Lord Nergal Deathfire looked up from his paperwork as the door to his study creaked open to reveal Lucifer Morningstar. Nergal appraised his king's face and was relieved to see that the Devil was smiling. Whatever Lucifer was about to say, it was clearly going to be to Nergal's benefit rather than his detriment.
Lucifer patted his director of the secret police on the back. "Lord Nergal, I have some good news for you."
"Always a welcome thing in these trying times," Nergal laughed.
"As you know, it's been taking me a while to find a worthy Grand Chancellor in the wake of Adrammelech Gloryfowl's treason. Well, I think I've found someone I can count on. Congratulations! The position's yours." Lucifer handed Nergal the official documentation confirming his appointment.
Nergal grinned delightedly. He was now the head of Hell's government! Between this and the appointment of the anti-human hardliner Lamashtu Morningstar as the new President of the Senate, Nergal was confident that he could mold Hell's laws to suit himself and Beelzebub. "To what do I owe this honor, Your Majesty?" he asked.
"You saved the lives of three of my children and one of my sons-in-law in a major Iron Knight assault on the Royal Palace itself!" Lucifer said with a grin, shaking Nergal's hand. "You did Hell and the Morningstar family a great service, and you proved your loyalty into the bargain. I won't lie to you, Cruciata's testimony had me worried about you for a bit, but you took a perfect opportunity to kill off a chunk of my family (Enoch included) and did the exact opposite. Even Enoch doesn't have it in him to mistrust you completely anymore."
Nergal gloated inwardly. This was going perfectly! He'd gained the Devil's trust and was well-positioned to basically run Hell on Beelzebub's behalf so long as he could control Lamashtu. And if HE couldn't, than his wife, Senator Laz Deathfire, could. Laz was infamous in the Senate as an unbeatable force of nature and the superstar of the anti-Heaven and anti-human factions. She hadn't failed to get a bill passed yet.
"I'm honored, Your Majesty," he said. "I promise you, I will faithfully serve both you and the best interests of Hell."
"I'm glad to hear it, Grand Chancellor," Lucifer said, making sure to call Nergal by his new title as he left the office. "Court needs more valiant, self-sacrificing demons like you."
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Lord Ahriman merrily jogged into the palace in Duzakh after an invigorating hunt. He was a brawny demon with the lower body of a scorpion and the head of a snake. At his side were his sister Bushasp, a frog-headed demon with bat wings, and his brother Aposh, a wiry and slender centaur demon with the lower body of a black stallion.
Ahriman headed for the garden, eager to see his wife after the long hunt. Jahi would normally have accompanied her husband on such a lively excursion, but they had both agreed that it would be best for the unborn child if she stayed behind. The gardens seemed oddly quiet when Ahriman entered them. No matter where he looked, he couldn't find Jahi. Odd, it wasn't like the beautiful demoness to hide from him. That sounded like something Loki might do! But where was Jahi?
"Jahi?" Ahriman called out, getting more and more nervous. "JAHI?!!"
Aposh and Bushasp ran out into the garden. "What's wrong, Ahriman?" asked Bushasp.
"Jahi's missing!" Ahriman said, his voice cracking with fear.
"She can't just go missing," Aposh said, shaking his head. "What could happen to her in a well-guarded palace?"
"It may be connected to the Iron Knights," Ahriman said, beginning to panic. "I'll make those zealots pay if they've harmed my wife or my unborn child! Aposh, stay with the children and keep them safe. Bushasp, come with me." Ahriman opened a portal. "We need to get to Dis to speak with King Lucifer!"