***The Infernal Plane of Lust***

***Amon***

Ex landed a blow with his trademark energy attack. There was enough force behind it to send me flying through half the training chamber. He hadn't explained how it worked, but it manifested in two overlapping barriers which released a powerful energy beam that was almost impossible to dodge if you hadn't already started getting out of the way by that point.

Thankfully, the combination of mana manipulation and telekinesis allowed me to create a shield that was capable of blocking the attack. My defences and reflexes had improved enormously since our first battle.

I managed to right myself in time to land on my feet, but the combat instructor just didn’t leave me any time to breathe as he followed up with a series of punches that I felt through my mana barrier. Each of his physical attacks was assisted by a barrier which he slammed into my own, causing them to flicker in and out of existence.

There was no chance for me to survive this relentless assault if both of my defences failed.

“Enough!” I threw out my hand and activated the other item which I had made that night.

The spacial ring fulfilled the same purpose as my bag of holding and it was far more convenient. Which was proven when I became surrounded by dozens of spinning weapons, daggers, and swords alike. I had gathered them from the defeated fae on our training mission.

It took two hours to transfer them from my bag of holding to the new, improved version.

But that wasn’t all there was to it. Before I stored them away inside my spacial ring, I used telekinesis to accelerate them to significant speeds, assured that they would keep their momentum according to the nature of the spell.

Ex was suddenly faced with a rapidly expanding sphere of spinning blades with me as the centre. He quickly pulled off his vanishing act and reappeared far enough away to slip through a gap in the expanding wall of blades.

“You are using a spacial item as an offensive tool,” he commented, quickly narrowing the distance once more. “Haven’t I told you not to rely on items too much? What happens once you run out of pre-prepared attacks?”

“Ha! Then I will simply have to resort to other tricks until I win.” I reached out and squeezed my fist, imagining myself crushing Ex like a bug. He would have likely simply dodged the attack in any other situation, but the gap in my sphere of blades had been intentional, leaving any possible opponent only very few angles to approach me.

Ex came to a dead halt in mid-air. He strained his muscles, but I clenched my teeth and put as much force as possible into the attack now that I had caught him.

“Telekinesis?” My tutor asked. “How are you bypassing my magical defences? I don't feel... oh, I see. Clever, but not enough.”

He quickly realized that I had taken control not of him, but of the air around him. Normally, he kept it tightly controlled, but to counter my ability he released his own mana into the environment, flooding his immediate vicinity with it until it interrupted my own control. If that had been the last piece of my ploy, I would have been in real trouble now. But Ex needed time to dispell my hold on him and it was just enough for the crudely enchanted blades to return.

Modifying them had been easy since all I did was adding a simple rune system that allowed them to slightly change their aerodynamics. While they hadn't any significant power of their own, giving them a good spin beforehand was enough to turn them into effective boomerangs that would seek out any target aside from me that entered their sphere.

Dozens of blades hit Ex before he could reach me to deal out another punishing whack that sent me face-first into the ground. It didn’t matter that most of the blow was absorbed by my mana shield. There was more than enough force behind it to send me flying like a fly that had been struck in mid-air by a fly swatter.

I must have been unconscious, because I came to with Jebril's hand petting my cheek and Ex looming above us. The djinn smiled and pulled at my cheek. “There, all is right again. You don’t look that attractive with a crooked jaw, master.”

“You barely managed twenty minutes. But unlike the others, you actually tried to fight me instead of running away.” Ex looked down at himself. “And you landed a hit! It has been centuries since a student of mine managed that.”

The blade that was sticking hilt-deep in his carapace didn't seem to bother him, even though it went straight through his chest. It appeared that Ex's evolution wasn't any weaker than others when it came to the ability to survive and endure injuries. He grasped the hilt and pulled it out, causing barely a trickle of green fluid before the wound sealed up.

“What does it take to incapacitate you?” I asked.

“Total evisceration, amputation, decapitation,” Ex replied, sounding totally serious. “I think one time a Demon Lord managed to flash-freeze me and then he shattered my body... that was a unique experience.”

“Oooh,” a familiar voice moaned right into my ear, sending a shudder down my spine. “You became so strong since we parted ways. I have never seen Ex wounded before. He mentioned it so casually, but it's actually a really rare occasion for someone like him.”

I shrank away from Isabella who had appeared out of nowhere.

She was lying on her belly next to me, close enough for our faces to touch and I hadn't even sensed her presence. Admittedly, I had been knocked out just a few seconds ago, but I prided myself on my ability to sense mana. The woman was just too capable when it came to sneaking around.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

She ignored me and instead got to her feet and addressed Ex, “Mr. Zibril, what do you think of him? I am sure that landing a blow on you counts for at least twenty minutes. I thought of joining my boyfriend's group on their first mission!”

“B- b- boyfriend!?” I stuttered, then looked at Ex. “We are nothing like that.”

The tutor tilted his head and looked down at me. “I honestly don't care whether you caught yourself a succubus. Though, Lady Isabella is right that landing a blow should grant you some bonus points, so you passed the test just like the others. I will fill out the necessary paperwork.”

“Lady Isabella!?”

Isabella knelt down and poked my cheek. “Oh, didn't you notice? Ebandon's Warband has strong relations with the Ashborns. In fact, my mother hired Ex to teach me self-defence during my third decade. He was a very attentive teacher.”

I looked between Ex and Isabella, wondering whether I really wanted to know the details of their relationship. Then I focused myself on Isabella since Ex looked like he wanted nothing to do with whatever was going on between the two of us. “I guess you are going to join us no matter what I do.”

“Exactly!” she confirmed my suspicion with a wide grin on her face. “You still need someone to watch your back! You know, like back with the fae. Someone who makes sure that your insane plan works out while you charge head-first into the meat-grinder.”

“Not at all,” I shot back and got back to my feet. It was true that her skills had allowed us to secure the babies before the fighting began, but that was all according to my plan. Or was it? I tried to remember who exactly had come up with the idea to have Isa infiltrate the fae’s base.

Isabella used the opportunity to get clingy while I was still on my knees and distracted. She hooked arms with me in order to assist me in getting up, but then it turned out that she had no intention of letting go.

This wasn’t new to me, so I did my best to ignore her.

The time which we shared in the mortal plane taught me that getting her off of me without injuring her wasn’t possible. And injuring the succubus wasn’t quite a step I was willing to take. For one, she hadn’t really done anything hostile that would warrant such a course of action since our meeting in the woods. Another problem was that I wasn’t certain how she would react to force.

Isabella apparently liked playing the nice little succubus, but I vividly remembered how she had dispatched those two dryads and some of the fae. No, I certainly didn’t want her anywhere close to my jugular when I decided to set her off.

Ex interrupted us before I could address the fact that wrapping her tail around my thigh went a little too far.

“Unfortunately, you won’t be able to take on just any mission just yet. As a newly initiated member of the warband, you will be watched until we are sure that you can be left to your own devices. Ebandon will assign you a mission that should be within your abilities. Additionally, a senior officer will oversee your performance and intervene if necessary. Ebandon’s Warband has certain standards and a reputation to uphold.”

“I see,” I replied, merely acknowledging this revelation.

Everything I had seen so far pointed to the fact that Ebandon managed his people like a private military force with strict guidelines and regulations. So, some form of supervision was to be expected. I also wasn’t sure how the rest of my team had fared with their own tests.

There was no point in arguing with Ex at this point. Uphir, Shax, and Philomena had different instructors and I didn’t even know how much pressure they would put on my people and whether they would pass their tests.

Having informed me of the next steps, Ex excused himself and decided to have a few final words with Kitia and Jebril which left me alone with Isabella.

“So, what will be next?” Isabella asked me. She played with her hair and threw it back over her shoulder.

“How do you mean that?” I looked at the female who was worse than chewing-gum on my shoes. “I don’t think that I owe you any explanation of my future plans.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, or I will be sad.” She pouted. “Haven’t I proven myself to be a loyal friend? I could have done anything to you back then in the forest and I have done nothing but to help since then. How long has it been? Four months? And then you have a few months to yourself because I returned to the Infernal Plane on my own. How long can you hold a grudge against me?”

Forever, if necessary…

I ignored the other and continued the conversation. “Because you want something,” I clarified. “I still have to figure out what exactly it is. Before that, I cannot trust you. In a way, you are the most dangerous of all of the people I know, because I don’t know your motives.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. It isn’t that hard to figure out. What does a noble succubus like me want?”

I said nothing and waited.

Isabella sighed. “Freedom, sex, and a few souls to go along. And maybe a strong man at her side to get her all those things.”

“So you want a puppet?” I asked.

“Not a puppet,” she bristled. “I could have made you that the first time we did it.”

“That still doesn’t tell me why you are following me around. Freedom, that is something you have to achieve on your own. Sex and souls, those you can get from anyone. And as for the latter, I am hardly powerful enough to be the target of such a desire.”

“Oh, but you could be.” She made eye contact. “I have taken a look into your soul-well. You have the potential to be more powerful than all of them. Your growth over the last few months has only proven me correct and while you aren’t exactly a good person, your character is decent enough for a demon. Is there no chance that you would consider me as a mate?”

I snorted. “You are a succubus.”

“And as a succubus, I crave the same thing as all of my sisters.” She paused. “Someone who doesn’t expire because we show him the heights of pleasure. Or why do you think my sister Jada is after Shax? Any other demon would have been sucked dry within the hour. She could have done it with a kiss, but Shax resisted her.”

It was my time to sigh. “Even if I believe you, nothing of that changes the fact that I am still weak. I want the power to do what I want, but I see no quick path to achieving it. People like Ex could crush me in an instant if they wished to do so.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Isabella pointed out. “It is true that master Ex held back against you, but you injured him, and he didn’t hold back that much. The difference between you and him isn’t insurmountable. The question is, will you keep finding ways to grow your power, and will you allow me to assist your desires in return for granting my own?”

“It is still about that contract, isn’t it?” I asked.

She shrugged, clearly unwilling to go too far in that direction. “So? Will you tell me what you wish for?”

I studied her, but for once she seemed serious and showed no signs of trying to seduce me. “It isn’t something you can help me with anyway. I have listened for clues, but I am afraid that only a Demon Lord would have the spy-network to find the rest of the puzzle.”

“Ah, so you want to uncover the rest of your progenitor’s inheritance!” Isabella blurted out.

I almost did a double-take. “How do you know that!?”

She chuckled and leaned her head against my shoulder while she stroked my biceps. “Oh, you clueless man-child. I have been in your head and saw a few things while we had sex. Why do you think that I am willing to put so much trust in you?”

Damn! How much did she learn? I really had to improve my mental defences.

“Now, don’t get angry. It just happens when you are with a succubus and I have kept your secrets to myself.” She stepped back and smiled. “Now, why don’t we negotiate? What is your desire?”

“If you have seen my thoughts, then you should already know that I want my progenitor’s inheritance and power. There isn’t much more to my intentions for now. I don’t want all of what comes with Amon’s baggage, but I want at least some of his power,” I explained the obvious. “Sadly, the spear was lost to me and I don’t see how I could get it back. Something tells me that I will need all of his artefacts before his diary will reveal itself once more.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest and glared at the floor. “I found not even a hint of where Sozzudon could have gone with it.”

“You would need power and influence to find him. The Infernum is a huge place.” Isabella nodded to herself. She still wore that smirk on her lips. “But more importantly, you would need connections to other planes. Who says that this Sozzudon is living here?”

I looked at her.

She waited.

Then it dawned on me. “You mean to say that you have the power to find him?”

She looked a little put out. “Not me alone, no. But my family, certainly.”

I wasn’t sure what to think, but if she really could deliver, then there may be a way forward for me. Spending more time than necessary in Ebandon’s warband certainly wasn’t high on my list of things to do. My mind was made up at least on that front.

“Then we… may… have a deal if you find this information,” I formulated carefully, not willing to allow the Infernum to include me in some verbal contract.

Isabella smiled, opening her mouth wide enough to show me a set of wicked canines. “I will see to it that someone looks into it. Maybe Claire. She is very knowledgeable when it comes to spy-work.”

I raised a hand to stop her. “Just to make this clear. We don’t have any sort of deal. If you are looking for this information and happen to acquire it, I don’t have any duties towards you or your family.”

“Sure, sure.” Isabella didn’t seem concerned. “And in the meantime, we can go on another adventure!” She pumped a fist and ran off to talk with Ex.

Jebril joined me while I massaged my forehead. “Looked like you finally gave in to her.”

“No, I didn’t,” I clarify. “But she will look for something that I want. If she finds it, I may have to give her something she wants, though I am still not certain what she is after.”

“Very hard to say.” Jebril nodded. “She is always swooning over you when we are alone. I would almost assume that she wants you as a mate.”

I ignored the djinn. It was clear that she only wanted to tease me.