by Randi Darren
Sam took in a slow breath and considered the offer. Technically speaking, he was not getting the better part of the deal.
He’d be operating under a time constraint to save Irma and Carissa with very little information to start from. On top of that, there was no real guarantee he could safely say he’d “made sure it wasn’t working anymore” either.
The wording was very vague and left completely up to Nicodimus’s discretion. It was the type of deal and contract Sam would avoid at all costs.
“Sorry, but that’s not specific enough,” Sam said finally. “Nor does it really give me the right motivation. Would you be willing to hear a counteroffer?”
Nicodimus’s eyebrows rose slowly as his face turned pensive. After a few seconds, he slowly nodded his head.
“I will find, destroy, and do my best to ensure that the sigil diagram—this construct of Skipper’s—is absolutely destroyed,” said Sam. “But if we disagree on what ‘absolutely destroyed’ is, we will have a neutral third-party arbitrate on whether the condition is fulfilled.
“Because if it’s only based on your own estimation, we could be in disagreement. The same could be said if it was based only on my own belief.”
Nicodimus’s mouth turned into a frown and his eyes narrowed.
“On top of that,” Sam continued before they could interject or agree. “I would need you to send Carissa and Irma home. There’s no telling how long it’ll take me to solve this issue and I… don’t want them here. They can’t be here.”
“Pah. What kind of nonsense—do you really think I’ll just—no, no this is—”
“What’ll happen if you want me to fix this. To destroy whatever sigil diagram Skipper left behind,” Sam interrupted. “Otherwise, I’ll just keep battering away at the plane-space until I open a portal. Using more and more Essence to do so each time.
“Which means that rather than healing the fabric of the planes, you’ll be dealing with trying to stop me. When you could already have someone working to correct an issue you want solved.”
Nicodimus’s teeth clacked together with a sharp snap and he bared them at Sam. He looked much more like an angry old man complaining about the clouds than someone the Architect had created and placed.
“Fine! Fine, I agree to your counteroffer. I’ll pick the third-party, however. I already know exactly who to choose, as well,” Nicodimus grumbled. “You won’t object once you meet them. I guarantee it.”
Sam considered arguing that, but this was all based on the idea that they’d disagree on what “destroyed” meant.
Except, when it came to sigil diagram magic, it was fairly easy to destroy. All it really took was punching out the center of the spell with another sigil, or simply erasing enough of the sigil diagram that it failed.
The problem with erasing a sigil diagram was that they tended to explode if you erased the wrong part. One could compare it to trying to safely discharge a capacitor.
Do it right, and it’d be grounded without a concern. Do it wrong, and you could end up with an exploded heart or worse.
“Fine. I accept,” said Sam. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a small point of Essence. He was planning on sealing their pact with blood. There would be no way he’d accept this deal purely on a verbal contract.
“I accept, as well, but I must caution you about one thing before we close this,” Nicodimus warned. “I must exchange your two mortals with two other people. I won’t actually be sending them by portal. I will quite literally be replacing them with others. As I said earlier, I cannot allow a portal at this moment. The plane of Hell is closed.”
Then… how are you able to come and go from Hell? Where is this if not another plane?
Actually, now that I think about it, this feels exactly the same as it did when I was in the Void.
Is this the Void? Does Nicodimus dwell in the Void itself?
That’d make almost too much sense, wouldn’t it?
“I see,” Sam said, not voicing his thoughts at all. “I have to exchange two of my wives for two of my wives, is what you’re saying.”
“Well, no. It could be anyone, really,” Nicodimus admitted. “Though not Skipper. She’s beyond my reach. Zeus protects her.”
Sam briefly considered bringing someone who wouldn’t matter to him, but realized that was unfair. Anyone he brought here would have to be able to survive in Hell, otherwise he’d be bringing them to their death.
As much as he wanted to live as “Lord Lust” would, sending two people to an unwitting death wasn’t in him.
Two people who could survive in Hell.
Well, that leaves… Jes, Aster, Decima, and Wren. Doesn’t it?
Everyone else would die.
Irma and Carissa will likely figure out what happened as soon as they start talking to the others. That just leaves wherever they are.
“Can you show me where Aster, Decima, Jes, and Wren are?” Sam asked. “I wouldn’t want to put Carissa or Irma somewhere they wouldn’t be able to handle.”
“Ah, a wise consideration,” Nicodimus agreed with a nod of his head. Lifting his hands up, he made a shuffling motion at about Sam’s eye level.
A group of four portals opened up in front of Sam. Each one showed a different location and view.
Aster was laying on Sam’s bed. She was naked, watching porn that she had made with him, while pleasuring herself.
I… see. Yeah, that’s about right for Aster.
Looking at the next portal, he found Jes.
She was standing in the corner of Sam’s room, her arms folded in front of her. Watching Aster pleasure herself and clearly giving her directions.
Okay. Yeah. That makes too much sense. She feeds off Aster’s orgasm from pleasuring herself to the idea of having sex with me.
Jes keeps her personal belief safe, gets fed, Aster gets to be her toy.
Smirking, Sam looked at the next portal. Decima and Wren were practically side by side. The two portals and views were nearly identical.
They were clearly in the middle of some type of fight, wearing full Inc-Suc combat gear and using heavy weaponry.
Ah… I can’t take Jes, can I?
If someone dies, she needs to be there to bring them back. Especially if they haven’t gotten the soul binding runes back together.
She’ll be able to feed on all the Essence coming in from the brand as well. I can take Aster from her and she can feed passively on the Essence coming into the brand. As it would go to my brand, which I share with her now.
Grimacing, Sam considered what to do. There really wasn’t much of a good answer to this.
Carissa could probably survive wherever Wren is. Irma wouldn’t.
I’ll swap Carissa with Wren. Irma with Aster. That’ll give me two people who can survive Hell and get Irma and Carissa out safely.
I’ll have to probably take over feeding Aster since lightning may not be a thing here but… that’ll be fine.
Probably end up having to feed Erv as well.
“Okay,” Sam said. Then he pointed at Wren. “Switch Carissa with Wren.”
Moving his hand, he pointed at Aster.
“Irma with Aster,” he finished and then sighed heavily. “That’s the best I can do.”
“It’s what I would do,” Nicodimus offered and then brought his hand through all the portals. Dismissing them with little more than a gesture. “Well, I’ll wish you luck in your task. Because I would like it completed as much as you would like to get home.
“Though, I feel I should warn you. The places that Skipper left behind aren’t abandoned. They still are filled with those loyal to her. Erv is unaware of them, I would imagine. She was very much a puppet in many ways.”
“Great. That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I’m glad that you’ve warned me of it. Anything else I should know of? Warnings that would be helpful for me?”
“Not really. Nothing I haven’t already said, at least,” Nicodimus said with a strange smile. “I’
ve told you everything that you should know. What you do with it is up to you.
“I’ll root for you, Sameerixis, but in the same breath, should you fail, I’ll just continue with my original plan. Do not call on me for assistance or help. I cannot and will not offer you any.
“The Architect himself instructed me to do only my job and nothing more. To take no sides and work only to balance the planes.”
Wait, really?
To take no sides?
Wouldn’t that mean that he suspected something like this might happen? That he himself wouldn’t be on this world anymore at some point?
To go so far as to warn Nicodimus to not take a side, as well. He’s trying to preserve Nicodimus? Or the Void?
What makes Nicodimus and the Void special?
Or is it just that the function of the planes is that necessary.
“Ah, there is actually one thing I should warn you of,” Nicodimus said and snapped his fingers. “You’ve been playing with fire as of late. Your avatar you inhabit at the moment? It’s your actual body.
“Ever since the plane of Hell was sealed off from other locations, no Demonic entity has been able to reconstitute their body after death. They just die.”
Smiling at Sam, Nicodimus raised his hand and then waved his fingers at him.
“I’ll handle the tear with that nearby Essence. No need to trouble yourself. Ta-ta,” he said.
Sam was flung from the room and back out the massive tear he’d come through. Passing right through it as if it were nothing at all.
Landing on his feet, Sam slid for a short distance before coming to a stop. Opening his mouth, he was about to ask Nicodimus what he meant about his avatar when the tear slammed shut.
“What?” Erv asked from the ground. She was quite naked and looking around. She was clearly confused about the fact that Sam had been atop her, and now wasn’t.
“Lord Lust?” asked Abrah, looking just as confused, though concerned as well.
If I’d died… I’d have died? I’m not in an avatar but my actual body.
There’s no coming back then for me if I die. That I— by the High Heavens and my twisting nethers, that’s terrifying.
“Abrah, I need to go back to your home briefly,” Sam said, looking at the Demon-Knight. “I need to go pick up a few things I left there. Is there anything you need immediately?”
“I… no, Lord Lust,” Abrah replied with a shake of her head.
“Great,” Sam said, then gestured at Erv. “Get up. You’re coming with me. Until otherwise stated, you’re at my side. I need to hear everything you know about Jenaphila and when she was here in Hell.”
Sam nodded his head, trying to formulate a plan quickly.
“And you need some clothes. You can’t go out like that,” he added, indicating the fact that Erv was still naked.
Beautifully so.
Sam was then immediately reminded of the fact that he was suddenly very hungry. He’d spent a great deal of the Essence he’d held for himself.
“Erv?” Sam asked, eyeing the Water Elemental.
“Yes?” she asked, slowly getting to her feet.
“I’ve fed on you before?” he asked, watching her.
“Yes… you said I was very… uhm… delicious,” Erv replied, now standing up. She looked rather nervous, her hands hovering in front of herself. “Would… would you like to feed on me, Sam? I’m willing.
“Like I said before, I only worked for Jenaphila because I had no choice. I didn’t have any other option.”
Doesn’t that make me no better than Jenaphila? She’s still wearing my brand. When she was acting as Jenaphila, she couldn’t do anything but follow the real Jena’s orders.
It’s what a brand literally does.
Hm. Something to consider on the way to pick up Aster and Wren.
Sixteen - Breather -
As soon as Erv was dressed, Sam escorted her through Abrah’s fortress. Soldiers and guards moved quickly through the halls and open areas.
There were also a great deal of people wearing uniforms that Sam recognized. They were people who had previously surrendered to Timithy and his army.
The changeover is occurring quite quickly. Abrah was very busy when I wasn’t paying attention.
Maybe… that explains the corpses.
Many of the people Sam saw moving about also resonated to his Essence. They were all branded to him directly.
Abrah had been very, very busy, it would seem.
“I… I haven’t been back to Hell since I was given my position,” murmured Erv at Sam’s side. She was wearing a courtier’s outfit for the fortress.
An outfit that had been in storage for the better part of several centuries. Stored away in a closet that preserved clothes and then forgotten about entirely. Apparently, it had been originally intended for Succubi courtiers.
Before they all vanished.
It was the only clothing they had found in the entirety of the fortress that would fit her.
Her measurements, both height and width, were fairly unique. It made anything that fit her in one dimension, not fit in the other.
“Indeed,” Sam said, eyeing her for several seconds. He had a hard time denying he was attracted to her. “I personally hadn’t been back since I’d left. Thanks for sending me here, enemy of mine.”
Erv winced at that, her entire face screwing up in fear and concern.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I really am. I had to act against you. I had no choice. I didn’t want to kill you, though.
“I wanted to just… send you away. It’s why I left Hell open to you. I knew you’d be fine here. But you wouldn’t be able to come back.”
Her statement was very surprising to Sam. In fact, it was completely unexpected. It meant that he hadn’t actually escaped from the Void.
She’d allowed him to escape.
In fact, she’d mentioned it previously. That she hadn’t wanted to kill him.
I was far too arrogant. Far, far too complacent.
And maybe she’s worth less information than I thought. She said she only held part of everything, right?
“You’re smarter than you look, aren’t you? How’d you ever survive under Jena?” Sam asked as they exited the fort and began crossing the courtyard to the outer wall. There were several guards moving around out here as well. “She despised those who were prettier than her just as much as she hated those who were smarter.
“You’re both. How’d you manage to survive? And why were you imprisoning Imps and turning them into Succubi? Was that part of what you were handling?”
“I survived by changing what I looked like the moment you were gone. I was forced to make myself very mundane-looking,” murmured Erv. She was slowly drifting closer to Sam. Moving away from everyone around them. Sam didn’t miss that they were all watching the lovely Elemental. “After that, I just acted a little slow. There was no reason to stand out. Being average was safer.
“As to the Imps, Incubi, and Succubi, I didn’t manage any of that as you apparently surmised. That was all handled by someone else Jena had picked. I’ve never met them, before you ask.
“All I know is that the Imps who were converted into your species were sent elsewhere or sometimes given to friends of Jenaphila as… pets.”
Sam grunted at that and turned onto the boulevard outside of the fort. It matched what he already knew and suspected. It explained Jes perfectly.
“So you don’t know how she turns Imps into Succubi?” Sam pushed.
“No, I don’t. I wasn’t privy to that secret. Nor was I told where the Imps went to be turned, or where the Succubi went after they were turned,” Erv said. “What I do find out is often when some of my people are needed for a job on the other side. As an example, Jena actually was on the prime plane recently. She showed up at a facility not long ago for a security check.”
Sam raised his eyebrows at that.
It was starting to sound like a lot of the atta
cks that Sam had carried out on Jena’s organization didn’t even hit the side that Erv was responsible for.
“Any idea how we track down the other person who shared the brand with you?” Sam asked.
“You… probably already converted them to your current brand. I felt it when you followed the brand back to Jena. Skipper, that is,” Erv offered. “Felt it when it stopped there but converted everything else.
“If my counterpart is smart, if they’re able to see what’s coming, they’ll ditch everything they were doing and go hide in the ranks.
“Blend in and act like they had nothing to do with it at all. The change from Skipper to you was very obvious. Very, very obvious. At least, it was for me. So that’s what I’d do. Hide.
“There’s so much going on that it’d be easy to hide for years. You’d only ever find them going person by person and that’d take… a long while.”
Shaking his head, Sam couldn’t deny Erv was probably correct. Any chance Sam would have to shake down the side of Skipper’s empire that he was interested in, would be long gone by the time he got back to the prime.
I can only hope Irma, Stacia, and Irene can take care of it for me. I’m sure that Jes will let them know about the change in the brand. She’ll have felt it, even if Irma misses it.
“Do you want to serve me?” Sam asked as they turned another corner. They had to practically come to a stop as the sidewalk was full of people talking about the demise of Timithy.
Though there were a few working girls plying their trade here and there. Once more on the ground and without a care for anyone around.
“I see Hell hasn’t changed much,” said Erv under her breath. Then she let out a sigh. “Yes, I’m more than willing to serve you. I originally took your brand on for safety. A long, long time ago and many planes away from here.
“It was voluntary then, and it’s voluntary now. I am willing to serve. That means I’m willing to feed you as I said earlier, Lord Sameerixis.”
Sam accepted that at face value, though he doubted the sincerity.
It was easy for him to ask her if she wanted to serve while she actively wore his brand. Even if it was his old brand, it was still something he owned.
