***The Infernal Planes of Lust***

***Amon***

For the first time in remembrance, I felt dread at learning something new. At the same time, I didn’t dare to tell Claire that I had the honest desire to run for the hills! Maybe facing the storms outside the castle wouldn't be so bad after all? The other could surely boost my powers until I eventually found a safe spot or made it back to Irkos.

I may - if this keeps going on.

Unfortunately, the pretty demoness next to me kept teaching me with such enthusiasm that I just couldn't decline her honest efforts at furthering my education.

If I was honest with myself, I had to admit that some of Claire's teachings were quite interesting. Like knowing that there was actually a community of demons who tried to understand the intricacies of making a living in the Infernum and which rules governed it.

Or that there were other succubus lairs just like Ashley's castle throughout the Infernal Planes.

The fact that it was Gorbash the Sly who managed to prove that the Infernum’s makeup was actively forcing competition among its inhabitants, explaining the evolutionary pressure that rested on all demonkind. Something that was likely intended by the first Planar Lords and subsequently never changed by their successors.

Or the knowledge that there was likely none of the original Planar Lords left. Although, Envy had ruled his plane without a single recorded change in the position. So it was more accurate to say that Claire's library had no record of Envy ever being replaced by a successor. Maybe he was, in fact, still one of the originals.

Or the records of how the first Planar Lords had handed down the original summoning circles to their minions. A move that had led to the rise of the first real Demon Lords and the consequent fall of their Planar Overlords, leading to the cycle of power we demons had to struggle with ever since.

“Amon?”

Not to mention…

“Amon!”

“Yes!” I snapped back to the here and now. “I am listening!”

“You started zoning out more frequently ever since we moved on to Lust’s current social strata, and how one should behave when facing a demon of rank,” Claire chided me and raised the book that listed Lust’s currently known Demon Lords. Which quite annoyingly didn’t include me.

The fact that I wasn't mentioned in these annals infuriated me. There should be a passage about Amon Chaogenito, The Indominable One! Don't piss him off or you might have to pay your tongue and eyelids as tribute! Or something like that.

It would help if annoying demons knew beforehand what to rip off so that I wouldn't have to do the work. Harvesting the goods myself was always such messy work, something that I hated to do.

Thankfully, the list of Lust's high society had shrunk a lot since Khorne started his war of conquest. There weren't any new names of interest apart from the ones I had already heard of during my two short assignments of assisting Khorne's legions.

I looked away, avoiding Claire's intense attention. “I am just failing to see why any of that should concern me.”

“Then what are you going to do about Khorne?” Claire asked. “The problem that we are facing won’t go away on its own. We have to find a way to appease him with something other than little Isa’s womb.”

“Kill him,” I growled. “It’s as easy as that.”

It wasn't like we had any other choice as far as I could tell. The only question was at which point a confrontation between the two of us became inevitable. I doubted that Khorne’s goals could be redirected by us offering him some form of assistance.

He was a Demon Lord, we were not. It was as simple as that.

Judging by everything that I had heard about his campaign, his victory had been seen by most parties as an inevitability and only a matter of time.

Khorne's only remaining problem lay in fulfilling the requirements of issuing a challenge to Lust herself. Namely, providing a sufficient heir to take the position of his Avatar. He had apparently already killed Lust's Avatar at some earlier point in his campaign.

Strangely enough, the Planar Lord of Lust had yet to name a successor. The records in this library didn't clarify whether that was a neglect on Lust's side, or whether becoming a Planar Lord's Avatar had certain conditions that were hard to fulfil.

Normally, the Planar Lords saw to it that there was an Avatar who governed the plane in their stead while they themselves did... something. Whatever godlike beings did. Not even this library knew an answer to that.

“You can’t fight Khorne inside the castle,” Claire complained. “Assuming that you are already capable of fighting him, two Demon Lords unleashing all their powers would likely demolish our safe haven. Mother might have the home-field advantage, but there is no way that she could contain two demons of Khorne's power level. If she was that powerful, she would have already struck Khorne down without a second thought.”

Then I would have to fight Khorne outside the castle, simple as that. “I will think of a solution. Though, I invite you to share your wisdom, should you find a way to pacify Khorne in another way.”

Claire deflated slightly. “As I said, we have to find something that makes standing down worthwhile for him. Which is hard. A social climber like Khorne won't settle for just anything. Maybe you could offer him to create an armoury of soul weapons?”

I snorted. “It's a nice thought, but I doubt that someone like him will have problems with getting goods like soul weapons. Soul weapons are rare but hardly rare enough to warrant such a trade. In my time here, I was already attacked twice with soul weapons. What I would like to know is why it has to be Isabella.”

Claire waved her hand and rolled her eyes. “Oh, I am afraid that's a status thing. Ashley is The Succubus Matriarch in Lust, with a capital 'T'. If anyone's bloodline would be worthy of Lust's future Avatar, then it's hers. The other issue is that little Isa is the only one of us who is currently fertile. A succubus is only ready to bear offspring once every thousand years. If not Isabella, then I think Daphne would be the next in line, probably, but that's still a few centuries off until she is fertile again. I doubt that Khorne would be willing to wait that long. Given his timetable, Isa should have already popped out an egg yesterday if he wishes to groom a potential Avatar.”

“Groom?” I asked.

“Well, duh...” Claire replied flippantly but lowered herself to explain. “Khorne could hardly put an egg or a demonling on what's essentially Lust's throne. He would have to feed his offspring the right souls to guarantee a powerful evolution and train him. The Avatar's job is to reign over the plane in his or her Planar Lord's name.”

I let out a sigh. If Khorne truly had his sights on Isa for a purely social reason, then it would be hard to dissuade him. What could I trade with someone who already thought himself to be in a position that allowed him to take anything he wanted?

The pointy end of a stick was the only answer in my mind.

We kept exchanging ideas for a time, but just as I had anticipated, neither of us managed to come up with a solution. In absence of a better idea, we returned to our established modus operandi of Claire pointing out books with valuable knowledge that normally couldn't be gleaned from a mortal soul.

Our work came to an end when Isabella found us in the library, wearing a complicated expression on her face. “Hi.”

I looked up from my book and Claire stopped her perusal of what to show me next. “Isa, why the gloomy expression.”

“Ashley and Khorne returned from their...” Isa hesitated, searching for the right word. “Seclusion.”

“That means that our time is up?” Claire asked. “Damn. I had hoped that we could come up with something before Ashley went ahead with whatever her plans are.”

“Yeah,” Isabella replied with a sullen expression. “I fear that they have reached a consensus and that I will be forced to take actions I would rather avoid. They announced to everyone that there would be an official gathering tonight in the grand ballroom. Cecil and a few others were ordered to prepare a feast.”

“That definitely means that something is up,” Claire concluded.

I nodded and returned the book in my hands to its place on the shelves. “This means that I have to finish my preparations.”

“Which preparations?” Isabella asked hopefully.

I raised an eyebrow, uncertain whether I should divulge the secret in a public place. “Let's just say that I took care of a contingency plan of my own. A way to ensure that Khorne would have to listen to me.”

The two succubi were intrigued, but I refused to share any further details, fearing that the castle's administration might overhear this particular piece of knowledge. Unlike many other of our discussions, I feared that Ashley would react worse than bad if she heard about this idea.

Isabella had to leave us prematurely on her mother's orders when a succubus whose name I didn't know came to fetch her a few minutes later. It appeared that Isa had excused herself from Ashley's care without permission.

“Ashley told you not to run off. She wants you to be there,” the succubus who hadn't introduced herself chided. “At her side.”

“Fine!” Isabella replied somewhat petulantly and looked towards me, sending me a telepathic message that she trusted me.

Claire and I watched as the two left the library.

Once they were gone, Claire stopped her inspections of the books. “I will follow them. Just to make sure that nothing untoward happens to little Isa before the announcement.”

I nodded and watched her go, wondering whether Ashley and Khorne would be truly desperate enough to seal their deal with haste.

Afterward, I returned to Kasdeya's laboratory and spent the rest of the day there until it became time for everyone to gather in the castle's ballroom. I went to get my people, thinking that making an appearance as a closed group would be best. Together, we made our way to the grand ballroom.

Upon arrival, it became immediately clear that this would be more than a simple announcement. Ashley's daughters had prepared a true feast and decorated the room in a way that reminded me in a disgusting way of a mortal wedding.

They had hanged some glittering candelabra on the ceiling and covered the tables with frilly white sheets and further clutter that was likely supposed to look pretty.

Ashley and Khorne were seated on a smaller table with Isabella and Hellith at Ashley's right side. Khorne had two of his adjutants to his left. Further, three long rows of tables were intended for the crowd. All tables were oriented along the ballroom's walls, which left a large free space in the middle of the room. The configuration allowed everyone to face each other without anyone having to turn their back on someone else.

I led my people to the far end of the long table on the left, the one which was the closest to Isabella.

One of the spots which were needed for our group to stay together was already occupied by one of Khorne's men, but the problem solved himself when the demon in question found himself being stared down on by myself and all of my minions.

He vacated his position without resistance and we sat down.

The atmosphere in the ballroom was a silent and gloomy one, despite the supposed feast. Those who had already taken their seats seemed to feel that something was up.

I looked around, waiting for things to go ahead when Claire, Danielle, and Felicia entered the ballroom together with Kasdeya. They picked up chairs for themselves and made their way over to my group. Once they had instructed Shax and the others to make some space, they settled in around me.

The scene drew everyone's attention and caused Hellith to frown in a way that was very un-succubus-like. The jig was clearly up, but I guessed that it didn't matter at this point.

Isabella looked at me and raised her eyebrows as if she wanted to tell me something. She even wriggled them around strangely - which didn't tell me anything. We kept eye contact for a moment, and then I had to shrug helplessly, unable to guess what she wanted from me. I tried to establish a telepathic connection but found it to be blocked by some outside force.

Now that was a new development.

It took a few more minutes for the last stragglers to arrive, during which Isabella became more and more agitated. I couldn't secretly communicate with her, but our bond was strong enough for me to sense her feelings despite the outside interference.

Once all the guests were at their seats, two of Ashley's daughters closed the doors that led into the ballroom.

It looked like Ashley didn't want to waste any more time, because she used a fork to tap her glass with, making a clinking sound until she gained the attention of everyone in the room.

Then she stood up. “Everyone! I have to make an announcement. It was a hard road that we had to take, trying to avoid the pitfalls of a contract that should satisfy everyone, and then to deal with some outside disturbances. But finally! Today is the day that the Ashborn succubi and Khorne's Legion seal-”

“I think not!” Isabella interrupted loudly enough for everyone to hear. “I will not become some broodmare and give away one of the few offspring I will ever have!”

Khorne frowned angrily. “What's that supposed to mean? You should shut your trap when your betters are talking!”

Ashley shot an angry glare at her daughter. “Isabella Ashborn! Now is not the time-”

“Now is exactly the time!” Isabella screamed at her mother, causing the other succubi in the room to gasp in shock. To scream at Ashley was apparently a thing not to be done in this household.

Before Ashley could recover from the vocal blow that somehow managed to flabbergast even herself, Isabella stood up with enough force to topple over her chair. Then she climbed onto the table while she tore at her dress!

Ruined cloth went flying across the room, but most males didn't care about that. Their eyes, just as mine, were stuck on another price. A moment later, Isa was standing in the nude on top of the desk, presenting herself for all the world to see.

I blinked, wondering whether her belly had always looked that... pregnant? Seeing her stand straight and push it out like that, no other explanation came to mind.

I must have paled, because all around me, the members of my so-called harem giggled madly as if they were in on something.

“As you can see, the deed is done!” Isabella held her belly. “A beautiful, female demonling from someone far more worthy than Khorne!”

Khorne stood up with fury written all over his face. “That violates the contract!”

Ashley groaned in dismay and held her head.

“There is no contract to violate!” Isabella pointed out and materialized a scroll in her hand. “Amon and I already had one in place before you two could seal whatever deal it is you tried to make over my head! The Infernum enforces that which comes first!”

“You said that you don't have a written contract!” Now it was Ashley's time to get to her feet, looking furious.

I also got up. “What contract!? What demonling!?”

“Don't you remember our first time in the woods?” Isabella asked. “We made the contract there.”

There was something that time... a contract... one I never got to read. Now I remembered.

I vaulted over the table and ran in front of Ashley's and Khorne's table, not caring that this only added to the spectacle. “Show me that! You said it's just a normal contract for services rendered!”

Isabella coughed in embarrassment and lowered the paper. “It was that at the time. I didn't lie.”

I snatched the paper out of her hands to read.

“But there is a sub-clause that if you give yourself freely to me six times, this becomes a breeding contract!” Isabella explained, sounding proud of herself. “And a second addition states that once you give yourself freely sixty-six times, the agreement transforms to a mating contract!”

“A breedin- give freely?” I choked, searching for the clause. “What does that even mean!?”

“Having sex and cumming inside me!” the succubus replied unashamedly while she clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Something that you achieved even before you came to the castle and the two of us fell in love for real! If there was ever a male a succubus could be with, then it's you!”

“Nonono. Now, wait!” I held out one hand to stop her from going any further while I mentally tried to count how many times I had taken her within the castle's walls. “The breeding contract might be a done deed, but whatever this mating business is... and we did it only once in that forest! The first time doesn't count! That was certainly not freely! I was bound in vines!”

Every single time counted. Maybe I could finagle myself out of this.

“Vines?” Felicia cooed from her spot at the table. “You have to tell us about that one!”

A murmur went through the other listening succubi.

Not helpful!

I finally managed to recollect all the times that Isabella and I had done the deed since I came to the castle and sighed in relief. “I am absolutely certain that we did it no more than sixty-three times once I came here. So we aren't mated!” Whatever that implied!

“Are you surrre?” Isabella purred and jumped down from the table. In doing so, she changed shape. “Then what about that time at the inn in Irkos?”

I looked at the Isa-Kitia in front of me and the Kitia that still sat with my group. The demoness who had essentially been my second conquest looked incredulously at her double. Kitia looked down at herself as if to check whether Isabella got the details right.

“Or the romp we had in the park?” Isa-Kitia twirled around and was suddenly Isa-Jebril.

“Heeey!” The djinn stood up, sounding offended. “You used my form to seduce him? I thought he wasn't interested in me! I believed you!”

“Or the barmaid after your first job!” Isabella changed forms yet again, reminding me of the pushy demoness who I had taken in the ally just to scratch an itch.

I gasped. “All of that was you!? Have I ever done it with someone other than succubi?”

“Well, no.” Isabella played with her hair, looking slightly embarrassed. “I had to make sure to show you that no other could give you the satisfaction that I could provide.”

“What about...” I looked towards the other four succubi who were sitting with my minions.

Danielle waved.

Kasdeya rolled her eyes.

Felicia licked her lips with a mischievous smile. The temptress was enjoying this.

And Claire looked slightly insulted. “Oh, we are quite real, thank you very much. I taught Isa how to shapeshift, but creating copies of herself isn't quite in her repertoire yet.”

“Wait!” Towering above the rest of the group, aside from Shax, Philomena raised her hand. “Does that mean that I am the only one who Isabella didn't impersonate to rut with her love?” The large demoness glared at me, looking slightly hurt. “So the alpha-male has no love-interest in me!?”

Next to her, Uphir looked like he had just been dealt a lethal blow directly to his heart. Some things regarding his antagonistic attitude towards me were suddenly so much clearer!

And there it was again. That word! “Could you stop using the L-word!”

I shook my head, feeling like Philomena's and Uphir's issues were something the two of them had to figure out for themselves.

The left side of my face started to twitch involuntarily, hinting that I was about to suffer a stroke. “Fine, sixty-six! That still doesn't mean that I gave myself freely if I didn't even know it was you!”

Damn? Had I really done her that often already? Damn those orgies every night since I arrived in the castle!

I am afraid that we dipped ourselves a little too often into that particular honey-pot to deny responsibility.

'Not you too!' I shot back.

Isabella looked slightly hurt. “But the contract doesn't specify anywhere that you had to know... and I know that you liked it. You even asked me to impersonate others later on.”

I quickly checked the contract again, and indeed, it didn't!

“Give me that!” In a moment, Ashley was over the table and had ripped the contract out of my hands fast enough that it might have ripped.

She started to read, her eyes dancing furiously back and forth between the neatly scripted lines. “Breeding contract... transforms to... mating... Isabella Ashborn... and Amon Chaogenito... Chaogenito...”

Then she suddenly tore at the paper, doing her best to rip it up. Her muscles strained and the sinews on her perfect neck became visible beneath her reddish skin as she gave it her all.

The paper refused to yield and red runes appeared all over the contract as the Infernum itself reinforced the rules of the world.

Succubus Matriarch and unrecognised Demon Lord she might be - Ashley had to give up nonetheless. Almost mewling, she pronounced, “It's legit!”

“This is a farce!” Khorne called out. “If you violated the agreement already, then how could we make any contract!” He glared at Ashley.

For once, Ashley seemed out of her depth. “Well, the contract between us is worded in a way that technically doesn't violate this one, since it touches on a broader subject...”

Sensing that tensions were high, Isabella danced away from the two Demon Lords and hid behind me. I had half a mind to throw her to the demonlings after this stunt, but I couldn't do that. She was my Isabella! Not theirs.

Khorne's gaze settled on me. “What do you say, worm? You have quite the gall to exploit my extended hand to not only betray me with my intended, but to cuckold me on top of that! I should just have you and your minions executed where you stand!”

Weapons were drawn or summoned throughout the room.

“Ohwowo! Wait!” I raised a hand and summoned a wooden token into my hand. “I wouldn't do anything hasty! Or this entire castle goes to smithereens! If I drop this, what happened in Baaar will be just an afterthought.”

“Baaar?” Khorne looked between me and the token in my hand.

“Yeah!” I raised the token menacingly. “Haven't you heard about what happened to their Lode Stone? It was me, and I sabotaged this castle's Anima Stone the same way! So why don't we work this out calmly?”

“That was your great plan!?” Claire exclaimed from behind me. “Blowing all of us up!? If the castle is gone, the storm will rip us all to shreds!”

“Not all of us,” I clarified. “I could get away, and maybe you two Demon Lords, but Khorne would be sans his greatest legion commanders. I wonder how that would hamper your dreams of conquest!”

“I think not!” He drew his blade.

“Stop!” Ashley drew two daggers. “You won't be fighting in my house! Amon Chaogenito, Khorne Sraimuth, stand down now! Or my daughters will put an end to this!”

Khorne looked at Ashley, then allowed his eyes to take in the room. He had entered this castle with more men than Ashley had succubi. But now there stood at least one or even two succubi with daggers drawn next to each of his men. Only one thing was for certain. A battle right now would turn the castle into a slaughterhouse.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and narrowed his eyes. “Then I challenge you for everything you have! If I kill you, all of your possessions, including your contract with Isabella, it all becomes mine. May the Infernum be my witness!”

“Wait!” Ashley raised her hand to stop me, but I didn't care.

“Deal!” I affirmed before Khorne could go back on his word. “And if I win, the opposite is the case of course! You win what you kill and all that!”

'Other, we might need to work together for this!' I called out mentally.

There was a long sigh from deep within me.

What would we do without each other?

I felt the contract settle over us and pushed Isa aside, handing her the token. “Isabella will hold this for me since we are mated, or whatever.”

“Of course, dear.” Isabella took the token and held it against her chest.

No sooner had I let go of the artefact that I felt the knuckles of a fist on my cheek. Then I was weightless for a small moment before I crashed into a wall, having it crumble on top of me. It certainly felt like a few teeth had come loose.