“Oh, it is.”
“Um, Val? Your eyes.” Rolf pointed to his own eyes.
“What?”
The woman next to him huffed. “I think he means you don’t have any, just smoke. It’s both creepy and beautiful.”
Rolf stared at the woman, his eyes narrowed.
“What? It is.”
“That’s Ilu,” Nergal said and stepped forward, as if he hadn’t been freaked out a moment ago. “An all-powerful being.”
Ilu appreciated his flattery.
Vladimir sneered and struck Val in the head with the Staff of Blight.
Or rather, he tried. Val caught the staff and tugged it free, tossing it to Nergal, to whom it actually belonged. “The Staff of Blight will not leave this realm ever again.” Ilu worked some weird magic, tying the staff to this plane.Here unless we decide to take it out and play. Satisfied, Val?
Yes, thank you.With any luck, Ilu would forget all about it, because “take it out and play” gave Val premonitions of bad tidings to come.
But with the staff stuck down here, she had one problem solved, at least.
Val then motioned for Vladimir to come forward.
Caught in an invisible grip he couldn’t resist, he hurled epithets and screamed in denial as he was dragged to his demise.
“You will never, ever breathe again. No power, no life, just an endless decay and torture at the hands of a god of chaos who has nothing but time to destroy you.”
Seeing his fear made everything better.
“Isn’t she great?” Khent sounded so proud.
She turned and winked at him, tickled when he puffed smoke at her. Dragon flirting. So cute.
Val opened her mouth, and Vladimir’s screams died as he turned to ash, and Ilu swallowed him, taking him to that empty realm of despair.
Val felt him for a brief second before Ilu locked him away.
And then they had only Nergal to deal with.
Everyone turned to stare at him.
He stared back, clearly annoyed, though he had his staff back. “Thanks a lot. This place is a mess.”
Rolf shook his head. “Rumor has it Ereshkigal is on her way. You are in so much trouble.”
“What?” Nergal shrieked. The demons around him screamed in pain, and even Khent shook his head, though Val, the warrior woman, and Rolf seemed unaffected. “She can’t come back yet.”
“Who’s Ereshkigal?” she asked.
“His wife. They’ve been fighting, and he’s in the wrong.” Rolf snorted. “They were taking some time apart, I guess. Since she’s coming back, I figure she’s forgiven him. But when she sees all this, you are screwed, my friend.”
“No, wait. Can you help me? Banitu,” he yelled. “Get your hairy ass in here!”
A hag appeared by his side. “Sire? You screeched?”
Val appreciated her sarcasm.
