I stood up and quietly left Ama sleeping, moving like a ghost I walked down the passages that led out to the terrace. Once I stepped out onto the terrace I slowly walked over to the balcony that ran along the edge. As I looked at the sky the glowing orb was fading from the milky white it became at night to the orange glow that was what the sunlight looked like here in Roundland. I looked all around me seeing the world begin to curve up and away. There were mountains in the distance with several large seas in between the different peaks.

It was beautiful and I hoped that one day it would be full of people, happy, content and at peace. It may have been a pipe dream but I thought it was better to have a dream than to have nothing. I noticed Sebastian emerging from the passageway, looking around he saw me standing at the railing and began to walk over. “Good morning Tor,” he said. Looking all around he grabbed the railing and was silent for a few minutes.

“It is amazing, a whole world basically empty of people. No demons, elves, dwarfs, humans, or half-bloods. Just a few sentient beings like Taiqana’s guest.” As Sebastian stopped talking I nodded in agreement, it was an empty world. I hoped that we could help change that, at least in some small way. I was looking forward to exploring this world and doing what I could before the Sleepy Hollow summer camp came to a close and they ejected me from the vrp.

As I thought about this world and the fact that I would be going back to the real world I was struck by the fact I felt a wave a sadness rise up within. Looking deep within myself I realized that I did not want to leave. Being here, I mattered, I had friends and lovers, people who cared for me. I realized that tears were on the verge of running down my cheeks and I was bending the metal railing as I squeezed it.

Sebastian’s face became concerned and he spoke: “Tor, are you alright, what is wrong?” I could hear the compassion in the little fellow's voice and it brought another wave of sadness welling up within me. “My friend,” I began, “I am just thinking about the future and the fact that in less than a year I will be forced to leave to return to my home realm.”

Sebastian looked at me and then smiled and grasped my arm. “Worry not Tor, much can happen in a year, besides I have a feeling that you will be around for a long time, heck even if you leave you will be back. Call it demonic intuition but I believe that.” I looked over at Sebastian and nodded giving him a smile. I was feeling better with those few words.

“I need some info Sebastian and I hope that you can help me with it? I need to find some perfect Dark-Iron with no faults shaped in a perfect sphere. I will need about a dozen with an circumference of about 25 centimeters around. Is there any region in Hell where I could find what I am looking for? The other thing is I do not have any way to pay for them.”

Looking at me with a smile Sebastian nodded and then laughed. “There is one place I can think of that would have what you want however the spheres are attached to the top of pillars . I was only there once but I remember it well, it is a garden and along the pathways there are these pillars with the spheres on top. It looked very nice back when I saw it, reminded me of Jardins du château de Versailles in France around the time of Louis XIV. A very posh work, however, I do not think you will be able to get what you want.”

“Let me guess, it is the local rulers private garden and I won’t have a hope in Hell of having it handed to me. Is there any chance of sneaking in and out with what I need?” I asked without much hope in my voice. It is three steps forward and two back, somewhat frustrating but could not be helped. No one said that this would be easy, but it would get done. Sebastian looked at me and nodded, “Yes as a matter of fact it is the local Prince’s garden and no, he will not give you what you want. He will probably enslave you if you were to ask him. What you should do is talk to Ama, she knows him and might be able to give you some insight.”

“Knows him?” I asked somewhat surprised. How is it that she would know a ruling Prince of Hell?” I asked. Sebastian began to turn a shade of red I had never seen before and looking away he muttered something about previous relationships and then he was walking away. Not sure what that was about but if Ama knows this Prince perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement, here's to hoping anyway I thought.

Ama looked up at me with surprise on her face and then looked down. We had gathered for breakfast and I had taken the opportunity to ask Ama about this Prince. Conversation died down at the table as the others began to look at us curiously, as they could clearly see something was bothering Ama. I just shrugged and began to eat, breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all. I knew when Ama had decided to talk she would share with me until then it was time to eat.

After a few minutes, Ama looked at me and gave me a wry smile. “I do know the Prince, we had been in a relationship for a while. After some time I realized that he was not interested in me as a person but rather as a part of his collection. He collects things, people, art, anything that catches his eye and is unique in some way. I qualified I suppose with the added bonus that he would have sex with me, a trained succubae. When I realized what our relationship was really about I tried to leave him.”

“What happened?” I asked softly. “He did not let me go, I went from consort to forced subservient concubine. I was too valuable to him, and was a part of his personal collection.” As Ama talked I watched her face change from calm to anger mixed with fear. “And then what occurred?” I asked.

A dragon showed up one day while I was walking through the garden, he made me an offer I could not refuse, working with my sisters in a place that Raphael could not come to. I took me all of ten seconds to make my choice and then I was at the Trial of Temptations keep. My sisters arrived shortly after I did and that is all I can tell you, except that Prince Raphael presents himself as somewhat weak and foolish. He is not, in fact, he is one of the stronger Demon Princes and is without remorse. His only weakness is his collections.”

Thanking Ama I asked if anyone had any further information that might be helpful. Sebastian mentioned that he knew Raphael’s comptroller, someone he had been close to. Apparently he was being used as little more than a controller as Raphael preferred to do much of the work himself. It was all very interesting and might come in handy later, but for now, I needed to know the best way to get into the garden and get those spheres.

After several minutes of discussion, Ama spoke and said “Once we arrive and he sees that I am there, he will attempt to take me away from you, Tor. That will be the opening we need, we are bound together, and the only way he can take me from you is to defeat you in a duel to the death. Once you defeat him you will take his title, in Hell you keep what you kill by announcing it publicly. All you must say is I take the title of Prince of Hell and all are below me, and then it is done.”

“It sounds good but this guy is a Prince of Hell, and is fast, smart and tricky, what makes you think I can defeat him?” The question sounded reasonable and I thought it deserved an answer. I know I am several times stronger than a normal human, and I do have some abilities but without a doubt so would this Prince. I was not scared but I did not want to die Ingame and idea of losing to this Demon prince sounded like a real possibility.

“You will not lose.” Raik sounded confident as he spoke. “I have the utmost confidence in your abilities, and besides no Demon can defeat a dragon. It has never happened and I don’t think it will happen here. But this is all besides the point, what the real issue here is why do you need those Dark-Iron balls and what well you do with them?” I stared at Raik and the others, all looking at me,willing and ready to follow me to a place where they might not return from. They deserved to know.

“I Intend to hollow out the spheres and then making use of one of my rather OP spells trans-locate the Gods one by one into the spheres. Since they are Dark-Iron and will be perfect, without any faults in the structure the Gods will be trapped within due to the nature of Dark-Iron.” As I finished my explanation there was silence for a moment and then Gluzzie spoke up. “That would work, they would be in those spheres forever until the sphere breaks or they are let out. Ha, I guess you could say you would have the Gods by the balls.”

We all started to laugh for a minute and then I spoke up, “Ama, is our link strong enough that if you focus on the palace I can see enough to portal us there.” Looking over Ama graced me with a smile and said, “It should work, our connection is strong.” She began to concentrate and I opened myself to her thoughts , feelings, and emotions that all were a part of her memories.

I felt the place, first and then I saw it, it really did look like one of those old french kings palaces.

I gathered the group together and we all huddled up with arms around each other like a football team about to go into action. I hit the cast button on my interface for the T-loci spell and suddenly what looked like a golden mist arose from the ground. It began to cover us from the feet to the tops of our heads, taking less than a second to do so and then suddenly we were elsewhere.

I glanced around as we all shifted to give ourselves some space. In the distance was a huge palace with gardens that stretched for kilometers around its circumference. Ama took me by the hand and whispered, “welcome to Hell.”