in collaboration with @Shagranoz
Footsteps. Phagora heard footsteps at the door to the summoning chamber. What's more, she knew this particular, confident rythym. Lorelai Von'Strauss. The tiefling's whole body screamed in terror as she continued to draw her blasphemous symbols. Was she coming to kill her?
No. Fear was a death sentence with what she was doing. And yet... Summoning a Lord of Hell, one who answered only to the King of the Pit himself, with someone perhaps even more dangerous just outside? Who wouldn't be frightened out of their wits?
The door swung open, and Phagora's fears were confirmed. Lorelai looked around the room, an amused smirk curving her lips. "Well, well," She stepped further into the room, her new angelic servitor trailing a submissive distance behind her. "Isn't this bold? Are you hoping daddy will take you home?"
A weak smile crossed Phagora's lips. "No, I'm hoping he will tell me something, anything, about Annunaki. Knowledge is power, as I'm sure you're aware, and with the stakes as high as they are, we need all the power we can get." A finger casually swirled ink on the floor. She kept a small reserve of power in the back of her mind. There was no way Phagora could best Lorelai in a straight fight, should it come to that, but the demon binder would at least have a scar to remember her by.
"You're correct," To say Lorelai was dissapointed when she discovered that Elizabeth had all but swore an oath ensuring the tiefling's protection would be an understatement. She wasn't sure Phagora deserved death yet, but Lorelai believed that fear of it straightened the spine and purified the spirit of weakness. "There are very few plots and treasures Phagoriel is unaware of."
She took up a post against the wall opposite Phagora's work. An examination of the runes ensured that the tiefling had arranged them correctly. "Elizabeth tells me that you've performed faithfully and admirably." She sighed, but she couldn't help being pleased. "So further punishment is stayed, for now. If you manage to pull of this summoning without having your soul ripped asunder I might start having thoughts of amnesty."
The runes started to pulse with the purple of the finest wines. Phagora took her offering, a breast of quail lightly dusted with saffron, idly thinking about how much this had cost Medusa. Then, she steeled herself and began the invocation. "Phagoriel, Lord of Gluttony and Feasts! Phagoriel, He Who Shall Consume God! PHAGORIEL, I BID YOU COME FORTH!!"
A thick black sludge appeared in the room, oozing itself into the form of an obese man, who spoke with the accent of the cultured. "So. You were the one who summoned me, daughter."
Lorelai'd forgotten how much bootlicking was usually involved in 'traditional' summons. Her lips curved into a sneer of distaste, demons were low things, to be enslaved and used as a witch sees fit. Not everyone had her affinity though, and Phagora had managed to summon a Lord and remain whole, no small feat.
She held her tongue for now, nodding to the Prince in recognition. She wondered what Phagora would ask first.
"And you, Lorelai Von'Strauss. I trust you have found a use for my daughter?" The demon's head turned back towards Phagora. "Why did you summon me? I trust there is more to talk about than family matters."
Phagora swallowed nervously. Sure, her father had appeared to her in visions, but his corporeal form radiated an awesome power. "We seek all you know about Annunaki. It comes for us all, and if we are to destroy our enemy, we must understand it."
"Annunaki, you seek to know the unknowable." Phagoriel retrieved the offering of quail, and began picking at it. "The great anti-gods and unrealms of the outer dark. They rarely have any pleasurable value, and thus rarely attract my interest. However, one must live to eat, and I do have a few insights you may find valuable."
"One I'll give you for free, because you are my daughter. Amidst the mirror realms of the great desert, where foolish men have built foolish monuments to their pharoah's 'immortality' there is a black ziggurat. It's a temple to the strange alien things that will come in the Annunaki's wake, and should offer instructions on how to bind and slay them." Phagoriel had decided that the offer was indeed oppulent enough for his sensibilities, and pushed the prepared bird whole into his maw.
The room filled with the muffled sound of crunching bone and ripping meat for a few moments while the Demon Lord devoured his meal. "A second I'll offer for free out of respect for the Dragon in the room." He nodded at Lorelai. "Deep in the abyss is the Esctatic wind, a scouring thing that erases minds and consumes souls. Beyond it lays Arch-Dragon's peak, and the River Oroboros. Along the shores of the great river you might find a small hut, attended to by an old man. Do not trust his smile, or his kindness, he's the greatest servant of the outer dark left in our cosmos. Show him your might, your resolve, and rip truth from his lips."
"Your words give us great aid, Father. However, you seem to be implying something." Phagora pursed her lips in thought for a few seconds, until the answer came to her. "You offered us that information for free. That implies that there is more you can tell us, but for a price. Name it, and it shall be done."
"Baphomet, Lord of Wrath, has been causing trouble along the border to my realm. He's long envied my wealth and treasures. I don't maintain the most impressive army in the lower realms, and seek your aid in teaching my neighbor a lesson about his arrogance." Phagoriel stated simply. "Promise me you and your mistress' aid, and I'll surrender my final insight."
Lorelai smirked. It wasn't that long ago that Baphomet was knocking on Deskari's door and the succubus queen demanded similar service from the then young Von'Strauss. She turned to Phagora. "A fair price, me'thinks, and high time you learned more about your heritage. What do you think?"
"Agreed. Point us in the direction of your enemies, Lord Phagoriel, and watch them fall like wheat before the scythe." The half-demon's voice was confident to the point of arrogance. A bad thing, perhaps, but a sin her father could appreciate. Phagora canceled the summoning spell with a brief wave of her hand, a bit of impertinence even Lorelai couldn't get away with with certainty. Being family did have its perks.
Lorelai's eyes sparkled with mirth at the tiefling's confident airs. "Well done." It was not lost on the dragon that Phagora had risked much in this for the betterment and wellbeing of her coven, and Lorelai had always rewarded faith before punishing incompetence. "Consider yourself forgiven, but on tenuous terms. I don't expect you'll be making another blunder like the one that lead to this war, but neither can I tolerate one."
Phagora's skin crawled as Lorelai made her position known. Visions of her blood and soul turning into the fires of Hell danced in her head. Yet the sentence of damnation had been suspended, at least for the time being. There was something to be said about not having to worry about that.
"D-do we r-really have to go b-back to h-hell?" The angel stumbled over her words as she addressed her mistress.
"Indeed, but don't worry overmuch," Lorelai chuckled as she turned towards the door. "I'll be sure to show you all some of the 'nicer' places before we get to the blood and flames. It'll be a fun jaunt, and so long as we don't die screaming we'll have some good stories to bring back."
"Don't worry, Serrus. My father's power is great, and he will keep you safe." Phagora's words may have been reassuring, but internally, there was still turmoil in her mind. She had gambled much with this summoning, and all it had gotten her was a few leads and enlistment in another war. Oh, for some weapon or ritual she could wield against the darkness!
Serrus smiled at Phagora, grateful for her words, but she had seen first hand what Demon Lords thought of 'safety' for their servants. She'd keep her trust in the dragon for now, and hope her mistress would continue to have uses for her. "Thank you."
"Come along, Serrus, we've got a war to win before we start this one." Lorelai offered her elbow to the angel, and she took it bashfully. "Speaking of which, I'm sure Elizabeth has work for you Phagora."
"Yes. One crisis at a time, eh?" Phagora smiled ruefully as she departed. First, they had to stop the hunters from tearing the Bloodrose Coven to shreds. Then, she would have to stand with her father's army to pry his last secret from him. Then, she'd have to do her part to defeat Annunaki. Simple.
"A Father's Gifts"
Footsteps. Phagora heard footsteps at the door to the summoning chamber. What's more, she knew this particular, confident rythym. Lorelai Von'Strauss. The tiefling's whole body screamed in terror as she continued to draw her blasphemous symbols. Was she coming to kill her?
No. Fear was a death sentence with what she was doing. And yet... Summoning a Lord of Hell, one who answered only to the King of the Pit himself, with someone perhaps even more dangerous just outside? Who wouldn't be frightened out of their wits?
The door swung open, and Phagora's fears were confirmed. Lorelai looked around the room, an amused smirk curving her lips. "Well, well," She stepped further into the room, her new angelic servitor trailing a submissive distance behind her. "Isn't this bold? Are you hoping daddy will take you home?"
A weak smile crossed Phagora's lips. "No, I'm hoping he will tell me something, anything, about Annunaki. Knowledge is power, as I'm sure you're aware, and with the stakes as high as they are, we need all the power we can get." A finger casually swirled ink on the floor. She kept a small reserve of power in the back of her mind. There was no way Phagora could best Lorelai in a straight fight, should it come to that, but the demon binder would at least have a scar to remember her by.
"You're correct," To say Lorelai was dissapointed when she discovered that Elizabeth had all but swore an oath ensuring the tiefling's protection would be an understatement. She wasn't sure Phagora deserved death yet, but Lorelai believed that fear of it straightened the spine and purified the spirit of weakness. "There are very few plots and treasures Phagoriel is unaware of."
She took up a post against the wall opposite Phagora's work. An examination of the runes ensured that the tiefling had arranged them correctly. "Elizabeth tells me that you've performed faithfully and admirably." She sighed, but she couldn't help being pleased. "So further punishment is stayed, for now. If you manage to pull of this summoning without having your soul ripped asunder I might start having thoughts of amnesty."
The runes started to pulse with the purple of the finest wines. Phagora took her offering, a breast of quail lightly dusted with saffron, idly thinking about how much this had cost Medusa. Then, she steeled herself and began the invocation. "Phagoriel, Lord of Gluttony and Feasts! Phagoriel, He Who Shall Consume God! PHAGORIEL, I BID YOU COME FORTH!!"
A thick black sludge appeared in the room, oozing itself into the form of an obese man, who spoke with the accent of the cultured. "So. You were the one who summoned me, daughter."
Lorelai'd forgotten how much bootlicking was usually involved in 'traditional' summons. Her lips curved into a sneer of distaste, demons were low things, to be enslaved and used as a witch sees fit. Not everyone had her affinity though, and Phagora had managed to summon a Lord and remain whole, no small feat.
She held her tongue for now, nodding to the Prince in recognition. She wondered what Phagora would ask first.
"And you, Lorelai Von'Strauss. I trust you have found a use for my daughter?" The demon's head turned back towards Phagora. "Why did you summon me? I trust there is more to talk about than family matters."
Phagora swallowed nervously. Sure, her father had appeared to her in visions, but his corporeal form radiated an awesome power. "We seek all you know about Annunaki. It comes for us all, and if we are to destroy our enemy, we must understand it."
"Annunaki, you seek to know the unknowable." Phagoriel retrieved the offering of quail, and began picking at it. "The great anti-gods and unrealms of the outer dark. They rarely have any pleasurable value, and thus rarely attract my interest. However, one must live to eat, and I do have a few insights you may find valuable."
"One I'll give you for free, because you are my daughter. Amidst the mirror realms of the great desert, where foolish men have built foolish monuments to their pharoah's 'immortality' there is a black ziggurat. It's a temple to the strange alien things that will come in the Annunaki's wake, and should offer instructions on how to bind and slay them." Phagoriel had decided that the offer was indeed oppulent enough for his sensibilities, and pushed the prepared bird whole into his maw.
The room filled with the muffled sound of crunching bone and ripping meat for a few moments while the Demon Lord devoured his meal. "A second I'll offer for free out of respect for the Dragon in the room." He nodded at Lorelai. "Deep in the abyss is the Esctatic wind, a scouring thing that erases minds and consumes souls. Beyond it lays Arch-Dragon's peak, and the River Oroboros. Along the shores of the great river you might find a small hut, attended to by an old man. Do not trust his smile, or his kindness, he's the greatest servant of the outer dark left in our cosmos. Show him your might, your resolve, and rip truth from his lips."
"Your words give us great aid, Father. However, you seem to be implying something." Phagora pursed her lips in thought for a few seconds, until the answer came to her. "You offered us that information for free. That implies that there is more you can tell us, but for a price. Name it, and it shall be done."
"Baphomet, Lord of Wrath, has been causing trouble along the border to my realm. He's long envied my wealth and treasures. I don't maintain the most impressive army in the lower realms, and seek your aid in teaching my neighbor a lesson about his arrogance." Phagoriel stated simply. "Promise me you and your mistress' aid, and I'll surrender my final insight."
Lorelai smirked. It wasn't that long ago that Baphomet was knocking on Deskari's door and the succubus queen demanded similar service from the then young Von'Strauss. She turned to Phagora. "A fair price, me'thinks, and high time you learned more about your heritage. What do you think?"
"Agreed. Point us in the direction of your enemies, Lord Phagoriel, and watch them fall like wheat before the scythe." The half-demon's voice was confident to the point of arrogance. A bad thing, perhaps, but a sin her father could appreciate. Phagora canceled the summoning spell with a brief wave of her hand, a bit of impertinence even Lorelai couldn't get away with with certainty. Being family did have its perks.
Lorelai's eyes sparkled with mirth at the tiefling's confident airs. "Well done." It was not lost on the dragon that Phagora had risked much in this for the betterment and wellbeing of her coven, and Lorelai had always rewarded faith before punishing incompetence. "Consider yourself forgiven, but on tenuous terms. I don't expect you'll be making another blunder like the one that lead to this war, but neither can I tolerate one."
Phagora's skin crawled as Lorelai made her position known. Visions of her blood and soul turning into the fires of Hell danced in her head. Yet the sentence of damnation had been suspended, at least for the time being. There was something to be said about not having to worry about that.
"D-do we r-really have to go b-back to h-hell?" The angel stumbled over her words as she addressed her mistress.
"Indeed, but don't worry overmuch," Lorelai chuckled as she turned towards the door. "I'll be sure to show you all some of the 'nicer' places before we get to the blood and flames. It'll be a fun jaunt, and so long as we don't die screaming we'll have some good stories to bring back."
"Don't worry, Serrus. My father's power is great, and he will keep you safe." Phagora's words may have been reassuring, but internally, there was still turmoil in her mind. She had gambled much with this summoning, and all it had gotten her was a few leads and enlistment in another war. Oh, for some weapon or ritual she could wield against the darkness!
Serrus smiled at Phagora, grateful for her words, but she had seen first hand what Demon Lords thought of 'safety' for their servants. She'd keep her trust in the dragon for now, and hope her mistress would continue to have uses for her. "Thank you."
"Come along, Serrus, we've got a war to win before we start this one." Lorelai offered her elbow to the angel, and she took it bashfully. "Speaking of which, I'm sure Elizabeth has work for you Phagora."
"Yes. One crisis at a time, eh?" Phagora smiled ruefully as she departed. First, they had to stop the hunters from tearing the Bloodrose Coven to shreds. Then, she would have to stand with her father's army to pry his last secret from him. Then, she'd have to do her part to defeat Annunaki. Simple.