With a final tug of the strap, the mighty pit fiend was satisfied that his armor was once more properly worn. He looked once more over his shoulder at the chained forms of several angels. Their bodies were battered and broken, and their wings were shredded, lying upon the floor. Their halos had forever dimmed, and they already had the beginnings of horns growing through their skulls as they had begun to change, soon to join the ranks of his own army. He smiled at the one in the middle. She had taken the longest to break. Her will was the strongest.
And she would become the strongest devil beneath him.
He opened the door and stepped out, the devil guarding the holding cell saluting him, its face awed. “My Lord Xaphan,” the devil said. “I’ve never heard of someone breaking so many angels so quickly. I wish to one day be as great as you.”
The pit fiend smiled, gently stroking his well-trimmed goatee before placing his hand on the lesser devil’s shoulder. “What can I say? I love my work. But now that I’ve relaxed for a bit, it’s time to head back to the front lines.” He spread his great black wings and with a single leap, shot into the skies above verdant Elysium.
Battle was as it always was. The azatas had been ill prepared for Hell’s advance, and Xaphan’s forces had scorched nearly a hundred miles deep into the heavenly realm. But then the angels had arrived to support their weaker kin, and the incursion had stalled out a few miles short of the celestial city. In a short while, a combined force of angels, archons and agathions would arrive to support their fellow celestials, and Hell’s armies would be pushed back.
This little dance had played out a thousand times, maybe more. Which is why Xaphan had already prepared for that part. When the messengers of Heaven had appeared to deliver word to Elysium, his people had been ready, capturing the messengers. And Xaphan had broken them, taking their intel about when and where the reinforcements would arrive.
They would find themselves set upon from all sides by a thousand great fiendish red dragons that Xaphan had himself raised in Hell for this very moment.
There was little doubt that they would slay the dragons, but the unexpected blow would leave them vulnerable to a further counterattack. They could press into the celestial city and torch it to the ground. The angels would encircle them, and think they’d won.
Then another wave of powerful devils would arrive, and together they’d cut apart the celestials, and press their way into Elysium unopposed for quite some time before their foes could rally more reinforcements.
And everything went as expected, as all assumed it would for one of the rising stars in the service of Moloch.
All until the next wave of devils was to arrive.
The horn had sounded, and…nothing. Xaphan’s people had fought with all their might, but all were cut down. He’d barely managed to escape with his life. And even then, he’d been forced to escape down the first path that led away from the army of enraged celestials.
Which is how he found himself in the Abyss, carefully making his way through demon territory as angelic hit squads searched high and low for him.
“Something must have waylaid Vonuzal’s contingent,” he spat, pulling a celestial arrow from his side as he sheltered in the shadow of a mountain beside a lake. He laughed. “Still, the city was ablaze. None have ever reached it before. I’m sure Lord Moloch will reward my ingenuity.”
A massive creature burst from the waters of the lake. It had the skittering legs of a spider or some kind of insect, and a mass of writhing tentacles. He sighed. “A Qlippoth. Hunter of demons. We need not be enemies.”
The thulgant didn’t react to his words in any way, instead charging at him.
“Yep. Thought so,” the pit fiend roared. “Come then, meet your death!”
It wasn’t much of a fight. The creature had a number of powerful tricks, but in the end, it was a physical fighter up against a more powerful physical fighter who could burn it with Hellfire.
Once it was down, a small voice spoke to him. “Thank you, mighty warrior, for freeing me from the clutches of this terrible monster!” He cocked his head sideways, and spotted a squirming form in a sack that the creature had been carrying. He tore it open, revealing the bound and shrunken form of a mortal woman.
He cut her bonds, and she returned to normal size. Her voluptuous form was barely covered by shredded clothing. “Well, whatever.” He turned and began walking away.
“Wait!” she called out. “Aren’t you going to ravish me? It’s the right of a hero to claim the maiden he’s saved as his!”
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid enough to stick my dick in a succubus,” he said. “Even if the qlippoth was stupid enough to not realize what you were.” He walked a few more steps, then stopped. “However…if you’re offering a reward, I wouldn’t mind some information. I need to escape this place and return to Hell. Or barring that, the material plane. I can get home from there.”
“You really aren’t going to push me to the ground and force yourself on me?” she pouted. “Fine. Yes, I do know of a portal out of here. It leads to the aetherial plane. From there, you could make your way to Hell, or the mortal realms. Ooh. You know, I could show you the way, if you’d like. Then you deal with the archons guarding the portal. From there, you could go back to boring old Hell, and I can make my way to the mortal realms. All I need is your binding word that once we’ve reached the portal, you’ll let me go my way.”
He considered it. He could wander the Abyss for aeons and never find a way out, or he could accept her help for a chance to make it home. “So long as you lead me to the portal, do not attempt to betray me at any point in our journey, and the portal leads where you say it does, I swear that I will make no attempt to harm you. This oath will no longer be binding once we have gone our separate ways, and I will likely slay you should I ever meet you again.”
“You must be fun at parties,” the succubus sighed. “Good enough, though. Let’s go.”
The trip through the Abyss was nerve wracking for the devil, but thankfully, he managed to evade both the demons that ran rampant and the angels that were still looking for him. And as he went deeper into the Abyss, the latter group became rarer and rarer.
He kept expecting the succubus to betray him, but even after a week of travel, the betrayal hadn’t come. He expressed his surprise about this to her as they were resting in the shade of a hill. “There have been many opportunities to betray me,” he said. “Why haven’t you?”
She shrugged. “Getting through the portal seems more interesting. I’ve had the help of many demons in attempts to get through. All were slain. But I think that maybe the archons won’t be expecting a devil. So, I need you. Plus, I’m still kinda hoping you’ll fuck me. Never been plowed by a devil before. I think it’d be an interesting experience. So, why haven’t you? Not into girls?”
He snorted. “That’s not it at all. Like I said, having sex with a succubus is generally a stupid move if you want to retain control of yourself.”
“What if I promised nothing would happen but the sex?”
“If you were devil, I could accept your word. But I don’t trust demons.”
She pouted. “That’s probably smart. But it’s not fun. You are at least getting your needs met, right? Got some kind of devil girl back home polishing your sword?”
He laughed. “I can’t say I haven’t had a few lovers back home. My star is on the rise. There are those who wish to get in my good graces before I prove myself and rise to become an Archdevil.”
“Ambitious.”
“Yes. Though I must admit that I prefer the angels I’ve broken and forced to fall to the sycophants. They’re so very eager to please me.”
She cooed in delight. “Fallen angels. Oh, my. You’re speaking my language. I wish I could manage to tempt an angel to fall. I bet they have the wildest kinks deep down.”
He actually smiled. “Like I said. They’re eager to serve. Come. We’ve rested long enough. How much further to the portal?”
“Half a day at most.”
The portal had been contained in a massive stone structure. And on either side stood a massive stone statue.
“I see why your demons have struggled. A pair of Gate Archons? That’s a tough fight for anyone.” He grinned. “But I have no need to fight them alone.” He held out his hand, and a smoldering Puragaus appeared kneeling before him.
“My lord,” the summoned form said.
“There is no time for niceties. We slaughter archons this day. In Moloch’s name!”
“Moloch!” the Puragaus roared, unleashing a firestorm upon the stone forms of the archons. Xaphan unleashed his own flurry of fireballs, and then each of them charged the singed celestials.
They flanked the archon on the left and tore into it as it began conjuring its massive sword. “Not today!” Xaphan roared, brutally wrenching off the celestial’s arm and then clubbing it repeatedly with it.
The second archon slashed the Puragaus across the back as Xaphan finished off his first foe. The immolation devil winked out of existence as its summoned form was destroyed, leaving Xaphan to face the celestial alone.
Or so it seemed. But out of the shadows leapt what appeared to be a horned human skeleton covered in a tight hide of slimy leather: a babau, summoned by the succubus. The archon sensed its presence, and spun immediately, slashing it out of the air and clean in two.
That had been a mistake, as a babau wasn’t much of a threat to so powerful a celestial. Xaphan on the other hand?
The pit fiend dashed forward, closing the gap between them while the archon was distracted. “You would free the demons to enter the mortal realms?!” it demanded as it fought the rampaging devil.
“As soon as I get back to Hell, I’ll send a strongly worded letter to Heaven and let them know that you failed at your job. I’m sure they’ll send a replacement fairly quickly. I doubt more than a couple dozen demons will notice your absence. Hardly a real crisis.”
The archon nodded. “Acceptable, I suppose. Should you win our fight, tell them that you have slain Cadriel, so that they know where to send my replacement.”
“Cadriel? That’s a girl’s name,” Xaphan said, knocking aside a slash of the mighty blade. It was hard to tell with all the armor.
“Yes.”
“Oh, the things I wish I had time to do to you. But I must be getting home, so I shall simply have to revel in your death cry.” And with that, he lunged forward, his clawed hand grasping her neck and tearing out the celestial’s throat.
He tossed the body to the ground and looked at the broken, bloodied form wistfully. “She’s still warm,” the succubus said as she approached.
“Not worth it. I’ve done what I came here to do.” He sighed. “Still. She died away from Heaven. She will one day be reborn. I will look for her on the field of battle.”
“You could fuck me on top of her corpse?” the succubus suggested hopefully.
“Still no.”
“Can’t blame a girl for trying. Well, if you ever change your mind, I am L’okrelaila Uniolphial Caonthioxxaa.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Your True Name?”
“It’d be awful hard to conjure me if you ever need to use me as your personal cocksleeve without it. Though I prefer you call me Laila when you’re inside me.”
“Of course,” he said, unsure why he was even surprised by the things she said anymore.
“And what of you? What name should I listen for when I hear about a new Archdevil?”
“I am Xaphan,” he said. “No, that is not my True Name, but it is enough. And you have kept your word, L’okrelaila, much to my surprise. If my lord Moloch bids me lead his forces into the Abyss, I will not deliberately seek your blood. Enjoy your time on the material plane before your kind’s greed and foolishness inevitably leads you to be banished back to your foul home.”
“That’s almost sweet of you to say. Be sure to think of me next time you’re defiling some angel bitch.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I will.”
** * **
There were predators and dangers in the Astral Plane, but nothing a Pit Fiend couldn’t handle. Indeed, the greatest issue was crossing the vast distances in any reasonable amount of time. But there were ways, if you had the knowledge. And Xaphan knew a few of them.
All in all, he returned to Hell within less than a century from leaving. Not all that long, in the estimation of a being that was eternal like he was.
The sentinels in Avernus simply nodded as he passed. Then he made his way through the layers of Hell. First the massive city of Dis, then past the quartermasters and treasurers of Erebus. Next he passed the forges of Phlegethon, and the temples and libraries of Stygia, before finally reaching the vast forest of Malebolge.
He made his way to the keep that was his home, and was surprised to find guards he did not recognize manning the gate. “What are you doing in my home?” he demanded.
“This keep belongs to our lord. We know you not,” the barbazu answered.
“I am Xaphan!” he roared. “And all know my name.”
“The failure who died attempting to burn the heavens?” the second barbazu laughed. “I believe Lord Moloch awaits your accounting for your failure. Or did he speed up your revival only to laugh at your pathetic nature?”
Xaphan rushed forward, grabbing the closest of the guards by the throat and pinning him against the wall. “You will take me to your master. I will see the face of the one who thinks himself worthy of my keep.”
“If that is your wish,” the second guard answered. “Our lord will slay you himself for your insolence.”
They led him through the halls of his home to the great throne where he had presided over the lands that were his. Things were definitely different. Xaphan’s servants had been fastidious in their duties, and nothing had ever been out of place. But now, the keep was a sty, with little thought given to cleaning and maintenance.
The throne room was no different. Among rotting scraps lie Xaphan’s most prized possessions. The fallen angels were filthy, their runic control collars looking out of place alongside their tattered clothing. He did have to admit that they were still quite tempting, and once he was done dealing with the usurper, he would take his time reminding them to whom they belonged.
After he’d had them bathed and put into more fitting clothing.
Upon the throne sat a corpulent devil, covered in boils and smelling of rot and sickness. There were few pit fiends who looked as such, and Xaphan recognized him immediately. “Vonuzal, what is the meaning of this betrayal?” he demanded.
The large devil sighed. “Xaphan, why did you not have the good sense to die on the battlefield? I spent so much time stroking your ego and guiding you to a place where you’d be vulnerable, and you had to go spoil it by surviving.”
“I was your friend! Your mentor!” Xaphan roared in anger.
“You were a fool. In Hell, only those whose cunning and ruthlessness matches their strength may rise to the top. The fact that you seemed not to even remotely suspect my plan tells me all I need to know about whether you’re fit to become an Infernal Duke, much less an Archdevil. Do not worry, you will always be remembered. ‘Xaphan, who burned the Heavens and died a fool’.”
He snapped his fingers and several powerful cornugons leapt from the shadows, swinging their powerful spiked chains at him. He managed to dodge several of the blows, but he felt pain as the spikes tore into his flesh.
This was no good. He was going to die here if he didn’t react quickly. He scanned the room, and for a moment, his eyes met those of one of his harem. She seemed to be pleading that he end her torment, in some way or another. And then she glanced up at the skylight above the throne.
He saw his opportunity. He caught the spiked chain of one of his attackers and wrested it from the devil. He then swung it with all his might, wrapping it around the neck of the fallen angel. She seemed almost grateful as he whipped the chain upward, snapping her neck and flinging her corpse through the glass.
Shards of glass fell onto Vonuzal. Two of the cornugons used their bodies to shield him from the fragments. Xaphan took that opportunity and shot into the air, out through the hole in the ceiling.
He was hounded by his pursuers for two days, before collapsing from his wounds in the garden of one of the great libraries of Stygia. It was only by chance that he was found by a phistophilus before the cornugons picked up his trail once more.
“Xaphan?” the voice asked.
“I…know that… Melech?” he asked, unable to see straight.
“What have you gotten yourself into? Oh, there is no time. I will help you walk. I will hide you. And I will tend to your wounds. After that, my debt to you from before will be squared. Do you agree?”
He had no choice. “Agreed.”
“Okay, then. Up you go. And try not to bleed too much on these contracts I carry. It won’t stick or ruin them, but it’s just not proper.”
** * **
It took quite some time for Xaphan’s wounds to heal and, more importantly, for those searching for him to give up. During that time, he hid in Melech’s residence. The place was absolutely filled with scrolls containing contracts of all sorts. The phistophilus had been forced to spend some time clearing an area for the pit fiend to recuperate before returning to his work at the library.
Once he was back in fighting shape, Xaphan had been eager to plot his revenge on Vonuzal. He would reclaim his home and the things that belonged to him. He said as much to Melech.
“I would advise against it. Vonuzal may not be the warrior you are, but he is cunning. He has made alliances. Even the gelugon lord, Teg’drallith, likely soon to become an Infernal Duke in his own right, has allied with him. Face it, Xaphan. His star is rising, and yours has fallen.”
“I fear not an ice devil.”
“Then you are as great a fool as they claim you are.” Melech shrank back as the pit fiend growled at him. “You won’t cow me into saying what is untrue. Now is not the time to strike. You must bide your time, and find a way to strike Vonuzal when and where he’ll least expect it.”
“I can’t remain cooped up in here until then,” Xaphan groused.
“On that, we are agreed,” Melech said, a wry smile upon his face. “I have already begun to put out a few feelers to see if another Archdevil or Infernal Duke might be interested in taking you in.”
“Any good news?”
“Nothing as of yet. Not even Mammon will take you to guard the treasure vaults.”
“Ouch.”
“Right? I may have to reach out to the Whore Queens.”
Xaphan grimaced. “I would be forced to serve a woman?”
Melech sighed. “Beggars can’t be choosers, Xaphan. It’s either that or you go rogue and pursue something that will benefit Hell independently. But without a master to protect you, it’s only a matter of time before Vonuzal’s assassins will find you and finish the job.”
“You’re probably right about that. Fine. Even if I must serve a woman, I will do what I need to.”
“Good to hear. I’ll keep looking, and hopefully, it won’t come to that. But I’ll keep that option on the table.”
Much to Xaphan’s chagrin, that indeed was the only option that ended up remaining after Melech had exhausted all other avenues. And so it was that Xaphan made his way through the great city of Dis once more before reaching a massive palace of brass and iron blades. “Widow’s Cry” was what it was called by those who were outside, but within, it was known as “Valkyria Reforged”.
The gate was guarded by four executioner devils – munagolas – and a cadre of erinyes. The women regarded him cautiously as he approached, but Melech interceded. “We are sorry to intrude, but this devil has an audience scheduled with Mighty Eiseth.”
The munagolas, whose strength was said to rival even a pit fiend, exchanged a glance, but then nodded. “Yes, you are expected,” the lead said. “Follow me.”
They were led through the great halls of the immense palace until eventually they reached the throne room. Upon a massive throne forged from the blades of a thousand angels that Hell’s Valkyrie herself had slain sat a figure with black feathered wings clad in ebon armor, whose robes were permanently stained with the blood of slaughtered celestials.
Xaphan found his heart racing at the sight of her beauty. Something deep inside him hungered to dominate and conquer such a fierce woman. But he suppressed his urges and bowed before her.
Her severe gaze lightened into a smirk. “For the mighty Xaphan, Who Burns the Heavens, defiler of every female angel he has come across to seek favor from me, of all of Hell’s denizens…you must be truly desperate. I must admit, I find the irony delicious. Still, I must admit that I find myself wondering why I should suffer the presence of a despoiler of women within my ranks. Tell me why I should not simply strike you down for wasting both of our time.”
“My offer to serve is genuine,” Xaphan said. “I have served Moloch faithfully for eons. He has cast that aside. Accept my service, and I will offer you the same until such time as you decide you no longer need me. I must admit that I would prefer that if you do not wish my service, you simply tell me so rather than allow another of your servants to attempt to kill me and claim my home, though.”
She regarded him for a moment, then burst into laughter. “You amuse me, Xaphan. It is true that your loyalty has never been called into question, nor has the fidelity of your word. If I accept your service, you will not be given a place of honor. You will be but another warrior who serves me, ranking below even the erinyes. Tell me, would this be acceptable to you?”
“If you will grant me leave to take my vengeance against those who have wronged me when the time is right, I will accept such terms.”
Her lips parted in a predatory grin. “Vengeance is one of my favorite pastimes, Xaphan. I would not dream of denying you yours, so long as you stay your blade until the time is right.”
“Then my blade is yours,” Xaphan said, kneeling before the throne. “Until such time as you no longer need it, or I am no longer physically capable of service.”
** * **
The millennia that followed were fairly enjoyable for the pit fiend. He found some decent camaraderie among his new allies, and even took a few lovers along the way. But he was always considered lesser, due to his status as a male.
That would have rankled, but he was trying to keep his eye on his vengeance. And it wasn’t as if he didn’t respect his new Queen. He just wished he could rise higher.
He knew that would have just put a target on his back. A target he would have been unable to spot until it was too late. He had to bide his time. Vengeance first, then status, unless status was required to enact vengeance.
Then, one fateful day, he was summoned by his Queen. He knelt before the throne. “What is your will?” he asked.
“A mortal on the world of Golarion seeks my aid and blessing.”
“A mortal, my Queen?”
“Yes. A child of perhaps eleven years. A spellcaster.”
He nodded his understanding. “Shall I dispatch an imp to attend to her immediately?”
“No, you misunderstand. She is a summoner. She seeks a devil to bind into the form of an eidolon. An adviser and champion. I wish you to go and hear her out.”
An eidolon? Well, at least it wasn’t a full binding. He would merely project his mind into a construct of the girl’s own power. There was no chance this would end with him being bound into the body of a dog like his old acquaintance Oritin. They were still laughing about his situation all over Dis.
But wasn’t this beneath him? A pit fiend as an eidolon? This was the work of a much lesser devil. A hesperian, perhaps. Or a barbazu. Not a mighty pit fiend.
“I –” he began to protest, but thought better of it. “As you wish, my Queen.”
She smiled. “Good. I think your skill at arms and tactical mind will serve her well. And I believe that she may have precisely what you need as well.”
He was intrigued. He reached forth with his mind, and sought out the mind of the child. It took almost an hour, but eventually he managed to establish a connection. It was almost as if a bell pealed as he did so.
“H-Hello?” the voice asked nervously.
“My Queen has asked me to answer your prayers,” Xaphan said.
“Oh. OH!” He could hear her breathe a sigh of relief. “I-I need an eidolon to protect me so I can get stronger.”
“Why do you want to get stronger?” he asked. “Strength alone is fine, but without a goal, it is meaningless.”
She seemed to consider his words. “I want to become a devil powerful enough to burn the Heavens and slay the gods.”
He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but that certainly wasn’t it. “I… why?”
“When I was six, my cousins killed my sister. I begged and pleaded that the gods save her. But they never did. They were probably laughing at my suffering. So I decided that first I needed to kill my cousins, and then gain enough strength to pay the gods back tenfold for their refusal to answer my pleas.”
“I see. How outnumbered are we?”
“Dozens to one. Each and every one a summoner with their own eidolon. But I think I’ve managed to get the servants on my side. They won’t help, but no one notices them, so they have all sorts of information they’re happy to share. I’ve been working on that since the day after my sister died.”
“Since you were six.”
“Yes.” Her tone sounded mildly frustrated at his inability to keep up. “I’ve been doing other things to prepare, too. I’ve been practicing with my mom’s bow. And acting like an idiot. I’ve hidden my talents with magic, and the hellfire that I can conjure thanks to the tainted angelic blood in my veins.”
“So you need someone strong to enact your strategies.”
“At a minimum. But the truth is that while I’ve read everything I can find about battle, I lack any real experience. So optimally, I need someone who has commanded battles who can weigh in and help me devise stratagems to best capitalize on the groundwork I’ve laid. Ideally, our different skill sets would allow us to see things from multiple angles, thus allowing us to concoct strategies neither of us might have considered alone.”
He sat in shock for a moment. Eiseth had been right. This girl of eleven had things he lacked. She never would be caught off guard by the knives that would be aimed at her back. It was the foes at her front that she needed help slaying. And he had never faced a foe at his front that he feared, but the knives at his back had been his undoing.
“Then you are in luck,” he said. “I am Xaphan, Who Burns the Heavens, former lieutenant of Moloch and commander of hundreds of incursions against the celestials. I believe that I have exactly the skills you need.”
“I am Lillian,” she responded. “And I gladly accept your aid. Though I must admit that I am still debating what form to give you as an eidolon. It is of no matter, though, as we have time enough to decide what is best. For now, I would ask your assistance as an advisor. Help me prepare for the day when I must give you form, that we may bring our wrath down upon our foes, no matter who they may be.”
“I will gladly share my insights. I look forward to helping slay your enemies. And perhaps one day, you will help me slay mine.”
“Once I become a devil, I do not see why I cannot repay you.” She considered for a moment. “Speaking of which, have you ever heard of a way for a mortal to become a devil without going through that whole Lemure thing? I mean, if that’s how it’s gotta be, whatever, but that sounds awfully inefficient. Can’t I just eat an angel’s heart or something?”
“I’m sure it can’t be that easy. But there’s probably a way. I’ll put out some feelers and see what I can find out. We may have to collect some souls to use to pay for the information though.”
“Right,” she said. “Well, let’s first get through this whole ‘killing my cousins before they kill me first’ thing, and then we’ll start figuring out how I can collect some souls. Oh, and while your name is very impressive, we shouldn’t tip off anyone as to who you are in case there’s information about you out there.”
“Whatever name you call me is inconsequential.”
“Then I’ll call you Belkross,” she said. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Belkross works just fine.”