicles throbbing between his legs as they surged blast after huge blast up through the cannon of a cock as he erupted thick ropes of semen all over her face, over her breasts, over her body, grinning as it splattered with the violence of punches into her musculature and into the wall in front of them, drops and splatters ricocheting back all over them, and all she could do was bathe in it, moaning as her head twisted back and forth under the endless flow and the male only growled like a feral beast above her.

It ended only countless minutes later, Vesta laying sprawled in a huge lake of his seed, moaning weakly as a thick river still dribbled out of her mouth and more leaked out of even her nostrils, Killer laughing quietly as he slapped his still fully-hard cock against her saturated breasts, making a loud splashing splat with each powerful, heavy blow, before he straightened and backstepped, standing tall before her, one hand leisurely stroking at his ready-for-more gigantic shaft as he grinned teasingly down at her.

"Owned." He announced softly, smirking a bit, and Vesta gaped at him for a moment more before turning to lay on her stomach, gulping noisily down more of his enormous load before she said lustfully: "Totally! And forever."

She eagerly scoped up handful of thick, hot seed from her features, shoving it to her mouth to swallow it all greedily, one hand squeezing a huge, saturated breast tightly... and she grinned, looking at herself, entirely drenched in his seed, and then to the wall, painted white with his huge load, and to the mess on the floor, and the soaked bed... "Holy fucking fuck, you pump out so fucking much."

"That is my fucking bedroom!" Ira's angry voice came from the other room, and Vesta winced as even Killer made a bit of a face. "I don't dare thinking what it must be like right now... But you'll frigging better clean it all up!"

"Just... don't come watching in." Vesta replied stupidly, grinning cheerfully. "You... wouldn't like the new look of your room."

Killer grinned widely down at the Queen of Seraphims, before walking towards her and smirking as she looked up at him in submission, arching her back and pushing her head towards his palm with a purr with he seized her by the skull... and she moaned hotly when he shoved her face into the thick lake of his seed that covered the soaked sheets. "Roll around in that puddle, you bitch... Wash your face in my seed, rub your slutty face in my cum, whore. Because now you are mine... and you'll better remind who is in charge."

"Yes, Master..." Vesta whispered, and she clutched into the sheets, huge breasts pressed down into his seed and face rubbing slowly into his potent cum as he ground her face slowly into the puddle, stroking his powerful, seed-stained cock with his other hand, his body flexing with power, ready for more.

"Vesta, where the Hell are you hidi-" A well known voice asked, before abruptly falling silent even as a small circular shape of white light appeared in midair, Killer looking at this stupidly as Vesta quickly rubbed her face into her forearm before looking to the side as Gabriel gaped - and even if his face was invisible, there was no doubt this time around - from the small, shiny cloud-portal.

"You can be so untimely." The Seraphim grumbled, waving a hand airily to the Arkangels' head visible in the portal. "I heard you, I'm not deaf. I'll reach you later."

"You must reach us now." Gabriel finally replied. "The Council is adamant, they want you to be present."

Vesta huffed, rolling her eyes bad-temperedly, before she grumbled: "Fine, I'm coming. Keep them the hell busy or something. And tell them they are all annoying dumbasses." She paused, then winced and frowned a bit. "Ok, skip the last part, it is better."

"Vesta... Lord Killer..." Gabriel said kindly, bowing his head a bit to the huge, naked male which was staring with wide eyes at the small cloud, his gigantic member still hard and domineering, and then the mini-portal closed.

"So... huh... He could see us, right...?" Killer asked stupidly, and Vesta nodded with a grin.

"Yeah, he saw how much of a male you are." She replied easily, getting up to sit on the bed before she looked at him lovingly. "You know that us Seraphims and Arkangels share a super-mind made up by all our brains, constantly connected to each other and to God's own mind, right...? Well, it has its disadvantages. Gabriel has been calling on me all the time, even while you fucked my insides and tried to make them my outsides."

Killer grinned stupidly at this, rubbing a hand in his mane awkwardly and looking amused when she added: "I ignored him, which was easy with you making my body cream cheerfully... but he just couldn't wait."

She snorted, and Killer nodded before blinking and asking: "So you see each other's thoughts all the time...? You see God's own thoughts...?"

"Not all thoughts, normally. Only the ones which are important and need to be shared. In particular, our brains could never deal with the full amount of thoughts of God, his worries and wisdom... The stupidity of God is much wiser than our wisdom. He would fray our brains with all his thoughts in... like... one second." Vesta explained easily, before she wrapped her arms around his neck lovingly, her body splattered with his seed but Killer not minding even as she ground against him and cuddled up close, smelling his own load and his own virility on her, then tasting his own mighty taste as they kissed slowly and passionately, his body smeared now with his own semen as well, before she drew back and smiled at him adoringly, and he smiled back.

"Thank you, Vesta... it has been amazing."

"It has been UNIQUE for me. Thank you, Master." She replied cheerfully, before kissing his immense shaft lovingly. "Hell, how dare all those wimps out there call themselves males when you exist...?" She observed with a grin, and the seriousness of her voice made Killer smirk with a snort-laughter.

"Anyway, you know what...? The Council can go and take it up the arse. I'm now yours, Master... you still are hard and ready, I'm still alive, and there's two more holes of me you can destroy. Let them call... if you tell me to stay, I stay." Vesta said softly, looking at him fawningly... But Killer shook his head slowly, replying wisely: "We all have responsibilities, Vesta... I should be training, and you are important for Heaven. You should go and attend the Council, they need you."

"Yeah, they need me to ignore my suggestions and still take stupid decisions after they are done with their endless, boring paperwork. Dumbasses." Vesta replied firmly, but she nodded when Killer looked at her flatly.

"Ok, Master, ok. We are all going to follow our calls of duty." She sighed finally, smiling gently up at him. "I love you, Killer."

"I love you too, Vesta." Killer replied affectively, giving her glorious breast a friendly squeeze which made her grin... Before he added: "But before you leave, I have a few more tasks for you. I want to write a reply to Alexis, and you will hand her the letter as soon as you can. And while I write, you clean this room up, or Ira will rip us both into ribbons."

"Roger!" Vesta replied cheerfully, jumping up to her feet and casting a quick spell which cleaned most of the wall over the bed, making a huge splatter of thick seed vanish, before Killer coughed. "Huh... Vesta?"

"Yeah...?"

Killer grinned, and held out his hand, spreading his palm before her to show her how his cum had drenched his whole hand as well. The Seraphim grinned, and he did not need to tell her to not use magic, since she happily went down to her knees and lapped his palm and thick fingers clean with her long, skilled tongue.

Killer took his time writing a letter of answer to his beloved Alexis. He told her of his own adventures in Heaven, and in particular of the "incident" with the Metatrons, reassuring her that she was not alone in struggling to contain her darkness, and he had even thanked her for sending Vesta along... and described in detail what Vesta had so well done for him.

As always when he wrote, though, he discovered that words felt empty and weak so damn often, when trying to say how much he loved her, and how much he already missed her. Everything he said, still felt so damn inadequate... and the only comfort came from knowing that she wouldn't have minded his shortcomings, but appreciated the effort. And also, admittedly, by how clear Alexis had been in her own letter at explaining how much of a struggle for words it had been for her as well.

Finally, he had rolled up the paper around a long bang of his mane that he had cut for her, and Vesta had taken the letter and hidden it once more down her bosom, between her enormous breasts.

She had quickly cleaned the room up, even if it had required a quite surprising number of cleansing spells to remove all of his seed from... pretty much everywhere. She cleaned hers and his body as well... But she had absolutely refused to use a cleansing spell over his seed-drenched shaft, still hard and powerful: as he sat on the bed, legs spread wide and body leaning down on a side onto the mattress so that he could write his letter, she had kneeled between his thighs and fondled at his huge testicles gratefully while teasing and stroking and licking clean his monstrous shaft. Also, as she claimed, to "keep you inspired as you write".

It had actually made it all the harder for Killer to finally get a hold of himself and get flaccid again so he could climb back into his boxers and jeans, grumbling a bit about how much of a challenge it was to fit his enormous malehood inside, but he had admittedly enjoyed it far too much.

Then, they had finally emerged back into the main room to find a flushed-looking Ira sitting in her armchair, the black Cobra scrambling to get a hand out of her chest armor with a cough as she picked up an enormous book that had been sprawled on the floor nearby, hiding behind the huge tome.

"Vain attempt. We know you must have been playing all the time." Vesta observed cheerfully, but the cobra did not answer, only grunting hostilely from behind the book.

Killer and Vesta then had kissed, roughly and passionately, Vesta clinging to him so tightly to almost creak his ribs with her huge, muscular arms as their tongues wrestled and battled and maneuvered into their mouths for long moments... and when they had finally broken their kiss, the Queen of Seraphims had grinned, licked her lips hungrily, and kissed him again with a greedy growl.

It was another long minute before they parted, and Vesta finally left, closing the wooden door behind her with a last grin and a cheerful wave, and then there was a long moment of silence as Killer stared silently at Ira, the muscular female stoically reading her thick, ancient book even as her cheeks still burned red.

The huge male rubbed a hand slowly into his mane, uncertain about what to do, or say... before he smiled a bit as he said: "You know, now that we are alone... if you want, I can give you... whatever you want. Maybe the presence of Vesta made it awkward for you or something."

Ira half-hid behind her book for a moment, before gazing sharply at him over the edge of the huge tome in her hands, her voice strong and almost harsh even as the red shade that her cheeks had assumed didn't fade away at all. "Why the hell do you give it as assured that I do crave nothing else in my life than get on my knees and suck you off...? The fact that every slut of Heaven wants does not mean we all have to be bitches for you, oh-so-mighty alpha male."

"Well..." Killer replied awkwardly, before shrugging with a bit of a sigh. Why...? Well, I've years of experience, to say the least. I live with Alexis, besides... And anyway your cheeks burn so bright a crimson that I'd see it even if I was blind. But I guess I can't say that out loud. I feel it... just as I feel that you aren't what you seem. "Forget that, then. You will ask me when you'll feel up to it." He replied gently, before grinning teasingly as he added: "You are the one losing out on it, anyway. I could snap my fingers and have all the females in a two thousand miles range run here to have a piece of me, you know."

"Yeah, true." Ira replied agreeably, nodding a bit before she gave him her own sharkish grin of teasing. "But I do know well that you'll always feel stung until you don't get me as well. You are the kind of cock who can't stand to fail even a single chick."

Killer blinked in surprise at this, and then he frowned at her and crossed his huge arms on his chest. "You bitch!"

"Yeah, yeah." Ira replied airily, before standing up from her armchair, and heading towards him with amusement in her eyes as she held the gigantic, dusty tome with a hand. "From tomorrow, you'll be working at the construction of the east wing of the fortress, as part of the training. You'll also get a piece of yard where to build a house for yourself. For now, you will be staying here with me... You'll have to do with the couch, however."

"Oh, well. I'm kinda sure it will be the last of my problems." Killer replied mildly, and Ira nodded with a little smile, before pointing out: "Indeed, sleeping is not on your schedule for now. Here in Heaven, people does not need to regularly sleep... Us Immortals normally only sleep when we've truly strained ourselves, and need to recover. It is valid for Angels, Demons, Gods and everything... and it will be valid for you, too. So, a place for sleeping should not be high on your list of worries."

"Sure." Killer commented with a grimace, before observing: "I'd so like someone to explain me once and for all where I do fit, though. I'm a Mortal, a Demon, an Angel, A Godling, a God, or what...? Seriously. I don't even know that anymore."

Ira paused at this, looking somehow touched by his bitterness and depression, but she only smiled affectively at him before shaking her head slowly. "I'd tell you if I could. But... we will have to determine it with time, training and tests. Because you are so many things at once, and there is such power inside of you, that we honestly don't know what the answer is."

Killer sighed tiredly at this, walking to the side to approach the couch, and sitting down on it with a grunt, before looking up at Ira with a bit of a smile. "I believe what you say. It is not your fault, and I shouldn't be grouchy around you... but... really. It is growing tiring for me to have so many questions crowding my mind up, and no answers at all."

Ira smiled supportively down at him, and he smiled back at her gratefully, looking as she pushed the armchair close to the couch and sat down into it, primly crossing her long, seductive legs in a move that, fatally, made him think of Alexis. Ira, however, had a fascination of her own... and not just because of her muscular, beautiful body, either. She was mysterious, hard to decipher for now... But even when she acted hostile and tough, Killer was already learning that she was a friend. One that he felt he could trust.

"I understand you, Lord Killer. It is not easy... But if it was easy, you wouldn't be Amon-Ra. An Amon-Ra wouldn't even be needed. If it was easy, anyone could fix things up." The Seraphim observed gently, and she smiled before adding: "Instead, they are complex like hell, out of everyone's league... And you are the only one who can tackle them."

"Big power, big responsibilities, right...?" Killer asked quietly, his lips crested in a slight smile, and the Seraphim nodded wisely, before looking at him fondly as she grinned a bit and said: "But holy fuck. You did not tell me you had smashed Michael's face into pulp!"

Killer blinked at this, wincing a bit in surprise before he asked dumbly: "Should I have...?"

Ira laughed, nodding with a wide grin as she crossed her muscular arms on her legs and leaned forwards with amusement in her eyes. "Yes, you should have told me. Because Michael getting his ass kicked around the place is the kind of news that makes my day better."

Killer paused, then grinned back amusedly as he gave a little nod and gazed at her in entertainment. "He's an ass to you, too, huh...?"

"He is a douchebag. That's his nature." Ira snorted, before smiling widely. "Of course he had to be an ass to you to prove that he's got the biggest dick, that he's the best of Heaven and all that bullshit. That's how mighty Michael is built... An arrogant, elitist bastard."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one with the biggest dick, anyway." Killer observed with a cough, holding up a finger, and Ira grinned even as she rolled her eyes upwards, before they shared a laughter.

"We now have a common enemy, Lord Killer... A powerful one. Michael is a lead figure in Heaven's Council, and unfortunately, you'll find out that most of Heaven's Council is made up by people exactly like him. Dumbasses that live of their belief of being the best of the universe. Because they are wonderful, righteous shiny angels!" Ira huffed, and then made a grimace as she added: "The Council rules Heaven, and takes care of our relationships with Hell... and that's probably a good part of the reason why Hell hates us, sincerely. Knowing that people like Michael sit in the Council make me feel that they must be the most arrogant, patronizing and annoying organization EVER."

Killer nodded, then smiled a bit as he replied: "Isn't it funny how alike things are, all over the universe...? Even here in Heaven, I see, giving some power to people will drive them into "I'm the best!" mode. The council sounds exactly like governments on the Mortal Plane. Corrupt and arrogant. Hidden behind their papers and documents, miserable maggots enjoy the control they have over their nations... and end up believing they have the Power. That they ARE the power."

"Ironical, more than funny." Ira replied, before adding: "There's nothing funny at all about it, after all." She paused, then grinned at him and bent forwards to kiss his cheek chastely. "Thank you for giving the bastard a lesson. Had I known it would happen, I would have come to the arena, definitely. It must have been awesome."

"Does that mean you are going to give me the head you've promised, then...?" Killer asked mildly, and Ira looked at him flatly for a long moment, until he held up his hands and said: "Ok, not yet. You know you want to, anyway."

"Well, fuck you too." Ira huffed, before she paused, then handed him the enormous book that she had kept in her lap, and Killer took this with both curiosity and a horrible feeling in his guts... that was confirmed as Ira announced: "Time for your training to begin for real, anyway. Since today you have... like... slain an army of demons, kicked an Arkangel's ass, brawled with forty Metatrons, climbed the Monolith and fucked Vesta's stomach, I guess we will postpone physical work until tomorrow morning."

"Oh, thank you. How generous!" Killer replied mildly, giving her a bit of a glare that she pointedly ignored, looking at him as he leaned back into the couch and opened the gigantic book to read the first page.

"Compendium of Basic Magic." Ira announced even before he could read the title, and she nodded. "I think that's what you need to start with. One of the very first practical things you'll need to learn is how to Portal around... very simple, very basic spell. And once you learn it, you'll be able to portal easily to any area of Heaven you've previously visited."

"Good. Will I get leaves every now and then to... wonder around...?" Killer asked hopefully, and Ira nodded, before snorting: "I bet you'll soon become an expert of all the night clubs of Heaven, knowing you."

"Well, it is probable." The huge male replied agreeably. "But by the look of things, I will not need to search night clubs or anything. I will be searched."

Ira glared at him a bit, but he smiled heavenly back, playing idly with the golden bullet at his neck and folding a muscular arm under his head as he gazed at her in entertainment as she failed to find a way to deny it, or even just a good comeback... Before she snorted and huffed sarcastically: "If you have a defect, is that you are too humble."

Killer shrugged with a bit of a grin, however... before he asked curiously: "Why was I assigned to the Seraphims, and not to the Arkangels, for training...? It sounds like the second would have been more logical."

Ira arched an eyebrow at him, then she sighed and asked: "How long was it before you ended up in a brawl against Rogue, and then with Michael...? Two minutes...? Three?"

Killer coughed embarrassedly, grinning stupidly before turning his gaze to the book to escape her look, but she added gently: "It wasn't unexpected. We know all too well that you have serious issues about your amounts of testosterone."

"You call it issue...?" Killer asked stupidly, before flexing his mighty musculature idly, arching his back a bit, and not missing the way her eyes darted over him to take in the view of his astonishing physique. "I wish I had more issues of this kind."

The Seraphim rolled her eyes upwards, but she couldn't help but smile slightly despite herself. "Point is, that put in a fortress filled with Arkangels, you would have first destroyed their self-esteem, and then probably beaten many of them into pulp as brawls inevitably started... and we have too few troops as it is. Besides, the Seraphims do love you for real, you know. Vesta has been voicing - very loudly - the case for assigning you to our Legions at all levels, from the Council to the Gods."

Killer nodded wisely, then paused for a moment before coughing and grinning stupidly as he asked: "The consequences of basing me with the Arkangels have been studied very carefully, I see... But what about... the damage... I will make while surrounded by Seraphims?"

"It has been valued as well." Ira replied with a snort. "In Heaven, pregnancy works very differently than on the Mortal Plane, Lord Killer. Even your seed is not enough, here. Pregnancy is strictly regulated: both lovers must wish for it, and they must be tied by a bond of love." The Cobra paused, then smiled amusedly as he opened his mouth again, and she immediately added: "And no, Seraphims are definitely not required to be Virgins, so that's not a problem. Only the Priestesses are virgins... and the hope was that you would respect those at least."

"I won't promise." Killer grumbled, holding a finger up. "Are those... Priestess here in the Monastery?"

"Yes. There's a dozen of them, of the order of Adrasthea... they serve in the Cathedral." Ira replied mildly, before frowning as she asked carefully: "You aren't thinking of it for real, are you...?"

"They are at close reach." He replied cheerfully, before shrugging. "It is alluring. I'm not one who resists to that kind of temptations. And in 2000 years...? You better find more virgins. I'd be surprised if they make it into next week."

"Oh, Gods." Ira groaned, before holding up a hand as she mumbled: "I did not tell you, I did not ask any question, and I simply don't know anything about it."

"Deal." Killer nodded, smiling cheerfully.

He read a few lines into the enormous book, before looking to the side with a grin as Ira bent forwards to peek curiously at the part he was reading. Her eyes widened in alarm and she grunted, preparing a fist to strike, but he was faster, one hand shooting forth to seize her fist in midair to restrain her blow, his other hand grabbing the Seraphim's neck to pull her over his chest.

Ira snarled as she was dragged off the armchair, stumbling and falling over the huge male laying on the couch, their muzzles almost touching as he grinned teasingly up at her, while using his tremendous strength to twist her arm behind her back and squeeze her against his powerful body as he held onto her throat, her eyes gazing down at him in shock, and fear as well. He arched his back a bit, pushing into her body to grind their abdominals together, powerful muscle rubbing into powerful muscle, his bulging crotch pushing against her, only fabric separating his enormous shaft from her sex...

And the contact made her eyes open wide, staring in shock down at him as she moaned out loudly, a shiver going down her spine as her legs automatically half-wrapped around his waist, hips bucking against him eagerly even as she blushed.

"You've left yourself vulnerable... Dropped the divine barrier thingy, have you? I could leap at you earlier... and I could do it again." Killer observed softly, grinning into her eyes as she struggled, her huge muscles bulging as she fought against him, but failing to break free as his own flexed with might, and he squeezed at her throat harder. "And now you are in my arms, unable to do a thing. And you know that now I could do whatever I wanted with you. Rape you, beat you... make of you my bitch, even crush you out of existence." He smiled, then let go of her neck, and kissed her throat gently, almost as if to apologize, as he let go of her hand as well, to put his hands on her hips instead, squeezing her closer to his body as their abdominals rubbed together, flexing with might as her breasts pushed into his thick, masculine chest, the female unable to repress another loud, drawn-out moan as her hand rushed for his neck... but she didn't even try going for his throat, instead half-hugging him as her hips hungrily bucked again against his crotch, and he felt a drop of hot, precious juice soaking into his pants and touching his skin when his leg slipped under her loincloth.

She let out an half-snarl, half-squeak at this, but her hips could not resist and reacted pushing down into him as she felt the raw power of his body, the strength of his movements, and she felt his hunger. Killer grinned widely, and he arched his back, seizing her around the waist and rolling over into the couch, pinning her down under his huge body as the heavy book of magic fell onto the floor. Killer gazed down at the Seraphim with a grin, stroking a finger teasingly down the piercings-and-rings-riddled edge of her cobra-hood, and his other hand moved to squeeze a huge, mighty breast, making the cobra hiss her breath out, eyes half-closing as her hips bucked hard upwards against him, the black-scaled reptile biting her lips as her crotch touched his own... before her eyes bulged and stared at him in shock as he straddled her and lifted her loincloth out of the way, revealing her bare, blossoming sex, her lips bulging outwards hungrily and welcomingly as excitement gleamed in wet pearls on her vagina and thighs. The huge male licked his lips at this, grinning down into her eyes before bringing two fingers down to rub them with torturing slowness down the slope of her blossomed lips, murring as he felt her desire soaking both of his thick digits as the cobra let out a breathless moan.

The muscular Seraphim trembled, staring at the terrible darkness she could now see beneath his icy, sapphire eyes, felt the power in his body and in his arm as he easily pinned her down by a shoulder and rubbed at her vulnerable, eager sex slowly with two fingers.

She stared at him as he brought his wet fingers to his mouth and sucked on them lightly, looking amused, before he observed: "Might be hard to rape you. Feels like you are actually dripping for it."

He stood up, the female looking confused before groaning as he bent down and kissed her crotch teasingly, tasting her precious, sweet nectar again before he respectfully pulled back her loincloth on her sex and looked down at her with a smile as she gazed at him in confusion and shock, her huge breasts heaving with her light pants.

"I won't rape you. I won't do nothing of all that. I honestly feel I couldn't have asked for a better Mentor... and I will do my part in this, to come out as a good pupil." The huge male added calmly, smiling at her as she stared at him in surprise, flushing deep red on her cheeks as her eyes gazed at him with... something that could easily be defined as adoration. "This was just to remind you who I am, Ira. Even when I act like a fool... I'm not. And you are the Mentor here, the teacher I have everything to learn from. But I'm no slave. No toy. No bitch. You'll better keep it in mind, every minute, every second, even. I'm not a paper tiger, nor am I muscles for show. Give me a reason, and I will make you my little cock-slut, Mentor and Seraphim or not."

He stood tall beside the couch, their eyes locked as she stared at him silently for a few long moments, before she smiled slightly, and sat up on the couch, before standing up and wrapping her arms around his thick frame, hugging him gently and grinding against him as his body flexed against the warmth of her beautiful body.

"I think I'm starting to see fully what gains you all the hype that surrounds you... your alone of legend." She observed quietly, smiling up at him. "You are every bit as proud as they depict you... and just every bit as strong and powerful, too. Yet, even with all your power... you know when to stop. You know what's Right, and what's Wrong. And that's why so many, in Hell just as in Heaven, both adore and fear you. We all attracted to power... and that's why so many worship you. But the ones who see past the power, and gaze at the person you are... do not just worship you, but adore you. For your nobility, over your strength. For your virtues over your power." Ira paused, looking amused even as she looked at him with a new kind of light in her eyes, before she kissed his lips softly. "Lord and Master Killer... The true lord the Legions of Seraphims bow to."

Killer smiled a bit at this, even as she gently pushed a bang of his mane out of his eyes. "Yes, I did drop the protection granted me by the Metatrons... it was both stupid and perfect. Stupid because, for all my magic and power and experience, you could have raped me, crushed me. Perfect, because it offered me a chance to see both the power that lurks inside you... and the honor that makes up your moral spine. And since you accept me as Mentor and give me this honor... I can promise you that I'll do my part to teach you all I can, all I know. And I will help you learning even the secrets that still are kept even from me."

"That's what I really need, Ira." Killer replied quietly, nodding with a smile, before the cobra looked amused and touched his lips gently with a finger, adding: "That, and friends. Even with so many worshippers, Killer, you are still a lone warrior in a world of demons, angels and Gods which currently have powers infinitely greater than yours, and countless Eons of experience in using them. And you are torn between your Honor and your Lusts. You are made of raw, unrivalled power... but you are also guided by violent Lusts, rage and wrath, a thirst for justice, and a strong pride. Much as your power is immense and your will incorruptible... your lusts and emotions are all very dangerous taken one by one, much less combined together."

"You are right on that too." Killer admitted, his arms wrapping around her waist. "Gods know that what I really do fear... is myself."

"That is both wise and stupid." Ira replied with a smile. "We all are the worst enemies of ourselves, in a way. No battle is more complex and desperate than the one to change who and what we are. But for our salvation... you will have to win your battle. And fear yourself no more." The Seraphim grinned, drawing back from him with a teasing smile as she added: "Let the others fear and tremble before you, Amon-Ra. And remember that power is nothing without control."

"That so sounds like a cheap car-selling slogan." Killer snorted amusedly, but he nodded nonetheless, knowing she was more than right, as he bent down to pick up the immense leather-bound book, opening it up on the last page to peek at the number.

"2898 pages...? You can't be serious!" Killer whined with a wince, and Ira looked at him flatly, crossing her mighty arms and tapping her fingers on her bulging, black-scaled bicep.

"I totally am." She replied firmly. "And that's just basic magic... the first book of so many. Magic is a whole universe, Lord Killer. More correctly, it is three universes. And you'll better get studying right now. But since you are so grouchy and pouty, I'll be real sweet and throw in a little sweetener."

"You do give me that blowjob, finally...?" Killer asked curiously, and she rolled her eyes upwards before rubbing her fingers on her forehead in a gesture of frustration.

"No. But I'll let you have the Question-Time you crave for... every now and then, you'll be free to ask me something, and I will answer."

"Well, guess it will do. For now." Killer replied with a sigh, sitting down into the couch and then laying down on his back, book on his chest as he began to read into it, after trading a slight smile with Ira as she sat on the armchair, close to him.

I've been studying the secrets of Magic for Eons now, and people say I'm probably the greatest connoisseur of Magic that the universe has to offer. This means so little, when the greatest awareness that I've developed in these millennia is that I'm walking on a thin line, one that separated the thirst for knowledge from the astonishing awareness that not even an Immortal existence is enough to unveil all the secrets of the universe. Besides, there are Gods that undoubtedly know even more than I do, and with so many worlds and dimensions out there, scattered in the universe, I never would claim to have such a leading and unrivalled role.

I'm sure that there are others that know as much as I do... and many that undoubtedly know even more. And I have the certainty that no one knows it all.

Vesta

"Vesta wrote this...?"Killer asked in surprise after reading the brief introduction, gaping a bit at Ira, who grinned amusedly.

"She does not look like one who writes wise and horrendously-learned books and essays, huh...? But she is the Queen of Seraphims, and she's the depositary of immense knowledge and wisdom." Ira replied amusedly, nodding a bit. "She's written countless books, that even Hell uses... Guides about magic, histories and chronicles, and even treaties about fighting, from hand-to-hand to the Seraphim's envied specialty, the two-swords technique."

Killer nodded, impressed, as he turned the page and gazed over the text with admiration. Seraphims, he had been told, were the closest guardians of God himself, and with Him they shared the greatest knowledge of the universe, covering all fields. The Seraphims were not just incredible warriors of unmatched power and grace, but also mages, and even technicians: the technology of the Seraphims made even the most advanced Mortal gear look outdated, often by far.

Magic is about using the energies of the Universe. An energy that lives into everything, even in the atoms and subatomic particles of the last of the meaningless rocks under our feet. Energy that keeps moving across eternity, never relenting in its course across time and space. Energy that makes up our Souls, that gives us life. Energy that, at the end of our existences, is broken down in the Unworld, the terrible, destructive dimension where everything is destroyed, reduced and disassociated into the most basic of energy, until it can't be broken down any further. That energy then returns to the other planes and dimensions, from Hell to Heaven, passing by the Mortal Plane, to be used as building block of atoms themselves, so that the Unworld, in the end, creates as much Life as it destroys.

This energy is the Everything we live into.

And this is why never will I agree to those that have separated Magic into fields and disciplines. Even my research has been following these Eons-old conventions, but never we should be fooled into thinking that such things such as "Fire Magic" or "Ice Magic" or even "Mortal" "Hellish" and "Heavenly" magic do exist as separate entities. They all are the same basic thing. This arbitrary separation in orders is nothing but a clumsy attempt at classifying and understanding something that can't be classified at all. Never should these classifications become obstacles to grasping the basic principle... Still, so many mages end up tricked, and incapable to go past the separations that live only into their minds, when it comes to creating new spells.

Because by no mean at all we have reached the top. We are far from having found all possible spells. We may never find a limit.

The Energy is everywhere and is part of everyone's days. But only few are aware of it. Most persons aren't, and often for their own luck and for their well-being, they will never be. It is also true that there are Areas where the concentration of energy can be higher than normal: in these areas, spells will require less effort and will generate more effect. But it never existed, and never will exist, a place bare of energy to call upon.

Mortal Magic has nearly entirely disappeared in the centuries, particularly after the Great Slaughters of the middle age, when the consistent, ever-growing usage of dark practices such as Necromancy to call upon the service of Undead creatures lead to a loathing of magic and a never-ending chase that eventually slaughtered all the mages, and so many more innocents. Mortals have forgotten their own culture of magic, to such levels that they now believe magic is nothing but fantasies. But this does not mean Magic is dead: only their spells and knowledge has been lost.

Hell's spells work thanks to the exploiting of what we call Corruption, the unique hellish essence that permeates the common Energy. This is a specialization old of Eons, that makes the mages of Hell capable of accomplishing enormous feats with relative ease when they work in Hell... but it makes them mostly unable to perform on the Mortal plane and in Heaven, unless they carry crystals with them, imbued with Corruption.

The same is true of Heaven's magic, however, which has focused on the Purity of Heaven. We scratch the surface of the Energy, the most evident and easy-to-reach component of it, accepting that we will be able to do so only in certain locations (Hell or Heaven) or in certain conditions (until our energies last, or until we have enough crystals with us). And this is the evidence of how limited we are.

_True magic art is not about studying and inventing spells working on Corruption and Purity. A true mage must be capable to use and reshape the Energy itself, as he pleases, and whenever he happens to be. It is an incredibly challenging enterprise, obviously, something that so very few are able to do, that have such gift. We are talking about one over many thousands... and anyway, the talent must be honed and cultivated with a life-long, challenging training. Magic is about two things: the Energy, and the mage's Power. The first is always there, but is hard to reach. The second is rare, and only happens to exist in sufficient amounts in very few, very lucky individuals. _

And there is one last rule. Magic is about Transformation, never Creation. It is impossible to truly create objects, and there's no way to create a true life with Magic. A corpse can be revived and puppeted with necromancy, but that is not a resurrection, not the creation of a "real" life. Creation is a godlike power, one rare even among Gods.

Magic is about manipulation and transformation of the Energy. It is the principle of the "Re-Creation": magic always implies a change in the state of things.

_"_Nothing is created, everything is transformed..." Killer observed quietly, and Ira nodded with a smile from her seat, touching his powerful arm gently.

"That's right. You mortals say it about chemistry and physics, but it is exactly the same thing for magic... which is, actually, not so different from what Mortals call science, even if so many would be horrified at hearing the two things put so close in the same phrase."

Killer smiled, snorting agreeably as he nodded quietly, before looking at her with a dumb grin and asking cheerfully: "So, question time now, right...?"

"Already...?" Ira rolled her eyes and sighed. "At this rhythm, it'll take you ages to study that book. But fine, fine... one question."

"Are you finally going to tell me what a beautiful demoness like you is doing in Heaven...?" Killer asked, grinning widely, and Ira stared at him incredulously for a long moment before her eye twitched and she turned away, crossing her muscular arms with a snort. "Stop making stupid questions. It is none of your fucking business."

Killer snorted amusedly, grinning as he looked over her with entertainment... before he went back to reading, but still teased: "It is, instead. But fine... it is not time yet. I'll know one day."