Rachael smiles; the wind blew in her face as she dived to the ground. With her eyes closed she instinctively flexed her wing to allow her to level out and rapidly glide meters off the ground. With a few quick flaps she gained some height. Finally opening her eyes, she spots a herd of wild Nightmare steeds grazing in the open fields. A couple of more flaps of the wings she gains altitude and uses it to dive bomb down to the herd. Spooking them and causing them to stampede away from their perceived danger; Rachael picks up speed. She is determined to catch up and fly ahead of them.
‘Flap, flap, flap, pause; DIVE!’ Rachael thinks in her head. ‘Flap, flap, flap, pause; DIVE! Again! Over and over, Rachael gains ground so to speak. She is now at the back of the herd. Grinning she doubles the effort and starts to rapidly overtake the herd. That is when she notices the cliff. The herd either didn’t know or was otherwise to frighten to scatter. Quickly thinking, Rachael pushes her wings to the limit and gains speed allowing her to get to the precipice before the nightmare steeds. Pulling a maneuver that would rip a jet fighter in half due to excessive G-Force; Rachael begins to fly directly into the herd. Keeping low to the ground, she pulls up at the last possible second. Stopping mid-flap with her wings fully extend, she made herself look big in front of the herd leader.
With a loud whinny; the steed brakes with his hooves and causes the rest to scatter to the left and right. Rachael breathes a sigh of relief as she kept this herd from falling to their death.
“I think it’s safe to say,” Maisy finally catching up while breathing heavily; “that you are a natural born expert.”
“And to think,” Rachael grinning; “I stopped being human, forty-eight hours ago.”
“Has it only been two days?” Maisy chuckling; “by this rate you’ll master portal magic by noon tomorrow!”
“Is that a bad thing,” Rachael cracking a wry grin; “or are you trying to keep this demon caged?”
“As if I could cage you,” Maisy chuckling; “with the way you flew, you’d outrun the sun set.”
“hahahaha,” Rachael laughing; “Shall we head home or do some more flying?”
“I did promise you a spectacular view of Dis,” Maisy grinning; “just follow me.”
Rachael grins as she watches Maisy take flight getting a lovely view; she soon follows.
**********************************************************************
“This is one hell of a view,” Rachael nodding as she sees the city below. Sitting on a small ledge on the volcano; both Maisy and Rachael see the city in a new perspective. Rachael notices that Dis looks like a crescent moon from the volcano. The city hugging the volcano; the poorer sections at the base, they were where the condemned humans sentence to the city rebuilding efforts, held. Tasked with digging tunnels for the various utilities; primarily sewer, storm and water. The next level above was interspaced with residences and various businesses. Tanneries, dye factories and slaughter house abattoirs. Each level was different as you went up a the city. Pointing out that at the sixth level; it was a commercial area. Meant for shops, clubs and restaurants and other consumer type business; it was the level they were on yesterday.
“Level seven is for affluent business owners, minor nobles and military quarters. Level eight is where we live; houses for nobility. The top level,” Maisy pointing; “is the palace, dad’s place.”
“For a city meant for the damned,” Rachael snorting, “it is well laid out”.
“It had to be reorganized after the siege,” Maisy referring to the siege that Enoch Morningstar mentioned at breakfast yesterday. A siege that the, city has not forgotten.”
“You would think,” Rachael doing some quick math; “that in approximately five hundred years; the workers would have repaired all the damages.”
“It took a hundred years just to re-plan the city,” Maisy rolling her eyes; “lots of bureaucratic belly aching just to get the senate and merchants to agree to the changes.”
“And four hundred years to put lipstick on a pig,” Rachael bursting out in laughter.
“See the shimmer up in the distant,” Maisy pointing left from where they were; “that is the lake of fire.”
Rachael’s grin soon turned somber. Remembering what Maisy said last night; that all suicides end up there. An unending lake that burns condemned souls for eternity; for those who chose to throw away their life.
“You think Enoch will listen to my ideas for therapy in purgatory,” Rachael looking morose.
“He did promise to speak to you later,” Maisy sighing; “and my brother is not the type to break a promise. Plus we should head back,” Maisy looking at the clouds coming from the east; “looks like a brimstone shower is about hit us.”
“Is that bad,” Rachael seeing Maisy opening up a portal.
“Inconvenient for us,” Maisy looking at the rapidly brewing storm before shoving Racheal through and following behind. Both entering into the middle of their living room as Maisy continues; “as we are fire resistant. But it burns the condemned human souls if they are outside. Nigel,” Maisy shouting; “shutter the windows a storm is coming!”
An hour later the first thunk of a chunk of brimstone hits the roof making a dull thud; both Maisy and Rachael are lounging on a sofa watching hell’s version of a weather report when Nigel approached them.
“We have some guests mistresses,” Nigel speaking stiffly; “they claim to be family.”
Before Nigel could state who they were, Rachael spotted a small black blur race towards Maisy and bowl her over.
“Auntie Miasma your home!” The little demon-taur child who looked a lot like Enoch shouted as he playfully pranced about merrily on his paws.”
“Fenrir,” Miasma beaming; “what are you doing here?”
“I thought it best that he, Hel and Svadilfari stay here,” Enoch entering the living room.
“Hel,” Miasma grinning, “Where is she?”
“Sleeping,” Svadilfari answering as he turns to show a small child slung on his back snoring softly; “Could you help lift her off me?”
Rachael not seeing a reason to refuse; she gingerly takes the young demon out of her basinet. Getting a good look at her, Rachael noticed that the sleeping girl has facial features similar to her Grandmother Lilith. Small bumps on her head denoting buds for future horns. Her ears are deer like and have small piercings in one of the lobes. The child lacking a tail, she does however have small bat like wings. Her legs are covered in thick course black fur and end in cloven hooves. She moans softly as she continues to sleep peacefully.
“You daughter is very lovely,” Rachael handing the girl to Svadilfari.
“Thank you,” the centaur demon smiling; “Loki and I were overjoyed when she was born.”
“Hel and Fenrir are twins,” Maisy speaking to Rachael as they all make their way to the kitchen where Nigel already had coffee and hot chocolate for the children. “Svadilfari gave birth to them six years ago.”
“And since then,” Svadilfari accepting the coffee; “Loki has been eager to produce number eight.”
“Where are the rest,” Maisy asking; “Are they with Loki?”
“Narfi, Vali, Jormungand,” Svadilfari referencing his and Loki’s son’s; “are on Earth, each attending a university in New York. Sigyn, and Angerboda are also on earth,” Svadilfari putting his Coffee down; “they are backpacking across Europe.”
“Been there done that,” Enoch adding blood bloom nectar to his coffee; “Back when half the continent was under the thumb of the Soviet Union. Fun times,” Enoch sipping his coffee.”
“And Loki,” Maisy asking; “where is he?”
“That is the reason why we are here,” Svadilfari answering; “someone kidnapped Loki.”
“Who,” Maisy sounding shocked; “who would risk getting endlessly pranked for such foolishness.”
“The same fuck twads who made off with Pallaca and my harem,” Lamashtu entering; clearly limping from a wound on her leg. Her surly disposition becoming sourer the moment she saw Rachael, yet for the moment she opted to hold her tongue. “I still don’t get why we need to hole up here,” Lamashtu looking at Enoch; “Wouldn’t the palace be better?”
“The same Palace that had at least thirty iron knights ambushed us outside of Dad’s study,” Enoch looking at his sister; “the same group that shot you with blessed bullets?”
“But why here,” Lamashtu looking at Maisy as she throws her a dirty look; “why not hide out at Alecto’s estate And what about Hecate?”
“You know why,” Enoch glaring; “I’m not the only one you have to apologize too.” Enoch referring to their blow up at their father’s study as he lays into his sister; letting her know that he was taunted and bullied just her. Yet he also felt the sting of being taunt for being a taur. “Hecate will be safe with mom. And while you are talking to our sister Miasma,” Enoch putting down his coffee; “as Lord Chamberlain and Chief of Justice, I need to have a word with Lady Tenebra, inregards to her actions in court earlier today and to speak with Nigel Farnsworth inregards to his sentence.”