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Deus Ex Inferni II: Heaven is Overrated

Alastor sat on the dry ground, doodling stick figures and shapes with his talons. His black scales reflected the bright moonlight like a still lake, shimmering and silver. He looked up to where Vetis was sitting. She had been like that for the whole day, motionless inside a complex magical circle. Apparently opening a direct doorway to Hell from the outside required a huge amount of concentration. This meant Vetis' control was much weaker on Alastor, allowing him a rare moment of clarity. He looked down at his arm, wondering why the scales started at his elbow. Why wasn't the rest of his torso covered in scales too? He had transformed into a dragon back in the Cathedral. Why couldn't he do so now? And the metal Vetis had infused him with, the Infernium or whatever it was called, that had vanished. Or had it just fused with his internal structure? Vetis had told him that during his initial transformation, metal and stone had come from the ground and combined with him, perhaps the infernium was binding it all together? It was hard to tell, and it was getting harder to tell the longer he spent with Vetis.

He was pretty sure his submission to her was intentional and not the result of hypnosis or mind control (not that that would be a bad thing...). He sighed and stood up, brushing the dust off his tail. It was oddly exhilarating to be walking around naked in this form, although he had no idea why. He looked around the island, bathed in bluish silver moonlight. It really was rather beautiful. He had always wanted to see more of the world before the whole 'attack of the living dead' thing, although he never imagined he would be seeing it as a demonic dragon satyr...thing. He leaped into the air and soared over the ruins on the island, landing with a gentle thud, sending out a small ring of dust. He was getting better at controlling his powers. His phenomenal strength was the hardest thing to keep under control.

The telekinesis was much easier; it was a simple case of not thinking about using it until he wanted to use it...that in hindsight sounded far more complicated than in reality. Something glinted in the dust, catching his eye. He raised a hand, and a shard of mirror rose from the dust and sailed quietly towards him. He took it gently from the air and brought it up to his face, examining himself closely. His skin was much led pale than it had been. It was becoming quite tanned and bronze with all the exposure to the sun. His yellow eyes had become darker as well, turning more the colour of copper. Perhaps he was 'maturing', a side effect of this whole transformation, perhaps?

He opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. It was quite a lot longer and pointier than it had been. His teeth were definitely more fanglike too, more so than they had been at first. Not having normal fingers had taken getting used to as well. Instead of fingertips and fingernails, he had hard talons, which made making a fist a challenge. He ran a hand through his long, blood red hair, watching it fall back like water. He'd never had hair this silky before...it was quite nice. He shivered and grinned at himself in the mirror, tossing the shard aside and stretching. His back clicked with a sound like a spring snapping, and he shivered again.

Not a cold unpleasant shiver, but a shiver of pleasure. He scratched his cheek and looked around again. The island was still exactly the same as it had been five minutes ago. He hadn't had a clear mind like this for quite some time. When Vetis was around he usually swung between loyal puppy, and vicious murder rape machine. It was his own fault really; he had made the deal and submitted peacefully, and honestly, he rather enjoyed those two states. But having his own mind back was a nice change.

"Then maybe I should let you stay this way for longer?"

Alastor turned and saw Vetis leaning against a wall, arms folded.

"M-mistress! How long have yo-"

"Been spying on your thoughts? About ten minutes now."

"But...the portal?"

"This place is too damn holy. We'll need to go somewhere more...pagan."

Alastor blinked. He could already feel his mind fogging over. He sighed internally, and waited for the haze to descend fully, but it didn't. He blinked again, his mind was becoming clearer.

"Mistress?"

"I've decided to let you have possession of all your faculties. You're so much more interesting when you do. Although you are still my delicious little slave, you will still carry out my commands...not that you have a choice in the matter. Oh...and I will be making you my puppy occasionally, Have no fear of that."

Alastor realised she had heard his entire thought process up to this point. He clearly had no secrets from her. And these commands...perhaps he was hypnotised? Maybe she had implanted triggers in his mind that he would carry out when instructed to.

"Yes, none, not quite and if you want to think of them that way, then yes." Vetis said with a grin.

Alastor shivered again. It felt...good in a strange way to be completely owned like this.

"Yes...you are definitely owned. When you obey me, it'll feel good." She said. On the word 'obey' Alastor felt a tingle of pleasure run through his body, running down his spine and down his tail (a completely new sensation).

"O-of course mistress." He replied, feeling flushed.

"Good. Now that that is out of the way we need to find a place where opening a gateway to Hell is possible."

"What kind of place would we be looking for, Mistress?"

"Somewhere old. Associated with ancient magic and dark rituals. Your country is one of the best places for this. Many quiet forgotten powers reside in the land of mist and fog."

"The weather isn't that bad." Alastor muttered, then flinched when Vetis glared at him. "How about Stonehenge?" He said, still shielding his face with his arms.

"Stonehenge?"

"Yes mistress. It's one of the most well known stone circles in the world."

"Ahh! Stone circles are always good portals to other worlds. Where is it?"

"England Mistress. Salisbury Plain."

"Salisbury...By the Pit is the Circle of Baal still standing?!"

"I don't know mistress. We...humans call it Stonehenge."

"Hah! Who would have thought it would still be standing all these millennia later."

"Forgive me mistress...but isn't Baal the Grand General of Hell's armies?"

"Yes he is. It's good that time you spent in that vile church didn't go to complete waste. He constructed a portal to bring the armies of Hell into this world to do final battle with the Heavenly host. It has been used every time this world has ended."

"Mistress?"

"The world you know has been destroyed in a cataclysmic battle twice now. Every time the apocalypse occurs, the Four Horsemen ride out and observe the final battle, before resetting time, and the cycle begins anew...part of some ridiculous universal balance or something. Only Angels and Demons remember. The third race, Humanity, does not. The strange thing is, the final battle should have happened by now."

"So mistress wishes to return to Hell to find out what has happened in her absence?"

"Exactly...you're taking this revelation remarkably well you know."

"May I be honest?"

"What a stupid question. Of course you may."

"Nothing much surprises me anymore. Not since I became a half demon dragon at least."

Vetis laughed, and stoked his head.

"You are so very cute some times. I like you in this mind-set. I think you will definitely have to stay like this."

"It IS much nicer to be able to think clearly."

"Bark like a dog."

Alastor let out a loud bark, and then blinked. Vetis smiled and ran a finger down his cheek.

"Just a gentle reminder of your place."

Alastor blushed and bowed his head.

"Y-yes. Of course, Mistress."

"Now then, I suppose we'd better head back the way we came. Lets not take the boat again. So cramped and smelly. I feel like stretching my wings a bit."

There was heavy blast of air as Vetis' black wings appeared behind her, scattering debris in all directions.

"Such a beautiful night for flying." She said, gazing into the starry, moonlit sky. With a powerful down stroke, she lifted into the air and soared up into the clear night sky. Alastor looked up after her. Wait...how was he supposed to follow? Maybe he could get a pair of dragon wings? He closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Wings...I need wings..." he thought. He felt a sudden surge inside of him, and the silvery black metal poured out of his back, forming four large wings shaped like crescent moons. He smiled broadly. So the black metal was still around. It just required concentration to use. He tried moving his new appendages, but they refused to budge. Alastor could not at first figure out why they would have come out the way they had. He hadn't had any particular shape in mind; he had just focused on getting wings.

"Jets!" He said aloud, snapping his fingers. Vetis' wings were like that of a giant bird, powered by supernatural means no doubt, but his wings were unmoving and metal. Having been human, all the flying he knew about and had experienced came from aeroplanes. With jets engines. There was another surge, and two ovals appeared between the four wings, with openings at both ends.

"Up up and away!" Alastor said gleefully, and roared into the sky on two pillars of searing red flame. He shot up into the air, higher and higher, picking up speed as he did so. He couldn't help but let out a cry of exhilaration as he shot through the inky night sky on a crimson ribbon. He looked over his shoulder to see the wings automatically shifting and moving keeping him straight. He levelled out, before diving sharply down towards the sea, pulling up just before hitting the surface, sending up great sheets of spray. Spiralling once more into the sky, he slowed down to a hover, observing Europe spread out before him like a giant map.

Never had he experienced anything like this before, this rush of adrenaline. He could scarcely believe it. He felt something welling up inside him, something animalistic that needed to be released. Turning to face the huge, bright moon, Alastor drew in a deep breath and unleashed an earthshattering roar. A roar so powerful it visibly pushed the air away from him with almost explosive force. He bared his fangs in the moonlight and sang his joy at the night. Vetis paused in the air, turning back and looking up. She could see Alastor, silhouetted against the moon. She could feel the power he was radiating, even from the distance they were from each other. In the clear night sky, he looked more like a dragon than he had back in the Cathedral. She had such delicious plans for him, plans to use all that raw power for her own ends. Having a cute little pet to play with was a nice bonus to the deal too.

That's what she told herself anyway, but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that had been plaguing her for a while now. Shaking her head she continued on her way, the ground passing rapidly below her. There would be plenty of time to explore this world later. Now she had more pressing concerns, like who would send assassins to kill her? She had her suspicions of course, but in order to confirm them she had to return home. Those particular assassins had been the followers of Nergal, a nasty demon in charge of Hell's secret police. Nergal technically served Malphas, the Grand President of Hell, but Malphas would never conspire to have another high-ranking demon killed in such a way. Malphas was always the 'up close and personal' sort. All of this would have to wait however, as getting to Hell was proving to be more difficult than expected. There was a loud, thunderous noise like air being torn apart as Alastor drew alongside her, grinning a toothy grin. Vetis laughed, and the two soared into the night.

Persephone stood on the walls that had been constructed around Exeter, surveying the English countryside. It was surprising how quickly nature had reclaimed what humanity had built over. This was a truly beautiful country, filled with an ancient power that the native human's had long forgotten. She closed her eyes and sighed. Ophelia and Freya had not yet returned from Bulgaria, which could only mean the worst had transpired. But they were strong; perhaps they had only been injured? There was still hope, but she could scarcely afford to send out a search party even though it may come to that eventually.

Titania's condition had worsened considerably in their absence, and Persephone was slowly coming to the realisation that she may have to...'release' her friend. More fallen angels had come to her cause however, swelling the angelic ranks in the city to thirty. The most prominent of these newcomers was Sabrathan, a powerful angel, formerly the Angel of the first hour of Night. He had fallen during the final battle in the first Great War when an arrow poisoned with demonic blood had pierced his right breast, tainting him with a demon's lust for battle. He still wore the armour he wore during that battle. The shining gold lustre had faded to a dull sheen, and the jagged hole where the arrow had struck was clearly visible.

Persephone could hear him drilling the human volunteers in the art of fighting demons. What with guns being hard to come by, the rest of the volunteer fighters were being given swords, axes and spears, made by Sophia an angel of the forge, along with those she had been training. The guns were reserved for the trained soldiers that had joined their growing community. Even though human society had crumbled, word was travelling quickly about this safe haven, and more people flocked to Exeter's walls every day. Persephone couldn't help but smile to herself. Perhaps humanity was not so doomed as she had originally thought. Maybe this was not the only growing settlement, safe from the hordes of the Undead.

There were a number of engineers working on getting electrical power back for the city, which would allow them to use the radio station located within the walls. Inside the city, morale was high, and people seemed to be smiling more. She was about to return to over seeing the training of the volunteers, when a figure appeared on the horizon, moving rapidly towards her. As the figure resolved itself, she could see it was Medrion, the angel who ruled the seventh hour of night. He was flying as fast as his wings could carry him. Persephone had sent him scouting a few days ago, out towards the old capital of London.

"What's wrong? What have you found?" Persephone asked once he had landed next to her, breathing heavily.

"I...saw them!"

"Saw who?"

"The...Archdemon and the human! They were headed for Salisbury plain!"

"The Circle of Baal! They mean to open a gateway to Hell! How long ago did you see them?"

"Roughly half an hour, they will be there by now I am sure of it."

"You've done well. Go and gather the other angels, I will inform Sabrathan."

Medrion nodded and took off again, heading towards the building being used as a barracks. Persephone jumped over the side of the wall, landing gracefully on the other side. She ran over to where Sabrathan was training the men. He looked up on her approach.

"Sabrathan! Get the men ready for battle! We have a demon sighting on Salisbury plain!"

Sabrathan didn't even question the order, he simply turned to the men he had been drilling and began barking orders.

"You heard the General! Suit up and back here in fifteen minutes! We got demons to kill!"

As the volunteers scrambled, he turned to Persephone.

"Is it her?" He asked, his face serious.

"Medrion believed so. I do not know if the Archdemon has been able to recover her power, but if she has then we have no hope. I want you and Anpiel to scout ahead, and then report back to the main group. Do not engage unless you absolutely must."

"Yes General." Sabrathan said with a salute, taking to the air. Persephone gripped the hilt of her sword. If Alastor was there...she could save him. She knew she could.

Fifteen minutes later, a number of heavily modified cars left Exeter's walls and headed off down the road, racing towards Salisbury plain. Persephone was riding in the back of a pickup truck at the head of the convoy.

"How long until we reach the standing stones?" She asked the driver of the car she was riding in.

"Just under two hours." He replied.

"That's too long! I will take the angels ahead; you and the rest of the men join us when you can. We'll try to stall them until you arrive."

"Understood."

Persephone opened her wings and soared into the air, shortly joined by eleven other angels. "Change of plans!" Persephone called to them "We will go ahead and join up with Sabrathan and Anpiel! We will not be engaging the demons in full combat until the humans arrive, we will only be attempting to stall them! Is that understood?!"

"Yes, General!" The other angels chorused, and soared higher into the sky, Persephone at their head.

Alastor was doing handstands on top of one of the megaliths that made up Stonehenge when he felt a highly unpleasant sensation in his gut. He dropped down to his feet and frowned.

"Angels. Two of them. Scouts I suspect." Vetis said from the middle of the henge. She had set up the bones of John the Baptist in the center of the henge on one of the fallen stones. She was surprised at how well preserved the circle was, considering its age.

"Bring me one of them would you? Angel blood will make the ritual go so much faster."

"It would be my pleasure." Alastor said with a bow, forming his wings and rocketing up into the clouds. There was a small wood about half a mile from the henge on top of a hill in the neighbouring field. It was the only cover for miles on the open Salisbury plain. Sabrathan and Anpiel where hidden in the trees, scanning the henge with binoculars.

"Human ingenuity is really amazing!" Anpiel said excitedly in a hushed voice, face glued to the eyepieces of the binoculars.

"Be quiet!" Hissed Sabrathan, glaring at her "Remember why we are here! If the Archdemon senses us we are done for!"

"Sorry..." Anpiel muttered, scanning the henge again. "Wait! Something is happening!"

Through the binoculars they could see the Demon accompanying Vetis stand up on one of the stones. It looked like he was talking, then he bowed. Suddenly, large silver wings emerged from his back, and a distant roar echoed across the fields to where they were, as the demon shot up into the sky on a trail of vapour.

"Did you see that!" squeaked Anpiel, eyes wide.

"I did. It appears the Bitch Queen's pet can fly...and faster than any angel or demon I have seen."

"Where do you think he's going?"

Sabrathan felt his stomach drop.

"I have a really bad feeling-" he was cut off when Alastor landed in the woods behind them. The force of his landing made a small impact crater around him, the shockwave rocking the trees, scattering birds and small critters in the undergrowth. Anpiel lost her footing and fell down, landing heavily on the mossy ground.

"Anpiel!" Sabrathan yelled, drawing his sword. He jumped from the tree, but Alastor was already on Anpiel, striking her so hard she flew clear of the woods out into the open, skidding through the overgrown fields, leaving a shallow furrow behind her.

"Die, Creature!" Sabrathan cried, and attacked Alastor. Alastor jumped away from the blade with agility that surprised Sabrathan. Most demons over seven feet were slower. Then he remembered this thing was neither Demon nor human...at least that's what Persephone said. But now was not the time for thinking. He had to get Anpiel to safety. She wasn't really a warrior to begin with.

He readied his blade and faced his opponent, the creature's eyes glaring at him. The sclera were black, with metallic copper irises and dark slitted pupils. The effect they had was...unsettling. The dark aura it emitted felt far viler than a normal demon, and it was different from that of an Archdemon. Alastor had grown tired of waiting however, and jumped forwards, bringing his talons up, striking Sabrathan just under his armour. He parried the blow at the last second; his sword sending up sparks from the creature's surprisingly hard scales. The creature brought its talons up and licked silvery blood off them. Sabrathan realised he'd been cut. It felt shallow, but it was disconcerting that this thing knew where to strike so accurately. Alastor, meanwhile, was having a surprisingly good time.

He felt a rush of enjoyment from tasting the angel blood, and he wanted more. He lunged forwards again, talons flashing. The Angel struck back with his sword, striking the unscaled part of his arm. The blow felt like a hot brand, banishing Alastor's enjoyment instantly. He jumped back, clutching his arm. His skin had been cut, but the wound was not deep. His stone like flesh had prevented a more serious injury, but it still hurt. He hissed as the wound slowly closed; skin knitting back together leaving a pale scar.

"Healing from a wound inflicted by a holy blade?" The angel said, staring at Alastor. "Persephone was right, you are dangerous. But you have no skill in a real battle."

"True." Alastor replied, "I have no real combat experience. I doubt I would be able to call on the truly monstrous power I used before against Saint George. My transformation has calmed considerably."

"You...fought with a saint?"

"Oh yes. He left though. Things have changed since then. I swore with angelic blood to serve my mistress, and her influence was strong over me. Since then she has given me more control over myself. It makes it harder to use my full power."

"Why would you tell me this?"

"Because Mistress has already sacrificed your friend and is now opening the portal to Hell."

Sabrathan's eyes widened he looked past Alastor to where Anpiel had been lying. She was gone. Suddenly, a huge column of black light shot up from the henge, vanishing into the sky. The clouds began to turn black, a foul wind picking up dust and leaves from the ground and whipping them into the air.

"See...in real life, the good guys are never in the nick of time. That's just nonsense."

"I will slay you for Anpiel's death!" Sabrathan roared and lunged forwards. Alastor grabbed the sword's blade and snapped it in half. He brought his other hand round and slashed the angel across the face, shattering his helmet and ripping through his flesh. Silver blood spattered the ground as Sabrathan staggered, clutching his face.

"I'll admit this sword did take away my enjoyment for the fight. But I was holding back before."

"You...were stalling!"

"I thought you were supposed to be a warrior?" Alastor said, raising an eyebrow. He waved his hand at Sabrathan. Sabrathan was hit by an invisible force that slammed him hard into the ground, before being picked up and hurled through the air. He landed hard, skidding along the ground. He crawled to his hands and knees, but Alastor's foot struck him in the stomach, buckling his armour, once again sending him sprawling in the dirt.

"This is boring. Can't you fight back?" Alastor asked, grabbing the angel by the front of his breastplate and hoisting him into the air. Sabrathan grimaced. His left eye was glued shut with blood, his face felt like it was on fire and most of his ribs were cracked or broken. His breastplate had taken the brunt of the kick.

"When I was...more...human, I would have found doing something like this abhorrent. But I find my likes and dislikes inconsistent at the best of times these days. Maybe I should just give in to the evil side of myself?"

"You can...still...stop...this..." Sabrathan gasped.

"Maybe I could..." Alastor said, lowering the angel.

Sabrathan breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps the Archdemon's power was more focused on opening the portal than controlling her pet? His train of thought was interrupted when Alastor stabbed his talons through his chest.

Silver blood sprayed everywhere, coating Alastor in a slick film of holy gore. Alastor grabbed the angel's heart, and ripped it from his chest. Sabrathan slumped to the ground, more blood staining the dry earth.

"After this, there is no going back." Alastor said, gazing at the heart in his hand. "I will be permanently changed..." He realised he was trembling, though he could not tell if it was with fear or excitement. He slowly raised the heart to his mouth. The small of the blood was intoxicating; his breathing had become rapid and shallow. The heart touched his tongue, the sweet blood washing over it. He bit down, mouth filling with flesh and blood. His eyes widened and he devoured the heart greedily. He felt a massive surge of energy flow through him, exhilaration and ecstasy filling his body. He couldn't help but gasp with pleasure. Here he stood, covered in angel blood having committed the sin of killing and eating the flesh of an angel. He felt something change within him, a dawning of realisation. He was no longer human.

He was no longer capable of redemption. He was born of an Archdemon, yet he was still not a demon. With this surge of power, he felt an inkling of understanding, like a racial memory. He was a dragon, a creature that struck fear into angels and demons alike. A creature born of human and demon blood, but nothing like either of the two. Able to devour holy and unholy essence alike, a force of pure destruction made flesh. Now, now he could truly be free. Free to revel in power, like he should always have been. Nothing held him back now, save for the word of his mistress. The only words he would willingly submit to (not that he had a choice in the matter) and that could control him completely. He felt something approaching and turned to see a group of angels rapidly approaching. He grinned to himself when he saw who the lead angel was. He crouched down, wings beginning to form, but he felt his mistress calling to him. He turned from the angels and bounded back towards the henge.

Covering the ground quickly, he could hear the angels in pursuit above the now howling winds. As he approached the henge, two Angels overtook him, cutting off his route. They wore tarnished golden armour, and bore elegant glaives that looked worn, but extremely sharp. Alastor snarled, how dare they come between him and his mistress when she had called for him? Bright crimson flames burst into life around his arms, spreading down from his shoulders. He jumped into the air, slamming his fist through the first angel's chest, his flames evaporating the blessed armour like ice under thermite. The angel screamed in agony as the hellish Dragon flame consumed his body from the inside out. The other angel brought her glaive around in a graceful arc, which Alastor easily avoided, grabbing her by the crown of her head, crushing her skull with the ease one would crush an egg. Brains and blood scattered over the ground as Alastor drew his hand from the chest of the first angel clutching his heart. He tossed it into the air and swallowed it in a single massive gulp. He was about to tear apart the second angel, when he felt Vetis call him again.

He dropped the second angel and leaped into the swirling pillar of black light, and was gone. There was a massive inrush of air as the column of swirling energy dropped from the sky and vanished into the ground, leaving only scorched earth and rock behind. Persephone and the other angels viewed the carnage. Four angels were dead, two at least would not be returning from Elysium. Persephone was kneeling next to the body of Sabrathan. It looked as if he had put up a valiant fight, but clearly he had been outmatched by Alastor. The damage done to his body was tremendous; Alastor's sheer brute strength was terrifying. She got up and went over to the henge, wiping tears from her eyes.

She walked past the angels covering up the two that had tried to intercept Alastor. She caught a glimpse of the one he had burnt. There was nothing much left except a charred skeleton fused into a golden puddle. Dragon flame was definitely something to be feared. She stepped into the stone circle and shivered. There was a vile feeling within the stone circle. She saw the body of Anpiel, and nearly wretched. She had been torn open, and her organs were arranged around her in a circle. Silver blood covered the ground around her; her cold eyes staring blankly at the sky. Persephone couldn't hold back the tears as she gazed at this scene. Anpiel would never reach Elysium. Her soul was completely gone, used to open a gate between Earth and Hell.

Alastor had to admit, Hell was not at all like he envisioned. It looked like they hadn't moved from the plain, except the landscape was inverted. Hills were now valleys, and valleys were now hills. It was very disorientating. He saw Vetis standing at the top of a hill, so he made his way up to her, looking around. She turned at his approach, smiling at him. Alastor noticed that she appeared much more...snake-like than she had on earth. She was taller, her tail was longer and thicker, and her face was far more reptilian than it had been before. Her long black hair was gone, replaced with a set of long, tightly spiralled, glittering black horns that swept gracefully back over her head, curving up towards the tips. The air around her audibly crackled with power as she raised a hand. Alastor was overcome by a wave of ecstasy, which made him drop to his knees before her. She placed her hand on his head, gently stroking his hair.

"Am I not more radiant than ever?" She asked. Even her voice was radiating power. Alastor would not have been able to resist her even if he wanted to.

"Yes mistress." He said softly, gazing up at her. His body felt weak, like he was bound in place.

"We should be away from here. They will have sensed the gate opening and will be coming to investigate. I do not wish to reveal my presence here just yet."

"But where should we go?" Alastor asked. He was feeling very sleepy, almost like he was being put in a trance. He could barely force the words out of his mouth.

"Don't worry. I know exactly where we shall go."

There was a sudden jerk, and when Alastor blinked, they were no longer in a field. He slowly looked around through fogged eyes, shapes becoming blurry and incomprehensible. He thought he saw someone approach them. Words were said, and then he was being gently helped to his feet, and led up a flight of what could only be stairs. He began to sway as he was led, but a hand steadied him. A door opened and he was met with a waft of warm, perfumed air.

He felt himself being lowered onto something soft and extremely comfortable. His vision started to clear slightly, enough to see Vetis, lounging next to him. She reached over and placed something soft around his neck with a click. It felt snug, but not restrictive...like a turtleneck sweater. He felt her place something around his ankles and wrists, clicking each item into place. He suddenly felt his arms and legs pulled out straight, restraining him against what he could only assume was the bed. Vetis appeared in his view again, this time she came close to his face, pressing her thumb against his forehead. When she took her thumb away, he could feel wetness, which suddenly burned hot like a brand. Alastor gasped, but as he did so Vetis' tongue snaked into his mouth, pulling him into a passionate kiss. Alastor felt like his body would melt, his mind went completely blank as the pleasure overwhelmed him.

He couldn't move, only let Vetis do as she pleased. He felt her hands slide down his torso to his groin, fingers gently teasing his genital slit. He gasped again, as he became increasingly aroused. His thick shaft rapidly emerged from his slit, glistening with slime. Vetis raised her tail, and slowly lowered herself down onto his member, her velvety lips parting around its tapered tip. Alastor cried out as she slid slowly down, his shaft disappearing inside her. She placed her hands on his abdomen and sat up, her curvaceous bum coming to a rest against his body. She then began to rock backwards and forwards with wet squelching noises. Alastor squirmed under her as she moved, pleasure assaulting him like liquid fire. Vetis began to pant, colour rising in her face, her green scales positively glowing. She closed her eyes and began to move up and down, mouth hanging open, saliva dripping down onto Alastor. Alastor arched his back, writhing with exquisite agony. He was so aroused he was on the verge of orgasm already, desperate to cum, but he couldn't.

Vetis leaned forwards, her breasts pressing against Alastor's chest. She planted another wet kiss on his lips, as crystal clear sexual juices flowed out of her pussy, covering both their lower halves with a slick, viscous film. Vetis began to speed up her ministrations, becoming more aggressive as she did so. She wrapped one arm around his back, and another around his neck and head, gripping his hair from behind. She buried her face in his neck, kissing and licking, before biting down with her fangs. Alastor moaned loudly, his body convulsing, back arching under her. She lifted his upper body up as she fucked him, his hot, crimson blood oozing down his back. She pulled his head back and bit him again, harder this time.

Alastor cried out, completely dominated by his powerful mistress. His tongue hung out from his mouth, saliva trickling down his neck. Vetis' body quivered against him, and she began to speed up again, a slippery mix of her natural lubricants and his copious amounts of precum oozing down their legs. Releasing his shoulder she raised her head and whispered in his ear.

"Cum with me."

Alastor groaned loudly as his hips bucked, thrusting is cock deep inside his mistress. His cock throbbed hard and stream after stream of his goopy dragon seed spilled inside her hot pussy. Vetis let out an inhuman cry as she orgasmed, pushing Alastor's face into her breasts, her pussy clenching around his cock, milking it for every last drop of his hot, tainted semen. The force of the orgasm was so great; Alastor found himself fading in and out of consciousness. He panted hard as Vetis gently rested against his chest, his cock still buried inside her.

"I've been wanting to fuck you like that for a very long time." She hissed into his ear.

Alastor's mind was still entranced, and all he managed in reply was a small gurgle.

"Next time I'll make you my bitch. Would you like that?"

He nodded, his vision becoming dark.

"Good...rest now. We'll play more later."

Alastor smiled as he slowly fell asleep.

Alastor awoke many hours later, his mind completely clear, and his vision perfect. He looked around. He was in a large bedroom on a huge four-poster bed, covered in black silk sheets. He slowly slid off the bed, and paused, looking down at himself. He was still covered in a sticky mixture of cum and pussy juice, which hadn't dried at all. He felt himself blush as he remembered with startling clarity what had happened the night (or was it day?) before. The room was richly decorated with large comfortable looking recliners. There were piles of cushions everywhere. It looked like this place had been decorated for an orgy. He turned around and saw an enormous set of curtains that had been pulled closed. He walked over to them and peered through. Then he pulled them back, staring out of the massive arched window.

"I am certainly not in Wiltshire anymore." He said quietly. Outside the window was a vast mountain range, except these mountains were black obsidian under blood red skies. He could see great winged creatures off in the distance, circling the summits of some of the mountains. He cast his gaze downwards and saw Hell stretched out below him, like he was viewing it from an aeroplane. He could see lakes and rivers of molten gold, filled with the souls of the greedy and avaricious. There were yawning chasms filled with green flames, billowing corrosive smoke. He looked up towards the sky and realised that there was no sun or moon. He also realised that whatever structure he was in was built into one of the mountains. He turned from the window and saw a large silver tub had appeared behind him. He walked over to it and peered curiously inside. It was filled with what looked like steaming soapy water.

So he shrugged and climbed inside. As soon as he was submerged he realised this wasn't water at all, but some sort of warm gel. It closed thickly around his body and began to move and swirl around him, massaging every part of his form. He couldn't help but giggle as it tickled between his large taloned toes. Eventually the gel stopped moving, so Alastor pulled himself out of it and stepped out of the tub. He looked back and realised none of the gel had stuck to his body, so he was completely dry and clean. It was at this point he noticed the collar and restraints. As if some invisible force was reading his thoughts, a huge full-length mirror rose eerily from the floor, and hovered in front of him.

He looked at himself and saw he was wearing a wide leather collar made from soft red leather, with matching bracelets and anklets. They looked like extremely expensive bondage restraints, complete with silver loops for restraints to attach to. There were also silver clasps holding the restraints closed. He gently tried to open one, but it grew surprisingly hot so he stopped. Besides, they looked rather good on him, so why bother removing them? Not to mention they were a gift from Vetis. Leaning towards the mirror, he gave his face a closer look. There was a silver oval right in the center of his forehead. He reached up and traced his talons over it. An image of Vetis flashed before his eyes and he was overcome by a sense of belonging. The feeling quickly faded but it left behind a sense of understanding. Vetis was letting the whole world know he was her property. He turned away from the mirror smiling quietly to himself.

He felt strangely energised, like he could really start...living. He saw a door on the other side of the room, so he padded over to it and gently pulled it open. He stepped out into a corridor with black marble floors and ceiling, with white quartz walls. There were small spots of light in the ceiling, illuminating the corridor like you would find in a very expensive hotel. He made his way down the corridor, not really sure where he was going. There were large wooden doors set into the walls at irregular intervals, some of which were locked, others swung open revealing more bedrooms. He approached the end of the corridor and found himself at the top of a huge flight of marble steps leading up from a pair of massive double doors. He had clearly found the entrance hall. There was another corridor opposite him, but he looked up the stairs and saw a set of doors further up. He easily climbed the stairs and slowly pushed the door open. Inside was a grand looking ballroom with a high vaulted ceiling. The only difference with this ballroom when compared to ones on Earth is that this one appeared to be constructed entirely out of skeletons.

There was even a skull chandelier, each skull holding a red candle in its mouth. The bones had been polished to a lustrous shine, allowing them to reflect light as well as any crystal or mirror. At the other end of the ballroom was a small doorway. He made his way over to it. It seemed out of place in a room like this. He pushed on it gently and it swung inwards. Inside was a dark passageway with some stairs leading up in a tight spiral. He followed the stairs up for a very long way. A sliver of red light shone above him and as he came close he saw it was a narrow window. He looked out and saw he was climbing a tower. He could see part of the mountain stretch away from him, down onto jagged slopes. He turned back to the stairs and resumed his climb, eventually arriving at another door. He was about to push it open, then stopped. He bit his lip and meekly knocked.

"Come in, Alastor."

Alastor pushed the door open and stepped into a huge library. There were bookshelves rising up to the incredibly high ceiling on both sides of the room. At the other and of the room was a large desk, in front of yet another huge vaulted window. Vetis was seated at the desk in a high backed chair. It was more like a throne than anything. Next to her was a tall looking snake in a very smart looking black double-breasted suit with gold buttons. Around his neck he wore a white cravat that looked like some kind of silk. He had "butler" written all over him.

"Alastor, I would like to introduce you to my Butler, Zaebos."

Zaebos bowed elegantly to Alastor.

"Good evening sir." He said. His voice was cultured and rich, but he had no recognisable accent. Alastor walked over to him, and sniffed his shoulder. Zaebos raised a brow.

"You smell okay." Alastor said. Zaebos glanced over at Vetis, who was watching with an amused expression.

"Dragons." She said, rolling her eyes with mock exasperation.

"Indeed..." Zaebos said, brushing an invisible speck of lint off his shoulder.

"Alastor dear, go and amuse yourself in the books. Zaebos is still informing me of changes in my absence."

Alastor nodded and wandered off to one of the bookshelves. Upon approaching he realised that the bookshelves were not in fact facing inwards to the room. The way they were arranged just made it look that way. In fact there were seven long aisles of books on either side of the room. Alastor disappeared down one of the aisles. Zaebos watched him go before turning back to Vetis.

"Are you sure it is wise to let him loose amongst the literature, Ma'am." He asked

"Oh he's not as bad as he looks." Vetis said waving her hand.

"Very well, I shall accept your faith in him."

"Good. Now please continue."

"Of course. As I was saying, Adramelech has been gaining a great deal of influence in the Circle of Princes since your disappearance. Since your father and Beelzebub have all but withdrawn from their duties, the responsibility of governing hell fell to Malphas. Malphas in turn appointed Adramelech as Chancellor and made him the head of the High Council of Devils...your old position."

"Hah! That old wolf was always after my spot."

"Yes indeed. He was the one that convinced Malphas to sign this non-aggression treaty with Heaven, thus stopping another Great War from happening. I'm afraid the Archdemons have grown fat and lazy in your absence. Most of them are only interested in their own wealth and comfort."

"Most?"

"Baal and Leviathan were extremely outspoken against the treaty...so Adramelech had them imprisoned on the eighth circle. Not an easy task, as I am sure you can imagine. The army and the navy were not pleased having their commanders in chief imprisoned in such a way, but there is little they can do now."

"How in Lucifer's name did Adramelech manage to imprison Baal and Leviathan?" Vetis asked incredulously. Those two were probably the most powerful demons in hell when it came to brute physical strength and animal cunning.

"I do not know, but there are rumours abound that Adramelech had...divine intervention."

"What?! Why would he seek Heaven's help in this affair?"

"I have no idea ma'am. These are simply rumours after all."

"He's probably conspiring with Heaven to take control of Earth." Alastor said, walking past the desk with an armful of books, disappearing into the shelves on the other side of the room. Vetis and Zaebos looked at each other.

"Alastor, come!" Vetis commanded. There was a loud crash and Alastor came bounding out of the bookshelves in a cloud of pages and book covers. Zaebos had suddenly gone very, very pale.

"The...books..." he squeaked.

"Damn the books!" Vetis said, waving a hand. Alastor skidded to a halt in front of the desk.

"Explain yourself." She demanded.

"It's what I would do." Alastor replied "Sign a treaty with the enemy to gain access to the disputed territory, then once the indigenous population is gone, move in, establish a base then stab your allies in the back."

"You are no military tactician, why would you even think of such a thing?"

"Because that's just how my brain works!" Alastor said happily.

"It would explain Adramelech's actions up to this point." Zaebos said, picking up the scattered pages "Although why he has not yet sent the army to conquer Earth is beyond me."

"I suspect Heaven was also planning on breaking their little pact. We encountered a surprising number of angels on Earth. It was also difficult to open a doorway to Hell without the use of Angel blood. Its possible they are somehow interfering with dimensional travel." Vetis mused, rubbing her snout.

"But how are angels getting to Earth? The ritual required to limit travel between the planes would be too complex to single out a specific race. It would have to apply to everything." Zaebos said, organising the pages. He noticed they were mostly from the books about the arcane sciences.

"These angels were fallen angels. Probably left behind after the last war." Vetis replied "Always desperate to regain the favour of the ones that abandoned them. Such pathetic fools... Though their purpose remains unclear. It would not surprise me if they were being ordered to claim as much territory as possible."

"A distinct advantage over Adramelech, Ma'am?"

"Ha! No. Dear Alastor here already has a few little servants performing our own recruitment."

Alastor's tail wagged from side to side at the praise.

"But all of that is moot at the moment." Vetis continued, standing up and heading over to the window. "We must first get rid of these assassins attempting to kill me. Only then can we move on to other matters."

"Of course, ma'am. Do you know how they found you on Earth? For that matter, how did they get to Earth?"

"I do not know...unless...Alastor, would you like to use your...'logic' to come up with a possible answer?" Vetis said, turning to Alastor, who had followed her to the window like an obedient puppy.

"Adramelech." He replied simply.

"Explain."

"If he has made a deal with Heaven, he would presumably know about the... barrier?"

Vetis nodded.

"So...he would have thought of his own way to get around it, or been given a key or something. This allows him to send assassins through to target you, mistress...although I don't know why he would send assassins after you...or how he knew where you were."

"Hmm...I know how. I spoke with him on Earth when we were at the Cathedral. The amount of innocent blood spilt there would have acted like a beacon for the Assassins...but maybe he doesn't have a key. Maybe the bloodshed weakened the barrier enough to send demons through before the angels reinforced the hole?"

"That...makes sense." Zaebos said, looking thoughtful.

"Hmph. If Adramelech is behind this, he shall rue the day he decided to betray me." Vetis snarled.

"Of course ma'am. The only problem is, we have no concrete evidence to bring before Malphas. Not to mention all the other Archdemons still believe you dead or imprisoned."

"Evidence will be harder to come by. As for the others knowing my current status...lets keep them in the dark a little longer."

"As you wish ma'am."

"Now then, we shall leave deciding on what to do about these assassins and Adramelech until tomorrow. All this politicking and... 'logic' is giving me a headache. I shall retire to my chambers."

"Shall I bring supper for yourself and your pet?"

"Oh yes. Please do. Come, Alastor."

Alastor followed her obediently as she left the study, heading back down the spiral staircase.

"On all fours." Vetis said. Alastor instantly dropped down and resumed following her. It felt surprisingly natural to walk like this. His body seemed to be perfectly adapted for walking on two limbs or four. Instead of emerging into the ballroom at the bottom of the stairs, they stepped into a huge bedroom; different from the one Alastor had woken up in. This one was decorated in a similar fashion to the other one, but everything was much larger and grander. There was a huge fireplace at one end of the room with a crackling fire burning in it. Alastor couldn't help but wonder why a fireplace was needed in Hell.

"I like the aesthetic." Vetis said, stroking his head. Alastor let out a sound like an alligator purring.

"You seem very animated today." Vetis said, heading over to a very soft looking couch in front of the fire, and flopping down on it. She patted the cushion next to her, and Alastor climbed up next to her, curling up and resting his head in her lap.

"I feel...energised...I haven't felt like this...ever. Well...maybe after too many energy drinks while studying for finals-" He was cut off by Vetis scratching him behind his slightly pointed ears. He growled with delight, his left leg twitching.

"I'm going to delve into your thoughts now. We finally have some time for me to get to know much better."

"Okay mistress!" Alastor said enthusiastically.

Vetis began slowly stroking Alastor's silky hair, watching the way it reflected light, like a crimson waterfall. Alastor's breathing was slowly becoming steady as she stroked, his eyes closing. Vetis smiled down at him, before closing her eyes as well.

Vetis looked around. She was standing in a long white corridor with black doors lining it on either side. She had had many mortal pets before. None of them had a mind this...clean. It was strange the way the human mind would arrange itself for an outsider, Vetis didn't understand it completely herself, but she suspected it was a combination of the person subconsciously projecting their opinion of what the mind looked like, and a self defence mechanism. Corridors with doors lining it were a common one though. She walked down the corridor for a little way before coming to a door with a brass plaque fixed to it. The plaque read "Music". Vetis reached out and opened the door.

A wall of sound hit her like a truck. She slammed the door closed. That was a first. She slowly opened the door a crack, and the music spilled out into the corridor as more ordered sound instead of a sonic barrage. It was...heavy, yet fast. Like cavalry, it almost galloped through the air. The sound made Vetis feel electrified and excited. This was a primal sounding music, full of raw power and passion. Closing the door she turned back to the corridor, making a note to come back to this door again. She headed a bit further down the corridor, noticing how it extended as she walked. Alastor was clearly aware of her presence, but he wasn't resisting her in the slightest.

It was like he was showing her doors she would be interested in. She came to another door that said "Knowledge" on the plaque. Vetis opened the door. There was no barrage of anything this time. She peered inside the room, before stepping forwards. The room was black, but it suddenly began filling with points of light like stars in the night sky. Vetis reached out and touched one of the points of light. It swirled and expanded, showing her strange numerical formulas and symbols that could only be human science. Vetis had a great understanding of demonic science, but this was completely different. If anything, it was more advanced. Far more advanced than anything Hell had. No wonder Alastor was able to figure things out so quickly, you had to be able to think fast in order to contain this kind of...of...power, in one head. The knowledge swirled and shivered, before slowly shrinking down to a pinprick of light again. Vetis looked around. She could tell that Alastor was thinking about something. Even in the trance she had put him in, his subconscious mind was running, wheels were turning as she explored. Leaving the knowledge room, she stepped back into the corridor, which was no longer there.

Looking around she saw she was now stood in a forest. The trees were massive and tall, sunlight streaming between their leaves. It was surprisingly beautiful. Vetis began walking through the forest, heading deeper into Alastor's mind. There was a creaking sound, and a large tree grew from the ground in front of her, rising high into the canopy of the forest. Vetis reached out and touched the tree, which seemed to shiver at her touch. Carvings began to appear on the trunk, spreading out from where she had touched it. They began to move and flow around. Vetis realised this tree was Alastor's personality. She placed her hand flat against it and closed her eyes, her body melting into the tree. She could feel his personality now, like it was a tangible object. The biggest trait that sprung out at her was loyalty. Loyalty to those he actually cared about. She could feel a great sense of loyalty towards...her.

It seems he felt he owed her more than just what the deal they had made stipulated. She felt a sudden powerful wave of emotion wash over her. He would die for her, give up the life she had saved in order to save her. Vetis was about to push deeper, but the personality began to change rapidly. She caught surges of sarcasm, cynicism, but also jolliness and the desire to protect. A strong dislike for things that were stupid or unnecessary. Then the waves of personality began to change again. This time the waves were violent and aggressive. Alastor was capable of great and violent rage. It felt like his anger would explode when provoked enough. It was a dangerous combination with the power he had now. Vetis wondered if she should keep a tighter leash on him, just be sure. She opened her eyes, but the scene had changed again. She was still in the forest, but everything had taken on a red hue. The trees had become great onyx towers that rose into the churning sky. Rivers of silvery black metal flowed out of crevices and cracks in the spires, forming a river that ran alongside a path that led off between the crags.

Vetis began following it. She couldn't help but get the sense that she was approaching the center of something. Eventually she emerged from the forest into a clearing. It was a large circle with a clear view of the stormy sky, which was being whipped by massive winds. Lightning cracked across it, but the clearing was still and quiet, serene despite the chaos around it. At the center of the clearing lay a dragon. It's scales were the same colour as the silvery black metal, giving it an armoured appearance. As she approached, the dragon raised its head and looked at her with glimmering red eyes. This was Alastor...his true form, his inner beast. Vetis reached out to it, the dragon leaning its head forwards so she could stroke the tip of its snout. He closed his eyes and laid his head on the ground at her feet. She knelt down next to it and began to caress it gently. The dragon looked up at her and whined. Vetis looked at it quizzically, and it raised one of its massive wings, rolling onto its side slightly. Vetis looked and saw a jagged scar over his heart. Embedded in his flesh was a piece of shining steel. Vetis realised it was a shard of Saint George's lance. It had both released and imprisoned the dragon sleeping inside Alastor.

He could not become the creature inside because of this. She reached up and touched it, causing the dragon to hiss and pull away from her. She cooed at him, trying to calm him down. Even though she was only his mind, this was still dangerous. If this Dragon hurt her while she was here, there was a chance she would never be able to return to her body. She soothed Alastor with stroking and kisses to his snout, gently rubbing the bony ridges above his eyes. He rumbled at her, calming down considerably. She reached up again and touched the shard of metal. He hissed again, but this time he did not pull away. Vetis felt a wave of trust emanate from the Dragon. He looked at her with large, slitted eyes. Before laying his head on the ground and grunting at her. Vetis nodded, and gripped the shard with both hands, pulling sharply with all her mental strength.

Alastor screamed. Vetis' eyes snapped open, immediately turning down to Alastor. He was thrashing around on the couch beside her, blood pouring from a wound in his chest. Looking down at her hand, Vetis saw she was gripping a long sliver of steel. The holy metal had already begun burning her hand; she hurled it into the fire where it was burnt to nothing but ash. She pushed Alastor down, and covered the wound with her free hand. From the amount of blood, it appeared that Vetis had stabbed her hand through Alastor's physical chest to retrieve the shard of lance. Before she could do anything about the wound though, Alastor began to calm down.

Raising her hand, Vetis saw the wound was already beginning to close. Then she noticed the red light from the windows dancing on his scales. Frowning, she looked closer and saw something remarkable. As the light hit the scales, it was instantly absorbed. This was happening so rapidly it was actually visible to the naked (demonic) eye. No wonder Illuyanka had been so powerful. It appeared Dragons constantly absorbed energy through their scales, which also explained Alastor's increased hyperactivity. Alastor groaned, and slowly opened his eyes, looking directly up at her face.

"I feel...weird...mistress..." he said slowly.

"Well...blood loss will do that to a person." Vetis replied, snapping her fingers. The blood that had soaked into the couch and floor vanished. Alastor sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked. His hands were shaking slightly.

"Hmmm...Yes, I suppose I did...and at the same time I did not."

"Vexing?"

"Indeed." Vetis reached forwards and pulled Alastor backwards, resting his head in her lap. He complied easily, closing his eyes as she began to stroke his head again. Apparently he really rather liked having his head stroked. Vetis couldn't help but feel slightly confused by this whole situation. When she had first met Alastor and their deal had been struck, she had been determined to make him her total slave. To have complete dominion over him and all his actions, yet now this was different. In the beginning, he had been fanatically loyal to her, constantly proclaiming how he wanted to give up his humanity and soul to her. But now this dynamic had changed dramatically. As his body and mind evolved, he had calmed down considerably, and Vetis felt the urge to completely dominate him fade.

Now she looked on him less as a tool to be used, but more as a...companion, a partner, a lover? Vetis frowned at the thought of the word. Could she really be falling for this man? A being who until recently was a normal human being? Could she, the Archdemon of lust and corruption, daughter of Lucifer and Princess of Hell, be falling in love with him? In truth, they had not been together for that long, but it felt like she had known him for far longer than the reality. A sudden thought occurred to her.

"Bark like a dog." She whispered, barely audible above the crackle of the fire. Nothing happed. She said it again, a little louder this time. Alastor opened an eye and looked up at her.

"Did you say something, mistress?" he asked

"No no, just...thinking aloud." She replied

Alastor closed his eye as she continued stroking his head, a contented smile creeping across his face.

"I can't command him any more..." Vetis thought. She no longer had direct control over him. Yet neither of them had broken the original deal. Of course deals with demons were fragile at best, the terms likely to change when fate decided they should. But if she couldn't command him anymore, why did he still call her 'mistress'? Why was he still loyal to her? Could it be that he was doing it all out of his own free choice? Did he really want a mistress?

"Of course I do..." He muttered sleepily, rolling onto his side when Vetis nudged him to do so.

"What? Did you just..."

Alastor sat up, rubbed his eyes and turned to face Vetis. His eyes looked crystal clear, and seemed to burn right into Vetis' soul.

"We are connected. Out deal made that so. I am irreversibly tied to you. I will always be loyal to you, no matter what happens, this won't change, and I don't want it to. I...I love being with you. I love the way you walk, the way you smell, the way you talk, the way you move...I...just...I want to be yours. I truly do. So what if you can't control me any more? I will still do as you command. I'm doing this because I want to do it. I can't explain it any clearer. Its just as confusing for me as it is for you."

Vetis grabbed Alastor by the shoulders and kissed him hard. Alastor let out a surprised meep, before surrendering to it. Eventually Vetis broke the kiss, gazing back at Alastor.

"You will still be my slave?" she asked

"Of course, mistress. Of my own free will."

"But I took your humanity."

"Yes. But you don't have humanity, yet you have free will."

Vetis looked thoughtful. He had a point.

"If you have no humanity left, then you feel no remorse for the people I made you kill back on Earth?"

"Why should I? My mistress commanded it. Just because our relationship has altered, doesn't mean anything else has."

"You know I'm still far more powerful than you. Right?"

"Oh yes mistress. I have no doubt you could make me do whatever you wanted and I would be powerless to resist."

"I love you."

The pentagram on Alastor's chest blazed brightly, and vanished. Alastor looked down, and then up at Vetis.

"I am so confused." He said.

"So am I my pet. So am I." Vetis replied, before kissing him again.

The rest of the day was surprisingly uneventful. Despite Alastor's intense desire to explore the world outside, Vetis ordered him to stay inside. The house apparently interfered with the auras of its occupants, making them impossible to detect. Naturally the auras of an Archdemon that was thought dead and a Dragon would shine out across all nine circles of Hell like a supernova. Apparently. Alastor had never really liked being kept indoors, and even though exploring Vetis' extremely large mansion was fun at first, it had started to grow dull. Alastor had eventually found himself below the cellars of the house, in what he could only assume were catacombs. The passages were winding and narrow, carved from the same glassy black rock as the mountains themselves.

Every few hundred feet a small light sprang into life, illuminating the way. Alastor suspected these lights were mostly for effect, considering he could see perfectly well in pitch darkness, and he suspected Demons and Devils probably could too. Eventually the passageway he was following began to widen, the walls becoming more natural looking. Alastor paused and ran his hand over the rougher rock. It was becoming lumpier and had taken on a greyish hue. He realised he was now walking down a large and ancient Lava tube. He followed the tunnel down and emerged into a vast cavern that appeared to be in the shape of a large oval. It looked like an empty magma chamber, with huge Lava pillars rising up to the darkness of the magma chamber's ceiling. The lights had stopped appearing now, yet despite his ability to see in the dark, Alastor found himself completely blind. He then sighed as he realised why. If there was no light, it didn't matter how good your eyes were in the dark, you still couldn't see. He thought for a moment, and then breathed a tongue of crimson flame into his hand, keeping it contained with his telekinesis.

Raising the orb of red flame above his head, he came face to face with the colossal skull of a dragon. The surprise made him step back, gazing up at the huge skull. He breathed more fire into the air, illuminating the entire chamber with a red glow. Most of the huge chamber was filled with the skeleton of a massive dragon. Its skull alone was the size of a bus, the rest of its body Alastor could only guess at. He walked up to the bones and studied them. He realised they were actually made from some kind of metal. He reached out and touched the skull, and was surprised when the metal flowed around his touch. Then it occurred to him.

If he was a dragon, and his bones were infused with infernium and whatever other metals he had absorbed, then this dragon must be the same. Would he eventually get this big? In truth, he had no idea about his own biology any more, so he had no idea what his lifespan would be like. He walked around the skeleton marvelling at its size. He reached the tip of its tail, and seeing nothing beyond, returned to the skull. He felt a strange sense of kinship with this dragon, despite it being a skeleton. Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Turning, Alastor saw a shining golden plaque attached to one of the lava pillars rising up from the ground. He walked over to it and read the inscription carved into the metal.

"Here lies Illuyanka, the first Dragon, defender of Hell, and worthy friend. She was brought low by the sword and lance of Saint George, while saving the lives of eight hundred youngbloods. May her name strike fear into Hell's enemies, and bring Respect to Hell's allies."

Alastor traced his talons over the words. That was certainly something they missed out of the story. Hell and its denizens were shaping up to be quite different from the religious propaganda. Vetis had said that Demons were simply the manifestation of humanities...human, nature. They revelled in the things that bring pleasure, something Angels seemed to abhor. Alastor was beginning to suspect there was more to it than that, however.

What if Angels and Demons were not complex manifestations of humanity's 'sins', but rather completely separate races, living on completely separate worlds, connected with Earth? This was simply a theory, but Alastor had always subscribed to the 'many worlds' or 'multiverse' theory of the universe. It made more sense that way. Alastor rubbed his eyes. This kind of abstract thought made his head hurt. Most beings could barely comprehend the size of the Milky Way galaxy, never mind trying to wrap their heads around multi-dimensional theory. Alastor sighed and turned back to Illuyanka's skeleton. Demons were violent and evil, but only because they had been forced to become that way. Alastor strongly suspected that the Angels would be no different if the roles were reversed.

Walking back over to Illuyanka's skull he saw something in its mouth. He frowned and brought his light closer, examining the very large teeth. He saw that one of the teeth was different from the others. Instead of being a curved cone shape, this one was flat, narrow and triangular. Almost like a sword blade. Alastor reached out and tugged on the tooth. It came free surprisingly easily. It was definitely not a tooth. It was roughly four feet long, and six inches across. The blade had a wide fuller shape, and kept this width right until six inches from the tip, where it tapered into a point. The metal was strange. It felt warm, like it was still cooling from the forge. It was a sort of golden iridescent colour, like crystals of bismuth. It was a truly beautiful thing to behold. It was clearly a sword blade, but it had no hilt. It had a tang, so it was clearly forged with the purpose of having a hilt. An idea struck Alastor at that moment. He looked up at the Skeleton of Illuyanka, and raised a hand. A blob of the Infernium detached from the skeleton and floated down to Alastor.

He raised the blade and inserted it into the blob. The metal reacted instantly, wrapping itself around the tang, sealing itself tightly to the blade. It began to rapidly form the shape of a double-handed hilt, veins of Infernium travelling a few inches up the blade from the cross guard, securely locking the blade into place. The strange liquid metal suddenly hardened with the sound of breaking glass. Solidified, infernium was the colour of polished haematite. Alastor gripped the sword by its new hilt and raised it up. It felt...right. He swung it through the air, and it made a satisfying 'whum' sound. He swung it again, and the blade began to emit a haze that hugged the surface of the sword, like a fine mist. When he swung the sword it left an iridescent trail through the air.

"The Dragon's Tooth." He said with a smile. "Thank you, Illuyanka."

As he turned to go, he paused for a moment. More Infernium left the skeleton and formed itself into a scabbard and harness. Alastor plucked the harness out of the air and strapped it on, sliding the longsword into its new sheath on his back. He could feel the weight of the blade resting against his back. It was a reassuring weight. Alastor took one last look at the skeleton of his ancestor, before heading back up to the mansion. As darkness returned to the cavern, a dim flickering light lingered in one of Illuyanka's eye sockets, dimly illuminating the skull. If anyone had been watching before this tiny light went out, they would have sworn the skull was smiling.

As Alastor emerged back into the mansion, he noticed it was unusual dark. His normally slitted pupils opened wide, and the mansion came into clearer focus. A foul stench hit his nostrils, causing him to grimace. It was a familiar smell, one he had met on earth. His instincts took over and he melted into the shadows as one of the bandage wrapped assassins came round the corner, hardly making a sound. Unfortunately this was not quiet enough, and Alastor's hand smashed through its shoulder, tearing its heart out through its chest. The demon slumped, and Alastor pulled his hand out of its back, still clutching the heart. He looked down at the muscle. It didn't smell particularly pleasant, but he was a dragon. Apparently he was able to consume unholy essence as well as holy essence. He brought the heart up to his mouth and licked it. It was sickly sweet and smelled of fermented, rotting fruit.

Alastor grimaced, before stuffing the entire thing into his mouth and swallowing as quickly as he could. He wretched violently as he struggled to swallow, eyes watering as the lump of flesh hit his stomach. He shuddered, smacking his lips, trying to get rid of the foul aftertaste. Despite the heart's vile flavour, Alastor felt a surge of power run through him before fading away. It was a different feeling from an angel's heart. This power felt darker, more sinister. Despite the taste, Alastor found himself enjoying the feeling of this power more. Good thing he didn't have to worry about becoming corrupted. Stepping over the body, he made his way deeper into the mansion, heading for Vetis' chambers. She had told him that the house would not allow uninvited people inside, but this clearly wasn't the case.

Something was wrong, and Vetis had not yet sensed it. Alastor reached back and gripped the hilt of his new sword. The scabbard melted away from the blade, as he drew it, freeing much faster than a normal back scabbard would allow. He could feel more assassins within the house, moving, searching. It was a good thing the mansion was a maze of corridors otherwise the worst might have already happened. There was a noise behind him. Spinning round his sword met the flesh of an assassin, slicing through it like it was water. The assassin slowly slid in half and collapsed to the floor, its body melting into a puddle of black slime, except for the heart. Alastor looked at the sword, still emanating its fine shroud of iridescent mist. He grinned, picking up the heart and swallowing it, grin turning into a grimace. He doubted he would ever be able to get used to the taste. He arrived in the main hall, and suddenly every light in the mansion blazed into life. Alastor blinked, eyes rapidly adjusting to the sudden influx of light. There were quite a few assassins in the main hall.

All of them were now facing Alastor. The whole house shook, a rumbling coming from the upper floors. Alastor felt anger rising in him, but it wasn't his. He was feeling his Mistress's rage. Instead of resist it; he let it fill him, overflowing out towards the invaders. He let out a thunderous roar, and charged forwards. The assassins moved as one towards him. His sword swung in a glittering arc, slicing through the air with a dangerous whine. As the blade tore through the air, it seemed to be pulling the assassins in towards it, so even the ones that dodged the blade were cut. The ones that were not killed outright fell to the floor writhing and gasping in agony as the wounds they received from the sword began to blacken, melting their bodies slowly. Alastor snarled at his own lack of skill with the blade, bringing it back around and cutting another assassin down.

He ducked a blade as it came hissing through the air at him, striking upwards with his own, slicing off the arm at the elbow of his attacker. The assassin staggered, clutching its blackening stump. Alastor drew back his hand and unleashed a torrent of crimson flames, engulfing several of the assassins, burning them to ash in moments. As the last assassin fell, Alastor bounded up the stairs, skidding along the long corridor that lead to Vetis' room. He needn't have worried so much though. He rounded the corner and came face to face with a pile of corpses. Vetis was sitting atop the pile, legs folded. It was almost like she had been waiting for him to arrive.

"You're late." She said

"I am sorry, mistress." Alastor replied with a bow.

"I see you found Illuyanka's tomb."

"How did you..."

"That sword. I was the one who gave it to Illuyanka in the first place. She was ever so proud of it...and now you have it. Fitting."

A

lastor didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent. He could feel the rage boiling off his mistress, but she was keeping her surface composure remarkably well.

"Zaebos let them in." she said, floating off the pile of bodies and disappearing inside her room. Alastor sheathed his sword and meekly followed her. Upon entering her room, Alastor saw Zaebos, pinned to the wall by large shards of rock.

"The fool thought I would be weak enough to kill so he told his true master about us." She continued, seating herself opposite Zaebos' hanging body.

"Have you killed him, mistress?" Alastor asked.

"Oh no. I have only torn out his tongue. He has a surprisingly weak constitution, so he's currently unconscious from shock."

"Why have you not killed him, mistress?"

"Because if I did it, he would simply be back in a few centuries. Which is why I want you to eat his heart."

"Me, mistress?"

"Yes, of course you. You are a dragon. You can consume the essence of both angels and demons. As a pure demon, I cannot consume the hearts of other demons. Destroying the heart prevents the being from coming back to life. Zaebos was also a skilled swordsman, so this should be a convenient opportunity for you to take."

Alastor nodded, and walked over to Zaebos. Vetis waved a hand and the stone spears pinning Zaebos to the wall removed themselves from his flesh, dropping his body to the ground. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Alastor reached down and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up off the ground. Zaebos made a pained gurgling sound. Alastor grinned wickedly, an idea forming in his mind. Why not give mistress a show to calm her down? He glanced over at Vetis and she nodded at him. Now he had her full attention, he turned back to Zaebos, who was fully conscious.

"You've been very, very bad." Alastor said. Zaebos spat a glob of blood at Alastor's face. Alastor didn't even flinch when the hot liquid splattered over him. He reached up and his claws flashed, slicing open Zaebos' face. Alastor slowly began to peel Zaebos' skin off, the demon shrieking with agony. Blood ran in copious amounts down Alastor's arms as he worked, stripping away the skin and scales, until Zaebos had been skinned and scalped over his face. Next, Alastor reached up and very slowly tore out the eyes, making sure to pull out as much optic nerves as he could. The left eye was first, then the right, dropping to the floor next to the discarded skin and blood. Alastor was covered with thick dark red demon blood from the waist up now. He couldn't help but feel slightly aroused as he felt it dripping down his legs. Zaebos was wailing and shrieking, thrashing in Alastor's iron grip, unable to free himself from the torment.

Finally, Alastor lowered his hand to Zaebos' chest, and began to push his talons forwards slowly, puncturing skin and muscle with ease. He could feel the muscle fibres separating around his claws as he pushed, more hot blood gushing over him. There was a bit of resistance when He reached the sternum, but a loud crack announced the shattering of ribs and cartilage. There was a sickening sucking sound as Alastor finally pulled Zaebos' heart free from his chest cavity, letting the limp body drop to the floor in an abused heap. Alastor turned to Vetis, clutching the heart. Vetis had been touching herself quite openly during the show, clearly enjoying the bloody spectacle.

"Oh please, don't stand on ceremony." She said, sounding a little breathless.

Alastor nodded, and took a huge bite out of the heart, swallowing greedily. He was getting used to the sickly sweet taste of demon heart, it didn't make him shudder that much any more. He swallowed the rest of it and licked his lips.

"Good...now we go after Adramelech." Vetis said, getting to her feet.