1093 Ragno


    King of Hell, Satan’s domain. Andscape riddled by dposing bodies – monster and inhuman. A perpetual red sandstorm blew, the mountains were tall and skinny, and teaus stretched from one side to the next. The vision it brought was painful to the naked eye. Walking without protection, usually with a hood ced around the head, was simr to looking at the sun, if not worse. The sand equated to an instant wound – the tiny particles, innocent as they seemed, was fearsome. On days when the wind blew, unfortunate souls trapped in its wake would suffer troublesome injuries.


    Routes marked by pebbles led from vige to vige. Thendscape didn’t change much in the King’s domain. The best ce for life, partly due to the iron sand, was the alps, the mountain ranges. Unlike the ones on Orin, mountains here carried long stretches of nd, it looked as if someone had taken a knife horizontally across. Not that the inhabitantsined, most of the demons were holders of thick hides and thicker facial hairs. Beady-red dots illuminated their path, those unlucky to cross said paths would join the crowd of nameless dposing bones and flesh.


    ‘Survival of the fittest,’ Sathanas stood at one of the many checkpoints, ‘-only the strong can survive thisndscape. A bit too stern on conditioning,’ she fixed her scarf and entered the town, its name carved in demonic writings. ‘Dome buildings,’ she observed – architecture brought by the constant storms. ‘A few kilometers off the capital,’ she firmed her resolve and passed a friendly-looking tavern. Night came upon the Mars-likendscape, thus, with a flick of her thumb, she dropped a few Aeso coins and headed to bed.


    Satan’s pce, ‘-the night went by quickly,’ she stood at the gates. ‘Demons make too much noise when they sleep,’ she sighed, ‘-barely kept my temper. Good thing I left… good thing I left,’ two rocks locked an oval-shaped gate. Demons, as portrayed in ancient writings, red, “-Sathanas, Daughter of Satan. Open the gates.”


    “Lady Sathanas?” the gates unlocked, the courtyard and its ssh of greenness – captured prisoners watched painfully from the cages, high-ss rooms. Fair men and women dressed partially. Patrols stomped the gravel paths.


    “Please head to the hall,” said a passing attendant. Demons flew overhead – smaller in size and stature – the features bordered monster-like. ‘-I’m here,’ she tightened her grip around the case handle, ‘-I wonder if father remembers me.’ Moltenva ran under their feet and was visible through grated covers. The throne hall was unlike those imagined, ‘-it’s like a forge,’ she observed, ‘-a pce carved in the very mountain. The rocks protrude, the guards are fearsome and so are the attendants. This is what my father’s doing?’


    Two demonic guardians, known for their height and protruding horns held open a sort of entrance, from it, a simrly sized man entered. Pure fury ambered, he side-nced Sathanas without so much an expression. The throne resounded the moment he sat and settled in a rxed position.


    “Who are you?”


    “Sathanas.”


    .....


    “…”


    “…”


    “My daughter?”


    “Yes, lord Satan, I am your daughter and I havee to ask a favor.”


    “Would you look at that,” he exhaled ck smoke through the nose, “-my own daughter has sought out her father. Tell me, Sathanas, why are you sure that I’m ready to hear your request.”


    She unclipped her briefcase, and the guards moved to be stopped by a gesture from the king, she sensed themotion and continued, “-here,” the case contained parchments and a few sks of condensed mana, “-these are a few of our supplies.”


    “What is this?” he narrowed, “-are you here to sell pleasantries?”


    “No, father, would you mind shutting up?”


    “INSOLEN-”


    “No, let her be,” he added with a genuine smile, “-temperament runs in the family,” and in the same motion, a warning was sent.


    ‘If I get him angry, I’ll be in trouble,’ she shook her thoughts and firmed, “-what I bring is this,” sk into the sk, her hands moved quickly – mana condensed and there, after the covered her contraption with a parchment, white smoke exuded. She lifted the parchment and to Satan’s dismay, a bottle of Ale was presented. “-The finest liquor to be offered by the many dimensions.”


    “Are you here to trade, daughter?”


    “No, father, I came to give this bottle. I know you are very fond of your drinks; therefore, it was the respectful thing to do before asking a favor.”


    “Would you look at that,” he exhaled smoke once more, “-my daughter has experience in diplomatic missions. Tell me, what is it you want?”


    “I want freedom, father.”


    “Excuse me?”


    “Lady Lilith and my siblings are trapped. We need an agreement from the four kings of hell to allow our departure.”


    “Lilith you say,” he paused, “-I refuse.”


    “Father!”


    “Sathanas, do not overstay your wee. You’re a traitor who ran from home. I need not remind what happens to those who leave my domain. You’re alive because of my kindness, or have you forgotten?”


    Memories of her upbringing at the pce jabbed her new-found confidence, “-Sathanas, as your father, I’m d you’re here and in good health. I heard good things from my envoys, your new home looks fun and hospitable. It is good, and I see their diplomacy has grown your intellect. That being said, as King of Hell, I will not ept demands that’ll harm Hell.”


    “You won’t ept?”


    “No.”


    “Very well,” she picked up the empty case, “-please enjoy the drink, father.”


    “Sathanas,” he thundered at her reaching the entrance, “-there are many ways to obtain permissions from the kings of hell. You must find the answer, and as your father, I make you this promise. If your faction, more importantly, if you show me enough resolve and wit for your freedom, I might ept the request. The effort will have toe from you, Sathanas. Prove that you’re worthy of Wrath’s symbol, my dearest daughter.”


    “Understood, father.”


    A heavy ng stopped the room momentarily, “-majesty, was it right?”


    “My dear advisor, it’s not wrong to give false promises. A white lie can often bring the best out of someone you care for. My daughter, as far as I’m concerned,” the expression dropped, “-is dead to us. What happens to her is not my responsibility. Send word to the kings, Lilith’s making a move, ask Leviathan to put asunder their bravado.”


    Evening dawned. Igna watched idly from Syhton’s room. Her ring sparkled from his ring finger; ‘-didn’t realize I was a romantic at heart. The world works in mysterious ways,’ he drew a circle in mid-air, *Erase the borders of reality, make way a passage across the dimension. By the Adjudicator’s order, I decree a portal’s opening,* he pulled an enormous amount of mana,*Ancient-Arts: Cross-Dimensional Teleportation*.


    ‘Fire? The smell of battle,’ the portal vanished. A raging battlefield grew before him. Pirs of smoke rose from the academy – those of the town ran, airborne entities pped for safety to no avail – soldiers in heavenly armaments and clockwork soldiers hunted the defenseless. Those of Lucifer’s domain, angels, pped their wings into battle – ancient magic crackled the skyscape – the diversity in color and density seemed like fireworks. ‘Artanos’ made his move.’


    “RUN, FOLLOW ME THIS WAY!” cried students, “-GO, GO,” they pointed forward, “-WE NEED TO LEAVE, NOW!”


    A clockwork warrior dropped into the town square, “-damn,” a band of students formed a line between the evacuees and attackers, “-raise your weapons, my friends, we can’t allow them to take the innocent,” the central figure, a young boy with short hair and caring eyes tightly held an angelic-staff. His ssmate, by looks of the uniforms, huddled with their respective weapons. The warrior smirked, and he leaped – shing through their defenses and instantly taking out one of the students. “-AMIE!” he turned with staff ready for conjuration, by the time the incantation ended, the warrior was within striking distance, *EXPLODE!* he braced, the warrior flung across and crashed, spilling blood and oil in his jitters for survival.


    “Good job,” came a reassuringly soft voice.


    “Professor,” the students breathed relief, “-professor!”


    “No time to talk,” he rose his hands and spread his wings, “-take the wounded and go. I will take care of the attack,” feathers turned into golden darts, and he pped forward, thrusting the bullets into a horde of attackers. More troops arrived on dragon-back – greater magic leveled part of the city, and a massive fire broke to the north in the academy’s direction. The professor fought hard. A single man halted enemy advances for crucial minutes – and allowed the possibility of evacuation. The academy guards fell, and a feeling of doom covered the refuge camp, “-we’re losing,” cried one of the observers, “-we need to evacuate to the outer city.”


    “If we leave, they’ll take control of our lord’s domain. We can’t have that happen!”


    “Think of the students, is it worth the effort?”


    “WEAK!” screamed one of the generals leading Artanos’ faction. The archangel who’d protected the people was found nearing death, his symbol flickered, taken down by a floor boss. ‘So strong,’ he coughed blood, ‘-I can’t b-b-b-breathe.’


    “Arch Angel Luci’s fallen,” gulped the makeshift leadership, “-we need to evacuate, otherwise we’ll be wiped out. The attackers aren’t from this world, they’re gods from another.”


    Ady dressed in whitended amidst the discussion, “dy Ereena,” they bowed, “-we’re losing the battle.”


    “There’s no winning or losing here,” she said, “-take the refugees further up the mountain. Order the mages’ unit to create a protective barrier. I’ll takemand of the troops. Send word to the other kings – tell them Hell’s being invaded.”


    Death and destruction bubbled on the horizon. The refugees could but watch as the town began to fall. ‘If only Lucifer was here,’ she gritted, ‘-Artanos and Zeus are attacking…’


    A heartbeat resounded through everyone, “-this voice,” she blinked, “-Luci?”


    “To the people of Ragno, I wish thee a pleasant life,” a massive magical symbol covered the whole town, “-to those lost in today’s battle, you will be remembered.” A hemisphere locked the enemy, “-what is he doing?” cried Ereena, “-THOSE ON THE FRONTLINES, RETREAT!” she gasped, ‘-Causl Destruction… don’t use it, Luci, you’ll die.’


    ‘No other options,’ he barely held on his knees, “-this is the only way I know to save them. I’m the protector of Ragno in my lord’s absence, YOU WILL NOT WIN SO EASILY!”


    “What’s he talking about?”ughed the opposing faction, “-tough luck, dumbass, we’ve already conquered the town. This act of self-sacrifice works only in stories, not here. You’re dead. Kill him,” ordered an angel from Zeus’ vanguard, Emitious.


    “Works only in stories?” a strange voice resounded. The vanguard leader rose his hand, and the attackers paused, “-well, it works for me,” a man dressed in a suitnded at Luci’s side, *Mantia – Book of Restoration, Honz, Sixteenth passage, for the wounded’s assured restoration, the hardships ought be cleansed. Such flowed the whisper of the healer: Imenia,* a shoulder-p healed the archangel, “-who are you?” he shuddered at the way the wounds disappeared. Wind casually swayed Igna’s hair. A monstrous shadow appeared suddenly behind, he ducked, spun *Blood-Arts: Crimson Daggers,* and climbed over the monster, “-I see,” heughed and plunged the weapon into the monster’s neck, “-a floor-boss from my tower,” thetter fell and puffed into smoke, “-so it was Artanos who stole the floor bosses. Well, well,” he casually wiped his hands and walked towards Emitious.


    ‘He took the beast out without breaking a sweat… to think, to think it nearly killed me.’


    “Who the fuck are you?”


    “The name’s Igna Haggard,” he smirked, “-spread word to your faction leader,” he pointed at the sky, a fiveyer magical symbol covered the entire town, “-the Devil hathe,” *-I am he who ys without fear, I am he who shall be thest of what thy see. Heed mine call, thou whomst dared to fight the natural order, tis the day thou ought to be destroyed, Ancient Magic – Astral Binding.*


    “Do you understand now?” Igna materialized behind Emitious, “-I’ve yet to use my weapons. I’m the lord of this Domain, the one who clipped Lucifer’s wings. Retreat, otherwise,” every single attacker was impaled by shards of light, “-I’ll turn ’em to ash.”