Chapter 4: The lesser Evils

He tried listening to his advisors, he really did. Listening was hard to do however, especially when from his high perch, he could see a sleek pair of bare legs kicking in a playful manner through an open door. He wasn't quite sure how it was that his throne room lined up with his bedroom but he had no complaints. It meant that when his lover was having a lazy day, he could peak down the hall and usually get an eyeful of something eventful.

"My Lord… MY LORD!"

Ucal eyes widened, glancing over at his head advisor with gunmetal eyes. He raised a thick brow, trying to act like he was indeed listening.

"My Lord your answer, about the influx of Cavern dwellers into your territory? A lot of the residence are reporting rowdy behavior from the lot, not that it is unexpectant."

Ucal groaned, he didn't want to deal with this today, hell he didn't want to deal with it any day. He had been in a position of power since birth and the day in and day out activities were always the same and usually extremely dull. Being a ruler was not glamorous at all. He peaked again down the hall, this time instead of legs he caught a pair of rosy eyes staring back at him. Dark lashes hooded light orbs, casting him a sultry look that he knew all too well.

"Uh, let me get back to you on that one." He rose, smoothing out dark robes as he began to step down from his perch. His advisors only bowed, they knew better than to bother him with business when he was heading towards pleasure.

His robes trailed across a shining floor as he made the trip down the long hall. It was strange that after so long, he still became unbelievably excited when his lover beckoned him like this. No amount of time spent together had sated his appetite. When he arrived at the lavishly designed doors to his chambers, he casually pushed open the ajar door with his foot, causing it to swing open with a long creak. His smokey eyes immediately trailed to his bed where a feast awaited his eyes.

Tezah lay amongst their grand collection of assorted pillows, the vast expanse of the bed making him look smaller than usual. He mused silently that his desires laid with such a short lover, then again he towered most at a hulking 6'6. Tezah's tanned legs were bare, the short limbs sticking out from beneath a white, cottony shirt that was far too large for him.

"Are you trying to be cute," Ucal asked as he stepped closer to the bed, "because it's working."

Tezah laughed, the melodic sound ringing through the bedroom. "Cute? Me?" He chuckled, "I did not think that was a word that described me."

Ucal chuckled in return, a deep and hearty sound, his large hands moving slowly towards the sash that held together his dark robes. "You are the epitome of cute, sorry to burst your bubble."

Tezah quirked a brow at his lover who was already disrobing. Cute. That was a very interesting word to describe him… his features perhaps, but as a person that word was quite farfetched. "Am I cute when I dig my claws into your back?" He rose to a sit, sliding to his knees to a crawl position. "Am I cute when I bite your skin so hard your blood seeps from you like a dying man?" He ran his tongue along a fang, licking his lips slowly. "Am I cute when I toss you to your back and decide if I want to ride or be ridden."

Ucal's eyes flashed red for a moment, pooling with lust just like the rest of his body. He was already rock hard, all it took was one look from Tezah… when the other talked that way though, he could barely contain himself.

"Vicious, alluring, tantalizing, all words I would use then but still," he placed a knee on his large bed, his face meeting Tezah's, "cute," he growled out just as Tezah latched onto his mouth. He placed the rest of his body on the bed, pulling Tezah against him, one arm wrapped firmly around his lover's waist as the other slid to grip sleek, black hair.

Tezah growled against Ucal's mouth when his hair was roughly gripped. He loved it though, he loved being rough. His own hands came up to slide along Ucal's back, gliding over silken robes, caressing the firm back beneath. The feeling of the flimsy cloth ripping beneath his piercing claws was more satisfying than the delicate feel beneath his fingertips.

"Tezah!" Ucal drew away, a firm look plastered on his strong face. "Dammit you insolent brat!"

Tezah snarled, claws moving past shredded scraps to reach and puncture skin. "Oh shut up, you have enough cloth to clothed a lavish army one hundred times over!" He gripped the shredded robe and shirt with both hands and in one sweep sent two separate halves sprawling to the ground, leaving Ucal with nothing but his pants. "I could always open you up instead, it would get my dick harder than your whining."

Ucal smiled at Tezah's brazen words, pushing forward his weight so that his lover toppled over and he lay over him. He brought his leg up and pressed it firmly against the fore mentioned appendage and found that it had no problems being hard. "Liar, liar," he clucked as Tezah let out a breathy sigh. "How should I punish you for lying to your lord?"

Tezah's head rolled to the side, his short hair spreading over the bed beneath him. He looked like a wanton kitten but Ucal knew better, he was no docile creature. "You could fuck me, or I could fuck you." Tezah smiled, toothy grin turning cute into sultry, "long as something is going into someone."

The moment Ucal's hand slid to grasp what was causing a tent beneath his lover's shirt, there was no longer need for words. He moaned, his back arching as his ass clenched in pleasure. He would not let Ucal have all the fun though. His devious tongue flicked out and trailed tentatively along the inner shell of Ucal's pointed ear. The shudder it earned him made him smug with power. It was a tic for tac game though as Ucal placed his warm mouth against his neck, teeth scraping skin as tongue caressed the previously abused spot. It drove him nuts. Impatient anticipation was what he felt as Ucal's broad hand released his throbbing member and slid down his rounded cheeks, thick fingers parting the way to a glorious spot. His mind and body were ready for it but when it didn't come his eyes flew open angrily.

"Ucal you overly built bastard are you really teasing me right n—." His words were unceremoniously cut off by being rolled to the side, almost falling from the bed. "What in the actual fuck?"

Ucal's face did not show mirth or pleasure, it was the complete opposite. He rose, still not answering his lover, his eyes casting about as if he was looking or listening for something. He turned about the room, eyes frantically searching for something.

Tezah was mildly concerned at this point as usually nothing could break a fuck session. They had once literally had an enemy at their door threatening to take their lands and they still got it on. "Are you alright?" Tezah blinked in extreme confusion as Ucal suddenly disappeared into thin air, leaving him without so much as a word. He rose to a sit, glancing down at the sad sight that was once an erection. "He definitely wants to die today."

Ucal stood in what looked to be a vast endless darkness stretching as far as the eye could see. He stood in front of the long dormant West Gate, the second most powerful portal that led to an abyss drearier than hell that kept some of the most unsavory creatures at bay. The gate had been dormant since the end of the Great War which had been settled only a century or two priors. With the loss of its would be keeper, the Gate had lost all power, nothing could go in nor come out which made it no threat at all. Or that's how it was when he'd last left it.

His dark brows furrowed over light eyes, features cast in displeasure. The gate showed all the signs of being reactivated. This was not good news. An activated gate with no keeper was literally an open and endless portal to hell. Only the keeper could activate it… problem was this gate's keeper was locked in a dormant sleep… or he should have been.

"Avith… if I find your hand in this you are dead." He reached out, touching the seemingly plain brick arch. The metal between the arch looked old and rusted but it wouldn't look like its pristine glory without a keeper. The gate glowed and an invisible link connected his own gate to the west one. His gate went were he went so he had no fears of anything getting their hands on the location, this way though he could feel a stronger bond if anything caused the portal to open. This was news that he should share with the Council but he would keep it to himself for now.

In a blink of an eye, he was back in his bed chambers, Tezah nowhere to be found. He saw his shirt discarded on the bed which meant he had left the room. He sighed, his lover would not be happy with him over leaving him high and dry. Though he had not been gone a long time, Tezah was not patient. Leaving his chambers, he followed the other's scent and found him perched on the throne that was adjacent to his own. He was slumped to the side, head propped on his hand as he directed their cluster of advisors.

"… as for the Caverns, find the leader of their resistance and have a few units team with them. They are being driven out by that tyrannical nut case that calls herself a queen. She's surrounded herself with enough old ones to be too formidable for such stray bloodlines. Their numbers have taken a terrible hit by that bloodthirsty bat. We've left them to their own politics but now she is overstepping her boundaries. You have to destroy a rot before it spreads."

Ucal admired his lover for a moment, leaning against the entry way watching as he effortlessly dished out instructions. At first glance at Tezah, his small stature and frame made him look far too young to be as intelligent as he was. Rose colored eyes shifted to him, clashing drastically with lengthy black lashes.

"Are you simply going to stand there gawking or are you going to explain to me why you left our bed in such a manner?"

Ucal snapped his fingers and his advisor quickly gathered their things and began to leave the room, the last closing the door behind them. "I had urgent business to look into. It seems that the West Gate is trying to reactivate."

Tezah sprung up in his seat, eyes wide. "What?!"

"My sentiments exactly," Ucal mumbled coming to sit next to him. "There is only one way that gate can open and unless that Seraph suddenly became a kind and forgiving spirit, someone has opened that box."

Tezah scoffed, "well we know it wasn't his doing, that crazed man would die before he opened that box. Who in the hell could even find that thing? Only the two of you know it's location, furthermore to even get in there would require some serious magic. Wouldn't you both feel it?"

"That should be the case but if said culprit knew displacement magic then it wouldn't be impossible. Impressively difficult but not impossible."

Tezah plopped his head back onto his hand. "Avith. But it's been years of him searching, how he would even know where to look is beyond me. He is suspiciously absent from him territory though. What will you do? You can't leave this be."

Ucal sighed, things had finally calmed down and become what he could consider peaceful. "No… I can't leave it. I suppose I have to make a trip to the Middle Realm."

Tezah practically sprung to life. "You are taking me with you! It's been day in and day out of stuffy shit, I'm sick of it." He held up his hand as Ucal opened his mouth. "Don't you dare say I'm staying. I'm losing my mind around here and you know what happens when I get bored."

Ucal thought about it, it was true that his ward was rather unruly when bored. Besides, it shouldn't take long to find out what was going on and solve it. "Alright, you can come but you stay with me at all times."

Tezah rolled his eyes, though he was young he was no longer a child. "I'm not going to get lost in the big bad mortal world my gallant protector."

Ucal scoffed, "I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about the Middle Realm, I don't think it's ready for you."

Arcanae stared at his leader like he'd grown a second head. "What do you mean you are assigning him to me? What am I, a pet sitter?"

Adonis was busy clicking away of his master computer. "No you look like you are my 3rd in command and vowed to take on any duty that served our cause. Even if it's pet sitting." He finished and suddenly the beams keeping the creature in disappeared and with one huge leap, it bounded out of the containment chamber.

Vimelth was first to draw his weapon. "Woah A'! I know you said it's friendly and all but that thing just scaled like two stories in one jump. The fuck is it?"

Sapphire stepped closer, eyeing it with curiosity. "It… it kind of feels like some sort of demonic being. I mean its aura is really funky so I can't really say what but it was definitely born from something dark."

Big brown eyes turned towards them once the creature was done sniffing around the floor. He first stared down Vimelth and then turned his attention to Sapphire, cocking its furry head in curiosity. After staring intensely for a few more seconds, it gave a big yawn, massive teeth revealed though the action. This close it could look Vim and Saph in the eyes. Seeing as it showed no signs of aggression Vim put his dagger away. He nearly jumped from his skin when in mere seconds the fur ball was at his back, sniffing everywhere.

"Holy shit! How the fuck did it do that," Vim half yelled in shock as he tried dislodging himself from the creature.

Adonis came over, inspecting the creature. "Its name is Dante, it was inscribed on the back of a necklace that was matted into his fur. It took quite a bit of shaving and cleaning to find what was under the disgusting mass if old matted hair. Whatever he is, he was in that box for a very long time and that box was chained by some very strong magic. I believe the only reason I got it open was because the binds were weakened by being removed from his resting place. He was in a sort of hibernation state."

Done with sniffing Vim, Dante skirted around Sapphire and made his way to Arcanae. Unlike Vim, the creature immediately began to nuzzle itself beneath Arcanae's arm, tail wagging so hard it smacked against him like a whip.

"Hey there big guy," Arc chuckled, "man you're strong." Despite his displeasure at Adonis' words, he found himself already liking Dante. "Fuck, he's cute… but still, why me!?"

"Two reasons," Adonis said, "one, while you were gone and these two went looking for you, I had various staff members interact with him. He is curious but cautious around Vampires, he doesn't seem to know what to do with demons, he's not aggressive towards them but neither does he want them too near, hence why he did not interact with Sapphire. I initially asked June to help me clean him up but she tells me he gives out an energy that almost sucks out her own. I had various other light species try to touch him with the same effect. Now you and Dove being our only angels or Angelic in nature, it only left me with one person to try. Though like being near anything with a dark aura, it caused her mild displeasure, she could touch him with no negative effects. Thus my conclusion is that while someone with a Dark aura would do as a babysitter, I don't have any Vamp on par with the skills I could trust him with. Second, the Church sent Avengers to pick up the package which meant this guy means something big to them. I've yet to see an Avenger track or beat you so I'm left with you as the only candidate."

Arc looked at the big brown eyes staring up adoringly at him. "A demon who doesn't like demons? Sounds about right," he mused.

Sapphire gave him a smack in the head. "Shut up. What are we supposed to do with him anyways? Were there no other clues in that box to indicate what the church would want with it? I know they are doing some shady shit but what do they need an old chained up demon dog for?"

Adonis shook his head, "he may not be a demon, but a demonic entity, or he may be a vessel. There are too many possibilities and seeing as we still don't know why the Church has been digging up all these old sites and excavating them I can't form a connection. I need Arc to get it out of the High Pope."

"He's been spilling more and more to me, his drinking is enough to make him an open can but he's never alone with me for me to get what we really need." He made his way to Adonis' computer, Dante trailing him like a new puppy. "Speaking of spilling, I think I'm being toyed with by a psychopath." His fingers danced over the keys as he searched what he was looking for. "Any of you recognize this name." The lot of them gathered around the huge screen, peering up at the various bits of information popping up in different windows.

"Alserephth… roughly translates to 'the Seraph of All', said to be the strongest of the five Seraphs that guard to Haven Realm and the most famous of all the leaders in the Great War. Though the war was not fictitious and there were Seraphs involved, any actual knowledge of proof of these powerful Seraphs doesn't exist. Much like the Haven and Hell realm, any proof of actual existence is sparse. Though Angels swear by their existence, if I ain't seen it, I don't believe it." They all stared at Sapphire, making her turn a bit red. "What, you guys know I like learning stuff."

Vim cracked a smile at her, "you never cease to amaze me when you do that. But anyways Arc, what about him?"

"Well if my memory is serving me right, I think that's the name I heard… well I'm not sure how to even summarize what I'm trying to say. I think that that guy takes me somewhere and does Gods know what but that's definitely the name I heard."

Vim ruffled his hair, something he did when something confused him. "Man what the fuck! Why is all this weird shit happening and why are you so calm about someone literally kidnapping you?"

"I'm not calm Vim, I'm pissed and terrified all at once but this guy seems like he knows me. Why he's doing all this weird shit I don't know but you guys heard him, he said we were the same thing. If I don't look like the Angels and I have far different abilities then them, then maybe I am Seraph, and maybe they are some kind of sadistic mind freaks who enjoy toying with each other."

Adonis placed a hand to his chin, stroking his sparse beard. "It's not impossible, the possibility of you being Seraph. I've only seen one in my lifetime, from a far. I can't give you that answer, I know as much about you as the day I found you. I can only say that the Seraph had four wings and you only have two. I'm not particularly interested in ancient species so I can't tell you much more." He came over to place a large hand on Dante, "that has to wait though. The pressing matter is getting Dante away from here. If they have a way to track him then that's no good for us. I figured that you could cloak him easy enough while in your presence. Besides, you look haggard after your escapade."

Vim scoffed at their leader. "Escapade he calls it, as if you are putting on some big act in front of everyone just to go have booty calls or some shit."

Arcanae huffed, he was indeed tired, despite having woken up not more than a few hours ago. "I wish that were the case Vim. I do need to replenish myself though, that fight with Sir crazy took a lot of energy out of me."

"I'll spend the night with you, just so you can get some rest, and just in case you need back up," Vim chimed in.

"I think we can all use some rest," Sapphire agreed, "though I think I'll take a bit of time to examine that box a bit more."

Adonis nodded at his crew, "alright then, it all sounds like a plan."

Arcanae stood, petting the rather soft fur of the animal. "Alright Dante, would you like to come home with me, I'm sure you're starving after who knows how long in a box."

With a huge bark Dante dove excitedly at Arc's legs, hoisting him up and onto his back as if he weighed nothing, trotting about excitedly.

Vim shook his head, still at a lost at the odd turn of events. "What on earth have we gotten ourselves into now…"

A/N: I'm sorry I've been in a rather depressive state of late but my want to create again is back! Ill be updating as fast as I have the time and energy to type. Look forward to chapter art pages too!