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Into Kaguuroth’s Domain

Written by: TiranMaster

Commissioned by: Teebs13

Information on the Rakkholm was sparse to say the least, generations of knowledge of the civilization had been lost over time, either lost or perhaps buried. Any books that contained any knowledge on them seemed to only have the barest knowledge of them, scraps of information that didn’t add up to much of anything. Scholars had attempted time and time again to dig up some kind of information, but they often hit dead ends with nothing more to show than the last who’d attempted the fruitless task.

The gryphons of Rakkholm had managed marvels in their time, the few relics that remained showed that they had attained a knowledge of magic and science far beyond what modern day mages and scholars were able to understand. Few scholars looked into them any longer, most of them having decided it was a pipe dream, no information of any substance seemed to remain. One of the few that did still keep his eyes towards the distant past though was Teebs, the gryphon adventurer’s voracious appetite for knowledge had him desperate for some hint of information on the ancient gryphons.

It was that incessant need for knowledge that led him into libraries tucked away in ancient ruins, hidden away places that most scholars could not, or would not go out of fear for their safety. Ancient tomes, scrolls, any scrap of paper he could lay his hands on, he came up with dead ends. Information on the Rakkholm was proving extremely elusive, and every time he thought he came close to digging up some pertinent information it would slip through his claws. Fellow scholars warned him not to put too much stock into finding anything of worth, but that didn’t stop him.

After months of diving into dangerous ruins, Teebs was sitting in a crumbling library somewhere deep in the Craghelm mountains. He’d found the library after looking over several old maps, most people agreed that there was nothing out there, but the gryphon had proven himself to be very good at digging up things that tried to stay hidden. Even so, there in the forgotten library, Teebs held a scroll between his hands, the paper so fragile he had to hold it extremely carefully. His eyes traced over the words his beak pulled into a firm line, his eyes darkening as he found himself once more at a dead end.

“The Rakkholms are an enigma to us,” he growled, reciting the words from the scroll. For a brief moment he felt a flash of rage, briefly considered throwing the scroll away... but tempered his emotions, taking a steadying breath before setting the scroll down. Rubbing at his face, he let out a series of calming breaths. He had been so sure that this time he would have found something, just a hint to unlocking the mysteries of the ancients... but nothing.

For a moment the gryphon felt defeated, his head bowing, his hands clasped together as he pressed them to his forehead. Every single way he had approached the problem from, he’d ended up hitting another roadblock... Well, not EVERY way he supposed. The griffin nibbled on a talon, staring at a tome he’d sat out upon a stone table. It was one he’d brought along with him from another library, one that had contained special rituals, the kind that might get him into the courts of those who might truly be able to get him the information he needed.

It would be dangerous, Teebs was well aware, and any other scholar would call him fool headed, if not outright screaming at him. He had tried so many different paths though, and nothing was coming together, he NEEDED to know more. Standing up, he picked up his staff and brought it over to the table before flipping open the book to a page he had marked. Upon the tome’s dry surface, several ritual runes were inscribed in a language he could scarcely parse. He was able to comprehend enough of the language to know that it was some form of a summoning ritual, one to call upon a being who might be able to give him some sort of clue, or lead him to someone who might know.

Tapping his claw on the page a few times, Teebs sighed before he started to move things in the room, clearing himself plenty of space to work with. The ritual was actually not that complicated, but he wanted to try and make sure none of the ancient texts in the room would get ruined by being so close to such dark magic. Once he had made sure there was enough room, Teebs took the end of his staff and started to trace a symbol on the ground, using the dust and sand that had gathered there over time to draw in. With every motion, Teebs had his mind set on his goal, considering the magic he was drawing upon, focusing his thoughts towards the task.

The symbol started to glow before it was even finished, the dust and sand seeming to crystallize into black obsidian right before the end of the gryphon’s staff. The air started to warm up, the natural light that seeped into the room seemed to dim, instead being replaced by an otherworldly light source. Every sense that Teebs possessed told him that this was wrong, he was calling upon something that should be left alone... but he couldn’t retreat now, he had set his mind to this. So with a few final strokes, Teebs finished the sigil, stepping back and blinking a few times blearily at the symbol he had drawn.

Somehow, though he had traced it directly from the book, it looked... different, somehow more sinister, certainly it glowed with an energy. Teebs let out a long breath before straightening up, staff in hand, and stared out into the distance. “I beckon you into this realm,” he spoke aloud. He had managed to ascertain that the ritual required some sort of invitation, the specific words didn’t seem to matter, but the intention had to be plain.

Upon speaking the words, they echoed into the eerie light of the room, and then a fiery portal formed over the demonic sigil. It ignited in one central point before growing rapidly, forming into a doorway, one that simmered with such heat it melted the rock underneath it. Teebs took a couple of steps back, wincing at the heat, but before he could retreat too far the portal vanished. In its place was a creature that Teebs couldn’t think of a name of, it looked somewhat like a goat in appearance, large breasts were upon its chest, and it wore not a single piece of clothing save for a necklace and several bangles.

It... or rather she glanced around the room, her eyes a lurid green, her body seeming to crackle with the same heat as the portal. Her piercings were glowing bright orange initially, but already they were cooling down into a more temperate silver. Brushing her long red locks out of her eyes, she settled upon Teebs, a smile crossing her muzzle. “Well, well, who do we have here? I have not seen a summoning that thorough in quite a while, not many know the true runes to call my kind here.”

She had an energy about her, a cunning that made the gryphon a little ill at ease, but more than that... she seemed to be sexually charged. She ran a hand up her side, rolled her hips, smiled with a seductive energy that made Teebs very uncomfortable. “My name is not important,” he started, feeling like he should get off on the right foot.

“None of that,” she snapped, her eyes flaring, “I shall not play games. You summoned me here, so be cordial, little gryphon. I won’t play any games with you, I do not use names as bargaining chips, so tell me yours truthfully, and I will reciprocate.”

The condemnation made Teebs suddenly feel a little foolish, his eyes dropping briefly before he met the green eyes once more. “Fine. I am Teebs, I have summoned you here because I have a need of finding answers.”

This caused the demon to purr in satisfaction, she started to walk around the room, gazing at all of the books scattered about. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Teebs the summoner,” she said, curling her tail as she glanced over her shoulder to look at him. “My name is Kainan, and I may be able to help you find those answers.” She took a deep breath, sniffing the air, closing her eyes briefly as she considered the smells. “Many scents here in the mortal plane, smells of books, sand, gryphon, and...” she cocked her head, “curses...” the last word she said in a smaller voice, more curious.

“What was that?” Teebs asked, not quite certain he heard her correctly.

“Hm,” she replied, scratching her chin for a moment as she turned to face him more seriously. “It does not matter at this moment. What question are you seeking answers to, Teebs? Why have you summoned me?”

For a moment Teebs considered asking further questions, but decided to stick to the reason he had started the summoning at all. “The Rakkholm,” he said, a bit more confident in his tone as he stood straighter, “they vanished a long time ago. No one nor any text seems to have any knowledge of their existence or why they vanished, I seek to find out the answer.”

The demoness seemed to think about his question, curling her tail this way and that, she paced around the room with an almost playful energy. Her eyes never seemed to leave Teebs, and he couldn’t help but tighten his grip on his staff. “I can see that you’re serious,” she purred, “but I do not have the answers you are looking for.” The gryphon felt a wave of defeat come over him, but the chimera continued. “That being said, I do know someone who may be able to properly help you... if you are willing to follow me.”

That was a big request, already the demoness was tracing a claw upon a stone wall, carving a different sigil into it. “Where are you going?” Teebs asked, making sure to emphasize the “you” as he didn’t want the demon assuming he would be following blindly.

“Aetherius,” she answered, turning to gauge his reaction. Teeb’s complexion certainly paled a bit at the mention of the demonic realm, the realm of death itself. “You will be under no immediate threat of harm. Anything that may happen to you will be completely of your volition. Once your questions have been answered and you feel our deal is done, then you may return here safely.”

“We don’t have a deal as of yet,” Teebs said, his eyes careful as he watched the demon. “We’ve made no bond as of yet, aside from your summoning.”

Kainan chuckled, a sinister sound, but one without too much malice. “You are smart, that is a good thing where we are going. Then let me make this official,” she said, turning to face him seriously. It was just then that Teebs realized she was taller than he, and though she had a curvy figure, she had muscles underneath her fur that rippled dangerously this close. “I Kainan, shall make a deal with you who summoned me. For the duration of our time together, I will make sure you are safe. Any harm done to you shall only be allowed if you are to make a deal allowing for such a situation to occur. Otherwise, consider me your guardian until I return you here to this realm.”

A magic sizzled in the air, a deal being formed. “I accept,” he said, taking the chance before she could rescind it. The magic was bound with their word, Teebs suddenly felt a little more comfortable, though the idea of going to Aetherius was still an intimidating prospect. “So... who are we going to meet?”

The chimera turned back to the wall, finishing her carving and allowing the magic to take hold, forming a doorway in the wall. “Why spoil the fun?” she asked, smirking at him as she stepped to one side, gesturing to the portal in the wall. This portal looked much safer than the fiery one he’d summoned her through, instead it was a black hole that seemingly led into darkness. It... was still frightening to consider, but much less so than the prospect of being cooked.

“You’re not making it easy to trust you,” Teebs said, taking a few tentative steps towards the wall, eying the portal nervously.

“Ah, well there’s the catch,” Kainan purred, her voice suddenly right in his ear. “You shouldn’t trust demons you haven’t made a deal with,” she chuckled, and she pushed him forward into the portal. Moments later, he was falling through a void between worlds. For a brief moment the gryphon was worried that he had made a grave mistake, but within seconds his feet touched down onto a cold onyx floor.

From behind the gryphon, Kainan stepped through, the portal vanishing behind her as she strolled around him with a broad smile. “You’re lucky I didn’t trip,” Teebs growled, brushing himself off despite not having anything on him.

“You gryphons are awfully good at landing on your feet. Now, follow me, and stay close. There are other demons here who would love nothing more than to play around with someone like you.” She started forward, not bothering to make sure he was keeping pace.

“Someone like me?” Teebs asked, speeding up to keep close to her.

“Oh yes,” she chuckled, her eyes sparkling as she met his gaze, “someone with a soul is quite prized around here.” Something about that made his stomach drop even further, but he couldn’t bother to voice his concerns as they left the shadows and entered into a massive court.

The room was huge, there were a variety of strange beings within the room, light came shining through massive windows that were obscured from showing anything beyond. “This is... incredible,” he breathed, turning around to gaze at the massive room. He was standing where few other mortals had ever been, and he knew the place to be truly dangerous, he couldn’t help but feel honored somehow.

“Mind yourself,” Kainan said, grabbing his arm to keep him close. Nearby, demons watched him, their eyes glimmering with interest. Their horns were sharp, their presence had a certain malice, and they smiled at him welcomingly. “They may look friendly, but I can promise you, they want nothing more than to tear into you for your soul.”

Teebs didn’t bother responding, he just continued to look about in wonder. The architecture of the place was like something out of a grand cathedral, but there was no specific deity on display for worship. “Who are we going to see? I really would rather have some sort of warning if I’m to meet with someone powerful.”

“Oh, don’t you worry. You’ll know him when you see him,” she giggled, the sound surprisingly pleasant, though he supposed that was part of her allure. Following after her, Teebs made sure to stay close enough to keep himself safe from the wary eyes of the demons about them, but not so close as to bump into her should she stop. He was deeply aware of her nature, her body exuded a seductive lure that might catch him if he stayed too close for too long.

She stepped up to a pair of doors and proceeded to push them open, allowing a waft of warm air to hit Teebs in the face, an orange light illuminating her form as she smiled at him, showing off a mouth full of sharp teeth. “Welcome to my lord’s lands, please, take a look.” She stepped aside causing the gryphon to wince once more with the blossoming orange light, he took a few tentative steps out onto a large balcony. Once Teebs’ eyes had adjusted to the sudden light, his mouth dropped agape at the sight that he looked upon.

Beneath was a massive wasteland of fire and pain, below, several demonic denizens were all fulfilling various activities of savagery upon smaller creatures. Pools of lava were scattered amongst the wasteland, some containing screaming souls, unable to do anything other than try to keep their heads above the molten liquid. Though they were all clearly in pain, they wouldn’t die... or rather, couldn’t, as they had all already passed beyond life’s doors. Teebs’ stomach dropped at the horrific sight, but it wasn’t just that, he now understood who Kainan truly served.

Turning away from the awful sight, Teebs looked upon the succubus with newfound wariness, his hand clasping tight about the wood of his staff. “I understand now,” he said, his voice degrees colder.

“Oh?” Kainan asked coquettishly, widening her eyes in false surprise. “Please, do go on. What do you understand?”

“Your master, he is Kaguuroth, isn’t here?” The name hung heavy on the air, demons in the distance seemed to flinch, though Teebs was certain they would normally be unable to hear anything spoken from that distance. Nearby, any demons who had been sneaking up to listen in on their conversation fled at the name.

“You’d best be careful,” Kainan said, smiling even as she delivered the warning, “his name can scare off the small fry. But it can also enrage those who truly matter, and though I’ve made an oath, there are some fates even I cannot prevent.”

Teebs straightened up, seeing the effect that the name had. “You don’t deny it,” he stated.

“I do not,” she said simply, turning away from him once more and gesturing to him to follow her down a staircase built off of the balcony. “Now, if you’re done gawking, my master is waiting. Believe me, he is aware of your presence, more so now that you’ve mentioned his name.”

For a long moment Teebs considered not following her, or better yet, demanding that she deliver him back to his realm. His eyes turned towards the fiery lakes before, recognizing them from tales told to him in his youth, as many were told. Those whose souls were tainted would often be delivered into the hands of Kaguur, the demon who would take great pleasure in torturing those souls. This was his opportunity though, to finally learn the truth of Rakkholm, from the mouth of a being so ancient as to possibly have seen the birth of civilization.

Letting out a small sigh, he started down the stairs, almost losing sight of Kainan from his hesitance. He lashed out with his staff, slamming a demon up against a wall who’d been attempting to sneak up on him. “Believe it or not, I’m not someone to mess with,” he growled, leaning in towards the demon, “even if the only one of us you fear is Kainan.”

The demon wheezed in reply, unable to draw breath. “Leave him,” Kainan called from down the stairs, “he’s not worth the time.” Teebs made sure to push in just a little harder before withdrawing and following his demonic guide, his senses constantly seeking for the next threat. Though she claimed to be the only reason he was safe in the realm, he was sure he could handle himself... well, except against Kaguuroth, he wasn’t certain there was a mortal who could take on the arch-demon himself.

[center]***[/center]

The walk to the palace of Kaguuroth was a long one, bringing them down into a massive courtyard filled with massive gardens. Despite himself, Teebs found himself admiring the gardens, their luscious and beautiful bounty... and then he saw the hand reaching out of the ground, clutching for aid. The sight brought his mood down and reminded him where he was, the heat certainly made it hard to forget as well. The closer to the palace they went, the more lava pools he saw, and the heat was nearly enough to get him to stop. Kainan’s assurances that it would be far better within only soothed his concerns somewhat, all he could hope was that there would be a faster method to get back than having to walk up the tower once more.

The moment the gryphon stepped foot into the magnificent manor, Teebs immediately let out a sigh of relief. Magic lingered at the door that tempered the heat, and though it was still a little warmer than he might like it was manageable. His feathers were ruffled from the heat, but Teebs didn’t care too much if he didn’t look picture perfect for the demon. “Wait here,” Kainan said, gesturing towards a plush and welcoming chair sat in the foyer. “I will go and inform my master of your situation.”

Teebs considered arguing, but he didn’t mind having a few moments more before he had to be face to face with the arch-demon. After all, if he could make his visit as short as possible, all the better. So he took a seat, enjoying the chair, and was surprised when a cold glass of water was pressed into his hand. “Courtesy of my master, there are no conditions on your accepting it, it is given freely.” The servant who handed it to him was nearly as busty as Kainan, but she seemed softer and less harsh than the succubus.

“Thank you,” Teebs said, still wary, but decided that the risk was worth it, after all, he was incredibly thirsty after the walk. Sipping down the delectably cool water, it wasn’t long before Kainan was standing before him once more.

“It is time,” she announced, watching as he stood from the chair, empty glass having already been whisked away by the servant. The gryphon felt no different after the water, so he had to take it on her word that the demon had truly done nothing to his beverage. Behind the succubus, he was led into Kaguuroth’s throne room, a massive room fit for a king... and he supposed that was on purpose.

The room’s dark atmosphere gave the illusion of continuing on forever, only for the vivid red carpet to unfurl itself all the way to the stairs leading up to the arch-demon himself. Teebs’ eyes trailed up, following the carpet, his gaze soon landing on the feet of the demon and leading further up until he was looking up the entirety of one of the most powerful demons he’d heard of. Kaguuroth was perched upon his throne, an unreadable expression on his face, one of his clawed fingers brushing through the luxurious black fur of his mane.

He was tall, even sitting down, Teebs got the impression that the demon would tower over him should he stand. The demon did not bother to wear clothes, much as many of the other demons did not. The demon allowed his manhood to sit out proudly, his legs spread wide enough to allow a pure view of it, Teebs averting his gaze from the brazen position as best as he could. His body was physical perfection, large abs atop a powerful six pack. His arms were massive, scales covering his shoulders and arms resembling armor with rippling biceps that Teebs was certain could be used to overpower him. His head bore horns that somewhat resembled a crown in their elegance, wrapping around the demon’s face, pulling his gaze towards the demon’s lurid yellow eyes.

One of the demon’s taloned toes tapped a rhythmic beat in time... and the gryphon realized with a shake that it was in time with his own heartbeat. The demon’s face curled into a cruel smile as his tapping sped up to match the gryphon’s heart. “Welcome,” he purred, his voice a deep bass, it echoed throughout the enormous room. Neither Kainan nor Teebs had quite reached the foot of the stairs just yet, but it appeared that the demon didn’t mind starting early.

Behind them, the grand doors shut themselves with a flick of Kaguur’s fingers. From behind him, a serpent slithered out of the shadows, sliding out into the light that seemed to sit upon the arch-demon. The snake wormed its way up in a way that it shouldn’t be able to, seeming to float... and then it clicked, the serpent wasn’t just a snake but rather it was Kaguuroth’s tail. “You’re smart to be frightened,” the serpent said, its eyes alighting on Teebs, “Kaguuroth isss not one to be taken lightly.”

The snake’s voice was feminine, her eyes the same shade of yellow as Kaguuroth’s own, her motions almost hypnotic in their undulation. Teebs swallowed, attempting to slow his heart, relieved when Kaguuroth stopped mocking him with the tapping of his claw. “Kaguuroth, I am here to deal with you.” He announced, shocked at how confident his voice sounded compared to the fear he felt.

“Clearly,” Kaguuroth said, leaning on one arm of his throne, his scales and horns glinting in the light with the motion. “Kainan, you’ve brought an interesting guest today. I can smell magic upon him, has a foolish mage attempted to deal with me today?”

“Not quite, your highness,” Kainan said, bowing once she’d reached the bottom of the stairs. “He bears a curse within his veins, I cannot say where from, but I thought you might find it interesting, my liege. He is an intelligent sort, one who seeks knowledge others would balk at. He was able to ascertain an ancient summoning that was able to draw me to the mortal plane.”

Kaguuroth drew in a deep breath, scenting the air, his tail’s tongue forking out to taste the air as well. “This is an ancient curse,” the tail noted, her eyes narrowing into thin slits. “It appearsss to have originated from an ancestor.”

“Silence, Elise,” Kaguur commanded, and while the snake looked irritated she shut her mouth before speaking more. Teebs wasn’t certain what they were all speaking about, he did not feel as if he had a curse upon him, but clearly it would not be a bad idea to listen. The arch-demon stared down upon him for several minutes, his tail moving about him to look at the gryphon from different angles. “You know my name, young gryphon, please tell me yours so that we may deal in good faith.”

Teebs was silent for a moment, his eyes briefly met Kainan’s and she gestured for him to move on. “Teebs, your... excellence.” He hesitated for a brief moment, unsure what honorific to use for the arch-demon, but he assumed that talking up to the demon’s ego would be to his benefit. Kaguuroth nodded in acknowledgement of the praise, but said nothing else, waiting for the mortal to go on. “I have come to inquire as to the mysteries of the Rakkholm, they have long been gone from my world with no mention of what fate befell them. No scholars nor texts have any information on what happened to them, and so I thought that I would step beyond my own plane in an attempt to uncover the truth.”

Listening to the gryphon’s request, Kaguuroth slowly stroked the underside of his tail’s chin. She looked briefly annoyed, but then she leaned into the touch, clearly enjoying the scratching. “Is that all?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow as he surveyed the gryphon.

For a moment Teebs was about to say yes, but then he froze as he thought about what the three had been discussing. “This... curse,” he said slowly, uncertain of what it might be. “I’ve never heard of such a curse upon me or my line... Can you tell me what it is?”

“I could do more than that,” Kaguuroth chuckled, the bassy noise rocking Teebs to his bones. “I could remove it from you, if you would like. I could do that, and inform you of the fate of the Rakkholm, these are all easy things for one as powerful as I.” He seemed to revel in his self-importance, Kainan watching on in something like pride, while his own tail seemed irritated with his aggrandizing nature. “The question is, what can you do for me, little mortal? What possible use could I have for a meager gryphon such as you?”

Teebs felt his pride recoil at the slight, he straightened up as his eyes flared with rage his grip tight on his staff. He knew better than to attack an arch-demon, but for a brief moment he considered it. “I’m rather capable of many things. I’ve accumulated quite a bit of knowledge and I’m stronger than one might think looking at me. Don’t count me out just because I’m a mortal.”

Kaguuroth cocked his head as he looked over the mortal, his smile never fading from his mouth. “You are correct, I have insulted you, and I apologize for the slight. I could indeed make use of you... very well, then let me offer my services in exchange for one thing.”

“What is it?” Teebs asked, the gryphon’s eyes lighting up in excitement. He would finally be unable to uncover a mystery long thought unsolvable, and more than that, he would rid himself of whatever curse clung to him. He still was unsure of what it might do, but rarely were curses anything good.

Holding up one finger, Kaguur looked beyond it to peer right into Teebs’ eyes. “One favor of my choosing. Anything I ask of you, you shall do.” Teebs opened his mouth, at first to try and renegotiate what kind of tasks he would be willing to do, but Kaguur’s eyes glowed ominously. “Anything I ask, that is the price of what you ask for. Rakkholm, and the removal of the curse, I shall do these things, and you will do as I command.”

Teebs froze, for a brief moment filled with a dread of what the arch-demon might require of him... but he needed to know, and this might be the only chance he would get. “Fine,” he said, feeling the magic starting to gather in the air. “In return for what I have asked, I will do one favor for you, anything you would like.” He grimaced as the magic gathered and sealed the pact, much like the one that Kainan had made with him, but this one scared him. He could feel the pact gather around his soul, if he were to fail to do as he was told, he would lose something deep within himself that he would never be able to take back.

Kaguuroth’s smile deepened as he settled back on his throne, seeming to indulge in the pact they had made. “Alright, the deal is struck,” Teebs said, straightening up even as he felt the nervous flutter in his stomach. “It’s time for your part of the deal.”

“Oh?” Kaguuroth purred, his eyes alighting at the audacity of the mortal, “not quite, young one. I am calling in my favor, now.”

“What?! No, this isn’t-” Teebs groaned as he felt a tug of the magic, his soul suddenly aching as the magic seemed to threaten the gryphon’s very existence.

“Oh, yes it is, Teebs,” Kaguuroth chuckled, speaking the gryphon’s name for the first time. Somehow, when the demon said it, his name rang with malice. “I am calling in my favor now, and then we can proceed to what you have requested.”

Swallowing deeply, Teebs quivered with anger and fear, knowing that he needed to do as the demon requested, or else he would lose his very soul. “Very well,” he said, his mouth suddenly achingly dry as he looked at the demon with thinly veiled rage. “What is the favor you would ask of me?”

The demon seemed too pleased with the gryphon’s rage, his expression one of glee as he gestured for the gryphon to come closer. Teebs hesitated for a moment, but started up the stairs, Kainan stepping aside to allow him easier access. “Make sure to not harm him, my lord,” she called, “I made an oath with him to do him no harm... that he does not allow himself, that is.”

Kaguur nodded in acknowledgement of her words, but his eyes did not leave the gryphon as he climbed the staircase to stand in front of the arch-demon. This close, Teebs could feel the demon’s power, the sheer malice that Kaguuroth’s presence seemed to radiate. He towered over Teebs, even sitting, his eyes gazing down upon the mortal with amusement. “My favor is a simple one, I want you to worship me.”

Teebs swallowed deeply, feeling sick to his stomach. “I will not devote myself to you, if that is what you are asking.” He could feel the faint draw on his soul, him walking too close to declining the favor. “I think becoming a devoted follower is more than what your favor requires.”

“I apologize, let me rephrase my words,” Kaguuroth chuckled, “I want you to worship my body with yours,” he purred, cradling his manhood with one of his massive hands. “Fall upon your knees, and service me. Show my body the praise it deserves, my feet, my cock, my body. Do this favor, and I will grant you your request.”

Revulsion filled Teebs, for a brief moment he considered telling the demon to shove it. Even that consideration hurt him, made his soul feel like it was seeping out, a chain dug into his chest. “Of... of course,” he spat, feeling himself shudder at the thought of touching the demon. He slowly got onto all fours, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment as he could feel three sets of eyes on him. Kaguuroth smirked in amusement, his tail watched on passively, and from behind him Kainan giggled in a cute way. “Could she leave?” he asked quietly, feeling like he was being made a fool.

“Does my presence bother you?” Kainan asked, her voice filled with delight.

“She will stay,” Kaguur growled, “now do as you have been told, unless you plan to break the deal so soon.” Teebs said nothing more, he crawled forward, feeling like a fool as he dragged himself towards the massive demon. He found himself staring at the demon’s massive feet, he closed his eyes and screwed up his courage before kissing one, followed by the other. They didn’t taste too bad thankfully, but there was a faint scent that wafted off of them. “Good, continue,” Kaguur commanded.

Moving from the demon’s feet, Teebs started to get up onto his knees, moving up the demon’s legs, pressing kisses to his flesh. Nearby he could hear the faint hiss of a snake near his ear, her tongue dancing out of her mouth before flicking against his feathers. “Ssslower, mortal. Kaguuroth wants to enjoy this after all, it is not every day we have a mortal seeking audience.”

Anger flared in Teebs’ chest, he considered snapping at the serpent, but he calmed himself as he remembered the reasons he was doing this in the first place. He would find answers to questions no other mortal had found, he would be able to write down the answers and become a famous scholar in his own right. All it would take was for him to do this simple task for an arch-demon, no mortal would ever know the truth, and frankly he didn’t care what the demons thought of him. The gryphon slowed his movements, kissing the flesh of the demon, hugging his massive leg, stroking his warm flesh. “Is this more to your liking?” he growled, unable to take the anger from his words.

“That is fine, continue,” Kaguur growled, his own words dripping with amusement. Teebs did as he was told, giving kiss after kiss to the demon’s flesh as he climbed his way up, stroking him, worshiping his body. He froze when he finally climbed his way up to the demon’s crotch. There sat his manhood, dark flesh glistened with sweat, not quite erect but massive all the same. He could feel all of them looking at him, as if daring him to stop, an action that would doom him. But he had already come this far, so he leaned forward and picked up the demon’s massive sack.

Burning with shame, Teebs leaned forward and nuzzled into the demon’s massive balls, giving them kisses at first. “You can do more than that,” Kainan shouted from down below, her voice filled with unspoken laughter. “I’ve seen cheap whores do better.”

Shooting a glare over at the demon behind him, Teebs refocused himself before looking forward once more. He swallowed his pride as best as he could before he started to suckle on the demon’s great balls, his mouth filled with the acrid taste of demon ball sweat. It was something he had never imagined he would experience, and truthfully he hoped he never would again. The flesh rolled under his tongue, his mouth moving to start sliding under the demon’s shaft. During the process of handling his cock, Kaguuroth’s shaft had started to harden.

The gryphon tried to disengage as much as he could from what he was doing, but he could only go so far before he had to refocus. Kaguur feeding him corrections on how to please him, the demon’s chest purring with pleasure. His tail even writhed a bit, fed through some link the pleasure that his body was feeling. Teebs’ tongue burned from the heat of the demon’s manhood, it simmered under his tongue, burning with an inhumane warmth that threatened to burn him. He didn’t stop though, he didn’t dare, wary of the consequences that might befall him.

After a while, Teebs wondered if he would have to continue until Kaguuroth came, and he was unsure if he’d be able to last for that long considering the heat. Thankfully, after several minutes, Kaguur let out a deep growl. “Enough.” His voice hadn’t lost its intensity, but there was a certain tone that seemed to imply he was sated. “On to the rest of the body, your task is almost finished.”

Relief washed over Teebs, and he took to the rest of his task with new gusto. After the humiliation of dealing with the demon’s cock, everything else felt almost amateurish. He sped through everything with an almost clinical precision, only slowing down whenever Kaguuroth or Elise instructed him to. It was clear from their tones though that they knew that the mortal would finish his task, almost bored with the results. Clambering down after what felt like an hour, Teebs was sweaty, his body ached, and his mouth tasted... foul. He’d been made to worship every part of the demon, he had been fully expecting to be made to kiss the demon, but Kaguur had turned him away before that had happened.

Landing on the floor, the gryphon swayed for a moment, exhausted and dehydrated. “I’ve done as you asked,” he said, glaring up at the demon. “Fulfill your end of the bargain.”

Kaguuroth stared at him for a few moments, his expression impossible to read. “I suppose you have,” he finally said, seeming almost disappointed before sighing. “Very well, I shall do my part as you have fulfilled your part of the bargain. Therefore, I will do as you have requested. I shall remove your curse, and then inform you on the fate of the gryphons of Rakkholm.”

Despite having been forced to crawl across the arch-demon and having done horribly demeaning things, Teebs couldn’t help but smile. “Fantastic,” he breathed. What he wasn’t expecting was Kaguuroth to look past him and nod at Kainan.

Within an instant, Teebs was torn from where he stood and slammed onto the ground, his eyes widening in horror as he watched as Kaguur stood from his throne. “You’re breaking your promise!” he spat, glaring up at Kainan who was holding him down with remarkable ease.

“This is part of removing your curse,” she explained, smiling at him with glee, “it requires a little bit of pain, my apologies. You requested this though, and so I am well within my means to do what needs to be done. Do not worry, it shall not last for long.”

Kaguuroth walked down the stairs with an easy gait, his tail seeming to smile with excitement as she stared at the prone gryphon. “We shall do no more harm than what is required,” the demon said, his voice set in a cadence similar to a ritual chant. “You have requested I purge the curse from you, and so I shall do so. With the help of Elise, we will cleanse your body of the curse, and once that is done, we will fulfill the other part of the bargain.”

Teebs couldn’t help but writhe, his heart was beating fast, his eyes focused on the tail as she drew near. “Isn’t there any other way?!” he gasped, feeling his heart racing. He watched as the tail drew back and whipped out in an instant, latching her fangs into his neck. The gryphon gasped as the initial pain hit him, but within moments an odd numbness spread from her fangs. He gasped as he felt a strange sensation, it didn’t take him long to realize that the serpent was sucking at his neck as if she were a vampire.

Something started to absorb from the prone gryphon into the tail, a faint blue light shimmering from deep inside of her, the ancient curse being drawn out of Teebs. The sensation wasn’t pleasant, nor was it painful, but it was constant. Teebs felt something deep within himself being pulled away, thankfully he was sure it wasn’t his soul, but something else that had existed within him since the day he hatched. Kaguur watched on, his expression impassive, the light flowing up through his tail and seeping into him. It was a strange sight to watch as the blue glow seemed to coalesce in the demon’s abdomen, a dull light that seemed to strengthen with every pull of the snake’s mouth.

The gryphon realized something as the curse was being absorbed, his intense pride... it was shrinking by the moment. Teebs had always been highly motivated, he’d thought it was just his personality, not realizing that it was the curse itself. It had taken his natural pride and desire and cranked it up, it was the only reason he had spent so much of his life trying to surpass all others he’d met. Scholars, warriors, even friends, he had always strived to be better than them all. The release of all of that pride, it was... relieving, he let out a sigh as he felt his drive lessen to a more manageable level.

With all of that release, Teebs also suddenly realized how deeply foolish he had been to make this deal, to prostrate himself at a demon’s feet. After this, he would retreat to a more sedate place, it was clear he had to rethink things he had done throughout his life. As the curse was being drained away, Kaguuroth suddenly jerked, his eyes widening as a powerful pulse of blue energy was sucked into Elise. “What?!” he gasped, groaning as the blue light started to shift in his body.

“Sire?” Kainan asked, looking up in concern.

The arch-demon didn’t respond though, being suddenly overwhelmed by the power of the curse flowing into him. It was as if Elise had bitten into a thick vein of the curse, and it was flowing through her with such intensity as to have stunned her. The snake’s eyes glowed blue, she didn’t move, didn’t stop sucking, instead she was completely frozen as she absorbed more and more of the curse. Teebs moaned as the feeling had intensified, rushing out of him in a powerful wave, all of it being directed into Kaguuroth. As for the demon himself, all of the blue energy was starting to coalesce in his balls, swelling with growing power and urgency.

It all happened so fast, none of them had an opportunity to react. The last of the curse was sucked out of Teebs, the gryphon going limp as it spilled out of him and it powered through Elise before finally ending up in Kaguur’s massive balls. The demon growled and clenched, his eyes glittering blue for a brief moment, and then he erupted. The power of the ejaculation knocked Kainan away, slamming her into a nearby wall, the stone crumbling under her weight. Teebs was knocked back as well, though to less of an effect as the demon’s cock shot out a black stream of ichor.

The air was filled with a haze of crackling magic as Kaguuroth’s roar bounced off of the walls, the echo slowly dying as the arch-demon staggered back, his eyes hazy with lust. The ichor he’d shot out splattered onto the ground, momentarily still. Teebs was dizzy, unsure of what had happened, his head swimming as his thoughts and emotions were still in turmoil from the removal of the curse. He looked over to see the black goo near him started to shift and move, drawing into one central point, starting to bubble and form into a different shape.

Kainan and Kaguuroth slowly started to climb to their feet, though not in time to stop the black goo from forming into something. “[b]Weakling![/b]” A voice spat, it sounded... somewhat similar to Teebs’ own, albeit with an ominous echo. The goo gathered and grew, pulling into a shape, forming in some sort of duplicate of the gryphon’s body. “[b]You would just throw yourself at the feet of that demon like a whore?! For what?! You are nothing but a weak sack of meat![/b]” The voice was angry, no, that wasn’t enough to describe the sheer rage.

All of them watched as the goo fully coalesced into a shadowy double of Teebs, within its body a blue glow hummed danced through it like lightning. Its eyes were blue orbs, staring at the prone gryphon with hatred. “What... are you?” Teebs asked, managing to find his way to his feet with the help of his staff.

“[b]Your power that you threw away![/b]” the shadow double spat, baring its claws that dripped the same black ichor it was made of. “[b]I will not be destroyed so easily though, I am your strength, and I will take back what you have taken from me![/b]”

Teebs barely reacted in time, throwing up his staff, blocking a wild attack from his shadowy duplicate. The pair fell into a familiar routine they had performed hundreds of times, moving back and forth across the wide room in a wild duel. It was strange, Teebs knew the duplicate’s every move as if they were his own, but it was also different. This version of himself threw himself recklessly behind every attack, as if it weren’t concerned with its own wellbeing. He on the other hand was trying desperately to avoid being struck by the claws, fearing... something. He wasn’t certain, but something was very wrong, and he feared that if he lost this battle something bad would happen.

Kainan leapt forward, making her way between the two combatants, she rounded upon the shadow duplicate. “I can’t let you hurt him!” she snarled.

“[b]But you cannot harm me either,[/b]” the shadow sneered. Kainan hesitated for a moment before lashing out with a claw, but she was repelled violently. Her body was torn up as if she had clawed herself, a scream echoing through the room as she was volleyed through the air once more. Teebs barely a moment’s reprieve before he was thrust back into combat, finding himself on the back foot through the encounter, unable to launch nearly as many attacks as his opponent. For every vain attempt he tried, his attack was batted away viciously before several more came his way, managing to strike him several times shredding his clothing.

Kaguuroth stepped forward, intending to end the battle, but some remains of the curse within himself slowed his movements. Just slow enough for the battle to be ended in an instant. The shadowy copy dropped into a crouch and lashed out with its legs, tripping Teebs and knocking him to the ground. It was brief, but it was more than enough for his duplicate to screech in victory before pouncing upon the prone gryphon. Kaguur recognized that the battle was last, leaning back and watching in interest to see what happened as the two figures struggled upon the ground.

Teebs gasped as his shadowy double leapt upon him, somehow managing to wiggle its way under him. “[b]There we go, much better,[/b]” his duplicate purred, wrapping his dripping arms around the original’s chest. Though the creature was made of shadow, Teebs swore he could feel the pressure of the duplicate’s manhood underneath him.

“Get off of me!” Teebs snarled, trying to bash his head against his copy’s head, but only managing to splash through the dark goo ineffectually.

“[b]I don’t think so,[/b]” the other chuckled, running an unnaturally long tongue down the side of the gryphon’s cheek. “[b]I can’t exist long like this, my body is being sustained by the curse’s magic. I need something more... physical.[/b]” It reached down and groped Teebs’ crotch, causing the gryphon to gasp as his cheeks flushed.

“No! You are the worst part of me, I see that now, and I won’t let you back in!” Teebs snarled, trying in vain to break free. His darker half turned out to be very strong though, holding him tight, seemingly tireless in its pursuit.

Already Teebs could feel something was wrong, his body was warming up, and the shadowy double’s body seemed to hum with increasing power by the second. “[b]We will not be parted any longer, I will take my rightful place. It is clear that you are too weak to recognize our power.[/b]” His other half drew a pattern on his chest, the goo being shaped into a sigil that by all rights Teebs didn’t know, and his duplicate shouldn’t know either. “[b]I have waited too long in the back of your mind, it is time I am given free reign. We will be better, stronger, and the world will quake at our power.[/b]”

The curse that empowered his darker half had supplied the knowledge to its host, the duplicate having been filled with the inescapable need to return to its physical body. It clung tight as the magic started to flow through it into the sigil, intertwining itself closer to Teebs as it supplied the energy. “I won’t allow you to do this!” Teebs gasped, trying to fight the spell, anything to break the powerful embrace. It wasn’t working though, he could feel the magic binding them, his other self feeling as if it was starting to merge with him.

Teebs couldn’t stop the ritual from happening, the sigil glowing upon his chest, the blue magic of the curse growing stronger by the moment. Kaguur and Kainan both watched on as the gryphon and his other half disappeared in a blast of blue magic, intermixed with bolts of black lightning. Kainan had to cover her eyes, still wincing as she clutched at the fresh wounds upon her body. Kaguur narrowed his eyes, but kept them focused on the magical blast.

Within the magical corona of energy, a fusion of the two happened once more, but the darker half took more than its body back. For the ritual to fully work, a cost needed to be paid, and so it used Teebs’ own soul to fulfill the ritual. In taking the gryphon’s body, it devoured the soul and used it to power themselves. Teebs could feel himself being forcefully merged with his darker half, his soul being ripped out, their bodies being fused into one once more. He moaned as his darkest desires were being pulled up and out of him by his cursed self, being reinforced, working its way through him like a virus.

The pillar of light slowly started to recede, the room darkening bit by bit as it pulled back in on itself. Whatever light had been in the room before had been snuffed out by the exaltation of magic, and Kaguur grunted in irritation before snapping his fingers. The room was filled with light, no more need for dramatics, he wanted to see what had become of the gryphon. Teebs stood there once more, where the light had been, though much had changed in an instant.

The gryphon’s body had been altered, new horns sprouting from his head, blue crystalline horns that looked freshly polished. A black tongue flicked out of his mouth, longer than it should have been, seeming to taste the air briefly before pulling back into his beak. The sclera of his eyes had become an iridescent blue with yellow irises, just as yellow as any demon’s. His clothes were all gone, apparently ripped apart by the power of his magic. Where feathers should be upon his chest and abs, a new scaled black and blue underbelly had formed. His arms and legs similarly had taken on a similarly chitinous appearance, his newly blued talons clawing into the ground underneath him.

Magic crackled off of the newly changed gryphon, his body having grown in stature as well as magical ability. Kaguuroth looked interested, though he didn’t seem too shocked by the change. “Well... it appears that our little ritual has... failed,” he said, folding his arms as he looked down upon the gryphon.

“I like to think it has succeeded in an unexpected way,” Teebs said, grinning as flexed one of his arms, admiring the changes. “Though, if we follow the letter of the law, yes, I do believe you have failed in purging me of the curse. In fact, you have strengthened it to a far superior extent.” The gryphon chuckled, his voice carrying a new menace to it. “I do not believe Teebs fits me anymore,” he mused aloud, looking down at himself, grinning wickedly as he dragged his hands over his muscled physique. “Thraxis, I believe that’s a proper name for a demon, do you not agree?”

Kainan walked around the new demon warily, falling in line behind her liege as Kaguuroth gave the gryphon the smallest of nods. “I think it fits you well, Thraxis.” The arch-demon hesitated for a brief moment, looking almost regretful before speaking on. “Now, as I have failed in my part of the bargain, it falls upon me to repay you. What would you like as repayment for my failure?” Kainan looked up at him in shock, for a brief moment she looked ready to deny that the arch-demon had failed, but it only took one sharp look from Kaguuroth to stall the words.

Thraxis sneered up at the other demon, clearly unimpressed now that he had become something more than Teebs could have dreamed of being. “Oh, I suppose I could think of something...” the gryphon purred, stroking his chin as he chuckled. “I think my new body needs to be tested out, and who better than an arch-demon to give it a proper stretch?” He looked up at the demon, strolling forward before fondling the larger demon’s sack, smiling flirtatiously for a moment before grabbing onto Kaguuroth’s nuts with a malicious grin. “We’ll have our fun before I start making plans. Shall we?”

Kaguuroth frowned at the clear disrespect, he barely flinched when the new demon grabbed him by such a sensitive spot, but he hardly moved aside to nod, knowing that he was bound by the rules of the contract as Teebs had been. Thraxis would certainly put the arch-demon through his paces before the day was over, and then he would look to the future. He no longer cared about the past, Rakkholm had been full of failures. Thraxis on the other hand had no intention of failing, he would be feared, obeyed, and respected for his future actions.

The gryphon’s pride had no limits now, his soul’s limits removed, he felt a hunger far greater than any he might’ve felt as a mortal. Kainan was instructed to leave, and though she looked unhappy at the order she obeyed, leaving the newly made demon free roam of the arch-demon’s personal throne room. Kaguuroth looked deeply annoyed, but did everything as Thraxis commanded, much to the gryphon’s delight. He would one day sit upon a throne of his own, crafted for him personally, but for the moment he would enjoy himself being sat upon Kaguur’s cock, milking the arch-demon for all he was worth.