Barlowe, Wayne - God's Demon

concentric rings, hovering over the concave floor, out from which Adramalik could see complex branching patterns of brickwork radiating. At the Conjuring Chamber's center, barely visible for all of the circling bricks, was Lord Agaliarept, illuminated only by the chains of glyphs that hung in the air before him.

The bricks, some of which narrowed their eyes as Agares and Adramalik passed, parted like a school of the Abyssal flyers they had seen many times in the Wastes. Agares pushed those that did not move quickly enough aside, and Adramalik heard them sigh or sputter or swear. As the pair moved downward they were careful to avoid the occasional gaps in the brick floor. Adramalik knew that the floor acted as a kind of abstract map of Hell itself and that the gaps, or the simple placement of brick into them, affected those that Beelzebub chose to influence.

As Adramalik and Agares drew near him, the Conjuror General swung toward them. In his spindly arms Adramalik saw a single brick, a mouth visible upon its folded surface.

He is so different from us, thought Adramalik, jarred as he always was when confronted with the Prince's chief sorcerer. Agaliarept stood, an ill-defined, robed figure, countless arms jutting from his torso like the spines on an Ash-burrower. These wandlike arms were constantly moving, seemingly tasting the air or feeling the ever-drifting currents of events. What little head protruded was cowled deep within a collar of skin-enfolded eyes, each tiny orb a different color. Disconcertingly, Adramalik never knew if he was being watched or, more irritatingly, perhaps, whether he always was. He regarded Agaliarept as a dark tool of his master's and little more; the distance both Beelzebub and the strange being had created to keep him obscure also served to keep him relatively unapproachable.

Agares and the Chancellor General took up a position yards away from Agaliarept but close enough to discern the ember-lit flies that circled him. Without a word, the Conjuror raised a dozen of his thin arms and began weaving ghostly glyphs from tissues of misty air, drawing toward him selected bricks from the vast floating catalog and gesturing them into specific holes in the floor. The single brick that he held began to whine piteously and glow from within, and when the dozen or so summoned bricks were firmly in place Agaliarept laid it gingerly into a space at his feet.

The mouth on the brick snapped open. A flattened black tongue poked out for a moment, failing to moisten its cracked lips.

A susurration gradually filled the demons' ears as the chamber came alive, the faintest of whispers growing as the myriad dry mouths of countless bricks gave voice.

The two demons unconsciously stepped back as the brick at the Conjuror's feet coughed. For a moment it was silent, working its lips as if to speak. And then it retched up a fine mist of blackish blood that reached eight or ten feet into the air, spattering Agaliarept. Burst after burst of the mist hung before them until they saw a shape appear within it, the motionless, congealing form of a Demon Major.

A low buzz, Adramalik imagined of approval, emanated from the flies around the Conjuror.

The blood-formed demon, an avatar only, raised his head and looked at the demons present. Adramalik recognized the Grand Duke Astaroth, his sigils palely lit against his dripping chest, his sagging shoulders creating an impression of age and weariness.

The buzz of the circling flies became a Voice.

'Your spies have not returned, Astaroth. They were intercepted through the efforts of a Baron Faraii, I believe. Sargatanas' Guard are very well trained.'

The conjured demon hesitated. Two tiny glyphs of sight blazed in his blood-filled eye sockets.

'Indeed. I taught him their drills.' Astaroth's voice was distorted, gurgling.

'Their leadership is quite good as well. Of this,' the buzzing Voice said, 'I am sure you are also aware.

'My six legions,' it continued, 'are marching into your wretched wards as we speak. They will be held back until they are needed. They will reinforce yours, if yours falter. There must not be the perception in Adamantinarx that we are leading the attack on his wards.'

Astaroth's chin sank. 'It will be as you say, my Prince.'

Adramalik knew that the old demon had hoped for more, that he wanted Beelzebub's alliance to be known to all in Hell.

'Are your troops in readiness?'

'No, my Prince, but we are close.'

'While you may have superior numbers on your side, Astaroth, do not be fooled. Sargatanas has managed his wards brilliantly ... far better than you ... and he is cunning. This is a second chance. Be clever and what is his will be yours. And mine.'

Astaroth's chin rose and he nodded.

'Victory to you, Astaroth!'

The distant Demon Major bowed and was gone in a shower of descending blood. Agaliarept, spattered from head to toe, bent and plucked the brick from the floor.

The Voice returned.

'Agares, see to it that Duke Fleurety's legions in the field do not engage Sargatanas' armies. They will remain after the battle. Also, Adramalik, have your Knights and Nergar's agents round up all of Astaroth's emissaries here in Dis and have them destroyed. That weak fool Astaroth's time in Hell is at an end.' And with that the Voice trailed off into a barely audible wheeze and then nothing at all.

Adramalik and Agares bowed and turned to ascend out of the Conjuring Chamber. Before he was too far from its center the Chancellor turned, for a moment, and caught a glimpse of Agaliarept, his many long tongues extended. The Conjuror General was cleaning himself, lapping the blood from his darkly glistening robes. Adramalik shook his head and followed Agares.

ADAMANTINARX-UPON-THE-ACHERON

Hani was pushed up against the giant plinth along with the hundreds of other brick workers. After the quayside ramp had been completed he and the remaining souls were shunted to a new location—the site of a towering figure of Sargatanas that loomed over the Forum of Halphas.

It was a colossus among colossi. Cruciform, with its arms and six wings outstretched, the black statue stood