***The Infernal Planes of Lust***

***Amon***

Three weeks passed and nothing noteworthy happened. Either I had indeed eradicated the fucked up tentacle thing, or it was smart enough not to show itself after I had taken its measure. Personally, I believed that the latter was the case.

Would you just stop calling it the Fucked Up Tentacle Thing? Call it the Átahsaia, since it's a demon just like us, or at least shorten it to Futt by turning it into an acronym!

I growled and answered the other mentally, 'We had this discussion already! It doesn't deserve to be called a name or even be considered the same species as us. Everyone has to know that it's a fucked up tentacle thing!'

Not to mention that 'futt' was one of the worst acronyms I could think of.

Whatever... just tone down your inner monologue. It doesn't help that I am forced to listen to your complaints!

What did the other expect? That I stopped thinking?

I doubted that was possible. Especially since I always had such important thoughts! It was highly unlikely that there were any other demons as magnificent as myself.

You should have hatched in Pride...

Kasdeya looked up from her project, a horn-decoration which was an altered version of my amulet that she had adapted to her specific wishes. She had been working on it at a separate workbench from mine. “Is anything wrong?”

I sighed and lowered what Kas called a manameter, a tool that helped greatly in tracing the lingering effects of an enchantment. My mana sight provided a similar effect, but the tool brought the additional benefit of exact measurements.

I had been using it to make a slight adjustment to Myriad Deaths. “No. Not really. I just have been thinking about the assassin.”

The days had practically flown by between training with my people in the morning and spending the rest of the day inside Kasdeya's workshop like I was doing now.

Not to forget that whenever Isabella had time, we would sit together and train our mental abilities... or do more pleasurable things when it was safe to do so. I certainly wasn't keen on being walked in on again.

Claire, Danielle, and Felicia took their own piece of my time whenever they felt like it, though I spent most of the day with either Isa or Kas. Which was a good thing. If Danielle, Claire, and Felicia would require just as much of my time, I wouldn't get anything done.

Having the attention of so many females already gave me the feeling of being tugged in five different directions.

But it feels good, doesn't it? Come on, admit that you like having their attention.

'Fine! I like it! Happy?', I shot back. My only hope was that I wouldn't attract more of the succubi.

It seemed like once one of them managed to latch onto me, they stayed adhered like instant glue. Maybe I should have talked to Shax about how he dealt with Jada. But then again, he wasn't much more successful in dislodging her than I was with mine.

I shook my head and tried my best to concentrate on my task while I worked.

Ashley and Khorne had practically locked themselves inside her office. Aside from a short briefing to get us all on the same page in regards to the assassin, they hadn't called upon me again. I wondered what they were doing, and whether the negotiations between them were really so hard to figure out.

If I understood correctly, then all Khorne wished to do was to take Isa to provide an heir so that he could challenge Lust herself. It may be an insult to the succubi, but I just couldn't imagine what Ashley might be doing to complicate matters this much.

Maybe you are just too simple-minded when it comes to social problems.

At least Uphir and my other minions had confirmed that Khorne's minions had been much less confrontational since the scene at the courtyard. In fact, Khorne's men now outright avoided me and my people like the plague.

Kitia thought that it was thanks to the fact that Khorne hadn't taken any actions in regards to me slaying one of his men permanently. Apparently, his minions took that as a sign that they couldn't expect any assistance from him if they pissed me off.

I realized again that my thoughts weren't where they were supposed to be, so I placed the manameter back where it belonged and turned it off. Then I returned my spear to my storage space. “I think I will stop working for today. My head just isn't in the right place to mess with enchantments. I am much more likely to fuck something up than to actually improve the weapon.”

“Well, I think Myriad is already plenty powerful,” Kas commented. “Shouldn't you rather be working on armour instead?”

I shrugged. “I had pretty good armour some time ago, but it fed on my own mana reserves to retain its protective functions. It was a great boon while I was still in the first stage of my adult evolution, but using such artefacts now is more of a hindrance than a boon. Ever since my last evolution, I have no problem with casting spells and keeping several different effects running at the same time. It is more than enough to provide offensive and defensive abilities.”

I tappet my temple to convey that the problem lay elsewhere. “My greatest weakness right now is mana channelling fatigue, but I am not certain how an artefact could help with that. It may not look like it, but Myriad Deaths is already acting as a more than sufficient focus device for my more complicated spells. There isn't much point in adding more artificial aids if I cannot utilize them.”

“Oh, you should talk to Felicia then,” Kas commented off-handedly. “Some of her plants and herbs have mind-altering effects, and she is quite knowledgeable about them. Most of the family dismiss her hobby as something that's more easily achieved through evolution.”

I pursed my lips and considered the suggestion. “Thanks, I guess? Maybe I will talk to her about it, but I would rather rely on myself than on some temporary power boost that might fail me at a crucial moment.”

Kas's reaction was a shrug. “Suit yourself. I am only reminding you that just like you have taken boons from Isa, Danielle, and myself, you would be justified in making use of Felicia and Claire.”

“Taken boons?” I looked at her incredulously, desiring an explanation.

“Isa has forged a bond with you and trained your mind magic to new levels. I have let you in on the enchantment that led to the creation of your amulet. Danielle has shown you her unique gift and advanced your abilities to new levels.”

I felt a little uneasy, having it explained like that. I had been very careful in the past to have a balanced relationship with Isa, mindful of the Infernum's nature. Had I slipped and somehow indebted myself to her sisters? “What am I giving you girls then?”

Kas smirked. “The guts to ask such a question. You are boning our brains out and surviving to love us even more the next morning. That's the deal we succubi get!”

I cleared my throat, feeling a little embarrassed at such a blatant statement. Isa had already claimed something similar to be the case, but it was good to get confirmation from different sources. “Okay. And just for clarification, what has Claire to give?”

“Knowledge, spells, and good advice,” Kas replied. “It might not seem like it, but that woman is spending more time in our castle's library than Hellith herself. She knows a lot of things.”

I nodded and turned to head out, telling myself that if I wasn't able to concentrate on craftsmanship, I might as well make the rounds to see how good Kasdeya's advice truly was.

First, I found Felicia, since I already knew that she spent most of her time somewhere near the castle gate. She was watering a raised earth-bed that led away from the courtyard and around the castle.

“Felicia,” I greeted as I made my way towards her along the tiled path. Tiny shrubs with thorns were neatly trimmed between each of the large cobblestone tiles. They were small enough to step upon, but the nasty thorns repelled me from testing my luck.

“Oh, Amon!” The succubus smiled and stopped watering the plants. She pointed at the shrubbery. “Please be careful with those. They are stingweed. One scratch and the affected appendage will go numb in seconds.”

I blinked and slowly looked down at the shrubs which I was incidentally standing in between. “Is it safe to plant them like that? One scratch on the ankle, and someone might faceplant right into those thorns.” The cobblestones were more than large enough to walk and stand between the trimmed stingweeds, but not large enough to lie down once you miss-stepped.

“Hahahaha!” Felicia held a hand before her mouth to hide her mirth. “That's the point.”

“Riiight,” I affirmed after a moment of hesitation. “Excuse me, three weeks in this place and I almost forgot that this is the Infernum and not the Mortal Realm.”

“It is. Don't assume that the castle is safe just because you know your way around a few areas.” She nodded and returned to watering the plants. “Did you need something?”

I took a moment to remind myself of the stairway to Ashley's office. That cursed pillar had caught me like a flycatcher. Felicia likely wanted to remind me of that. Ever since that incident, I had avoided the stairway and taken the longer route through the side-wing that held my people's living quarters. It was inconvenient, but the stairway there was much safer to use.

“Maybe?” I hedged. “I was talking with Kas and one thing led to the other-”

“Other,” Felicia purred, changing her voice to a more seductive tone.

“Not like that!” I clarified quickly. “We are more than busy enough at night. Anyway, I mentioned that my only real weakness right now is my ability to channel mana.”

“Spell fatigue!” Felicia exclaimed. “A common problem among those who fight in the Infernum, given that this dimension is saturated with mana. I may be able to help with that, depending on which solution you prefer.”

“Okay,” I relaxed a little, but then lifted my tail higher when I realized that I probably shouldn't touch the stingweed with it. There was no dragging it along the ground here. Though, just maybe, I should harvest some of those thorns?

I hate you! You do realize that I am not really your tail? It's just easier to control just it than all of you!

'It was just a joke!', I replied mentally, happy that I slowly learned how to agitate my alter ego.

Felicia interpreted my silence as a request to continue. “There are various plants and mushrooms with the capability to clear the mind for a short period of time, but most of them have side effects, like forcing you to respawn.”

“That's no good,” I interjected. I could see how weaker demons would resort to suicide tactics if they made it possible to kill a more powerful enemy, especially since I had used such methods myself. But I thought myself to be past the stage where it was feasible.

“Depending on what you are looking out for,” she continued, “there is the possibility of taking weaker herbs. Oluroot for example, if cooked into a tea, can increase your attention span by up to twice the original time, though it's slightly addictive. Like the mortal's coffee plant. That's the solution I go with when I need to grow my garden and want to do overtime. Getting off the stuff is a bummer, but not overly dramatic. It doesn't change the fact that the body needs time to heal and rest.”

“C- could I have some?” I asked.

Felicia smiled and reached a hand into her cleavage, slipping two fingers in between her plentiful bosoms, and drew forth a flask.

When she realized that I wasn't surprised, she pouted. “Aw, you weren't surprised at all.”

“Isa already surprised me with that trick,” I admitted while I took the flask. “Though I haven't figured out how you succubi cram a dimensional storage space in there without the use of an artefact.”

Felicia leaned closer conspiratorially. “Don't tell the others that I tattled, but it's the bras. Kasdeya's trade secret.”

I nodded gravely, trying to convey that I wouldn't tell on her. Though, calling a succubi's undergarments a bra was a stretch. I had seen five examples first-hand so far, six if you counted barging in on Jada and Shax, and all of them were either strings or push-ups that barely deserved the label.

Felicia pointed at the flask. “It's a concentrated solution, so best just to take a sip if you want to push past your limits. Remember not to use it more than once a day – or it might give you a heart attack sooner or later.”

“That doesn't sound too bad,” I admitted and stored the flask inside my own storage space. “Thanks.”

We chatted some more and I made my leave as soon as I managed to get directions to the castle's library. It helped that Ashley had pointed it out during the tour on my first day. So I just needed Fel to confirm that it was indeed the right place to find Claire.

I made my way to the library with just one minor complication. A succubus whose name I didn't know tried to chat me up, but I quickly excused myself to be in a hurry and rushed past her. It was somewhat lame on my part, but I seriously feared that I would end up with a number six if I dragged her along.

I had already tried that with Felicia in the hopes that Isa and the rest would defend their territory, so to speak...

It's seriously bad karma to think of it that way.

Yeah, well, but it was as it was. No point in pussyfooting around the obvious!

I nonetheless found my way into the library and had to gape at the grand scene once I entered. The library was a coliseum-sized space that was lined with shelves arranged in concentric circles. The entrance led directly onto a balcony that gave an excellent overview of the entire area.

Colour-coded signs on the floor sorted the space into distinct areas and a map of the hall indicated where to go if you wanted to research certain topics.

The dedication that had gone into this room was more befitting of a mortal's weak mind than a demon's. Who even needed this level of a filing system if any demon could just remember information?

I scoffed as I made my way to the ground level and took a look at the various books. If not for the labelling, someone could easily get lost in this labyrinth.

Not that I didn't appreciate order when it came to knowledge, but was this really necessary?

A book title distracted me and I veered off my path to take a look into the book which was named 'Index of Mortal Magics'. When I took the book off the shelf and opened the cover, I realized that it was indeed just that, an alphabetical index of any magical school one could think of.

That's when I heard a strange cry.

“Someone touched the books!”

I frowned and looked up when I heard the flapping of wings, and sure enough, Claire vaulted high up along the ceiling.

Once she spotted me, she angled her wings and dove to land softly right in front of me. “Amon! You are paying me a visit! That's so sweet.”

Your only hope is that she doesn't misunderstand your intentions any further or that one will be trouble.

I did my best to ignore the other and placed the book back where it belonged to. “I was just checking out the library. Felicia incidentally mentioned that you have the best grasp on it.”

“Of course!” Claire gestured wide to encompass the coliseum-sized hall. “This is my pride! All the knowledge we could accumulate at the family's fingertips!”

“I see how it would be useful,” I said. “Though I don't really understand why you put so much effort into it.”

“Because it benefits all of us,” Claire explained. “It's true that searching our souls' memories is far more useful when it comes to learning a new skill. You can just look into a mortal's life and experience all he did from his point of view. But that takes time and meditation. And if you don't know what to look for, you could waste a lot of time observing them doing lots of useless stuff.”

She leaned closer. “And then there are other things that you could never learn from a mortal soul. Like things about the Infernum!”

I blinked and realized that I was an idiot.

You are one.

“About the Infernum?” I questioned. “I would like that. There are a lot of things about it that confuse me.”

“Hah!” Claire looked proud. “Then you are at the right place. And don't worry! Isa told us everything about your extraordinary circumstances.”

“Us?” I asked like some buffoon.

“Your harem!” the succubus spouted with a chipper attitude.

I coughed and almost choked on my own spit. “I wouldn't call you... that.”

“Oh, but we are,” she purred. “You just don't want to admit it yet.”

I seriously needed to change the subject. “So, what would you recommend for someone in my circumstances to catch up on regarding the Infernum?”

Claire turned me around and linked tails with me. “First, we have to get out of the section that is concerned with mortal stuff. Then we will get you caught up on Contract Theory and some social norms.”

“But I consider myself already pretty good at making contracts.” I frowned. “If nothing else, the hatchery's education on that point felt sufficient.”

“Never think that a hatchery can compare to what we have here,” Claire stated with a grand gesture. Then she whispered, “I will make a proper Demon Lord out of you yet!”

The next hours showed me that the caretaker at my hatchery might have been less of a taskmaster, and more of a slow sloth. Yes, he had taught us, but only the bare necessities of demonhood as I learned under Claire's tutorship.

The demoness was a taskmaster like no other, running me through the library from book to book in an attempt to cram all the knowledge into my head that a 'proper demon' should possess.

I learned about the seldom-spoken theories that explained why demons should prefer written contracts over spoken ones. Why most spoken contracts couldn't be trusted completely and why a spoken contract was still regarded as an extension of trust in general society.

Until now, I had thought that most demons referred to the Infernum as its own entity because they didn't truly understand the rules that governed our dimension. But according to Claire's books, many prominent demons who researched the subject indeed thought of the Infernum as a thinking entity that followed its own agenda.

Even if this entity apparently never spoke nor interacted with us demons as far as we knew.

It was Säulei, the Dominater, who first managed to prove this and shared his findings with the larger demon community. He had his minions swear the same verbal oath, again and again, every year over the course of ten millennia. The oath itself was an overly complicated statement of servitude towards the greater good of Pride's inhabitants.

I didn't dare to read the thing aloud once I set my eyes on the little folder that Claire showed me for clarification. The entire thing seemed to be created as an anti-thesis to a demon's nature, forcing them to do all the things a normal demon wouldn't be inclined to do. Worse, not following the oath would have deadly consequences.

Säulei documented all the ways in which his test subjects managed to circumvent the oath without killing themselves. He made statistics of how his demons fell victim to it or how they survived.

And yes, some survived when they should have died for all intents and purposes.

The conclusion was nothing less than shocking to me.

Säulei found that two demons speaking the exact same verbal oath could get drastically different results.

A demon instinctually knew how to follow an oath, and by forcing his test subjects through countless different scenarios, Säulei proved that demons who had spoken the same oath had to follow its general intention, but the oath itself could be warped and bent.

He concluded that the Infernum somehow knew how to look out for itself, like a living entity. Whenever possible, the Infernum would warp a verbal oath in ways that resulted in the most souls lost or traded for its own benefit.

That meant that some demons with a high potential for causing trouble could get away just one horn shorter while others died a permanent death.

“I don't know whether this Säulei was insane, or a genius,” I commented once I closed the book.

“I would say a little bit of both,” Claire replied and took the book from me, placing it back on the shelf. “It explains why we are, as a society, still inclined to give small verbal oaths, even if their simplicity means that they can't be trusted. It's a show of faith, to lay our lives at the feet of some higher power.”

“I wondered about that.” The first and only thing that Sozzudon ever taught me was to not swear a verbal oath if I could avoid it. But since then I had seen simplified versions being used more often than not. And according to Säulei, the simpler the oath, the less danger there was of it being twisted.

Not that it meant that even a simple verbal oath was truly simple from a mortal's point of view. Translated to a mortal tongue, even our very simple oaths could be statements with dozens of hidden meanings.

“What should we go with next?” Claire pondered while she regarded the new shelf that she had led me to. “Do you want to go deeper into Säulei's second great experiment, where he consolidated his findings with data of the different Infernal Planes? Or should we dive directly into Zran's Planar Theory and how staying inside a plane for extended periods of time affects the demons living inside it?”

“Does that mean that demons live differently on different planes?” I asked.

“Oh, Amon, you have no idea,” Claire chuckled and took the book. “Believe me when I say that you have seen nothing of the Infernum so far. You have seen Baaar, and parts of Lust, which is more than many other demons manage to survive, but there are still many more places to visit in the Infernum.”