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A Changed Underworld

"(Alright, you two. When you get through the Gate, you will carry the rest of the five crates without stopping. As soon as you finish the last one, you will only remember being glad that the day was over, and nothing about us at all. Do you understand)."

"(Yes)."

"(Now, get on with it, and forget everything)."

The two mind-controlled workers walked away from the trio and disappeared behind the Gate. Zardes turned towards Ammon and said, "(Will that last?)"

"(My ability lasts for at least two days, until I willingly stop it)," said Ammon. "(That's another perk of being me)."

"(You know, I always wonder who gave the idea for the writer to talk about vampires)," said Zardes. "(It may be one of you)."

"(Or, he's just that creative)," said Ammon with a smile. "(Anyway, I don't need this coat anymore)."

He then took off the coat, showing the two hellhounds the body of a well-toned ashen-skinned bat demon. His head was closer to the picture of a vampire bat; stubby and flat. His nose was different, being smooth with his nostrils not being apparent. His eyes were black, but Zardes saw the true coloration being dark red. The most prominent thing that the demon bat sported was the wings, which were growing from three of his extended fingers, while the rest two were normal length fingers. He looked like a wyvern if it wasn't for his humanoid body and ash-colored skin. Like all demon bats, he had no fur or hair. It was all very clean and leathery.

His tail was long, like a hellhound's, yet unfurred like them and did not end with a triangle-shaped tip. His legs were the weirdest feature, being that they looked like they were made for grabbing but was also capable of walking. These body parts were very apparent as the demon bat had almost nothing covering his body except a cloth he wrapped around his waist to cover his crotch area, and things like necklace, braces for his wrists, and others that showed his status as a priest, albeit a primitive one.

This quickly reminded Zardes of where he saw this particular style of clothing. The ash hounds were similarly clothed minimally, as if they were also primitives except the fact that they could operate computers.

Just as Malkar looked, he quipped, "(Damn. Are you sure you're not some out of job stripper? You might get some ladies fawning over you)."

"(Not with this face)," said Ammon, self-conscious.

"(Oh, come on. I don't mean hellhounds)," said Malkar with a wink.

"(Thanks)," said Ammon, embarassed.

"(Are you sure you're going to walk around like that? I know the Underworld's pretty lenient about how you dress, but you're naked)," said Zardes. "(And I'm not talking about the lack of clothes)."

"(I'll be fine. Now, I guess we'll go to Drundas)."

They looked towards where Ammon was looking. The Outer Ring Region was not bad, even if it was bleak. There was a paved road with road signs helping them to pick a direction. 'Drundas', a major city, was quite a journey.

With no money being spent after retrieving the bribe money from the mind-controlled workers, Zardes wanted to find anyone who was willing to rent their transport. He thought he could find any, except that there wasn't any at the nearby transport depot except for some unmanned vehicles.

"(Can any of you drive)?" asked Zardes, which was met with shrugs from the other two. He sighed.

"(I've thought so. This would be easier if Tresi is with us)."

"(Tresi?)" asked Ammon.

"(My dragon partner. She's currently waiting for us in the Order's embassy)."

"(So, you're a dragon rider?)"

"(I thought it's very obvious with my getup)."

"(To be honest, I...don't expect dragon riders to be involved in this)."

"(Don't worry. This is not a big matter. If we all come down here, it might cause international incident)."

"(Fair enough...I guess)." Ammon looked towards the vehicles, then sighed. "(Guess we'll walk)."

Walking to Drundas, accompanied with bleak landscape, wasn't the best of idea for a pleasant travel, mostly because the two hellhounds were raised on the surface. Ammon did not seem to be affected by this, but he was so cautious, especially when they passed some hellhounds. Zardes and Malkar said hello to them as they left, while Ammon tried to keep to the shadows, with limited success. It ended up making him more suspicious than what he wanted. It did not help the fact that he was mostly naked and a demon bat.

After a couple of hours of walking, they finally reached a small town where they could rest. Like any Outer Ring towns, it was sparsely populated by hellhounds and demon bats. It wasn't all that populous given how dangerous the world outside the borders of a city, but as hellhounds were strong by their own merit, and the fact that they managed to domesticate demon dogs as pets, there was nothing to be afraid of with the wilderness around them.

The town did not offer much except for lodgings and foods for travelers. Like many others, the three of them were simply travelers traveling through. Only Ammon, who tried to be cautious at all time, did not manage to relax. His antics started to annoy Zardes, who pulled him aside when they walked out of the town and said, "(Don't try to attract attention)." "(I'm trying to find anyone who might try to harm us)."

"(They will be quite obvious when it comes to it. Just act normal and no one will ask about you all the time)."

Ammon wanted to say something, but Zardes was right. He ended up announcing his presence while trying his best not to be conspicuous.

The travel was uneventful, and they made a steady progress through the darkness of the Underworld. Without any suns or moons underground, the only illumination in the Underworld was the lava in several parts of the area. There was no water down there either, but hellhounds did not really need water to live. They just needed to be bathed in fire, which was an equivalent to water for them. The reason why they enjoyed water, however, came from the fact that there were plenty of them on the surface. While it did not change anything, the fact that the lack of water made them thirsty proved that they lived on the surface for too long.

To alleviate boredom, they started talking to each other. The two hellhounds slowly knew Ammon more as he started to open up about all things, including his job as a priest and the travels he did to coincidentally find the two of them. He was trying to run away from his pursuers when the temple he was in was attacked. Like the other bat demons, he ran away, further and further from his home, until he ended up on the surface. There, he realized the situation that led to his fear of sun.

"(It was an accident, actually)," said Ammon when they stopped to rest. "(Like other demon bats, we always assume that we lost our ability under the sun, and nothing else. But, for me, it was different. I stepped out of my hideout to try and relax when I felt a nasty pain on my body. That was when I realized that my skin would be literally burned under sunlight, and only by drinking blood will I heal them)."

"(But, I have a feeling that it wasn't the reason for your fear of sun)."

"(Yeah...it isn't)," said Ammon with a sad expression. "(I don't want to talk about it, but it has something to do with my journey and why those hellhounds were trying to get me)."

"(So, they knew about your condition)."

"(They did not, but they knew about it from another priest. He...was burned to death after a directed sunlight hit his whole body. It was horrifying, to know that I would become like that. If it wasn't for Karka, I would not even sitting here, talking to you about myself)."

"(The owner of the bar?)"

"(He helped me get away from Sideview but promised to protect me when I need to come back. He kept his words, though I felt like he is now under their crosshair)."

"(From the look of it, he's quite reliable. Don't worry about him)."

"(I...guess so)."

"(You know, you worry a lot. I mean, more than normal. Are you okay?)"

"(Of course, I'm okay! It's just...things have been bad for me)."

"(Don't worry, Ammon. I understand)," sympathized Zardes. "(But, let's not make a gloomy face and be happy, alright?)"

It wasn't the best kind of advice given to a demon bat, but it somehow worked. Ammon's face may have been monstrous, but a genuine, sheepish smile from him seemed to change his expression to something milder. They kept walking towards Drundas, at least until they were accosted by a group of highwaymen.

At first, Ammon thought they were targeting him, but then he found that they were simply bandits attacking other hellhounds. It was fortunate that they stayed in the Underworld; if they ever found an opportunity at the surface, they would prosper. In the Underworld, all hellhounds were equally able to fight and survive.

But, even if these bandits were clearly trained in combat, it was nothing against the prowess and ruthlessness of the three. Zardes, a dragon rider wielding a magical kukri knife, managed to dispatch three hellhounds caught unaware by his quick combat. Malkar simply had good aim, and Ammon, now unrestrained due to not being under a sun, fought them with supernatural strength that could kill, though somehow, he chose not to.

It was over as soon as it started. The highwaymen quickly scampered away, scared and in disbelief on how powerful the three were. Zardes then exhaled after seeing them running away, turned towards his comrades, and said, "(You okay?)"

"(Yeah, somehow. That caught me off guard)."

"(They are the least of your worries)," said Ammon. "(Dangerous beasts also roam the area. I suggest we find a good place to rest soon)."

"(How much longer until we reached Drundas?)"

"(Quite soon. It's not that far from the Crossing Gate)."

It was actually quite close. Not far from where they were attacked, the skyline of the city, an Underworld commercial center for a couple of mile, was visible. It was made easier when they finally managed to hire a carriage, shortening their travel time and gave them a degree of protection from bandits and beasts, mostly because of its design which could literally rip and tear people foolish enough to try and stop it by standing in front of the road. This, however, made the carriage notorious for a high level of roadkill, which the trio actually witnessed when a demonic creature walked to the street and was simply crushed. It was also the reason why it ran on a specific road closed from pedestrian travel.

The reason for the separate travel was made apparent by the carriage station's developed surroundings. The Underworld may seemed to be a dangerous lawless frontier wasteland, but over time, urban centers and demons from beyond the deep gates helped the development of a bustling city, even if the city in question still had many aspects of hell in it, which could be disturbing to some.

It cut their journey to just 30 minutes, and as they reached the walls around Drundas, it was quite clear that the city had expanded beyond the early confines of the city when it was a kingdom. Zardes noticed that living situation had increased considerably despite of situations where they were faced with the reality of being in Hell instead of a simple underground city.

Both inside and outside the wall, there were situations where hellhounds and other demons showed a great liberty in the form of culture. Many of those 'cultures' were grotesque and disturbing to some, and could be attributed to the bloody theatrics of horror stage shows with high level of gore and violence. That was the case, except, like theatres, they were simply decorations with no blood, fake or real, was ever shown.

The most prominent features of the city were gargoyles. While the original gargoyles were simply demonic creatures with neutral expression, some took a more...artistic approach, inspired by surface world romanticism and stories. As a result, the once bleak and monotone hellhound settlements became as colorful as its citizens.

Perhaps the greatest contribution of Underworld was the liberal sexuality of its citizens. While same sex relationships had been common for a while on the surface world (even dragons did that, so why not?), it had been quite common for years in the Underworld. Aside from that, many subcultures were appreciated somewhat down there, especially when demons from the second circle of hell, which was themed with sins of uncontrolled lust, came and made resident in the Outer Ring to experience 'mortal' life.

Drundas, being a major hub in the bleakness of Underworld, also prided itself with its extensive entertainment districts that occupied two of seven major districts in that city, with the others being commerce, residential, and administration. The two entertainment districts, as Zardes noticed, were also differentiated from one another, with one being particularly 'tame' for hellhound cubs, and the other reserved for adult entertainment, ranging from the mild cabaret shows to the extreme BDSM clubs that did not hide its fact and instead, advertised it extensively. The tame one was mostly inspired by the surface world entertainment like theatres and zoos, along with restaurants and bars with foods made out of the demonic creatures around the city. It may look disgusting for humans, but it wasn't that much for hellhounds, especially since the modernization did not change much of their lifestyle except maybe changing the previously chaotic wasteland into a more structured one.

The trio's destination was at the middle of Drundas. The administration district, which was also home to the Schelkz Castle, once the primary estate for the Schelkz family. It had been partially converted into administration offices, though parts of it remained the private home of Adre Schelkz and his family. After they had reached that place, they would find the next part of their goal.

It was quite fortunate for them that Ammon's warning did not come to pass. There wasn't anyone who claimed to be sent by Adre to meet them, though they needed to keep out of sight from some hellhounds who were clearly hostile. They apparently did not expect the group to have reached Drundas without further stops along the way (Ammon had returned to wearing his coat, but without the hoodie, to blend in better).

As they approached the castle, Ammon stopped Malkar and Zardes and said, "(Wait. Are you thinking about going in without appointment?)"

"(We can make an appointment, and a little name drop)," said Zardes. "(And also, Ash gave me this)."

He showed them a crest, which was similar in design with the one currently shown over the castle's gate.

"(We may not be guaranteed a meeting, but he said that showing this might increase the chance)."

"(Where did you get the Schelkz family crest?)" asked Ammon. "(Who is Ash?)"

"(Ashten Schelkz. He's the leader of the Hellfighter division of the Order, which consisted of hellhounds and other demons wishing to fight as dragon riders. Well...it expanded a lot since then)."

"(You have quite a connection there. The Schelkz family is quite famous, you know)."

"(And Ash is also that famous. I guess that name really bears quite an influence to those who possesses it)," said Zardes.

Malkar examined the crest, then returned it to Zardes and asked, "(When did you get this?)"

"(When I first met Tresi)."

"(Since back then?)"

"(He thought that one day, I would return to this area and needed to meet one of his family members. This crest is to tell them that I come on behalf of Ash. I'm still surprised that his prediction proved correct)."

"(Or maybe he saw something in you)," said Malkar. "(I'm not sure what, but it's something he knew will be important one day)."

"(What do you mean?)"

"(Ah, well...you'll understand)."

"(You're weird)."

"(I can say the same at you)."

Before long, they reached the front desk of the building, where they were greeted by a receptionist. The receptionist was a grey-furred hellhound with quite a hair, though if one looked hard enough, they could see a pair of small dark-colored bumps. Those bumps were horns unique to hellhounds. Her eyes were also bright red with reptilian-like slit pupil. She could be mistaken for a Lycan if it wasn't for her eyes.

"(May I help you?)" she asked.

"(We, uh, request the audience of Adre Schelkz)," said Zardes. "(Is he available?)"

"(Do you have an appointment?)"

"(Tell him I have his family crest)."

Zardes then showed the receptionist the crest. She seemed to know its significance, as she quickly pulled out a telephone and dialed some number. She turned to look at Zardes and said, (Wait just a moment)."

"(If he's in a meeting, I'll return later. I don't want to disturb his work, after all)."

She then relayed the message. After a while, she put down the phone, stood up, and said, "(Come with me)."

They then followed the receptionist, past the mayor's office and to a basement room. She then stopped by a normal-looking door, and said, "(The mayor's inside)."

"(What's going on?)"

She turned towards their bat companion. "(The mayor is expecting you, ash priest)."

"(Me? Why?)"

"(I'm not sure. The mayor just asks me to direct those with his family crest to him and with a demon bat as companion)."

"(I guess it's important. Thanks)."

"(You're welcome)."

The receptionist nodded, then turned around towards her desk. Ammon was suspicious about all this, but he relented when Zardes said, "(Let's get through the door and find the answer ourselves)."

But when they went through the door, they were greeted by a black-furred hellhound who seemed to be of authoritative figure. He was waiting for them by another metallic door further into the room.

"(That family crest)," he said. "(May I see it?)"

Zardes handed him the crest. He took it, examined it for a while, and said, "(Well, well. Then I suppose you're Zardes?)"

"(You know me?)"

"(You may not know me, but Ashten spoke highly of you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Adre Schelkz, the mayor of Drundas)."

"(I'm Zardes, as you have known, and he's Malkar)."

"(Hmm...)" He approached the hellhound and sniffed him, causing the hellhound to become uncomfortable.

"(Tell me, Malkar)," said Adre. "(Is it hot in here?)"

"(Isn't that what it supposed to be? We are in the Outer Rings, right?)"

"(I see. It explains your scent. Not surprising, though I suggest you don't follow us into forbidden places)."

"(Eh? Why's that?)"

"(Because you're a half-blood, and those forbidden places will cook you. Drundas is still fine for your kind, and for others who wishes to come down here using magical wards)." He sighed. "(Can't blame them to realize that this is still a city for demons)."

"(But I don't really have any ill effects. Mom said it's fine if I can bear the heat)."

"(Then you inherited your mother's blood more than your father's, though he's a pseudo-hellhound give that he's your father)."

"(Pseudo...?)"

Adre sighed. "(What kind of scholar are you?)"

"(An archaeologist)."

"(That explains as much. I think my explanation will make more sense if you're an anthropologist, or maybe if it's your hobby)."

"(Well...)."

"(Don't worry, Malkar)," said Adre with a smile. "(If you're not interested, it's fine. Now...you)."

He approached Ammon.

"(Just what the hell are you doing in here? Demon bat Ash priests are targeted everywhere)."

"(They need help with their research, and I need protection. Is that not a deal?)"

"(You're one of the fortunate ones. Still, I know your research the moment my receptionist told me about a grey-skinned bat demon wearing something to cover his whole body)."

"(Eh? You know?)"

"(It has been quite a stir down here for a while now, about activities in the Ashen Lands. Many shady-looking hellhounds were found making a deal to travel the sea to the Ashen Lands. Also, there are reports of disappearances of demon bats, specifically Ash priests traveling here).

"(But it isn't just the hellhounds. Some demons from the deeper realms are trying to get there to do something. Do you know why, Malkar?)"

"(Because...it was once their kingdom)."

"(Correct. You already got that far on your research)."

"(It's a speculation, given that...)"

"(There are Infernal Texts scattered around that region)."

"(You mean the books that can only be handled by an Infernal?)"

"(Yes, although there is a problem for them. The unique property of the ash helps the keeping of the Infernal Texts from burning their containers or making them too hot to handle. This heat is both a defense and a fail-safe. It's a defense because the hellfire covering them will burn hellhounds. It's also a fail-safe because the same hellfire will also burn the books they protect, destroying the secrets within)."

"(So, it can only be opened by Infernals, then?)"

"(More specifically, a true Infernal. I know why Ashten sent you to meet me, but alas, I cannot help you handle the Texts. Even if the Schelkz family was descended from an Infernal, and several of our family members did marry Infernals and many other demonic races, they are still not pure Infernals)."

"(You mean, we need to find a pure Infernal to handle those Texts?)"

"(One that is willing to open them and one that's here physically, not summoned. You can just go down to the Fifth Circle of Wrath and ask one of them to come up here, but I doubt they are going to not screw things up in the highest order)."

"(So, this is not going to work, then)," said Malkar, disappointed.

"(Fortunately for you, you might be able to convince one, though not without a little push)."

"(Huh?)"

Adre stepped aside to show them a door, one that they had known for a while, but did not deem it important until the old hellhound told them about it. The door was metallic with a window for viewing. It was very clear that those looked a lot like a prison and was very in theme with the cobblestone castle.

"(After you)," he said.

Zardes gulped, braced himself, then opened the door.

A sudden blaze of heat hit him in the face. It wasn't normal for him to feel heat unless it's in the middle of an ocean where the sun was the strongest (Somehow, the radiation from the sun could give a hellhound the sensation of heat). He quickly found the source of the heat.

Right in the middle of the dark room was a dark figure, with menacing red eyes glaring at them. There was a ring of fire around it and judging from the fire and the pentagram-shaped line within, Zardes realized what the figure was.

It was an Infernal.