Gluzzie, Raik and I were sitting outside on the steps of the keep. Having a smoke and chatting. The guys wanted to know what had been happening for the last few thousand years. I could only give them a brief outline of the city and kingdom and how people were supposed to follow the Gods and go beat the crap out of other kingdoms.

Gluzzie laughed at this and then asked, “What about the Dragons, they still in charge of everything? They were the real brains, they sort of ran everything under Gaiatoci. The Gods were just the visible ones, nothing happened without the Dragon’s approval.

I thought about this interesting fact, it sort of made sense to me, but it gave me a funny feeling. I told how the Gods had moved all the races to the Topland and how they were then abandoned there. How the eldest Dragon went up in the form of a man and began to help. I explained how the Gods had seen this and came back, and set themselves up as the celestial rulers.

Gluzzie looked at me and nodded then spit to the side. “Don’t know what game the Dragons are playing my friend, but believe me when I say, they are still running things. Tomorrow comes quick lads, I will have breakfast waiting and then off we go.” Raik and I nodded, I was tired.

“If you go up the stairs and turn to the right there are six rooms, do not enter the first three that is where the girls sleep. I have the next room, and the last two are open. The girls keep everything clean and ship shape boys, but one warning, lock you doors. They are curious as a cat.”

“What girls,” I asked. Gluzzie just looked at me and smiled. “The succubae girls, they are stationed at the next level. They come up at night and have something to eat from my kitchen and then off to bed. Not easy being sexy all day you know, takes it out of a gal.”

I nodded my head it was all somewhat surreal in a strange way. Succubae, I knew that that they are the temptations of lust, but did not really know much more about them. Later that night in my sleep I dreamt of a pretty brown haired girl. She just opened the door and walked into the room. Standing beside the bed I felt her hand brush my hair back, then I heard her say something, it sounded like Latin. The only word I could clearly make out was fornicatio, and then I was in a dreamless state.

As I was telling this to the guys at breakfast, Raik laughed and said “Any bruises, I have heard that the Succubae don’t just show up and walk away. Seriously if one of them went in to see you I wonder why. It has been a long time since they have seen a man, and honestly you look human but have a Dragon's eyes. Thinking about it, chicks, you know they love mysteries, and tall dark handsome guys like you, well I am not surprised one came to eyeball you.”

Hearing the exchange Gluzzie came over and nodded, then spoke, I have been meaning to ask you why your eyes are little balls of fire. With your looks and those flaming eyes you could pass for one us in human form. So what is the story, I know you are not demon, but there is something, you smell human, but I can smell the fire in your blood. You do not smell like a dragon, but it is clear you are not human.”

I was not sure how to express myself; I did not want to tell them that I was playing a game. I had no intention of mentioning my Google glasses. Talking about the unknown God would not earn me understanding. In short I did not know what to say. “Boys,” I began I am not sure how to tell you my story; it is almost like I cannot put into words all that has happened to me.

I came to this land to seek adventure, and I have found that and more. If we can get out of here and back to the Topland I will try my best to let you know. All I can tell you is I have Dragon blood but I am not a half-breed.

Looking at me both demons nodded and Raik spoke, “You might be under a compulsion to not tell what you know, pretty common at one time, both Gods and Dragons would force them upon people. I nodded the explanation Raik had given would suffice. I had a few questions of my own, I wanted answered.

As I began to eat, I looked at demons, the smiling dwarf and the grinning imp. “Where the hell do you guys come from?” I asked. Then I began the serious task of shoving in the food. Gluzzie spoke first, and looking pointing down said, “Hell is down, deep down. If you go to the place of the dark ironstone, there inside the caverns and tunnels lies hell, the home of the demons.”

I thought for a minute, on the surface hell is usually thought of being downwards, and here in this bottom world it was the same. It was apparent that hell was the centre of gravity on this world, and the place that demons came from. I could not do the math in my head but if a layer of this dark ironstone stretched all around the earth, and was a couple of hundred kilos thick it could house a lot of demons. I also recalled how very few things could pass this barrier, if the demons were inside it they would have a hell of a time to get out, no pun intended.

Clearly some demons could get through and the Gods, Dragons and Elementals did not seem to have a problem. Taking a moment to swallow some hot kavaa, I asked about that, and then began to eat again. Raik looked on with amazement as I finished my third plate and grabbed more. Gluzzie just smiled.

“Well,” Raik began, “Hell is an interesting place and it is full of interesting people.” It is huge and never seems to end, I really do not know if it has ever been fully explored. I know that there are huge tracts of emptiness, we have rumors, that lot of humans will be joining us one day.” Both Raik and Gluzzie laughed at this, and I was reminded that these two ancient beings as friendly as they seemed, were demons.

“How do people get through or get past, this dark ironstone? Is there secret tunnels, or passageways, there must be some way.” My mind at this point was entranced with what looked like a round bit of donut. It wonders in the presence of food but this seemed different I was thinking. It reminded me of a marble. It tasted delicious and I reached for more as Raik began to speak again.

“None of us lesser demons really know how they do it. The higher beings seem to be able to come and go yet the characteristics of the dark ironstone are absolute, once you are surrounded by it you cannot escape. It has magical properties that have never really been explained, but the one thing we do know is that if it surrounds you, you are not going to escape.”

I finished off the little round donuts and stood up, “Well gentle demons, are we ready to do this dungeon?” Seeing the two nod their heads I asked Gluzzie to lead the way and we began to descend the stairs. The lower we got the more the light faded until it was black, after a few more steps in the darkness that I assumed the demons could see into as well as I we began to perceive a faint light beginning to glow on the roof and walls.

There was also a scent in the air, it smelled of lilacs after a fresh storm. Once we arrived at the bottom of the stairs we were confronted with a double door, looking at it, I stepped forward and pushed both doors open.