The Pleasures of Hell 01.018

Vinicius tried to be silent, but as he sat down, more rumbles escaped him. And blood.

"Are... Are you sure you'll heal? That hole--"

"Will heal." He glared at her for a few seconds before his gaze settled on the large alcove opening. "Two hours. Then sleep."

"Two hours? Until twilight is gone?"

He nodded, and his eyes flickered to the amber veins on the rock walls. The spire had them, too, and they dimmed and pulsed gently during twilight hours. They stopped pulsing at night.

Sleep in Hell was oddly mechanical. Once it was officially night, all she had to do was close her eyes and flip a switch in her head that said 'sleep'. She could do it for eight hours, or ten, or even twelve. It wasn't possible to do during the daytime.

Around two hours of twilight at the beginning and the end of each day, halfway through each marking the beginning or end of a day or night cycle. Strange how Hell, the afterlife, a place where emotion and intent had real impact, had such an inorganic approach to day and night, sleep and waking.

"Why is it like that?"

Vinicius, dragon snout still pointed toward the alcove exit and the big tunnel path, aimed his one visible eye toward her. And said nothing. Of course.

"No one knows why people in Hell don't dream, right? Fine, I get that, that's a surface-only thing. But, why does Hell follow this strict day and night cycle? Day and night on the surface is just a function of a spinning planet rotating around a star. And depending on where you are on the planet, the whole day and night thing stops existing entirely for big chunks of the year." She gestured up to the gently pulsing amber veins along the cave walls. "But here, it's a perfect twenty-four hours or something, and the day and night come at the exact same time, every day? It never changes?"

Vinicius rumbled.

"So, what's up with that? Why does the afterlife even have night and day?" Symbols flowed up from her memory and danced along her eyes. Day and night, and something else, something her brain couldn't grasp. Off, and on? Ebb and flow? Back and forth? Action and inaction?

Chains connected the symbols to something else, some sort of bedrock at the base of her thoughts. Other symbols were connected to it, too, things like life and death, and causality. Causality? What'd that have to do with the others?

Vinicius said nothing. Thankfully, there was a pebble nearby, and she chucked it at him. At least that got a noise out of it.

"I don't know why."

"But you're a child of Belial. A, uh, ragarin. You've been around for a long time, right?" She waited. No response. "Hundreds of years, I bet." No response. "More? Thousands?" No response. "Tens of thousands?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know how old you are?"

"No."

Sighing, she got up and stood beside the demon.

"And you're not gonna tell me, are you?" And of course, all she got was more rumbles. "Alright, fine. Let me see."

Head still aimed at the tunnel, his dragon eye flicked to her.

"What?"

"Let me see the wounds, you god damn idiot."

"Why?"

"So I can see if I can do anything. You might get infected, or--infections aren't a thing in Hell, are they?"

"No."

"No, of course not. People might actually die in weeks instead of months if infections were a thing. Gotta make sure people suffer as long as possible." Standing beside the sitting beast, she backhanded one of his four arms. He probably barely felt it. "Whatever, let me see anyway."

Vinicius neither responded, nor moved his arm. So she did what all women knew how to do. She folded her arms across her chest, tapped her foot, and glared.

Unfortunately, that only worked on boys. Vinicius continued to ignore and defy her, eyes ahead, one hand clutching his gut, the other arms hanging at angles that conveniently allowed him to avoid pressing their cuts against things.

God, he was huge. Even sitting on his ass, he was taller than her. Adron was big, three feet taller than her. Kas was a foot taller than him, an absolute goliath of muscle that Mia had disappeared into when he'd buried her with his arms. But Vinicius was so big, even standing beside him, she struggled to wrap her mind around it. Twelve feet tall, he had to be! His leg was bigger than her entire body.

She looked for the part of her that'd enjoyed that. The part of her that'd been lost to her desire, and had given this colossal beast, this gargantuan demon of power and strength, a blowjob. The heat. The tingles. She looked for the thrill and excitement she'd felt when she'd been this asshole's target of desire, and had felt his huge cocks in her hands and on her lips.

Nothing. All she found was a cold ache in her guts that made her want to collapse and cry and scream.

"Enough," Vinicius said.

"I'm not--"

"The aura. Enough. It is cold and unwanted."

"Oh." She took a step back and tugged at the white silk still wrapped around her. "Can't help it."

"Demons control their sin aura."

"Yeah but this isn't that. Adron told me about sin auras and how they work, how demons have to spend energy to make them. Like, flexing a muscle, right? Mine is... it's like... some part of me starts plucking strings, playing music, and the instrument is... the world around me. I can't control it! Not well, anyway. It just happens."

"It's annoying."

"Well fuck you, I can't help it. Like I said, empathy. But so much for getting any of mine! I hope you bleed out and die." With a loud rumble of her own, a failed attempt at mimicking his, she sat down on the opposite side of the alcove.

"If I die, you'll die."

"Then let me help!"

Yelling was not a good idea. It echoed through the tunnel. Anyone within a kilometer probably heard it.

Vinicius shot his glare at her and lifted a hand, but didn't get a foot toward her before his body went rigid, his head snapped up, and a shot of blood gushed from his stomach wound. Amber light shot through the air from Mia's necklace, straight to the small chain wrapped around the monster's throat, and the beast trembled. A heavy, deep rumble cut through his chest, and a gargled snarl caught in his throat.

It stopped. The amber line that cut across the air vanished, and the gentle tugging it made on Mia's insides stopped with it. Mia sat there, staring, and her eyes slid down the now panting, groaning beast, and the blood that leaked from his side onto the stones.

"You... were going to hurt me."

The dragon glared at her, and slowly flexed and unflexed his hands and their claws. But, he said nothing. He put his hand back over the hole in his gut and leaned against the wall.

She curled up into a ball, hugged her knees to her chest, and glared at the beast.

"I guess I thought..." She waved a hand. "Fuck it. No point. That woman in the armor was right. You're just a bloodthirsty monster. You ever do anything other than slaughter and rape? I thought 'cause, hey, Adron and Kas and Caera, they all surprised me, maybe you'd surprise me, too. Nope. I got a rabid animal on a leash and I should treat you as such."

And of course she got no response. There'd been a sliver of hope there, much as it hurt to admit, that Vinicius would be better than Adron suggested or the stranger in armor did. Maybe that was just because of the sexual encounter. Or maybe it was because she was now forced to go on a journey across Hell and she had to rely on this monster to be her companion. Maybe, just maybe, she wanted that companion to not be a horrible demon!

Maybe, if Kas or Adron were alive, and she found them, maybe they'd come with her? Maybe?

Maybe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~David~~

They found a little alcove to hide in. Much as Jes and David wanted to get back to Dao and Caera pronto, Jes insisted the quakes probably stirred up hellbeasts. That meant danger, like that big snake thing they'd seen.

Unfortunately, the alcove wasn't very large. A bottleneck entrance was a good thing, but with Acelina's huge body, they didn't have much room to sit and rest. But they made it work, somehow.

Jes squatted down between him and Acelina, and glared at the big demon as she cuddled up beside him. Soon, the two of them were sitting, backs to the wall of the circular room, and Acelina sat on the other side, facing them. The nine-foot-tall demon's legs were so long, her hooves reached all the way past David's legs and almost reached his side.

"I'm taking a nap first," Jes said. "David, stay awake and watch her."

"You don't want to stay awake with her?" he asked.

"At least one person with claws should be awake for shifts. Sure, this big-titted bitch can't beat me in a fight, but she can beat a lot of things." Jes wiggled a few times as she got comfortable. "Just yell if she tries to kill you. I'll make sure she dies for it."

"For it... So, you won't be able to stop her from killing me first."

"Nope."

"What if she tries to kill you first? You're the one sleeping."

"I'm sturdier than you. She'll fuck up and I'll kill her. Or, I'll get mortally wounded, but I still kill her. Worst-case scenario, she kills us both, has no one to protect her anymore, probably runs into a demon who thinks she's worth more as a source of food, and eats her. Or she runs into a hellbeast who won't even think about it." She shrugged, leaned in, and gave him a very Daoka-like headbutt. "It's fine, just watch her. In a couple hours, you can sleep."

Wincing, he forced himself to look at the giant demon. Was she looking at him? No way to tell. Her obsidian head betrayed no facial features, a smooth mask of darkness that covered her entire bald head, and some of her neck. Her big horns looked amazing, beautiful, like a big crown that sat tall and wide.

"Jes..."

Jes was sleeping. Eyes closed, wings wrapped around her and shoulder nudging against David's, the gargoyle was out like a light. One of the few joys Hell offered, easy sleep during its night cycles. And as long as he didn't start yelling, she'd keep sleeping.

"It is just us," Acelina whispered, head aimed at the alcove entrance. "I do not hear any hellbeasts, either."

"Got good hearing?" His whispers lacked the hiss of a demon's.

"I may have lived in the spire my whole life, but only a fool thinks the spire is safe, easy living for a demon. I have killed my fair share, and not merely uppity hatchlings."

"Scary." He did his best to not look at her body and her absolutely ridiculously huge breasts that didn't match how tiny her waist was at all.

"You're not scared of me. That is... frustrating. That strange aura of yours craves only sex."

"Sorry! Sorry. I uh... I guess I like demon women."

She snorted softly, head still pointed out of the alcove.

"You say that word so easily."

"What, sorry?"

"Yes."

"... sorry?" He smiled, hoping to get a chuckle. No chuckle. "Much as I bet you hear it a lot from a lot of souls, it genuinely seems like Mia and me don't belong here, in Hell. We're pretty fucked without demons helping us."

"I noticed as much from your sister. And Zelandariel was hoping to have her aid in the trials to come."

"Trials?"

Acelina managed a shrug. With her wings draped over her shoulders and thumb claws hooked together against her collar, the subtle motion made them shift slightly, just like Jes's would. Wings were beautiful, and sure, Acelina's were oddly thin and skeletal compared to gargoyle wings, but still, they looked amazing. And huge.

"You really do have no control of your eyes," she said.

"Ah, sorry. But hey, at least I was looking at your wings this time, right?"

That got a chuckle out of her. Small, barely more than a snort, but it was something. That was good. Much as he didn't like to think he was, he knew he was fishing for some evidence that Acelina wasn't an absolutely horrible cutthroat bitch that'd kill him the moment she had a chance.

"I should be thankful you are as you are," she said. "But, if Zelandariel truly is dead, and it is because the rider came for the unmarked, then..."

David waited for the inevitable 'then you're to blame' part, but it never came. Maybe she didn't want to say that part out loud. Maybe she knew it wasn't a fair statement.

If only she knew the truth.

"Sorry."

Another small chuckle. "You're insufferable, and far more passive than your sister."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. She would fight, but for the lack of claws."

"That sounds like Mia."

After a heavy sigh, Acelina aimed her blank face at him. When she spoke, only a sliver of her sharp teeth exposed themselves, giving him only the smallest hints of her emotions.

"I am not your friend."

He put up both hands. "Didn't say you were."

"Then why did you stop Jeskura from killing me? Or suggest bringing me along at all?"

"Want the truth?"

"Yes."

"You're not gonna like it."

"Irrelevant."

Irrelevant. How many times had he said things like that?

"I saw a demon who wasn't frothing at the mouth full of rage or hunger, a demon willing to actually talk. That seemed like a step up from the demons I saw on the battlefield. Any demon willing to communicate, I don't want to see die."

Acelina tilted her head to the side.

"And?"

"And what?"

"And... what is the reason?"

"That's it. That was the reason. You weren't a mindless, bloodthirsty monster, so I didn't want you to die."

Acelina's tail slipped up around her waist and flicked a few times until she gently wrapped its tip in her claws on her lap.

"You're injured."

He knew where this was going.

"Very. I am thoroughly fucked up. Every breath hurts. Sitting hurts."

"You need to eat."

"Yeap."

"My heart would have provided plenty of essence to a broken human."

He shrugged. Which, of course, hurt.

"Probably, yeah. I bet it'd have filled me right up, and had leftovers for Jes."

"Then why not take it?" Her tail stopped swaying.

Sighing, he looked down and put a hand on his heart.

"A little while ago, Caera and I hunted down and killed a few humans. Before that, some humans jumped me, Jes, and Dao. Both times, it was clear the humans were full on willing to kill me, and the demons. No hesitation."

"Of course."

"Yeah, well, fuck that. I'm not going to be like that. I'm not like them, the Cainites that killed Caera's friends, or any of the souls that get sent down here to Hell. I'm not like that, and I refuse to become that. So, hey, if I come across a demon or human that's willing to talk and not fight, then I am happy to let them live." His fingers slid down his chest, dragged down, and his arms went limp on his lap. "So far, that's proving to be pretty rare. Everyone down here is ready and willing to kill each other at the drop of a hat, humans even more so than demons."

"It is Hell. Your naivety will get you killed."

"Better that than becoming a monster."

"Most people disagree, the Cainians the most. They happily kill demon and soul alike, and if they could, angels as well."

"That's what Caera said. That the Cainites want to eat the hearts of angels."

Acelina nodded, and her tail, still on her lap and in her hands, resumed swaying lightly.

"They are but one of the many flavors of vileness you will find in the souls of Hell. And the demons that roam Hell are merely predators of such vileness."

He tilted his head. "Can't tell if you're saying I should be killing all demons on sight, or forgiving demons for being assholes because of circumstance."

"I... suppose I am saying both."

His head drifted back and rested against the stone as he looked up.

"My sister and I touched the gates of Heaven, you know."

Acelina froze. "Truly?"

"Yeah. We tried to cross. Didn't work. Felt like walking into a wall. All the angels freaked out, and before anyone knew what was going on, the Hell portal sucked us up and tossed us down here."

"You tell me much. Jeskura would not appreciate that."

"She's asleep." He checked her eyes, and checked them again. Still asleep, but he quietened down more, anyway. "And I guess I wanted the opportunity to... I don't know, talk about this with someone who isn't her, or Dao or Caera."

After a few moments of quiet and contemplation, Acelina gestured for him to continue.

"I landed in the red river near Gorzen Eye with my sister in my arms. We got separated. Some imps and grems found me, and were seconds away from ripping my heart out. They were everything I expected demons to me. Hungry and happy to kill." Slowly, he looked back to Jes, and watched her. "Dao and Jes showed up, killed them, and when they realized I didn't have a number, they were curious. Before I knew it, Dao had adopted me as a pet, and they were carting my ass across Hell.

"And, I guess my point is... my first day in Hell, I ran into demons that fit the stereotype, and I ran into demons that didn't. Jes and Dao are amazing, and Caera is, too. When I realized that, I also realized I didn't want to just assume every demon I came across was a horrible monster. You seem alright, relatively speaking. That Adron demon I saw seemed alright. Even that Vinicius guy seemed... well, I'm not entirely sure about Vinicius."

"You... are like a soul in the scrying pools," she said.

"So I hear. I mean, to me it's pretty normal for humans to not want to kill and eat each other."

"The souls in Hell came from the surface, first."

"Good point. I guess the really nasty sorts on the surface sorta just blend in, for the most part. Maybe they hide? Maybe I was just blind to them. I don't know. All I know is, on the surface, if I got into an accident, I could trust a stranger to help me." He shrugged. Ow. "Maybe that's just Canada, I dunno. I figure most places in the world are nice like that, on the whole."

"Truly naive."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

"Most demons will not be kind. If they see reason, or opportunity for a meal with no repercussions, they may take it. I would have."

"Well, hopefully, after this conversation, you--"

"Don't be ridiculous. I will not change. Demons respect the powerful, and that is how you control them. Anything else is a fool's hope."

Okay, Acelina wasn't on the same wavelength as Jes and the others, and not willing to change. Good to know. But she was honest about it, too. Maybe she had some things in common with Jes? But he didn't need his sister to tell him voicing that comparison would be a bad idea.

"You... saw the gates of Heaven?" she asked.

"Yeap. When Mia and I died, we spent almost seventeen days roaming around as ghosts, ignoring the gold light that kept appearing everywhere, beckoning us. Eventually we followed it, and we ended up on the stairs of Heaven."

"Tell me about it."

"You care about Heaven?"

"I am... curious. I have spent nearly every moment of my life in the spire, tending her eggs, and the hatchlings that emerge. Demons respect my might and vie for my approval. The world of metal, claw, blood, bone, and death is all I know. It is a world I enjoy, and that Zelandariel enjoyed. But that does not mean I have not wondered about the world above, the world the scrying pool cannot show me." Acelina enjoyed talking, once she was comfortable.

"The stairs were huge and long, and lined with thousands of angels. Around us were white clouds. The stairs took us above them, and overhead, stars and nebulae and galaxies shined." Hey look at him, talking smoothly. "Nine islands floated above, gold cities sitting on top of giant clouds."

He went on, describing Heaven in detail. If Acelina was enraptured, or just humoring him because he and Jes were her only chance of surviving, he couldn't tell. But she sat there, blank face betraying no expression, as she listened to him. And for some reason, he enjoyed talking to her, too.