The Trailokya Trilogy, Book 2: Burning Down

Chapter 1

    In the depths of Acheron, the broken keep of Prince Belial stretched up to the sky of stone. A pale luminescence poured over its riven battlements. The city surrounding Belial's castle held eerily silent, the occupants hidden inside their dwellings. One dweller of this dark world peered from a black niche in which he tucked his putrid sattva. A pair of depthless dark orbs, a pin of white light in each, carefully watched the castle.

    Moments ago, the Baron of Acheron, Morgentus, had stood on the roof of a church on the planet of Earth in Samsara, battling against a duta who tried to preserve their asuri, and steal her back from him. Now, he persisted there, hoping for the death of his ruler. His failure to bring the red female back to Acheron was the final strike against him. A snarl curled his pale lips. If Belial faded, Morgentus was safe from his wrath. The baron's fingers flexed where they gripped the opposite arm. With the prince's death, however, he would be at the mercy of the other rulers of Jahannam. There would be a war to control Acheron, and he would need to guess which of the remaining princes was likely to win, if he wished continue as Baron.

    Scuffing footsteps drew the baron's attention to the gate of the city. His errand boy, Segrius, sniffed the air searching for him. His faceless head pointed in his master's direction. Morgentus stepped from his hiding place, stuffing down the hunger that made his eyes black. The ebony faded to icy blue and he stared hard at the serpent. Segrius licked his lips with his long tongue and nodded. The area was clear of danger.

    The baron swept past him toward the castle. His great, black leather wings spread. In a swirl of black, Morgentus disappeared from view. The smoking dust gathered inside the castle, in the highest tower. The weak luminescence that provided light for their world poured in through a crack in the roof. The rays were focused over a marble altar on which lay the remains of the stricken prince. Morgentus hesitated. Belial appeared to be asleep, but he was merely in a deep trance attempting to gather his strength and knit his wounds. The sacerdos he had taken possession of was chained to the marble, his atman flickering on the edge of Oblivion.

    "Morgentus," his name was spoken on an echoing wind that disappeared into the corridors, sweeping the dust of The Conflict with it.

    Morgentus moved forward, stepping carefully around the brittle human. Belial should have hidden deeper in his hold if he meant to heal with only one soul to feed upon. Had this been his fate, Morgentus would have sought the deepest recesses of his labyrinth in which to hide, far underground and beyond every nightmare Jahannam had to offer. A smirk twisted the corner of his mouth. In the open of Acheron was no place for a wounded sattva to find refuge, especially one with so flawed an atman. The weak form would attract bottom feeders from every territory, hoping to steal his crown and his power, but worse, conniving princes dreamt of expanding their colonies or winning a province of their own.

    Morgentus stood over the remains. Hunger pressed in on him again. He beat it back. Under his guard, Belial was assured no prince would strike while he was without his head attached.

    "You don't look so well, my prince," Morgentus said, watching the slow repair of blood vessels and tissue between the neck and head.

    The baron stepped around the altar. Black blood pooled under the corpse, soaking the fine robes and linen hair. Morgentus plucked the gold crown from the head. Spinning it in his hands, he studied the crudely forged gold. A shrug and laugh later, he unceremoniously set it back on Belial's forehead. Had the prince been in good health, such a disrespectful act would have seen Morgentus hammered in two by the one-time seraphim's malformed hands. So much for far reaching power. Thus, the prince needed his protections and power. Morgentus was at last useful to him, unlike every other danava in Jahannam.