Private one on one thread

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Belial
fallen angel
Prince of Hell



Belial smiled. He was very impressed with Loreto’s skill. “Yes. You are apt pupil. I cannot truly keep in slavery any more. I know that you are meant to be a free citizen of hell. “ He saw that Loreto had pushed himself very hard to pass this test. It was a hard test. Pain was always difficult to over come. He met few angels who could take much pain for very long. Dumah had been the only one, but he was a hopeless slave in other respects. He suspected that Dumah’s ability to withstand pain was the result of being completely insane. Madness is the most potent mental shield but it destroyed the very thing it shields. A shame. But Loreto was a far superior prospect and turning him into a free angel would be revenge enough against Dumah’s rejection.

“However demons are stupid creatures. You can’t expect them to learn. “ He looked at the four demons who stood around them with complete contempt. “They have all seen you in chains. And they will not forget this. In their eyes, you will always be a slave. If you wish to have any power over other demons at all, you cannot allow that. If you want to be free kill them all. Then when we arrive, I will introduce you as my second and no one will ever know you were once a mere slave. I don’t care how you do it. You can immobilise them if you wish and then use their weapons against them, or you could get them to fight each other, or maybe even get them to kill themselves. I don’t’ care but if you want to be free, they all need to be dead.” Belial smiled as panic filled the faces of the demons. This would test Loreto’s strength as well, but it would test whether or not he had the strength to dominate an army of demons. To do that, he had to be willing to kill them without hesitation.

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.

[speedy4ever]

Bato

Crossing his arms in front of his chest when he saw Dumah shake his head in disagreement to his plan, Bato tilted his head to the side in slight confusion. Didn’t the elder angel want to get Loreto back? After all, that seemed to be the reason they were doing a suicide mission by tromping around in Hell and trying to find an angel that was probably already dead by now. Sighing at the thought, Bato shook his head in slight exasperation as he looked over at Dumah to let him know that whatever he decided, he would follow him without question. If it had been any other angel, Bato wouldn’t have been risking his life but since it was Dumah, he was willing to give his life to see the other male happy.

”Whatever you want Dumah. You will be leading on this one so whatever you want to do then I will not argue with it.” he muttered softly as he leaned against a giant rock then that was taller than him by at least three feet. Wings slowly wrapping around his shoulders and making him blend in all the more, Bato looked down at the ground and soon fell silent to his own thoughts. Why couldn’t Dumah just give up on Loreto and realize that there was somebody much closer who loved the other angel as much as Loreto had if not even more. Just what was it that made Loreto so special than Bato?

Sighing at the thought, Bato closed his eyes then and couldn’t help but smile slightly as an image of him and Dumah holding hands suddenly appeared before his eyes. Both of them looked happy and in love and Bato welcomed the feeling that his dream brought him even if it was only for a few seconds. After a moment or two then, Bato slowly opened his eyes back up and once again emerged from the shadows to stand beside Skylar who was giving the male a look of self doubt. A look that seemed to say ’I know the real reason you’re doing this.’

Rolling his eyes at the thought, Bato then turned his attention back to Dumah then and gave him a slightly exasperated look. ”So are we going to go and try and save Loreto or what? We’re not doing anybody any favors by just standing here you know.” he growled slightly as he glared as Skylar as if threatening the angel to keep his mouth shut about the reason he was doing this. No use letting Dumah know his true feelings when it was obvious the male only cared about Loreto.

"I always get what I want...always and nobody had better get in my way."

[speedy4ever]

Loreto

Slowly standing up on shaking legs and wiping the remaining blood from his nose, Loreto looked over at Belial then and couldn’t help but frown slightly when he heard that in order to truly have power over the demons, he had to kill the four that had seen him in chains. Slowly looking over at the four demons, Loreto couldn’t help but narrow his eyes slightly and clench his fists slightly at the decision he had to make. Killing demons without a reason was not Loreto’s style but he wanted to let the demons know that he was some weak slave as well. What would Dumah think of him if…realizing though that he was letting the opinions of others affect his decision, Loreto quickly hook his head and looked over at Belial and nodded his head to show that he understood what he had to do.

”I understand Belial. We cannot have any other demons knowing what I really was now can I?” he asked turning his attention back to the four demons and smirking slightly. Locking his eyes onto the leader of the demons, Loreto was silent for a moment as he gave the male a single instruction. ’Kill your friends…kill them and yourself when you are finished.’ he thought to himself before pushing the thought into the demon’s head. For a moment there was a battle of wills and Loreto winced slightly when he felt a severe pounding in his head and blood starting to once again fall from his nose. However, after another moment of the battle of the minds, the demon slowly grabbed his sword with a shaking hand before turning to his comrades and striking them down without so much as a second blink. Once he had finished killing his comrades, the demon then turned the sword on himself and plunged the sword through his heart. As the body of the demon collapsed to the floor, Loreto’s did the same as well feeling completely drained from all the tests that he had just completed. Chest rising up and down in gasping breaths, Loreto looked up at Belial then and gave a small smirk. ”Now who says I was a slave?”

"Gone is the angel you once knew."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Dumah
Angel of silence



Dumah could sense the turmoil of emotions within Bato. It was clear that he was motivated by unsatisfied desires. The angel he wanted clearly had found another and so Bato felt denied. Dumah could only sense emotions though, he could not tell the object of Bato's desire, merely that it was thwarted. However watching the vengeful glances he would give to Skylar and his constant derision of the other angel, he guessed the object of Bato's mis-placed desires was Cassiel and he clearly resented the fact that Skylar's decision to continue to assist Dumah was placing Cassiel in danger. It was clear from the emotions that he felt, he didn't want the object of his affection to go. He thought it was a fool's errand.

Dumah considered speaking again, but it was pointless. And in a strange way, Bato already understood though he would never see it that way himself, but he was following the object of his love deep into hell, knowing that his love would never be acknowledged or satisfied. Dumah admired Bato's devotion. It was evidence that the angel had noble qualities that he was not even aware of himself. He hoped that this quest would not destroy Bato, but instead reveal to him the things he didn't' believe himself capable of, and bring him closer to God. Sometimes in the face of certain doom, the true path is revealed. Perhaps too there was more than just Loreto's salvation in this quest. Perhaps it was Bato's as well, and maybe in the depths of hell he would find the angel God intended for him as well.

As if in response to Bato's words, Dumah turned from the others and walked away towards the gate. He didn't even wait to see if they would follow him, he knew they would. There were already signs of a tremendous battle, but Dumah knew there were be small openings they could leave by while the angels and demons fought, he would find these and lead the others out of the fortress into the wilds of hell itself.

Silence is argument carried out by other means

.

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Belial
fallen angel
Prince of Hell



Belial smiled. “You are no slave, not of demons or of God, you are a free angel. Your fate is your own to make now. You won't be safe anywhere but Hell and while I have no doubt you could defend yourself from stray demons, and carve own part of Hell, I would suggest you stay with me, at least for a little bit.” Belial was serious. If Loreto didn't want to stay by his side, he would not object. As much as he was starting to enjoy the company of this new angel, if he felt he had to find his own path, that was his decision. But Belial could make things a lot easier for the fledgling free angel.
He went over to the front of the carriage. There were four demon horses waiting there. They were enormous brutes, who stood several feet above the fallen angel, their eyes fiery read. He released all of them, only keeping the reigns of one and driving the others off. They would no doubt be captured again by some demon, but he and Loreto could travel faster on one.

“If you are willing to stay with me a little longer and be my student, I can show you more of how to use your powers. There are techniques that make it easier, and I can also teach you about finding your feet in the treacherous politics of hell. This of course won't be for free. Everything here must be earned, but if you are willing to accept my commands and command forces in my name as my second, I will reward you handsomely. At the moment I have been forced to fall back, but with a capable second, I might be able to re-group and organize an attack and reclaim the fortress we just lost. It will be yours if you help me win back what I have lost.” he paused. He couldn't expect Loreto to understand the significance of his offer.
“If we succeed, then I offer this to you as yours entirely. I will divide my territory and give it to you outright. Until then you will be my vassal, but once we have defeated the armies of heaven and I have regained my lost holdings, you will owe me no further allegiance, and we will be peers.” Belial held out the hand that was not holding the reigns of horse to Loreto. 'If you agree, we shall ride to the fotress that will someday be yours and plan our counter attack. You are tired, and if we ride together, you will be able to rest. When we arrive, I will introduce you to the assembled demons as my second in command. They will obey you without question. What do you say? Can you accept my offer?'

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.

[speedy4ever]

Skylar

As Skylar watched Bato, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad for the other angel. It was as clear as day to him that Bato had feelings for Dumah and yet Dumah seemed to be completely unaware of that fact. Maybe it was for the best that Dumah didn't realize Bato's true feelings for him because as greedy as it sounded, Skylar did not wish for anyone to get between Dumah and Loreto. They were just like him and Cassiel in the sense of how they felt for one another and even though Loreto had fallen, Skylar was certain that Dumah would be the one to make him see the light. Although, Skylar was slightly concerned about what might happen to Dumah when they finally caught up with Belial and if anything happened to Dumah, he was certain that there would be no hope of rescuing Loreto no matter how hard they tried.

Shaking his head at the thought, Skylar watched then as Dumah started making his way towards the gate and he looked over at Cassiel for a moment and gave him a soft smile. In a way, he was kind of sad that by doing this mission with Dumah, their time together would be limited but even if that was the case, Skylar was just happy with walking side by side with the other angel. Turning his attention back to Dumah then, Skylar slowly started to limp after him then, the injuries of his torture still fresh on his body. As Bato watched Skylar limp behind Dumah, Bato bit his bottom lip realizing that maybe he had been a little unjust to the other angel and wanted to make it up to him as best as he could. Bato could tell that Skylar's wounds were paining him but maybe if the other angel had somebody to lean on, it wouldn't be so bad.

"Here...lean on me." he whispered softly as he approached Skylar's side and gently tucked his shoulder under the other angel's arm. Blinking in slight surprise for a moment, Skylar looked up at the other fallen angel in slight confusion before he slowly nodded his head and did as he was told. Once Skylar was comfortable then, Bato started to guide him behind Dumah and managing to keep good pace despite Skylar's wounds.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to freedom...or die trying."

[speedy4ever]

Loreto

Loreto couldn't help but smile proudly when he heard that he was now a free angel and even if he had to stay in Hell, he was still the happiest angel around. Sighing at the thought then, Loreto looked up at Belial and tilted his head to the side curiously when the other fallen angel suggested that he stayed with him. Now that was certainly a surprise. And here Loreto thought that after he was completely fallen, Belial would want nothing to do with him. Keeping his gaze locked on Belial's, Loreto watched as the other male walked over to the carriage then and released three of the four huge demon horses that had been previously pulling the carriage.
Who would have thought that Hell had such amazing creatures? Watching as Belial released the three horses then and kept one, Loreto couldn't help but wonder just what it was that the other male planned on doing with it. Maybe he planned on going somewhere other than their planned destination. Before Loreto had a chance to question the other fallen angel then, he was soon given an answer to his silent question.

Turning his attention back to Belial then when he started speaking once again, Loreto slowly forced himself to sit up and wipe away the blood that was still falling down his nose. Listening to Belial's offer then, Loreto felt his eyes widen in complete surprise. Belial actually wanted him to be a second command? All his life, Loreto had dreamed about becoming a second in command just like Skylar and Cassiel and now he was getting his wish. To be recognized as a person that shouldn't be taken lightly and the fact that he would serve under somebody as well known as Belial certainly was enough to convince Loreto that that was what he wanted to do and that way, he could return Belial's favor by helping him reclaim what belonged to him.
"I believe...that you have yourself a deal Belial. I will remain by your side and help you reclaim what is rightfully yours. I will not disappoint you and you can be certain that you will have everything you had taken returned to you by the end of tomorrow night." he said slowly reaching up and taking the offered hand that Belial had offered him. Pulling himself up then and giving it a hard squeeze, Loreto then released his grip on the male's hand and flapped his wings to take a seat on the mighty demon horse. Once he was comfortable in the saddle, Loreto reached down and offered Belial a helping hand up knowing that the sooner they left for the fortress the sooner they could plot their counter attack and put a real hurting on the armies of Heaven.

"Gone is the angel you once knew."

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Belial
fallen angel
Prince of Hell


Belial took Loreto’s hand and swung up on the horse behind him, taking the reigns.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm Loreto, but an army cannot be raised in a few days and the army of heaven is not so easily caught out. We will need to rebuild much before we can reclaim my lost fortress. It will take at least a few months.“ Belial said. He didn’t really want to admit it out loud but he had sustained heavy losses and it would be suicidal to try and reclaim the fortress for the next few months at least.

Belial urged the horse forward and it took off across the plain of hell. They could travel faster now without the carriage. If they arrived at the fortress without their guard, it would be assumed they had been attacked and managed to escape. Not that any one at the fortress would dare to question Belial but it would be easier to integrate Loreto in his new position.

Belial was also fairly certain that they would be pursed, not by the armies of heaven but at least by Dumah. As much as he relished seeing Dumah’s reaction to Loreto’s new form, Belial was uncertain of what the silent angel would do, or how Loreto would react on seeing his former companion. He had no intention of being caught out in the open by the rescue party. With just one horse, they were able to reach his second fortress in only a few hours rather than the better part of day.

This fortress was in a large canyon of red rock, shaped into a maze of tall standing rocks by the merciless winds of Hell. The fortress itself had was carved out of the layered rock of the canyon and lay deep within a crevasse in the shape of a v, extending out on both sides so that anyone approaching was easy to target by archers. The narrow canyon itself made for a closed and dangerous space to fly which offered protection from winged attack. Since the entrance was at the bottom of the cavern, it was impossible for the armies of heaven to attack from above without running a gauntlet of arrows and other weapons thrown from opening sin the canyon wall itself.

As he rode into the canyon, the demon guard along the walls noticed his presence and by the time they reached the entrance to the fortress, a small group of his staff had been assembled. Belial dismounted the staff bowed. He turned to the demon he had left in charge. “This is Loreto. He is my second, Have quarters prepared adjoining my own. His orders are only second to mine in this place and you will do whatever needs be to please him.”

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.

[Nirai Kanai Lanai]

Cassiel
fallen angel (former second angel)


Cassiel noticed that Skylar was limping but he also saw that Bato went to help him. It was good to see them working together. Bato seemed to have gotten over his dislike of Skylar. Cassiel saw the way that Bato had been looking at Dumah. It was starting to make sense why Bato was assisting them. Cassiel felt bad. Dumah was the most singleminded angel he knew and no matter what happened, he would not give up on Loreto. Bato really had no chance.

Cassiel had an idea what Dumah had in mind and while he didn’t really approve, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop him. He wondered what Bato would do when Dumah surrendered himself to Belial. Cassiel hoped that he and Skylar would be able to convince him to fall back with him. They would need all the help they could in rescuing Dumah and Loreto if Dumah was able to succeed.

Cassiel followed Dumah as he evaded the battle at the gate and slipped out of the fortress. He seemed to know where he was going as he set off across the plains of hell. Cassiel couldn’t tell exactly what he was following but it seemed to become clear they were following some sort of trail. It was a few hours into the journey that they came across the abandoned carriage. It was surrounded by the bodies of four demons. Three of them looked like they had been attacked but the fourth looked like he had turned his weapon on himself. More disturbing was the empty chains in the carriage which had clearly been unlocked and the open shock collar. There was no sign of Loreto or Belial.

Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all.