• • The House of Asmodeus
• January 23, 2021

The House of Asmodeus: A Trial by Fire (Chapter 4)

“Man plans, God laughs.” – Yiddish Proverb

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All of the Demon Kings get up to exit the room; it was decided that should Asmodeus survive they would reconvene in his domain, the Circle of Lust. Asmodeus sits in his chair trying to figure out not how to convince the angels’ but of a more difficult and dangerous task. 

How to explain his plan to his family, convince them to feel comfortable with his fate being put in the hands of the Archangel.

The King of Sloth stops for second to say, “I’ll have my captured angels brought to you within the hour.” 

“Thanks, bring them to my chambers, I plan to leave to the mortal worlds from here.”

“Of course.” After that he quickly leaves the room.

The King of Envy shoots Asmodeus an icy look as he exits the room, obviously unhappy with this conference’s outcome. The King of Gluttony pats Asmodeus on the shoulder as he passes and the King of Greed respectfully nods his head. 

I can’t say for sure if Mammon accepts our decision, he’s got a good poker face, but let’s hope that Greed merely guides, not blinds. 

Satan tries to push past but Asmodeus quickly grabs his arm to speak to him.

“I wish to claim my prize from your Reavers before I depart.” 

Should I perish or be captured my Circle will have as much to defend itself as possible. Reavers are powerful, but are leaders through status alone.

Satan grimaces but won’t fight Asmodeus on what he is properly owed. He had once claimed someone from the Circle of Lust after defeating Asmodeus’s predecessor in a passed duel. It would be against his sense of honor to try and deny Asmodeus his reward. 

“They will arrive at your room to be chosen from before you go.” And with that Satan stays not a moment longer. 

The only Ogre demon left with Asmodeus is his mother-in-law, the Queen of Pride. 

“Forgive me for smiling, I cannot help but find it amusing, imagining you as you break the news to our Noella… and the rest of your harem.” 

Asmodeus grimaces at the name calling but that’s it. “In all honesty Lucifina, I’m more scared about whether or not they’ll let me go than maybe facing Michael’s sword.”

Lucifina can’t help but laugh. “Oh that’s good. If I can give you any advice, its this. Do make sure that they remember that you are their king, you command them and all of the daemons in your Circle, not the other way around, and that does include my daughter.” 

Her words make this knot in Asmodeus’s chest. She makes it sound as if I shouldn’t treat Noella as if she’s my Queen. Maybe it’s because the other Demon Kings don’t seem to have someone like that.

“Second, remind them of your duty to maintain the best interests of your people, which you believe to be peace. And third,” and her serious tone sounds more like begging, “please do tell them this was your idea. I do not want to explain myself to Noella when she comes yelling as to why her husband is going and I am not.”

“Huh,” he sighs, “I promise to keep that in mind.” 

“Good Lord.” She pats his shoulder as she left.

*****

“You want to what?!” Noella is uncharacteristically throwing a fit over the strategy Asmodeus had just relayed to her, his Reavers, and Lolara.

“I have to point out that this plan of yours puts you completely at risk,” says Lolara, calmly at least, as she takes a seat on their large bed. 

“He simply cannot go!” Noella continues to exclaim over her husband’s idea to go converse with angels. “We can barely protect him there! Archangels have slain countless Demon Kings in the past, Michael more than any other! To risk yourself is so foolish, Clay!” 

She must really be upset if she’s using my old human name, she never does that.

“Clay cutie,” Mod says, appearing to do her best to not sound condescending, “as much as I hate to agree with her I can’t possibly condone such action. How can we protect you surrounded by angels?” 

Mod and Noella rarely see eye to eye, so that scary.

To make matters worse for him he drops another bombshell. “Well you won’t have to worry about trying to fight off angels… because I’ll be going alone.” Asmodeus can’t help but have a small grin as he clenches his shoulders in wait. 

There’s this quiet before the uproar.

“Absolutely out of the question!” Dotor shouts.

“In what world do you think we would let you do that?!” cries out Zazriel.

“Cutie… what the hell are you thinking?!” Mod yells.

“I will not allow it,” Noella says sternly.

“This has got to be the stupidest idea you’ve ever had ” Lolara accuses, flabbergasted.

“Oh dear,” Petra says.

The last of Asmodeus’s Reavers, the Reaver of Masochism, Logue starts wailing as she violently shook her head. A teal and catlike succubus.

She shrieks like a cat at the sound of everyone fighting, and hearing this, Asmodeus takes Lucifina’s advice.

“Everyone be quiet!” Asmodeus commands, firing burning from his hair and nostrils. This is the second time in a day that Asmodeus has had to quiet a room. 

Being rather fearless, Logue leaps from her place scratching the bed frame, to Asmodeus’s shoulders. 

Her hands and feet balance on him, and he doesn’t even stagger. He just looks up at her as her long blue hair hangs over him. 

“Take me with you, your Majesty, I’ll rip the angelssss limb from limb,” she offers, along with this twisted smile that shows her dagger-like canines. One would think that being catlike wouldn’t make you stretch your ‘s’ like a snake, but when that catlike daemon being has a forked tongue that she refuses to put away, one would be wrong.

“I’m trying to make peace here, not give you feathery scratching posts,” Asmodeus tells her, prompting a sad frown on her face. 

With a shrug she’s prompted off his shoulders and she leaps near the Reaver of Sadism. She stands the same short height as Petra, and shrugs to her, “I tried.”

“Did you though?” Petra tells her, squinting her eyes and she crossing her arms. 

Asmodeus shakes his head as nobody seems to be understanding. “Let me make myself clear, this was decided by me and the other Demon Kings already. I’m going whether any of you like it or not. There is nothing you or we can do to change that.”

“But beloved-” Noella pleads.

“Take only me,” Azale interrupts.

“What would be the point, Azale?” Asmodeus is starting to get agitated again, feeling as if no one is listening or understanding his position. Anyone else who comes with me is at risk, that’s a step too far, even if its at the demands of other kings. 

“I once served under Michael, my presence could garner a peaceful reaction to your summons. And in case of betrayal my dark magic powers stands best to protect us, they’ll have less defense against me.” With her hand over her heart, she seems so passive and peaceful out of her battle armor. It’s hard to forget how easily she can bash someone’s brains in.

“I simply can not condone this,” Dotor pleads, “it is the job of the Reavers to maintain your safety, my liege.”

“I know, Dotor,” Asmodeus tries to assure with pressing hands, “and I’m sorry to all of you, but this is necessary to avoid war with the angels. It is my duty to maintain the lives of everyone in the Circle of Lust as it is yours to maintain mine. I could never forgive myself if I didn’t try my best to stop this from becoming a war.”

Mod lets out an audible sigh. “It seems you have grown a sense of responsibility I can’t help but support, so if you at least take Azale with, I won’t fight you on this anymore.” Asmodeus gives Mod a look of thanks.

“Thank you, Mod.”

“What are you doing, witch?! Not you, Lola.” Noella is about to go into a panic. “The risk is too great! We cannot risk you, Clay,” and she storms to her husband’s side, taking his arms in her hands, “I can’t risk you!”

“My love, I promise I will return-”

“Return as what, another body to bury?” she interrupts, her eyes doing nothing but betray her fear. “My brothers famously told my mother the same, and an Archangel slew them.”

Asmodeus takes a mental step back, hearing that. She must have grown up hearing stories of how powerful and deadly Archangels are, and how they’ve killed so many daemons and Demon Kings. It only makes it worse that none have killed more Demon Kings than Michael. “Was it Michael?” he asks.

“No, does it matter?” she asks him. He doesn’t answer that. “I can’t bear the idea of losing you, the way my mother lost her sons. This isn’t like the civil war we fought, these aren’t daemons below your weight class, these are Archangels who specialize in putting Kings in the ground!” Tears were welling up in her eyes when she called him sweet. She turns away but Asmodeus swiftly wraps his arms around her. He will not let her go as she struggles.

“Listen to me, I’ll be fine. Azale and I will protect each other against anything we face,” he assures her, but then that’s only adding to her stress.

“So what? I have two to lose?” Noella says, as Azale’s shadow falls over her had. 

The angel takes Noella’s face in her hand, speaking quietly to her. “I swear on everything I hold dear, Mistress, I will make sure that we are brought back to you.” She did her best to try and wipe away Noella’s tears, only for Noella to think about how if something goes wrong, it’s her husband and her best friend that she loses.

“If trouble ever comes, I can teleport us right back here,” Asmodeus tells her, but Noella still turns to look her husband full of doubt. “I promise, Noey, you will lose no one.”

Noella took a deep breath, and gave her husband a deep and passionate kiss, before looking forward and taking Azale’s face in her hands to do that same.

“I guess I’ll be here waiting,” she whispers sullenly as they ended their kiss.

“So now what, we send you two off?” Lolara can’t help but sound pissed over.

“No, first I must claim a new Reaver from Satan, he owes me one. I also gotta wait for Belphegor to bring the captured angels he’s giving me for leverage.”

They all seemed to be surprised at that revelation. “The old Sloth is more mysterious than one of Sloth should have the energy to be,” notes Dotor.

“If you three wouldn’t mind,” Zazriel singles out Petra, and Logue, “could we have some privacy to see our King and fellow Reaver off to battle?” 

“Alright.” Dotor looks defeated. Zazriel takes his hand, and says, “Not you, I need you tonight.”

“I-” Dotor nearly stutters.

“What? We can’t join in on any fun?” Logue says in her latest half-hearted attempt to fuck the boss.

“This is more of a lovers thing, Masochism.” Azale tries to let her down easy, even though Logue needed no such handholding. 

“Ah alright.” With that Logue and Petra make their exit to wait for the Reavers of Wrath to arrive.

They all come together in each other’s arms to wait in case its the last time.