Darned to Heck

Training

"So, as discussed you will begin your training on Monday with Lucifer. He will tutor you in self-control and discipline. On Tuesday you will be instructed by Leviathan on tactics, how to plan ahead the movements of your enemies so that you may better destroy them with less risk to yourself. On Wednesdays you will have sessions on how to harness your incredible strength and power to channel it into an unstoppable force by Satan. On Thursdays you will be taught the art of using your opponent's strengths against them, how to defeat them with the smallest use of your own strength with Belphegor. On Frid..."

I had stopped listening to the excited chatter of the Devil as he laid out my weekly schedule to become his personal attack dog. He assured me that the training was to protect me, that it was in my best interests and that he only wanted me to be safe. But the look in his eye told me different.

I was becoming more than just a toy; I was being turned into a weapon. And I didn't appreciate that one bit.

"On Sat- my dear are you listening?" the Devil cocked a curious eye to where I was playing with my boiled egg and soldiers. Where do they even get toast from down here anyway? Chicken eggs too for that matter, are there demon chickens running around or what? I sure as hell haven't seen any.

"Allison." He snapped, clearly not appreciating my wandering thoughts. With a click of his fingers the plate of my untouched food was removed from under me, I watched it leave with glassy eyes as the small demon servant scurried to obey his wordless command, and was left holding a strip of the buttery toast between my thumb and forefinger. I dropped it on the table and huffed irritably, not meeting the Devil's gaze that I was sure was on me.

All seven princes of hell were also present for the meeting. They had not been invited to sit down and so stood at various intervals around the room whilst me and the Devil had breakfast. Belphegor, who just so happened to be stood across from me had to work hard to conceal his smile as I showed such a blatant lack of respect for the most powerful and evil thing to ever exist. But hey, it doesn't matter who you are to me, if you're talking shit you're talking shit, and no one ever said I had to listen to it. Well, people tried to, but I didn't listen to them either.

"Allison, as difficult as it may be for you to pay attention I really suggest that you do."

"Yeah, or what?" my words were filled with fire but my eyes remained fixed on the table. I knew that if I looked at him for even a second all of the fight would be taken out of me and replaced with a blind compliancy that would make me gladly do anything he asked of me.

Instead of becoming more frustrated with me like I had expected he seemed to revel in the challenge that I presented. I figured I was probably the first to show any hint of insubordination in longer than he could remember. And the Devil was not one to back down from a challenge.

"It seems to me that you have forgotten your place." He spoke after some small consideration. "Allow me to remind you of it."

I looked up to him at that point. Did he want to fight me or something? The look in his eyes told me yes, and I knew that because they weren't making me want to back down and behave. They were riling me up, filling my blood with a fire I had only felt when I had been destroying the courtyard. Could he make me feel every fucking emotion ever? Surely that was cheating.

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, he sorely wanted to remind me of the fact that he owned me just like everything else in the underworld. And I had just given him reason to.

Well fuck.

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"According to the rules in play the fight conducted will continue until either participant accepts the dominance of the other, is unable to continue or is otherwise rendered dead by their opponent. The rules commence as such: each participant may formulate an attack from any means at their disposal; magic and casting are permitted with the exception of conjuring beasts and or assistance of any kind from an outside source. Curses and jinxes are also permitted, but must not cause any irreparable damage to the opponent, such as the whole or partial permanent removal of limbs, sight or head. Temporary jinxes to remove such things are however permitted. The battle will commence upon the sound of the horn, if both participants are ready."