Compared to the other generals and Astaroth, Baal had always been something of a fool. Lucifer was disgusted to find out he'd been the traitor--but he wasn't all that surprised. There was little to be gained in attempting to betray Astaroth. It<span style="font-style: italic">would</span>take a fool to try it. "Pyrethnis obou,"<span style="vertical-align: super;">1</span>the demon muttered. "Fo oot viste si tomre ta dves, oot nnes sore ta yelsk."<span style="vertical-align: super;">2</span><br/><br/>Lucifer didn't want Daemoria for himself. He was satisfied merely serving Astaroth, since everything he could ever want seemed to follow. He chased his king dutifully into the portal, but wondered if maybe he'd made the wrong choice. He could feel himself being shaved away--down to the very core of his being. His years of experience, his strength, his power; he fell into the abyss, but these things didn't follow him.<span style="font-style: italic">Avel y peros ta mo dvesnir?</span><br/><br/>-------------------------------------------------------------------<br/><br/>"Oh crap! Oh crap oh crap...!" From somewhere not-so-far away, Lucifer could hear someone speaking in a strange tongue. He felt so weak and... young... as if he were a mere child again.<br/><br/>"Oh man, what do I do! CPR--yeah! That's it! I gotta do CPR on this kid."<br/><br/>The voice sounded panicked, and soon after it stopped Lucifer could feel a warmth touch his lips. He opened his eyes. There was a strange creature kissing him.... No, it wasn't kissing. He was blowing air into his mouth. It disgusted him, but he saw an opportunity. He reached up and grabbed the back of the man's head to hold him still, then sucked his language out of him. When he was done, he threw the man off him, frowning at how far he traveled. "I've become so weak," he said, standing and examining his limbs. He saw some broken glass and looked himself over. "Somehow, I've taken a form not so unlike that creature," he mused, putting a hand on his chin and examining his face from many angles. He bent down and picked up the sharp object, just as the man from earlier was regaining his breath, and slit his throat. He did it efficiently, and from behind so he didn't get the creature's foul blood on him.<br/><br/>"Like mino taeke,"<span style="vertical-align: super;">4</span>he muttered, watching the fluid erupt and then ooze from the man's neck. He stood up again and took a few steps back. "As frail as this body seems, it's young and recovers quick enough. Besides, these other creatures are weak as well, and far worse trained." He looked around and found he was in a dark space between two massive square stones. He made his way out in the open and had to pause to take it all in.<br/><br/>There were maybe hundreds of these red-blooded creatures walking around and speeding by in strange contraptions. And the massive stones he'd been between were huge buildings. Had these small creatures, with all their numbers, build this? That would be a truly impressive feat. However, his priority now was to find Astaroth. Where would he begin...<br/><br/><br/>1. "Pitiable fool."<br/>2. "If you wished so badly to die, you needed only to ask."<br/>3.<span style="font-style: italic">Have I jumped to my death?</span><br/>4. "Like Liquid Roses."