Through the Layers

The throne was made for a much larger demon, and so it was that the Alu-Fiend sprawled across it lazily with a book in hand.  

She had given up on the search for Lord who was guardian of the layer, given up trying to return the throne to a proper owner.   No she was perfectly content to claim it for her own, using her magic and the shadows to hold dominion over the court.

The only thing she lacked was her Chosen, and already she had plans to bring him to join her.  He was meant to be by her side in this, for after all he was her only equal and they were meant to rule together.


It was not that she had become complacent.  Rather far from it, she knew the threats that assailed the walls of the palace.  She knew of the powers seeking to claim the throne, but she had defeated them all thus far.  Rather she was simply confident in her abilities, and never stopped to consider there could be a power to match her own.

While she was certainly strong and held a great deal of magic, she was certainly no match to a proper Demon Lord.

One might say the battle was epic, but that would be a falsehood. It was more an act of defiance that the Alu-Fiend clashed with the Demonic Lord, a matter of pride that she could not contest to simply bend a knee.  And so it was that she was hurled to the craggy landscape of the Abyss itself, in a display of power that no one could dispute.

It could have ended then, but the new Lord decided to make an example of the half-blood  upstart that had dared to challenge him. And it was too simple to merely take her life, while it would have been just it would not have provided a lasting impression that was necessary to control the masses.

So with one hand curled into her hair, he dragged her through the layers, until he brought her into the Abyssal palace that was his home and dumped at the base of his throne.  

With a command to the magi assembled, the new Lord committed a spell of binding.  Great chains of barbed iron rose from the floor of the room to wrap about the Alu-fiend, lashing about her body viciously to hold her in place.  The chains bit into her ankles, knees, wrists and wings, dragging her to a kneeling position that she could not break free of.

And there she would remain, bound to kneel and to suffer whatever amusements or cruelties the new master of the layer should decide to inflict upon her.  

The only question became, how long would it be.. until she broke.

She regenerated naturally. A gift from her mother really that her body would eventually heal over the course of time. And this could be stimulated to work faster and more efficiently if she supplemented the process with the consumption of souls.

The new master of the layer found this incredibly useful, and entirely amusing. It ensured that he could continue to punish the upstart half-breed without the concern of her expiring too soon.

Time passed, something before that had never been of concern, now held new meaning in each day of her captivity. Eternity now seemed endless, hopeless. For the first time she viewed her lifespan and the ageless turmoil of the abyss as a curse, and one that she could not see free to escape.

Part of her wanted to weep, but she would not. It would be an unforgiveable sign of weakness in the eyes of the others, and worse still it would be proof that they had broken her. She would not allow that to happen.

But with each year passing, it began to wear that will down.

No one was coming, such a fact became more clear by the day.  After all the declarations of love and lust, all the sweet words turned to ash when the time came to put them into action.  With some thought, she knew that such things were to be expected.

There was only one that could be trusted.   There was only one she could rely upon to hold his word and promise.  There was only one that would look to find her, and in this she found her only hope.


And she continued to hold out hope, until the bond which united them.. broke.

One moment he was there, and in the next he was gone.  She believed then that he had died, and with this realization the last fragment of hope that had continued to fuel her spirit, died too.

She was alone and there was no escape.

And it was in this, that her will finally shattered.

She was past caring that her body was destroyed repeatedly, the injuries and insults grew tedious and repetitive.  The pain had long ago blurred into a singular sensation, and she put her mind past the ache until she lost focus.

It was how she was going to keep sane, until at last she was allowed to meet her end.  And there was no longer a doubt in her mind, death was the only thing left to look forward to.

Until a voice spoke softly against her ear, whispering to her through the haze.


A new sensation stole across her thoughts, a sense of being pulled.. and she could feel the chains that bound her starting to give way.  The fabric of reality shimmered, the red haze of the abyss melding with the dark green of a forest.

She could feel a hand caressing her cheek softly, before another whisper stole past her ear in a tease.


The plane of the abyss continued to melt as a hand caught hers in the darkness and pulled.


She sucked in a breathe as her true name was spoken, runes of power flaring around her to snap the chains and pull her fully across the realms.  The verdant green of the forest surrounded her in a lush scenery, even as she heard bones crackling as her own body merged with another, until at last she lay still in the cool grass.

She tried to orient herself, she tried to still the spinning of her mind.  What had happened, where was she, who had summoned her?

One hand slid across the grass to try and push herself to standing, but there was no strength left in her.  The abuses of the abyss combined with the planar crossing had ruined her body, the most she was capable of was moving to her knees.   A light exhale before she turned her hands before her eyes, trying to take it all in.

And then the voice that called her, spoke.. and finally she remembered it.  She knew the speaker, even before she lifted her gaze to settle her grey eyes on his green ones.  

She was free, and yet, she wasn’t. Runes of power formed a binding circle around her, sealing her inside a silver barrier that she could not pass. “You have a choice. I can return you back to where you were… or you can give me that which I have always wanted. It is your decision.”

It was not a hard decision to make.

Everything would be different now, everything had changed. Him. Her. The world. Their bond. The dynamics of their relationship. Nothing remained the same, and yet.. something had. His promise endured when all other things had failed.

She wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him everything. But how could one admit to failing, weakness, and despair, to someone they needed to inspire? How to confess fear and.. surrender? How to regain pride and make it seem like everything was still alright?

As the bindings collapsed, it was his arms that found her. There was so much strength in his grip as he pulled her to stand, she contemplated not moving at all.

“We’ll talk when it’s over.”

It..  was a tower that loomed above her head.  He was helping her inside and into the basements below, a dark laboratory opening before them.  A man in black robes led them further inside, and her eyes took in the vast array of implements and runes that marked the place.

In that moment panic flared, and she struggled to get loose.  The irrational fear that they were going to send her back took hold and she ineffectively sought to free herself from the tight grip that continued to hold her upright.

“Calm down and be still.”

Her mind was racing as he set her down  on one of the experiment tables without further word, before the strange man in the black robes leaned down over her.  One of his hands came up to caress the side of her face lightly.. before the world spun around her again.

More shifting pulled at her mind before she crumpled into a heap on the tabletop, blacking out in that moment so she did not hear the conversation above her.




In recent years the Test of High Sorcery had changed.  The magic woven by the dream-shapers was crafted in such a manner so that it protected the body of the student while their mind was drawn inside.  They might suffer injuries during the course of illusions the test produced, but such injuries were not real and had no impact upon their actual selves.  Students could survive the test without dying, and those who failed might yet have another chance to prove themselves.

A soul-forge, however, held no such protections.  The mind of the student travelled the course of the test, and any injuries that were suffered were actually inflicted upon the mage. Many died during the process of the soul-forge, from the toll and wear upon their bodies.  It became a very real prospect that the mage undergoing this would not come out the other side, and so the practice had been stopped in order to raise numbers for the tower.

It was said, however, that those magi who underwent the soul-forge were the greatest of their orders for the price paid was real.. and not simple illusion.

Soul Forge I

Grey eyes opened to take in the landscape, taking it all in with a flicker of confusion.
 
Her last memory was of being in the laboratory below the tower, and now here she was in the grass once more.  The dark shadows of the trees danced over her, and looking up she could see the amalgam of writhing forms that made up her tree in the grove.


He had sent her back to the island.  She didn’t understand what was happening.

What she did know was that she hurt, and badly.  She did not remember the last time she had even tasted a soul, let alone been able to consume one in order to nourish herself and fuel her regenerative powers.  If she could just have one, or perhaps a few, she would be able to heal herself so that she could focus on just what, exactly, was going on.

Her body was a wreck from the abyss.  It was sheer willpower alone that she was able to draw herself to standing, ruined wings hanging limply behind her as she staggered out from the grove itself and through the forest.

She was alone again, but she was free.   Why he had sent her away was something that she could not grasp, but as she stumbled and fell to one knee she knew that there were other things to focus on.

Stand, get upright and walk.  One foot and then the other, you can do this.  Forward, don’t turn back.. keep moving forward.

Another stumble, she hit the ground again.   She had never been so weak in her life, if her enemies caught her like this it would not go well for her.  She needed to heal herself before all the stupid would be heroes decided this was their day to go for a walk.

She growled lightly and struggled to her feet once more.

Forward..  she spied the guards at the gates just ahead.  

A single spell left her lips, and a wailing scream ripped through the air.  The men and women standing at their posts could not cover their ears fast enough and in a single moment she quenched all their lives, and reveled in the power of it.

She could feel all their souls reaching out, hoping to move on in the next stage.  But she could not allow that to happen.  

With a command she called the souls to her, collecting them in hand before consuming them hungrily. Instantly she could feel the energy sinking into her body, sparkling within like quickfire as it fueled her regeneration and healing abilities, restoring her strength and prowess in a rush.  

It was intoxicating, the sheer exhilaration of power as danced across her senses.  Each time she felt it she wanted more again, almost like an addiction it never seemed to be enough.  Closing her eyes, she allowed the souls to restore her even as she formed plans anew.

Like teaching a lesson to all those that had betrayed her.

Soul Forge II

The guards at the gate had posed no challenge to her, even in her broken state.  Neither would the paladins, nor would the so-called heroes that crossed her path as she traversed across the landscape that had been her home for so long.

They were simply annoyances on her path, her goal.. her goal was once more the realm of the Abyss.

But she had no intention of returning to the place of her defeat.  She had no intention of trying to retake the layer that had been lost, at least not in her current state.  She lacked the power necessary to challenge a demon lord directly, and she would not be so rash or arrogant a second time.

No, her goal was in those supposed ‘friends and allies’ that had promised to stand at her side.  They lingered on the very edges of the Abyss, where they could cross between t he planes easily should a need arise for them to do so.

She would find them and learn the reason they had abandoned her, and they would pay the price for their betrayal.  Of course.. she wasn’t sure what that would be yet, these were the sorts of things she tended to plan in the moment.

Finally she reached the cave, seemingly ordinary in nature those attuned to the planes could feel a difference here.  The barrier between planes was thin here, weaker.. easier to cross if one had the power to do so.  

She had that power.

Summoning her strength she called forth another spell of the highest tier, opening a Gate that would allow her to breach the planes and enter the Abyss.  

Another crossing, another shift in reality.  She wanted to throw up.  In the last few moments alone she had walked worlds that most would never see.  Each change in reality required her to adjust and perceive, immediately adapting to the new scenario.  Part of her was starting to doubt what was real and what she had dreamed up, or if this was an illusion crafted by the demons to try and destroy her mind.

She exhaled and then she drank it all in.  The ruined landscape was stained red and black, ash floated on the air and plumes of smoke rose in the background. The din of battle and the dying rose in a low hum before she rolled a shoulder and looked to the door ahead.




But there are some things, that must be done.

Soul Forge III

The door opened easily to her hand, swinging open with an eerie stillness that defied the chaotic nature of the realm in which it sat.  Carefully she stepped forward, crossing the threshold with a sense of trepidation.

How long had it been?

She’d been trapped for years in the Lord’s court.  But for how many?  She was not entirely certain of that answer, she did not know what even awaited her within.  Part of her wondered if they were even still alive after all this time, or if they had died and deprived her of vengeance.

The hallway opened before her to a wide room, where two things caught her eyes. First was the massive doorway that would lead into the rooms beyond, and second was the figure standing before it.

Garbed in a coat of crimson hue, the tiefling stood watch and barred her path.

“The master says turn back little cousin, retreat while you still may.”

Who was the master?  Part of her wanted to ask the question, but the other part of her had no interest in listening to a pointless verbal tirade.  She brushed her hair from her eyes and continued forward, watching the movements of the figure before her.

Liar.

Yes of course, he was one.  She would not be deterred in her course by a creature of deceptions, especially not when he had abandoned her to face the Abyss alone after all his promises.  Instead she came before the door to rest a hand upon it.

“Stop now Cousin.”

..  He had always called her that, hadn’t he?  Considered her small and weak, vulnerable as he set guards to watch over her and ‘keep her safe’, but in the end all those had failed and she had been left to survive on her own.  And she had survived, hadn’t she?

He grabbed for her wrist, but by then it was too late.  She unleashed a spell, the flare of necromancy leaving her fingertips as she whispered against his ear, ‘Die’ only to watch him collapse at her feet as the magic was released with its full destructive power.

Of course he was right.  She was physically smaller and weaker than the brutes that had long surrounded her.  But she had something none of them could match.


And in a laboratory below the Tower, the Soul Forge burned into the alu-fiend to re-shape her mind and strengthen it for passing this lesson.