Session #18 - Live, Die, Repeat

The Tormentor careened across the plain, pointed at the volcano said to be the location of Bel’s forge.  As they got closer it became apparent that it was a bit smaller than expected and in fact it was not a naturally formed volcano at all, but instead something constructed.  The side they approached had the facing of a fortress built into it and the crater spewed thick yellow smoke that was so dense it only rose a few dozen feet above the rim before languidly falling again, coating the downwind side of the structure with a dense layer of rolling mustard-colored gas.  

 

Donyxn was standing in the harpoon turret breathing deeply and smiling.  He looked down into the vehicle and shouted above the roar of the engines.  “Do you smell that?  I’ve never smelled anything so amazing in all my life!”

 

“Smells like his mom’s meatballs,” Kent muttered to himself as he steered the Tormentor around the worst of the bumps in the terrain.  

 

Approaching the main entrance, Kent slowed the Tormentor.  A handful of devils and other creatures milled about in the area around the thirty-foot tall infernal iron double doors that led to the volcano’s interior.  One took flight and headed toward the vehicle while another pair ran forward. 

 

The Tormentor came to a stop and the four adventures dismounted, Lola forgoing her usual spot above Katla’s shoulder and instead sticking close to Donyxn.  The winged devil circled overhead until the two running bearded devils reached the location.  Then it swooped down and landed between them. 

 

It was only then that they realized how big the creature was.  Standing at least eight feet tall on two-toed feet, it was a tower of lean muscle.  Its unfurled looked to be nearly twice its height, the bright orange of their inner surface in sharp contrast to the charcoal blackness of their outer layer and complimenting the cinnamon color of its body.  A pair of curved gray horns sprouted from its head off to the left and right.  The devil casually held two-pronged spear in its left hand, the points glowing as if they’d just come out of a forge.

 

“Why are you here?” its voice boomed.

 

Katla took a step forward.  “We have come to speak with the great Bel.  We have information that may be of interest to him.”

 

The devil looked at each of them in turn, finally settling his gaze upon the sorceress.  “I can’t imagine what information the likes of you could possibly have that would interest my master.”

 

The elf gave a tight-lipped smile.  “We have a letter of introduction.  From Olanthius.”

 

It regarded her with suspicion.  “Olanthius?  He and Bel are sworn enemies.”

 

“And yet here we are.  With a letter from Olanthius to your master.”  Katla held out her right hand, never taking her eyes off of the devil.  Almont walked over and gave her the letter.  She held it up for the creature to see.

 

To all outward appearance she was holding a blank piece of parchment.  The devil stepped closer, and as its eyes began to scan the page from left to right letters appeared as if they were burning through the paper, coming into existence and then disappearing without a trace as it continued to read.

 

“It is as you say.”  The devil snapped its fingers, creating an impossibly loud popping sound.  An imp immediately darted to their location.  The devil never looked at the messenger.  “Tell the master he has visitors, with a letter of introduction.  From Olanthius.”

 

The imp flew back to the fortress and entered through a little gap above the double doors, leaving the three devils and five would-be visitors facing off with one another across fifteen feet of burnt red sand.

 

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” asked Kent, a broad smile on his face.  The bearded devil across from him looked at him confusedly.  The larger devil slowly turned its head and gave the dwarf a disgusted look before locking eyes with Donyxn.  The tiefling’s white fanged teeth showed as he grinned.

 

“I doubt Bel would grant an audience to this half-breed,” it said.  Donyxn didn’t take the bait, instead bringing his hand to his face to cover his mouth as he yawned loudly.

 

They reverted back to silence, the seconds dragging out interminably.  After what seemed like an hour but was probably closer to a minute the devil spoke.  “I’m tired of waiting.  Kill them.”

 

Almont had prepared himself for this and was ready to react.  Before the bearded devils could take their first steps forward he pointed his finger at the larger horned devil and shouted a magical word of banishment.  A light bluish glow covered the beast and it looked surprised, as did the bearded devils, who instead of moving forward now stepped to the side and looked at their master.  The horned devil dipped its head and tensed its muscles before extending its wings and arms, blasting free of the effect.  The banishment had failed.

 

“Well that’s unfortunate,” Kent said as he drew his scimitar.

 

The bearded devils turned their eyes back to their foes just in time to see the two balls of frozen energy leave Katla’s hands.  Both were struck in the chest and staggered backwards slightly as the cold weaved across their bodies.  

 

The horned devil gripped its spear in both hands, pointing it at Almont and Kent as its wings carried it upward.  Almont dove left and Kent right as flames roared out of the red-hot spear tips.  They both managed to avoid the blast, though as the dwarf got to his feet he was disappointed to see the bottom of his cloak was singed.

 

Donyxn planted a pair of arrows into the chest of the bearded devil on the right, though they didn’t stop its charge as it slashed at the ranger with its glaive.  He blocked one blow with his infernal iron bow and attempted to dodge the other, avoiding the worst of the strike but still getting a cut on his shoulder.

 

To everyone’s surprise Lola darted out from behind Donyxn, swung her back legs under her, and launched herself right into the other bearded devil, battering it with all four of her feet.  The devil looked shocked as it swung its glaive wildly in an attempt to fight off the enraged hollyphant, but to no avail.  

 

Donyxn continued to fend off the glaive strikes of the bearded devil engaged with him, the beast showing frustration at its inability to skewer the tiefling.  It was so focused on its attacks that it failed to notice the dwarf circling around behind it from the left.  The first time it saw Kent was in the few seconds of life that still clung to its brain as its head landed on the sand, the dwarf’s blade having cleanly removed it from the devil’s body.  As the life faded from it and its field of vision narrowed all it could see were a pair of booted legs and the tip of a scimitar pointed at the sand, a thin strand of black ichor dangling from it.

 

Almont charged the devil fighting with Lola, knocking it backwards with a blow from his warhammer.  He wasn’t aware of the horned devil swooping towards him, its spear extended, but Katla saw the impending attack and struck it with a ball of frozen energy.  While her chromatic orb didn’t appear to hurt the winged beast, the streak of light caught Almont’s eye and he turned in time deflect its spear thrust.  What he wasn’t prepared for, however, was the swipe of its long tail, which struck the cleric in the face and knocked him back a few steps.

 

A bolt of lightning from Donyxn’s bow flashed between the two remaining devils.  While neither took a direct hit, arcing strands broke off the main lance of energy and crackled over the creatures.  

 

Lola continued her one-on-one battle with the remaining bearded devil while Almont rushed toward the horned devil standing in front of him.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kent to the right.  The cleric was certain he was hallucinating, because he swore the dwarf was in the midst of throwing a lasso.  But sure enough, just as Almont was within striking distance the lasso cinched over the devil’s left wing.  It turned to its left leaving the opening the cleric needed as he reached up with his left hand and grabbed it by the throat.  Necrotic energy flowed through the priest and into the devil.  It threw its head back and roared before leaping upwards and attempting to fly.  It broke free of Almont’s grasp as it took off, while Kent dug his heels into the ground and an effort to keep it from getting airborne.  

 

Katla threw two fist-sized balls of lightning.  The first blasted a hole all the way through the chest of the remaining bearded devil.  It looked down dumbly at the smoldering hole, then looked back up at the sorceress before falling to its knees, then face first into the sand.  

 

The second lightning ball struck the winged beast as it struggled to climb into the air.  It stabbed downward at Almont but it was too high to reach him, and its long tail swung around at Kent.  The dwarf nimbly hopped over it as if he was playing jump rope, but that motion allowed the horned devil to climb, taking Kent up into the air with it.  

 

The horned devil was still weighted down by the rogue while also attempting to dodge Donyxn’s arrows and Katla’s magic.  Kent took advantage of its distracted state and slid down the rope.  When he reached the ground he raced to the nearby Tornemtor, trailing the rope behind him.  He clambered aboard and tied the end of the rope to the eyebolt at the tail end of the harpoon loaded into the launcher.  Looking back over his shoulder Kent could see the devil was only about ten feet in the air and trying to use its spear to fend off Lola, who was attacking with the ferocity of an angry hellwasp.  The rogue grinned slyly, aimed the harpoon at the fortress wall in the opposite direction, and pulled the trigger.

 

The man-sized harpoon leapt from the launcher and pulled the rope taut.  Something had to give, and that something was the horned devil’s left wing, which was ripped from its body.  The harpoon continued its flight, the wing flapping fifty feet behind it like a deranged kite before firmly planting itself into the fortress wall.  

 

The devil roared in pain, a fountain of black ichor spraying in all directions from the stump of its wing.  Its body arched to the left in obvious pain as it feel to the ground with a wet thud.  Almont calmly walked up to the writhing fiend, stood over it for a moment, and then crushed its skull with his warhammer.

 

Donyxn looked to the Tormenter where Kent was leaning on the harpoon gun with a very pleased expression on his face.  “Well that’s something you don’t see every day.”

 

The imp, which had been hovering nearby waiting for the battle to play out, cautiously approached, its hands outstretched to show that it was not a threat.  “Bel will see you.”

 

“Of course he will,” said Almont.

 

They left the Tormentor where it was parked and followed the imp toward the fortress.  The massive front doors opened inward at their approach.  Some smaller devils passed them going the other way to drag the bodies away.  A pair of bearded devils argued over the horned devil’s spear, each holding it firmly in both hands.  They would almost certainly be coming to blows shortly.  That was the nature of Avernus.

 

As they walked over the threshold a nauseating blast of hot air hit them, carrying with it the smell of sulfur and hot metal.  The chamber was large, at least a hundred feet in every direction, its dome-like ceiling obscured by shadows.  The floor was a seamless sheet of infernal iron in the center which was a wrought iron spiral staircase leading downward, clearly designed to hold massive creatures.  They would need to take multiple steps on each tread to navigate, each step about three feet above the next.  The room’s only light was cast by an orange glow emerging from the stairwell.  It also served a speaker of sorts, focusing the sound of banging metal that echoed throughout the chamber.

 

The imp hovered over the staircase opening, its image distorted by the waves of heat emanating from below.  “Come.  Bel does not like to be kept waiting.”  With that it spun downward.

 

The size of the steps made for a difficult descent, all the more so by the ever-increasing heat.  The noise increased as well, the rhythmic metal-on-metal sound of a working forge.  By the time they reached the bottom all of them were drenched in sweat – or at least all of them other than Donyxn, who looked as if he’d been on a relaxing walk on a spring day. 

 

The new chamber was similar in size to the one above.  Its infernal iron floor was crossed with a network of channels that allowed molten lava to flow to various parts of the room.  The walls were lined with racks of weapons of all shapes and sizes, their one common element being that all were made entirely of infernal iron.  Four anvils were spread around the space, each the size of a horse, and manning each anvil was a fire giant, their coal-dust colored skin offset by their bright orange hair.  They were stripped to the waist, twenty-foot tall mountains of muscle coated with a layer of sweat and swinging hammers the size of a man as they beat metal into shape.  

 

Floating above the giants was a devil on a throne made of skulls.  Larger skulls, likely culled from giants and demons, made up the base and supports, while those of humans and smaller beings provided shape and detail.  There were colored gems embedded in all the eyeholes making the entire thing glitter as well as cast off spots of light that danced across every surface.

 

Sitting on the throne was bright red devil, his black-nailed right hand draped lazily over a skull armrest, the left holding the handle of a flaming sword, it’s point resting on the base.  It wore a breatplate and greaves that appeared to be made of adamantine, the same metal covering the fiend’s two horns.  Around its waist hung a number of severed heads, their features angelic.  Their eyes flickered and mouths moved as they moaned.  From time to time one would let loose an anguished cry.  

 

“Master,” said the imp, “I brought your visitors.”

 

The platform turned slowly and descended, bringing Bel closer to the party.  It was difficult to tell precisely how tall the devil was as it sat on its throne, but they guessed it would be roughly twice Almont’s size.  

 

“I wondered how long it would be before you found your way to me,” said Bel.

 

“You know who we are?” Kent asked.

 

“Of course.  The tales of the four warriors from the material plane and led by a tiefling who are leaving a trail of bodies in their wake are told throughout Avernus.”  Bel looked at Donyxn and grinned.

 

“Led by a tiefling, you say?” asked Kent.

 

“I’ve been watching you all for some time.  We are impressed with Katla’s abilities with fire, and I owe thanks to the priest for sending some useful souls to us.”  Bel then turned to Kent.  “Ah, and you Kent, I see you still have the scimitar.  It was made here, you know, in this very forge.  And I still have the emerald you traded for it.”  The devil tapped a green gem embedded in an eye socket with one of his long, black fingernails.

 

Kent swallowed hard.

 

Bel turned back to Donyxn.  “So.  What brings you to me?”

 

“Do you know the whereabouts of Zariel’s sword?” Donyxn asked.

 

Bel laughed.  “Have you checked with Zariel?  I presume it’s with her.”

 

“We were led to believe you might have it.”

 

The devil shrugged his massive shoulders.  “Avernus does love its gossip and stories.  Why do you seek the sword?”

 

“We have our reasons.”

 

Bel laughed again.  “Of course you do.  I would have thought the Shield of the Hidden Lord would have been enough for you.”

 

Donyxn continued to hold the devil’s gaze, not an easy feat, his expression never changing.  “Oh that?  Why, is it powerful?”

 

Bel let the question hang in the air for a bit.  “It is indeed.  If you were to have it, it could be of help.  What became of it?”

 

Now it was Donyxn’s turn to shrug.  

 

The devil broke into a fanged grin.  “We should speak more about these things.  But first, I have a favor to ask.”

 

“A favor,” said Almont.

 

Bel turned to the cleric.  “Come now priest, you’re not above doing favors for devils.  Or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

 

“How may we be of assistance?” Donyxn asked.

 

“A demon lord called Yeenoghu brought a crokek’toeck to Avernus, which is unusual.  I would know why the crokek’toeck is here, and what kinds of creatures it brought with it.”

 

“Brought with it?” Katla asked.

 

“Yes, the crokek’toeck is huge.  It can transport an entire demon army inside itself and move it safely through the Styx, disgorging it for battle at a moment’s notice.”  Bel turned back to Donyxn.  “We captured a sibriex.  One of my underlings is questioning it.  He has a rare talent for, shall we say, extracting information.  Go find out what he has learned, as well as whatever information you can glean, and return to me.”

 

“Seems simple enough,” said Donyxn.

 

“Little is simple in Avernus as you know, tiefling.  But you may take one of my barges to the pit where the sibriex is being held.  It is guarded by two chain devils while Vincenes questions it.”

 

Almont’s blood ran cold.  Vincenes.  It can’t be.  

 

The party agreed to run Bel’s errand.  They discussed the particulars as they climbed back up the stairs and retrieved the Tormentor, though Almont was completely silent.  Katla tried to make eye contact with him, but his stare was off in the distance, something clearly on his mind.  

 

A pair of bearded devils accompanied them in a smaller vehicle of their own.  The devils lead the Tormentor down to the Styx and both vehicles easily fit onto the barge with room to spare.  They pushed off and the devils busied themselves with piloting the craft while the four adventurers and Lola sat in a circle at the rear.

 

Kent began to speak quietly.  “While we were in the forge, Bel spoke to me telepathically. He said there are things we cannot speak about openly, but that our agenda and his intersect.  He also said the sibriex may have information about nine bars of adamantine, and if we could bring these to him it would be worth our while.”  

 

The group discussed these new revelations, but Almont remained silent and staring off into the distance, absently tracing the jagged scar that ran from his eye to his mouth.  Kent smacked the cleric’s leg, Almont’s hand flashing out and grabbing the dwarf’s wrist tightly.  Kent met his gaze.  “What is on your mind, brother?  Something troubles you.”

 

“Vincenes,” Almont said.

 

“What about him?”

 

“It was Vincenes who gave me this scar.”

 

The others knew Almont’s history, about his life as a ganger and the murder of his love Sindra.  What they hadn’t known until now was the name of the person who killed her.

 

Almont released his grip on Kent’s wrist, and the dwarf sat back.  The cleric didn’t need to say more – everyone other than Lola knew the rest of the story, and Lola’s abilities as a telepath and empath meant she was able to see the memories of that night that filled Almont’s mind. 

 

Almont looked down into the center of the circle they formed.  “We will do what Bel asked.”  He then looked up.  “But we will also kill Vincenes.  And I will deliver the killing blow.”

 

Kent stroked his beard and nodded.  “Aye, Bonecrusher.  You will.  But don’t forget why we’re making this journey. Don’t start something too soon.”

 

The cleric nodded in agreement.  

 

 

Their drifting passage down the Styx was uneventful, the bearded devils skillfully navigating the currents and eventually bringing the barge to shore on the far bank.  The Tormentor and Devil’s Ride were driven onto the shore.  As the party checked their gear one of the two devils approached Donyxn, regarding him as the leader.

 

“The pit is due west.  With your vehicles it should not require more than an hour of travel time.”

 

“Will you await us here?” Donyxn asked.

 

“No, we have business further up the river at the Stygian Docks.  But if you head north along the river you will likely catch up with us and we can stop for you.”

 

Donyxn nodded and turned to go back to the Tormentor, but the bearded devil stopped him.  “There’s one more thing,” it said conspiratorially, taking a step closer to the tiefling so that it could whisper into his ear.  “Most of us who serve Bel hate that upstart Vincenes.  He hasn’t put his time in and is one of Bel’s favorite.  If some… unfortunate accident were to befall him, there would be some who would be appreciative.”

 

The devil took a step back and grinned, it’s repulsive beard writhing seemingly of its own volition.  Donyxn stared at it, his face a blank mask, his mercurial eyes unblinking and unmoving.  The devil’s grin faded and it began to shift its weight from one foot to the other.  “Well, we’ll be going now,” it said, turning and heading back to the barge.

 

Kent walked up and stopped next to Donyxn, who was still staring at the devil as it walked away.  “What was all that about?”

 

“Infernal politics,” the ranger said.  He turned to look at Kent.  “It seems that Almont isn’t the only one with a grudge to bear against Vincenes.”

 

Kent rubbed his beard, then withdrew his flask and took a swig, handing it to Donynx as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.  “Well, it sounds like no one will be too disappointed if he slips and falls into a pit, or if perhaps if a warhammer falls on his head.”

 

Donyxn took a pull off of the flask and returned it to Kent.  “We’re playing a dangerous game, my friend.  I only hope that all of us live to return home.”  

 

Bel’s pit looked to be some kind of small impact crater.  The outer rim was relatively low, only five feet high, the dirt comprising it a deeper red than the surface sands and spotted with black rocks.  A channel was cut into one section to offer entrance.  They parked the vehicles off to the side.  After turning off the engine they could hear the sound of chains combined with the evil laughter they recognized from their prior experiences with chain devils.

 

“I’ll use the helm of telepathy to try to make contact with the sibriex,” Almont said.  It was the first time he’d spoken since he told them about Vincenes back on the barge.

 

Kent regarded him.  “Remember the plan, Almont, and stick to it.”

 

“I will.  But remember too that Vincenes dies by my hand.”

 

The dwarf walked over to the cleric and looked up at him.  “Aye.  You kill him.  But then you need to be done with it.  Don’t let it consume you.  You stand at a precipice, priest.  Take your next step carefully.”  He grasped Almont’s left arm tightly.  “We will be with you.”  Almont returned the gesture, grabbing Kent’s left arm.  

 

The four strode into the opening like a bad dream.  Almont and Katla walked in front.  The cleric was covered with a thin layer of hellish dust, his warhammer held low in his right hand and the mace Lightbringer casting a strange blacklight-like hue as if it were feeding on the images in his mind.  His expression was one of determination, the scar on his face seeming redder than normal against his pale white skin.  Katla looked impossibly clean, as if she’d just gotten dressed and walked out of her chamber at Tresendar Manor.  Her hands were empty and held together at her waist, her robe sleeves covering them from view.  A pair of magic staffs were strapped to her back and a bandolier of four gleaming shuriken crossed her chest.  

 

Behind walked Kent and Donyxn, with Lola flying just above them.  The dwarf exhibited his usual swagger, picking at his teeth with a toothpick in his left hand, his right casually draped over the pommel of his scimitar.  The tiefling was inscrutable, his face betraying no emotion, though his utterly relaxed posture exuded an intimidating level of confidence.  He held his infernal iron bow in his left hand, resting it across his shoulder.  The scabbard of his magic longsword rhythmically tapped against his left thigh in time with his steps.

 

Threats in hell tended to be overt and brash, befitting a realm where power mattered and commanded respect.  This group, however, projected a more subtle menace, one that devils often failed to recognize until it was too late.

 

The chain devils stopped their lashing of the sibriex and turned to look at the newcomers, regarding them as more of a curiosity than a danger.

 

“Why have you stopped?  Did I tell you to stop?”

 

The voice came from a creature leaning up against an iron post.  It was human-sized, clad in black metal armor trimmed in tarnished gold.  A sword hung at its waist and it fiddled absently with a coil of rope that glowed a bright blue.  Its red-feathered wings were closed, but it was apparent that they would be quite large if extended.  A pair of short black horns protruded from its mane of black hair.  

 “Did you hear me fools?  Back at it.  We will crack the sibriex and I will learn its secrets.”

 

The chain devils continued to stare at the arrivals, who were now only a few dozen feet away and still approaching.  

 

Vincenes took a step forward, then turned to his right following the devils’ gaze, his angry expression morphing rapidly from disdain to recognition to surprise.

 

“Bonecrusher…” he whispered, taking a step back before remembering that he was in fact a devil and in hell. He righted himself quickly as he realized that he had the power in this realm.

 

“It’s been a long time,” Vincenes said, an evil grin forming on his face.  The chain devils looked on.

 

The party stopped, Kent and Donyxn casually swinging around on either side of Katla and Almont.  The cleric simply stood and stared directly at Vincenes.  It was Katla who spoke.

 

“Bel sent us,” she said.

 

Vincenes turned to the elf.  “Oh did he now?  And whatever for?”

 

“It sounded like he thought you needed some help,” Kent said, pulling the toothpick from his mouth and examining it before tossing it aside.  He looked around the pit.  “And by the looks if it, he was right.”

 

Like so many places on Avernus, Bel’s pit was its own kind of horror show.  The hole itself fell sixty or seventy feet below the surface, the entire thing ringed with scaffolding.  A platform extended from the entrance channel, jutting twenty feet out over the crater.  Random bones were strewn about and the rigging of the scaffold was dotted with remains, all of which hung from it by iron chains.  Most were old, bleached sets of bone or bodies covered in taut, dried out skin, but there were a few more recent victims here as well, humanoid demons dripping ichor and even an unfortunate elf who looked to have been a warlock in life.

 

Suspended over the middle of the pit was what they assumed was the sibriex.  Nine iron posts ringed the opening, each attached to a chain that extended inwards and wrapped around the demon.  It was arguably the most horrifying thing any of them had ever seen.

 

Roughly round in shape and fifteen feet in diameter, the demon did not have a body per se but instead looked to be a collection of faces from different creatures.  Here a face in the shape of a fanged bull, there the image of a fire giant.  All of the faces were distorted as if they were constantly in a process of melting and then re-solidifying, the entire surface of the creature constantly in grotesque motion.  Eyes and mouths of various sizes dotted its surface, often not aligned with any other facial features but simply existing on their own.  Fluids of differing viscosity covered its surface and dangled below it before breaking free and falling into the pit below.  Fresh wounds from the barbed blades of the chain devils covered its surface.  The less said about the smell emanating from it the better.

 

“We have a few chains available, dwarf, should you like to become part of my collection,” hissed Vincenes.

 

Kent looked at his feet and chuckled, shaking his head.  He then lifted his head and locked eyes with Vincenes.  “You’ll make a pretty corpse, boy.”

 

While this banter was happening Almont used the helm to reach out to the sibriex.  Its mind was almost as disgusting as its physical form, but they made a connection.

 

“Bel sent us here.  We have questions for you, demon.  If you answer them, we will set you free.”

 

The sibriex’s mental voice was like the blend of a feral animal and metal grating against metal.  “And why would I trust you to release me, priest?  This is certainly just another of Bel’s tricks.”

 

“I will give you a glimpse into my mind for a moment so you can see my true intentions.”

 

A combination of images and emotions flashed from Almont to the sibriex.  

 

“I see.  Your hatred for the one they call Vincenes is delicious.  What questions do you have?”

 

“We want to know about crokek’toeck and the location of some bars of adamantine.”

 

The sibrex considered this.  “These fools cannot extract the information they want from me unwillingly, nor can you.  However, if you release me I will answer two questions and no more.”

 

And with that the deal was made.

 

Almont then offered up a quick prayer to Kiri-Jolith.  You helped me defeat this foe and get my revenge once before, lord.  Give me the strength to destroy him forever.  Let me finish this forever.  He then flashed an image to the others letting him know the deal with the sibrex was struck.  From there things happened very quickly.

 

Katla’s hands snapped free of her sleeves, arms extended outward as blasts of Eldritch energy struck each of the chained devils.  At almost the same instant Donyxn swung around his bow and fired a bolt of lightning from it.  Unfortunately none of the devils took a direct hit, but smaller charges arced off and lanced into them.

 

As Almont rushed toward Vincenes he called forth his spirit guardians, three sword-wielding spectral angels that darted forth with him.  Vincenes drew his sword and parried a blow from the cleric’s warhammer, but he wasn’t able to fight off the holy wraiths as they pierced him and the chained devil with their swords of radiant energy.  

 

It was immediately clear to Almont that this devil-touched version of Vincenes was considerably more capable than the old gang member had been.  The blows from the spirit guardians didn’t slow him and his sword hand was impossibly fast, cutting Almont’s thigh, the blow causing more pain than it should have.  

 

Vincenes smiled evilly.  “Can you taste the poison in your veins, priest?  I never thought I’d have the chance to get my revenge.  Does the elf mean anything to you?  Should I kill her first, the way I killed Sindra?”  At the mention of Sindra, Vincenes lashed out with the glowing blue rope he held in his left hand, the uncoiling length heading straight for Donyxn who barely sidestepped it.  

 

Kent closed in on Vincenes, landing a slash with his scimitar, while Lola rushed towards one of the chain devils and attempted to batter it with her feet.  However, the chain devils had recovered from their initial surprise and both cast forth lengths of chain, one wrapping up Kent and the other the flying Lola.

 

Katla threw a ball of crackling lightning at the devil holding Kent, knocking it backwards slightly.  Donyxn supplied some lightning of his own, this time the bolt firing from his bow and pitch-forking out into three prongs, each of which struck one of their opponents.

 

The chain devil ensnaring Kent still had a hold on him, though it was looking worse for wear.  The dwarf could see that Vincenes’ speed was going to be too much for Almont and the devil was swinging its sword around for another strike, so he did the only thing he could think to do, sticking his right toe into the sandy ground and kicking toward Vincenes.

 

A small cloud of gritty sand and small rocks struck Vincenes in the left side of the face, distracting him just enough that his swing went wide.  The devil shot a look at the dwarf before turning back to Almont just in time to see the cleric reach out with his left hand and grab his exposed throat.  

 

Almont felt Kiri-Jolith touch him as the necrotic energy flowed through his arm, then into his hand, then into Vincenes body.  He had never felt so much power pour through his body and into one of his spells as a wave of rot and decay filled Vincenes’ body.  

 

A look of terror came over Vincenes’ face as his skin pulled tight against his skull and his body rotted from the inside.  It was the same spell Almont had used to kill him the first time.  But hell had made Vincenes incredibly strong and he broke free of Almont’s grip, his sword a whirlwind of motion as it sliced through the cleric’s breatplate, leaving behind gaping wounds.  

 

The chain devils cast forth new sets of chains, these ending in barbed blades, one landing a glancing blow on Katla and the other taking a chunk out of Almont’s leg.  The cleric was in very bad shape, bleeding profusely from a half dozen serious wounds and wobbling uneasily in front of Vincenes.  They resembled a pair of boxers in the last round of a title fight, circling one another warily and recognizing that the next blow to land could end things for good.

 

Kent managed to wiggle loose of his chains.  Seeing him free and back in action Katla turned her attention to the devil trying to reel in Lola, blasting it with another ball of lightning.  

 

Almont felt the crackling ozone as another bolt of lightning flew forth from Donyxn’s bow and passed him on its way to Vincenes.  Like the last bolt, this one also split into three prongs and struck all of the devils.  But the biggest charged lance blasted Vincenes, knocking him backwards and off his feet.  The devil crashed hard onto the ground, a fist-sized burned crater in its chest as electrical discharge continued to crackle across its body.  

 

The chain devils had also been knocked to the ground by the blast, and Almont and Kent finished them off before they could recover.

 

Donyxn walked up to Almont, a look of sadness in his silvery eyes.  “I’m sorry brother, I know he was yours to kill.”  He dropped his head, his chin touching his chest.

 

Almont put his hand on the tiefling’s right shoulder.  “You did the right thing.  You did what needed to be done.”  With that Almont limped to Vincenes’ smoldering body to join Katla, Kent, and Lola.

 

“He’s dead alright,” Kent said, not-so-gently kicking Vincenes’ body in the ribs.  

 

Almont stared down at the body.  “It’s not over yet.”

 

“Almont, don’t,” Katla said, her voice pained.

 

Kent looked at Katla, then to Almont, then back to Katla.  “Don’t?  Don’t what?”

 

Almont took a knee next to Vincenes and placed his hand on the devil’s chest.  A thin golden glow covered Vincenes’ body.  

 

“Uh oh,” said Kent, taking a step back, Donyxn following suit.

 

“You don’t have to do this Almont,” Katla said quietly.

 

Vincenes’ back arched, thrusting his chest upwards.  His mouth opened wide as he sucked in a breath the way a drowning man would when breaking the surface of the water.  His wounds didn’t heal in any kind of visible way, his body still broken and battered.  But he was alive again.

 

Vincenes looked up at Almont in horror as the cleric stood.  “Wait, I can help you, just let me live and I’ll tell you…”

 

Almont crushed Vincenes’ head with his warhammer.