Halfling (editing in process)

Chapter Two

The underworld wasn't that unpleasant if you didn't mind the heat and weren't being tortured for eternity. In fact, the residential area was kind of cozy. Sure, demons usually just did whatever they wanted in the streets, or to the humans that had been damned, but a place to call their own was just nice. Luckily, Aria woke after they passed the blood orgy that easily surpassed the size of her clearing she called home.

Aria woke thrown across Lucien's back, Payne watching her like a child with a new toy. Aria felt a chill go down her spine and squirmed, a startled sound leaving her as she was promptly dropped. She noticed two things immediately; one, her hands were bound tightly behind her, and two, the ground was really clean. She looked around and, while she heard the screams of the damned, there was none around. A few mortals were roaming; all shared a deeply haunted look and were dressed in rags or nothing at all.

"Need to keep the streets clean." Payne commented when she noticed the girl's curious stare. "Humans that sell their souls usually do that, and we can have fun with them whenever we wish. Perhaps I'll let you watch while we're here." The woman grinned at her and pulled Aria to her feet effortlessly. A rope descended from the chains that bound her hands, Payne taking it and tugging at it lightly. "By the way, you shouldn't try using your magic down here pet, those are my chains. If you think Lucien's little whip hurt..." Her brow arched, a dark arousal growing in her eyes.

"We don't have time for your games Payne. Go home and play with someone else." Lucien scowled, taking the rope from her.

The woman huffed and glared at him, but disappeared into a small puff of smoke. Across the street one of the soul slaves shrieked and disappeared in the same fashion. Lucien shook his head and began to walk, tugging her along.

"Come on then, your father is not a patient demon. He's got something big planned for you m'dear." He grinned and pulled her forward, despite her obvious unwillingness to move.

Lucien took her through several streets, demons whispering as she passed. Some looked to her with pity, others disgust, and a few, like Payne, that met her gaze with a darkness that chilled her to the bone. The further they went the more Lucien changed. Long horns spouted from his blond hair, a thin barbed tail sprouted from his trousers. He grew taller, thinner and heat rolled from his body. Aria watched this in awe, as she had never seen him in his true incubus form. She jumped lightly when something hit her leg and found it was her own tail, not barbed like Lucien's but still thin and whip-like, the end shaped like a spade. Her horns, which sprouted from her hair by two inches, and tail both were black as night.

As if he could read her mind Lucien spoke. "The elven magic you use to hide them does not work here. We demons prefer to keep them down here, shows status, you know?" He snickered and ran his fingers down one of her horns, causing her to snarl. "Which is why yours are ever so tiny." He informed her. "Thanks to Payne you won't be slinging curses everywhere either. It's for your own safety Ari, don't want you making daddy angry, do you?"

She glared at him but went silent. They stopped in front of a lavish place that looked like a miniature castle; she noticed the other buildings around them had different styles ranging from mansions to temples, all shrunk down to fit against one another. The great wooden door swung open and she was pulled inside.

Aria's father apparently had a flair for the dramatic. A short hallway lead to a large throne room, lavishly decorated with obsidian and bone. Her father was seated on a throne of pure obsidian, a naked human woman sitting on his lap, looking proud of the position she was in. Around them there were several scantily clad lesser demons, most women, but a few men made Aria's eyebrow arch. The demon under said human was a striking opposite to his daughter. His skin was nearly as dark as the stone he sat on. He had no hair, and cruel features, a permanent sneer on his face. His horns were jagged and looked broken. The only similar feature shared between the two of them was the crimson shade of their eyes. His hand stroked the woman's hair like one would a pet; but stopped when he finally took notice of them.

"I see you reigned in my spawn." He greeted Lucien.

He stood, the woman let out a soft squeak before shadow swallowed her and promptly disappeared. He moved down the dark stone steps, wearing a cape of crimson that stood out in the room, under the cape he wore what appeared to be leather armor clasped together with finger bones. He stopped in front of the silent girl, his hand moving out to caress her cheek.

"Aria." He greeted.

"Father." She replied, defiance in her eyes.

"You haven't been answering my summons." His voice was deep, yet it held no emotion. His hand moved down her cheek, her arm, and to her bound wrists. The chains disintegrated the moment he touched them. "It's been six months since I sent out the first summon Aria."

"I was busy."

In one swift move her body was sailing through the air. She hit the wall; shattering one of the bone decorations. She fell into a crumpled heap on the floor, bits of bone falling around her and clicking lightly on the stone floor. A soft groan left her lips, but was quickly interrupted by the yelp that left her as his hand wrapped around her throat as he lifted her off the ground. Her hands moved up quickly, clawing at his, only to have him squeeze harder, effectively cutting off her air. Her gaze shot to Lucien, perhaps for help, only to find him chatting with one of the lesser demons. Her hands wrapped around her father's wrists, electricity crackling in her palms in a futile attempt to get him to release her.

"You made a simple summoning into something much worse than it needed to be. Do you know how bad you make me look when you disobey me?" His voice was eerily calm, a choked gasp leaving her as he squeezed tighter still. "But you'll learn, I'll make sure of that."

He slammed her head into the wall; bringing Lucien's attention to them both as stars flew in front of her vision. She was dropped, Lucien stepping forward to get her off the floor but was too late; sharing the fate of the human girl a dark pool of shadow appeared under Aria's body and she too was swallowed into the blackness of the void.