Spire Beta- Bottom Floor, Hellgate Chamber.

The Convoy exited the lower dungeons, and came into the great chamber at the very bottom of the structure, and for the first time, Ed beheld what was his intended targets within these accursed towers. The great portal gateways.



Ed looked at the hated structure with impassiveness as the convoy ceased before the immense stone arch, and the Battle Lord barked an unintelligible order to the conclave of  Arch Viles and dark robed acolytes to prepare the ritual and open the way.

This was it. There was no backing out for him now.

Ed’s mind cycled through his life again. All the people he had met, the events he had experienced, the things he had seen and done. All of it. He had to make it right for those whose lives he had touched.

Using the matter of the surrounding rock and steel, he fashioned for himself a copy of the armored coat and other clothing he had used during the Tall Oaks Incident back on Earth, and simultaneously repaired the armor Morganna had loaned him, sending it back to the sorceress with a flash of light, and a note of thanks.

Ed’s mind cycled through all the people he had met in this world. Morganna, Yoko, Narumeia, Nessvyn, Leland, Anastasia, Korwa, Jace, And even in these brief moments, Felnara, Rebecca, and now Danua.

He wanted to reach out with his mind once more, to touch them one last time, but could not bring himself to let them see what he was about to. It would not be fair.

Then his mind went further back. Damian, Jade, Catherine, Victor, Jack… All of his friends back home. He had said goodbye once already with no real expectation of ever going home, but the finality of the here and now set it in stone for Ed. And for a brief moment, the large ancient warrior closed his eyes, and steeled himself against the emotions he was feeling.

All too soon, the energy crackled and toned, before bursting to life within the stone arch. The baleful orange hell energies lit the room, and he could already see through the event horizon of the portal, his destination - Hell.

The Battle Lord waited for the prince to step through. Edgar’s frown deepened, hardened, as he walked beyond the threshold, and was gone.

[from here]

Edgar Holden wrote:

Danua wrote:"Nuked...?" She wasn't sure of the phrase's meaning, but decided she didn't need to know after his second death intrigued her. "You were eaten by a snake demon?" She pressed.



"I was eaten by a Lamia witch who lives in the Amaine, but my arm didn't agree with her and she vomited me out." She says in a normal, placid tone, raising her malignant arm. "I thought the slide down was fun though. Though, it was quite cramped." She says with a shrug.

She observed him frowning, and was confused. Did I say something off? She pondered.



Danua glanced between the pair as they interacted, but when Ed finished she retorted: "Hansel, Grettle... the Prince and the Tormentor are now friends!"



"....I think." She added, pensively a moment of silence afterward; unsure of herself suddenly as she bit her thumb once more.

Ed smiled sadly at Danua. "A nuclear detonation. Think of it as a giant energy bomb mounted onto a missile. It creates an explosion large enough to completely destroy entire cities, and leaves behind a form of poison in it's wake that can last for years," he explained the bare basics of a nuclear bomb's effects. Explaining what Radiation was could take hours, and thus avoided that.

Ed smirked ruefully. "Unfortunately, my predator didn't find me disagreeable in the least... I got the full tour of her digestive system."

Even as they conversed, they began to approach the portal. Here

"Uhh..." she grunted, trying to make sense of his words... and after repeating the explanation inside her head, nodded, making rough sense of what he meant by 'nuked'.

"I don't know if its safe to admit you taste good in this place. Some of the residents in this tower look quite peckish." She politely warned, in fear one of the skeletal creatures may swoop in and gobble up her new acquaintance. Though they just met, she liked Edward and the company he gave in this short time.

As they left the corridor and entered the Hellgate Chamber, Danua glanced up at the imposing edifice before returning her gaze to Edward...

Edgar Holden wrote:

The Convoy exited the lower dungeons, and came into the great chamber at the very bottom of the structure, and for the first time, Ed beheld what was his intended targets within these accursed towers. The great portal gateways.



Ed looked at the hated structure with impassiveness as the convoy ceased before the immense stone arch, and the Battle Lord barked an unintelligible order to the conclave of  Arch Viles and dark robed acolytes to prepare the ritual and open the way.

This was it. There was no backing out for him now.

Ed’s mind cycled through his life again. All the people he had met, the events he had experienced, the things he had seen and done. All of it. He had to make it right for those whose lives he had touched.

Using the matter of the surrounding rock and steel, he fashioned for himself a copy of the armored coat and other clothing he had used during the Tall Oaks Incident back on Earth, and simultaneously repaired the armor Morganna had loaned him, sending it back to the sorceress with a flash of light, and a note of thanks.

Ed’s mind cycled through all the people he had met in this world. Morganna, Yoko, Narumeia, Nessvyn, Leland, Anastasia, Korwa, Jace, And even in these brief moments, Felnara, Rebecca, and now Danua.

He wanted to reach out with his mind once more, to touch them one last time, but could not bring himself to let them see what he was about to. It would not be fair.

Then his mind went further back. Damian, Jade, Catherine, Victor, Jack… All of his friends back home. He had said goodbye once already with no real expectation of ever going home, but the finality of the here and now set it in stone for Ed. And for a brief moment, the large ancient warrior closed his eyes, and steeled himself against the emotions he was feeling.

All too soon, the energy crackled and toned, before bursting to life within the stone arch. The baleful orange hell energies lit the room, and he could already see through the event horizon of the portal, his destination - Hell.

The Battle Lord waited for the prince to step through. Edgar’s frown deepened, hardened, as he walked beyond the threshold, and was gone.

Before Edward could pass through the gate, there was a tug on his back. Turning, he would see Danua again, standing on her own this time, and leaning towards him with a look of... worry? "You're leaving already? It doesn't look very safe in there." She began, innocently enough. "...will you be coming back to talk with me some more? I think I would like your attendance for such matters, Prince Edward." Danua added, blinking her large doe like eyes again.

Danua wrote:

"Uhh..." she grunted, trying to make sense of his words... and after repeating the explanation inside her head, nodded, making rough sense of what he meant by 'nuked'.

"I don't know if its safe to admit you taste good in this place. Some of the residents in this tower look quite peckish." She politely warned, in fear one of the skeletal creatures may swoop in and gobble up her new acquaintance. Though they just met, she liked Edward and the company he gave in this short time.

As they left the corridor and entered the Hellgate Chamber, Danua glanced up at the imposing edifice before returning her gaze to Edward...

Before Edward could pass through the gate, there was a tug on his back. Turning, he would see Danua again, standing on her own this time, and leaning towards him with a look of... worry? "You're leaving already? It doesn't look very safe in there." She began, innocently enough. "...will you be coming back to talk with me some more? I think I would like your attendance for such matters, Prince Edward." Danua added, blinking her large doe like eyes again.

Ed Smiled slightly, even as the baleful glow of the Hell gate reflected off his face. "Well, you would be right, if I were still the same as I was back then - unable to control my powers and my transformation. But I am stronger now, and they know better than to try." When Danua tugged his sleeve, he turned to look at her. And when she asked him if he would return, he was moved by her words, she was genuinely an innocent in many ways. He sighed, closed his eyes, then knelt down on one knee before her, so that they were at eye level with each other.

"If my mother lets me live, and I am able to return, I will come back for you. That I will promise." He said, with a small sad smile.

She absorbed Ed's words, and as he knelt before her could sense a familiar, if not distant sadness wash over her. Have I experienced this before...? She asked herself, feeling as though she had seen this scene play out before... but couldn't quite remember when or if it may have been a distant dream. She pondered his words for a moment, and then nodded. "I don't know if she would kill her son, with how everything is going." She began, reaching out and 'patted' Edward's head. "I shall look forward to your return then." She smiled warmly before withdrawing her hand.

Danua wrote:She absorbed Ed's words, and as he knelt before her could sense a familiar, if not distant sadness wash over her. Have I experienced this before...? She asked herself, feeling as though she had seen this scene play out before... but couldn't quite remember when or if it may have been a distant dream. She pondered his words for a moment, and then nodded. "I don't know if she would kill her son, with how everything is going." She began, reaching out and 'patted' Edward's head. "I shall look forward to your return then." She smiled warmly before withdrawing her hand.

Ed smiled sadly, as he stood back up. "I hope you are right..." he said, before turning towards the portal, and disappearing into the orange light there....

A while after Edgar left...

A tall figure, not as tall as Ed, however, appeared from the portal, grabbing the attention of Danua whose smile faded as quickly as she saw this tall, intimidating figure in ebony. The man's narrow, crimson orbs narrowed in on the woman, his boots clicked upon the metal beneath his feet as he descended the steps and was then berated by the Tormentor.

To the girl, it be the only time his name would be mentioned in this initial meeting. The Dark Sovereign, Demon Lord Varun Faust. A name she may have been familiar of. Maybe not.

"Where have I been...?" He asked, raising a brow, his hands behind his back giving him a look of an aristocrat as he turned to the demon. "Why? Was I missed?" He shrugged the demon off, ignoring him now as he approached Danua.



His clothing was dark as shadow, the blackened hell steel bits that adorned his clothes clinked softly like the rattle of long ancient and dead bones as he stepped. Right. Up.

Looming over Danua!

"My... what a darling, tiny thing." he said, suddenly smiling, in a warm manner that only made him look more unnerving. It was like curdled milk, a fallacy that betrayed his actions, his appearance and behavior. "Who may this be?" He asked, reaching out and touching her head with his right palm. He scruffed the top of her head, but was also trying to drain her life, with an ability that was able to suck the life of mortals with his vampiric touch. When she didn't immediately shrivel like a prune, he smiled. "Your demon blood is strong! Hoho, someone like you shouldn't be able to stand, let alone stare blankly at me child!" Laughed the man, a laugh whose tone was like that of a gaping black hole devouring the souls of the damned.

Demon Lord Varun Faust wrote:A while after Edgar left...

A tall figure, not as tall as Ed, however, appeared from the portal, grabbing the attention of Danua whose smile faded as quickly as she saw this tall, intimidating figure in ebony. The man's narrow, crimson orbs narrowed in on the woman, his boots clicked upon the metal beneath his feet as he descended the steps and was then berated by the Tormentor.

To the girl, it be the only time his name would be mentioned in this initial meeting. The Dark Sovereign, Demon Lord Varun Faust. A name she may have been familiar of. Maybe not.

"Where have I been...?" He asked, raising a brow, his hands behind his back giving him a look of an aristocrat as he turned to the demon. "Why? Was I missed?" He shrugged the demon off, ignoring him now as he approached Danua.



His clothing was dark as shadow, the blackened hell steel bits that adorned his clothes clinked softly like the rattle of long ancient and dead bones as he stepped. Right. Up.

Looming over Danua!

"My... what a darling, tiny thing." he said, suddenly smiling, in a warm manner that only made him look more unnerving. It was like curdled milk, a fallacy that betrayed his actions, his appearance and behavior. "Who may this be?" He asked, reaching out and touching her head with his right palm. He scruffed the top of her head, but was also trying to drain her life, with an ability that was able to suck the life of mortals with his vampiric touch. When she didn't immediately shrivel like a prune, he smiled. "Your demon blood is strong! Hoho, someone like you shouldn't be able to stand, let alone stare blankly at me child!" Laughed the man, a laugh whose tone was like that of a gaping black hole devouring the souls of the damned.

Varun raised a brow at the young demonling's silence, a bored frown plastered upon his face. He looked like a man who'd seen something repulsive laying before his path, unsure of whether or not he should squish it to put it out of its misery for being so God damned ugly or contest that very idea for the potential of sullying his own shoes for doing such a favor...



He pets the young demoness' head, a small smirk forming. "You'll open up in time, little fairy." He said in a low, soothing tone. He then tossed his travel cloak to the tormentor as he walked out of the room. "I'm heading for the vats, I need to speak with Overlord Krell... or was it Krill? Something along those lines...." he sighed, and continued his journey.  

(to here)