We all looked at each other, incredulously, before turning back to the devil. Trying not to sound sarcastic, I said, “With all due respect, your kind have a rather well-renowned and well-earned reputation for making deals that are inherently unfortunate to the other side. So, you understand when we say we would like to know all the particulars, first, before agreeing to anything, yes?”

“Oh, drat, you found me out!” the Erinyes laughed. “Well, you passed the test, at least. If you’d been stupid enough to take a deal without discussing terms, then I would have happily claimed all your souls. Already wicked souls aren’t as valuable as gentle-hearted ones twisted to darkness, of course, but with you being a Twice-Born, it would have almost made up for it.”

Xisiana focused her grin on me. “Anyways, this still will be a lot of fun. So, what do you want to know?”

“Well, let’s start with the situation in the city. You must have better information than we do, especially since time doesn’t run at the same pace throughout the realm.”

“Ah, yes. One of Torm’s little tricks for maintaining order and control. I’m sure you’ve wondered why time runs as it does here, yes? Well, Torm has made time part of his realm’s defenses, just like the invisible barriers that prevent you from simply flying over barriers, and the restriction on teleportation magic, where one needs to use pre-made teleportation circles to manage it, anywhere in the realm.”

Ebonheart nodded. “Ah, if enemies invade, then they have to spend time traveling the distance from the portal to the capitol, and, by the time they get there, Torm will have had days, or weeks, to prepare his defenses.”

“Ooh, not just a pretty mane, are you?” Xisiana grinned. “But yes, that’s the size of it. And portals that were started on other planes can only connect to the furthest reaches of the plane, unless Torm allows it. So, they can’t teleport, unless they find a circle, and they are forced to cross between zones at certain points, where an invading enemy is funneled into a small space, unable to bring the full weight of their numbers to bear. This plane is a fortress in all but name. And, until the recent portal opened, the only place where time ran at the same pace as the Prime Material Plane was inside Torm’s palace, itself.”

“So, Torm allowed the Thedran portal to open,” I nodded. “And you said you were responsible for the smuggler’s portal. Opened it from this side, then?” When the devil nodded, I continued, “And, because you’ve been infiltrating this realm for so long, probably by coming through one of the natural rifts at the edge of the plane, you can get us into the city and to the portal undetected?”

“Mmm, it really is so nice to be working with beings that actually have a brain between their ears, rather than just religious dogma! Such souls are easily twisted, of course, but they do make for poor conversation. Yes, my dear, I can get you into the city, and to the portal. But that isn’t the hard part. The hard part will be bringing down the portal.”

“It never is as simple as just going in and pressing a big red button,” I sighed.

Xisiana raised one eyebrow. “Big red button? I assume that is some Twice-Born reference, then? At any rate, yes, the portal is being held open by four pillars with arcane devices upon them, but they are protected by a shield that is connected to an altar blessed by Torm himself. To close the portal, you must desecrate the altar in some way. This will drop the shield, and allow you to attack the pillars.”

“Hmm. Putting aside the question of how to desecrate an altar to Torm in his own city without him immediately coming to our side to smite us, what about these pillars? What are they made of? And is it necessary to destroy them, or will damaging the artifices be enough?”

“The pillars are ten feet tall and made of stone, and each is a foot in width. Even with your magic, destroying them would take time. No, your target will be the devices atop each pillar. Specifically, the glass orbs at the very top. They are made of glass, and measure six inches across. That is where the energies of the array are focused, and, thus, they are the key to bringing down the portal. However, even when the shield is down, the orbs are warded against physical weapons, so you’ll need to use magic or something other than a normal weapon to destroy them.”

She paused, and then said, “The orbs must be destroyed within seconds of each other, or the energy will shift to the remaining orbs, and destabilize. The resulting explosion would likely rip apart both this city, and the Thedran capitol. More importantly, it will be enough to kill anyone in the area, including you. So, try not to tarry in their destruction.”

I frowned at that. “That sounds like a terribly foolish setup. Was this more of your doing? I’d have thought even the servants of Torm would have better sense than putting something so dangerous in the heart of their city.”

“Sadly, yes. They repurposed the pillars that I had arranged to be built, long ago, as a backup, in case I was exposed. Originally, the pillars were designed to channel Torm’s power into them, a trickle, too little to notice. I would be able to use that power as my own, boosting my defenses and power long enough to force a teleport to one of the rifts that would take me into the lower planes without being killed, even if I was face-to-face with the god himself.

“Unfortunately, when Torm decided to move forward with ‘his’ plan to invade the Material Plane, one of his people noted that the pillars would be an ideal focal point for the portal, since they were centrally located in the city. The alterations made to the pillars broke my connection to them. Once the portal was open, the altar was created to shield the pillars, since it was too late to stop the orbs from collecting all that energy.”

“I see,” I nodded. It made sense, after all. The devil had created a backup plan, but that plan had been inadvertently thwarted because of one of her other plans moving forward in an unexpected direction. So, she was now working to salvage the situation. “Destroying the orbs shouldn’t be too difficult, once the shield is down. Which brings up the next question. How do we desecrate an altar in the middle of Torm’s domain without him coming to smite us personally?”

“That is the tough part, isn’t it?” Xisiana grinned. “Well, the normal methods, such as using a Desecrate spell or scroll, would indeed summon the god’s wrath instantly. However, while my connection to the pillars is lost, my preparations have not all been unmade. If an Archon of some sort is slain within the square where the pillars are raised, then a barrier will form, sealing the square so that none may enter, not even the lord of the realm, and no sight or magic will tell them what is past the barrier.”

I whistled softly. “A powerful magic, that. But, even so, I doubt it would last long.”

“No, the spell will last for a minute, at most, if Torm brings his might to bear upon it. But that would have been enough time for me to activate the pillars for their original purpose, and escape this plane. By the time the ruse was discovered, and my path traced, I would already be across the veil, and into the Hells, where Torm would not be able to chase me without risking his own divinity, since the Lords of the Nine are fully capable of bringing down even a god.”

I turned to look at the others. “Vestele, would a minute be enough to desecrate the shrine? And Fartooth, do you think you can shoot the orbs with your bow that quickly?”

Fartooth chirped. “Yes, easily, assuming that there aren’t further defenses in place. My attacks are not normal weapons, so they should slip past the ward, and hitting four objects that large, at such close range? I can do that.”

Vestele grinned. “Yes, if I have a scroll for the spell, or prepare it normally, then I can desecrate the altar in that time. However, archons are not the type to easily let go of their lives. How will we convince one to let us kill him so close to the portal? And without others trying to interfere?”

“That would be where I come in,” Xisiana said. “After night falls, I will arrange for trusted agents to clear the square, telling them that a potential traitor is to be ‘tested’. They will do as they are told. The guards on the Thedran side of the portal are all focused on keeping the enemy away, so they will not be paying attention to what is happening on this side of the portal, where it is ‘safe’.

“I will then bring the sacrifice to you, and you will stab him with this blade.” She pulled out a black-bladed stone dagger from her bag, and said, “This blade is enchanted as an Archonbane. Stab him with this, and the enchantment will try and slay him outright. Normally, the chance of that happening is so low that it would only work three times out of ten on a normal archon of the type I intend to bring, due to their innate resilience. However, you have an aura about you, which hampers that resilience. If it is you that deals the blow, then it is sure to work.”

She looked at us, and said, “I can provide this dagger, and a scroll of desecration, as well as get you into the city, where you can make your strike. You will not find any better option for taking down that portal, I assure you.”

I nodded slowly. “And what do you hope to gain from this, other than a bit of disorder which you can use to your benefit? I know you are not doing this out of simple charity, after all.”

“Yes, well, there are a few things I want. First, the blade is made of a material called thinaun. This marvelous material is capable of trapping the soul of any living creature who dies while touching it. Even archons. So, once the archon’s soul is trapped, you will return the dagger to me, so I can claim his soul. The soul of an Archon, especially one yet unfallen, is quite valuable, after all.

“Second, I need some cursed token or item to place in the victim’s keeping, to ensure that he takes the blame for his ‘crimes’, and a symbol from one of the dark gods. My diviners say that you are likely to have an item or two like that, especially after raiding the Repository.

“And Last, I need for you to get through the portal in the brief window between when the orbs are destroyed and the magic holding the portal runs dry, and use a scroll I shall provide you, when you are there. That scroll will take the powers still holding open the portal on the Material Realm side, and turn them into a massive spell. Every archon and angel in the city will have their souls cast into the Hells.”

She turned her attention to me, in particular. “In return, I will get you into the city, and to the square where the portal resides. I will furnish the blade, and the scrolls, and entice your sacrifice to the correct spot at the appointed hour. Satisfy all three of those conditions I named, and our deal will be complete, each of us to continue on our chosen path. Fail in your task, and your souls are mine.”

I whistled softly. “I should have expected that a devil who infiltrated a god’s own domain wouldn’t have the concept of thinking small, but that is impressive, even still.” I looked at each of the others in turn, silently asking for their opinions. This was the best deal we could hope to get, under the circumstances, but I wasn’t going to commit the others against their will.

One by one, they nodded, though they didn’t seem pleased. Neither was I, when it came to it, but that was natural. No matter how you looked at it, Xisiana gained more, both directly and in the future, from this deal than we did. The soul of the archon, and the souls of all the angels and archons in the Thedran capitol, were a heady prize indeed, and she would no doubt use this to increase her power in the realm, moving forward with her plans to corrupt Torm and his church, which would be reeling from the massive blows to his prestige and power. She was winning big, if everything went according to plan.

At the same time, however, we didn’t really have much choice. This was the best chance we had to close the portal, end the celestial invasion of the Material Plane, and eliminate much of the threat to Thedra. More importantly, it would hopefully reveal the path to the next step of the Prophecy. We didn’t have choice, not really.

“We have a deal.”