Back in the apartment after their unexpected encounter with Reverend Church, Mather and Bashir; Rachael, Rebeca, Maisy, and Leviathan Morningstar all sit down in a nearby chair or couch cushion. Joan was the only one to remain standing as she walked into the tiny kitchen to make a pot of tea. Rachael was still feeling woozy from the large portal she summoned to get rid of her abusive father and his two friends.
“That book Enoch gave you has certainly paid off,” Maisy sitting next to Rachael; stroking her blond hair. Both demons in their humans disguises as they sit in Joan’s apartment in Paris France.
“Do you know where you sent them,” Leviathan looking at the book in question; Idiot’s guide to portal summoning. Tossing the book on the table as he gets up to look outside; the balcony door providing an ample view of the upper portion of the Eifel Tower that was situated north of their location.
“You need a destination when crafting portals,” Leviathan adding.
“Not sure,” Rachael answering; “they could be at our old college campus or down in hell.”
“Or caught between the realms,” Leviathan pointing out; “you must always have a destination in mind when crafting portals, or bad things will happen, to you or others.”
“They were our enemies,” Rachael yawning as she spoke; “If they landed naked in the middle of a busy intersection on the other side of Paris, then all the better.”
As Rachael and Maisy bickered with Leviathan over the ethics of using portals to dispatch enemies in lieu of transportation; Rebeca broke out of her doldrums as she noticed the book her daughter was studying with zeal since the civil war began. She picks it up and begins reading it; something to help pass the time and to take her mind off of the death of Astaroth.
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Tumbling through pitch black nothingness, Reverend Church seethed as his chance at getting back at his wife was once again stymied. Only this time by his whore of a daughter Rachael; a girl he should have sent to a nunnery the moment she started showing signs of becoming a woman. Reverend Church always did regret making that child; but being a man of god, he had to hide those opinions so as not to upset the flock. Reverend Church’s thoughts were soon interrupted as a brilliant source of light struck him and then he felt the hard impact of landing on pavement. He groans as he struggles to get up and notices he is in an alley.
Trying to get his bearings, Church hears the groaning of a familiar voice. Stumbling to a nearby garbage bin; Church notices Mather lying in a bin full of black garbage bags whose contents could be described as biohazardous.
“Get up and get out,” Church slapping Mather awake; “Help me find Bashir.”
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Joan placed the tray of tea down on the same table that Rebeca took the portal guide book from. No one paying attention to the distraught women as she dove into to contents of said book. Scrambling to grasp the basics; Rebeca was forced to take a brief pause as she was handed a cup of tea by Joan.
“Its best to keep you mind occupied,” Joan speaking; not realizing what Rebeca was reading. “This way you don’t got mad with grief,” Joan adding; knowing that the woman is still hurting over feeling the loss of Astaroth.
“Thank you,” Rebeca saying weakly as she accepts the tea; “can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead,” Joan mixing a bit of honey into her tea.
“Have you ever lost someone you really cared for,” Rebeca asking; “feel that loss so deep its as if a piece of you died with them?”
“I’m not certain I can answer that truthfully,” Joan sighing; “while I did love my parents and my siblings, I never felt any sort of loss the way you described when they died. I’d imagine I have that sensation if something happened to Michael or our children.”
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Mather and Church found Bashir; or a portion of him. Mather spotted Bashir’s legs dangling from a fire escape, while Church spotted Bashir’s head on a small set of stairs.
“Shit,” Mather approaching Church to see Bashir’s severed head; “I didn’t know that could happen.”
“Where is the rest of him,” Church asking as the head bursts into a cloud of sparks; looking up to see Bashir’s legs also burst into sparks before disappearing.
“I guess it doesn’t matter now,” Mather shaking his head; “death claims our Imam.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Church looking about to make sure no one watched as they exited the alley. Looking about they both noticed that they were still in Paris, but were in a section they were unfamiliar with as they walked into the busy street full of Parisans and tourists.
********************
“Why should I help,” Leviathan looking at his niece Maisy as he finishes drinking his tea; “your sister started all of this.”
“Lamashtu may have written the proposal,” Maisy getting tired of this circling argument; “but she didn’t push it through the senate. That was Laz Deathfire.”
“Just how do you know this,” Joan pouring herself another cup; “you have been here since that attack yesterday.”
“I was out on the balcony last night,” Maisy sighing; “I managed to open a communication portal to Lammashtu while you weren’t looking.”
“That is dangerous,” Joan looking at the girl disapprovingly; “some moral could have seen it.”
“If they did,” Rachael chuckling; “then they deserve to know what else is behind the curtain.”
Maisy smirks as she once again explains to her uncle what she has been told of; all the while Rebeca continues to read the book. She gets up and excuses herself as she heads to the washroom. Pausing as she stands in front of the door; Rebeca concentrates. Opening the washroom door, Rebeca smiles as she sees the bedchamber she and Astaroth slept in during their first night together in hell; she steps through dropping the book behind her.
“If I were Astaroth,” Rebeca speaking as she transforms back into her demon form. Her face becoming more youthful as her crown of horns began to regrow; several ending into neon green tips. pterodactyl like wings spread out from her shoulder blades as her clothes began to burn off; green scales blending into the pure white skin of her body as she flexes and then retracts the neon green bone blades that are hidden within her wrists. “Were would I hid some weapons?”
Rebeca entered into to walk in closet that was adjacent to the bed chamber. She noticed a few drawers containing both her’s and Astaroth’s jewellery. Ignoring those drawers, Rebeca spots two large doors in what looks like an armoire; opening it up, Rebeca smiles as she pulls out a sword with a small buckler attached to a gauntlet.
“Your old arms and armor,” Rebeca sighing as she pulls the items out; “I doubt you will object to me borrowing them my love.”
Rebeca puts on the armor, marvelling at its fit and how it hugs her figure. ‘Almost as if I was ment to wear this,’ Rebeca marveling herself infront of the mirror. Smiling as she gets a good view of her ample breasts and her entrance being guarded by two powerful thighs.
Satisfied as she finishes getting dressed; Rebeca leaves the closet and then the bedchamber. Walking down a hallway she pauses as she spots two demons making love in an adjoining room. Rebeca snarls as these two are clearly wearing the armor of Nergal’s secret police force; she silently enters the room and in one swift motion, plunges her sword into both demons, watching them dissolve into ash as they die in complete shock.
“Guess I need to start cleaning house,” Rebeca overhearing the sounds of other demons using her place as their own private meet up. “You killed my love Astaroth,” Rebeca storming out the room to take out the next pair of demons she saw. “By doing that,” Rebeca seeing a demon with an erection looking stunned as he spotted her; “you killed Rebeca. Now there is only Atargatis,” the neon green demon snarling as she stabs the male demon with one of her bone blades, while the second demon that was below him had her head caved in by a vicious strike of a sword.
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"Where is my mother," Rachael was the first to notice that Rebeca was no longer sitting on the couch. Getting up she begins to search the small apartment and notices her portal book outside of the bathroom door. Opening the door, Rachael notices nothing amiss; vanity sink toilet, bidet and shower stall. Picking up the book, Rachael heads back to the living room.
"I think my mom left," Rachael putting down the book.
"Where," Joan looking at Rachael as both Maisy and Leviathan stop talking.
"I think she went back to hell," Rachael answering; "she must have figured out how with this book."
"Then we need to find her," Maisy putting down her tea cup and looking at her uncle; "all of us needs to help."
"I'm suppose to protect you until the wedding," Joan glaring; "you are not to leave my sight until then."
"I don't think the wedding is happening," Rachael opening up a portal back to her's and Maisy's estate; "at least until the civil war in hell is dealt with."
"Head back to Michael," Maisy looking at her aunt as she walks through the portal; "and thank you for the hospitality."
"Might as well come," Leviathan getting up and walking through the portal; "Lucifer would skin my hide if something happened to Miasma."