***The Infernal Planes of Lust***
***Amon***
Ashley looked incredulously at Ebandon and then narrowed her eyes while the courtyard grew eerily silent. Ebandon's disrespectful behaviour had come as such a surprise that even Khorne's men held their breaths.
Ebandon's refusal to obey, in public no less, had been a blatant challenge to the mistress of the castle!
Finally, Ashley found her voice again and managed to speak. “You are trying to tell me that you are refusing to obey my orders in front of everyone here, even though you are in my employment?!”
It was marvellous how Ashley somehow managed to look beautiful despite her obvious rage at the open insubordination.
My warband's leader looked bemused by her outrage. “Employment is such a strong word when I am the only one from my warband's upper echelons here. Not to mention that my warband already finished its contract with you, so there is no real employment to speak of. I was hired to assist Khorne's efforts in the nearby territories and that was it.”
“You are still here, enjoying my – and my daughters’ – hospitality,” Ashley pointed out.
“Only because you invited me.” Ebandon gestured towards me. “Just like Khorne invited my subordinates. You aren't throwing them out, even though they might be a nuisance to you. It's not like you can just kill me after giving me guest rights. How would that look?”
That incited a flash of anger in Ashley’s eyes. “They are cooperating! You are still allowing yourself to be scanned, just like everyone else is going to. And extending guest rights still doesn't protect you from being thrown out of the castle.”
“I believe not.” Ebandon held his head straight and his eyes wandered confidently towards Khorne. “I am Amon’s superior. To allow myself into a position of weakness towards one of my own subordinates is the last thing I will ever do. I command people like Ex and Kirnok who are powers of their own! To bare my throat to some fledgling newcomer is inconceivable.”
Khorne stepped forward while he hummed in thought. “The suggestion of testing Ebandon might’ve been ill-conceived. He is powerful and the leader of a reputable warband. His concerns about his reputation as 'his' warband's leader are valid, even if you would think that the situation demands otherwise. Not to forget, the two of us aren't allowing ourselves to be tested...”
The muscles in Ashley's neck tensed, but she didn’t lash out at Khorne. A move that I would have expected after the obvious 'turncoat game' that the other Demon Lord had played on Ashley. Hadn't he himself been the one to suggest getting Ebandon tested? Why was he now supporting the other side?
Maybe I should have wondered earlier about the deference that Ebandon had shown towards Khorne's men during our missions and then later on towards the Demon Lord himself.
This was quite obviously a trap to make Ashley look bad and she had stepped right into it. There was no way that she could back down now that Ebandon had shown such disrespect. Additionally, the man's allegiances stood now in question. Ashley had no other choice but to press forward and take Ebandon off the board.
I turned and leaned closer towards Jada who was holding onto Shax’s arm with a serious expression. Then I whispered. “What is going on? I thought Ebandon is firmly in your mother’s pocket.”
“That’s supposed to be so,” Jada whispered back. “But it seems like he chose just this moment to rebel. Probably Khorne made him a very juicy offer that makes it worth the risk. Though, I don't understand how Ebandon could be so stupid. He knows mother's power well enough to tell that he stands no chance. At least not alone.”
Maybe he expected Khorne's assistance? I didn't know, but I readied myself for a fight nonetheless, hoping that my allegiance with Ebandon's Warband wouldn't force me onto a course of action that I definitely didn't want to take.
“I see…” Ashley growled from deep down in her throat. Her queenly attitude was suddenly gone completely. “I only hope that changing sides won’t come back to bite you in the ass. That, and being caught in my castle with the rest of us during a storm season, it will likely turn out to be less of a deal than you might imagine.”
Ebandon pretended to correct his garb. “Don’t worry about me, 'mistress'. The shackles you had on me are gone, thanks to a new acquaintance of mine.” Ebandon's eyes wandered to Khorne. “And I never bothered to link to the castle’s Anima Stone for real. Just for your information. I can get out of here whenever I want just by dying. It is your little problem that I also don’t want to take my departure right now. There is too much fun to be had to observe the proceedings between you and Khorne. Or are you really going to violate my guest rights to that extent?”
Khorne smiled from his spot right behind Ashley as if he had just won a battle. It was likely that he already saw the balance of power shifting in his favour with Ebandon joining his camp.
It made me wonder how Ebandon's betrayal had just changed the situation. Had it been a mistake that I had taken Ashley's side earlier during our private discussions?
I tensed for a fight, but the succubus matriarch’s eyes flashed violet as she stepped forward to meet Ebandon’s eyes. She came close enough that the size difference between her and Ebandon looked almost comical, with him at least a head taller than her.
Nonetheless, their magical auras that they no longer bothered to suppress made it clear that Ashley was a titan compared to Ebandon.
“Little man, it is a dangerous game you play.” Ashley’s voice was alluringly dark and sultry, despite the threatening tone. “That makes casting you out of my castle all the easier, even if I am not willing to slay you right where you stand.”
“Hah! As if a succubus would be any threat to someone versed in combat!” Ebandon raised his hand, pointing towards the sky. “Ex, Kirnok, I call upon you to battle my foe!”
I felt my neck tingle when I heard the names, and a moment later, the insectoid demon who had taught me to fight popped into existence right next to Ebandon. On his other side, Kirnok materialized who was Shax’s and Philomena’s combat instructor. They looked a little disoriented, but their eyes quickly fixed on Ashley.
I cursed inwardly. Ex alone was already a powerhouse. I had never trained with Kirnok, but from what my minions had told me about him he was no less of a threat once he got serious. If they went up against Ashley, I had little hope that the affair wouldn't escalate.
Wasn't it supposed to be impossible to translocate within Lust during a Storm Season? Ebandon's ability was apparently able to circumvent that rule.
Thinking that a fight would be inevitable now, I summoned my weapon, but Jada grabbed my hand strongly enough to dig her fingernails into the skin of my wrist. “Don’t get involved now. This is a power-play between Ashley and Khorne. We shouldn’t add complications to the situation without sufficient reason. Or we might have a fight on our hands that could go really badly.”
She had a point. Khorne's men and Ashley's succubi were all in the courtyard. There was no telling who would come out on top or if the castle could even withstand a battle between all parties.
The two formidable warriors advanced on Ashley, just as Ebandon had ordered them to do.
I nonetheless prepared myself to rip my hand free from Jada's restraining grasp, believing that Ashley had been utterly outmaneuvered by Khorne.
But the succubus matriarch only smiled at the two demons who were supposedly Ebandon’s most powerful minions, offering each of them a hand.
They knelt, each taking one of her hands to touch them to their lips, or mandibles in Ex’Zribil’s case.
Ebandon’s confidence faltered as his own warriors rose and took their positions at Ashley’s sides.
She only shook her head, seemingly pitying the dethroned warband leader. “You should have known that I would take safety precautions for an important employee such as yourself. To throw off your shackles just to sleep with my daughters was a bad move. But we always knew that you are a hopeless addict and a collector to boot. You were unable to pass up the chance of contracting one of my daughters and ran right back into our arms.”
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Ebandon turned and glared at Hellith who was hiding in the crowd. Ashley's daughter gave him a wink in turn.
Raising a hand to her forehead, the succubus matriarch skilfully played the betrayed party. “A warband as powerful as yours, just a few hours away from my home? You must have forgotten my benevolence towards your organisation. Wasn't it I who sent Ex'Zibril and Kirnok to you? Do you think me to be that stupid?”
Her eyes had wandered over to meet Khorne's while she talked. It wasn't entirely clear whether she included the other Demon Lord in her statement or had addressed only Ebandon.
Ashley gestured and the castle's main gate was thrown open with a flick of her finger. For a moment, the storm howled from outside the castle and shards of ice were flung into the courtyard together with a gust of chillingly cold air. A moment later, a pink barrier sprung into place, sealing the uninviting outside behind a thin sheet of energy.
Ebandon turned, looking towards me. His jaw worked up and down as if he intended to say something, but something appeared to be stuck in his throat.
“Hush, little lamb.” Ashley held a finger in front of her lustrous lips before she used her other hand to mimic a walking person while she smiled evilly at Ebandon.
My supposed leader twitched and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His left leg shook as if he had suffered a stroke. The memory of a mortal animal came to my mind that was trying to warn its kin, a rabbit. Either that, or he was choking to death from whatever the succubus matriarch had done to shut him up.
She pursed her succulent lips. “Such a strong man. A mind as powerful as yours is wasted if you choose the wrong side.”
Ebandon apparently wanted to say something, but all he could do was choke, and then he was frogmarched stiffly towards the gate as if he was a puppet on invisible strings.
When he reached the barrier, he passed through it unhindered and slid right into the howling storm. I could see him walk a few steps before his defences failed. What followed was a quite unique way of biting the dust.
The icy wind that carried countless little shards of ice acted like sandpaper. First, a thousand little cuts appeared on Ebandon’s skin and his leather clothes. He wore the same leather garb that had been given to me by the warband's acquisition master, although of higher quality.
To see it fall to pieces like that was eye-opening.
His hair also blew away as if cut by an invisible shaving tool. It was like his clothes, skin, and then his flesh was flayed away agonizingly slowly. The storm shaved off layer by layer from the side of his body that was exposed while the other stayed relatively unharmed.
Still, he kept walking as if taking one step after the other was his single goal in life.
And then another breeze of more densely packed shards swallowed his body. When the gust was gone, there was nothing left to see of Ebandon.
I wasn’t entirely sure whether it had ground him down to the bone, or whether he just had made it out of sight and was still somewhere out there, walking.
Isabella and I had stood for quite some time at one of the castle's balconies to watch the storm. From that, I knew that the storm was currently not even going at full power.
“What a way to go!” I cursed silently. Whatever this castle may hold, I had the fervent intention to stay inside its walls from now on.
“A shame!” Ashley clapped her hands to regain everyone's attention. “But it had to be done.” She glanced at Khorne and then at Ex and Kirnok. “I am afraid that I have to beg you two to go back to Irkos and take control of 'my' warband. As of this moment, Ebandon is relieved from his position. I wouldn't want him to seed discontent in Irkos for the rest of the season. It's 'my' city after all.”
“As you command.” Ex'Zibril bowed. “I hope your daughters and my other recent trainees are doing well?”
“Well enough,” Ashley affirmed. “Sadly, we have a little trouble with vermin in the castle, but that's none of your concern.”
“Then I will immediately take my leave. You may call me back when you need me.” Ex'Zibril turned and walked towards the gates. “If I hurry, I might make it back before Ebandon dies to the storm. Defence isn't his strongest ability, but he should be strong enough to survive at least for a little bit.”
On his way out, I imagined Ex throwing me a wink, but it could have been my imagination. It was hard to tell with those insectoid eyes.
Then he passed through the barrier and into the storm, shooting off like a missile.
Kirnok grimaced at the sight outside and looked towards Ashley. “I am nowhere fast enough to make it back to the city before my mana runs out. Could you make it quick?” He grinned. “I may even be faster than the bug if you hurry.”
“Of course.” Ashley cupped Kirnok's cheeks and went to her tiptoes. Then she gave the large war-demon a kiss on the forehead and allowed his body to topple over sideways.
Dead.
The succubus matriarch cleared her throat and turned to face Khorne. “Forgive the inconvenience. I believe that it's your people's turn?”
Khorne managed a forced smile and gestured for his men to come forward. “Form a line! Everyone who is cleared stands behind Amon. Everyone who refuses gets thrown out of the castle. I will personally spawn-camp everyone who refuses to be tested!”
Most of Khorne's men followed the order like clockwork, but a whole eleven stood back, apparently refusing to be tested.
Ashley smirked upon seeing that, quite amused that her counterpart was performing no better than herself. And since she hadn't shown any weakness when dealing with her responsibilities, it was to be expected that Khorne would have to do the same.
Sadly, I had no time to observe what exactly Khorne visited upon the stubborn fools who refused him because I was busy with warily clearing the demons who willingly allowed themselves to be checked.
Suffice it to say, Khorne's educational methods involved a lot of screaming and high archs of blood spraying out above the crowd. I couldn't see much of the gruesome details because the line of the willing ones obscured my view, but the smell assured me that someone had lost his bowels.
I cleared seven demons easily enough, but the eighth posed a problem. It was a stout demon with grey skin that had the composition of concrete – a hard, natural defence, but still on the fleshy side.
Pulling my hand away from his forehead, I glared at the joker. “Why are you resisting me?”
“What? Not skilled enough to test me?” The demon grinned like some naughty little child.
“Go to the back of the line to face Khorne,” I pointed out. “He explained quite clearly how this is supposed to go down.”
The demon kept his infuriating expression going and held his ground, undaunted by my suggestion. “But you see... I am allowing myself to be tested. I am supposed to be here, and not back there.”
I looked the uppity little idiot in the eyes, then towards Ashley who was pretending to polish her nails. She clearly had no intention of getting involved in something that was supposed to be Khorne's problem. After all, she had handled her own responsibilities.
My eyes wandered towards the back of the crowd, but the fighting was still going on.
Sighing, I met the grey demon's eyes again.
'He is challenging us,' the other spoke with glee.
Which was a bad thing for him, though he didn't know it yet...
“Let me try again,” I raised my hand once more towards the grinning idiot's face.
His expression still hadn't changed when my fist impacted his nose.
It hadn't been possible to get a real surprise hit on him without telegraphing it, but I quickly corrected the inadequacy by following up with a second swing that was angled perfectly on his throat. The second one was a good one, a hook that would have affected him even if it had hit the chin.
Sturdy skin or not, it didn't prevent the soft parts of the body from rupturing where there were no bones or muscles for support.
The grey-one had barely the time to stumble one step back before my tail snatched his leg and pulled it out from beneath him. This resulted in a spectacular fall and the crack of a demon's skull on the courtyard's cobblestone.
Of course, this was nowhere nearly enough to truly hurt one of Khorne's strongest minions. It had been necessary to punch the other one who dared to challenge me halfway across the castle's training hall. And that one hadn't even been far up the pecking order as far as I knew.
But no matter his strength, hitting the soft parts was still enough to stun him long enough.
Smiling gleefully, I summoned my weapon and triggered the spacial enchantment, growing it to the size of a staff with a wickedly serrated blade at the end.
It went smoothly into the offender's belly and proceeded deep into the ground, nailing him to the courtyard.
Snarling, I stepped onto his chest to pin him down while I activated the now-spear's force function to lock it in place. It would require a strength-type evolution to move the weapon now. Or a very powerful demon.
Once I was sure that I had my enemy at my mercy, I knelt, reaching for his eyes.
His hands came up to grab my wrists just a little too late. He prevented me from pushing in the claws on my thumbs, but I got a good hold on the flappy bits that were supposed to protect the eyeballs.
When I suddenly obliged his pushing arms, he assisted me in turning his face into an ever wide-eyed expression of surprise. I had really expected them to just 'rip' off, but it was more like over-extending two rubber bands until they suddenly snapped.
A moment later, he started to scream like a little bitch and let go of me to paw at his face instead. Then he began to alternate between the spear in his belly and his eyes, torn between which of the injuries proved to be the greater inconvenience.
I stepped back and ignored the gaping crowd while I regarded the two eyelids in my hands. Then I tried one, bringing it to my lips and sucking it in. What were they so surprised about? Random death by violence was apparently no problem to these combat-tested veterans, but taking someone's eyelids seemed to rattle these people.
Chewing, I considered the taste and texture, then nodded. “Not bad, I like those just a little less than a tongue, but it would take a lot of them to satiate me. Less chewy than ears in any case. Maybe I should try the lips of the next offender...”
I eyed the onlookers. The demons who were first in line had taken a step back when violence erupted. Now, they quickly lined up once more.
I sighed and ate the second eyelid too, then retook my former position a little to the left so that the demons who had to be tested wouldn't quite have to step over the pinned-down example that I had made. They could still get a close-up look at it when they passed. That was the point.
“Next!”