Illuminating the Dark Prince

A Dance of Shadow and Flame

~Valarendrik~

Formidable dark waves loudly crashed against the spiked obsidian seawall, lightly misting my pale cheeks with their salty sea spray. They reached for shoreline with eager avidity, only to be mercilessly dragged back into the deep with sorrowful swirls of dark green seafoam. Birds circled overhead upon their black wings, croaking mournfully as though crying out to the stygian waters of the ocean. Twisted thorny bushes adorned with vibrant red roses entangled themselves upon the wall. Each quivering bloom was surrounded by dark toothy leaves, appearing in a way that made it seem as though they were peeking out to be kissed by starlight.

We were roaming along a crowded seaside walkway, filled with murmuring demons of all sorts. Lucilia's dainty human hand was intertwined with mine, with her shoes clicking softly against the puddle-ridden stone path. Hell's two crimson moons reflected within the inky waters, making it a struggle to suppress my painful memories from the distant past. Try as I might, haunting images of Aldrinan's desecrated corpse slowly drifting away managed to force themselves into my mind like a fiendish parasite eating away at my sanity.

"I have enjoyed using his fingers as my vessel..." The crown sinisterly whispered. "Pity that it wasn't you on that altar though. Aldrinan would have been a worthy king..."

I reached up with my free hand and lightly touched the twitching bones. The crown's words didn't matter to me, yet I still inwardly sighed with sadness, simply missing my brother. My gaze drifted away from the sea and to the many crowded cathedral buildings lining the walkway, hoping to distract myself. Their slender stone spires menacingly stretched up to the bejeweled night sky, reminding me a bit of the ruins beside the abysmal cremation grounds. Incandescent vines of fiery ivy crept up along most of the buildings, casting an eerie amber glow over the swirling mist slithering at our feet. 

Lucilia's tiny warm hand gently squeezed mine, catching my attention. A few loose strands of her golden hair gently twisted around her face as she lovingly smiled up at me. I lovingly smile back, realizing that although the past was painful, I now had a beautiful future to look forward to... With a wife who was awkwardly hobbling because I'd just fucked her on a vovin's wing.

Oh yes, I am going to fully enjoy making up for those four thousand years of celibacy...

"Hell seems to have quite the nightlife scene." A roaring wave violently crashed against the seawall as she spoke, causing a spray of mist to gently kiss her cheeks. "I could get used to living here."

"I've never been anywhere like this before. The most similar place would be the streets of Tenveriel, but I'm sure you remember how awful that was..." I softly laughed. "I do enjoy that I am neither a pariah prince nor a peculiarity in this world." One thing was certain, Hell was a beauteous and lively place. Exactly the type of paradise I'd always imagined it to be.

"You're still a peculiarity." Azathoth grinned while glancing over his shoulder at me. Gwendolyn's hand was also in his, with her black painted nails matching his sharp talons. "Especially with that freaky soul of yours."

I chuckled and jokingly looked down at myself as though I could see my soul. "I suppose that's true."

"You'll never truly belong anywhere..." The crown cooed.

"Here we are." Azathoth gestured to a large imposing building with a strange crimson glow coming from the inside. 

The tall arched windows were lined with curved obsidian spikes and green labyrinthine vines with sharply pointed leaves. Silhouettes of naked men, women, and one person with both breasts and a cock suggestively danced behind the opaque glass, with all sorts of moans and murmurs coming from inside. I inhaled, smelling the heady scent of sex entwining with the salty ocean winds.