***The Infernal Plane of Lust***

***Amon***

I narrowed my eyes and concentrated. The next moment, a few dozen metres away, my target went ‘splat’, simply evaporating into a cloud of ichor and gore. Clicking my tongue, I berated myself for the excessive use of force.

“Could you please stop throwing stones at the poor lickers? They are just animals...” Jebril begged, slightly irritated that yet another lizard-thing had become the victim of my telekinesis training.

“They are lizard-things,” I pointed out, unwilling to adopt the widely accepted name for the things. Apparently, my arch-nemesis lived on all Infernal Planes and was as common as rats. “And no! They are evil, pure evil! Imagine standing up to those things as a demonling and you wouldn’t think twice about eradicating every single one of them. It's only just to use them for target practice. The only good thing about them is their tongue!” I shuddered at the memory of the mother of all lizard-things. Those things ate demonlings for breakfast and therefore had to die.

“But... you stopped eating their tongues hours ago,” she dared to retort, pointing at the pile of dead lizard-things at my feet. Most of them were adults, but that hadn't helped much against the new me. “Mostly, you are just blowing them to bits.”

I sighed and sniped another lizard-thing with one pebble from the several dozen that I had floating around me. “The bane of growing up. It's just too bothersome to tease the tongues out of those little bodies.” When I was a demonling, a single lizard-thing's tongue was more than enough to fill me up. Now, it was nothing more than a snack that was gone with a single bite.

“Just keep watch, Jebril,” Uphir entered the conversation. “It's better than him forging plans to attack the enemy on his own.”

“I still think that we should ignore the orders and attack the enemy head-on!” I complained and pointed at the battle that was raging beyond the gentle hill on which we had been positioned. “There would be no better chance to gather tons of souls than while two huge armies are fighting each other. Nobody is paying us any attention! It would be easy to get right in the middle of it.”

“No!” a unified outcry from all of my minions answered me, making it clear that I might be the leader our the group, but that my ideas were only followed within reason. Attacking an enemy force that numbered in the thousands head-on wasn't something they intended to repeat any time soon.

“That one time at the competition was more than enough!” Philomena exclaimed with enough conviction to change my mind about more attempts at swaying their opinions.

Though I had to try at least one more time, so I grumbled, “But my plan only works with all of you helping. It's a good one this time, I promise! No dimensional maelstroms that suck us into another Plane.”

Shax grumbled in a tone that was meant to show displeasure about the mere idea.

Uphir stopped sharpening his dagger and made his opinion known. “Back then and now are two completely different things! The competition was just that, a competition. The various groups were fighting just as much among each other as with us, which was the only reason why we didn't simply get overrun. That competition was a glorified barfight, total chaos without a guiding hand, and with everyone just looking out to position himself in the most favourable way. It's an entirely different matter to rush straight into a whole legion with an organized leadership. Once we drew enough attention, they would send someone to clean us up without a doubt!”

“Not to mention that we have our orders,” Isabella pointed out and shuddered in a way that had nothing to do with desire. “I don't know about you, but I still remember that one time when I failed to follow one of Ex's orders while he was still training me. I never knew that someone could break a body.”

Kitia nodded with vigour in response to that while unconsciously reaching for her sword. “I think I know what you mean. All it takes is him getting a hold of you and...” She gestured wildly, apparently unable to find words for the true horror of what would happen. “Crack! Crack! Wham! And then only pain!”

I gulped, remembering the thorough beatings I had received during our training sessions. “Maybe... just maybe... we will simply follow the plan and guard this stash of supplies while the army dukes it out. No matter how boring it might be!”

The others nodded and eyed the pyramid of crates which had been made our responsibility with the orders coming directly from Ex himself.

I was sitting on the pyramid's peak since it provided the best view on the battle that was raging in the basin below us.

Demon Lord Khorne had blown the war trumpet on all of Lust, squashing all the enemies in his path. The smart ones among his foes had agreed to alliances and servitude early on, while those who refused to obey found an unfortunate end. From Halguth, the fertile planes we lived in, to the chaotic border of Isromzin where Lust’s Planar stability fizzled out, he had captured it all.

I mentally made a note to visit Lust’s dimensional border at least once. Isabella had spoken of it, and described it similar to a dimensional fissure, but different.

But the dimension of Lust was a big place, far too large to explore on a whim, and certainly not without enough power to best anyone who might take advantage of you. I would have to get a lot stronger for that.

Khorne’s crusade had started with a single warband if the rumours were true, and it had taken him the better half of a century to get to this point. His only remaining true competition was Mekedesh, The Slayer, a powerful Demon Lord in his own right. But even he wouldn’t have been able to stand up to Khorne’s legions on his own, and so he had entered an alliance with two other Demon Lords, Lady Vegth and Sogman.

But if Isabella’s explanations were true, Khorne’s aspirations didn’t end with ruling all of Lust. He wanted more, and gathering all these followers was just the foreplay to challenging Lust herself, and to claim the title of a Planar Lord.

So I got to watch one of the minor skirmishes which happened all over a large area close to the region which was controlled by Isabella’s family. Khorne’s forces had engaged one of Sogman’s legions in an attempt to capture the Anima Stone that the enemy was rallying around.

Thousands of demons on both sides were caught in a perpetual battle, their goal not to simply kill off the enemy, but to capture the Anima Stone which allowed them to re-spawn immediately to the battlefield. At the same time, both sides did their best to gain more souls than they lost, hoping to dwindle down the enemy’s most important resource.

From our point of view, watching the fight was a spectacle which was almost beautiful. The combined knowledge of hundreds of souls turned even the lowest of soldiers into an experienced veteran who followed orders precisely and knew exactly when to take opportunities. Watching two well-trained legions fight each other was like seeing two flocks of birds caught in an intricate dance. On the ground, just as in the sky, each demon was moving together with his comrades in what resembled a well-coordinated performance.

Most of the time, both flocks circled, advanced, and withdrew without a single spell being fired while barriers and counterspells were adjusted to prevent the enemy from acting in the first place. Only when a perceived weakness was found would both flocks intersect each other, causing magical spells and weapons to clash with brilliant light.

I watched in anticipation as a part of Sogman’s forces separated and headed in our direction, only to be intercepted by an entire flight of Khorne’s men. Those who had been sent our way immediately retreated, avoiding an unfavourable engagement as they would’ve been cut off from the rest of their legion.

Seeing that, Jebril wrung her hands in agitation and checked the warding shields that protected the area around us for the nth time. “I just don’t understand why they would position the supplies so close to the battle. Isn’t that too risky?”

Shax snorted in amusement and I covered my face while the others shook their heads. Jebril really wasn’t cut out to be a demon. How had she survived her demonling stage? I was flabbergasted how naive she was at times and how competent at others. It was like she had two clashing personalities within her.

She noticed that she had said something wrong and stuttered, “Wh- What!?”

Shax blinked slowly and decided to grant the djinn one of his rare insights. “Bait.”

Jebril licked her lips worriedly and looked towards the pyramid of crates. “Bait?”

Kitia huffed. “Of course we are bait. The one who commands Khorne’s legion positioned the supplies intentionally on top of a hill so that everyone could see. And why would such an obvious target be guarded by only a handful of mercenaries?”

The djinn hiccuped as the realization hit. “But why would Ex allow that? Ebandon told us that he would see to it that his people wouldn’t be involved in the fighting.”

“I don’t think he had any choice,” I explained. “He is a mercenary just like us, and the customer is the king as long as he pays the souls. And you can also clearly see that whoever is commanding the battle on our side isn’t allowing us to just get overrun. Each time a part of Sogman’s forces tried to break away they were blocked by Khorne’s men. The problem here is that both sides are fairly evenly matched.”

Uphir nodded at my assessment of the situation. “At some point, a warband who was stripped of their equipment in the process of fighting will make a token gesture to claim these weapon crates. I suppose that Sogman’s people are not going to allow that. Our commander is waiting for some of the stronger combatants to break through the lines in order to prevent the crates from being taken – since the random rabble didn’t manage to do so. It’s then that our commander will push for the enemy’s Anima Stone with all available forces in order to end the battle.”

“Ooh... I knew that this war business wouldn’t be profitable,” the djinn lamented. “But why did they choose us for this task? Aren’t there plenty stronger and more experienced people?”

Philomena sighed. “It’s because we are the new guys. On top, I bet that only the uppermost layer of these crates is actually filled with gear and the rest is empty. It won’t be much of a loss if this position is actually taken by the enemy.”

I was about to resume my training when yet another large group separated itself from Soghman’s legion. Only that this time, they didn’t retreat when Khorne’s men reacted. Both parties clashed with spells, blades, and claws, creating an inferno of spellfire that could be easily seen from our position. It was nothing that hadn’t happened before, but this time several figures easily broke through the defenders’ blockade.

While licking my lips in anticipation, I got to my feet and narrowed my eyes. “Things are about to get real, guys!”

“And girls!” Isabella corrected me when she saw a group of at least thirteen demons with wings heading our way.

“Shouldn’t we run?” Jebril asked.

“Not today.” Uphir harrumphed and put away the grindstone which he had been using to maintain his daggers. “We have been paid well to stand and fight. I doubt that our employer will be satisfied if we don’t at least pretend that these crates have some worth.”

I smiled and stopped concentrating on my pebbles, allowing them to clatter to the ground. Then I summoned a weapon of my own making which was due for a test-run since some time ago.

Leaving my spacial ring, the Staff of Ethereal Enlightenment materialized in my hand, looking like nothing more than a quarterstaff at first glance. Only when looked upon closely would one find the intricate silver runework that had taken me the better part of a night to lay out. And I had even made some improvements to the item when I had the time.

Feeding my magic into the spellwork, the staff came to life, its runes glowing with a blueish inner flame. Once the threshold was reached, the weapon formed a blue energy blade at its upper end, turning the weapon into a mixture between a short spear and a halberd. It had taken me a great deal of time to work the spell matrix out so that it didn’t clash with my other magic.

When I looked up from my weapon, I realized that one member of the approaching group was missing, even though the rest was still several hundred metres away.

Surveying the area, I missed what was happening above me for too long. When I finally did look up, all I saw was a fist.

***The Infernal Plane of Lust***

***Isabella***

I was watching the approaching raiding party when one of their numbers suddenly glowed red and disappeared in a series of after-images.

The next moment, the pile of crates behind me exploded, throwing splintered wood and a variety of items in all directions. When I turned, the pyramid of supplies had changed its appearance drastically. It was now more like a piled up ring with a crater in the middle.

“Amon!” I couldn’t help but call out. Was he? But no, I could still feel him through our bond.

“One rat down,” Our four-winged attacker spoke with a smile on his face and made a direct dash for Shax who reached out and caught the man’s fist with a pained grunt as he was actually pushed back! Shax’s claws dug two deep trenches into the earth, but Shax couldn’t stop his enemy’s advance.

I had watched Jada’s new boyfriend train, and I had never seen the mighty demon being thwarted in a contest of pure strength. My sister would be livid right now if Mother hadn’t called her back to her side for another errand.

Then the other attackers were upon us, forcing me to worry about my own ass.

Two of them went for me, ignoring the promising smile which I tried to throw at the both of them. Giving off a cute squeal, I dodged the first man’s sword while stumbling backwards and landing on my butt.

The attempt at looking weak and vulnerable worked perfectly because both of my attackers laughed and lowered their guard when the whiny succubus unwillingly prostrated herself in front of them while trying to get up.

They stopped laughing when the tip of my tail looped around the first man’s ankle and ripped it forward, causing him to land in an awkward straddle right in front of me. His face told a painful tale of him not being used to such a manoeuvre, but I quickly freed him from his misery.

My hand came gently up to his throat, slicing it open with the elongated claws that I had shaped my fingernails into.

He still tried to take a swipe at me with his sword, but I curled up into a ball while catching his wrist, allowing myself to be catapulted up and over him by his own strength.

Coming back down, I landed on the second man, sending both of us tumbling to the ground. Pursing my lips, I tried to kiss him, but he managed to get his forearm onto my throat, holding me back with everything he got. Not that it helped him much, because I had taken the chance to thoroughly entangle myself with all his limbs.

“I know what you are trying to do, shape-shifting wench!” he spat.

“Aw…” I pouted. “Many pay for a mere embrace from me or my sisters.” Summoning my wings, I wrapped him up and let my tongue slide out. Channelling energy, I summoned a sizzling mote of hellfire to its tip.

My opponent smiled viciously, believing himself safe as long as he kept my lips away from him. Though, that was only until my tongue slowly started to elongate while I toyed with him. Once it was of sufficient length, I slowly licked over his forehead and down to his nose, drawing a sizzling line of burned flesh.

The weakening effect of the runework which I projected with my wings finally took its toll and his strength gave out.

I slid my tongue between his lips, sending the mote of disenchanting energy deep down into his throat and allowing it to ignite while I gave him his last kiss. The spellwork easily unravelled his hold on his souls and his power. Energy pulsed within him while our lips touched and his eyeballs shone with an inner light – right until they popped.

With a moan, I breathed in all his life force, not allowing any of it to go to waste. He had a burned, ashy aroma and a bad aftertaste, but energy was energy.

Amon was so much better when it came to keeping me satiated. He even had a firm hold on his souls and could wrestle them back if I got a little carried away. Most importantly of all, my chosen man didn’t keel over dead from a mere kiss.

Then I was suddenly yanked away from my prey and held aloft by the scruff of my neck.

Taking in the scene, I realized that Kitia and Philomena were fighting for their lives, trying hold off four attackers each. Jebril was bubbled up inside one of her wards while doing her best to tank two attackers and Uphir was nowhere in sight. To my astonishment, Shax was on the ground and out for the count.

“Who hired you!?” The demon who had me by the neck snarled and shook me with enough force to rattle my teeth. “Which mercenary group?”

I was about to answer, not willing to agitate someone who had apparently beaten a monster like Shax to a pulp when I felt the mana being drained from the vicinity and visibly congealing among the crates.

A hand broke free from the crater and Amon rose from the debris while the magic flowed up his skin and formed blue and green runes all over his body. He smiled, showing off those pointy teeth that gave most demons with just a bit of common sense the fright. One of his larger canines fell out, revealing a new one that already grew in its place.

“You hit like a ninny,” Amon taunted and raised a hand, commandeering a large war-axe from the supplies to rise and spin in place. He flicked his finger and my captor moved before I knew what was happening. Sparks flew, and the war-axe was deflected away from us by the club that had materialized in the four-winged demon’s hand.

Then Amon was there, swinging down his staff and the brilliant blade that had been conjured by it.

The other demon only smiled and moved his club to block, but Amon’s weapon passed right through it and the arm that was still holding me. There was no damage to the weapon or the demon’s arm, but I still felt his fingers slacken.

Using the opportunity, I ripped myself free and rolled away. Turning around, I found my former captor staring at his slack arm that was hanging down his side, no longer responding to his will.

Only then I realized that the demon’s attention wasn’t on his paralysed appendage, but on the ghostly copy of it. It lay on the ground, now slowly dissolving into a thousand specs of green energy.