Rose paced up and down the cold marble floors of the Archlord’s estate in Crystalpeak as she waited for news. Every time the green-eyed, fair-skinned girl turned to retread the same steps, her red hair flipped wildly and, for half a second, covered the tears streaking down her face. Rose intentionally did this frequently. She didn’t like anyone seeing how upset she was.

“Stop worrying. Half the city is looking for him,” said Zelus. As always, the technically noble Zelus kept himself perfectly calm and well groomed, showing not the least bit of panic. “At least sit still for a minute. It would be a shame for exhaustion to prematurely age that face and you may need the energy once we know what needs to be done.”

“I just can’t understand how it happened. How did no one see, Isaac was the center of attention and he was there one minute and gone the next,” said Rose.

It was during our victory celebration, after we successfully repelled the beastmen invaders from the north, that the hero from another world disappeared. That hero was me, Isaac Stein. At first, Rose had just assumed I’d been lost in the crowds of thousands. But as the party finally started wrapping up near sun up, Rose knew something was wrong.

Zelus and Titania both had been too hungover to be of immediate help so Rose had the guards begin a door by door sweep while Albert made something to cure the two of them of their ails. That was nearly a day ago.

“I’m sure Isaac’s kicking around somewhere,” said Zelus, using the excuse of comforting Rose to pull her close. “It’s not like he could have gone far, the surrounding inner wall is only half a mile across everything beyond is burned and filled with corpses.

“That’s enough of that,” Rose stomped her foot down on Zelus’ ending his embrace. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to.” Rose had known Zelus for a couple years. She was well aware of his philogyny. Zelus had hit on her countless times in virtually every sort of situation, even a crisis.

“Awe, come on,” Zelus whined. “You looked like you needed a shoulder to lean on. I was just trying to be that shoulder.”

“Nice try, but I’ll be fine. If you have time for this, you have time to be out looking,” said Rose.

“I’m here for the same reason you are,” Zelus sighed. “We’re useless to the search and would only get in the way. What can be done is being done. Albert is talking to the staff who prepared the food for the party, maybe one of them saw something and Titania is going to use her expert tracking skills to see what she can find. On top of that guards are looking all over, spreading the word to everyone else. Heck, it’s Isaac we’re talking about. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the city is looking for him by now.”

“I know,” Rose huffed. “I just don’t like it. They should have found him by now.”

A loud door squeak ended Rose and Zelus’ conversation. Both Titania and Albert came in. Titania was a giant of a woman standing nearly seven feet tall in her all-encompassing metal armor. She was in her early thirties and would have attracted a number of amorous gazes if her features weren’t so well concealed by the armor. Albert was a proudly overweight man in his fifties with piercing blue eyes whose boldness was only matched by the solitary curl of blond hair on his otherwise bald head.

“Did you find anything?” Rose asked, rushing up to greet Titania and Albert practically before they could walk into the room.

“Yes, well. Perhaps it is best if we show,” said Titania.

Zelus and Rose followed Titania and Albert outside near where they’d all been celebrating the night before.

“I spoke vith all zee people vorking during zee party,” said Albert. The middle-aged German Chef was in charge of logistics during the lead up to the beastmen invasion and as such was familiar with many of the ordinary laborers.

“And?” Rose prompted. To her, there wasn’t a moment to lose.

“One of zee vorkers zaw Izaac duck out relatiffely early in zee evening. He left zis vay,” said Albert as he led them out of the park in which the celebration had been held and towards the north wall. “Titania took over from here.”

“The tracks were too convoluted here. Too many have tread over the same ground to pick out any one set so just went continued in last direction for a while to see if there is something somewhere with fewer tracks.”

Titania led the group a few blocks north. As they neared the wall, the majority of the prints disappeared. The reason for this was obvious. The north side was where the majority of the fighting had taken place and even though it had been a couple days, the tens of thousands of bodies, both human and beastman, still hadn’t been entirely cleaned up, making the north side reek.

“Isaac was lying here,” said Titania, pointing to a smooth body-sized depression in the dirt.

“How can you be sure of that?” Zelus asked. “There was fighting all over here the depression could be from a body that was removed.”

“This depression is too fresh for when the bodies were cleared out from this area,” Titania explained. “Besides, there’s something else. Look in these bushes.” Titania led them a few feet away and on the ground in plain view lay a silver metal cylinder.

“It’s Isaac’s spear,” Rose gasped. I custom designed and forged a few spears like this to compress down into a small cylinder. There was nothing else like them in this world.

“It is the best proof,” Titania nodded.

“So, Isaac was here, but where is he now?” Rose asked.

“Looked around and found this,” said Titania, returning to the body-sized depression and pointing to a footprint right next to it. This footprint was noticeably different from the rest. It was unusually large and was a barefoot print rather than an impression of a boot.

“From the size, would say it is a beastwoman’s footprint,” said Titania. “A male’s print would be larger and deeper.”

“So a beastwoman killed him,” said Rose, nervously.

“Don’t worry, Isaac isn’t like us. He’s immortal and will be back in a few days,” Zelus reminded her. I was one of the individuals from Earth who appeared suddenly a year previously, and that wasn’t the weird part. All of us from Earth had a video game like interface that caused us to acquire quests and level up and whenever we died, we would resurrect a week later in the middle of the nearest city.

“Perhaps not,” Titania winced.

“What do you mean?” Rose asked.

“We did not find Isaac’s body and see these prints here,” Titania began, indicating more of the same bare footprints that led towards the wall. “These are a lot deeper than the first, meaning the beastwoman was a lot heavier than before.”

Rose and Zelus glanced towards one another both with scrunched up brows that seemed to ask, ‘Did you understand that.’

“Izaac vas taken,” Albert explained. “Zee footprints are deeper becauze zee beastvoman vas carrying him.”

“Followed the beastwoman’s trail,” Titania continued, guiding Rose, Zelus and Albert on a circuitous path to the wall. “The footprints end, so know the beastwoman scaled the wall from here. Can make out the flaws in the brick alignment there and there.” Titania pointed to a couple bricks in the wall’s face that stuck out an inch or two compared to the rest.

Titania then led the group through the nearest gate and to the same spot on the other side of the wall.

“The path resumes here.” Titania pointed to the same barefoot prints. From there she led the group a few hundred yards to the most telling sign of all. Inside the final set of bare human footprints were a smaller set of wolf paw prints. It had definitely been a beastman. I had definitely been taken.

“What use could they possibly have for him? It’s not like he knows any secrets,” said Zelus.

“Don’t know, it is strange,” Titania agreed.

“Can you follow the trail?” asked Zelus.

“Can try,” Titania replied. “But even if do, Isaac was taken by a beastman. Saw speed in the scryings. We won’t be able to catch unless stop and by then...”

“We can’t just abandon Isaac like that. He saved us,” said Rose.

Titania, Albert, and Zelus reluctantly nodded in agreement. They knew what they had to do.

‘Dammit. Which asshole is making all that racket? Some people are trying to sleep,’ I mentally cursed as I woke to the clang of metal only to realize, I was the ass I was cursing. The clang of metal came from the repeated strikes of my thick skull against something even more adamant.

My eyes were open, but I could see nothing. I was blindfolded. I tried to move my hands and feet but found that they too were tied off. All I could do was rely on my other senses. The air smelled fresh and the only thing I could hear was the whoosh of the wind. As for feeling, other than a splitting headache all I could feel was the uncomfortable wrenching of my internal organs as my prone body was jerked up and down almost rhythmically. It felt like the tossing and turning of a ship as it cut its way through the open seas.

‘So Sleeping Beauty finally decides to wake,’ said the gratefully familiar voice of Mai. ‘I was starting to worry I’d have to give you a kiss. Far from my ideal fairy tale ending.’

I wanted to remember what had happened so I ran through a quick biography. My name was Isaac Stein. I was a normal high school student on Earth until I was teleported to this world, Tautellus, a year ago.

Tautellus was vastly different from Earth. Its territory was filled with magic and monsters and its people varied from elves and dwarves to humans that save for their magic appeared to be out of the Iron Age. Soon after my arrival, a war began between the humans of this nation and the shapeshifting savage beastmen from the North. Ultimately, the war culminated in a failed beastmen invasion of the human’s second largest city. After the battle, I was alone talking with Mai when... when...

“Whm day fu wit me?” I gargled through the gag in my mouth.

‘Hmm... Sorry didn’t catch that,’ said Mai. Mai came from M.A.I., which stood for memetic artificial intelligence. I’d found Mai in an ancient Traveler ruin where she’d unexpectedly connected herself to my brain through a soul gem currently implanted in my left hand. She didn’t exist in the thinking part but the feeling one. Mai shared my senses and could alter my perception of them. In this way, I could see and hear her while no one else could. She still relied on my senses so if I couldn’t speak, Mai couldn’t hear what I said and understand me.

“Whm day fu wit me?” I repeated. “Whm day fu wit me?”

‘Whm day fu wit me. Whm day fu wit me,’ Mai repeated back. ‘Really, you think that helps. They say the definition of insanity is trying the same thing repeatedly, expecting a different result. Honestly I didn’t think she hit you that hard…’

“Szhee?” I said.

Suddenly, the rolling I had thought were ocean waves stopped and I was tossed to the ground. I felt blades of grass against my face and a cool wetness as dew seeped through the back of my tunic. My gag and blindfold were removed.

“Help. Help,” I shouted at the top of my lungs, which was difficult given how parched my throat was. It was night and the moon was a slender crescent so I couldn’t see far, but I was in the middle of a forest. Clearly, I was far outside Crystalpeak.

“Can yell as much as want. There is no help out here. We are already dozens of miles from the walled city,” said my captor, silencing my hoarse screams.

I switched to pulling at my bonds, but they were done by an expert and I was hardly skilled with knots.

“Stop fighting. It is too late. Have now and are not getting away,” my captor said as she reached for a canteen. “Here, drink.”

The beastwoman brought the bottle to my lips and slowly poured. Although she’d removed the gag and blindfold, my hands remained bound behind my back. The cool water was resplendent going down my dry throat. It would have almost made me content in my predicament if I hadn’t recognized my captor.

“You again. Why the hell is it always you coming after me?” I said.

I’d crossed paths with the shapely blond beastwoman twice. Once in Mill Valley, the first town I’d stumbled across in Tautellus. There this beastwoman commanded her troops to invade and plunder Mill Valley before burning the townspeople alive. Then again on the road out of Crystalpeak where she had cut off my escape and nearly killed Archlord Quewel. Despite her angelic outward appearance, I knew she had a heart of ice. She’d do anything for herself and her people, regardless of the atrocities committed on helpless others.

“Name is Izusa. Know are Isaac. Have been hoping we would cross paths again for quite a while. Need for something and as far as can tell are the only one who has a chance,” said Izusa.

‘Help me Isaac Stein, you’re my only hope,’ Mai mimed.

“No, I’m not going to help you not after all you’ve done,” I replied. Memories of the ruins of Mill Valley still stung like fresh wounds despite being nine months old. I’d seen many gruesome things since I’d arrived on this world, zombie wolves, killer robots, men being hacked to pieces in droves but none of those scenes compared to the horror of seeing the pile of charred child-sized skeletons lying in the fresh snow. This was the woman responsible for that memory.

“Come on, do not even know what want for yet,” said Izusa.

“Doesn’t matter. I know what you did to the residents of Mill Valley. I was there, remember? I won’t help you,” I said.

“Trust that time and understanding will soften resolve, but for now just need to stop wriggling while being carried. It is very bothersome while are on back,” said Izusa.

‘Maybe she’s angry you got away the first time and now she plans on pounding you to death,’ said Mai, reminding me of what I’d woken up to. ‘Although you might think that’s a good thing.’

“Hmph, I don’t think so,” I scoffed at Mai, though Izusa didn’t know that. She thought I was saying I was going to put up a fight.

Izusa threw a jab to my face, shattering my nose with her massive beastwoman fist. I would have tried to block it, but I could do nothing with my hands and legs bound. Blood dribbled down my upper lip and into my mouth, the bitter taste of iron sharpening my resentment and adding to my surprise at the beastwoman’s next statement.

“Am sorry about that. It has just been a hard couple of days and have no idea what am asking,” said Izusa. I knew why she’d had a hard couple of days. Only a couple days ago, I had led Crystalpeak through her people’s attack. Tens of thousands of beastmen had died in the battle. It wasn’t surprising she’d still held a grudge. In fact, that was why I thought she’d taken me. I had struck a great blow to her people and assumed she’d taken me in revenge.

“If you really want my help with something you should really be trying to make a better impression. You could start by untying my hands. I need to take a piss,” I suggested between deep exhales through my nose as I attempted to clear it of blood. It wasn’t that I even considered cooperating, the beastwoman inspired hitherto unexperienced realms of hatred, but reminiscing over my prior run ins with her reminded me how I’d escaped before.

Izusa frowned for a couple seconds before half her mouth turned upward in a sly smile.

“Nice try. But, remember our first encounter. May have removed all the weapons found on, but am familiar with what can do. In a few days, once we get into Othan lands will be happy to untie, but not until then,” said Izusa. During our first encounter, Izusa had already been interested in taking me prisoner. I escaped by pulling a spear out from my inventory and impaling myself on it. Back then, she didn’t know that I was from another world and would resurrect, otherwise she might have waited a week and recaptured me. “If need to relieve self, just do it. It is only a couple days.”

“I wonder why she was after me even in Mill Valley,” I whispered to myself. Back then, I hadn’t done anything special, I was just a normal guy. Then I remembered how she had been interested in my weapon, a spear I had crafted personally. The beastmen collected craftsmen to build tools to aid their war effort, but that didn’t make any sense either. Why would this beastwoman put so much focus on a single blacksmith, a novice one at that?

‘I wouldn’t get your hopes up,’ said Mai. ‘I don’t think she’s interested in you romantically. Muscle heads tend to favor one another and your physique is pathetic. Although, she did want you to pee on her, maybe it’s some form of bestial claim.’

“Now remember to sit still, we are setting off again,” said Izusa as she picked me up and pulled her arms through a couple hoops of rope, latching me between her shoulders like I was a backpack. “We will stop again in a couple hours, after sunrise.”

Then Izusa shifted. She leaned down onto her hands and knees as she gained mass and somehow grew even larger. Her limbs changed into paws and her groans of pain changed into howls as her face elongated into the proud snout of a wolf. As she changed form, like all beastmen warriors, the plates in Izusa’s armor rearranged themselves to accommodate the change. This was by no means magical. Beastmen armor was custom made to shift mechanically with its wearers.

In less than thirty seconds, the transformation was complete and things returned to the way they’d started. My stomach returned to rolling like I was on the ocean, although I wish I still thought that was what was happening. Instead, I was wide-eyed and worried as I endured an endless rollercoaster with Izusa bounding through the forest, zigzagging between trees and leaping across trenches at a breakneck pace, which was quite literal since if I slipped off, I was sure to break my neck.

Lilith rapt her knuckles against the large metal door with a † emblazoned across it before refocusing her mind on a fire sigil.

‘Damn, it’s cold,’ she thought as she used the sigil to convert her mana into the heat she needed to survive. Many forms of daemons relied on such magic whenever they were on the surface, their physiology required tremendous heat, but lately Lilith had been more reliant than normal. That wasn’t surprising above the 60th parallel but several weeks of travel had left her depleted. She was pleased to finally complete her mission and get a chance to rest inside.

The metal door creaked as the thin layer of ice covering it shattered and the door melted away revealing a disheveled young daemon with deep rings around his eyes.

“Yes?” he yawned.

“Private Lilith Demogorgon of the 16th Reconnaissance Division. I have come to deliver the hard drive from Agent Morrigan,” said Lilith. Lilith had been a Lancepesade but her rank was lowered after I escaped from her.

“We’ve been expecting you. Come in and welcome to Niflheim,” said the sleepy man. “I’m Legult, one of the research assistants working here. Follow me. I’ll take you to Distlemander, he runs this place.”

Lilith followed Legult into the ruin past a group of murlimps moving several pieces of heavy machinery. The ruin had once housed her people’s ancient adversary, whom I knew as the Travelers, but since regaining their freedom, the daemons had retrofitted the site into one of several outposts they held on the surface of Tautellus. This particular facility was used for several active research projects whose details were highly classified but given the circumstances, were doubtlessly related to the war effort.

“Just ignore them. They’re always moving around the facility. You’ll get used to it after a while,” said Legult indicating the murlimps. Daemons came in many forms, the most common of which were the murlimps. Murlimps were frightfully strong and were one of the few daemons whose physical bodies possessed sufficient resilience to survive on the surface without heating and thermal insulation spells. However, Murlimps couldn’t use magic. Their minds were primitive, often making them more like beasts than a proper daemon, and didn’t have the focus necessary to cast sigils, relegating the entire sub-species to manual labor.

“After a while?” said Lilith, questioning Legult’s last statement. As far as she knew this was just a simple drop off.

“Oh, I guess Distlemander was supposed to tell you,” Legult shrugged. “We’re a bit short of personnel and it takes so long to get someone out this far. You were already coming so Distlemander asked to have you reassigned.”

“Okay I guess,” said Lilith as she continued following Legult. Lilith wasn’t quite sure how to take this news. On one hand, it meant she was finally getting to rejoin civilization, but on the other hand, it meant it would be much harder to redeem herself and reacquire her former rank.

Legult led her through more narrow hallways littered with doors. Most were closed, but through those that weren’t, Lilith made out numerous active laboratory devices studying a variety of curiosities.

Eventually, they reached a staircase that took them to the bottom level, six floors down.

“What’s that?” Lilith asked pointing to a large metallic ring in the middle of a large room just as they left the staircase. Inside the ring was a pitch black hole that seemed to vibrate subtly in tune with fluctuations in air currents. Lilith was by no means an expert but even she noticed the massive mana conduits running to the device. Whatever it was, it was a serious power hog.

“That is this facility’s main project. Its function is classified,” said Legult.

“And that?” she asked, pointing across the room to a long metal rod attached to a black box with a speaker.

“Again classified,” said Legult. “You’ll have to wait until you talk to Distlemander. He’ll decide what you’re permitted to know.”

Lilith left but her mind still wandered back to the rod device. She thought it was strange, not because it was particularly advanced, in fact compared to most things she was used to it seemed quite primitive. No, Lilith was interested because of the noises coming from the device. The sounds were clearly speech but not of a language she recognized, which was something in of itself. Lilith had mastered a great many languages for her work with the reconnaissance division. Yet this language was a complete mystery.

“It’s just through here, quickly,” said Legult, spurning Lilith forward. “Distlemander abhors sluggishness.”

After going through a few more long hallways, Lilith reached a small office at the edge of the complex.

“Sir? A Private Demogorgon is here to see you,” said Legult as he rapt a tight fist on the side of a half-open door.

“Oh um, go ahead come in,” squeaked a small voice from within.

The room inside looked like a tornado had run through it. Mathematical equations covered the walls. Piles of open notebooks were strewn across all the unoccupied chairs and the floor except for a narrow path leading to a desk covered by what to Lilith looked like random mana circuit components. Behind it was a shabby old daemon hunched over a half-constructed artifact.

This was Distlemander. Distlemander was a Maxwell daemon and fitting for his sub-species stood only about four feet tall. Maxwell daemons were small, but made up for their stature with their intelligence and natural talents when it came to machines and artifacts. They were like the daemon version of dwarves.

“Hi, I’m-“

“Shh,” Legult hushed her. “Not while he’s working, give him a moment.”

Lilith and Legult waited for twenty minutes while Distlemander assembled the complex artifact and tested it out. When the artifact activated, it floated up and circled around Distlemander a few times before turning its attention to Lilith and Legult.

A beam of light shot out of the floating artifact. It ran up and down Legult’s body before announcing, “SPECIMEN 002, TYPE: ORC, INDIVIDUAL: LEGULT UGDON, DESIGNATION: ALLY.”

It then turned to Lilith and repeated the process.

“SPECIMEN 003, TYPE: SUCCUBUS, INDIVIDUAL: UNKNOWN, DESIGNATION: INTRUDER. DESTROY IMEDIATELY.”

The floating artifact started blaring a loud alarm and several gun barrels popped out of panels on its previously smooth surface.

Legult immediately dove outside the office, distancing himself from Lilith as quickly as possible before yelling back.

“Drone, knock it off. Disengage. This is Lilith Demogorgon. She is an ally,” Legult tried while cowering on the other side of the office’s doorway. Though that was considerably more than Distlemander who just stood there and watched, his eyes darting around excitedly as he took in every detail.

“WEAPONS DEPLOYED. ENGAGE TARGET.” The artifact made a series of clicking noises as its guns attempted to fire. “WEAPONS DISABLED.” The artifact continued to alarm for a few seconds until Distlemander shut it off.

“I really wish you would stop testing the auto defense drones inside the base,” said Legult.

“All my machines need to be tested. How else am I to be sure they’d work in a real situation? You should be praising my foresight for disabling the weapons,” said Distlemander.

“You don’t praise someone for taking obvious precautions, especially after there have been accidents,” said Legult.

“Accident. That was just one time,” Distlemander waved it off. “Besides Nietzsche was always such a downer. He should have been happy. He worked in the most interesting place in the world.”

“There were also the incidents with Marx and Locke,” Legult sighed. “And you wonder why we have staffing problems.”

“Shh, you don’t want to say that in front of our newest,” said Distlemander.

“She’ll learn how things work in this place soon enough,” said Legult.

“From your lack of surprise,” said Distlemander, turning to Lilith. “I take it that Legult has told you, you have been reassigned here.”

“Yes,” Lilith answered.

“I’ve looked through your records. You don’t have any experience with artifact design so you won’t be any help to me. Instead, you’ll be assisting Malphestos with his little murlimp project. It doesn’t require any special skills and he’s been asking for a replacement assistant for a while now.”

After this incident, Lilith was relieved not to be working under the master of Niflheim, but at the same time, she was a bit concerned. ‘Why had Malphestos requested a replacement assistant?’

“Legult will show you to the lab as well as your quarters once we’re done here, but first, the business for which you came here. Do you have the hard drive?” Distlemander extended out a hand.

“Umm, yes. Here it is,” said Lilith as she reached into a pocket and pulled out a metal box. “Strange little thing, never seen anything like it before.”

“Oh boy,” Distlemander cheered as he grabbed the palm-sized box from Lilith’s hand and plugged it into a display he had set up in a corner of his overcrowded office. Within seconds, Niflheim’s head researcher was lost in a stream of characters Lilith couldn’t recognize.

“Not surprising, it’s technology from another world after all,” said Legult, responding to Lilith on behalf of his master. Working under Distlemander for the last ten years, Legult was familiar with his flights of fancy. Although not a long time as daemons counted it, it was a record for someone working near Distlemander, much less directly for him.

“Is he always like that?” Lilith asked.

“Afraid so, whenever he gets into his research he drops everything else,” Legult explained.

“And what exactly is his research? He seems to make drones, but the hard drive came from another world…” Lilith began.

“Distlemander has a number of different ongoing pursuits. But as I said before, I can’t tell you what he is working on,” said Legult. “Since Distlemander is likely to be a while, why don’t I take you to Malphestos. I’m sure you’re eager to find out what exactly you’ll be doing here.”

“Sure,” Lilith agreed, taking a step towards the door, but before she could take another Distlemander interrupted.

“YYEESSSS,” Distlemander hollered, his high-pitched voice stinging both Lilith and Legult’s ears. “This is exactly what I was looking for. All I have to do is recalibrate the power and frequency modulation settings to match these measurements and… LEGULT.”

Distlemander shouted the last word, forgetting that his assistant was already present.

“I’m right here sir,” said Legult.

“Quickly, come take a look at this. We must test this out immediately,” said Distlemander.

“But, what about Private Demogorgon? I was just about to take her to Malphestos,” asked Legult.

“Forget about that, our work is the top priority,” Distlemander ordered just before diving back into his data.

“Sorry about this, but he frequently goes into these fits,” Legult apologized.

“No problem, I can just wait,” Lilith offered.

“No, no, we could be busy for days, one time he went on without any sleep for two weeks.”

“LEGULT,” Distlemander called again.

“You go ahead. Find someone down the hall, anyone in the facility can point you to Malphestos,” Legult excused himself in a hurry to join Distlemander at the display. Distlemander wasn’t a man to keep waiting.

“Okay,” Lilith replied. Her voice half muted not out of nervousness or annoyance but because she knew her response was already meaningless. Both men were already lost in their work.

She headed back into the hall and travelled down it. The metal geometric architecture of the facility felt slightly alien, but Lilith supposed it was to be expected. Distlemander had said their ancient enemy designed this place.

Eventually, Lilith came across a small goblin covered in grease stains.

“Excuse me,” said Lilith.

“Hmm, yes… do you need something?” said the goblin nervously. Daemon society had a strict social hierarchy. Succubae placed much higher than goblins who were only one step above murlimps.

“I’ve been assigned here and I was wondering if you could lead me to my supervisor,” said Lilith.

“Sure, I can do that. Who is it?” the goblin asked.

“Someone called Malphestos,” Lilith answered.

“Shibat-” the goblin hissed, his mouth turning down for a second before returning to normal as the goblin realized Lilith was paying attention to his every move.

“What is it?” Lilith asked.

“Err, ah, it’s nothing. I’ll take you to Master Malphestos right away,” said the goblin hurriedly. Lilith knew this wasn’t a good sign, but she had little choice. These were her orders and she was in no position to change them.