Heka grinned as she sliced the penis and testicles from another demon. She and Qesem might not be allowed to use the Morningstars for the creation of thralls anymore, but Hell was a big place. There were plenty of others. This new one would be Thrall Number Forty. She anointed him with the necessary runes and chanted the spell. She and Qesem cackled sadistically as the circle of twelve Iron Knights burst into blue flame as Chaos devoured them. The captive opened his eyes, a pair of black, soulless pools of cosmic emptiness.
Heka suddenly heard a voice in her head. "Heka, this is Beelzebub. I came to warn you of coming danger."
"What isssssss it, my massssster?" Heka asked.
"Prince Enoch is coming to the Sihr Desert in search of his family," said the voice of Beelzebub inside Heka's head. "He brings with him Alecto, Lamashtu, Svadilfari, and Baal. Beware. Baal and Alecto are both senior generals in Hell's army, and Enoch and Svadilfari are both trained fighters as well. As for Lamashtu, her wife Hecate and her father-in-law Baphomet have taught her some basic witchcraft."
"What are you sssssuggessssssssssting?" asked Heka.
"Prepare for a battle," said Beelzebub. "Organize the thralls into a proper army. Deploy them strategically in the cave to combat Enoch's party. Perhaps you might try forcing them to fight their own relatives to get to you. That's good psychological warfare."
"I will do thissssssss, my masssssster," Heka said, bowing her cobra head. "Thank you for the warning. It wassssss graciousssssss of you."
"Your welcome, Heka," Beelzebub said. "It would be annoying to need to replace two valuable sorcerers. I could, but I'd rather not. Now get back to your great work."
**************************************************
Enoch stepped out of the portal to the Sihr Desert, followed by Svadilfari, Alecto, Baal, and Lamashtu. The wolf-taur gazed at the seemingly endless sea of red sand. The wind blew blinding waves of sand grains across the dunes. In the distance, the angry bellow of a desert beast echoed over the red dunes.
"Here it is, people, the Sihr Desert," Enoch sighed. "This is going to be a brutal slog. Still with me?"
"This is about my husband and unborn baby," said Savadilfari. "I wouldn't turn back to save my own life!"
"A true soldier doesn't let a little sand stop her," Alecto said with determination.
"Agreed," Baal said, putting out his cigar and drawing a blade in preparation for meeting beasts.
"And what about our little group's resident pampered princess?" Enoch laughed teasingly.
"My son's out there," Lamashtu said. "I can suffer a little for Pazuzu."
"Then let's get going," Enoch said, bounding into the desert. The others followed, eager to put an end to the plague of kidnappings.