Heaven and Hell
Balancing Act - Part 4
by Maggie Finson
It was pretty grim group waiting at the top of that rise. Our home had been invaded, we had all lost friends, and it looked as if the sheer numbers of attackers would overwhelm us and break into the as of yet undespoiled center of Home itself. MAMA in full defense mode was something to see, the land istelf convulsing to swallow the enemy, plants of every kind grabbing to choke and tear them limb from limb, and the lay of the land at least favoring us wherever we went. But it looked to all of us, that no matter how awe inspiring it was, or destructive to the enemy forces, would be enough to tip the balance any more towards us.
We were tired, dirty, many of us were injured in varying degrees of seriousness, and every one of us standing atop that rise was madder than (You Guessed it) Hell aroused from a sound sleep, and were determined to exact the highest price we could on the invaders for their passage over us. Because they sure weren't going to get around, or past us while we could stand up and use either weapons or spells.
The Night Fiends swarmed up the slope with a liquid grace that was frightening to see, and impressive. Even MAMA's interference barely slowed them down. The Hags hung back, obviously preparing spells just as our Lillim were doing behind us, and the Myrmidons stolidly marched up the slope without visible concern as their numbers thinned from the attacking Flora. No wonder those guys were Baal's Elite. They were tough, disciplined, and determined to carry out their Prince's commands or die.
Well, there was a bunch of very pissed off Hell Maids, Lillim, and pair of Valkryies waiting with the intention of letting them do that. Die in the atttempt, I mean. Strange how clear your thinking can get at times like that, isn't it? I remember very calmly watching all that, noting different things about each of the three groups of our opposition, and looking for weaknesses that I could exploit. Vicki stood beside me,obviously doing the same thing during that all too brief period of quiet.
"Hell Maids to the front," Syl commanded quietly, then added, "You Valks stay behind our line and pick off any that get through us and be ready to fill gaps in the rank. This is going to be a fight like we haven't had since the War cooled down. Should be interesting."
"I always wondered how one of those damned, prissy Myrmidons would stand up against a Hell Maid." Brekke put in with a grin while hefting her massive Two Handed sword in one hand (quite easily, I might add) and shifting a nastily spiked shield into a more comfortable position on the arm not holding the sword.
"Wannabe Ninjas first," another responded with a chuckle. "Let's make really sure to show those spider/weapons geeks how real warriors fight."
"Yep, sister," another responded with a nasty, anticipatory grin. "But I don't plan on letting any of these survive and carry the tale to others."
"Ware their webs, all," Syl advised,then grinnned back at Vistoria and me. "And you two watch out for any jumping over us. They like doing that kind of thing, so I really doubt that you'll be at all bored in the coming fracas."
"Oh, we have a few surprises for any who try that," I assured the Hell Maids as a group, then found myself grinning too. "Vicki and I can still zap as well as slice and dice, hack and slash, or whatever. I'm really looking forward to frying a few more of the suckers, or sending them to where their sisters ended up when they tried following us home earlier."
"But I don't know that many spells," Vicki protested.
"Just throw a chain lightning behind them, hon," I advised in my turn. "That should give them something to think about besides overrunning us."
"hmmm," the thoughtful expression on her pretty face boded ill things in the immediate future for our enemies. "Yeah, and a few Hell Bolts, with some living fire, and...."
"You've got the idea," I answered, then cautioned. "But don't forget that you have a weapon fully capable of giving more than Angels grief."
"Mother!"
"Kids," I shrugged with a small laugh. "They grow up so fast these days, don't they?"
"Your mom knows what she's talking about," Syl grinned back at Victroria, and winked at my obvious discomfiture at being called a mom. "You should have seen her in action at old Shen-Dai's stronghold. She was truly... Ah, surprising with all she did there."
"You forgot to mention the scared shitless part, and the fact that half the bad guys I got were complete accidents." I grumbled.
"But such fortuitous accidents they were, Angie!" My former trainer grinned. "Awe inspiring, the damage you managed to do by accident."
"Much as I hate to interrupt this very interesting conversation," Vicki interrupted, pointing to the slope in front of us. "We need to continue it later. Our company's here."
"Oh, good," Syl turned to face the slope, now swarming with Night Fiends closely followed by a large cadre of Hags covered by the thinned, but still impressive ranks of Myrmidons. "I was beginning to think they'd decided not to come and play."
They hadn't decided to quit yet.
Gods of creation, destruction, and other fun things, they not only showed up, but hit us like a mass of down-sized, ugly tornados.
All the noise is the first thing that comes to mind when I recall that fight. Clangs of weapons against armor, shield, or other weapons. Shrieks of the attacking Night Fiends, warbling battle cries of the Hell Maids, shouted commands and warnings, assorted booms, fizzles, pops, crackles, and zings as spells flew, blended right in to the aural chaos without a hitch.
A couple of the Lillim kept the Night Fiend's webs at bay, while Vicki and I cheerfully fried, electrocuted, or freeze dried any who tried leaping over the triple line of Hell Maids boisterously holding the top of the slope. I actually think those ladies were having fun. But to be fair, Hell Maids were created to fight, and are Lucifer's Elite fighting force.
Things got really confused for a while with all the spells, and short individual clashes going on. What am I saying, for a while? I used up my last spell on an eight limbed idiot who thought the Lillim behind us would be easy targets, but neglected to consider the two Valkryies between it and the intended victims. After that, I let Heaven's Bane loose, and Vicki had started using Angel's Grief long before I ran dry in the spell department.
The ranks of Hell Maids had thinned, but was still holding, mostly. I moved forward to fill a gap in the line, and found myself facing three of the spider freaks at once. Each of them was brandishing, and using four weapons at the same time. No shields, though. Too bad. For them.
With my usual, and by now famous battlefield aplomb, I shouted a strangled "Gaack!" and started swinging Heaven's Bane at anything that wasn't me in a desperate attempt to get the suckers away from me. To my usual (and very unwarranted according to Syl) surprise I cut all three of them into variously sized parts suitable for frying before one could so much as bring a weapon to bear on me.
While I was doing that, Hell's Defense literally crisped another that decided it would be a good time to tackle me from the side. (Sometimes having armor with a mind of its own is a pretty good thing.) After that the general confusion degenerated into pure chaos. A Myrmidon decided I was a weak link in the defensive chain and I avoided his whistling attack with a sword bigger than I was through the simple expedient of going airborne. Then typically, got clumsy and landed on his head with both High heeled hooves.
"I hate that!" Kicking myself free of his ruined head before the body could pull me down as it fell, I angled over to give some help to a Hell Maid who had gotten herself isolated from the rest and was hard pressed by so many Night Fiends that the Myrmidons trying to exploit her vulnerability couldn't get close enough to use their weapons. I gave them someone to play with. After considerably thinning the ranks of the nasty uglies (Night Fiends) with a surprise attack from above that left half of their number with either broken heads, or in lots of little tiny, bloody pieces.
"Oh, hello," I greeted the Myrmidons with a viciously arcing downward swing of Heaven's Bane that took one's head off and literally disarmed another. (His severed arm flopped around, as if seeking its owner before getting trampled in the rush of other Myrmidons anxious to commit mayhem on my person. "I don't think we've met."
"Lord Baal wants this one alive," One of them wearing the rank insignae of a Captain cautioned the others. "don't kill her."
"Oh, I'm flattered that He wants to see me again," with a sweet smile, I cut the captain into two separate pieces -- lengthwise. "But I'm really not interested in seeing Him any time soon. Sorry, guys."
"Hell with that," another wearing sergeant's stripes grumbled. "Kill the bitch and tell whoever asks that the Spider Freaks did it."
I screamed in pain as a dastardly attack from behind broke my right wing, and made sure that the culprit would never sneak up on a lady again. But my ability to fly was gone. Which made the situation even worse than it had been. So I did the one thing that no one, not even I, expected. Instead of trying to get away, I charged right into the midst of them with Heaven's Bane moving so fast she looked like a silvery streak in the air. I don't know whether it was pain, desperation, rage, or a combination of all three (that last one gets my vote, but I'm still not sure.) but within several very rapid minutes I was alone in a circle of dismembered Myrmidons and rivers of blood. And was looking for someone else to hurt. Not to mention bleeding from numerous wounds of my own.
Things had gone very quiet as I stood panting inside that circle of bodies and body parts. With a quick look around (and a pang of disappointment that I never thought I would feel when a fight was over) to see the enemy withdrawing in reasonably good order, provided you allow for the speed of the withdrawal. (Ok, they were running like whipped puppies yelping all the way home to mama.)
The pain of my injuries, especially the damaged wing took that moment to let me know it was there, and I'd damned well better do something about it quickly. My bright response to that was simply to groan, "Oh, shit, that hurts."
"Angie," a tired voice interrupted my cataloging of injuries and rating how much each one hurt on a very abritary scale that went from 'ouch' all the way up to 'Arrgh!'. "Get yourself back behind us and let Lor take a look at that wing. It looks bad."
"Gee, think so?" I looked up at a battered and bleeding Syl and gave her a crooked grin. "You oughtta have a look at it from in here. Broken, I know that much. The other damage to it, I haven't worked up the nerve to check."
"Morning star, I think," my friend judiciously looked the damage over and tried not to wince. "It's broken all right, and pretty shredded in spots, too."
"I wish you hadn't told me that," with a bright smile, I promptly fell to my knees, then hit the ground with my face. Then mumbled through the turf, "Ruined my whole day."
"Good fight you gave them, little sister," Syl answered, gingerly picking me up and carrying me back to the others. I moaned something totally unappreciative of her efforts as the tip of my damaged wing (and my broken tail, I found out later) brushed the ground. "Lord Lucifer is going to be pleased with Lady Lillith's newest daughters, I think."
"How's Victoria?"
"In better shape than you are," Syl answered with a chuckle. "But not much. You two seem to have a knack for finding the nastiest parts of the fight and jumping right into the middle of them."
"Gotta be the wings. Remind me about that later," was my muttered response. "When I can actually kick myself for it without hurting things any more than they already are."
"No problem, little sister."
"I'm sure it won't be," I grumped from within the fuzzy maze my mind had become all of a sudden. "You'll take great pleasure in reminding us both, I have no doubt."
"Got that one right, Angie," Syl laughed through her tears. "I'll never let you live it down."
"Damn right you won't,"
"Just stay with us so I can, ok?"
"Sure, love to, but think I'm going to take a nap right now."
"Good idea, Just so long as it's only a nap." Syl answered in a choked voice. "We've lost enough good ones today. If you leave us, I'd be tempted to go after Lord Baal and that bitch Mab myself."
"Feel sorry for them already."
"She'll be ok now," Lorilei's voice penetrated whatever dreams I'd been fighting my way through. "But she won't be flying for the next little while."
"Lor?" I questioned.
"Welcome back Angelique," her grin was very suspiciously strained by relief she wasn't trying to show as I forced my eyelids to peel themselves away from each other so my eyes could see if they still worked. "Are you in any pain now?"
"Only a little," I lied, as the bolts of fiery agony lanced from my damaged wing and tail to my already overtaxed pain centers.
"Sure, I really believe that, you idiot," She answered with a tired little grin. "Why in all the Names of Hell did you jump right into the middle of them like that?"
"I dunno, just seemed like the thing to do at the time,"
"Well remind me to never, ever, make you mad enough to come after me like that, ok?"
"Sure will," I mumbled, getting to my feet and finally looking around. The surrounding area looked like a hastily set up triage unit in an overworked field hospital that hadn't had time to even set up tents. There were injured Hell Maids, Lillim, and a very battered looking Victoria within several feet of me. "Gods! How manyof us are left?"
"Not all that many," Lorilei answered quietly. "We beat the literal Hell out of them, but they returned the favor."
"Why did they stop?" I questioned in genuine curiosity. "We were in bad shape, they could have probably overwhelmed us completely with one more push."
"I think they got tired of climbing over bodies to reach us," Syl offered with a crooked grin. "We had a pretty impressive rampart built up from their dead."
"They needed to regroup and recover," Brekke, appearing as much the worse for wear as the rest of us, put in. "We Hurt them bad. Real bad. Lost heart and just turned around and ran after you took out the Myrmidon Captain and his troop."
"Well," a distant, and weary voice added. "They've gotten their collective shit back together. Here they come again."
"Oh joy," I grumbled, making making sure Heaven's Bane hadn't gotten lost in all the confusion. She hadn't, and was ready to go at them again despite several rather large nicks in her gleaming blade. "Guess we'd better get ready for them, then."
With something less than pure enthusiasm, all of us, even me with my broken wing (okay, it was healed up, but the poor thing was too weak to support me in the air and still hurt like blazes -- and don't tell me that I was imagining that unless you would like some broken bones of your own so we can compare notes a bit more realistically, all right?
"Same formation as before, my friends," Syl passed along as we straggled up to the position. "Leave the bodies alone for now, they'll give us a rampart of sorts and we need all the help we can get. Been nice knowing all of you, but I think it's time to die. Let's just make damned sure those assholes know they were in a bloody big fight here when it's over."
"No need for that, Ladies," a deep male voice interrupted. I turned to see who that could possibly be, a male on Home's Turf without suffering grief for it? What I saw literally had me gasping in lustful amazement.
The owner of the voice was a tall, darkly handsome fellow in blood red armor and carrying an almost bewildering array of weapons on his broad back. Not only that, he had brought friends with him. A lot of friends.
Among the friends he had brought were both Dimona and Helga. The imp ran up to Lorilei with a gleeful, if manic, expression on her cute little face. "Hey, Boss, I found us some help!"
The Death Angel (Angel!? In Hell, without having to fight his way every step?) I had briefly seen during the near fiasco in the rogue Shen-Dai's ruined palace, and the halfbreed Succubus/Angel I had helped out of trouble at the one usable door into the place were there. Adrianna, I remembered her being named.
"Jedidiah!" Lor greeted the Death Angel with more than a little surprise. "What are you doing here? You haven't Fallen have you?"
"No more than I had the first time you met me," the Death Angel shrugged. "But I still Owe you, and am more allied with you than with Heaven any more. Besides, whether Heaven knows it or not, it's in their interest to see this rebellion put down. We aren't ready to resume The War yet either."
"Okay, I won't argue that point," the little Lillim grinned. "Who's your friend? You know, the good looking, sexy one in the red armor?"
"You can call me Arie," the gentleman in question smoothly responded before Jed could reply. Otherwise known as Ares, Mars, and by several other names I won't bother to mention just now."
Urk! The Greek god of War. Right in front of me, and I was such a mess! Worse, he turned to greet me, and even took my hand in a gentle grip, then leaned forward to kiss its palm. I had an orgasm on the spot.
"Lady, I saw some of what you did here and am greatly impressed with your fighting abilities." and I swear he winked and grinned at me! "If you weren't already taken by a certain smith who favors me with his work off and on, I fear that I'd try recruiting you into my own cadre."
"You'd have to fight Lillith, and me, to get her," a beautiful, very feminine voice that sounded vaguely familiar interrupted with a chuckle. "Not to mention a certain very horny and capable of fighting himself, Dwarven smith."
"It's been a while, Inanna," Ares turned to give the regal woman who had spoken a low, respectful bow. "As always, it is a pleasure to see you."
"As it is to see you again, Ares," Inanna answered with a smile that would have melted the entire north pole if aimed in that direction. "But you can't have my children. Especially not the Valkyries. I worked very hard to get them, along with Lillith. Neither one of us would stand idly by while you tried stealing either one of them away from us."
Inanna...Queen of Heaven... once. Holy shit, I finally recognized her voice. "MAMA!"
"Yes, dearest child, that is what you and many others have called me since I claimed refuge in the underworld." the goddess replied with a soft smile for me.
"We seem to have work to do here and now," Lillith moved to join the group with a nasty little grin of her own. "Baal himself, with Mab tagging along, are marshalling their troops down the slope even now. We can all reminisce and get acquainted after this business is finished. And Mab is Mine."
The tone of Lillith's voice caused me to shudder even though the rancor in it was aimed at someone else.
"She's all yours, Lillith, dear," Inanna answered, then hardened her own voice. "As I have business to continue with Baal, especially now, I'll be far too busy to worry about that upstart little bitch."
"Hmm," Ares grinned at the pair. "Remind me to leave your children alone. I wouldn't want either one of you after my balls, or any other part of my anatomy for that matter. I'll honor your wishes and concentrate on breaking the assault. Have fun Ladies."
"What happened to get Him involved in all this?" I questioned, giving the departing God of War a longing, and curious look.
"He hates Baal, and chafes at the idea of subordinating himself to Hell's war leader," Lillith answered with a small chuckle. "And takes every opportunity to vex Baal he can find. This is one of those, and He does actually like me and Inanna. So he is doubly motivated here."
"Oh, ok."
"You all rest here and watch the show," Inanna -- MAMA -- told us. "I guarantee it will be worth watching. And my very personal thanks to all of you for holding them until we could settle other matters and reach you with reinforcements."
With that, the goddess, and the being who was maybe even older than she was (Lillith, dummy, haven't you ever read the bible?) very regally stalked off to join the mounting counter-attack on Baal and Mab's forces.
It was really something to see, let me tell you. Lillith, with her group of (reasonably) fresh Lillim tore through the Night Fiends and Hags like a little boy gleefully kicking a large, teeming anthill to pieces. Leaving the rest of the Fiends, and Hags to her followers, She simply unexisted a tight group of Hags and Myrmidons (I know how that sounds. But I swear by the unholy grail that's exactly what happened. One moment all those hostile creatures were making threatening noises and preparing to attack her, the next they were gone. Well, except for some dirty piles of ashes with scorched, and/or melted armor and weapons mixed in.) then confronted a frothing at the mouth, enraged, Mab one on one.
"You arrogant, foolish little bitch," Mother Lillith's voice carried up to where we waited and watched from over a hundred yards away. "What made you even think that Home, let alone myself and all who live here, would tolerate your filthy presence, or even consider allowing you to rule here?"
"Thrice damned and twice spurned, bitch!" Mab screamed back. "Your prissy dominance in the councils of Hell ends here. Now!"
It got sort of hard to see what was going on after that. With all the spells, innate magical energies, not to mention clawing, biting, and hair pulling (hey, it was a catfight after all -- just one so monumental that attempting to even describe the bits I managed to see kind of go pale in comparison to the real thing.) and the ocassional use of a weapon, it wasn't safe to be anywhere near those two at the time. In fact, I was considering the wisdom of moving back from the near ringside vantage I had.
Oh, yes, Ares and his fighters, including Jedidiah the Death Angel were energetically dismantling the major Myrmidon formations while that was going on. And doing so quite well, I should add. Baal himself sighted the figure in blood red armor leading the reinforcements that were devastating his invasion force and roared in pure, unadulterated rage. "Upstart Godling! Are you enough of a fool to think you are a match for Me?"
"I'd be more than willing to find out, you overbearing thug!" The other War god in the conversation cheerfully shouted back without halting in his joyous dismemberment of several Senior Myrmidons at the same time. (He wasn't even breathing hard, while doing it, either.) "But someone else wants to speak with you right now!"
Inanna suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Literally. Being the basic force that created and holds Home together has its perks, I could see. The goddess, one time Queen of Heaven, favored Baal, her contemporary with a chilly smile. "Hello, Baal, we have a few matters that require finishing between us, I believe."
"I bested you once, Inanna," Baal answered with a ferocious baring of teeth that could have been a grin. "Wasn't that enough for you? You've not seen fit to seek me out in all the time we have dwelt in the underworld, and I would have made you a Queen!"
"I was a Queen," Inanna answered quite equably, but the undertones in her voice were not at all pleasant. "Until you betrayed me to Yawveh and his upstarts. I turned your proposal down before that and see no reason to accept it now. Share a throne with you? I held one quite well alone before your premature withdrawal from the field allowed the Hosts to swarm into the gap you left in our defenses. I can well see how That One and his gratitude has served you since, but He has little use for cowardly turncoats either."
Suddenly, She was armed and clad in glowing armor with a simple diadem across the top of her business-like helm. Oh, yes, I did mention armed there, didn't I? Her weapon sort of looked like a staff tipped with absolutely vicious looking blades at either end. The staff, or whatever it was, rippled in my view, changed shape, size, even apparent materials it was made up of. Whatever form it took was extremely nasty to face, and I thought it was made up more of energy than solid matter. (I was right, but still haven't figured out the trick of shaping one for myself. Gods are able to do such neat things, aren't they?)
That was another of those fights that one catches bits and pieces of while being very glad your own participation other than as a distant spectator wasn't required. Those two could fight, and obviously held very ancient grudges that I was just as happy not to be involved in other than peripherally. Trust me, when gods face off, little folks like you and me get out of the way and do our best to stay there until the disagreement is over.
It seemed that others thought the same thing. Namely, Night Fiends, Hags, and the few surviving Myrmidons. Their retreat (all right, it was a rout, pure and simple) was harried by very pissed off Lillim, Enraged Hell Maids, and the troops Ares had brought into the battle. Even so, there were still a freaking lot of them. Some of the idiots even ran in our direction.
Oh, well, at least we'd managed to get a little rest, and had allies hotly giving chase to those charging up the slope towards us. Frankly, I was hoping the pursuers would catch them and save us the trouble of taking the nasties out. Didn't happen.
That was one ugly fight. The bad guys weren't really interested in much more than getting past us, and we weren't about to let that happen. A lot of them, Night Fiends, and Hags, anyway, weren't even carrying weapons any longer. We killed them anyway. And kept killing until our arms ached and our legs had gone rubbery. Once they realized they were caught between two forces determined to destroy them, most actually did pick up discarded weapons and try giving us a fight. I still detest Hags, and hold only a slightly better opinion of Night Fiends, But in the end, even decimated (in the literal Romanesque sense of the word) and then some, demoralized, and without a snowball's chance in Hell (another misconception there. Some parts of Hell are so frigid they'd make the arctic seem tropical.) They still wouldn't surrender. Even when we fianlly gave them the chance.
Baal was down and not moving, though He wasn't dead. Mab was still on her feet, kind of, being firmly held by several Hell Maids and the Celtic goddess had a very battered, shredded look that hinted she wouldn't be on her feet without being held up.
Ares was standing in the middle of a pile of bodies even more impressive than the one in front of us, calmly cleaning his weapons and thoughtfully scanning the battlefield. A ragged cheer started, then swelled as other victorious survivors joined in, until it echoed like thunder in a closed room.
The rebellion was quite effectively finished, and a failure. But the ramifications would reverberate through Hell for a very long time to come.
Jedidiah, along with Adrianna, left almost as soon as the fighting was over. They hung around only long enough to make sure things were well in hand, and for the half breed beauty to find me. She stood in front of where I had found a reasonably comfortable piece of turf to collapse on and simply stared while shaking her head in bemused humor. "You know, Angelique, I don't think I've ever seen you without bruises, cuts, and other wounds. Up close and quiet, though, I do think you'd clean up really nice."
"Thanks," I mumbled, just loudly enough to be heard. "I think. And thanks for showing up here."
"Well, Lillith is my mother," she responded with a shrug. "If I hadn't already gotten back into her good graces, thanks in part to you, this would have been the chance I'd been waiting for. But you're welcome. We really should try and get together sometime when we aren't preoccupied with just survivng the moment, don't you think?"
"Anytime, my friend," I answered with a real grin of my own. I actually liked this one. A lot.
"As for me," the Death Angel put in, "I haven't been properly introduced, but have heard a lot about you, and seen you in action. I am Jedidiah, and am pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Angelique."
"I'm no lady," I grumped shifting a little to find a more comfortable position for my still tender wing and tail. "But the plearsure is returned, Jedidiah. By the way, aren't you violating some kind of rule by being here right now?"
"Too many to count," he shrugged without concern. "Old Dominic will have a real heyday with me if he ever finds out about my participation in this fracas, but so what? Dominic and his lackeys were why I was barred from Heaven in the first place. At least if that happens now, I do have somewhere to go, right?"
"I'll bet Lord Lucifer would be more than happy to have you," I replied with visions of real red carpets, and other blandishments offered to the Death Angel if he was even considering a change of venue and loyalties.
"Something to keep in mind," Jedidiah nodded, knowing what I was thinking. (Sometimes Angels, even half-fallen ones, can be so damned unnerving with the way they seem able to discern anything you think about, even if that one was pretty transparent. Hey now, don't be snickering at me over that, I had been through a pretty rough go recently, you know.) "But for now, I intend to keep my options open, if it's all the same to you, dear lady."
"Guess I can't blame you for that," I agreed, then shrugged. "But I would sure hate to line up for a fight and see you on the other side."
"The feeling is mutual, Angelique," Jedidiah responded tiredly. "But it might happen. Until then, though, and even if it should happen, you have my undying gratitude and friendship for helping Adrianna when no one else would even give her the time of day."
I replied with what was becoming one of my stock phrases then. "Just seemed like the thing to do at the time."
"Well, time to go," Adrianna leaned forward to plant a sisterly kiss on my cheek, "You get well, then come visit sometime soon. I need to speak with Mother for a few minutes then we're gone. It's best that Jed not spend any more time in Hell than absolutely neccesary right now, after all.
"I can understand that," rising to give her a hug, then one to Jed, I waved in the last direction I had seen Lillith. "I think she's over that way, making sure Mab doesn't get away before the Tribunal convenes."
"Yup," Jedidiah answered after peering in the indicated direction. "There she is. Inanna seems to have Lord Baal pretty well under wraps, too. I'll look forward to seeing you again, Angelique."
"You both take care of each other and yourselves."
"No problem there, Lady," Jedidiah answered with a wide smile and hug for Adrianna. "I wish you well in the future, which is no small thing since I'm still an Angel."
"Thanks, but Angelic blessings aren't exactly something I'd know how to handle just now."
"Don't worry about it, Angie," Adrianna advised. "Just take the luck that comes your way and run with it. That's what I do and it seems to work without fouling the lines of essence and spirituality too much."
"I'll keep that in mind," I shouted to their retreating backs while wondering just exactly what I could possibly do with more luck.
A familiar, booming voice attracted my attention as that pair left. "Ah, Lass, what a fight you gave those dastards! I was soo proud of my little hellion I nearly forgot to fight myself. Would have missed a great party if I had!"
"Nice to see you, too, Giruidir," I answered with a slow grin as the heat in my belly went from its normal smoulder to a small flame.
"Aye, that was a beauty of a fight you went through," the dwarf, who still had co-habitiation rights in perpuity with me (not that I was too upset over that, just wondering when the randy old character would tire out.) ambled up with a broad grin splitting his beard. "But you need schooling in the proper care and feeding of magical weapons and armor, my dear."
Giving a rueful glance to Heaven's Bane's nicked blade, and the multitude of small rents in Hell's Defense, I returned an insouciant grin to his comment. "But that's why I have you around, darling. To help me fix the little nicks and scratches from normal wear and tear on them. Isn't that right?"
He almost melted then and there. Gee, being a gorgeous female does have its benefits, doesn't it?
The Tribunal was short and rather brutal, even by the standards of Hell and considering the crisis we had just gone through. Infernal Affairs was reamed for missing the clues that the rebellion was going to occur at the time it did, and let me tell you, that bunch was taken as much by surprise as everyone else. Not that they hadn't suspected, and sent the requisite reports to Lord Lucifer, they just hadn't expected little ol' me to foul Baal and Mab's timetable so badly that they would launch the attacks before the nasty pair were quite ready.
The sitting Magistrates were both impressive and more than a bit intimidating. Lord Lucifer, Lady Inanna, Lord Chronos, Mother Lillith, and several lesser lights who just wanted to be in on the fun. I testified regarding the meeting I had accidentally (?) eavesdropped on and so drastically interrupted, but that was all there was to it. I told my story, what I had seen, heard, and other information I had gleaned from my very interesting (and last for a long, long time to come) visit to Gehenna. No cross examination was offered, no protests at my testimony were voiced, but I felt the glares from Both Lord Baal and Lady Mab throughout the ordeal. (Giving a testimony at a Hellish Tribunal is kind of like having your mind sifted through, shaken, turned upside down, inside out, then shaken again. There is absolutely no way anyone at all could lie their way through all of that. Especially with such powerful Lords sitting in judgement and doing the sifting. I still get a headache when I recall that experience.)
You've already seen my comments on having the complete attention of a Lord of Hell having only one major drawback, which is having the complete attention of a Lord of Hell. Multiply that by the thirteen sitting members of the Tribunal and you can see why I was uncomfortable.
"LORD BAAL," Lucifer commanded once all the evidence had been given. "STAND AND RECEIVE THIS TRIBUNAL'S JUDGEMENT."
That one complied, with all his usual arrogance and pride, along with a good leavening of defiance, though I detected a trace of nervousness in His demeanor along with all that bravado as Lucifer intoned forcefully. "YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF SEDITION AND ATTEMPTING TO OVERTHROW THE EXISTING RULING ORDER OF HELL. GIVEN YOUR PRESENT POSITION, AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS YOU HAVE MADE IN THE PAST TOWARDS THE ASCENDENCY OF HELL IN THE WAR AGAINST HEAVEN, YOU WILL NOT LOSE YOUR POSITION."
I, and others were slightly outraged, but not surprised. Baal began to puff himself up even more than he had been but Lucifer hadn't finished his pronouncement. "AS A RESULT OF YOUR UNFORTUNATE ATTEMPT TO UNSEAT THE CURRENT RULERS OF HELL AND SEVERAL OTHER DOMINIONS WITHIN HELL, YOU SHALL BE FORBIDDEN TO SHAPE ANY MORE WARRIORS, NIGHT FIENDS, OR RECRUIT OTHERS TO YOUR SERVICE FOR A PERIOD NO LESS THAN FIFTY YEARS AS MEASURED IN THE HUMAN REALMS, AND TO BE NO MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THOSE SAME YEARS. YOU SHALL ALSO SUBMIT ALL PLANNING TO THE LORD ARES FOR ASSESSMENT AND FORWARDING TO ME. ALSO YOU WILL EXPERIENCE ONE YEAR OF PAIN FOR EACH OF THE DEMONS WHO DIED AS A RESULT OF YOUR LATEST ESCAPADE. FURTHER, I FORBID YOU TO REBUILD YOUR CITIDEL UNTIL THE TIME OF YOUR PUNISHMENT IS FINISHED. YOU SHALL DWELL IN RUIN, AS YOU PLANNED FOR OTHERS HERE, AND IN THE FOULEST LEAVINGS ANY PASSING BY SHOULD CHOSE TO DEPOSIT THERE. YOU MAY LEAVE US NOW, LORD BAAL, AND REMEMBER THIS. I WILL NOT BE SO MERCIFUL IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME."
With a wave of his hand, Lucifer sent Baal back to his still ruined citidel. At least I hoped it was still ruined. (I know, I'm kind of vindictive, but hey! Where do I live? Vindictiveness just seems to come with the general package when someone here has wronged or hurt you.)
"RISE AND FACE THE TRIBUNAL LADY MAB." Mab was nowhere near so arrogant or defiant as Baal had been. She didn't cringe, but was more subdued than her partner in revolution. "YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF THE CHARGES LISTED AGAINST THE LORD BAAL. AGAIN, YOUR PREVIOUS SERVICE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE SERVICE LIGHTENS THE POSSIBLE PENALTIES. YOU ALSO WILL EXPERIENCE THE PAIN SET UPON LORD BAAL, FOR THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME. YOUR RECRUITING OF NEW HAGS WILL BE LIMITED TO THE SOULS YOUR EXISTING HAGS ARE ABLE TO SUBORN AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AT THE GATES. IN ADDITION, YOUR ASPECT OF BEAUTY IS TO BE DENIED TO YOU UNTIL THE STATED SENTENCE IS FINISHED. BE ONE WITH YOUR HAGS, LADY MAB, BUT WITHOUT THE OPTION OF EVEN AN ILLUSION OF BEAUTY TO COVER YOUR HIDEOUS FORM. GO NOW, AND CONSIDER ALL THAT HAS BEEN SAID HERE, ALSO OF WHAT YOU MIGHT DO TO MEND THINGS AND SHORTEN YOUR SENTENCE."
That was pretty much it. Oh, except for Lucifer personally handing out rewards for those of us who had fought in the defense of the incumbent order. All of us were listed as Heros of Hell, with far reaching rights and privileges that included elimination of the need to bow and scrape in the presence of one of the Lords of Hell. I was confirmed as the head of a new clan in Hell -- Valkyries, and given pretty much carte blanche to recruit members however I saw fit. Oh yes, I was also named as a special investigator empowered by Lucifer himself (basically at liberty) to go snoop into anything I pleased so long as it involved Hell or Hell's concerns. Which made me think I would end up with even more nasty little missions in the future, but trust me, you do not turn down appointments handed out personally by Lord Lucifer. Not and stay healthy, anyway. (I have mentioned sulfur pit duty haven't I?)
Lorilei was confirmed as a sub-head of clan Lillim, Helga and Dimona each got perks among their own kind (Hell Hounds and Imps respectively) and Sylvanna was named as the new Matriarch of Hell Maids to replace the former holder of that title who had fallen during the rebellion.
Jedidiah, in absentia for obvious reasons, was named officially as an ally (provisional) of Hell with full entry and exit rights. (That was an obvious ploy to recruit the Death Angel into our own ranks on a permanent basis, but who was there to protest? I sure wasn't going to.
Adrianna was granted full rights as a bona-fide Lilim, with severe punishments for any who failed to observe them. So, no more life as an outcast for my newfound friend.
That ordeal was finally over, and all of us retired to our respective homes in Hell. Home had repaired itself after the depredations (from both sides) caused during the battle for possession of that place. With a sigh of relief, I settled to the once again softly inviting turf for a well deserved, and long overdue, nap.
"Lisa is where?! And as what?!" I heard Victoria screech in the distance. "His name is Richard??! I want to see him. Right now! I still have some things to say to that deceitful, no good, two timing... Oh, believe it, I'm not finished with that realtionship yet, and I will Let her -- him, know it in very precise and intimately described detail!"
Sheesh, it seemed that death do us part had no meaning to my newly formed daughter. Given her demonstrated homicidal tendencies, and the ability to make such effective use of them, I found myself thinking that dear Richard, incubus or not, was in for an interesting millenia or two. Maybe along with any unfortunate mortal females he favored (or cursed) with his particular attentions. Having a homicidal Hell's Valkryie following him everywhere with intent to commit mayhem was not a position I envied at all.
I made a mental note to try and keep Vicki from outright killing Richard (again) then settled back into my nap with an absolutely ludicrous image of Victoria declaring her love for poor Richard while she tried to choke the life out of him. Or shoot, cut, slice, blow up... Well, I think you get the picture. .
Ahh, forget it. Interesting is a very good word ( I guess ) to describe life in Hell. Wouldn't you agree?
END
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