When Hell Froze

by Forrest Minter

  “Who are you?” Benny gasped at the woman.

  “Your rival. I won’t let you take Azel from me.” The Demoness growled in reply.

  “You can have him. I’m not trying to seduce him.”

  “I don’t care if he sleeps with you silly woman. I simply refuse to yield my position in the hierarchy to you. If I take you hostage successfully, I will prove myself superior.”

  “You realize that’s just dumb, right? How does that prove anything?”

  “You’re human. You don’t understand our ways. A successful kidnapping is one of our traditions. Azel and the others will honor the results.”

  Benny sighed. “This seems overly complicated. What happens if your kidnapping attempt fails?”

  “You take my official titles, and holdings.”

  “Really? Why would you risk that just to get at me?”

  “I, well, the title you were given was originally taken from me. Azel demoted me to Guardian so that he could give you my honor. Thanks to you, the only thing left is my dignity.”

  “Ok. Do we still have to fight now that I’ve foiled your kidnapping plot? I don’t really want to.”

  “Yes. I will defeat you, and reclaim my honor.”

  Benny sighed. “By the way, was it you who attacked the city?”

  “Do you really think that if I had the power or resources to field such an attack, I’d be debasing myself here with you? Just to become a Lesser Demon Lord? No, that was someone else.”

  “Come to think of it, why are you even standing here telling me your plans?” Benny asked, the thought causing her brow to wrinkle in confusion.

  The Demoness shrugged. “My name is Lilian by the way, since you haven’t bothered to ask yet.”

  “Um, not nice to meet you?” Benny said, shaking her head as a wave of dizziness caused her to sway.

  “Oh, to answer your earlier question, it’s because you’re bleeding profusely, and the longer we stand here, the more blood you lose. You should go pleasantly numb soon.”

  Benny realized Lilian was right. The injury to her arm, and the talon wounds in her side were gushing blood faster than she wanted to think about. Taking a step forward, she stumbled slightly. The Demonesses lips quirked upwards slightly.

  “How are you feeling Verilien? Do you think you can handle all of this?” Lilian waved her hands up and down over herself.

  Benny dipped a finger into her side wound, and began drawing on her lower back surreptitiously. “Are you trying to fight me or seduce me?” Benny asked calmly.

  “Definitely trying to fight you. Sorry, but I don’t roll that way.” Liliian punctuated her statement with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  Benny shrugged. “Had to make sure.” Completing her sigil, she activated it. Time slowed to a crawl around her as her speed rune activated. Stepping forward again, Benny struggled to maintain her balance as she put one foot in front of the other. Despite her struggles against the roiling dizziness, the enhanced speed allowed her to close with Lilian before the Demoness could react. Lilian’s head turned in slow motion as Benny’s fist smashed into the underside of her chin. Lilian fell backward, stunned by the blow.

  Benny collapsed to her knees, head roiling. Pain lanced through Benny’s side as Lilian, recovering quickly from the blow, thrust her foot into Bennys wounded flesh. The small, pointed nails of Lilian’s toes dug into the preexisting wound, and expanded it; leaving rents halfway up her stomach. Grunting in pain, Benny curled into a ball, and pushed herself away, rolling several feet. Painfully, she stood, almost slipping in her own blood.

  The world still moving in slow motion, Benny lurched forward. Lilian swung a taloned fist which Benny ducked under. Grabbing the proffered arm, Benny used Lilian’s momentum against her. Pulling forward while simultaneously sweeping the legs, Benny lost her balance in the middle of the complicated maneuver; falling on her back with Lilian on top of her. Panic setting in, Benny began pounding her fist into whatever she could get her hands on. Lilian grunted, and raked her talons into Benny’s chest.

  Benny almost passed out from the mixture of pain and blood loss. Fighting the blackness, Benny clung to consciousness, and grabbed the offending arm. Smashing her palm into the side of Lilian’s elbow, she caused drastic damage to the joint; eliciting a stifled scream from the Demoness.

  Continuing to hold the arm in place, Benny jammed her palm into Lilian’s throat. Lilian looked as if she wanted to scream, but couldn’t. Either way, she was momentarily paralyzed, and Benny took advantage of this to push Lilian off of her. Even with the extra weight removed, Benny was barely able to struggle to her knees through the disorientation.

  Next to her, Lillian also struggled to her knees; fighting to draw breath. Benny laughed psychotically, and turned to put her hands around Lilian’s throat. It was as Benny strangled Lilian that Noraz and Lorbin arrived at a run.

  “Verilien stop!” Noraz cried, struggling to pull her off the writhing Demoness. Lilian’s talons raked Benny’s side again as she maintained her hold with adrenaline-fueled madness.

  “You must stop this, Verilien! There will be consequences if you kill her!” Noraz said into her ear.

  Benny snarled, and pushed down harder on the offending throat; oblivious to his words. Lorbin arrived a moment later, and nodded at Noraz. Each Demon grabbed one of her arms, and heaved; struggling to pull her off the Demoness without further injuring Benny.

  Slowly, painfully, her arms lifted into the air until Noraz and Lorbin had fully removed her from Lilian. Despite her removal, Lilian still found herself unable to breath; choking and wheezing weakly. Lorbin and Noraz looked at each other again. Lorbin left Benny, moving to provide aid to the gasping Demoness. Noraz, meanwhile, held Benny’s hands against the ground as she struggled against him. The burst of psychotic strength had left her now, and all that remained was an instinctive struggle against a captor.

  “Verilien, please, you’re safe now.” Noraz pleaded with her, unable to provide the first aid she needed while she was struggling against him.

  “My name’s Benny, not Berilon.” She said, slurring her words.

  “Ok, Benny, please calm down.” Noraz pleaded.

  “You’re really strong.” She muttered, and fell unconscious.

  Noraz sighed, and let go of her arms, gently placing her arms by her sides. Glancing in Lorbins direction, he found Lilian unconscious; breathing erratically, but no longer suffocating. Lorbin was standing over her, binding her arms, and legs. Looking back to Benny, Noraz patted her head affectionately before examining her wounds. His eyes went wide as he began tearing strips of cloth from his own shirt to bind them.

  “Hold on Verilien, I will save you.” Noraz muttered.

  “Don’t you mean I will save her?” A gruff voice asked from behind Noraz.

  Noraz whirled, but was too slow to stop the incoming sword blade. The blade kissed his neck, digging in by a millimeter before stopping.

  “Tell me why my daughter is currently bleeding out in the street.” Judas said. Lorbin stood up from where he had been crouched over Lilian and began talking. “Milord, we don’t know yet, but every second you delay her care puts her life in danger.”

  Judas sighed. “I suppose you’re going to further argue that I should leave her in your care since I am not a trained doctor, and she clearly needs one?”

  “That would be the next step.” Lorbin agreed.

  Judas shook his head. “Then I’ll withdraw for now. If she dies, I will personally hunt you down and kill all three of you. Painfully.”

  “No need milord. If she dies, Lord Azel will do that for you.”

  Judas nodded, and stepped back into the darkness of an alleyway. Noraz and Lorbin looked at each other, and silently resumed their activities. Noraz rubbed anxiously at the space on his neck where the sword had drawn blood. Soon, he finished his remedial doctoring, and both Demons stood; each carrying their unconscious burdens into the night.

  Chapter 14

  Benny
woke from a fitful dream in the bed of a dormitory style hospital room. Groaning, she instinctively stretched, but the motion pulled painfully on her newly healed wounds. She emitted a surprised squeak at the sudden spike of pain, ending the stretch prematurely. The pain devolved into a burning itch, and she began to scratch. Suddenly, a doctor arrived at her side, and poked the hand that was blissfully relieving her need with his talon.

  “Ow.” She whined, the talon drawing a small bead of blood as she pulled her hand away.

  “Pain teach lesson. You learn. No scratch.” The doctor declared reprovingly.

  She pouted at him, but he stared at her in an unyielding manner until she relented. “Fine, have it your way.” She muttered. He nodded, and began looking at the clipboard attached to her bed. A few minutes later, he walked away without a word.

  “He’s quite the stickler, wouldn’t you say?” A familiar voice asked from the neighboring bed.

  Benny glared at Lilian, who was smirking at her from where she lay; arms and legs shackled to the ground so that she remained in a spread-eagled position on the bed.

  “I thought I killed you?” Benny asked, memory still hazy.

  “No. You certainly tried, but your faithful hounds intervened just in time. It’s actually rather impressive considering the poison I placed on my talons. By all rights, you should have been rendered unconscious in under a minute.”

  Benny shrugged painfully. “Guess I’m hardier than you gave me credit for.”

  “Considering I used enough toxin to knock out a proper Demon Lord, I would say that is an understatement.”

  Benny winked at her, but remained silent. Lilian huffed, and also went silent. Several minutes passed this way, before Benny sighed, and spoke again.

  “So, what happens to you now?”

  Lilian’s voice sounded strained. “It's up to Azel. On the one hand, kidnappings such as this are an accepted tradition, so it shouldn’t be too severe of a punishment. I may get demoted again. On the other hand, you sustained rather drastic injuries, so he may react harshly to make an example of me.”

  Benny sighed again, not sure which direction she personally leaned in.

  “I have a request.” Lilian said, voice trembling with vulnerability.

  “Why should I do anything for you after all of this?”

  “It’s… not for me. It’s for Azel. Even after he demoted me, I’ve been running his intelligence services. The thing is, there isn’t anyone trustworthy to replace me after he punishes me for my transgressions. By foiling my kidnapping attempt, you’ve taken that title from me. Even Azel will have to legally recognize you as his new spymaster. I’m assuming you don’t want the job, and Azel won’t want you doing the job; so I ask that you make sure someone reliable takes the position in your stead.”

  Benny stayed silent, thinking this over.

  “Please, I beg you, do this for Azel. He needs someone he can trust managing his affairs.” Lilians voice rose to a pleading shout. She broke off her begging when she realized that she had lost control over the volume of her voice. Benny couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Despite this, suppressed rage began boiling inside of Benny as all the pain and anxiety of the past few weeks boiled over.

  “I may feel sorry for you, but I don’t owe you or Azel anything. I watched him torture and execute several of my squadmates. He’s blackmailed me, extorted me, used me for his political games. My boyfriend is likely to be executed at any moment; while I’m here, being used as leverage to turn him into a traitor. Why should I do anything for him?” Benny whispered this to Lilian with controlled, icy rage that seemed to lash the Demoness with physical force.

  “ Despite his willingness to engage in necessary cruelty, he genuinely cares about the fate of humanity. He doesn’t see you as pests to be crushed, or rivals to conquer. He genuinely wants to forge a partnership with your race. None of the other lords feel the same. In a lot of ways, the only reason the Demon armies haven’t already overwhelmed your species has been Azel urging moderation. Have you never thought it strange that we rarely increase our territory anymore? Regardless of what your military leaders might say or think, it’s because Azel has been in the shadows urging moderation. You need him to succeed, or the others will decide to simply roll over your armies. At best your race would be slaves, at worst there would be a mass-genocide. Please, you have to help him.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Benny said coldly, head roiling. She wasn’t sure whether she believed Lilian, but it was at least something she had to take seriously. Knowing she would pay for it later, Benny did her best to compartmentalize her rage; shoving it into the corner of her mind until she could almost forget it existed.

  “Very well.” Lilian said, sounding uncertain.

  The doctor arrived before the conversation could continue further. “You. We done. Go see Azel.”

  Benny checked whether she was clothed, and confirmed she wore a thin hospital gown.

  “Can I get my clothes first?” Benny asked the doctor.

  “Clothes destroyed. We get you new clothes.” The doctor snapped his fingers, and a Demon Benny guessed to be a nurse arrived a moment later with the dress they had given her after the last time she had been hospitalized.

  “Did you dig this out of my closet?” She asked, surprised.

  “Azel order many same dress made. Say he has feeling you be frequent visitor. Azel very smart.”

  Benny shook her head, but couldn’t refute Azel’s instincts. Retreating to the privacy of the hospital’s bathroom, she changed into the dress. Strangely, this one also came with a knife, and leg holster; suggesting it was in fact part of the ensemble, not simply a nice gesture from Lorbin like she had assumed the previous time. Benny equipped it to her leg, feeling as if she was attaching a small security blanket. Saying silent thanks to Azel that she would never repeat to his face, she exited the hospital. Outside the front door, Noraz and Lorbin stood sentinel, stony expressions on both their faces. The glacial look melted as soon as they saw her.

  “Verilien, we are happy that you have recovered. The doctor told us to wait outside because we were in his way.” Noraz said, sounding mildly put out.

  “Indeed, he is known for being very strict, so we dared not argue.” Lorbin commiserated, nodding.

  Benny chuckled, nodding. “I can definitely see why.”

  The two guards fell in behind her as she began moving towards Azel’s keep. It had started it’s life as the town’s town hall, but Azel had expended significant resources fortifying it. Now, it was surrounded by a shell of stone, and reached four stories tall. Benny had to agree that it more closely resembled a miniature castle than a part of the town as she approached it.

  “Do either of you know what Azel wants to talk to me about?” Benny asked her followers.

  “Lady Lillian most likely.” Noraz responded. “Traditionally, you will have some input on what happens to her now.”

  “Why do you even have this tradition anyway? It seems like more trouble than it’s worth.” Benny huffed.

  “It is a test of leadership.” Lorbin interjected. “A leader must have the strength to defend themselves, the foresight to weed out threats, and the charisma to keep their followers loyal. Therefore, this allows incompetent leaders to be deposed by someone more effective. That being said, it is unusual to have anyone make an attempt on someone outside their direct chain of command, but Lilian’s actions still technically fall within the bounds of the rules.”

  Benny nodded. Though she didn’t like having to deal with it, it made some sense. She idly wondered if the tradition had instilled paranoia in the Demonic leadership. The doors of the keep opened to her as she mused on this, and their collective footsteps echoed against the stone walls. Reaching Azel’s private audience chamber, Benny was ushered in by one of Azel’s attendants. She noticed it was the same one who aided them during Noraz’s trial, and smiled at him. He bowed slightly in acknowledgement as the trio entered Azel’s chambers.

 
“Greetings, Lady Verilien. Please, have a seat.” Azel intoned neutrally, waving a hand casually at the chair across from his desk. Benny realized as she sat that Noraz and Lorbin hadn’t followed her into the room.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask.” Benny interjected, before Azel could continue. “Is Verilien some kind of official title?”

  Azel chuckled, and she thought there was genuine humor in his laugh. “Not exactly. Your guardians granted you the name, but I thought it would suit you as a sort of Demon name. In my military roster, you are not listed as Beneficence Church. Instead, we chose to name you Verilien to make things more palatable for those who object to the de facto conscription of a human into our ranks.”

  Benny sighed. “Does that mean I’m likely to see more kidnapping attempts in the near future?”

  Azel shrugged. “Time will tell, but I suspect so. Of course, any attempts at actual assassination will hopefully be taken care of by my own espionage forces before they reach you; but legally, I can’t do anything directly to intervene against kidnapping attempts. That will have to be dealt with by you and those under your command.”

  A loophole in this logic popped into Benny’s head as he spoke. “Lilian said that she held direct command over the espionage division, and by foiling her kidnapping attempt, I would be given command over them. Doesn’t that mean I could use them to head off any kidnapping attempts?”

  Azel looked uncomfortable. “Yes and no. She did hold a commanding position in their ranks, but she didn’t oversee the entire apparatus. Specifically, you would have command over a small cadre of operatives whose primary mission is preventing other Demon Lords from spying on us. To be honest, I am hesitant to place that responsibility into your hands. Not that I specifically think that you would betray me to another Lord, simply that it is not your area of expertise.”

  Benny nodded. “Lilian was worried about the same thing. She begged me to make sure someone reliable, and loyal got the position.”

  Azel sighed. “That someone was supposed to be her, but her pride overrode her common sense. I told her the demotion was to ensure she could move in the shadows more effectively, but she refused to accept the stain on her honor.”