"Why brother? Why now?" 

Asmodeus's sight went red as he peered forward to the ever tunneling sight of a sinister looking blade cleaving upward through his torso. To think he would escape his prison now if all moments, Asmodeus couldn't help but feel it was unfair. 

"Because you wouldn't listen to words, so maybe you'll listen to action. Harsh as it may be, I do this for you." 

Belphegor, the elder brother was the killer, a god like himself, but one damned to an eternal prison by the elder goddess Lilith. 

His fading thoughts resonated in a bitter attempt at second wind. His arms grasping the bloodied blade with what little strength he had left. Despite his attempts there was only a painful shifting of the blade, digging deeper and even more fatal through the heart of Asmodeus. 

"Lilith, forgive me. I didn't.. keep my promise." 

Belphegor looked with a pitiable expression ripping the blade from his back. Asmodeus turned to see his brother with the last of his breathless words mouthing. 

"Gaia won't let you get away with this." 

His vision began to fall as the tunnel had met its end. 

An anticlimactic finish for a god, it was pathetic, there was no excuse, and yet the result was undeniable. 

"This darkness, so this is what it means to know end?" 

Echoing in his mind there was no true voice or sound, nothing he could call his own. It reminded him of the untold passing of time in the lower realms, the entrapment he thought would never end. 

"Will this be no different? Will I remain here, even without my one shining light? If not to serve Lilith, then what else could remain?" 

His life wasn't always quite so simple, but his memories of the past before his elation to godhood were anything but fresh in his mind. He was once a paragon, one that viewed the gods in a near fairytale hued lense. A viewpoint, he had until the day he met his fate face to face. 

Instead of infinite possibilities it was a box, an empty one at that with only he and his brother. They could only view and hardly interact. Any attempts at returning to the world were met with pain, instead they spoke to the ancient ones for guidance, to think even gods have those they revere. It was a concept he would have never understood had he not raced to it in the first place. 

"A fool's life. There was only ever one silver lining brother. There was only one means I knew. Yet you so quickly found fault in my passions. Why was it never enough? Why did you hate her so?" 

As his final lament fell on deaf ears, he began to fall, infinite and empty, the only sense of change being a gaping maw below that pierced with a kindling comparable to the sun. 

"So this is my end? I regret that I never made you smile Lilith, you who became my only sense of sanity, you who gave me purpose. I bid thee farewell, one last time. If only I could see your face one last time." 

The maw of light swallowed him as he felt a surreal and heavy feeling crushing down upon him. 

Strangely, there was light, faint and blue that blurred in and out of focus from his dizzy eyes. The feeling of a breath, a heartbeat, a haze of mysterious senses that he had almost forgotten existed began to come from all angles. Hands brushing the cobblestone below, nostrils catching scents of dirt and earth that had overtaken the temple around him. The discomfort of raw skin against blistered stone, and the symphony of water droplets that came periodically like clockwork. 

"I hesitate to believe this to be an afterlife. So I am to live again? Is fate merely here to scoff at me? Or is it truly a second chance." 

There was something far different that he could never have placed given the place and time, the taste and touch, it was an empty difference at least to a god. Being in flesh and blood was as foreign as breathing, a rather taxing endeavor when it came down to it. Forgetting led the occasional choking sensation to wash over his newfound senses, drawing a feeling he had almost forgot he was capable of feeling. Fear in it's more primal form. 

Wiggling a toe came with a sharp pain, another sense that threatened to overwhelm him. It was intense and terrible in equal parts. Shivering with a tear escaping his eye he could barely handle the shame. 

"To think a god would fall so low, perhaps I should witness how low myself. There's no sense in delaying the inevitable." 

Focusing on the familiar feeling of calling the status screen he closed his eyes. 

Nothing? 

Despite the focus and concentration of his divine grace, there was not so much as a hint of magic, not even a brief glimpse of hope in terms of this particular venerary. 

"So I am inept? Have I become a mere plaything of fate? I suppose I need rely upon my followers then." 

As vision settled in upon the surroundings, it was empty, vast, and familiar, far too familiar at that. 

"My temple? But this should be…" 

Pain surged as he attempted to recall the memories, only accomplishing in giving way to a headache and an unsolved mystery. 

This temple, his temple was abandoned, worse yet unkempt, raising the question of how and why all at once. Though he could recall enough to understand where the memory had gone, an almost universal price to be paid by those who die and reincarnate, a price paid in existence of the soul. In this case, and in most cases this was charged by a toll of memories, lost to the void to recreate a fate. Too many deaths would simply cause someone, god or otherwise, to lose everything that could define them, in many ways, a fate worse than death. 

"There is no sense in staying here, and yet am I truly too weak to move? No, surely not." 

Attempting another wiggle of a toe again surged the pain, though considerably less than last time. Though the mounting fear and tears had made a larger and larger break in-between the attempts. 

"Surely I can face more than this, do I really fear pain to this extent?" 

Cold shivers washed over him like a waterfall at the creeping anticipation of the next movement. It was equal parts humbling and humiliating. There was no denying it now, he was indeed fearful of the next movement, so much so, that tears now fell in a steady stream. 

The ungraceful clumping of snot made breathing that much more of a taxing exercise to the newborn god. One thing was rather strange, why if he had been reincarnated did he end up here? We're gods tied to their place of worship if they should die? Or is it yet another cruel taunt of fate at his pathetic state. 

A loud rumbling shook the halls causing him to fall from his alter to the floor, a painful collision that summoned a scream, one that was far lighter than he could have imagined. 

The foreign voice he had been using felt strange but merely as though someone much younger but the scream, it felt different. The sound of footsteps interrupted his contemplation as something, no, someone was approaching. 

This is dangerous, in my current state any creature could kill me let alone a powerful one. My only chance is if I right myself and look the part of a god! 

Stammering his first foot dragging across the stone like a club made him grit his teeth and force his eyes closed. 

The next movement felt like raw bone against stone as the second leg righted itself causing a pitiful whimper to escape his lips. Despite his protest he now sat with his knees cradled in his arms, but there was no time. 

Attempting all the rest of the clumsy movements he stood to his feet, finding the ground still close at hand he surmised that he must have been a child, or at least a younger version of himself. Hopefully it resembled his true form enough that they could recognize him as a god. 

The flurry of steps made by the mysterious intruder met pace with the immeasurable amount of tears that flowed down Asmodeus's cheeks, the true trial of grit had only just begun. 

Damn the luck! At this rate I must look more as a sniveling swine than a god! Still I must try! 

The visage stood tall, a shadow looming across the room stunned but slowly stepping closer. 

"Stohp *hic* you stand *sniffle* ihn front of the god! A *hic* Asmodeuhs!"

His words came out with all the ferocity of a songbird, only upsetting him more, the attempt to intimidate the intruder was only divine in how pathetic it was. 

Damn you pain! You've ruined my chances. 

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The intruder who slowly slipped from out of the shadows now stood in full view. 

"A god you say? Well dear God, perhaps you should cover yourself. It is rather cold and my lady-- ahem, my God shouldn't show so much skin." 

Surely he's daft, there couldn't be- 

The sniffling mess and hazy vision trailed downward to his body, only coming to grips with how outlandishly small it was, but female? That couldn't be. 

The young man had a big dumb smile on his face as he averted his eyes, with outstretched arms offering his outer coat. Perhaps he could tell Asmo was a god? 

"...Did you, did you know?" 

"What is it dear God? Could you say again?" 

"How did you know?" 

The crass smile of the man was filled with a sort of confused expression.

"Well, I had thought mayhaps you tried to scare me away with a farce. So I merely played the role. I sincerely hope the little lady has no Ill feelings toward a passing explorer." 

Peering up and down Asmo could clearly see him now, a large framed demonkin that had a daring look about him. Long flowing hair and well pronounced horns, and a fairly handsome air about him, surely he would be popular with the ladies if he wished to be. 

"Little lady? I am the god Asmodeus you fool!" 

The fiery feeling of blood rushing to his head spouted out with the small voice that became a measure louder fueled by fury. 

The expression of the young man was slowly cracking, not unlike a hatching eggs. All at once the expression faded, his head turning as the small sound of his snickering met the less than happy ears of Asmodeus. 

"You dare mock me?!" 

"Please, I mean no-" 

The laughing interrupted his sarcastic words midway, giving way to a torrent of shame. 

"How dare you, I-"

Taking a grueling step forward Asmo let the anger flow and found the pain double him over towards the ground like a rock sinking in water. 

Damn, it's too much all of this is too much.. why? Why is pain like this? And this fool, why was I found by such a fool? 

Bracing for impact he winced, the torrent of pain would cause more senseless tears and another pitiful sound. 

"Careful." 

The man had caught Asmo sparing the pain and in its place a pleasant warmth. 

"It would be such a shame to see such a beautiful face dirtied against the cold ground." 

The smothering words gave something to distract from the lingering pain, even if their meaning was lost on the fallen god. 

Lacking any words, the only rebellion to the situation that Asmo could muster was a scowl before falling to the discontent of a woozy empty feeling in his head. 

Am I dying again? Will I lose even more than I already have? What a cruel joke, at the mercy of such a man, unable even to stand. 

The fluttering of vision returned all at once as the pleasant sensation of movement bobbed up and down. Though it felt calming somehow even if Asmo's eyes refused to open fully. Hazy eyes now peered at the ceiling of stone and sigils, the diagonal of the path spiraling ever downward on a slope. 

"Ah, the sleeping beauty awakens? Have you come to your senses yet?" 

The toothy smile proved only one thing about the would be saviour in question. He was certainly stubborn, as well as quite sly. A chill ran down Asmo's spine at the flirtatious nature of the man. 

"I've been quite sensible. It's you who needs your eyes checked. I am Asmodeus. It's simple." 

"As simple as kissing a dragon and getting away to tell the tale?" 

"There it is again, then why pray tell did you rescue me? You don't even believe who I am! You heretic! Fool! Evil doer!" 

The insults only summoned an all too innocent smile. It seemed as though even Asmo's attempts at verbal fortitude were shot down in a glance. 

"Quite the unbefitting crude for a girl of your stature. Let alone for a god."

The insolence! How dare he mock my turmoil! 

"You didn't answer the question, cur.." 

Asmo faced away, not granting the frustrating man the satisfaction of seeing a mostly disgruntled expression cast over "her" face. Though it did make Asmo quite curious, he, or rather she given the circumstances, was a perfect stranger who was presumably lying about their identity, caught naked in an abandoned place. What could he possibly gain from taking her? 

"Well, does a man need a reason to practice chivalry? Besides, why wouldn't I take you? Your formidable stance of wobbling like a cripple was certainly not going to get you down the ten thousand steps. Should I have left you to die? Do I strike you as such a fiend?" 

It was frustrating hearing logic and honor from someone that Asmo wanted nothing more than to hate. To be fair, the cheeky attitude was certainly unbecoming but it made it very difficult to find a word to retort. 

"Perhaps death would be less shameful, and am I to take you for such a generous type as to have no ulterior motives? Spit it out. If you intend to sacrifice me to gain my brother's favor you need only tell me now. What could I do to resist? Spit at you? A fearsome god indeed." 

The apathy and passive aggression escaped the tender, far too gentle lips with venom and fire. Still the cruel cards of fate kept his smile maintained, no, even wider. 

"Is it so bad to be held like a princess by a dashing gentleman? My, to think a god incapable of adjusting to such favorable circumstances. I thought higher of you than to give up so soon milord." 

He struck a weak point, Asmo had nothing if not pride, a line cast, and a hook which was happily took. 

"Of course I can adapt! This, this is nothing! I simply have my pride and i-" 

"Are ashamed that I saw you buck naked? Of course I didn't intend to, but I'll have to give compliments to milord for having such a smoking ho-" 

"That's quite enough! Once I regain my godhood I'll have you reduced to a pebble!" 

"Aww, I wouldn't be that mean to me, unless your eminence intends to punish your savior. What would the other gods think? You'd be helpless and ungrateful? Who could look you in the eye?" 

The drastic expression of the man screamed playful, far too much that it summoned a divine level of anger, one that could only be expressed right now by the piercing glare that may have been Asmo's only sign of formidable since being reborn. 

"You know nothing of what you speak! You're just taking advantage of me!" 

"Truly I would never, I didn't even think of touching your eminence in your slumber earlier. You should trust your savior more your grace." 

The sarcasm in the referring of Asmo's godhood was causing the blood to once again rush to her face, threatening to once again steal away consciousness. 

"You liar! You have a hidden motive! It's painted all over your face. Besides, I have a way of proving my identity." 

The increasingly frustrated gaze of Asmo took a turn for the smug, showing a tooth or two with extra confidence fuming. 

"Oh? Do tell! We've got some thousands of steps to go, why don't we humor your delusions of grandeur." 

"Check my status. I'm certain you could tell if you looked. My name! Look at my name!" 

"Asmo." 

"That's right." 

"That doesn't prove anything you know." 

"Just because you shorten it doesn't mean anything you dolt!" 

"Shortening? No, I think you misunderstand, it's just Asmo. Also, you're quite confident in this, it's quite impressive really." 

"No, you're clearly doing it wrong!" 

"Oh? Should I let you have a go at it?" 

"I can't! And you knew that!" 

"No, of course not! Surely a god can perform something so simple! I just didn't want to belittle your eminence." 

The frustration of being belittled began to weigh down the former god to the point where the only sound that escaped was a sigh. 

For a long moment the face of the man twisted into a confused look, as if Asmo had said something shocking. 

"You sure are stubborn, though it might just make you that much more fun! Though you've got quite a mouth on you I'll give you that. Nonsense aside, shall we start over? My name is Vespin. I'm something of a bounty hunter. What is it you were doing at such a place in such a state?" 

"Shall I humor you with the truth so you can scoff at it again? I think not." 

The man stopped abruptly giving a sense of fear as Asmo's heart nearly left her chest. There it was again, the unsettling smile! He had ill intent! No doubt about it! 

"How about we make a deal?" 

"Just why would I even consider such a thing?" 

"Because, with all due respect dear Asmo, you will need my help." 

"You're wrong!" 

"Oh, shall I leave you here?" 

"Yes! Put me down!" 

"As you wish princess." 

"You fiend! Take that back this instance!" 

"And if I don't?" 

"I'll.." 

Damn him! Curse this horrible taunting fool!! I hate him I hate him I hate him!!! 

"I'll do something terrible!" 

Placing her down to the ground gently, the man lifted a brow to the sudden threat. 

"Oh do tell, I'm sure you don't mind showing me a glimpse of my inevitable suffering at your hand right?" 

Infuriating gutterfly grissle lout!! 

Lacking the words, Asmo could only growl and grit her teeth at the taunting. There was nothing, it was a completely empty threat, and it felt terrible, hopeless even. 

There was only one thing that was going to happen if this continued. 

"I'm warning you!" 

Curse this body and it's pitiful nature. Curse you brother this is all your fault. Why did I have to cross paths with your kin!! They are every bit as infuriating as you!!

He closed the distance between them with blinding speed that Asmo's eyes couldn't hope to keep up with, a knife drawn sharply to her neck. 

"Understand, I've been cordial with you, I've even amused your nonsense. Now if you can't prove even your threats to be formidable then perhaps I should leave you to starve here. Is that what you wish for? Death?" 

The tone had changed, a serious and almost wounded flash in the glisten of his fearsome red eyes. Her mouth gaped open in shock, the overwhelming feeling of difference hit her like a blade cutting through the heart. The new but familiar feeling of fear plagued as the small body began to shake. 

"Well, it was nice passing time with you. Now I shall grant your wish my God and you shall be rid of me once and for all." 

The blade retracted as the man turned, cruelly facing away with the delivery of the death sentence. Asmo's heart sank, caught between frustration and need all at once and yet having no proper means to express them. The expressions of hatred and angst against the man all faded. As much as Asmo wanted to escape the grasp of the captor, the encroaching alternative was infinitely more terrifying. Pride gave way to fear in a crescendo of words that may have been the most human thing the god had ever uttered. 

"Please help me.. I don't want to die again." 

The words escaped like a trance, a figurative pied piper to summon the smothering feelings of frustration and anguish from deep within the god's weary soul. 

"That's it?" 

Vespin didn't bother to turn around, his voice in a much darker tone than before, sending chills that haunted her spine. 

"I begged you already! Please. Don't-" 

Taking several steps he quickly clarified. 

"That's not good enough. I'm a bounty Hunter not a saint. Good luck though." 

Tears began to stream at the frustration and agony of trying to keep pace with him. Each movement more sore and terrible than the last. 

"Please *hic* I, I'll do anything!" 

The ugly words poured out without hesitation. The man stopped his pace letting out a sigh. 

"Anything?" 

The smile of a devil turned with nothing but sinister intent. 

"Anything!" 

Even before the words finished his hand grasped Asmo's chin staring into her eyes with a deathly serious look. 

"Then you'll belong to me from now until I set you free. You can be yourself, speak your mind and say no to what you will, but you will never lie to me. If you do…" 

The fire in his eyes glared straight through her. 

"No tears will save you."

His expression became brighter before placing a hand on her floofy hair. 

"You see, I hate liars, and part of me wants to believe your words, but you'll have to try harder than this."

With one last lash of pain Asmo was lifted into the air again falling into the cradle of his arms. His massive frame making the body of the former god look pitifully small in comparison. 

The remaining sniffles assaulted the small creature one last time as words escaped with a pitifully weak punch to his chin, one that in fact caused Asmo pain in his place. 

"You devil! You took advantage of my weakness!" 

"Now, is that any way to treat your savior? Or would it be master now?" 

"I'll never call you that! Either of them!"

"Then you'll call me Vespin! It's settled." 

"But I never agreed to that!" 

"Oh? Are gods liars? In that case." 

"I'll call you it. Just don't.." 

"You're too easy Azzy." 

"Shut up! This is all your fault! You and Belphegor!" 

"Funny, I don't recall killing you but I do happen to recall saving a damsel in distress who couldn't even take a step without tears."

"You jerk! Why do you keep pointing that out!" 

"Oh? Should I treat my Azzy with more care?" 

"I do not belong to you! And that isn't even the point here. Wait, you're just doing this to get under my skin!" 

"No, of course not! I wouldn't dream of it." 

"That means yes!!"