Chapter 52: Chapter 52

The undulating darkness before me pulled me, as if invisible chains were wrapped around my torso, legs and arms. It yanked my body through a mushy, warm slurry, where I heard a cacophony of sounds, chaos and extasy, destruction and rapture, passing me by like speeding trains. The chains felt like they burned my flesh, threatening to rip the skin open, maul the muscles and grind through the bones, but my tongue, like an eel that slithered down my throat, would neither move nor let me utter any moan or cry out in pain. The feeling abruptly stopped when I was thrown, out onto what must have been some carpet, violety-purple and soft. The gold and black patterns in it swirled and chased one another.

I was free to move my body again, and the first thing I did was instinctively scramble off the floor, the feeling of the crushing pain still embedded in my mind. But the very fact I was able to get up, no cracks of yielding bone nor gushes of blood from ruptured tissue, meant that all the pain I felt must have been an illusion. I looked at my hands - they seemed fine. But the two scars were alight - not too bright like a torch, but bright enough that I could see it wasn't a reflection of any light.

Cackling female voices brought my mind back to the present. I was in a room, yes, but probably not one which would make sense from an everyday perspective. A chamber, about the size of a hall you'd see in a big countryside mansion, the walls a glittering violety color, lit by some unknown light. There was a large sofa under one of the walls, with white upholstery. On it sat no less than seven succubi - their voluptuous curves and sleek bodies screaming desire, with one, which seemed the tallest and most muscular of them, sitting in the middle, arms leisurely at the backrest. On her sides sat four others, two on the left and two on the right, all with less developed wings, smaller horns and smaller breasts - not that it made a difference at this level of beauty. The closest ones she would hold her arms around, squeezing them against her soft body, while the further ones fawned. There were two more, at her feet, sitting relaxed on big, pinkish-red pillows with sequins on the seams. They seemed the smallest of them all, and had their hands wrapped around the central one's legs. In front of them, with her back to me, stood Ra'zizi. To the right of the couch, on the same side I stood on, was a large door with a golden handle.

Their mouths moved in ways that were not reminiscent of human speech, but the sounds, even though I could not repeat, I could understand, just like before.

"Then you still aren't done with him?" the central succubus chided. "Must feel embarrassing, little sister."

She smiled and the smallest succubi giggled, hugging her calves.

"Say Ra'zizi, tell us!" the one on the left piped up, "Do you think you might be getting too weak?"

Another series of giggles erupted. I saw Ra'zizi shake her tail around. The way she stood in front of them, muscles slightly flexing, fingers curling up, it looked like she was aching to snap back.

"You won't answer, but we see it," the one on the right joined in, "you can't get what you want. How amusing!" she smiled sardonically.

Ra'zizi lightly fluttered her wings.

"Ariegith," she mused, "you must know about amusement, you've been the laughing stock of our clique."

The succubus she addressed frowned her fine brows for a split second, but soon they relaxed and her big-lipped mouth was smiling even wider.

"Your words are empty as always, Ra'zizi," she retorted.

"Ra'zizi's empty-handed!" the two succubuses at the feet of the leader chided her like children. Their petite bodies writhed, swaying to the mocking tune they hummed.

I was sure that if they could, they would have seen me by now. Still, I walked up slowly, very carefully putting my feet on the soft, tendrily fabric.

Ra'zizi scoffed. "Looks like you have some lice attached to your legs, Megremael," she said to the central succubus with a playful tone, "did they happen to fall off your-"

A sharp slap echoed and Ra'zizi flinched, making me freeze. She was way too far for the other demons to reach her. It looked like she was thrown off-balance, but her legs, like two concrete pillars, kept her joined to the floor.

"Watch your tongue when you talk to your older sister, Ra'zizi," the leader answered with a suddenly low voice, way too bassy to sound female, but also way too distorted to sound human, "lest I make you bite it off."

The succubuses on Megremael's sides started moving around excitedly, some hunching down, others straightening their backs and flapping their wings, watching what was about to happen. I was trying to sidestep the situation, going for the door to the side, but just when I was about to start seeing Ra'zizi from the side, she spoke.

"I am truly sorry, sister," she sounded apologetic and seemed to be rubbing her cheek, "I should have shown my respect and know authority."

Megremael nodded slowly and lightly smirked.

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Ra'zizi continued. "That's why I shall finish my task, and through the human gain all the power for the matron to recognize me."

The leader of the succubuses eyed her cautiously, and the rest followed example by staring, some with confused faces.

"And when she does, and the tables turn, I, Ezaireth and Mareizeel will be sure to remember that you're my sister!" Ra'zizi concluded.

Before any of them could react, there was a sound similar to glass breaking. It seemed to have come from me. I had no idea if any of them heard it, but when Ra'zizi started turning to where I was, my heart stopped. Before I could think of anything, I felt something like those same heavy chains suddenly wrap themselves around my body, and I instintctively gasped. I was torn away from the room, faster than a passing jet plane, and after a moment in an indescribable, warm void, I found myself on a hill, facing what seemed like a desert, lit by all-surrounding brown glow coming from ominous, slowly moving clouds, pierced here and there by shafts of burning light. The hill was made out of pieces of what looked like twisted metal and bone, and similar waste seems to have been strewn across the surrounding lowlands, and I thought I could see some of it move - or maybe there were creatures milling around, moving the debris. As I turned, I saw that familiar sight: out of the top of the hill, looking like a very tall modernist statue stuck out, towering above me. A mashup of twisted tree parts, smashed cars (I guessed), ripped fabrics and God knows what else. I knew this.

"My felicitations, mortal," the familiar cacophonous voice proclaimed, coming from the statue. "You have done well, just as I predicted you would."

I didn't know what to say, or if I should even say anything. The stinging sensation of Ald-ghareth's previous stabbing touch was still very fresh in my memory.

"With just a push, you are on your way... You shall finish your work and honor our contract." it spoke as if it had already seen everything happen. At the same time, it abruptly fell silent - no continuation of any thoughts.

"Ra'zizi..." I spoke quietly, breaking the silence, "I saw her..."

"Good."

"You're certain I will... after I... am done... get rid of her?" my sentence came out as a half-question, my brain somehow adapting itself to the Lord of Hell's tone of voice.

"Once you are done with your task, she will no longer have a grasp on you. I will reward you."

The voice sounded even more ominous when it was speaking without overt emotions, here it was almost robotic.

I wanted to ask, "When will my task be done?" but didn't get further than "when" and something seemed to have catapulted me up, in a second dragging me past the thick clouds, to where a burning light blinded my vision.

I opened my eyes in my bed, instinctively clutching my chest. Suzanne was lying on her stomach next to me, head turned away. That's when I remembered last night, how time after time I pounded her, manhandling her around as she cussed me out, until having her bent over the bed reduced her to a mumbling mess. This, in combination with her overall limp appearance made me suddenly feel intense unease, that sinking feeling before panic. I remembered Izzie. My hands went for Suzanne's shoulder, nudging it once, gently, then twice more insistently.

"Uhnnghhhh," she moaned and moved her arm towards me, trying to push away, then shifted to lying on her side.

I breathed out in relief, then got out of bed.

There was an envelope at my door, on the inside. I thought I had already unsubscribed from everything in existence, but picking it up and turning it around, the morning brain fog left me and I remembered who also wrote to me.

"You are hereby requested to appear for further questioning as a witness in the case of..."

I didn't need to read any further. Whatever the police thought I did, visiting again was not an option - if they decide to arrest me, I won't be able to do anything against Ra'zizi, I thought as I ponderously made my way towards the kitchen.

"You're not going to see the feisty redhead?" a playful female voice chimed in from my side spooking me. I turned to nod briefly at Ra'zizi - she seemed no wiser to my spying on her that night, so I turned to the kitchen's garbage can and threw the letter out. No more interviews.

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