Haunted & Hunted

"Guess laughing really doesn't make you live longer. Oh well~" Lillith jumped down from the giant and looked at maggie. "Why would you be scared of little old me? I just saved everyone from a very hard fight. What? Did you guys not like my ingenious plan. I for one had a good laugh! HA HA HAAAA!" Lillith started to laugh a little insanely. Liela summoned even more beams until her side of the library was just full of them. "NEVER UNDERESTIMATE ME!!!"

"I think you're just overdoing it now," the tentacle monster said. "Thanks for saving us time, I guess?" 

The voidwalker let out a deep sigh, disappointed that the creature did not tear Lillith to pieces.

The demon wanted to phase through a wall to shield itself, but some unknown force with a red outline got hold of him and had him take the entire volley of beams. "You've got quite the nerve showing up here, Mephisto." Said the mysterious figure that left the library and was now in the same hallway as them.

Frantic typing.

"I-it's him! It has to be him. The nerdy glasses, the dorky sweater, the overbite."

"I'd rather overdo it than end up not doing enough." Lillith looked at the voidwalker. "You look disappointed. Why? aren't we one step closer to getting that book?" Lillith began to walk again. Liela smiled when the demon get hit by all her beams. She then noticed it was because something else made the demon stay. Liela was heading towards her body to possess it but stopped half way when she heard very desperate typing from Kit. "What are you talking about?!? The demon?"

"This just isn't turning out the way I wanted it to." And by that, she meant that she expected the group to slowly die out and leave just her to grab the book at the end.

The area was a smaller, yet still spacious room. Partway, the floor just stopped and the remainder of this section was just water.

The stranger threw the demon across the room before devouring its soul, very much in the same way Lillith does it.

The figure then looked at them with a calm, innocent look as if nothing happened and corrected his glasses. "He shouldn't bother you or your friend anymore."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"No, this guy. Didn't you see what he just did?"

"Oh would you have preferred me to meet my demise? " Lillith got closer to the voidwalker. "Because if you keep that attitude... I might just make you meet yours." Lillith then turned to see that the rest of the floor was water. She backed away a little showing a little fear. While ink does look beautiful in water, If not taken out quick enough, it would completely dissolve it or her in this case. "Wh-what sort of water is t-this?" "Uhhh thanks?" Liela floated closer to the stranger. "Yeah Kit I saw what he did but I don't think he's an enemy."

"Oh, this thing?" the voidwalker started. "Just regular water. Probably even rain water. Couple of switches underwater that need to be turned on for us to get further." Both Maggie and Azzar noticed a hint of fear in Lillith.

"Can't say I excel at swimming," the tentacle monster said. "But I can't drown."

"Times have changed," the mysterious nerd said. "Invading mortal worlds hasn't been on the agenda for decades. Anyway, may I ask what brings you here?" Why did he tell them that first sentence? Was the short history lesson of Hell's inner workings really neccesary in a casual conversation?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I still think it's him. Ask him if you don't believe me."

"Then you s-should go and turn the swiches, Azzar. I'm going to stay here. Ju-just in case." Lilith got closer to the water and poked it with her finger. Her finger slowly dissolved before she quickly pulled her finger out. (Man I hope nobody pushes me into the water.) Leila was finally Infront of the stranger in her ghostly form. "I'm here to get some monster friends that have sunk over here. But my friend over here thinks you're him. Hey kit what do you mean by him? Do you know this guy? "

"Alright." Azzar carefully went inside the pool. The voidwalker dipped her hand and held it in front of Lillith. "Come on, just a dip." 

Maggie held her tail as a shield to protect Lillith. "Harm her and I will break you."

The library visitor smiled. "She's a sharp one, able to figure it out," he admitted. "I am the Devil, or at least, his latest incarnation." Any idea of an intimidating, horned monstrousity was out of the picture. He was even shorter than Lillith.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Told. You!"

Lilith looked at the voidwalker. "I c-can dip it perfectly f-fine." Lilith wasnt going to let her enjoy this.Lillith hesitantly dipped her whole hand in the water. She could feel her hand slowly dissolve away but she was not going to take it out."S-see... I-I can d-do it... to-too."

 "The devil?! WHAT!!!" liela floated around the devil to have a good look."So you're the devil? I dont... No that's not possible.if you're the devil than explain how I'm able to possess my own body if I'm a ghost? Hmm bet you can't explain that!" Liela crossed her arms.

"Want to go for a swim?" the voidwalker teased her, knowing it would kill her.

"Lil, that's enough," Maggie said. "Please take your hand out." She didn't know if the limbs would recover over time, but in her bokks, losing one was generally a bad thing.

"It's just hypothetical, but it's supposedly possible to weaken or outright shatter the link between body and soul," the Devil lectured her. "Guess it's not just some crazy theory after all. Am I not living up to your expectations? Were you expecting horns, red skin or a suit?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I know I was. Strange. What is he doing outside of Hell? Isn't he the boss of everything there?"

Lillith got a little mad. She took the voidwalker's comment as a challenge."You think I can't s-swim?! I can swim perfectly fine!!!" Lillith jumped into the water. She could feel her whole body melt away. She tried to swim back up but each time she'd forcefully move her arms, more of her would go away faster. So she just slowly sank to the bottom. Not moving an inch so she could last longer.trying her best to maintain her physical form.She was screaming underwater.Which made the top of the water bubble.

 "So that's what's been happening to me. As for what I was expecting from you...Well... I was expecting you to at least be bigger than my ink demon, Lillith. You probably know every demon."

Tentacles took hold of what remained of her and tried to bring her back.

"Not exactly," he said. "I only got the job a couple of years back; Hell just isn't what it used to be. Can't say I've heard of an ink demon."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"No more fire, brimstone and pits of endless suffering?"

Lillith felt Azzar help her back up to the surface. Lillith's body looked like it was all melting but was also trying to form back up again at the same time. Lillith was breathing heavy and laid on the ground. She slowly turned her head to everyone. She looked like she was having trouble staying awake."Any of...you guys feeling sleepy... t-too?" 

 "So hell isn't a place of suffering anymore? Wait you've never heard of an ink demon? I thought the devil would at least know all the speacies. But you got being the devil as a job? That's a thing you get hired for?!?" Liela just had so many questions.

"Don't talk and waste your strengh," Azzar tried to comfort her. "You'll be okay." He then turned to the voidwalker, who had already prepared for a would-be counterattack by placing a few defensive and offensive runes.

"Yep, that's right, but it's only because Hell has worse issues to worry abput. I really haven't heard of ink demons; she must have been created artificially, though I'm not sure how," he explained best he could. "Well, I was a candidate and everyone else in my family died, so they picked me."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Do you tempt mortals to go down sinister, if not outright evil paths?" He did not answer. The only response was a sigh and an annoyed look.

"Im... not wasting m-my strength." Lillith was slowly getting up. Looking directly at the voidwalker."I'm j-j-just..." Lillith then fell down on the floor making a loud splat noise. She was still awake but barely.

 " An artificial demon? Has science gone to far? Oh well that's beyond the point. What in the world happened to hell for you guys to stop making the sinful suffer down there?"

Azzar left Lillith to Maggie, who didn't know what to do and just held her like some sort of oversized baby.

Five tentacles emerged from each of the tentacle monster's sleeves, each sharper than a razor. "L'ghelios, I ask for you aid," he begun chanting. "Make me swift on my feet. Grant me forgiveness." His image started to distort. He was no longer really there.

"A civil war; lesser demons rebelled against the greater ones and won," he explained. "Then, the wizards of this school decided to bar all but a select few demons from leaving Hell. Ever." He wanted to cuss, he really did, but he promised himself. He promised himself he'd go a month without a single swear.

"Maggie... g-go fight..." Lillith spat out some ink. She was breathing much slower now. "I'll just...take a nap." Lillith was closing her eye gradually. "A rebellion?! I would of never thought. No other demons will ever leave. Wow... Just how in the world did that start?"

But Maggie did nothing and just stayed with Lillith. The tentacle monster, however was more than willing to go by her orders.

With just a single charge, a single stroke, he killed her. At first, it looked like he barely touched her and the voidwalker even laughed at his efforts and how he set off both of her runes, but then, it became apparent what he did.

Lines of crimson appeared all around her body, the handiwork of his razor-sharp tentacles. One moment, she stood still, perplexed, the next, she was cut into tiny, tiny pieces.

Now, Lillith could eat the soul.

"It's way too complicated, but I do know that not even after seventy have things gone back to normal," he contemplated. "Not all; just most of us. Me and the ones for summoning are the exceptions. Anyway, what did you say you were looking for again?"

Lillith sensed the soul but wasn't able to move. So she just opened her mouth and hoped for the soul to do the rest. Lillith's body was all slowly becoming ink.it seemed she stopped regenerating and was little by little fading.

"Well I came here looking for my friends. They came here to take a book or something. Apparently the addition to this book but for dungeons." Liela held the book of summons up.

To remedy the situation, Azzar offered a part of his own soul to her. It wasn't enough to kill him outright if it was missing, but it was enough to cause permanent scarring, loss of a few of his appendages and hopefully save Lillith's life.

"Oh, that accursed thing?" he asked. "Locked in a dungeon underneath the library behind traps, stretches of water, bats, monsters... You get the point.

Lillith Shaked her head no. "bring...her...s-soul to... me..." Lillith wasnt going to take the soul of her friend if there was another she'd more than happy take. "Pushhh...it in m-my... mouttthhh...."

 "Oh my gosh!!! That could kill them!!! What are they thinking!!! Just to get a dumb book!!!"

Maggie started waving her arms around, pretending the soul was a gust of wind. Hopefully, she diverted the intangle and invisible soul to her.

"Make no mistake," the Devil started. "The book is one of a kind and is well–worth all the trouble."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I can imagine Hell wanting it with all the no-leave thing going on."

The soul drifted to Lillith's mouth after a bit. As soon as it entered, Lillith made the loudest gasp ever.Her body regenerated very fast making her jolt up in a standing position. A couple seconds later and her body looked like nothing happened. She started to get herself a good distance away from the water. Sitting down and looking at the floor. She wasnt really saying anything.

 "Is that book that important? I don't even think they want the book for any serious reasons.Just for play I can imagine."

A bridge slowly emerged from the body of water, allowing them to cross it to the other side.

Azzar sat beside her. "I didn't think she'd push you so far over the edge," he said. "You okay?"

"Not really. Using it as a means of entertainment was the main goal," the Devil explained. "Then, some wizard got the bright idea of using the dungeons within as death mazes. Rest is history." He then opened the doors to the library and went inside.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I-I don't think Lillith should be allowed near the thing then. Without Liela around, who knows what she would do."

"Im just dont want to..." Lillith didnt bother finishing her sentence. She just crossed her arms and started to walk the bridge. "I agree Kit. Lillith does a lot of things when im not watching her.Smart things, stupid things, things shed never do infront of me."