Naphal entered the hot springs hesitantly, the creaky door echoing through the vast, empty room. The first thing her eyes saw was two of the queen’s burly bodyguards looking down at her with stoic glares, letting her pass by for the only reason that she held those horns in her hand. Finally, after the onslaught of guards and a slick floor beneath her feet, she made it to the queen, who stood on the edge of the spring,
wearing nothing more than a towel.
Her usually perfect black hair was strewn across her back in a long wet clump, her body shown off nicely underneath the piece of cloth she held over herself.
“I apologize for the nudity.” The Queen said with a slight laugh, “Your return was a bit unexpected.”
“Did you think I would die?”
“That certainly was a thought in my mind, yes.”
“Oh.”
Lucifer gave the assassin a smile, “But that wasn’t the main thought, of course. There are so many different possibilities.”
“And yet you thought I was dead.”
“Sweetie, when you’ve failed at something a lot of times, you start to think you’ll never accomplish it.” The queen bent down to get a good look at what Naphal had in her hands, “Now, let me see those…”
The assassin gave her ruler the horns, watching with a mix of fear and confusion as she caressed them like a mother with her newborn child.
“Yes… they’re perfect…”
“Ma’am?”
“Silence, just for a moment. I need to feel them for a second longer.”
Lucifer held the disembodied horns tight to her chest, nearly letting her towel fall in the process as she kept whispering and stroking them. She had the widest smile physically possible, stretching from ear to ear while her bodyguards stood perfectly still. Naphal watched the whole thing without a word before the queen finally gave them up to her bodyguard, and ordered him to keep them safe until a ceremony could commence.
“Your highness.” Naphal spoke up.
“Oh, sorry, I got a bit caught up in the moment.”
“You said I could have one wish if I succeeded, anything I wanted.”
“I did say that, didn’t I? I guess I should hold up my end of the bargain. What is it you wish, Naphal?”
The assassin had thought she knew what she wanted to say, but now her mind began to question it, over and over again, but no, this is what she wanted. She had to say it, she had to get it off her chest, it had to be done, it had to be done-
“I don’t want to be an assassin anymore.” She nearly yelled, surprising everyone in the room, including herself, feeling her eyes water and her hands spew sweat. Lucifer gave her a somber-looking expression from above.
“I see.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“There’s no reason to apologize. I’m sure your job was difficult on you, most assassins either retire or die young anyway.”
Naphal barely held back her tears, “I don’t want to kill people anymore.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to.”
“But-“
“Naphal, you are hereby relieved of your duties as an assassin of the royal court. You will be reimbursed kindly for your contribution to Hell’s safety and prosperity.”
Lucifer placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get dressed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Guards!” The queen shouted as the former assassin began to exit the room, “Alert the other members of the infernal court immediately! There will be a ceremony tomorrow morning.”
“Of course, your highness.”
Naphal shut the door behind her as she exited the room, letting out a heavy, shaky sigh. She couldn’t believe she had just done that. A part of her wished she could take it back, but it’s too late now. She took a step forward, looking back at the door before going back up the stairs from which she came, the stench of sulfur and blood filling her nostrils again, though this time it didn’t seem as bad.
She made it back up to the hallway she walked through to get down there, retracing her path in perfect detail until she was out the door again, noticing that even the secretary had gone home. Naphal reentered the normal world with a pervasive sense of dread, yet also a sense of pride, thinking of the glory she’d receive. Those thoughts intruded on her headspace, making her feel sick to her stomach as they didn’t seem to want to go away, no matter how many times she tried to rid them from her mind.
Her feet began to move forward into the city, walking through the emptied palace square with the haste of the undead. She probably looked insane, not to mention that her clothes were still stained crimson, but to her surprise, she didn’t even receive a look, the demons passing her by without a second glance. I guess walking around with blood on your shirt is just normal around here, she thought to herself as she passed by the same buildings she always did.
She wandered for a bit longer, looking around to see the red light district surrounding her in all of its skeezy glory. Naphal knew this place about as well as any of the prostitutes, knowing what exact street corner her friend would be standing at.
“Hey, girl.” A male voice called out from the darkness, scaring Naphal shitless.
“Go away.”
“Why should I? You look so sad out here alone.”
The man stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to be what the assassin thought he was. He was a rather beautiful incubus, flowing black hair on pale skin, with an ill-fitting shirt and baggy pants that flowed from his legs like wings.
“I told you to go away.”
“Playing hard to get, aren’t we?”
He stepped out in front of her, “My name’s Dean, yours?”
“I’m not telling you my name.”
“You’re a feisty little mortal.”
“I’m not a mortal.”
He grinned, “Even better… mortals are so dramatic.”
“This is your last warning.”
“Oh, come on, I’ll go buy you a drink. Won’t that be nice?”
“And I’ll drive a dagger into your intestines, doesn’t that sound pleasant?”
The incubus held up his hands, “There’s no need for violence, my dear. I’m just trying to give you a good time, frankly, you look like you need it.”
“I’m an assassin in the royal court and I have every right to kill those I deem to be dangerous to my own security.”
“You’re serious?”
“One more word, and I’ll gut you.”
He grinned, “Fine then, I’ll be going now.”
“GET AWAY FROM HER, CREEP!”
In came Tiff, who stormed in the space between them, inserting herself into the conversation.
“I was just about to.” The incubus said with a hint of annoyed defeat in his voice.
“Is this jackoff bugging you, Naphy?”
“He’s leaving, Tiff. Leave him alone.”
“Oh, they always say that, but incubi are no more than a bunch of lying man-whores!”
Dean turned on his heel, “What did you just call me?”
“You heard me! Do you want me to repeat it for the class?”
“Go ahead, slut. Make my day.”
The girl’s face contorted into a scowl, her hand flying into her pocket with the speed of a gunslinger, pulling out a bottle of mace and pointing it directly between his eyes.
“Tiff, calm down!” Naphal began to shout, grabbing her arm.
“Stay out of this, Naphy!”
“He was just about to leave, and here you are threatening him. You’re making a scene.”
“Listen to your friend, Tiffany.”
“That’s not my name.”
He scoffed, “Whatever.”
Naphal made sure the succubi let the boy go, watching him walk back down the alleyway from which he came. She held her hand on the girl’s shoulder until he was out of sight and out of mind, then turned her around away from the crowd that had gathered to see what was going on.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that scumbag, Naphy. Incubi are all creeps.”
“It’s alright, but you shouldn’t interject like that. I can protect myself.”
“I know, but I’ll take any chance to mace one of those sleazeballs.”
Naphal sighed, “That’s not a good thing.”
“I know.”
The succubi quickly changed her tone, “But… What about you? You were gone all day.”
“I was out on a mission. I told you about that.”
“Oh yeah… how’d it go?”
“Well.”
Tiff smirked, “Come on, Naphy, you can give me a bit more detail than that.”
“No, I can’t. This was a personal mission from the queen herself, I can’t tell you anything without permission from her.”
“Buzzkill.”
“I don’t want to be executed, just a personal wish of mine.”
The succubus sighed, “It can’t be that top secret.”
“It won’t be in a day or so, just be patient.”
Tiff was confused by what she meant, but she didn’t choose to dwell on it, noticing that her friend didn’t really seem to want to talk about it. She led the assassin down the busy street, passing by the disapproving glares of other succubi until they ended up at the same bar they always went to, Naphal’s face one of defeat when she saw the neon lights shine in her eyes.
“Do you want a drink?”
“Considering that we’re already here, I’m going to guess that no isn’t an answer.”
“C’mon, Naphy! It won’t be that bad, promise!”
The assassin sarcastically rolled her eyes, “Fine.”
Tiff squeezed her tight, “You’ll love it, they’ve got this new drink that I think you’ll really like.”
“I don’t drink alcohol.”
“You will for this one, I swear.”
The succubus dragged her inside the dingy establishment, smoke hanging in the air as they walked through the narrow corridor that led into the bar’s main room. The sounds of distortion filled their ears, Naphal looking up to see the culprit: a band playing on the tiny wooden stage in the back of the room, inciting a miniature riot beneath their feet as the leader danced around the platform as best he could, looking down at the souls beneath him with a sinister grin.
His hair was dyed the blackest shade there was, his wails echoing through the interior of the establishment. The space under his eyes was blackened as well, and he wore a t-shirt with the sleeves haphazardly sliced off, a striking design of the crumbling Statue of Liberty emblazoned on it, and a pair of jeans with so many holes that they probably couldn’t be considered a single piece of fabric anymore.
Naphal hated the sound, her ears shrieking in pain as the band played on. Tiff seemed to be enjoying herself, yelling their drink order over the music.
“So… how was it?”
“Tiff, I can’t hear you over this noise.”
“If you heard me talk, you can hear what I’m saying.”
The assassin rolled her eyes, “Just repeat the question.”
“How was it?”
“The mission?”
“Mhm.”
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Naphal sighed, “Like I told you, I can’t tell you. It’s classified information.”
“Just give me the short version.”
“I took a boat ride into the swamp-“
“The swamp!? Why the hell would you go out there?”
The assassin gave her friend a glare, “Mission.”
“Oh, yeah, god I’m forgetful.”
“Anyway, I walked through the marsh, and made it to a big scary palace at the edge.”
“Go on…”
Naphal gave her friend a cheeky grin, “I can’t, that’s where the story has to end.”
“Naphy!”
“What? I’ve told you a good three or four times that this mission was confidential.”
Tiff sighed, “Fine, you win, I’ll shut up.”
“Why don’t you tell me how your day went?”
“Oh… yeah, there is something I need to tell you.”
It was then when the band finished their song, the applause of the small few paying attention echoing through the spacious establishment. The lead singer grabbed the mic with force and pulled it as close to his lips as possible, the microphone’s feedback creating an ear-piercing sound.
“This next song is for my girlfriend.” He said with a pant after headbanging for the last six minutes, pointing a finger directly at Tiff, “I love you bitch!”
The band’s guitar began their endless distorted shredding once again, Naphal watching with confusion as her friend stared at them with a look of longing in her eyes.
“Isn’t he so romantic?”
“I was only gone for a day, how did you manage to get a boyfriend?”
“Well, we actually got together last night, but you were already in bed and by the time I woke up, you were long gone.
The assassin sighed, “I see.”
“I know he doesn’t look like much, but he really is very sweet. I think you’d like him if you met him.”
“I’m sure I would.”
Tiff let out a wishful sigh, “I just wish he wasn’t on stage and he was sitting right here beside me. Wouldn’t that be adorable?”
“A boyfriend sitting next to his lover? That’s something I’ve never heard before.”
“The only times we ever see each other is after he’s done with a show, and he’s all gross and exhausted. Do you think Miss Marchosias would let me have him over?”
“I’ve never asked, personally.”
“You’re no help.”
Naphal shrugged, “I never claimed to be.”
“Naphy, have you ever loved anyone before?”
“Of course I have.”
“Like… love love.”
The assassin scoffed under her breath, “Then I guess not.” Naphal tried to change the subject before she got too deep into her own thoughts, “Is Asmodeus fine with this? I thought succubi weren’t supposed to be committed to anyone.”
“She can shove a stick up her ass for all I care.”
“Tiff, I know you don’t like her, but it’s not a good idea to disobey your superiors so blatantly.”
“What can she do to me? Report me to Lucifer?”
“She could kill you if she felt so inclined.”
The succubus’ face flushed as she looked around for the bartender, hoping to get his attention for the first time tonight. Once she did, she ordered her usual, and Naphal ordered herself a seltzer water like always. The man took their order, walking over to the massive wall of tabs and bottles that towered behind him and making both of their drinks. He slid them over to the women, who both took a sip at the exact same time.
There was a silence between them for a moment, neither really knowing how to start a conversation until the music finally stalled, the dying sounds of an electric guitar flowing through the venue. Tiff clapped as hard as she could, her whistles louder than the band itself.
“Thanks y’all, have a good night!” The leader shouted into the microphone, his band leaving the stage with little fanfare as the group joined the bar patrons who had just spent the last hour or so ignoring them.
Naphal stared at her bubbling glass for a moment before feeling a presence approaching the pair, wearing a smile on his face.
“Adelitas!” The succubus squealed, practically throwing herself into his arms.
“You know I can’t carry you, Tiff.”
He was probably right about that, being scrawny and covered in sweat, his black hair flopping over his face as he leaned in to give the succubus a kiss. They shared a moment before releasing each other, the man sitting beside her, ordering a drink with a grin.
“Adelitas, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Tiff yanked on Naphal’s arm, pulling her off her stool and standing her in front of the singer, their eyes locking for a second before the assassin quickly looked away.
“This is Naphal, she’s my best friend.”
The man smiled, “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
He reached out a hand for her to shake, the assassin staring at it hesitantly for a second before taking it.
“It’s my pleasure.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you, y’know? As long as Tiff and I have been talking, she’s never shut up about her assassin friend.”
“Is that so?”
The rocker gave his girlfriend a look, “I think she loves you more than me.”
“Adelitas!”
“What? I’m just making a joke, you know I don’t mean it babe.”
They shared another kiss, Naphal watching with awkward horror. “I should probably go. My mother is probably worried sick.”
“Naphy, my boyfriend just got here…”
“We can all chat some other time, I need to get home.”
“But-“
“She’s probably worrying herself to death as we speak.”
The assassin began to walk away, but Tiff ran up behind her, grabbing her shoulder and yanking her backwards, nearly earning herself a slap in the face for her effort.
“Naphal, are you… alright?”
“I’m fine, Tiff. I need to talk to my mother. She’s probably planning my funeral.”
“You don’t seem fine.”
The assassin sighed, “We can talk about it later.”
“Naphy, I…”
“Tiff, what does later mean?”
“Sorry.”
Naphal placed a bill on the bar and walked out of the establishment with her head hung low, going unnoticed in the crowded streets, just like she wanted. She took the so-called scenic route outside of the city, staring into the infinity that was hell’s mountainous landscape. Her mind began to drift into the possibility of what laid behind all those summits, some interesting, some horrifying. It was a much needed reprieve from the thoughts that had tormented her all day.
She couldn’t believe it had only been a day. It feels like decades ago she killed Mephistopheles, yet it had only been a few hours. This had to be the longest 24 hours she’d ever been through, though at least it was close to its end, the sky turning black above her head as she wandered back to her mother’s massive mansion. Naphal began to see it in the distance, its towering ceilings standing above the hill she walked upon. She let out a small smile to herself, her breaths turning heavy as she came down the rounded mound, slowly stepping up each stair that led her back home.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The assassin waited for what felt like years until she heard the patter of footsteps approach, the latch on the door rattling with reckless abandon before the heavy wooden panel swung open, revealing Marchosias standing there, her griffin’s wings spread wide as she stood in shock at the sight of her only child, her clothes still stained in blood, her shoes marred with mud and crimson. The wrathful queen burst into tears, throwing her arms around the girl, nearly making her fall backwards in the process.
The queen held the hug until her body couldn’t anymore, hot teardrops blazing her skin as she wept in joyous glee. She let the girl back into her own home, sitting her down on the couch and clearing her tears before speaking.
“Naphal, you… made it.”
“I did.”
“I’m… so proud of you.”
The assassin nearly began to tear up herself, “I’m proud of myself.” She lied.
“Lucifer said that you would come back crippled, Astaroth said she’d give me mortal riches if you came back alive.”
“I’m here, mother. I’m alive.”
“I’m sorry, Naphal, I just have to make sure I’m not dreaming.”
The girl wrapped her own arms around her mother, “Does this prove anything?”
“It proves your home. That’s all that matters to me.”
“Mother, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Can it wait?”
Naphal sighed, “I guess so.”
“I’m so happy you’re alive.”
“I was only gone a day.”
“And yet, it felt like years. I’m so used to you being around, when you were gone, I thought you had run away again.”
The assassin chortled, “No, mother. I wouldn’t do that again for the life of me.”
“All the precedents and failures, not even Abaddon could kill him.”
“Enough about killing. That’s all I’ve heard about today.”
“Oh, alright.” Marchosias said with a slight snicker, “We can talk about everything tomorrow morning before the ceremony.”
“Ceremony?”
“Yes, I got a call from Lucifer, she said she’s planning a celebration of his demise. There might even be a parade.”
“All of that because of one dead man?”
“Mephistopheles was a traitor to all of demonkind, he made lives miserable, and turned friends into enemies. I know you don’t think anything of it, but we’re far better off with him in a casket than him walking this plane.”
Naphal sighed again, “If you say so.”
“Get some rest, my love. I’ll see you in the morning. We can talk but we’ll have to get around quickly.”
“Yes, mother.”
“Goodnight, Naphy.”
The assassin grinned slightly, “Goodnight, mother.”
Naphal walked down the endless hallway that led into her bedroom, not bothering to get herself ready for bed before flopping down on her comfortable billet, resting her head on a pillow and letting the darkness of night consume her with speed she had never seen before. Her world was dark for a moment, but then, her eyes opened again. It was still pitch black, though now it felt… different. She felt something crushing her, keeping her trapped in the gloom. She weakly reached her hand out to feel what it was, feeling a thick fluid run through her fingers, coating her arm with its warm, viscous nature.
She tried to raise her head above the goo, fighting and shoving her way to the top to see what it really was. There was a dim light shining above her head, and when the assassin looked down at herself, all she saw was blood, covering her lower half and stretching from here to a distant patch of land. The sight made her want to vomit, each push forward feeling like she was Atlas holding the sky above her head. It kept trying to keep her under, to drown her in its might, but she prevailed, finally clawing her way onto the small island placed in the middle of the sea.
It seemed to be empty, though as she made her way back up to her feet and began to walk its trail, she noticed that the place seemed oddly familiar. A violet sky stretching as far as she could see, her feet beginning to sink in the dirt below. Naphal wanted to run, to hide, to get out of here as fast as she could and never see this place again, but something in her ear told her to keep moving forward. She walked without hesitation, almost like her legs controlled her, and eventually made it to a blasted out palace, the once beautiful stained glass windows destroyed from the outside.
The assassin entered the space to see it rotting, wallpaper tearing itself from the walls, portraits melting from the lack of upkeep. She made it into the main room where she first met him, but this time, it was empty. She expected to find his corpse somewhere, flies floating around it, maybe a chunk eaten off by that beast. Instead, all she found was just the inside of an abandoned house.
THUNK!
There was a sudden sound from the other room, her head whipped around to see where it was coming from. She saw nothing, so she ran. She ran into a big empty room, and it was there she saw a figure stand up in the shadows, its monstrous figure igniting memories of the day that began to rush through her brain like a flood from a broken dam. Naphal reached for the dagger that she usually kept in her pocket, noticing quickly that it was absent as she stared into the eyes of the beastly K, whose fur was soaked in Mephistopheles’ blood.
It approached her on two legs, which struck her as odd. The creature approached her with a look of existential dread in its eyes, its violet pupils looking down at her with no light behind them, just their color. She watched it get closer, her legs unconsciously stepping backwards, but she kept her body as still as she could while shaking violently. This thing could eat her alive if it desired, frankly, she didn’t want to take any chances.
K reached for her shoulder, the assassin allowing him to place his paw on her. He clinched her tight, holding onto her for dear life as another figure began to spawn from the darkness, carrying a dagger in its hand. She whipped the monster behind her back and put her dukes up, hoping that whoever this figure was would be willing to have a fair fight. As it approached the light however, she began to recognize the person. Long black hair, pale skin, dress the color of roses.
“Lucifer?”
“Ah, Naphal, there you are. I’ve been waiting on you.”
“Why?”
The queen grinned, “Because you need to finish the job, my dear.”
“But he’s dead. The job is already done.”
“Not yet…”
“What are you on about Lucifer?”
She pointed at her shoulder, “I’m sure you see the beast hiding behind your back. I would like you to finish the thing off for me.”
“He’s innocent. You told me not to hurt the innocent.”
“Did I really?”
“I remember it clearly, your highness.”
The grin on her face grew wider, “It doesn’t apply to beasts, now does it?”
“Ma’am…”
“Kill the monster, Naphal. He’s the last remnant of that traitorous fiend.”
“Mephistopheles was innocent too! There wasn’t an army! It was just him and the dog!”
“He was a scoundrel and you knew it! He tried to kill you, didn’t he?”
Naphal held back tears, “It’s not my fault you sent assassins to his door every year for a decade!”
“And you were my only success, dear. Poor Abaddon couldn’t speak for a week after he embarrassed her.”
“He didn’t do anything…”
“You don’t know what he did in the past.”
“There wasn’t an army, Lucifer.”
The Queen suddenly began to dissipate, her form blowing into the darkness as Naphal watched with horror. Her and K stood there alone, the dagger she carried sitting on the floor beneath her feet, shining in the dim light that poked through.
“I’m sorry what happened to your master.” She said solemnly, “I wish I could take it back.”
The assassin picked the dagger up off the ground, staring at it for a moment until another figure began to approach her.
“Congratulations.” It was the voice of the high commander, “I’m proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you.” A new voice said, this time it was her mother’s.
“I’m proud of you.” Another voice.
“I’m proud of you.” And another.
She was surrounded by the applause of her cohorts to the point where it was deafening. She again stared at the dagger in her hand, noticing the silhouettes begin to corner her in the palace. It wasn’t long until they were practically on top of her, crushing her in their might and pushing her back into the sea of blood from which she came. The girl didn’t know what to do, so she started swinging her knife aimlessly, hoping to cut through the figures but every time she landed the shadows distorted out of its way.
Then, SHIKK!
She heard the sound of her knife hitting flesh, the dog collapsing in the corner of her eye. When she turned around on her heel, he was gone, replaced by the rotting corpse of Mephistopheles. She began to feel his blood on her feet again, the world seeming to return to the memory she tried so hard to repress. She stood there for a moment before a light began to shine through the blackened sky. It was then when the real Naphal awoke from her nightmare, her stomach churning with pain, hot tears burning her skin as they trickled down her face.
The former assassin had no clue how long she slept, all she knew was that it was still dark outside, the city lights shining in the distance. She forced herself out of bed and into the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to make the tears go away. Her face was stained red from the saltwater, her eyes a bloodshot hue as she looked at herself in the mirror, disgusted at her own appearance. She wallowed in her own sorrow for what felt like forever, until she heard the clattering of footsteps begin outside. Naphal quickly left the bathroom behind and threw the curtains off a nearby window, seeing nothing in the darkness.
The assassin hesitantly walked through the corridor, careful not to wake up Tiff or her boyfriend whom she had somehow smuggled into the mansion. She could hear the floor beneath her feet creak slowly as she opened the door to reveal an empty staircase, a gust of warm air blowing through her short hair as she noticed what the stranger had left. It was nothing more than a small envelope, the paper shell wrinkled and wrecked. Naphal picked it up and brought it into the kitchen, turning on a stove light to read what the contents said.
She ripped open the shell and took out the small note that laid inside it, the words scrawled with ink on a torn piece of parchment.
“Meet me after the ceremony. I need help. I’m behind that bar you go to. If you can’t see me, ask for Ivy, someone will point you my way. See you tomorrow.”
Naphal stared at the cryptic message on the paper, taking it in as she felt her body begin to punish her for waking up so early. She walked back through the corridor and into her bedroom, sticking the note in the shirt she would wear tomorrow and laying back down on her bed.
She wasn’t going back to sleep, but it was worth a try.