by Eric Vall
The soft lights of the city glowed in the distance, and they illuminated the desolate terrain on the outskirts of my castle. This place had come a long way since the days of Azazel’s medieval villages, and I was really happy with my domain.
Unfortunately, my leisurely stroll couldn’t last forever, and I eventually came to the large, circular structure that acted as both our entertainment venue and our training center. Then I continued on between the massive black pillars and onto the sandy ground of the building’s interior.
Lilith and Eligor were both already there, and they were chit-chatting with the blacksmith and former angel, Ariel. The peppy, athletic redhead cut herself off the second she saw me approaching and then began to wave frantically.
“Well, speak of the Devi--er, I mean, there’s Jacob!” she chuckled.
“Hello to you, too,” I smiled at the group as I strolled up to their position, “are we ready to get into some black magic, or what?”
Ariel pumped her fist into the air, but Eligor and Lilith continued to look stern.
“Black Hellfire isn’t something to be taken lightly,” Lilith warned. “In fact, I’m halfway tempted to postpone this training session for a later date. Perhaps one where we won’t be trying to control multiple spells of the dark magic at once?”
“If you wanted a private session with me, Lilith,” I winked, “all you have to do is ask.”
The redheaded Demon Queen tried to maintain her authoritative composure, but I saw the corners of her mouth twist up into a smile.
“Would you want me?” she cooed. “Or would you want Tamira? For old time’s sake?”
“I mean, I’m used to making love to Tamira, as spiteful as she was,” I joked, “but I’m always open to new experiences. Especially when it comes to sexy, stern Demon Queens.”
“You’re too kind,” Lilith retorted as her stern mask faded even further. “According to what Eligor has told me, you’ve gotten even better since the last time we were intimate.”
I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot when I heard the compliment, and I swelled with pride. Then I glanced over at Eligor and raised an eyebrow.
“Is that so?” I asked the blonde knight.
Eligor also tried to maintain her “no-nonsense” expression, but her face turned beet red.
“You’ve gotten better since the first time we made love,” she admitted. “So, I figured you were much, much better than the last time you laid with my mistress.”
Something about the way Eligor said the words got my imagination going, and I began to picture myself sleeping with not just Eligor, but with her and Lilith. At the same time. My throbbing erection pressed tightly against the fabric of my pants as the images of the two beautiful women passed through my head.
Thankfully, the codpiece of my armor disguised my excitement.
“You mean he gets better?” Ariel gasped. “Looks like I’ve got a lot to look forward to.”
“Perhaps a private session will be in order somewhere down the line,” Lilith teased, “but for now, we need to focus on getting you and the rest of your team equipped with your black Hellfire.”
“But can they even use it?” I questioned. “The rest of my team, I mean. Not every demon can use every color of Hellfire.”
“Black Hellfire is the exception to the rule,” Eligor explained, “much like the magic of red flames, it is a power that can be unlocked by any demonic spellcaster.”
“If it’s so easy and common,” I retorted, “then why don’t either of you use it?”
Lilith frowned with concern and then shook her head vigorously.
“Who says we haven’t?” Eligor shot back.
“Eligor and I both have our own black Hellfire abilities,” Lilith elaborated, “but we don’t use them. My spell is a danger to myself and everyone around me, and Eligor’s black magic is not exactly of practical use.”
“Also, it is the most unpleasant of the Hellfires to use,” the Knight of Hell continued, “as you may know, it manifests itself from the Shadow World and is powered by fear. That by itself can take its toll on the user, especially if they’re exposed for long periods of time.”
“Actually, I didn’t know any of that,” I admitted, “like, not a single word of what you just said.”
“Then we need to start from the beginning,” Lilith noted as she strutted over and sat down on the edge of the stage. “Let me ask you this, Jacob … what do you know about the Shadow World? Or black Hellfire in general, for that matter?”
“Not much. I know the one time I used it, I was transported into some weird, distorted mirror dimension. There were a bunch of shadowy figures there, too. They kept whispering my name, but I ‘noped’ the fuck out of there before anything else could happen.”
“And you haven’t used your powers since?” Eligor prompted, and I confirmed with a nod.
“I’m impressed,” Lilith continued, “your black fire not only comes from the Shadow World, but it apparently allows you to travel there, as well.”
“What even is the Shadow World?” I asked. “Because from what I can tell, it’s a pretty fucked up place.”
“You’re not wrong,” the Demon Queen agreed. “The Shadow World is a place of pure darkness, a place created by both the Exalted One and Lucifer to house the creatures that neither one of them could control.”
“So, it’s like, some sort of interdimensional prison?”
“You could say that.” The redhead nodded. “Its main inhabitants are the Shadow People, beings of pure dark magic that refused to bow down to any master. As punishment for their insubordination, they were sentenced to an eternity in the Shadow World, under the watchful eye of the warlord Tenebris.”
“But there is a lot more to the Shadow World than just the Shadow People,” Eligor added.
“That’s right,” Lilith continued, “the Shadow World is a place where both Heaven and Hell send their most undesirable creatures, so there is danger lurking around every single corner. On occasion, the inhabitants of this dimension use their own magic to cross over to Earth Realm, but only for a fleeting amount of time.”
“Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?” Eligor questioned. “Or seen shadows dart across the room on their own?”
“Yes and yes,” I admitted.
“Those are the Shadow People trying to escape their incarceration,” the blonde knight explained.
“But that’s not the end of it,” Lilith spoke up once more. “Several millennia ago, demons from this dimension learned they could call upon the power of the Shadow World to give them new abilities. However, it’s not safe, and many of those who try to use black Hellfire pay for it with their lives.”
“Sounds reassuring,” I scoffed. “But wait … Todd, Eclipse, and Sia all use it just fine.”
“Black Hellfire comes more naturally for those who have a … darker side to them.” Lilith shrugged.
“A darker side? I totally get Eclipse, and I kinda understand Todd. But Sia? She’s about as far from ‘dark’ as you can possibly get.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure if I was you,” Lilith admitted, “remember, Superbia acted as Azazel’s madame for all those years, and he was about as ruthless as they come. I’m sure your innocent little redhead isn’t as innocent as she appears.”
It made sense. Superbia might have been one of the sweetest women I’d ever met in my life, but when we’d first met she talked about how she did all sorts of things she wasn’t proud of to “protect her girls.”
Maybe there was more darkness in Sia than I’d originally thought.
“Huh,” I chuckled, “you think you know a girl … Anyways, what exactly do I need to do to make sure I can actually control these powers? Also, what kind of good does it do me to travel to this interdimensional prison? At least Sia and Todd and Eclipse’s powers all have some sort of functional purpose.”
“Everything has a functional purpose!” Ariel protested. “You just have to figure out what your power’s purp
ose is.”
“I agree with the angel,” Eligor nodded, “the only way we’re going to be able to find out is by experimenting in a controlled group setting until we get things figured out.”
“What if I lose control?” I gulped. “The last thing I want to do is accidentally trap myself and all my friends in the Shadow World.”
“That won’t be the case,” Lilith reassured me, “you’ve already been there once and were able to come out alive. Surely, you can do it again. And, after a few times of doing it, the task should come as second nature to you.”
“If I may ask,” Eligor questioned, “how did you manage to get out the first time? To my knowledge, nobody has ever traveled to the Shadow World and returned of their own free will.”
“He followed my voice,” Cupiditas explained as she strutted through the entryway of the coliseum. “At least, that’s what he claimed happened.”
The rest of the succubi were right behind the Sister of Greed, and they were all decked out in their Demon Lord armor that made them look badass and sexy all at the same time.
“Followed her voice?” Lilith questioned.
“It all happened so fast, and so long ago … ” I sighed, “one minute I was staring down a large group of Shadow People, and the next, I heard Cupi’s voice calling out to me. Once that happened, I opened my eyes and found myself back in our world.”
Eligor and Lilith both looked at each other with concerned expressions.
“You met the Shadow People?” the Demon Queen asked with her eyebrow raised.
“I did. They said they knew who I was, and even called me by my name, but that was when I got called back to Earth Realm.”
“I’m surprised they didn’t rip you limb from limb the second they saw you,” Lilith admitted. “They apparently had a tendency to do that when they were creatures of this world.”
“I’m still confused about how simply hearing a succubus’ voice brought him out of that place,” Eligor interjected. “That seems too … simple, I guess.”
“What can I say?” Cupi giggled as she walked up to Eligor and then bumped her playfully with the side of her hip. “I know how to make Jacob come.”
“Booooooooooooo!” Todd’s voice called out from above us. “Get some new material, bodacious blonde. Dad jokes are so twenty-seventeen.”
We all turned our attention to the sky as the three-foot tall, red-skinned imp flew down and landed on the sandy ground. Todd threw up his hands as if he were a gymnast who had just performed a successful dismount, and then he began to make small “ahhhhh, ahhhhh” sounds under his breath as he blew kisses to an imaginary crowd.
“You really know how to make an entrance, don’t you?” Lilith mused.
“You were around Jakey and me for years,” Todd shrugged, “you know the Toddster’s always gotta be the center of attention. That’s why me and you never got along, Sideshow Babe. Actually, should I still call you ‘Sideshow Babe?’ That was kinda your nickname when you were posing as that other chick.”
“‘Lilith’ will suffice,” the Demon Queen reassured him. “And I do apologize for all those things I called you when I was posing as Jacob’s lover. You must understand I was just playing a long con … I honestly found most of your antics amusing.”
“Awww, shucks,” Todd said as he lowered his head and kicked at the ground. “You know, I totally didn’t mean all those terrible things I said when you were T-T--uh, that evil hellspawn, either. I mean, I totally meant them, but not towards the real you, Big Bertha.”
“You sure that’s the name you wanna go with?” I asked the imp. “The giant-ass fish from Mario?”
“Hmmmm, maybe not … ” Todd pondered as he rubbed his goatee. “Wait, I got it, bro! She’s a super-smart redhead that’s always one step ahead of everybody else, right? Henceforth, I shall call you ‘Scully.’”
“The giant furry monster?” I raised my eyebrow at the thought, but Todd just let out an overly dramatic sigh.
“Brrroooooo,” the imp clicked his tongue, “Scully. Like, Dana Scully? The super-hot paranormal investigator from X-Files?”
“I can see it,” I admitted after I thought it over for a second. “I could totally be her Mulder.”
“Don’t make it weird, bro.” Todd shuddered.
“I have no idea what either of you are talking about,” Lilith sighed, “but I suppose anything’s better than what he used to call me as your lover. What was it again? ‘Cockslurping Concubine?’ Or there was also ‘Bitchasaurus Rex.’ Or my personal favorite, ‘Whore of Babylon.’”
“Again,” Todd reminded the Demon Queen, “I am very, very sorry.”
“As much as I hate to interrupt the playful banter,” Cupiditas interjected, “shouldn’t we begin our training? Every minute we wait is another moment Beelzebub’s heart is still beating.”
“I’ve always loved your gusto, Cupiditas.” Lilith grinned at the blonde woman. “I suppose you are right. Everyone, I need you to form a large circle around that stage over there.”
Without a single moment’s hesitation or protest, all of the succubi obeyed the Demon Queen’s orders and moved into position. Lilith herself casually walked past the group, strutted onto the stage, and then motioned for me and Eligor to follow her.
The knight and I did as we were asked, and then Eligor turned to address the group.
“Everyone,” she began, “we are all about to embark on a dangerous journey, one that will require the strongest of wills to come out the other side unscathed. I can promise you this journey will push us all to our breaking points, and it may just be the most uncomfortable experience of your entire life. However, it is what must be done if we wish to crush the Lord of the Flies once and for all.”
Eligor halted her speech and then swiftly stepped backward as Lilith took her place at the front of the stage. The two coordinated with such grace, I seriously wondered if they had practiced this before.
“Many of you have never experimented with your black Hellfire before,” the redheaded beauty began, “others have tried to use it and failed, and even fewer of you have actually got it under your control. However, I’m here to tell you that, by the end of the day, you will all have it under your control! And for those of you who already utilize your dark magic abilities … you will take them to the next level.”
There were murmurs throughout the circle of succubi, but they instantly hushed when Eligor joined Lilith’s side.
“For the sake of safety, we’re going to have you each go one at a time,” the bikini armor-clad Knight of Hell explained, “now, for the moment of truth. Who would like to go first?”
“I will!” Tris’ deep, stoned voice blurted out as she made a beeline for the stage. “I wanna get this done as soon as possible so I can go back, veg out on the couch, and watch the Magic Mirror.”
Eligor raised an eyebrow at the Sister of Sloth.
“You know we’re all staying until everybody’s done, right?” she reminded the succubus.
Tris just shrugged. “Then I’ll veg out here. Either way, it’s just about reefer o’clock, and I’ve got a fat one with my name on it.”
“I’m so proud,” I heard Todd’s voice proclaim through a fake sniffle.
“I have the perfect idea,” Lilith chuckled, “where, might I ask, would you keep this ‘fat one?’”
“Oh, it’s sitting back on the workbench of Ariel’s shop,” Tris explained, “tucked away in one of the cups that holds her sketching pencils.”
“Ohhhhhh,” Lilith gasped, “I hope that wasn’t the one I threw out … ”
Suddenly, Tris’ eyes went wide as saucers, and her hands slapped over her cheeks in panic.
“The blue one with the picture of Papa Smurf on it?” the succubus gasped.
“I’m not sure,” Lilith admitted, “I was just going through the workshop, throwing things away that didn’t look important.”
“I-I have to go and find it right now!” the Sister of Sloth insisted, but Eligor held he
r back.
“Do you feel that, Tristitia?” Eligor grinned. “That’s pure, unadulterated fear. Now, channel that energy into your magic.”
“But--But … my weed … ” the succubus protested.
“Todd can get you some more,” Lilith reassured Tris. “Please try.”
Tristitia relaxed her body and let out a large sigh, even though her hands were still shaking nervously.
“Alright,” Tris finally conceded as she closed her eyes, “fearful magic, coming right up.”
At first, Tris’ hands lit up with her orange necromancy powers, and both of her hands flickered like a vibrant, roaring fire pit as she scrunched her nose and strained to make something happen. Then, finally, the bright orange flames in her hand began to darken. They faded from orange to reddish-orange to maroon, and then finally to black.
When the Sister of Sloth finally opened her eyes, she was in shock.
Meanwhile, everyone else in the coliseum was on edge, ready to jump into action if things went sideways. However, Tris looked like she was on cloud nine.
“How do you feel?” Eligor prompted.
“Still terrified you threw away my weed,” the brunette admitted, “but pretty damn good.”
“Now, we just need to see what your powers can do,” Lilith marveled at the black flames in Tris’ hands. “Attack me.”
“Uh, what now?” Tris gulped.
“It’s fine,” Lilith shot back, “I’m a Demon Queen. The worst thing that could happen is you get hurt, but that’s why Superbia is on standby.”
“Alright … ” Tris said as dozens of emotions showed up on her face. “Just remember you asked for this.”
The Sister of Sloth hauled back like she was about to throw a baseball pitch and then tossed a ball of black flames directly at Lilith.
The Demon Queen stood there, unabashed as the mysterious projectile hurled toward her body. She let out a grunt as the black fire hit her square in the chest, followed immediately by a gasp of surprise as the spell took on a tarry texture and spread across her torso like syrup. Lilith tried to pull her arms free of its grasp, but she was stuck.