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| - Sulfurous Cavern - A thick sulfurous mist hangs heavy amongst the lava-lit stalactites and stalagmites of this expansive subterranean cavern, with its boiling lake of steaming magma and two giant skull-shaped rocks providing gaping entrances into either end of the Ring of Fire - a place of trials where demons in service to the Descendants must keep in check the powers of good. Xerum is situated on a throne of what appears to be writhing flesh and bone, still in her little girl form, a scowl on her lips. Other Demons seem to have recieved the sumons, already kneeling before her, most barely daring to /breathe/. One unfortunate Demon appears to have taken some of the ArchDemon's wrath already, and is smoldering, still alive, in said kneeling position. He seems in pain, but is unwilling to falter or cry out. Plutok is among those kneeling already. Lasciel is kneeling along with the other demons, some distance away from Plutok - though perhaps not surprising, that. Medea descends from the world above on those dusky red wings of hers -- late. Go figure. She comes to a rest near the back of the pack, opting to remain standing, and eyes Xerum dubiously. "...-That-... is the Archdemon? You've -got- to be kidding me," she murmurs, apparently to herself. Miran trails in behind Medea, and forgoing any demon-appropriate attire. She's still in campaign mode it seems, complete with talking campaign flair. She's even on a cell phone (did you know we had those?!) chattering about her next press stop. "Ow. OW," comes a softened voice from above, as the Demon of Annoyance descends with the others. Perhaps foolish of him to show up here, but it seems he does so grudgingly. Zariel seems to be wrestling with his collar, the word ANNOYANCE 'glowing' black as though sucking all of the light out of the area around it. He grumbles to himself as he continues trying to keep the metal off of the skin of his neck - and the rather nasty burn visible behind it is probably a good indication of why. Once he's within a decent radius of the others, the glowing subsides and he lets out a sigh. "I hate this damned thing," he complains to himself lowly, before eyeing Xerum and the others with a look of PURE JOY!!!! Ahem. "You will kneel," Xerum says flatly to the two late arrivals, apparently not impressed with their behavior. With a gesture from the ArchDemon, a curtain of air presses down ontop of the two insolent Demons. Zariel is ignored for the moment, luckily. Lasciel - carefully - watches from her kneeling position, the demon's eyes calculating. Both arms are thrown up in front of Dea's face, the demoness growling wordlessly between clenched teeth as her hair whips around her face. It takes a bit, trembling limbs showing that she's fighting it the entire way, but she's eventually made to kneel. A sneer is given in Xerum's direction. "So you can summon me here," she calls out. "So you can force me to kneel. Am I supposed to be impressed? You're an Archdemon. You're more powerful than us peons. Ooh. Scary." A derisive snort follows. Plus three for formerly abused domestic partners! Mir doesn't even attemp to resist, she just allows the pressure to push her face into the ground. "Just like old times," she grins into the dirt and then shifts so her forhead is holding most of the weight. "Didn't think The Boss liked little girls, either! That's jus' not right!" quips the little button. Zariel smirks at Medea's resistance and Miran's words, shaking his head. His hand remains near his stun gun, but since he's being left alone he just leaves Xerum and the others alone as well. He strides over to find a spot he can lean against, waiting for something. Xerum seems to ignore the jibes, apparently content that her subjects are kneeling before her, "What am I to tell my superiors? That my subjects are all foolish incompetants? Is that why no progress has been made on wresting the city from the Ascendants? Perhaps I should have you all replaced, and find some better plane for you all to foul up on. One of you is even misguidedly trying to /ascend/, and you all have done /nothing/ to stop him. Worthless wretches." All of the other Demons don't seem inclined to offer resistance or excuses, just letting the ArchDemon shower them with abuses. Plutok does cast a sidelong glance at Lasciel, dipping his head slightly. Lasciel meets Plutok's gaze, with a small answering dip. Medea snorts, her wings twitching in irritation. "I kept him busy while King Trueguard was taken," she offers, along with another sneer. "Seems like your sources are a little behind the times there, doesn't it?" Miran raises her head to settle it more comfortably, propping her chin in her palms, and her elbows in the dirt. "Seriously. I would call this new reign inspiring blatant treason to be more of a failure than a disproportionate number of vouchers." She glances at Zariel and shrugs before moving into an indian-style seated position. "I'd kind of like to be replaced, actually. Maybe you and I can trade places and you can go toddle around like a bad Steven King knockoff and I'll just lounge about on a chair and direct wind forces around. Pft, Linnael does more than that." She pats the head of one of her bunny slippers, which squeeks in agreement. "We've got The Shadow Pack in firm alliance if I control The League. The dragons and the Dwarves are right behind him. The elves from the Portal are ingressing, with an eye for plunder and rape. What, exactly, are you considering progress? Oh...that reminds me," She now winks at Zariel, "That Cream Pie of your lovers is absolutely delicious." "Yeah, I know," Zariel nods to Miran with a wide grin, "All that sugar eats away at my stomach like you wouldn't believe, but it's worth it." The rest of the conversation and movements are ignored, this demon seeming perfectly content to engage in casual conversation around Xerum. "None of it has been enough," Xerum states, leaning forward on her throne to eye the group of Demons. The perceptive may notice Plutok reaching into his armor, withdrawing a glass vial filled with water that seems to sparkle and glitter on it's own. Xerum's next comment is cut short as Plutok yells out a "Blood for the Blood God!" and hurls the vial at Xerum. The ArchDemon is taken by surprise, and lets out a terrible screech as the vial breaks, showering the little girl figure in the water, which seems to burn at her like acid. Unable to hold her form anymore, Xerum reverts to her true nature, a large, winged black beast, easily a head to two heads taller than any other Demon in the room. As Plutok charges forward at her, Xerum lets loose a fireball at the charging Demon. Lasciel rises to her feet as the demons begin to battle, slanting an amused look toward Zariel as she scoots out of the way of immediate conflict. A pair of wands seem to materialize in her hands. "Treachery and treason!" Dea shouts, launching herself aloft and drawing her sword. "What a -great- idea! Now that's my kind of way to start off the night." She grins ferally and just -laughs-, diving toward Xerum herself. Stupid? Maybe. But hey, at least she has fun doing it. Miran blinks and stands. Then she starts to clap. "Go, Medea! Go! Stab! Woo!" Pompoms materialize from somewhere (be creative?) and Miran launches into highkicks and cartwheels. Plutok's move catches Zariel's attention and he pulls out his stun gun. He takes a shot at the ArchDemon, before charging into the fray and switching over to his baseball bat as he does so. He doesn't bother to say anything during all of this. Lasciel smiles, readying her wands, and circles, waiting for an opening. Plutok barely manages to dodge the fireball, rushing forward to swing at Xerum with his sword. "Get back! I will banish you all!" Xerum screeches at the charging Demons, dodging Zariel's swing, she opens her hand at Zar and lightning bolts arc out at the oncoming Demon. Dusky red wings stay spread for balance as Medea lands beside Xerum. "I got your banishment -right here-, bitch!" she snarls as she swings her oversized sword in a high slice at the larger demon's head. Miran eyes Lasciel's circling movements and drops the Poms. She unsheathes her sword instead and advances until she's near the other demoness. "In alliance today, Lady, or just incredibly adaptive?" Miran speaks just under the level of the fray and holds the sword-point towards the battle, "and if the pawn falls will you stand in or is it just trading one sycophant for the other?" Annoyance roars as electricity surges through his body, causing some involuntary twitching that slows his charge. Once it subsides, though, Zariel growls and continues on, giving his bat a hefty two-handed swing at the ArchDemon. Xerum manages to dodge two of the three attacks directed at her/it, stepping back from the bat and sword swing, but Plutok's sword clips her in the shoulder, she snarls at him, sending more lighting at Plutok, who manages to touch his sword to the ground him time, sending the lighting from himself to the ground. When the burst burns itself out, he lunges forward again with his sword. Lasciel smiles, and raises her wands while Xerum is busy...and sends a pair of arcane bolts toward the archdemon. "I am on my own side. I would have thought you knew that." Medea growls as her swing is ducked, the momentum (hey, that sword's got to be -heavy-, preternatural strength or no) used to bring her around for another one. "You can't dodge forever," she hisses, acid-green eyes glinting. "Nice dodge," Miran notes to Lasciel. She takes one hand off her sword and holds it out towards the Archdemon, muttering an incantation under her breath. Suddenly, an army of...kittens...swarms past the demons still deciding whether or not to fight and launch themselves at the Archdemon, using needle-like claws and the unusually sharp teeth of babyhood to attack, while purring furiously. Then Miran rehands her blade and advances. "Well, whatever. She can't kill them all at once, it'll slow her down." "Stay STILL, bitch!" Zariel barks, planting his heel in the ground and pivoting to take another mighty swing at Xerum, "Take it like a man!" He's not so witty as the others, but he's not trying to be. It's not his thing. Xerum doesn't manage to dodge much this time, the sheer weight of numbers hitting her hard. After so many attacks hit home, the large Demon drops to a knee, breathing hard and bleeding from numerous wounds, kittens still crawling over her. "Stop! No one else touch her! Discorporealizing her will ruin everything!" Plutok snarls to the attacking Demons, moving to try and step between them and the ArchDemon, and any blows sent her way if need be. Xerum doesn't seem entirely ready to give up though, sending another lighting burst at Plutok. Lasciel growls. "If you ruin this," she mutters threateningly, though it's not at all clear who 'you' might be. Well. A very -large- figure interposing itself between Medea and Xerum causes Dea to at least pause to think. She stops attacking, instead choosing to level her sword toward the Archdemon and circle around it, padding on bare feet. "Tell me. What's in it for me?" she asks of noone in particular, cannily raising a brow. "Killing her would be awfully fun, you know." "She won't /stay/ that way," Miran's observation overlaps Medea's slightly. "That's the trick then, isn't it." The sword is still held ready, but the kittens are called off, coming to heel at Miran's feet. "Exactly," Plutok states. He steps forward and plants his foot on Xerum's hand after dodging the lightning bolt aimed at him. With one swift motion, he lops off her arm at the elbow, reaching down to pick up her severed hand, "Have your way with her," he states, moving away from Xerum and towards Lasciel, busying himself by pulling off a ring from the ArchDemon's hand. Lasciel laughs and steps back. "Hail the Archdemon...Plutok," she says, with a secretive sort of smile. Medea smiles slowly, ferally, showing -way- too many teeth. "Okay. That works for me," she says cheerfully, then steps forward, a vicious stab of her sword sent toward Xerum's gut -- or at least, where a reasonable approximation is for a demon, anyhow. Not Miran, though, who resheathes her sword and offers a speculative glance at the duo. "Well, that was charming, but I'm late for an appointment. Cheers." She snaps and the kitties dissolve back into the ground, before she heads for the portal. "And you will all be rewarded for your efforts," Plutok states with a bit of a smile, the ring securely slipped on, "The Gods smile on me," he adds under his breath, beginning to walk away as well as a pack of Demons follows Dea's example. 'Ravaging Xerum's flesh' would be the best description of what is done to her. Zariel turns his head away from the carnage, letting out a sigh and leaving the group. He approaches Lasciel slowly, wiping some blood off of his bat and onto his pants. "Well, then," he says, "We finishing our conversation or you going to pull something on me right about now?" Lasciel smiles. "You seem to have a good eye for allies." "Bye Miran!" Dea calls, waving as she wades her way out of the pack of demons and their unspeakable acts toward the ex-archdemon. She sheathes her sword, then also moves toward Lasciel. "I'm thinking I missed something in the details here, but that was fun anyway." She's not exactly -covered- in blood, no, but a bit here and there could hardly be avoided. "Maybe," is all Zariel says in reply to Lasciel's comment, before looking back to Medea, "Nice moves. You sound like you enjoyed yourself." Lasciel nods. "A change of regime can be quite refreshing." Medea blinks. "Of course. This was about as far from boring as you get." She smiles, and waggles a finger at Zariel. "For the record, I could care less if you ascend. I didn't even know what was going on at the time. I was just bored and felt like screwing with you." She winks, then tilts her head at Lasciel. "I get the feeling -you- got exactly what you wanted here," the demoness offers, along with a slight smile. "Which leaves me wondering what you're up to." "It would be telling," laughs Lasciel. "But the day did go quite...perfectly." "I figured as much," Zariel replies to Dea, "But the next time you get in my way, I won't be so nice. Stay out of it? I can find other times and reasons for you to swing at me if you ever get bored again." As for Lasciel, she gets a slow appraising look before he adds, "So, about what I'm supposed to get out of all of this. And how it'll fit into whatever devious little plot you've got rolling around in that scheming mind of yours." "Ooh, foreplay. Promise?" Dea replies chirpily to Zar, then raises a brow at Lasciel. "If it's not boring, I might be game," she offers, along with a shrug. "Though I have to admit, Plutok as Archdemon isn't all that bad a way to go. He's a demon of simple tastes, at least." Lasciel nods. "You shall be paid, Zariel," she says. "But I would not tell an aspiring ascendant such as yourself too much." She nods to Medea. "A vast improvement." Zariel grins wryly Medea's way, winking and making a little 'rar' sound at her before returning to his conversation. "Fair enough. I'm more curious than anything else at this point. When can I expect my payment, then?" Medea yawns and gives another shrug. "Eh. At least I only had to deal with pedo-bait there once. If we hadn't gotten to beat her stupid face in, I'd probably be a lot more pissed off about her finally finding and summoning me." She tilts her head at Lasciel, then looks back and forth between her and Zariel. "I get the feeling you two have things to discuss," she finally offers, with a faint chuckle. "I'll leave you to it." Lasciel nods to Medea. "Very...kind," she says wryly. "It seems I do have business with the confused one; we will talk soon." Annoyance waves to Medea before narrowing eyes at Lasciel in mild irritation. "I'm tired, I'm dense, and I just got a jolt of lightning sent through me. If I'm confused about something, it's not my fault. Use small words and simple concepts." "If I was a bitch all the time, it would get boring," Dea offers cheerfully, before she waves, spreads her wings, and takes off, heading for the exit. Lasciel sighs. "Perhaps our usual meeting spot, Zariel," she says quietly. "One can hardly escape demons in the Ring." "Whatever works for you, Acid Babe," Zariel replies indifferently, taking wing and making to leave the Ring of Fire.
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