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Seven years passed, and for those seven years, Cherry was right: troubles were over, and it was time spent rebuilding, fixing old mistakes, and forging new bonds. Over those seven years, trade regulations were established, relations were constructed, and Hell and the mortal planes established a nervous, fragile bond... but the tenuous connection held even when the World Council made a misstep in trying to control Hell's ancient traditions, and they were told clearly and firmly that while Hell agreed to take part in the World Council and that demons on the mortal plane would follow their laws, Hell itself was its own world, its own dimension, and that they would not abide by their rulings.

It took a bit of repair work, but the World Council relented and a new membership and position was established, designated as "special delegates" who handled mostly trade and immigration matters with Hell. Balthazar and Zerrex worked often behind the scenes, pulling a lot of strings to make things work smoothly, since oftentimes the delegates were too ingrained in the rules of the World Council and the mortal plane, and were horrified or offended the dignity of not only people of Hell, but people of Heaven, too. The problems with Heaven were harder to fix, but likely only because Zerrex was loathe to ask Lord for help, and Lucifer was too busy tending to Heaven's laws and other great gears of destiny to bother intervening with pathetic mortal qualms, as he termed them.

Mercy was named the first Ambassador between Hell and the mortal realm: the fact she couldn't speak only made her an even better candidate for the job, because she was not only able to clearly communicate with the people of the world, she also embodied the thing that many mortals loved most above all - rising above one's own personal afflictions. She was selfless and giving, making her a wonderful role model for others, and she was able to talk both in sign language and with simple gestures and written word, and many of the delegates of the World Council found her far more endearing than the Wentaku, or any of Heaven's newly-appointed Metatrons, in their terrifying silver masks with their imposing, holier-than-thou voices. Not that Heaven was ready yet to ally itself openly with the mortal plane: it still held itself higher than the mortal world and its petty devices for law and order.

Wulfe Enterprises was shut down completely, but Lunis didn't despair: ironically, in death, Tobias Wulfe had created new opportunities for many people. Almost every automated Wulfe Enterprises machine was recalled and destroyed, and thus every automated job had to be filled by manual workers... and many of the machines rebuilt and reconfigured and new software and hardware designed. In the end, adversity became opportunity, and the economy suffered not a depression, but a flourish.

With the major controlling interest in Lunis destroyed, more noble companies took over in the place of Wulfe Enterprises, working hard on the construction of the space colonies... and several of them were actually launched, a global event that shook the world and made many people realize that they could do better than simply grovel in garbage and try to make their situation in this post-apocalypse livable: they could rebuild their hopes, their dreams, and search out new opportunities. All of a sudden, across the world, countries began to develop their own colonies with the help of Lunis technologies and scientists... and although even the ones that Lunis had launched were still being prepped to be ready, the other colonies were being built and developed at an amazing rate.

As well as new interests, old ones flared up as well: one in particular that struck Zerrex as odd. National Socialism swept across Ire like wildfire, with a new belief foundation and a determination to show that just because in the past Nazism had failed and gone terribly wrong, they were open, accepting, and ready to try again. Now in some places, when people saw Zerrex's tattoo, they approached him cheerfully to try and chat about the Nazi party and what was going on, and what their leader, Fuehrer Kafka, was up to.

Now the Nazis embraced all religions and all people, and used this love of everyone as part of the basis of their campaign: because now almost everyone was a worker, everyone needed to be treated with respect and dignity, among other things. Zerrex wondered if it was because hatred of Nazis had been ingrained into people, or of it was something else, but even when they said those words, he felt nervous. They weren't like Neo-Nazis, however, their group not intent on sporting tattoos and using the party as an outlet for their hatred of other creeds and species and religions... but instead they were serious and dignified, and yet still... they worried him.

Perhaps it was because Kafka had such a strong following already... although he noticed, at the same time, that most of his following were Dragokkaren, Drakkaren, and other lizard races. Maybe there was a bit of a superiority slant here, because Kafka himself was a tall, strong Dragokkaren, always in a Nazi officer's uniform and his age undeterminable, sometimes young, sometimes old, always carrying around a walking stick and wearing a cape and his armband proudly... but he also mingled with the people, talked about how in the past, the Nazis had oppressed his ancestors but how he wanted now to use their creed for goodness, how the swastika could be seen as a symbol of brightness again to lead them out of the shadows they were swallowed by now.

But more important than the growing Nazi party was the growing acceptance of demons and angels in mortal society: despite their misgivings and worries, Zerrex and the four thrones openly met President Balthazar and several World Council representatives on a podium, in front of the first permanent dimensional gateway between the mortal realm and Hell. Until science could learn to duplicate a rift, the portal was powered by demonic crystals and in the shape of a massive ring, large enough for Zerrex to walk out of it with Sin, Selena, Lily, and Amiglion at either side of him, all five of them wearing their royal masks to keep their identities hidden from the mortal realm. The very last thing Zerrex wanted was for someone to recognize him in Valise, after all, and for the paparazzi to descend on him and his family... and they'd stayed for ten minutes, as long as they could bear, to shake hands and make nice with people before returning back to Hell, where things were in far less of an uproar than the Drakkaren had imagined they would be... although of course, by the time they got back to the throne, Lily was having an anxiety attack due to all the time that had passed in Hell without them present, and she needed to be calmed down before they resumed business as usual.

Things prospered: Marina added many different faces to the mural she painted, and Zerrex often enjoyed the company of Mercy at his home on Earth, while going to Hell every week and staying there only for a century or so: very little time to a demon, but more than enough for him to appease even Selena's neediness. For a change, it seemed like everything was going to work out just fine.

Zerrex smiled to himself, content in these thoughts as he sat : it had been quite a few years now since the last assassination attempt on him, and he was able to sit in the park with Sammy cooing quietly in his lap, watching Cherry playing with some toddlers in the sandbox as they built a sand castle together, the demoness grinning stupidly and looking just like an overgrown child. Mahihko and Cindy were playing Frisbee, and Marina was at home, preparing a nice dinner for them: even though she was the only one who actually needed to eat, she liked it when the others ate with her.

The Drakkaren looked calmly back and forth, feeling placid and good. There were a few demons walking openly through the park, some with mortals, some without... and even though they were more visible, Zerrex also knew for a fact that there were actually a lot fewer demons and angels on the mortal plane than there had been before. Most had just been in hiding, too scared to show their faces in case the Scanners got them, but now the Scanners only stopped the occasional suspicious demon to check his ID and make sure he was permitted to be wandering the mortal plane.

It was nice to actually be at peace with the world, and to see things working positively: hell, even the Nazi Kafka approved of Balthazar's methods of running things, and they weren't stirring up trouble even when their conventions and rallies were bombarded by angry protestors. As Zerrex looked back and forth, he thought that this was probably what a real break was like, a true vacation from the world's usual horrors... but of course, the cynical side of him wondered just how long it would last before something terrible happened.

Then he glanced over at the sandbox again to make sure Cherry hadn't tried to eat the toddlers or anything, but she was behaving well with the kids, even if some of their parents looked distinctly terrified... but not scared enough, at least, to go and try to do anything about it. That would probably end in Cherry throwing a temper-tantrum and whining and yelling at the parents about taking away her "new little buddies" or something, and the Drakkaren shook his head in soft amusement. She had a surprising knack when it came to kids... he thought mostly because of the way she treated them... but in the last few years, Cherry had loosened up even more, after finally agreeing to see Markus.

He was long out of prison in Hell, and although still banned from professional sports until he proved that he wasn't about to kidnap and maim any of the fighters, he was working hard on a learning program he'd been placed into as part of his conditions for leaving and staying out of prison. He also wasn't permitted near his old school, and he had to clearly register with Hell's authorities whenever he moved: they didn't keep track of most people moving around, but anyone who had committed a serious offense was automatically put on a tracking list until they redeemed themselves... which in Markus's case would be a long time.

Markus was living at the Ravenlight Estate, being watched over by Sin and Selena and learning magical and scientific concepts: harmless ones, for the most part. He wasn't a raving lunatic, and it hadn't taken him long - relatively - to adjust out of the prison lifestyle and turn back towards a more-normal kind of life... but he was still different, and he tried too hard to show that he was still the son of Zerrex and Cherry whom everyone had been so proud of, making him seem just a little bit strange to most of Hell's denizens, especially those closest to the family.

He was big and brawny and strong as ever, and worked just like his father had during his first years in Hell at Feldstone's construction company, which helped him get out of the prison lifestyle and taught him about interacting with other people, at least on a simple social level. It was good for Markus either way... and it did maintain him a bit of income, since he was cut off from most of the Ravenlight funds other than a small allowance every month that would allow him to take care of basic necessities he had to. Zerrex had instructed Sin that if Markus ever wanted to move out of the Estate, to increase the funds he would receive monthly to be enough to let him pay for a small place, but Markus so far had shown no inclination to leave the Estate.

When Cherry finally ran out of hiding places to avoid Markus and Zerrex dragged her to meet him face-to-face, it was awkward, to say the least: Markus wanted to hug, Cherry wanted ten feet of space, Markus wanted to talk, Cherry just wanted to grunt on occasion. The Drakkaren knew that the demoness still felt betrayed over what had happened, as well as a lot of guilt, self-loathing, and simple upsetness... but all of those things together were just working to make the female even moodier than usual instead of cooperative, and nasty even towards her own child. It was strange, considering how Priest she showed undying, nearly-limitless affection, and it wasn't like Priest was the best demon in Hell, either... but then again, he'd never betrayed her trust so deeply as Markus had, and had never gone and killed demons for self-gain.

It took a good few tries, but finally Zerrex got Cherry and Markus talking a bit more, knowing it would help them both recover a bit from the trauma of things that had passed... and it had been a good start. He had seen Cherry's mood improve considerably over the last while, and she seemed to... grow up a little bit more, was the phrase that best came to mind. Because after all, despite her age and experiences, she still tended to behave like an obscene, vulgar teenager with an attitude problem who relied way too heavily on being able to always have Zerrex around to take orders from.

Cherry wasn't the only one who had improved, either: Mahihko had, too, although less in emotional terms and more in terms of his ability to split into Mahihko and Lone. By practicing and exercising their abilities together, Mahihko and Lone had both developed very distinct manners of manipulating their control over electricity, and when combined, these two different styles sometimes mixed together when their abilities were shown off... but thankfully, the wolf's elemental control was rarely necessary to use in these peaceful times other than to charge the battery of something or give Cherry a little zap when she was being a serious bitch about something.

More importantly, the two had become able to split apart from each other with greater ease, and reconnect with less stress on their bodies. Zerrex didn't know whether it was because the ability perhaps used some brain-muscle that once exercised properly started getting stronger, or if it was because as they practiced it they were able to do it faster and thus use up less energy somehow, but he was just glad that whatever the reason, it was working out well for the two and he was able to enjoy the company of both from time-to-time, assuming Lone wasn't being too much of a douchebag and Mahihko wasn't sucking his thumb and watching cartoons too brain-damaging even for the lizard.

He turned his head to watch as the wolf leapt up to catch a high pass from Cindy, and he laughed as he fell on his back, looking brightly over at the female as she walked over with a warm smile on her face. Cindy, too, she was improving, just as Marina was... Cindy, an angel so pure and innocent she had all but given up life in paradise, a life where she would have easily become either a Priestess or a Prophet or even one of the warrior-angels of Heaven, to live with her father on this hole of a world that was nonetheless a place Zerrex preferred even over the infinite carnal pleasures Hell could provide.

And Marina too was with them, and aging, but aging beautifully. She still looked much younger than she was thanks to her genetics, and her strength only improved... but Zerrex knew that in a few decades or so, she'd start approaching the point where her physical body would weaken. She wouldn't be in her prime forever... and it scared him, to be entirely honest, because he knew that he couldn't live with her on the mortal plane forever with his family. One day, they'd likely have to all move back down to Hell, and he knew he'd end up back on the Center Throne, which was still vacant these days even though he was always telling Sin to look at this candidate or that candidate...

But that wasn't something Zerrex wanted to think about, as he got up off the bench, Sammy leaping to the ground with a squeak and then circling his feet quickly as Cindy and Mahihko came over, and he ruffled the fur between the wolf's ears as he asked: "You enjoy your game, kid? You made a good catch there."

Mahihko beamed up at him, clinging the Frisbee to his slight chest, which was covered only by one of Cindy's open blouses: he was wearing shorts at least, however, to avoid drawing too much attention while they were out as a family, but Zerrex knew he'd put on a skirt the moment they got home and prance around in it all gaily in so many senses of the term. "Yeah, Daddy, it was real fun! Cindy's a good Frisbee player." He looked sideways at her shyly, and she patted him gently on the back, for once wearing plain old jeans and a t-shirt instead of her military-style clothes.

"The kid's not so bad himself... speaking of kids..." Cindy looked meditatively over at the sandbox, where Cherry was finishing off an archway before she grinned widely as the other children clapped, their sandcastle completed and admittedly a quite impressive, three-tiered structure. "Do you think that's really safe?"

"For her or the kids?" Zerrex asked mildly, and then he snorted in amusement as Cherry stood up and looked shocked as the group of little kids all hugged her legs, flailing her arms wildly as several parents glared at her, probably suspecting the butch female was a pedophile or some other freak... or likely just jealous that the total stranger was the one getting all the attention and affection and asking her for help instead of momma or poppa. "I guess probably her. Or maybe the parents. Then again, in the old days, the moment Cherry sat down in the sandbox cops would be dragging her away and locking her up as a pedophile."

Cherry pointed at Zerrex as she babbled something, and then she shouted and waved, despite being only twenty feet away: "Hi Daddy! Hi! Hi! Hi Daddy! Uh... are we going?"

Zerrex sighed, rolling his eyes and already long prepared for this kind of embarrassment, as he looked at her mildly for a few moments before finally saying, as Sammy leapt up onto his shoulder to glare at her: "Yes, my darling, mentally-deficient little girl, we're going."

Cherry giggle-snorted at this, then slapped her hand against her own large bosom a few times before she bounced over to the group cheerfully, and she waved goodbye to the little kids as they exited the park and headed back towards town. By now, Marina would likely have whatever she was planning for them ready, and Zerrex felt they'd spent a good day out, as they walked along a road that had been gradually but steadily repaired over the years and was now once more in cracked but serviceable condition, letting cars and other vehicles trundle along as crowds of people continued to walk along both the sidewalks and through the repaired roads, the cracked and still mostly-abandoned buildings, and the demons and mortals - both often armed and wearing ragged clothes - making it look like some sort of steampunk medieval setting.

The group paused as they saw a cluster of people in front of one of the electronics stores, staring at the televisions, and at first Zerrex thought it was just because so many people were without TVs these days... but then he frowned as he heard excited whisperings and saw other people stopping to look, as even in the streets the not-uncommon cars moved either slowly or were pulled to the side to listen to broadcasts over the radio. He approached the group, his tall height letting him easily look over the heads of most of the people as he saw a news reporter and photographs of some kind of white dimensional rift and figures in front of it... except they were obviously not Hellish or Heavenly in origin.

"They just came out of nowhere, they're saying on the radio!" whispered a voice excitedly, and Zerrex looked away from the television: the news reporter's muted babblings through the thick, bulletproof glass windows was relatively pointless, but the rumor mill on the streets always held a lot of precious information as long as you sorted the crap from the mostly-true. "They're saying they're from another dimension!"

"No, I heard they were aliens." said another voice seriously, and Zerrex discounted this. Sure, he believed there was life on other planets, but he figured most of it was about as intelligent as life here, since in every other dimension he'd heard about, most races seemed to somehow end up hating each other for some reason or another.

"Aliens are stupid. Dimensional visitors makes a lot more sense." said a demon immediately, and Zerrex wondered just when sci-fi became reality: Heaven and Hell, technically, were religious concepts... and whether true or not, whether in reality they weren't linked to religion but pure redemption and dark corruption, absolution and punishment... they were other dimensions, but not in the parallel universe sort of sense: they were disconnected but at the same time tied together with the mortal plane just like the moon revolved around the planet, which revolved around the sun. "I heard all kinds of stuff about other dimensions in Hell."

"Ever hear how to shut your mouth?" snapped some mortal in a ragged coat, and the demon huffed and grunted at him irritably. It was funny, how the greatest form of acceptance was visible annoyance with others. "Look, look at them, they're so damn weird."

"Let's get home." Cherry said with quiet urgency, grasping the Drakkaren's shoulder, and he nodded after a moment as the dragon on his other shoulder chirped softly, making a bit of a face as he took one last look at the television screen to note the location: northeastern Ire, probably near the fields that had become the marching ground for the false Warlord, and where Zerrex had both died and exacted revenge after clawing his way up from Hell.

As the group made their way quickly home, the reptile made a face: he felt tense and anxious, and something about this seemed simply wrong. The things that had come through the portal, the clothes they wore, their flat faces and skin... something about it all bothered him severely. Not to mention the fact that trans-dimensional voyages that interfered with or contacted another dimension's culture was forbidden across the board... Zerrex knew that only Reapers were supposed to have explicit knowledge of other dimensions, and that only they were supposed to be able to travel freely between them. Sure, gods could do it too, and certain pesky spirits had been known to be able to tear their way from one world to the next... but Zerrex had never heard of this sort of thing happening, ever.

What little he did know came from Sin and Amiglion, and his own journeys across the sands of the Beyond to explore the others Hells connected to theirs: journeys that had always been short and often ended in him getting chased by angry, scared demons that thought he was some kind of Terror or something. But the First Breed were able to shed a lot of light on how other worlds had come to be, especially Amiglion, since he had been the first Grim Reaper to work for God.

God had sown seeds of creation across space on his search for intelligent life and the answers to the many questions he'd had about how he himself had come to be... but it had been their planet that he'd taken a specific interest in, as theirs was one of the largest planets that had blossomed into the most perfect climate, and by helping the species out a tiny bit during evolution, God had hoped to watch this 'experiment' play out and discover the secrets of life and godhood as mortals grew and evolved. It helped that the Drakkai species he had no part in creating intermingled with the intelligent life it already possessed, but God had occasionally left the planet to look at other worlds and see how they were coping with a more-natural evolution and selection of the species without the interference of any divine powers, except for the few angels stationed here and there.

Worlds evolved and grew differently: and it was also known that other gods, perhaps in pursuit of the same wisdom God sought, or perhaps out of boredom, had created other worlds... and that some worlds were terrible, barbaric places, and others seemed dead... but had become in itself a living organism that ate starlight and floated through space like a monstrous blot, filled with parasitic organisms that only waited for the next meal. Some worlds had cultures that seemed civilized, but were in reality ready to destroy each other at the drop of a hat, while others had cultures that seemed savage and stupid, but were able to comingle with their planet in perfect balance with the rest of the natural ecosystem, with no need for technology or backwards societies.

And there were the terrible doomed places: planets that had been torn apart, planets full of undead life that screamed for revenge, and terrible chunks of planet or asteroid that floated through space, full of dark life that when approached, stormed to the surface, banished and evil gods and monsters lurching forth to strike out at whatever dared approach them. Amiglion and Sin had both told him about how God had found all these planets, and how God Himself, thought by so many religions as the ultimate being, of ultimate glory... had been as scared as a child of some of the terrible, terrible things he had come across, and how other things had left him in sorrow so deep it had taken days to break him out of depression. God, sadly... had been a god, but he had possessed deep emotions, perhaps deeper than even mortals and demons with their raging passions had... and God had been lonely, and lost, and didn't know how he'd come to be, and no one would ever know the extent of all his thoughts and experiments now, because of the treachery of Narrius: Narrius, who had done so much vileness and evil, who had crept like the tangled ivy of corruption through Heaven and who had tricked God and lashed his soul into Arodnap's Box, the Box That Held All Good, and scattered him in a thousand different directions throughout the universe. Narrius, the father of Zerrex, the vile monstrosity created by the Goddess that had looked like a Dragokkaren but had possessed no heart, no soul, no mercy, no love.

Zerrex knew there were Old Gods somewhere out there, Gods that floated through space and time in mostly hibernation, and that had created things long before God had created anything... and he knew there might very well be some penultimate "God" somewhere that had created the entire universe... but he also knew that the universe may have started long before gods had come around, in the paradox of the big bang: that in the nothingness of the Void, something had appeared simply because there could never be pure nothing, because nothingness itself was something if there was nothing else there.

The reptile made a face and rubbed at his head: his thoughts were getting way too goddamn complicated and he was giving himself a headache. Either way, the beings that had come through the portal made him nervous, as they approached the door to his home... and Marina opened it before he could reach for the handle, looking grim as she said quietly: "You'll want to see this."

They followed her to the den, sitting down around the television as the voice of the reporter filled the room. "-portal, they say that they are of a race called 'humans' and worship the same divinities that we do. They speak a language similar to a dialect used throughout most of Ire, which they call 'English,' and know about both Heaven and Hell and claim to have had dealings with them in the past.

"Our correspondent on the scene, Meryl Nicolson, also had this to report: not only did President Balthazar rush to meet these humans and welcome them to Ire, known Nazi Party leader, Fuehrer Josef Kafka also arrived on the scene, which has been surrounded by Irenic military in order to keep the peace and stop both protestors and bewildered citizenry from flooding forwards." continued the skunk in a brisk voice, looking serious. "Kafka, however, was welcomed by President Balthazar to join them, who wished to show that people of every culture and belief are tolerated and welcomed throughout Ire."

The reporter paused, then frowned as someone yelled at him off-camera, and he looked to the left for a few moments before he suddenly seemed started, shuffling through his papers before leaning forwards to very-obviously read off a teleprompter. "We have breaking news. A reporter from another network has just been permitted inside and is sharing the story with us. We now go live to meet the leader of the humans."

The screen cut off a few moments later, just as the skunk was getting out of his chair, and instead they were suddenly looking at President Balthazar and a tall, handsome Dragokkaren with streamlined, aged features that made him look almost regal in his full officer's uniform, a cape swirling around his shoulders in a strong wind coming off the ocean as he held his officer's cap in one hand, leaning on the cane in the other. The camera was static-riddled and wasn't picking up sound very well, but Zerrex wasn't surprised: the massive, swirling portal visible in the background was likely causing a hell of a lot of electromagnetic interference, as Cherry muttered: "Yeah, this isn't suspicious at all. Fuck, Boss, that's the Row of Skulls, I can even see the ruins of Az'Iriel's castle in the background, even the sign calling it a historical battle site..."

Zerrex opened his mouth to answer, but then another figure appeared on screen, flanked by priests or warriors: they wore long, huge robes and their white hands were bare and carrying what the reptile guessed to be bibles, with black bibs that had a golden cross on their chests... but they also wore rounded metal helms that completely covered their face, with only small grilles carved in the front to let them see through, and both had handles of swords sticking up over their backs... and in the center was the figure Zerrex guessed was the human leader.

He had cold, almost albino features, with long white hair that fell down past his shoulders, neatly combed to either side and braided at the front where it fell over his shoulders, but left loose in the back. His face had no muzzle, was smooth and alien, and his eyes were icy, cold blue... his mouth small, his lips almost as white as the rest of his face, a protrusion that Zerrex guessed was his nose slightly curved and strangely arrogant. His body, at least, seemed the same as that of most people: two arms, two legs, but no tail, although the reptile couldn't be sure, since he was wearing long, flowing robes like the soldiers flanking him, except his were far more gaudy and he had a black metal breastplate on, as well as three plates that protected his hips and groin and heavy cusps over either shoulder. Every piece of armor had a golden cross on it... as did the hat he wore, which was conical and tall and ended in almost a rose shape, dead black other than the golden cross... and even though he was unarmed and his hands bare, the only thing holstered in the leather belt around his waist a bible, Zerrex thought he looked dangerous as he looked into the camera and smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Greetings, world. I am the Grand Inquisitor Animaxander... and I do not wish to create fear or unrest in your world, but instead quite the opposite. I am here on a divine, holy mission from the God of Gods... from the Greatest One, who created all that created us, to spread peace and prosperity with my teachings throughout every world I pass. With me come twenty upon twenty score of disciples, all of whom are dedicated and peace-loving people, and we will gladly turn back if we must... but I have heard from He Who Speaks that terrible things have happened in this land, and I have come to help.

"I have met with your President Balthazar of Ire, of this great and noble nation of men and women... excuse me, males and females, of people... and also met this generous Fuehrer Kafka, who is a bright and positive role model, I believe, for cleansing the sins of the past and instead bringing forth a great and prosperous future from seeds that were sown by evil hands." He continued, his voice ringing clearly even though the static. It was a cool, calm voice... the kind of voice Zerrex's instincts told him not to trust, whatever message he was spreading. "I am a traveler of worlds and dimensions, and I have heard of groups similar to the National Socialists in many different worlds, and wish to tell you that evil ideas and evil ways spread from one dimension to the next, like disease... but also so does good and greatness and love, as your religion Unity is very similar to our Papal message.

"For instance, I know that you have never seen a human... but I have seen your species throughout many worlds I have travelled through." Animaxander said calmly, as he looked from Kafka to Balthazar. "Ferrets, dogs, lizards, and others... in some worlds without your great state of evolution, in other worlds just like you, working advanced machinery, with the minds as strong as the greatest of men from my home world, Zion. And I have seen other humans... humans both warlike and evil, but humans good and who love God, as I do.

"But it is not only God that I wish to teach and spread the word of. It is peace, and love, and prosperity." Animaxander spread his arms, smiling warmly as the soldiers flanking him knelt and crossed themselves, bowing their heads forwards. "And if you will have me and my men, and allow us to stay here, we shall build a great monument, a great cathedral and home in memory of what we here were two terrible wars that rent this world apart... and I will spread my missionaries throughout the land to give and help as they can in repairing your world, your way of life, and we will ask you nothing in return but for your acceptance and your open minds. We are hard workers, and we wish to meet your entire world and engage every one of your cultures, and show our love and compassion to you all."

Zerrex made a face, and then he shook his head slowly as Balthazar started to speak carefully, the Drakkaren recognizing that the ferret was nervous: Balthazar, after all, had developed an uncanny ability to read people, and he was probably caught between an instinctive worry and a need to show openness and compassion. "We... kindly accept you here, and I have to say that I myself am still... awed by your entrance..."

Then Kafka suddenly overrode him, extending a hand with a warm smile towards Animaxander and stepping forwards... and Animaxander reached a hand out and took it, clasping the Dragokkaren's and shaking it firmly as they looked at each other... and Zerrex felt a chill as the Fuehrer said: "Then let me take over, President, and welcome him here with open arms and a kind heart. I know what it's like for people to lash out at you simply because you seem different, or revere something supposed to be terrible and wrong... and let me say, that I am glad indeed to have more help here and that I think I speak for all National Socialists when I say that we will be glad for your assistance, and in return to display our brotherhood with you by giving you any and everything you need."

"Looks like they've met before." Cindy said darkly, and Zerrex grunted as he watched the two shaking hands and smiling, as Balthazar stood back and let Kafka take over, probably analyzing the situation. Kafka, after all, had some seventy percent of Ire's population in his pocket with his New National Socialist Party... and although Balthazar was President of Ire, he wasn't a politician. At any time, Kafka could call for Balthazar to hold an election, since the new system permitted a President to remain in place until such a time as it was challenged... and it looked like Kafka was either looking to start a political battle with the ferret by making him look like a jackass or there was something more deeper and more sinister in the works.

The problem was that Kafka's ideas actually worked: he had already been appointed to the Irenic Advisory Council beneath the President, that took care of many federal matters, and he had the approval of the World Council... although current, the council still backed Balthazar for Presidency, since he had proven himself so capable of establishing responsible and economical policies in this post-apocalyptic world, and he was one of the very few Irenic leaders who hadn't tried to start a war or abuse his power.

When it came down to it, Balthazar simply wasn't a politician. He was moralistic, never permitted himself to take on a position of power, and almost always appointed people from other political parties as his advisors or on councils, to maintain fairness and to give him someone who'd be willing to argue against him and bring up different points of view. Hell, he even talked to Albatross calmly and openly about matters of economics and even national security, which showed a trust between the two no politician could ever attain, and while it technically put Ire at a lot of risk from Hez'Rannan invasion... Balthazar obviously had little to fear of that actually happening with Albatross as such a close friend, and all his policies going towards helping not just the Irenic economy, but Lunis, Hez'Ranna, the Northern Nations, and Lailland. Ire had gone from the world's Big Brother to the world's close confidante, no longer looming and throwing its weight around as a superpower but instead extending the hand of friendship wherever it went and showing positivity as the world rebuilt itself. One day, the planet would probably once again be at its own throat, nations shooting and bombing each other... but for now, war was minimal and nations were still too intent on reconstruction and developing ties with other planes.

Kafka, however, was something more dangerous than a politician: unlike Balthazar, he played the political field well, but Zerrex felt like he had some ulterior motive, some personal goal. The Drakkaren wondered if Animaxander had something to do with that, as the Dragokkaren backed away and said something... but Zerrex had seen enough, as he stood up and tapped his cane slowly against the ground, looking thoughtfully at the table as Marina muted the television and asked quietly: "Do you think it's possible they're both demons or supernatural entities?"

"Dunno. I've never seen a human before... heard of them, but never actually seen one." Zerrex said softly, shaking his head a bit as he looked at the screen, where Animaxander was once more in the center of the camera and giving some gasbag speech. "Trans-dimensional missionaries my ass. But the stuff he's talked about has been true."

"The idea shit, right?" Cherry looked up, and she grinned a bit, resting her wrists on her knees as she leaned forwards, Zerrex looking surprised. "What? I listen to you sometimes, dickhead. Anyway, that shit is dead on, so the fucker does know a little something about how dimensions work... and if he's able to create a portal that big, hold it open for that many people to get through that I see milling around in the background, and talk about stuff so clearly... dude probably has been to one or two other worlds. I just wonder what sort of state they're in."

"Too bad we can't get a reading on that portal... if we could, we might be able to reverse it and go back to whatever world he last came from." Cindy said softly, and Zerrex looked at her with a slight smile, impressed. She gazed back at him with quiet amusement, then looked down when Mahihko tugged gently at her wrist. "Yes, little guy?"

"Um... what idea stuff? I don't understand." Mahihko said dumbly, and Zerrex softened before he looked at Cherry, who sat up and grinned from the floor, looking proud of herself for being the one to get to talk.

"See, like... languages, huge-ass events like massacres and strong beliefs, and machinery ideas... sometimes they seem to come out of nowhere, right?" Cherry tapped her temple, and Mahihko looked at her curiously. "The thought is that some ideas, some beliefs, travel on 'spiritual winds,' so to speak, and get blown through different dimensions. Like Hitler and the Nazis, and real important books. You know the Boss's favorite, Paradise Lost? They were selling a few versions of that at the book store down in Hell, each slightly different but obviously the same story, and they all came from different dimensions. Just like guns and cars, some dimensions they look a bit different, but lots they look almost exactly the same 'cause the mechanics work the same in all worlds." Cherry nodded seriously, and Mahihko looked surprised. "Just like the thought is that these 'other dimensions' aren't actually other dimensions, but planets floating through space, sorta. They're all on the physical plane, but so far out there in the universe that they ain't nowhere close to us that we could reach by normal means, so we call 'em other dimensions 'cause of the ginormous differences between us and yet the similarities there still seem to be. It ain't known how it is, it just is, you dig? Ideas seem to travel around the world... I'm sure you've had an idea yourself that seemed to come out of nowhere, and seen almost the exact same thing somewhere else, after all."

Mahihko nodded a few times, kneading the Frisbee he was still holding between his hands before he looked at Zerrex and asked hesitantly: "Does that mean they're aliens? And... could there be other versions of us?"

"Dude, they ain't aliens. And you are totally one-in-a-billion-million-trillion." Cherry said amiably, and Mahihko blushed, looking happy before she paused and held up two fingers. "Make that two, 'cause I forgot about Lone. So I guess you're like. Two in a big number."

The wolf blushed deeper, rubbing at his head slowly, before Cherry looked over at Zerrex and made a face. "But okay, so like. We got Nazis and sci-fi dimensional priest traveler dude. Both seem pretty harmless, but both also give you that constipated look on your face we all know means your Zerrex senses are acting up and telling you they're dangerous."

"Shut up." Zerrex said absently, rubbing at his head as Sammy glared at Cherry from where he was still poised on the reptile's shoulder, but everyone was looking at him seriously, and he slowly nodded. "Yeah, they do. I think we have to wait for Balthazar or Albatross to contact us, though, and then talk things through with them... for now, we'd better just continue life as usual and prepare for the worst, just in case... even though I don't know what the worst is yet, but... we'll have to wait and see if Animaxander's forces could be assessed as an invasion force, or if they really are just missionaries looking to convert."

The others nodded, and then Marina leapt to her feet, clapping her hands together as she said with a soft smile at her father: "Then come on, Daddy. I made us all a good meal, and maybe a bit of food will help you feel better."

"I am an emotional eater." Zerrex said dumbly, and the pseudodragon on his shoulder rolled his eyes before jumping off, Mahihko squeaking as the little beast kicked off his head before hitting the ground and running quickly to the kitchen, the wolf adult-child yelling and chasing after it. The Drakkaren rolled his eyes, then he yelped when Cherry shoved past him, automatically chasing after Mahihko as she shouted something about not wanting to be left out.

The meal was good at least: Marina had prepared a large salad and fish and chips, one of the reptile's favorites. Zerrex was always touched that she went through so much trouble for them even knowing that only she needed to eat, and he felt it said a lot about her... that despite how twisted she seemed at times, she was truly devoted and compassionate... and that she had a generous, gentle heart, from how she made food not only for him and her, but for the entire family. Of course, it was possible it was only because she knew he'd feel bad if she only made the meals for the two of them... but Marina only smiled slightly up at him as he thought this, looking across the table to say softly: "And you call me a mind-reader, Daddy... but you're the one who thinks twenty steps ahead. Maybe I am just egotistic instead of altruistic... maybe I do only care because you care. Either way, though... I love you, and you're my father. And you're the master I'm devoted to."

Cherry looked back and forth, making a bit of a face, but neither Mahihko nor Cindy seemed surprised: by now, they were all used to Marina's powers probing through their minds and her random replies to their thoughts, especially Zerrex's. The rest of the meal was eaten in quiet, however... and then Zerrex decided to go for a short walk, grabbing his cane and snapping the satellite phone onto his belt as he left the house, headphones firmly on and music player in his pocket, volume low enough he'd be able to hear it ring and the nanotech armlet on his forearm.

The little device had been upgraded and enhanced slightly over the years, and when Zerrex had gone back down to Hell for the first time after the events in Lunis, Priest had given him a bit of a tutorial on it and told him that he'd managed to actually activate the voice recognition system. With a direct order to the armlet, he could now make it do various things, from creating and storing a map of the area by using echolocation technology and GPS systems to connecting and hacking into computer terminals and networks, thanks to the AI included in the armlet. It was a wonderful device... although he'd also had to recharge it on his last trip down to Hell. Thankfully, Priest had anticipated that the battery life wouldn't be eternal, and they'd recharged the demonic crystal inside the machine by simply placing the nanotech armlet into a special station Priest had been tinkering with over the years, and luckily, it had worked beautifully, even if it had also taken roughly a month to fully recharge and the systems to reboot and update.

Priest also noted that he couldn't take full credit for the invention: a lot of the tech had been built into it when they'd found it, the issue had mainly been the power supply for the nanomachine system and the microcomputer and processor, since it sucked up the power from even advanced battery cells way too fast. A specially-shaped demonic crystal and a few charms carved carefully on the inside of the walls of the device had worked wonders, however, and Priest had just enhanced what little he knew how to work with: since although he was a pure demon - and technically the son of a demigoddess and an Incarnate - Cherry and Zerrex had both introduced him to a lot of mortal culture even while immersed in Hell's teachings and society, and the effect was that he had an advanced understanding of both demonic and mortal customs and society. It was this that allowed him to quickly grasp both basic and advanced engineering concepts, and which let him substitute in demonic magic where mortal science failed, and vice-versa.

Zerrex wondered absently if Priest would be able to upgrade either his phone or his music player the next time he went down to Hell so he didn't have to recharge the goddamn things so often, and then he paused as he passed an old playground at the back of an L-shaped apartment building, and he smiled a bit as he grasped the chain-link fence to look inside, somehow unsurprised to see a black-scaled dragoness sitting on one of the rusted, ancient swing sets, quietly sketching and deaf to the world. These apartments were mostly abandoned, but she had moved in here after her old building had started to collapse... and here she was, in her tight, faded leather jacket, her body a bit worn by time now. On her head were flexible scales that led down the back of her neck, becoming a bit stiffer and angular as they went down until they vanished when they reached her shoulders, and right now the loose ones at the front were falling over her dark sapphire eyes and moody features.

The reptile figured that something had happened, and he hesitated to walk in on her, feeling inadequate and dumb. He wasn't much of a friend... much as he tried to be, much as he wanted to be, and he hung his head quietly before a voice grumbled in his head that he was the goddamn High King of Hell, he shouldn't be getting so stupid and worked up over just walking up to a friend and saying hello. Friend... such a strange, foreign word to him, for so long a foreign notion. He used to always feel he didn't have friends, which was probably why he'd gotten so clingy, and gladly surrounded himself with the people who showed care for him and centered himself so tightly, nested himself so deeply in their comforting cradle... and then he leaned too hard on the fence, and he winced as it collapsed inwards and he fell over, landing in a sprawl on his face as his cane bounced once beside him.

He coughed, then looked stupidly ahead to watch her combat boots approach before she said in a dryly-amused voice: "Hi, Zer. Nice of you to... drop in."

"Hello, Reia." Zerrex said dumbly from the ground, and then he coughed and quickly leapt up to his feet, brushing himself off before she hugged him tightly, and he looked surprised before he closed his eyes and hugged her back. He didn't want to let go, and they held the embrace for a few moments before parting, and he smiled faintly down at her, saying softly: "Sorry I haven't been around or called much. It's been busy."

"Strange, usually you got nothing to do." Reia smiled up at him with quiet entertainment, and then the two walked side-by-side over to a metal bench, both brushing at it a bit before sitting down beside each other as she hugged the clipboard she'd been drawing on close, pencil tucked between an ear and one of her pointy horns as she looked over at him with that old cocky expression on her face. "So saved the world recently?"

"Shut up." Zerrex said dryly, and the dragoness laughed and shook her head as he rubbed embarrassedly at his face. "No, I've been just up the usual, looking after my crazy family and wishing sometimes I was normal. What about you?"

"Not much..." Reia paused, keeping something to herself for a moment before she added dryly: "Had a thief in the apartment, kinda... pissed me off, I guess. Trusted the bastard..." She paused again for a long moment, and Zerrex sensed something else before she cleared her throat and looked at him with that dumb expression that reminded him of... well... him. "So uh. Yeah. That's... that's my life. Nothing big, really, I just-"

"What've you been drawing?" Zerrex interrupted curiously, before she could fall into a loop, and Reia looked down at the clipboard with a protective expression, before she sighed and handed it over, and the Drakkaren took it with a smile before he gazed down at the sketch. It was of the playground, the apartments clearly visible... but there were kids playing and parents standing around, and it looked just like it would have in the past before she snatched it back from him and blushed a bit as he said softly: "You're damned talented."

She only shrugged, then she smiled at him slightly as she glanced over him, the Drakkaren pulling his headphones off as she said with faint entertainment: "You know, you can hardly tell you're a demon these days. No evil pall of darkness, no looming terrible shadows, no horns on your head or nipple rings..."

Zerrex looked at her sourly, and then he rubbed slowly at his face, wincing a bit at the memory. "You're never going to let that go, are you? Look, like I told you, Carmen put both the nipples and the rings on me."

"It was hot." Reia said mildly, and when Zerrex looked at her for a few moments, she grinned at him and asked: "Now you're thinking about putting them back on, aren't you?"

"Your face." Zerrex retorted stupidly, and the two glared at each other for a moment before they both shook their heads and laughed quietly. Then the reptile became a bit more serious, asking quietly: "So what do you think of this Animaxander crap?"

"Big news but... I don't care at the moment." Reia replied softly, and Zerrex frowned a bit and tilted his head as she glanced away awkwardly, saying finally: "Stuff like this happens all the time these last few years and I prefer not to think about it anymore, because somehow you always get involved and shit always hits the fan, but then everything goes back to normal. I guess..." She looked down, saying softly: "I still think about when you first told me all this stuff. I guess it still takes me by surprise sometimes. I do worry and think about you, you big ass. I am your friend."

She punched his bicep quietly, and Zerrex smiled a bit at her, rubbing at it as he said softly: "You shouldn't worry-"

"Like hell! Don't start that crap again, Zer." she snorted and shoved at him, and when he didn't budge, she smacked his head with the clipboard, which made him wince and duck a bit, grasping his skull with both hands. "I'll worry about you if I damn well want to. And you should be worrying about you too."

Zerrex opened his mouth to reply, and then the satellite phone when off at his belt with a distinctive, high beeping. Reia softened as she looked at him, and then she cleared her throat and gave him that old amused look that didn't quite reach her eyes, as she said mildly: "Aren't you going to answer that?"

The reptile glanced down at the screen, saw it was Balthazar... and then he simply hit the cancel button, and the beeping stopped as he looked at her squarely and said with a slight smile: "I'll get back to him in a few minutes. Hey, don't gimme that look... I don't wanna think about the stuff that's just happened either, but I'll deal with my responsibilities... but that doesn't mean I can't postpone them for five minutes to finish my visit with you."

Reia looked like she wanted to argue, if only for the sake of argument, but then she finally grudgingly nodded when the Drakkaren shot her a look. "Fine, fine. Just don't be a dickhead."

"You're a dickhead." Zerrex said flatly, and the two glared at each other again before they both stood, and they hugged tightly. Zerrex breathed softly as he clung to her, and he closed his eyes, listening the quiet sound of music coming up from the headphones, feeling her body against his and hearing her breaths coming in and out... and then finally, they parted, and he squeezed her shoulder as he looked down at her and said quietly: "I'll be good, don't worry. You take care of yourself too though, got that?"

The dragoness nodded, and the just visible above her shirt white scales on her chest reddened slightly, before she covered them with the clipboard, hugging it to her body and her fair bosom as she said mildly to him: "Yeah, but you worry about you, too, like I said. And I will damn well worry if I want to. Just... take care, huh?"

Zerrex nodded again, and then he rose a hand to her as she headed for the doors and he walked out of the playground, and they both turned to look at each other for a moment, the Drakkaren standing on the sidewalk as a few people passed and the wind blew, and Reia at the doors, glancing back before she vanished into the building and he walked on, shaking his head and feeling his heart thud for a moment before he cleared his throat and picked up his satellite phone as it rang again, answering it with a rasp of: "What?"

A long pause ensued, and then Balthazar said in a slow, gentle voice: "I can call back if the timing's bad, Zerrex."

A blush rose in the Drakkaren's cheeks, and he cleared his throat and shook his head, saying quietly: "No, I'm sorry, it's my fault. Just... had an awkward meeting, that's all." He paused, not wanting to discuss it, before he added with soft amusement: "Besides, I guess my problems and personal life aren't more important than the fate of the world, huh?"

"But we're dealing with a matter of advice and etiquette, not the world... and sometimes a single person's life and passions can resound throughout the nation and bring the people to reason or to violence." the ferret said with soft entertainment, and whatever pallor of gloominess hung over them both seemed to rise as he continued in his cultured voice: "You are a role model, after all... and think of what people would do if they saw you turn your back on the world for say... compassion, or love, instead of egoism. If you threw away everything you worked for to save one life: if the people saw you do that, I don't think they'd riot or rise up against you... I think they would love you all the more for it and they may even realize themselves, that to save a single life may be worth a thousand hardships, and perhaps altruism... however egotistical it might ironically be at the same time... would reign throughout the land."

"So should I hang up on you now or later?" Zerrex asked mildly, as his feet automatically guided him down the road and past the downtown district, and Balthazar chuckled quietly on the other end of the line. "If you want my opinion on Anaximander and Kafka, it's to be careful as hell around them."

"Anaximander. Although you're right, it has a distinct similarity to that name." Balthazar corrected softly, and Zerrex wondered if he'd just brought up some ancient piece of history he'd never actually learned and thus had no idea who he'd just named. "But I did notice it. The familiarity, the openness. Kafka acts that way with many, but rarely is it returned or portrayed in a way that doesn't seem... plastic, if you will. This time, the alliance was distinct and immediate, like... two compatriots who haven't seen each other in a long time... just as Kafka had no reaction to seeing a human for the first time, while I admit myself I may have stared improperly for a few moments."

"Yeah, you're really an icon of rudeness, Kafka. Believe me, I probably would have said something horrible..." Zerrex made a face, shaking his head before he added flatly: "And dude totally has my hair."

"It's not trademarked, Lord Zerrex. I believe they even made white wigs, among other colors, long before you were born, for nobility who wished to be clearly identified in a crowd." the ferret replied with quiet amusement, before he became serious once more. "But while Kafka seems to be interested in PR and advancing the goals of his party, I must admit that Animaxander makes me nervous... history has taught that one of the most powerful techniques for invading and annexing land is to approach with the message of religious love and tolerance."

Zerrex grunted, nodding: now they were on a historical subject they were more familiar with. "And then start the Crusades, yeah. What does Animaxander have to say on the subject of demons? He mentioned he knew about them or something, didn't he?"

Balthazar paused for a moment, and Zerrex felt a distinct drop in his gut before the ferret finally said quietly: "He wishes to meet with you, Lord Zerrex, to have a... discussion session, he called it, at the end of the week. I told him that I cannot speak for you, but he was very insistent... and Kafka was waiting nearby the whole time, undoubtedly listening in on our conversation, although whether to look for a vulnerability or for something more malignant I'm not sure. I can arrange for the meeting to be on neutral territory, but I have to admit I am not entirely comfortable acting as a go-between... from what I know of religion, messengers have often been killed when they give bad news to the cardinals, and as Animaxander speaks of himself as a 'Grand Inquisitor...'"

The Drakkaren made a face: they had horror stories about what some so-called mortal 'Inquisitors' did to demons in Hell that would rival their demonic Inquisitors, whose job was to watch over and punish the exceptionally-wicked. "Yeah, that makes me nervous... so I won't give you any bad news to tell him. I'll meet him, Balthazar, if only 'cause I'm goddamn nervous about what the fruitcake might be up to... just like. No churches or citadels or anything. I hate religious places."

"Of course." Balthazar said softly, not making any demonic phobia jokes, which Zerrex appreciated. It wasn't because he was a demon, after all... it was because the church his mother had been part of had refused to give her a proper burial and funeral, after her life as a porn star. Churches made him... grouchy, so to speak, and for good reason. And then Zerrex glanced up as Balthazar asked quietly: "What are you going to do if he betrays you? While I recognize that you're capable of handling yourself in most situations... you also have mentioned on more than one occasion the aversion to blessed powers you and most demons share."

"I've gotten better at that over the years." Zerrex said softly, looking down at his hand and flexing it a bit as he stepped off the sidewalk and crossed through an empty lot that had been mostly reclaimed as marsh, walking along a solid path of yellow dirt and carefully avoiding stepping on any of the soggy-looking, gunky earth surrounding it. "It still hurts like hell... ha, pun... but I can handle or divert holy energy. Banishment back to Hell, on the other hand, is another thing entirely... but I don't think he's in any position to do that right now, and it's too big a move to make, anyway. Not to sound cocky or anything, but I'm turning into kind of a big deal on the mortal plane."

"So I've heard." Balthazar responded with a hint of a small smile in his voice, before he sighed, and Zerrex imagined him nodding slowly on the other end of the phone. "Very well, Zerrex. I'll set it up and you can see just what he wants... but I have this feeling that it's bound to go unpleasantly whether all you do is talk to him or if events more malign transpire."

The Drakkaren grunted, nodding a bit himself now as he crossed one of the older, less-repaired streets in town, his feet taking him through a small alley as he said mildly: "Well, we all have a part to play, right? I just hope to play my part well."

"Then I'll do my best too. But for now I must leave, Lord Zerrex. I'll pass on your message, though." Balthazar said softly, and then he added quietly: "Be careful, friend. There's worse things on the streets these days than even Animaxander and Kafka, I worry."

"Thanks, Balthazar. Take care of yourself, too, and don't let the presidency wear you down or Kafka get to you. You're still the favorite for leader." Zerrex replied softly, and Balthazar gave a faint sound of agreement after a moment of hesitation. "Take care, Balthazar. I'll see you soon."

With that, the Drakkaren hung up the phone, then he snapped the antennae closed and tucked it back onto his belt, looking back and forth before he paused and slowly glanced down the road with a slight smile. He was unsurprised to see that his feet had led him out to manse owned by the last two members of the Silver Wind Clan.

He put his hands in his pockets as he walked down the sidewalk, and one of the front doors opened a moment later, the huntress Mary walking out and leaning shyly behind it as she gazed warmly at her Patron demon. Zerrex looked back with a smile, rubbing the back of his head as he met her eyes: as soft and innocent as they had been all those years before, although by now she had toughened up and changed quite a bit.

Mortals changed so fast... the reptile had almost forgotten, after all his years spent as a demon, just how quickly their lives passed and how malleable they were in the face of experience. With Mary's experiences, she had become strong and determined, and with the help of some demonic friends, several years back Zerrex had bestowed upon her a special bracelet made of gold and inset with a green demonic crystal that would allow her to exert control over minor demons and came with a few other neat little charms. It clung to her wrist like a living thin by three chains that seemed loose but would tighten if the bracelet was quickly moved or someone other than her attempted to remove it, and it was shaped like a golden scarab, with the green gemstone inset into the shell.

Mary had found her own path, a different path than dictated by the Silver Wind's Clan coda, but a path all the same that was helping her do what she felt was right and letting her follow her ideas and passions. Even if she was different, she was also a true Devil Hunter, just like her brother Zanbrick, and her father and mother and her ancestors all the way back to those who had formed the Clan, and Zerrex thought she was right in being proud of herself, and that even Zane probably felt a grudging admiration for his sister.

Zane, of course, still didn't exactly get along with Zerrex... but they were at least on moderate terms, and the hunter was interfering less and less with the Drakkaren training and educating Mary. It was possible he realized that Mary had great potential, and that Zerrex training her was for the best... but it was more likely that over the years, Zanbrick had just grown up and matured a little, and now that he'd gained more experiences and a little bit of wisdom, he could be supportive and understanding as well as a controlling douchebag.

Mary walked towards him, in just plain mortal clothes: not dressed to impress, not dressed to stand out in a crowd, not dressed like the females of the Clan in the past, and they traded a tight hug. A moment later, an imp appeared out of nowhere and tugged at her leg, and the yellow-skinned, dog-faced demon asked irritably: "What are you doing, hurry up, hurry up! The others are getting impatient for the feasting!"

Zerrex glanced down at the Imp, with its smattering of hair over its head and tall, jackal-like ears, and then he recognized the torn, makeshift little white robe it was wearing with the high red-and-blue shoulders, and he asked mildly: "How are you doing, Ishmael?"

The imp glowered up at him, and then it vanished from sight in a puff, and Mary sighed, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Would you like to come in, Zer? And sorry about Ishmael, you know I can't control him very well."

The Drakkaren smiled slightly and nodded, understanding. While imps were usually claimed by mortal sorcerers to act as familiars or partners, he knew that in reality they were dangerous demons in their own right, and while their magical spells didn't function on the mortal realm, they could still teleport short distances and use minor pyrokinetic abilities, as well as sap the energies of mortals. They were mischief makers for the most part, but if provoked, they could become quite threatening... and Zerrex was admittedly honestly surprised that Ishmael had so readily agreed to work with Mary.

Mary, unlike Zanbrick, didn't capture demons in Imprisonment Stones: instead, she summoned demon utilizing the bracelet she wore. She prepared these summons ahead of time by placing collars and bracelets around the demons she wanted to call out, which would create a link between her and the demon via the jewelry: and the demons themselves, she preferred to actually negotiate a partnership with instead of using brute force to capture them. It was a longer and more complex process than Zanbrick used to summon demons to his aid, but she also almost always got better results with her demons, no matter how experienced and powerful Zane's were.

The doe gazed up at him fondly, and Zerrex stroked her face lightly before she laughed quietly, taking his hand and pulling him firmly inside as she asked in a soft voice: "So do you think this Animaxander fellow is going to pose a serious problem? The demons really don't like him... and even my brother is getting very tense over the whole issue. Maybe you could calm them all down a bit."

"When have I ever been able to calm Zane down? He hates me." Zerrex responded flatly, and Mary rolled her eyes as she led him through the hallway, and Zerrex's eyes shot to the side as he smiled a bit, pretending not to see a bashful figure following them. "Anyway, I'll tell you and the others what I know then... is the feast actually a feast this time or are we going to just play party games again? I gotta say, I loved when we played board games that one day... real inventive on your part, even if no one really got the concept of half the games."

Mary laughed at this and shook her head, looking almost embarrassed as she replied easily: "It just came to mind, Zerrex, when you said that demons liked to be stimulated mentally as well as physically... and even though you meant that in your usual dirty innuendo, I think that combined with the idea that demons like experiencing mortal culture. I know that well... a few of them got scared a bit when he broke out the dominos, thinking they were runes and such... but I think it was a success myself.

"Today, though, yeah, we're going to be experiencing an actual feast... I made up some mortal foods for everyone to try, and that's why Ishmael's so eager." Mary continued, looking amused as she shook her head slowly, and Zerrex grunted in amusement. Despite having just eaten, he certainly wouldn't turn down Mary's cooking... since she'd been raised so traditionally to be either a housewife of another hunter or a servant of the Clan, it meant that she was able to prepare a meal not only quickly, but especially well.

He smiled slightly, gladly letting her lead him down a hall and through a hidden doorway, Mary easily sliding the bookshelf aside on a hidden rail system before they walked down a short staircase, and Zerrex leaned forwards towards the doe as he heard quiet footsteps behind them, asking softly: "So I take it that uh... succubus you 'captured' is still being a bit of a handful, huh?"

"She's improving. She just gets especially shy around you, and can you blame her?" Mary tilted her head towards Zerrex with quiet amusement, cocking an eyebrow at him. "I mean, you are the High King."

Zerrex huffed and mocked the expression - a somewhat impressive feet since he didn't have eyebrows. "Yeah, and so far today I've already fallen on my face once getting all choked up trying to talk to a mortal girl." He paused, making a face as he rubbed the back of his head. "Reia's never going to let me forget that. But yeah, I'm a dork."

Mary sighed and rolled her eyes, then she said flatly, as they entered a large stone hall with a few demons already sitting at a long, rectangular wooden table: "Just be honest with her, your ass. Anyway, sit down here, I'm going to go get the food."

"I can help!" Zerrex rose his hand as Mary walked away, but she only gave him an amused look over her shoulder as she vanished through a stone archway. The reptile looked after her grouchily, and then he sat down at the huge table on one of the long benches, glancing up and down the twenty foot length before he smiled awkwardly as a few demons scooted towards him, looking at him with wide eyes. "Uh. Hi."

A minotaur waved at him shyly, his body large and bulky but his horns broken off: a mark of great shame for the species and culture. Near the end of the table, Ishmael looked huffy, while his twin brother Shalimar was juggling a few fireballs, looking content by himself and obviously the good twin of the pair. Then he glanced to the side as a succubus sat down awkwardly beside him, her body clothed heavily by several layers of clothing and leaving only her face and hands bare: even her head was covered by a cowl, as she said with a blush: "Hello, Lord Zerrex."

"Hello, granddaughter." Zerrex said with soft entertainment, and the crimson-scaled female turned even brighter red with a deeper blush as she covered herself: she was the daughter of one of his daughters, Maya... who happened to also be a good friend of Shelly, and the two had raised Maya's little girl together under firm standards and rules that even the strictest reverend of the most stoic religion would agree to. Maria of Everbright Starlight was brought up by a culture not Hellish or mortal or even Divine: she was brought up to fear bodily contact, fear sex, and most of all, to fear the Drakkaren she now say beside and his perverted culture.

Maria gazed at him affectionately, looking awkward as she kept a definite distance between their bodies, even while obviously wanting to close the gap. Zerrex let her move at her own pace, however, knowing she'd make the choices that were right for her: after all, Marina had been the one to first point out to her mother, in her quiet way, that never getting to actually meet her grandfather was unfair to her, especially with who Zerrex was. And Maya had been forced to grudgingly agree with this point of view., and the reptile knew that even if they didn't exactly get along, the moralistic demoness was still a fine mother, if a little overprotective.

So Maria and Zerrex had been introduced in the Throne Room: territory where they would be under watch from plenty of eyes and with Cherry absent, to avoid "corrupting her daughter." Privately, Zerrex agreed: a dose of Cherry could be too much for the youthful, highly-innocent little demoness. And he'd tried to keep himself as civil and pleasant as possible as well, not wanting to scare her and to show Maya and Shelly he wasn't just all about sex.

Maria was intelligent, pleasant, and well-mannered, all these things carefully bred into her along with a lot of different rules of courtesy and etiquette. On 'causal days' she wore long flowing dresses with full sleeves and gloves, and often even a hat or bonnet, and on most other days she wore a robe or even a burka. She didn't like at all to be touched, and even bridging the subject of physical affection, much less sex, made her very uncomfortable. Yet somehow, she and her grandfather had hit it off, mostly because he recognized the culture Maya and Shelly had raised her by the standards of, and he was able to play off some of the concepts.

He also thought it was because he asked Maria her opinion on things, and what she wanted, while Shelly and Maya he knew would be control freaks and their word and ideas were what they would push on Maya's daughter. Maya , of course, didn't like the idea that Maria was hanging around with Zerrex at all... but she agreed to it only after she made Maria start wearing a chastity belt, which Zerrex thought was retarded. Whether it was demonic steel or magically-enchanted, he was pretty sure he'd be able to get any device Maria might be wearing out of his way if he really wanted to, but he was also insulted: all he wanted to do was to get to know the members of his own family, not rape them all.

But apparently Maria and her mother - mothers, if you included Shelly - had an argument one night that escalated until Maria left her home and stayed with a friend, and from there she registered for the immigration program. As a succubus that was terrified of sex and whose greatest talent was to be able to play the piano flawlessly, she registered as just about a zero on the threat level, and easily passed through a Gate and became a temporary citizen of Ire. From there, she'd found out more about her father: she had only known that Zerrex often came to the mortal plane, but her mother always told her it was because he was a lout... she'd honestly had no idea about the family he had on the mortal realm.

When Zerrex had found out what happened, he'd first lectured both Shelly and Maya - and whether they liked him or not, getting lectured by him still made them both look like miserable, chastened house pets - and then he'd cut his visit to Hell short to go and find Maria. He'd found her living in a shelter for demons, doing chores and playing music on off nights, looking a little more than a bit miserable from being on the receiving end of a lot of dirty talk. Zerrex had brought her out of that, and when she'd said awkwardly she didn't want to go home but didn't want to impose on him, the reptile instinctively knew she was still working through her fears of him... and so instead she'd brought her here.

Maria was a misfit, there was little doubt about it... but thankfully, almost all of the demons Mary worked were misfits, and thus Maria fit in perfectly. She agreed to work with the doe, even though she'd also made it clear she wasn't very useful in combat: she'd never learned much more than very basic magic, and that was useless on the mortal plane. But Mary had been training her for a little over a year now... and Maria was finally starting to loosen up and show some ability.

Now they sat here together, and Maya's daughter awkwardly rubbed at her face for a moment before she said in a soft, polite voice: "The weather outside seems very nice. I think that we're becoming overdue for a bit of rain these days, though... and rain is so awfully nice, it's so very different from the flat air of Hell."

The Drakkaren looked at her with quiet amusement for a few moments, and then he tapped his cane lightly against the ground as he asked curiously: "So how's your training going?"

Maria didn't respond for a few moments, and Zerrex wondered if he'd asked a question that was too personal to her: he forgot sometimes how sensitive and awkward he was. But then she finally smiled a bit, and then she said in a quiet voice as she looked at her hands, knitting her fingers together: "Mary and I are working very hard. Because I have no natural abilities, it's difficult... and since I'm little stronger than a mortal, she's decided upon training me with a bow. Guns are frightful things and I don't like them, and the crossbow seems so vulgar, with their mechanical parts... but I suppose a bow has a nobility to it, and it is quiet and easy to work with, if not easy to aim."

Zerrex nodded, liking the way Maria assessed things. Admittedly, sometimes her old-fashioned style of speech could grate on him a bit, but it wasn't something he could blame her for... and since Maria really wasn't much one for most forms of combat, training her to use a bow would be good, if only because Maria would be able to think of it as a sport more than as a means for killing someone, and he thought that would help. He knew his granddaughter was like Blueberry, not at all warlike or a fighter like him... and he didn't mind that, but he was also proud of her for staying here anyway and learning the ins-and-outs of combat, even if he also hoped that she'd never have to use any of those skills.

He paused, then glanced down the table as Maria fell into quiet, and he gazed with entertainment at a demon whom he'd only met recently, but who was apparently an old companion of his daughters. His name was Szar, and he was a Salamander: a brawny, draconic soldier-level demon, in the past used as storm troopers for Hell's armies. He had been 'converted' by Cherry during a battle, and had ended up tagging along on the adventures of his daughter as they'd sought both vengeance against Az'Iriel and to seal the Black Holes to halt demonic invasions worldwide.

Szar had almost died with the rest of them when the last mortal refuge of the Miserable Ones had been blown to bits by a missile strike, although he and his demon brethren had run in an opposite direction. Eventually, Szar had wandered back to Valise City, in the hopes of finding the girls... but instead, he'd only found the empty house. It would be a long time until Marina, the only survivor of Crow's onslaught after the missile strike, would end up making her way back home.

So Szar had instead gone underground, like many of his demon brethren, until Ire had started to settle, and he had only recently gotten in contact again with Cherry, who had gladly brought him around to the house. And now, the scarred, mortal-clothes clad demon was one of Mary's most useful demon friends, often walking around with her in town and helping her train, since his age and experience as a soldier meant he knew plenty of things she was just starting to learn, even after seven years of training with Zerrex. And whenever they weren't training, usually Szar was abashedly half-stalking Maria, trying to get close to her but mostly being ignored because Maria thought he was a 'good, kind fellow' who never spoke to her wrongly or upset her... but of course, the downside of being such a gentleperson around her was that Maria pretty much ignored him, even if she thought he was friendly and courteous.

Zerrex looked back and forth between the two, and he was about to say something when Mary came back pushing a cart loaded with food. She quickly began to place the various dishes out onto the table, which included everything from steak to hamburgers as asked the minotaur to help, and he jumped immediately to his hooves and was glad to pass out the dishes and then the glasses, as Mary finished by placing out several large bottles: one of wine, one of Frost, and one of milk.

Then Mary sat down opposite Zerrex, nudging Szar with her elbow as she tossed some utensils into the middle of the table: by now, however, she was well aware that most demons would prefer grabbing with their hands over using a fork and knife, if only because they could get away with it, since Mary wasn't exactly the strictest person around. She looked back and forth, glared at Ishmael when he reached for a steak and pointed at him threateningly, and the Imp huffed and drew back as she said firmly: "First of all, let's all try to show a bit of class around Lord Zerrex. Second of all, take your time with the food... there's not a lot, but enough to go around if we all share. Now go ahead, dig in."

Ishmael grabbed at a plate of steak immediately, but Shalimar sighed and restrained him before he could take the whole thing, the twin brothers beginning to argue in their own form of demonic as Zerrex took a hamburger and Maria's brow knitted in a frown. None of the food present was exactly very ladylike... and then she blushed when Zerrex took a hamburger and put it on a plate in front of her, saying absently: "It's good, you'll like it."

"I'm not supposed to eat that much meat... and anyway, eating food is simply a gluttonous act when one needs not do it." she replied softly, shaking her head a bit and looking embarrassed, and then she blushed when Zerrex grabbed the bottle of Frost on the table and poured her a cup of it, before filling his own glass. "May I ask what this is, Lord Zerrex?"

"Call me Zer. Just don't call me grandpa, makes me feel old." the reptile said mildly, and then he paused and glanced at her with amusement when she fidgeted. "Oh, just eat, Maria. Not even Mary is very ladylike. And that drink is Frost cola, it's a favorite of mine. Even kids these days drink the stuff so I think you're safe in that regard."

"I don't know, children oft do very wicked things." Maria said dubiously, looking at the bubbling, dark liquid, and then she shook her head a bit as her eyes moved to the hamburger. "And this is mortal food... mother always said that mortal foods were full of all sorts of wicked chemicals and disgusting slops."

"Mother isn't here right now." Zerrex reminded her, as he took a bite of his before pausing and looking offended. "And hey, this was some of my favorite food when I was a mortal. And a kid. And... screw you."

Maria turned beet red at this, and Zerrex winced, rubbing at his head as he remembered she didn't exactly react to his peculiar sense of humor the same way other people did... and then she ventured a weak smile as she replied quietly: "So you... want me to lighten up, is that the correct expression?"

"Yeah, that's right." The reptile looked at her softly, and then he decided to throw caution to the wind, reaching out and brushing down her cowl to make her blush deeply before he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to his side, smiling down at her as he said softly: "And you should show off your pretty face some more, too, kid. Believe me, you only look beautiful for so many years until you end up looking like me."

"Grandfather!" Maria blushed deeply, pushing a hand against his chest as she squirmed... but when he let go of her, she didn't slide away, instead simply gazing up at him and shifting awkwardly back and forth before she rubbed at her smooth skull: like most succubi, Maria could shapeshift and easily hide her horns out of sight, but with the very distinct lack of other abilities she showed, Zerrex always wondered just how well or badly her abilities worked. "I... okay. If you approve, perhaps I can work at... letting a bit more of myself be revealed and visible, and remember that... to be ladylike in all situations is perhaps not the most becoming of me."

The Drakkaren looked at her amusedly, and when she blushed and looked down, he shot a look at Szar. At first, the male looked shocked and winced... and then when Zerrex jerked his head towards Maria, he looked stupid for a moment before brightening and offering in a strongly-accented voice: "You are a very pretty girl, Maria. You should show that body of yours off more."

Maria gave the Salamander a look as Zerrex rolled his eyes and slapped his forehead, but then she smiled a bit and said courteously: "Thank you, Szar, I'll keep your opinion in mind." She paused, then looked at her hamburger again before she took a tiny bite... and almost immediately she perked up, looking surprised at the taste before she said incredulously: "It tastes delicious!"

"Thank you." Mary smiled across at her amusedly, then she tossed a look to Zerrex, grinning a bit at him and shaking her head slowly. Zerrex looked back, feigning innocence, but it was hard to hide secrets from Mary, especially these days: as Mary had developed over the years, their bond had become stronger and stronger and the powers she possessed had become more focused, letting her better sense Zerrex's emotions and even whatever he had in mind at the moment. Because really, I need more psychics other than Marina around me. Huh. Two Marys, a Marina, a Maria, and a Maya down in Hell. Among other M-names. I'm really seeing a trend developing here.

Their eyes met, and he knew she was trying to read him, but then he simply winked and shielded his mind, making her glare at him. He ignored her cheerfully, however, and watched as Maria quickly finished off her hamburger before she grabbed the glass of Frost and drank from it, before she blushed again when she slurped loudly and she quickly covered her mouth. A moment later, her stomach rumbled, and she burped behind her hand, which made her look even more embarrassed as she yelped a weak: "Oh!"

She looked back and forth, paling and grabbing at her cowl... but the demons at the other end of the table were engaged in their own conversation, Ishmael's hands dripping with steak juice and a bit of blood as Shalimar used a fork and knife to carefully and politely eat his food, while the minotaur had a glass in one hand and a hamburger in the other. Mary and Szar were both ignoring Maria pointedly as they half-talked, and Zerrex was the only one looking at her... before he simply stuffed the rest of his hamburger into his muzzle, chewed loudly, and swallowed it all with a wince, making her stare at him. "Babe, you might think you're something rude, but you got nothing on any of the rest of us."

Maria blushed deeply, rubbing slowly at her head, and then she nodded and sipped quietly at her cola, and Zerrex picked up his own glass, taking a slow drink of the dark liquids as he gazed at her thoughtfully, before he asked curiously: "So tell me, Maria... what do you think of the mortal realm, now that you've been up here for a good while? Is it everything you thought it would be, or has it been a bit of a let down?"

"Oh, that's not polite to discuss." Maria shook her head, rubbing at her face awkwardly... and when Zerrex tilted his head towards her insistently, she reddened a bit. "It's... different."

"Not exactly what you expected, huh?" Zerrex looked at her with soft amusement, and the female fidgeted awkwardly, mumbling something about ladylike behavior before he finally said drolly: "You know, you are free to express your opinion around all of us however you want, Maria. Besides, if you really were uncomfortable here, the only polite thing I could do would be to make sure to take you back to Hell or some comfortable place."

Maria looked at him with surprise, and then she shook her head quickly, babbling: "No, no, here, here is fine, I just... I mean..." She trailed off, blushing, and then stopped and visibly gathered her courage, breathing in and out before she murmured in an embarrassed voice: "It's really worse than Hell here in a lot of ways."

"I agree with that sentiment." Zerrex said amusedly, looking over at Mary. "What do you think, girl? I mean, imagine if everyone here on the planet got punished for the wrongdoings they did. And furthermore, that they were all being watched over by some creepy force like the Scholars and Scribes and Historians."

"I thought you weren't supposed to talk about that." Mary said with equal entertainment, tilting her head towards him, and the Drakkaren coughed and rolled his eyes, looking innocently up at the ceiling. "But you have a point, yeah... if everyone knew they'd be punished, if everyone was watched over... then they'd definitely behave themselves a little bit better, to say the least."

"Historians? I thought they were just a legend." Maria said softly, gazing curiously at Zerrex, and then she blushed and covered her mouth when he looked at her. "My apologies, grandfather, I spoke out of turn."

"I told you not to call me that." Zerrex huffed, then he paused and poked at his face, looking amused. "I guess I am more than a little bit old, though... and you know, in some places it's a sign of respect. But uh... yeah, I wasn't supposed to mention anything, but we've been gathering up elders from across Hell... hermits, reverends, and magicians... and training them as Historians. It's been... moderately successful, I guess, but they certainly aren't anything compared to the Prophets of Heaven or the old Historians, I'm told... but you know, I have a lot of faith in them, and they really have just started learning, by Hell's standards.

"I guess as you all know, the original Historians were executed for high treason against the Princess, back in the days when she pretty much ruled Hell, and burnt pretty much everything related to them... but we recently found a book detailing the Historians' way of life, among other things, in an old tomb." Zerrex said softly, looking from Mary to Maria. "It was probably secured there and left for someone to find after the Princess made it clear she wanted them removed from power. With them back in business, however, it adds a sort of... balancing effect to the new Scribes and Scholars being trained, since while they're both capable of manipulating the reality of Hell to some extent, the Historians act as watchdogs over the two groups and can undo the effects of some of their abilities."

Maria nodded slowly, and then she gazed up at him with a bit of a smile, saying quietly: "They do sound ever so interesting, Lord Zerrex... and it gives me a notion that Hell must indeed be a much better place than we take it for, despite how so many there are damned and in suffering."

Zerrex nodded, looking back at her softly. "The difference between here and there is that at least in Hell, most of the people suffering deserve it. There's still innocents who are in pain, too... but one day I hope to change all that, some way, some how... I'm just not sure exactly how to do that yet."

Mary laughed and shook her head, and the two demons looked at her curiously as she nudged Szar, grinning a bit at the Salamander. "Looks like Zerrex is off on one of his moralistic power trips again."

"Oh, bite me." Zerrex huffed as Szar and Mary both laughed, and even Maria smiled politely, although she was still looking at the Drakkaren with admiration in her eyes. And then the Drakkaren glanced back down at her, asking her softly: "So is there anything I can help you out with or do for you, Maria? I assume you're holding up well enough here, and not getting too much flack from Zanbrick?"

Maria nodded, and then Zerrex looked up as - speak of the devil... can't believe I even still use that expression but there it is... - Zanbrick stomped into the room, looking back and forth distastefully before his eyes settled on Mary, and he walked over to her with an exasperated expression on his face. "Mary, this is a waste of food!"

"You're a waste of food." Mary muttered, and Zerrex wondered absently if that transfer all those years ago had made her start using some of his retorts as well as his abilities. "Zane, come on, go away."

The deer made a face, and he stood up, looking across at Zerrex. The Drakkaren looked back squarely, at the deer's now slightly-aged features: it made him more handsome for the most part, but there were already a few premature wrinkle lines around his eyes, and they weren't from laughing. "And of course you show up whenever there's something free on the table. Can't you ever just go away?"

"Can't you?" Zerrex asked mildly, cocking his head towards the male, and he huffed and threw his cape around him, stomping down the length of the table and then sitting irritably in the tall chair at the end of it, leaning an elbow on the arm of it and his fist under his chin as he glowered over them all. "Hey, it's not our fault you're not into the whole 'being nice' thing."

Zane didn't reply, only muttering at his new, silver armlet gleamed: several years back, he had finally earned his way back into the favor of his patron and been rewarded with an armlet that permitted him to control multiple demons at once, although his concentration only let him use three demons of moderate power at a time. Zerrex didn't totally agree with Zanbrick's methods for finding and capturing them, but if the reptile really strongly felt that a demon should be let free, it wasn't exactly like Zane was able to put up a good argument against it a lot of the time, and he usually ended up doing whatever the lizard told him to do.

Then the reptile paused for a few moments before he glanced down the table as demons passed around the plates, absently putting another hamburger on Maria's plate and making her blush but taking nothing for himself as he asked in a more serious voice: "What are you thinking about this mess with Animaxander?"

Now Zanbrick looked serious as well as the demons all stopped their conversation, Mary's own face becoming solemn too as Zane leaned forwards and said quietly: "Sources tell me that he is extremely fanatical. A few supernatural entities have entered his campsite... not demons or angels, mind you, but pixies and fey: naturally-invisible beings that can pass mostly-undetected through just about anything. It helps that in the years past, the emergence of demons and angels have helped other hidden, supernatural races blossom... but I suppose you know all about that."

Zerrex wondered for a moment if he was being sarcastic, but he realized after a look at the hunter's eyes he wasn't, and so he only nodded; it was true. Beings of legend and myth were becoming more bold and multiplying, which was good... but on the other hand, so were the undead, which the Drakkaren knew was likely a side effect of demonic energies growing on the physical plane. Not corruption, but the simple existence of demons and even of angels: their presence often agitated the restless dead or corpses in the ground that had a spark of corruption in them from being killed by demons or other supernatural beings, and they would rise from their graves and crypts to attack whatever had bothered them in the first place, or even just the nearest living beings and inflict the pain they felt on others. Not that all undead were bad... Zerrex had met plenty that were good, or just lost and lonely, wanting to move on to the next world but not quite knowing how, or too scared to go in case they ended up in Hell... or worse, limbo. "What can you tell me? I'm supposed to meet with him sometime, he was apparently very keen on it."

"No, please don't." Maria said suddenly and urgently, and then she flushed when Zerrex and several other pairs of eyes looked at her, before she jumped up from the table, leaving the room quickly and putting a hand over her face. The Drakkaren started to rise, but Mary shook her head and got up instead, following her, and Zerrex sighed but sat down, knowing it was for the best that he probably give her time to get her thoughts in order... and figure out himself the battle plan for the times ahead. Dammit...

Zane hesitated... but when Zerrex motioned at him, he nodded, leaning on his forearms and saying curtly: "It's going to be dangerous for you to meet him anywhere. His entire campsite is protected by anti-demon and anti-angel countermeasures... whatever he might be spouting, I don't think he likes Heaven or Hell, or at least not the Heaven and Hell we know. His 'missionaries' set them up in literally six minutes tops after the interview, and apparently they're building him a massive cathedral as we speak. They have to be using magic somehow, because they're putting it together like it's a construction set, and everything's locking perfectly into place... whatever else, these humans are strong and very well-versed in magical arts, and I have no idea how they're making them function here. Animaxander also has a bodyguard, but I got little information on him except that he's dressed very differently from the others, and his tent is secure and heavily guarded by magical constructs as well as soldiers. These guys are scary, Zerrex. And much as I don't like you... if you really have to meet him, even if you meet him in Hell... promise me you're going to be careful. I don't think my sister would like losing you very much."

Zerrex smiled slightly, wondering if that was code for: 'I'll miss you,' and then he said quietly: "Thanks, Zane. I will. I don't know when the meet's going to happen yet, but... I won't underestimate him. What about Kafka, was he there?"

"Not that any of the spies noticed... but Animaxander coming here, it's big news across all the planes. Heaven, Hell, Astral, Ethereal..." He shook his head slowly, and his nervousness showed through his stoic features for a moment as he looked down, then looked up at Zerrex plainly, sighing softly. "Have you ever heard of something like this happening? Could he be from... I dunno, some sort of pocket dimension? Or maybe that nasty place you were telling me about, the dark place?"

"Nothing escapes the Marquee Sur Noir if they're imprisoned there, of that I can assure you." Zerrex said softly, shaking his head slowly. That was one of the darkest of all the pocket dimensions... but a place Sin had absolute dominance over, and he'd never heard of anyone without exceptional magical prowess even moving in and out of the so-called 'seats' of the Marquee Sur Noir. "But no, I haven't... and I've never come across it in any of my readings, either. When I go back down to Hell, I'll ask around about it, or maybe I'll send Cherry to do it for me... but either way, this is very bad news."

Zanbrick nodded, shaking his head slowly. "I agree... and none of the stories of the Elders predicts or even hints at anything like this being possible. From what he said and promised, I know that I should be excited... yet all I feel is a chill when I think of him. What worries me even more is that I do believe him when he said he serves some higher power..."

"Then that must be what opened the portal. I just hope we don't have to deal with that on top of everything else... gods know I don't need to fight another godling." Zerrex muttered, shaking his head slowly, and Zane grunted in agreement for a change before the Drakkaren stood up from the table, adding quietly: "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Mary and Maria."

Zane didn't respond, but that didn't exactly surprise the Drakkaren, as he headed through the archway they had both left through and entering into a narrow, smooth hall he had to stoop to pass along. He made a face, one of his hands tracing along the ceiling of the passage as he looked back and forth at a few carefully-inlaid doors that were barely visible... and then he heard soft crying ahead through the opening at the end of the hall, and he carefully walked forwards, wincing a bit as he stepped out into a room lit only by a few candles, the table covered in old pieces of parchment and Mary and Maria both sitting at it together quietly, as Mary shushed her and patted her gently on the shoulder, looking awkwardly at her. "It's no big deal..."

Maria didn't reply, only continuing to cry quietly as she covered her face, and Zerrex walked forwards and gently put a hand on her back, making her start in surprise as Mary looked up at him with a bit of relief. "Hey, what's wrong, kid?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Zerrex..." Maria hiccupped, trembling as she wiped at her eyes slowly, and then she shook her head quickly, looking away from him and covering her reddened eyes. "You shouldn't see me like this, it isn't proper. I must look such a mess..."

"Screw that." Zerrex said flatly, and then he sat on the table and gently pried her hands off her face before tilting her muzzle upwards, adding quietly: "You look very pretty to me still. I'm just worried about you, Maria... even here on the mortal realm, you'd still be a few years out of date in the strictest of societies, unless you were part of one of the old religions that Maya and Shelly obviously got the burka from.

"I know you've been taught a lot of rules and etiquette... and well, I like that stuff too, but even I feel that I go overboard sometimes, and look at me." Zerrex shrugged a bit, smiling faintly at her as he leaned back and added softly: "You need to find your own path, your own way... I get worried that you're still living too much in the shadow of Maya and Shelly. Much as I love my daughters, I know they... don't like me, and they can be a bit spiteful and controlling, and I'm worried that they focused too much on trying to make you into their image of a perfect daughter instead of focusing on you and seeing that you're perfect no matter how you turn out or what you decide to do with yourself. I mean, you're scared of even coming across as rude and you're a succubus, Maria... that's no way for a demoness with a proud sexual heritage to be."

Maria looked down shamefully, and Zerrex shook his head, tilting her chin upwards again as he said quietly: "Maybe I phrased that wrong, because you shouldn't have that look on your face... what I'm trying to say is... be yourself. Follow your instincts, your urges, and sort out for yourself the rules and traditions you should follow against the ones that are... wrong for you." The reptile hesitated, then he leaned down and kissed her forehead softly, saying quietly: "You're my granddaughter. And grandparents are supposed to spoil their grandkids, right?"

She laughed a bit at this, nodding quietly as she finally looked up at him, and then she asked in a soft whisper: "But what about mother and my dear aunt? Proper ladies are supposed to live together, to avoid falling to temptation and indulgence... and they always warned me you'd tempt me like this, tell me these things, but to remain proper and true I should stay upon the path of virtue they have already set out for me..."

"What does your heart tell you?" Zerrex asked mildly, tapping her chest gently, and she turned bright red before he rolled his eyes, looking at her amusedly. "Oh, come on, I didn't even go near your breasts."

"Lord Zerrex!" Maria looked shocked at the use of the word, and the Drakkaren wondered absently what she'd say if he used one of the hundreds of far-more-vulgar words he knew. After a few moments she seemed to calm, however, looking at him quietly and then finally nodding as she looked down, saying softly: "I'm sorry I made such a heel of myself today... mayhap tomorrow, if you aren't busy, I could visit and show my... new you to you, perchance, to see if it garners your approval?"

"Mayhap." Zerrex smiled slightly, and then he quietly patted her on the head, looking across at Mary and adding softly: "Take some tips from the beautiful young mortal girl here. She knows a lot about change and stuff... and we haven't even had sex yet." He winked at her, and Mary rolled her eyes in amusement as Maria blushed deeply again, before he added softly: "I'll see you guys later, though. I need to report back home and... tell everyone what I've learned about Animaxander, so we can start planning out how to keep me safe while I meet with the bastard. He worries me enough even I'm not going to be stupid and try to go it alone."

The two nodded, and then Mary rose a hand to him and he rose one in return, the two not needing to say goodbyes to exchange them. As he left down the passage, he wondered if he'd done the right thing back there, if he was just trying to change Maria for his own benefit to what he thought was best, just like Shelly and Maya had tried to change her... and he promised himself that no matter what path she chose, he'd support her, as he quietly rubbed at the tattoo on his forearm and told himself that he would prove he was a better father than Narrius had ever been.