***The Infernal Planes of Lust***

***Amon***

“So you want me to scan everyone?” I questioned after listening to Ashley's and Khorne's explanation, hardly able to believe it. “That's... more than eighty demons?”

“89 as of now. 41 of my daughters, Khorne has 43 people left, and then your 5 minions,” Ashley clarified. She was standing behind her office chair, while Khorne had taken his usual spot on the couch. I was kind of getting used to finding them in these positions and wondered whether them showing physical distance in front of me had any special meaning. It certainly meant that they weren't anywhere as close to being the tight allies that they were according to the official story.

Or was it just something they did for appearance's sake whenever they called for me?

'Hopefully, that won't become a thing,' the other lamented in my mind.

Anyway. The two Demon Lords had pretty much stuck to my initial suggestion of handling the problem, which was good. It meant less headaches for me. There was only one issue that had to be clarified.

I crossed my arms and tilted my head while I studied the two of them with raised eyebrows. “I have to admit that I didn't expect you two to go through with it. Won't there be... issues? I can't imagine any of your men being happy about having his measure taken.”

Allowing a soul mage to rummage through someone's soul well while having your defenses lowered was like being caught with your pants down – as the mortals liked to say. No demon in his right mind would consent to such an intrusion. Baring one's soul well to another, especially a soul mage, it would mean to be utterly and totally at their mercy.

“They will approach you with lowered defences, then you get a few seconds to take a look,” Ashley clarified. “I think that should be more than enough to take a measure of their souls? And short enough to assure them that you won't have the time for any major mind manipulations.”

I grunted. “A few seconds... that won't be enough for a detailed scan.” I had a perfect memory like any other demon, but that didn't mean I was omnipotent. Having so little time was like flipping through a book with barely the time to see the pages. Without the time to comprehend what I saw, most of the information would be lost.

Could I somehow apply the techniques that Ex taught us for high-speed combat situations?

It was worth a try, but most of them relied on pure instinct and training. In combat, a fighter who reacted before he thought, survived. The ones who thought before acting were often the dead ones.

Then again, soul magic was a tricky thing and I probably shouldn't fool around with untried concepts while using it on others.

I knew my reputation as a soul mage had been growing ever since I accidentally revealed my ability in the field. But the truth was that I didn't have nearly enough time to train that particular branch of my magic. I was still largely relying on the memories of my main soul and flying by the seat of my pants whenever I needed it. I also always had the opportunity to take my time with what I was trying to do.

Wrangling for souls with Isabella helped, but it was a very specialized form of training. The focus lay entirely on weighing our minds against each other.

Most of my efforts had gone into gaining my skills with mana manipulation and telekinesis. Then there was Ex's training that had focused entirely on physical combat.

It was too embarrassing to admit, but I felt inadequate for the job.

“But you won't need a complete scan, do you?” Khorne entered the conversation. “Once you have an idea of everyone's souls, the next time the Átahsaia kills, you will be able to identify it. After all, it will end up with most, if not all of its victim's souls due to the way it kills. There will be a significant shift in the perpetrator's souls after the next attack.”

“Likely,” I hedged. “But what about letting the souls go... or just trading them away?”

Ashley scoffed like it was of no concern. “Very few demons ever master the art of letting go of a soul. Have you ever tried? The Infernum won't allow it.”

“Well, no.” I honestly hadn't, except in payment. Although, one didn't really let a soul go when transferring them to other demons during a transaction. It was more like offering them to be taken.

On the other side, my memories told me that it should be possible. “But a soul mage-”

“Which the Átahsaia is not,” Ashley interrupted. “At least let us hope so, or we would have a real problem on top of everything else on our hands. And as far as trade is concerned, everyone will be aware of what we are trying to do. They can tell us and have their soul well re-evaluated if something unforeseen happens. And if they trade their souls anyway without informing us, then they deserve being falsely accused.”

“Which brings us to the problem of which order to take,” Khorne grumbled while fixating his eyes on the walls.

“Meaning that your people have to go first, obviously,” Ashley replied with a smug expression. “They are the most susceptible to the kind of threat that the Átahsaia poses. We should check those who are at the most risk first. After all, the Átahsaia may lose his cool and attack once it realizes that there is a way of identifying it.”

'Or it will give up on its mission and lay low for the rest of the season,' the other added in my mind.

“I don't see why I should risk losing any more of my people than necessary.” Khorne sat up straighter. “The recent attacks already weakened my position unduly. Why don't your succubi go first? They were under the least suspicion up until now, which may have been a mistake. What if one of them succumbed despite your reassurances of their resistances and training?”

Ashley seemed offended. “I know very well what my daughters are capable of and what not. None of them would succumb to a mind-attack without at least being able to call for help.” Her gaze focused on me. “And why should my succubi go first when you have a group of freeloaders in my castle.”

I realized that both Demon Lords had their attention on me now. It wasn't very reassuring, to say the least.

Unfortunately, they had a point. My people and I were freeloaders. I suspected that Ashley would make a serious attempt at throwing me out of the castle if she ever learned about what her daughters were up to... or not... I wasn't sure. Isabella and the others at least didn't seem to believe that Ashley would ever risk an open confrontation with Khorne.

They were her daughters, and I didn't really know the demoness apart from the short meetings we had. That, and that she was hot as hell, though I probably shouldn't admit that in front of anyone.

I shook my head.

This wasn't the time to check out whether she would be inclined to team up against Khorne. But maybe I could use this point of contention between them to increase my standing with Ashley. If I took her side now, she may be more inclined to listen to Isabella and me later on.

Khorne was a problem, and I would have to face it at some point. However reluctantly.

Taking Ashley's side would mean to distance myself from Khorne, but if his intentions towards Isabella were true, then a conflict between the two of us was unavoidable and just a question of time. It was a shame since he hadn't shown any real hostility towards me. I already was on a bad footing with Ostreios and Khorne's enemies, but I had to take this step.

I cleared my throat. “I am confident that all of my people will allow me to check them in public. There will be no issues. Those without sufficient mental defences should go first, and my party is certainly among those who are threatened. It is the logical thing to do.”

There! That was not too blunt, but it made clear that I followed Ashley's logic in this matter. I was quite proud of myself for wording it like that.

Khorne seemed a little put out by my readiness to play along. For just a moment, he shot me a look that could kill, but he quickly returned to his usual self.

I had already realized during our first meeting that he was a calculating bastard, so I was very interested in what his reaction would be.

The Demon Lord's expression turned pensive for a while as he thought about something, but then he smiled. As if he had just realized that one of Ashley's chess pieces was undefended and open to be taken.

“Then what about Ebandon?” Khorne mused slyly.

The question stood in the room like a knife, ready to slice a throat.

“What about him?” Ashley asked as her expression slowly turned from thoughtful to annoyed.

“Well, I didn't really invite him, unlike Amon and his group. Ebandon is here as a free agent of his own unless you are willing to admit that he is just another one of your minions. And if Amon goes first, then Ebandon can go second. He also happens to be Amon's direct superior.” Khorne rubbed his hands together. “I really see no reason why we should allow someone like him to roam the castle unquestioned.”

“Ebandon is more than strong enough to defend himself,” Ashley pointed out. “Besides, he won't allow someone who is his subordinate to have a direct look at his soul well.”

“None of his abilities which I have seen hint at him being able to defend himself any better than my own people,” Khorne replied smoothly. “Or is there anything I don't know?”

Ashley pressed her lips together, unable to come up with a logical reply.

I internally clicked my tongue, knowing that this battle of wits was over. Maybe there was a possible argument, but I didn't know the leader of my own warband well enough to argue the point. All I knew was that his power had something to do with contracting imps and other demons.

Suddenly, I realized that Ebandon might be one of Ashley's hidden aces. Could he summon a sizeable part of his warband if it became time to go at each other's throats?

Isabella mentioned once how his powers worked, and that it required an immense amount of souls to keep all his contracts running. No. I supposed that someone who needed souls for his power to work wouldn't allow someone else to have a look at his cards under any circumstances.

When the silence stretched on, it was Khorne's turn to look smug. “I didn't think so...”

Ashley sighed. “Then we will go with Amon's group, then Ebandon, and then your people.”

“And lastly, your succubi,” Khorne added. “I am looking forward to finally meeting Isabella. You have been very careful about keeping her secreted away. But I suppose that she will hardly be able to skip such an important event.”

There it was. My eyes moved towards Khorne and my aura flickered for a moment, but thankfully the two Demon Lords didn't notice it.

'Let's kill him now,' the other roared in my mind. 'Let us gift his steaming organs to Isabella and her sisters. Your girl gets the heart, then we have the brain for Danielle, and I want his unmentionables for my Claire! I want her to do that tail-thing again!'

Not now. Not yet. I fought the other for control, hoping that the rest of the room wouldn't notice.

Khorne looked towards me. “Is something wrong? Your tail is twitching.”

“Everything is fine,” I replied, maybe a little too quickly. “I am just trying to think of the best way to do this. I don't want the fucked up tentacle thing to rip out my throat while I am scanning it. After I chased it through half the castle, it might deem me as a threat. And once it learns that I may be able to identify it, I will become a high-priority target for sure.”

Khorne considered it, then nodded.

Ashley studied me with a raised eyebrow, apparently not buying the story, but then she looked at Khorne and steeled her expression. She had apparently decided not to pursue the matter in front of the other Demon Lord.

“I will present my daughter to you once the negotiations are over, and not a moment earlier,” Ashley replied in a measured tone that seemed to irritate Khorne, but he didn't reply. Apparently, there was some agreement that protected Isa while negotiations were still ongoing. “Besides, I am sure that there won't be a need to test my succubi.”

I wondered what would take so long about negotiating a contract. Unless one of the parties was intentionally stalling. I suddenly realized that I may have less time than I thought. Treating this matter as something that could be handled at any point in the future may have been... presumptuous of me.

Khorne scoffed. “We will see about that.”

The rest of the meeting was about hashing out the details of how to go about the testing. It was boring, to say the least, but I had no other choice than to listen to it.

Ashley and Khorne argued about every step of the proceedings as if it was an ingrained part of their natures. Before it was over, I had started to believe it possible that Ashley wasn't intentionally stalling at all.

Maybe she just was one of those females who liked to argue every little detail?

Finally, Ashley called for Hellith and instructed her to call for an immediate gathering which everyone had to attend.

We left her office to wait in the courtyard for the rest of the castle's inhabitants, a point which Ashley managed to spend infuriating ten minutes to discuss with Khorne. He wanted to use the main hall so that he would be able to directly observe any respawns in case of violence. Ashley wanted to hold the event in the courtyard so that no more of Danielle's valuable artworks would have to suffer.

It seemed like Danielle's own mother was one of her most devoted fans.

So we ended up in the courtyard a mere two hours later. Instead of taking a place next to Ashley and Khorne while they made their declarations, I searched out my minions who I found standing with Jada.

In my mind, it wasn't necessary to make myself a target among Khorne's minions by showing myself as his equal. I was sure that they would have their issues with me anyway once their leaders had explained what they intended to do.

I raised a hand in greeting. “Hi. You guys are doing fine as far as I can see.”

“Fine enough, given the circumstances,” Uphir confirmed while studying me with pursed lips. “Our luck is that we've already been together for centuries. There is little enough that can cause us to be at each others' throats, given the stringent rules.” He gestured around, indicating the rest of the gathering. “But I have noticed that tensions are rising. Most of Khorne's men clearly aren't used to playing nice with each other. There have been fights while you weren't around.”

“I am sorry for missing the training, but I was occupied.” I sighed and looked towards the others. “How about you guys.”

“Fine!” Jebril affirmed in her usually cheerful persona.

Philomena only gave a shrug with her shoulder, indicating that she was fine either way.

Kitia showed a similar indifference and Shax was... Shax.

Jada only grinned at me while she hung from her boyfriend's neck.

I suddenly realized that there was a shift in the crowd around us and that everyone was looking at me.

Ashley and Khorne must've shared their plan which resulted in the redirection of the crowd's attention.

It was my cue, so I gestured for my minions to follow me. “Please line up in the centre of the courtyard. I am afraid that we have to go through a little evaluation to find the fucked up tentacle thing.” I deliberately spoke louder, following the script that Khorne and Ashley had laid out for me. “It should be easy enough to find the miscreant with soul magic.”

We had debated whether we should come clean with the entire plan from the beginning, but in the end, it was decided that being vague would increase the chances of the fucked up tentacle thing losing its cool.

“I will have to take a look at everyone’s soul well, so you will have to lower your guards for a moment.” I turned once I reached the middle of the courtyard and addressed my minons, “Who wants to go first?”

Jebril raised her hand and stepped forward, apparently trusting me completely. “Let me!”

I pursed my lips in surprise, but Jebril had always been a strange demon. To establish the connection easier, I touched her forehead and found her guard to be completely down. It was a far cry from Isabella’s tightly controlled mind.

After having taken a look at her soul well, I disconnected and gestured for her to step behind me. “Clean.”

Uphir stepped forward with a slightly mulish expression on his face. “I don’t want to.”

I allowed my expression to turn serious as I met his eyes. “You can explain whatever your grievances are to me in private, but not right here, right now. The eyes of everyone are upon us and I don’t want to fathom how long this task might take if everyone sees me arguing with my own people and comes to the conclusion that they can do the same. Or do I have to remind you of the stick?”

Uphir winced when I mentioned the educational tool that I had designed back in Baaar to keep the random group of outcasts in line. He stepped forward and lowered his head in submission.

I touched his forehead and found it slightly harder to connect with him than I did with Jebril. But I didn’t account his hardened mind to some form of active resistance from his side. The problem was his unconsciousness, his general unwillingness to bare his throat to anyone.

A minute later, it was done and I nodded and pointed towards Jebril. “Clear.”

Philomena and Kitia went easier, but not as easy as Jebril. They immediately took their positions behind me once I cleared them.

Shax was a strange case. His mind, his whole being felt different from anything I had encountered before. Whereas connecting with an untrained mind was like piercing through a dense bank of fog, or a trained mind was capable of having me run up against a wall of steel, Shax’s thoughts felt like molasses. It was tough and literally adhered to the metaphysical connection between us once I tried to pull free.

Had Isabella not forced such rigorous training upon me to improve my mental capabilities, I might have gotten into real trouble.

Such as it was, I still felt sullied once I managed to pull free. Worse, I didn’t think that Shax had done it intentionally. It was simply an expression of how his mind worked. Maybe Shax wasn’t even completely mentally there, and I had just found out what it was like to touch the mind of an insane demon. Nonetheless, if he was truly somehow handicapped, then he was a highly functional psychopath.

‘Not that we are any better, heh?’ the other spoke from somewhere within me.

I gestured for Shax to join the others. “Clear.”

Jada opted to be next since she was already clinging to Shax, and the trained succubus posed no problem.

Once all of my people were cleared, Ashley stepped forward and called upon Ebandon, expectantly searching the crowd with her eyes.

It took a few moments for my warband’s leader to make his way to the front where he stood to face our host with a dissatisfied expression.

“I refuse!”