Pardominion

Amy

“Quantum! Activate!”

The room was quiet, the anticipation thick in the air. She pointed a finger at the aged silver bracelet, willing it to stir. All of the demons were frozen, waiting for her brilliance to shine.

“Activate Quantum!” she cried again, crossing her arms and making a pose, her large gauntlets clacking together.

“Quantum, on!” she made another pose, palming both her head and the device, willing a mental uplink.

She grasped the bracelet between two fingers, inspecting it.

“On!”

Another pose.

“On!”

She shook the bracelet, dancing on a single foot nub.

“Quantum!”

She clapped it together between two large palms. She opened them a crack, peeking inside. The Angel let out a disappointed whine; a child whose toy didn’t work. She tossed it on the nearby round table, sighing in defeat.

“It’s hopeless; I’ll never get it to work!”

She sat for a moment, eyeing the vexing jewelry.

"Unless…"

She had been like this for hours. All of the present demons stood stock still, waiting for her breakthrough. Or boredom. She wagged her fingers back and forth, her voice carrying a tune.

“Doo-doo-doo!”

“Act-ti-vate!”

“Doo-doo-doo!

“Act-ti-vate!”

Her song failed to produce any results. Neither did the dancing. Or begging.

“Please- please- please! Bracelet please turn on!”

She quickly made her way to the bargaining stage.

“If you activate, I’ll be your best friend!”

Her face drooped at the silence. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with Amy the Angel?

Not this bracelet. Next came threats.

"You dumb bracelet, do you know who I am?"

She huffed and began her speech.

"I'm Amy, Angel of familiars!"

The round table trembled. Or Amy was shaking it for dramatic effect; it was difficult to say.

"I am the Lesser Key of Solomon!"

She made a pose, flexing her four-foot crow wings.

"Angel of Astronomy!"

She stood on her chair, boosting her meager height.

"I am the Inciter! Beeewaaare!"

Her warning echoed in the room, the inanimate object failed to feel fear; or anything for that matter.

"Angel of the Goetic Demon!"

She cleared her throat, pressing on.

"Angel of Treasure Seeking, and…."

She coughed into her sleeve, muffling the rest.

"Angel of the Liberal Arts…"

The room went silent. She darted her eyes left to right.

"It was just a one-time thing you know- hear my name and tremble, for I am Amy, Angel of Magic!"

The bracelet held firm, nonplussed by her 'threat'.

She sat down, slumping her head on the table, letting out a frustrated whine.

“It really is hopeless! Waaah!”

A demonic lizard paw patted her on the back, attempting to comfort.

“Uh. Yes. There there, Amy- Master. It will be all good. Yes?”

Her head slowly rose, staring needles at Gup, the Thief. He had finally gained a title. His fleshy scale-covered eyes snapped to and fro like cameras, surveying the room. He was always searching for a way out. The lizard demon grasped his prized sack, unable to part with it. Literally. It had become part of who he was: a grimy, grubby, braindead little thief. Amy mourned the loss of her abstraction dragonskin bag. Rare, valuable, bottomless. The hide itself was beyond value; the flesh was donated by an elder dragon, too! He gained many head bonks that day. Gup sported a red fez for today's occasion.

“Amy of the Goetic Demon, the bracelet does look nice. Perhaps it needs a passphrase.”

The slender, horned demon sat across from Amy, arms folded as it peered down at the ancient jewelry. It wore a now ruined bowler impaled upon his horn and sported a monocle over its visor eye.

“You’re right! You’re the second smartest one here!”

The Angel perked up, sitting straight as she proudly steepled her hands.

“Skreeee!”

Amy glanced at the tangled rat king demon, its many eyes staring at her. Each rat had become a limb, its full body was sitting casually at the table, with one lucky volunteer playing the head. It wore a tiny top hat, king of the tangled pile; for now.

“Henry, it was a gift from Barthin, I don’t want to break it!”

“Skree…”

The rat king squeaked with a huff, crossing its arms; or the rats crossed themselves, it was difficult to say.

Another demon sat at the table. A basic imp brawler she summoned just for the party. It wore a lady's bonnet, which went together about as well as fine dining and tar. Its black rubbery skin was taught, the proportions were off, with his thick oak arms touching the floor. It sported wide shoulders and no sign of a soul. Its large bug eyes stared intently at Amy, sporting a large flat-tooth mouth kept in a perpetual sickening grin. The black pencil nose served no other purpose apart from completing the face.

Amy sighed, gathering her teacup as she gently rang it with a spoon. She reached down at her side and donned her large floppy sun hat. It was red, which was the best color. She took on a faux posh accent.

"Everyone, everyone! Thank you all for gathering today for- hem- today's tea party! Chip-chip!"

There was some light clapping, which Gup followed along with gusto. A kettle began to shriek, announcing the official start of the party.

"Orderly! Fetch us tea!"

She stared at Gup, who met it all too vacantly. He continued to gawk, her subtle hints unable to penetrate his smooth brain. She slammed a large gauntleted fist down, impacting both fez and skull alike. The demon crumpled to the floor, chair upended and clattering behind.

“I’m talking to you, Gup! Don’t be a big idiot!”

Gup recovered as he rubbed his sore head.

“Ouchies… Uh. Yes. Get tea!”

He scurried off, crumpled fez donned and sack equipped as he made his way to the screaming kettle. He then opened up his sack and promptly threw the kettle inside, letting out a long whine at his burnt fingers.

Amy stiffened, eyes wide at the act of sheer stupidity.

The demon walked upright, strutting proudly to the group; tail wagging the whole way. He gathered his chair with the pink flower designs and sat near Amy, eyeing her with a vacant lizard gaze. Her stare narrowed to slits as she slowly raised the fist of her gauntleted hand.

Gup never saw it coming.

The bonk sent him sprawling to the floor, his crumpled fez tumbling off into the nearby pillow village.

“You. Big. Idiot! You’ve ruined the tea!”

Gup whined as he rubbed his battered skull.

“Uh. It's right here?”

He placed the opened sack on the floor, reaching in with both hands and pulling out the soaking scalding kettle. He shrieked as he gripped it, unmoving.

“Oh- why are you doing that!? Just fill the teapot!”

He howled as he began to hurriedly pour the half-spilled kettle into the ornate teapot populating the center, dancing on his legs. Gup then tossed it away, the kettle bounced along the floor, crashing into the wall of a pillow fort. It swayed and the large two-story plush fort fell, unable to stand against the attack. Ms. Bernadette's house was no more. Mayor Fluffy Rumpus would be furious.

Amy vacantly stared at Gup, unable to comprehend how he even survived. If he were to fight a room full of newborns, she’d bet it all on the babies. An inanimate kettle had already defeated him, based on the peeling scales of his scalded fingers.

“What am I going to do with you?” she muttered.

She looked back, seeing the damaged pillow village. It had taken them ages to steal the cushions to make it. She would fix it later and give Gup another good bonk for his trouble. Right now, the tea party.

She gingerly grabbed the pot and began pouring, filling all of her guest’s cups. She resettled the teapot in the center and reached into her robes for a flask. She poured the amber liquid into her own cup. She hated the taste of tea. Apple juice was more of her thing.

“Now that we all have our tea,” she eyed Gup with unmasked anger, "we can begin our murder mystery!"

All of the other demons sipped at their hot tea, except the brawler, who only gazed creepily.

I wish I had a fourth. Brawlers are even less useful than Gup!

If Amy ordered it to drink tea, it would most likely smash the table.

“How is your tea, Mr. Henry Turniprat?” she asked, putting on her faux accent.

“Skreee!”

“Marvelous! Marvelous, it is a good selection, indeed!”

She turned to address the taller demon.

“And Mr. Sir Revent Fleetlebeet, how are the strumpets?”

The assassin demon pulled its monocle aside and opened his fleshly face visor, slipping the baked treat within.

“Simply wonderful, my dear Madam Amy Amazingous! Why it reminds me of my time fighting in the war! Quite right- quite right!”

“Yes, you showed those vagabonds what for, indeed!”

She turned to address the hatless Gup, who had already drunk his tea in a single go and was content picking at his nose. Amy’s face went deadpan as she broke character.

“Mr. Gup Stinkingthief, get your hat, you’re ruining things!”

Gup blinked back at her before scurrying into the damaged pillow village, gathering up a hat before returning to the table. What he wore was actually the kettle, the fez having vanished somewhere among the pillowous ruins. He sat with a vacant smile affixed.

Amy blinked twice and turned to the Brawler.

“Ms. Bernadette, how lovely to meet you here!”

The brawler let out a death rattle gasp in response.

“Terrific!”

She turned her attention to the table, the demons going still in anticipation.

“I’ve brought you all here because there has been a dreaded murder!”

Everyone gasped. Gup hiccuped.

Amy broke character, narrating the story.

“And they all met at their tea party, unaware a murderer was in their midst!”

The demons glanced at each other suspiciously. Gup hiccuped.

She held out her palm and glowing blue light filled the room, revealing a deck of cards.

She shuffled them, despite her massive hands and delt one to each demon.

"Look, but don't show! Not even a peek, no sir!" Amy ordered.

All of the demons glance at their cards and turned them face down. Amy looked to Gup, seeing that his card was face up and telling everyone he was an ‘innocent’. He gave her a toothy smile, all too pleased with himself. With a twisted angry face she pinched the card between two fingers and slowly flipped it over. She checked her own card, finding that she too was innocent.

She snapped her attention back to the table, all of the demons awaited the next step.

“And then, during the peaceful tea party, the murderer struck!”

She glanced at the demons, waiting for their responses. She drooped, going deadpan.

“You all close your eyes now.”

They obeyed. All of Henry’s rats covered their eyes as Amy continued.

“The room went dark! And then there was a loud bang!”

She pointed a finger pistol at the Bernadette the brawler. A loud clap rang out and the brawler made a death rattle gasp as it slowly fell on its back, pushed by the force of her magic attack.

“The lights come on and everyone finds-”

She sat, waiting for the demons to uncover their eyes.

“You can look now.”

The demons gasped as they witnessed poor Bernadette’s ‘corpse’. Gup hiccuped. Amy elbowed him. The brawler simply lied there, awaiting its next orders.

“Bernadette has been murdered!”

The room went silent as all the demons glanced to the survivors.

“Now. Who done it? Begin!”

“I am murderer!” Gup declared.

A bonk from Amy silenced him. He whined as he rubbed his assaulted skull, the teapot having been dented from the blow.

“No, you aren’t, so be quiet you big idiot!”

She turned to the rest of the table, her eyes narrowed squints as she sized-up each demon.

She snapped to the rat king, pointing an accusatory finger at it.

“Mr. Henry Turniprat, where were you the night of the murder!”

“Skreeee…” the rats shrugged.

Amy paused, her face twisting at the answer. She nodded, sitting back down.

“Oh wow, that does make sense."

She narrowed her eyes at Revent, pointing a digit at him.

"I accuse Mr. Sir Revent Fleetbeet! All in favor?"

Henry raised fifteen hands. Gup continued to rub at his bruised skull, abstaining. Revent folded his arms. The vote was a unanimous sixteen for yes.

The assassin demon flipped his card, revealing he was, in fact, the murderer.

"And now Mr. Sir Revent, you die! Bang!"

Amy made a finger pistol, 'shooting' Revent.

He stood up, placing his chair on its back. He sluggishly gripped his chest with a grunt and then slowly sprawled himself on the floor.

"I am dead," he declared.

"Hooray, the murder has been solved! I'm the best! Keheheheh!"

Amy did a little jig, proud of her success. Her time of gloating was cut off.

A knock at her reinforced door halted her.

"Wah! Hurry, hide in your places!" Amy squeaked.

The assassin demon lept to his feet, rushing to his pillow fort. He slipped inside, sitting with his knees to his chest as he pulled a large couch pillow 'door' closed against the entrance, horn peeking out. Henry scrambled to the kitchen pantry, preferring the comfort of the larder closet. Gup rushed to the center of the village striking a pose as the central statue. The bonneted brawler lay still, gazing vacantly up at the ceiling.

Amy brushed herself off, tossed her sun hat away before gathering her composure as she opened the vaulted door. Her eyes went wide at seeing Barthin on the other side. His sole glowing eye stared back as he dipped with a slight bow.

"Barthy! Come in, come in!"

She jumped, gripping the larger Angel's hand as she led him inside, closing the door and spinning the wheel lock. She pulled him over to the bed, sitting atop it as he stood.

"It's been too long. I hope you're doing amazing!"

She felt her soul flutter in his presence. She liked him. And she was sure he liked her.

Barthin palmed his temple, shaking his head.

Amy's spirit dropped. Something was wrong.

"W-what happened? Barthy- are you OK?"

He waved his flat hand side to side, "So-so."

"Why?"

He gestured with two fingers, walking them in the air, "Going."

"What- going? Where?"

He pointed off into the distance, “Far. Far away.”

She gripped her hands together. Barthin was leaving. He couldn't. Not now after they began to know one another since Gehenna.

“When will you get back?”

He made a gesture, slowly forming a circle with his finger, “Long time.”

She felt her spirit falter, her being halt.

“Barthy… You can’t go…”

“Must.”

“No- I won’t let you!”

She hopped off the bed, stumbling on her robes as she gripped the Angel’s shin.

“Please- you’re my best friend here! You and Lucy! Please!”

“MUST.”

A firm but gentle pair of hands gripped her shoulders, prying her grip free. He lifted her up into an embrace. She gripped him hard in the hopes he wouldn’t escape. Barthin let go, tearing her away from him, placing her on the bed. She sniffed back the flowing tears.

“Why do you have to go? We can stay here and be free. We don’t have to be in prison anymore! We don’t need to fight...”

He gripped her hands, kneeling down at her level. She caught his eye, staring deep. She felt her spirit flutter. She liked him. A lot.

"I was stuck in Gehenna so long… I went mad. I lost so much of myself there… If you Ieft and never returned-"

He made a gesture, "All. Suffered."

"I don't think I can live without you…"

"You will.

Her mute friend made a gesture that she knew all too well.

"Lucifer."

"I know. I know she is my all and all. I just don't get along with many of the others…"

"Time. Heal."

"I know. Once Lucifer reveals her glory to the universe, then we can all be at peace."

"Must. Go."

He turned to leave, but she halted him, rushing to the abandoned tea party for one item. She grabbed a card marked Innocent, handing it to him.

"Something to remember me."

He slipped it in between his breastplate, nodding as he absconded through the vaulted door.

Amy sat on her bed, tears running down her cowled face. Her friend had left. She was alone.

"Amy."

Except not entirely. She perked up at the voice. The voice of her god.

"Lucy?"

"Come to the throne room."

Lucifer called on her. She called to her.

Her wings sprouted, carrying her to the vault door.

"I'll be back- make sure no big idiots enter!"

She spun the wheel and pulled with a grunt, pushing her way through the slowly opening door.

Once outside, she pulled with all her might, the entranced ground shut with a clap.

She took in the massive foyer, the central marble columns flecked with raw gold, splitting the hall down the middle. Crimson carpets pathed both sides, glistening with moisture. Sanguine tapestry. A defensive measure and body horror decoration. She didn't like how they were made. She checked for sneaks, snoops, and ne'er-do-wells. The halls were empty. Silent. She breathed a sigh of relief. Gentle laughter rang out behind her skin to the tearing of cloth. His voice was smooth as oil, cutting as a saw, and toxic as poison.

"Ss-ss-ss! Lonely, lonely. Lonely little angel."

She turned, her spirit freezing in front of her tormentor.

Abezethibou of the Red Wing.

His silver razor-toothed smile glinted in the low light. The jade bone obscured most of his face, his wild black hair a sure sign of the madness within. He stepped forward from the shadow, revealing is jade kimono, single right arm covered in dozens of fingers, and a golden halo where his left should have been. The memories of him dragging her back to his quarters ran fresh as blood, a wound that had yet to heal. Fear and trembling overtook her as she stumbled over her robes on her back.

"Abezethibou. P-please, I need to see Lucifer."

He cocked his head, the jade bone catching the light.

"Need, need! Need? Ss-ss-ss! Who would want to see you, Amy, Angel of the Liberal Arts? Hm?"

His words bit like his razor teeth.

"But all is well- I have no time to play. We are traveling, you see? Barthin is coming too, Lucifer chose him herself. I believe it was because he had an eye for you. Ss-ss-ss!"

His ripping laughter strained her soul.

"Goodbye, little Amy. I'll be sure to sate myself upon you, next we meet."

He stalked back into the shadow, vanishing from sight. Amy scrambled to her feet, flapping madly off to the throne room, tears stinging her eyes.

She couldn't think, the only keeping her going now was her meeting with Lucifer. She blubbered and stammered, Abezethibou's biting tongue having cut deep.

First Azazel, then Abezethibou. All using me… Lucy! Barthin!

The made a hard right, reaching the cross of the temple. She flew past the nave and into the holy of holies. There she sat atop her golden crystal throne set dozens of feet high, her countenance was calm, serene.

Recently sated.

Amy skidded to a stop, tripping over her long robes.

"Oh, dear!"

She recovered to a low bow, touching the floor as she knelt.

"God of gods, Lucifer lord of all, I am here! I am Amy, Angel-"

Lucifer interrupted gently. "Please be silent, my dear."

Amy stammered over herself, going quiet. Lucifer rose from her throne, graceful, sultry, and dominant. The queen god of all. She donned a new mask, one of royalty. She reached the bottom, striding to Amy. She wore a white gown, fit for a goddess.

She gulped at seeing Lucifer's transcendent beauty. Her hip sway, her well-filled bust, her sculpted face, and those eyes. She felt a tremble of want.

Lucifer knelt down, gently grasping Amy by her jaw, raising her to her feet nubs.

"Amy, my sweet Amy. I have need of you."

Her soul fluttered at Lucifer's words.

Me? Need me? Well of course! I'm the best!

"Mhm!" she nodded hurriedly.

"Your talents lie wasted here. Your abilities make you the prime choice for the quest I set before you."

She stood and turned, revealing the bare flesh of her back. Her hip cocked, her glutes trembled. Amy gulped.

Oh my, Lucy! Her bottom! That's not fair!

Golden light flashed from Lucifer's outstretched hand, revealing a planet.

"I have foreseen it. There are several Thrones upon this world. My Thrones. Defiled by demons. Used by one who sees himself as a god. An imposter. Imitator. He rules many planets in a dozen systems. Find the Thrones. Use any means. Any amount of force. And if you can, behead the god, dominate him and collect him as your pawn. I want my Thrones; I want that planet ripped to ash."

She turned, her eyes shone with desire. Bloodthirst. Destruction. A rage to crack the planet.

"Now go. Head to Thal. Bring me my Thrones."

Lucifer's command was final. Amy trembled, her gauntlets clanked.

"B-but Lucifer, my lord, where is Barthin going? Why was he sent?"

Lucifer donned a new mask. One of a jealous friend.

"Barthin was beginning to have eyes for you; to love you. I couldn't have that, so I sent him away to Tetanyia-five with Azazel. This was good, don't you think so, Amy, my sweet? I want you all to myself," she turned and knelt, gently grasping Amy's head.

"Please return from Thal. I'll be waiting."

She pulled her in close and kissed her cheek. Amy's soul lept. She trembled, her breath shallow with desire. This never happened before. This was her first kiss with Lucifer. The Archerubim god pulled back, staring deeply into her eyes.

"I love you, Amy."

Why did I like Barthin, again?