<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/gt33tYw.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/fWCN38n.jpg)</div>Malefactus watched the drow as she ranted, almost with a bored look on his face.  When she finally seemed to realize what she was doing and who she was speaking too, the wine glass slipped from her hand and she muttered quietly,<em>"Oh shit....."</em><br/><br/>With look of strained patience he sighed and asked,<strong>"Are we done?"</strong>Zerxel, remembering where she was and what this demon could do for her nodded her head mutely.<strong> "Good, then to answer your question... yes, I did need to kill her.  I needed her soul fruit, in order to bring her back to life as my slave.  I have no need of her as a necromancer, for while her power is dwarfed by mine I wouldn't wish her to formulate thoughts of rebellion.  No, I told you that I needed to make an impression on the drow people.  It would not serve me well to have a sullen and glaring slave chained at my side.  Now... this however..."</strong><br/><br/>He snapped his fingers and the hidden door once again opened and from it walked Zerxel, her head bowed, her hands clasped in front of her.  She was wearing a white garment that was so sheer that it did nothing to hide her form, and in many ways accentuated it.  Draped over her shoulders with a neckline that plunged to her naval, then fell to the tops of her thighs, and was split entirely up the side.  But more to the point Zerxel noticed a slightly blank look on Xara's face, a bit of a dull glassiness to her eyes.  She walked over to Malefactus and dropped to her knees at his feet.  The Fiend reached down to stroke her white hair, which now pooled around her thighs as she knelt next to him.<strong>"This is the gift you have given me, a docile slave, a reminder to the drow people what happens when they fail me.  But you... you will be the example of the opposite.  The drow, and others who crave power, will see what gifts I may give to those who please me.  You shall be my dark shining example, and your people will be jealous of how powerful you will become.   Then they will petition me for my power, and their devotion will allow me to reclaim all that I have lost."</strong><br/><br/>He threw back his head and cackled, but in doing so yanked hard on Xara's hair, causing the drow woman to lift off her knees slightly.  Tears of pain welled in her eyes at having her hair yanked so suddenly and unexpectedly, but she did not cry out, did not say a word.  Once the Fiend was done with his cackling laugh, his gaze fixed again on Zerxel,<strong>"Now, step forwards and receive your gift."</strong>Even if she had wanted to disobey, she couldn't have, as her feet moved the instant he commanded it and in a few short steps she was standing before him.  He was not overly tall, but in that moment those few inches difference in their height seemed like feet.  She looked up at his face, at his demonic grin, and could not move.  He raised his hand and placed it on her forehead and spoke in the fiendish tongue.  There was a blinding flash of light that exploded behind Zerxel's eyes and for the briefest fraction of a second she saw a terrible demonic hellscape, with black onyx, roaring flame, twisting smoke, and living shadows.  But then it was gone before she could even process it, leaving behind the slight scent of brimstone in her nose, but even that faded after a few heartbeats.<br/><br/><strong>"I have given you a fraction of my demonic magic, you might find that it aids you in your limited spellcasting.  But more to the point I shall assign you a minion, you may call upon him once per dungeon level.  Well, you might call upon him more than that, but he will only follow your commands the first time you summon him on any level.  I would suggest trying to restrict yourself to only summoning him that one time, as imps are devilish creatures who delight in perverting the desires of those who summon them."</strong><br/><br/>He closed his eyes and traced a circle in the air.  Zerxel could see the demonic energy flowing into the circle and in an instant knew she could replicate it if needed, the knowledge simply was in her mind.  The circle once closed glowed orange for a moment then vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a small creature, no more than two feet tall.  His body was ash grey with dark tattoos scrawled across it and glowing red eyes.  Though it seemed to have no mouth it gibbered in some sort of nonsense version of demonic that Zerxel could hear inside her head.  Malefactus pointed at Zerxel and said,<strong>"This one may summon you, as long as she has the power to issue commands with the proper force, you will follow her orders.  Do you understand?"</strong><br/><br/>The imp danced around on it's feet for a moment as it looked Zerxel up and down then nodded once.  Malefactus waved a hand and the creature vanished again in another puff of smoke.  Then looking back at Zerxel he nodded.<strong>"Now before I go and let you rest, I again ask you if there is anything you need from me?  Or maybe from my new slave?  I'd let you play with her while I watch if you'd like, that might be... enjoyable."</strong>His grin said that he could only imagine the type of revenge one drow might take against another, especially since Zerxel still had quite a bit of arousal built up from the arena.   Then again some peace and quiet and her fingers might serve the trick also.