5A/N; This chapter and the one before have not yet been beta, but seeing as how I haven't posted in a while I thought what the hell I'll let you see what I've got and go back and fix it afterward. I'm introducing some new characters in the next few chapters and I hope you like them.
Chapter 5; The Gift of Sight
Twelfth level of Hell.
The city of the lust plain was a den of debauchery. The streets were covered in lights and nude statues. The buildings were tall but spaced apart appropriately and made of colored marble and limestone. The scent of sex and perfume filled the air and of course the rhythmic sounds of drunken gamblers added to the song of the lust city.
Mal found himself sitting in a bar, in the valley of lust, along with the other hell hounds. They had tracked the Mazrithi all the way here, Mal figured demons couldn't be all that different from humans if the first thing they wanted after being imprisoned was a good lay; but he wasn't really interested in catching the Mazrithi right now.
He'd manage to find someone with some information on Cal and all he had to do now was ditch the hell hounds for a bit and meet up with his contact. Mal thought maybe just maybe the hell hounds would like to partake of the fruits the lust plain had to offer, it would if nothing else be the distraction he needed.
Mal grunted, doing his best to put off an aura of displeasure and frustration. "We've been tracking the Mazrithi for days now. I want a good meal, a nice lay and some real rest. I say we take a night for ourselves."
His men grunted in kind, all but one who merely looked at him with a smirk before speaking out. "I don't think it would be wise if we all took the night off to play. Our pray could slip out of the city. There is enough of us that we could post a man at each of the exits with some of the city guards and switch off every few hours so that we can play and not lose track of our pray. We would lose face if we misplace him."
Mal watched as the other as they nodded in agreement. He was shocked that the demon would think of such a thing, but then he remembered how Yhaphet'ygl had reacted to him thinking for himself. He would have to correct the offence of the hell hound for thinking that he would not have thought of such a thing. Then reward him for thinking of it without being prompted to. Demon logic was confounding.
Mal glared at the demon who had spoken. "Do you think I am a fool, did you not thing I hadn't already thought of keeping an eye out for our pray." Mal stalked closer to the demon. "I was going to have the city guard lock down the city for the night. No one gets out but all may come in. I was also going to have one of us keep an eye on out pray so that we would all have more time for a little fun but as punishment well do it your way." Mal pointed to five of his seven hell hounds. "You go carry out his plan. The rest of you now only have 3 hours to do as you wish, that includes sleep, then you must relive someone."
All the hell hound grumbled but left to go do as ordered, Mal stopped the one that spoke up before he could leave. "You what's do they call you?"
"Kinzy"
"Well Kinzy it will be up to you to see that all goes well tonight, you have proven yourself to be an adequate thinker.
Adders Swamp
Idrean continued to look into her now cracked cooking pot. She had used a greater amount of demonica then she intended when attempting to hide herself. So much so that she was now siphoning her demonica out of the items that she had stored them in earlier. She needed to replenish herself.
Normally she would wait and let her power return naturally but she had good cause to worry. She could smell the faint hint of lilacs coming from her pot and the songs of the nightingale still filled the air, which could only mean one thing - company was coming and it was the dangerous sort.
She tapped the pot twice with her wooden spoon, turning off its power. She had hoped the invisibility spell would have hidden the use of her demonica. She grumbled to no one "I guess it safe to assume that that didn't work!"
Sighing Idrean pulled out one of her arcane books. She would have to utilize mortal magic for the time being. She opened the book of Elvin high magic and begun to spell-weave some of the spells into her memories. She really hated this method of magic but arcane spells – even those of the high magic would take hours to complete. Arcane magic would be useless if it were not half invoked already by the spell-weave so that they could be perform as quick cantrips, an once used the spell-weave would fade and had to be invoked again.
Idrean wonder how do mortals put up with such rigorous magic. Looking back into her pot she cast an arcane spell of omens. The water became still and clears as the image of a Lion and a shadow marched on the house of serpents.
"What in the eighteen hells is that suppose to mean! Useless magic!" Idrean stomped around the hut. She hadn't a clue as of what to make of the omen. She surmised that she would have to rely on the most ancient talent a demon had. The art of deception.
Quickly she cast a number of arcane spells, one to change her appearance and that of her hut, another to hide the smell of lilacs and mask the song of the nightingale so that it would sound like tree frogs. She worked vigorously to hide all her demonic objects and with what little time she may have had left she spell-weaved more spells. Some for attacking some for defending, she only hoped Melthoran didn't get into any trouble while she handled her newest dilemma.
Beldame Highlands
East of adders swamp lies the war lands of Beldame. More blood has nursed the foliage of this land then rain, Blood spilled by both human and demon; it is no wonder that many have come to call the land cursed. Gnarled branches twist unnaturally, and blades of grass ooze a velvet blood like fluid when crushed under foot. Even the dirt holds a sign of the dead, the rich brown earth is salted with flakes of bone that glint in the moon light.
Lord Gabon Leoness and his men were camped for the night atop one of the few hills in the valley. This stronghold was won just a few months ago, and had lifted the spirits of the men; even now he could still hear a word or two whispered among the men of how he defeated a master demon.
However tonight was not about celebration, tonight he would strategize. It was a rare night when he could make out the enemy tents from his vantage point, until now he hadn't been able to get any accurate information about the size of the enemy army; a thick fog normally covered the land and obscured vision. But tonight all was clear, and he intended to make use of his good luck. Having the high ground he could see the enemy camp clearly.
Turning he called over one of the many field soldiers. "Corporal, I want you to tell each of my Captains to have their best scouts see what information they can gather; by sunrise I want to know how many men are in that camp."
The man saluted before rushing off to complete his task. Lord Leoness closed the flap to his tent, satisfied that his orders would be carried out to his liking. He sank down onto his pallet thinking of his wife and stepson.
He remembered the day he had first met them, Leon was playing by a brook. He was passing through the woods near the brook when he felt his rage build, a clear indicator that some black magic was at work.
A short sprint to the west of where he was led him to a young boy cowering in knee deep water, with a demon over head ready to strike. Before Gabon knew it he'd picked up one of the blades from the ground and lopped off the head of the demon.
He could still recall what Leon a child of two said to him at the time. You're late Lord Leoness, and I feared you would never come. At the time Gabon shrugged off the words as nothing more than Childs play, it wasn't until years later when Gabon Mc'Bedwyn became Gabon Leoness, did he realized that Leon the young prince had the gift of sight.
His son, for that's what Leon was to him now, even if they did not have the same blood running through there vanes, had begged him not to head this war, not to go west but when he asked why Leons face went white. His son stuttered but then soon found a sudden calm and spoke.
Don't go father, I see earth like bone dust, and blood fed grass, I see the house of shadows battling the bell crowned lion, but at the end I see nothing but the lion's eyes among the shadows. I'm afraid, don't go. He remembered the single tear that ran down Leon's face and the pleading almost broke his heart. Do you know what it means Leon.
Not really… but it scares me.
Gabon wasn't supposed to be here, giving orders and leading the army, no, he was a spell eater, one of the warrior berserkers who innately siphoned harmful magic into their bodies to fuel their combat skills, But, for now he was all that the city of Leonia had, for he was the Queens husband and the princes champion. With the prince to young for war and the queen to ill he was all that was left.
Gabon pushed the troubled thoughts to the back of his mind when he felt the familiar bubble of rage. He sat up in his bed, just as he heard the scratching on the flap of his tent. "Come in." he shouted forcing himself to get his temper under control.
Gabon recognized the man that entered, he was another spell eater. "Lord Leoness a band of soldiers from the enemy camp are marching west into Adders swamp, do you think they could be trying to surround us."
"No they're heading into the swamp to attain the mass amount of dark magic I feel coming from there."
"I didn't feel anything."
"You also haven't completed your training with Aidan, but I assure you, once you do you'll be able to feel more than just harmful magic's around you. Now round up my personal men and tell them to make ready to leave for the swamp. And tell general Eveina that she will be in charge.
The thirteenth level of hell.
Neico stood for days unmoving in the spot that Calidor had left him in. He thought he was going to starve to death until he begun to regain control over his motor functions. Luckily for him the spell Cal had placed on him hadn't failed. He would have been a sitting duck for anyone out there looking for an easy meal.
His senses were working on overdrive, a side-effect of his blood-lust. If he didn't feed soon he'd be in deep trouble, but he couldn't detect any life other than the life coming from the prison, the very prison they took Cal to. He wasn't even slightly crazy enough to try and brake into the prison when he was on the verge of frenzying. He would have to hunt first, build up his strength and tame the maddening hunger in him.
He needed blood or he would be no use to Cal, not that he was happy with Calidor. The demon deserved to rot and he'd let him if he'd thought that's what they would do, but he knew better. They'd kill him after playing with him first.
Expanding his senses he reached out and was surprised at how far he was able to go. All vampires could use the five senses at a range but not many could do so in a two mile radius. Not that it did him any good there was still nothing out here in the bitter frost. He would have to leave the thirteenth level of hell to hunt and then return for Cal. He only hoped that Cal could hold on that long.
With a burst of speed he headed for the fourteenth level of hell – the shadow plains – it was much closer then the pass to the twelfth level of hell but it was also much more dangerous. Neico marveled at how fast he was moving. At his current speed he could dodge the snowflakes; it took centuries before a regular vampire could master the power in his blood to accomplish this.
It was only a matter of minutes before he'd reach the ivory caverns that would lead him to the shadow plains. He tried to expand his senses while running but he couldn't muster the task. While it was true that he could do all the things an elder vampire could do. He lacked the expertise to do it with any of their proficiency.
He could see the ivory caverns in the distance. Neico stopped before going any farther and begun to feel out the land with his mind. The cavern was littered with beastly demons. Maybe he wouldn't have to go all that far after all for a meal, it wouldn't be a good meal but it would do.