Yue

21st November

10:41 GMT -5

I see the first one, and I'm suddenly less worried about the overwhelming power of the Silver City. The first one I see is emaciated, trembling and is quietly mumbling to itself. It reminds me a little of that poor creature from that.. horror program. How physically strong are they? Not sure, and-.

It looks up, and… Yeah. It's making-

"Tch-tch-tch-tch-tch…"

-a sort of clicking, sucking noise, its eyes blank and staring. The wings are there, but the one on the left looks like someone's been gnawing on it.

"Pathetic creature, gaunt and weak,

Is it truly the end you-?"

"HAEHHH!"

It pulls in its arms and snarls, sharp rotting teeth on display.

"Or mayhap that's too great a boon?

To help you leave here so soon."

No recoverable parts I'd want. I mean, look at it. Even Cranius would hesitate before sticking bits of this thing in his lab. Really, the question is what helps me get into a useful position with regard to Satanus. I mean, there's no mind left here and if the Silver City wanted it back then Remiel and Duma would have done something about it. Since there's no mind there to suffer, I'm not going to worry about what it thinks.

That's what the Silver City would want, right?

I sheathe my sword and reach out for it. It lunges for me, but those arms are about as strong as they look. Holding it presents no real challenge. But what would Harm find funny? The investigation into his murders showed that he wasn't particularly sadistic. He'd kill someone -including his sister- when there was a material benefit from doing so, but he didn't go out of his way to make them suffer. I don't remember anything about his sense of humour…

Broken angel in hand, I turn around and walk past Harm back onto the balcony. Careful not to let it look down, I turn its head upwards. The light here is.. okay. You can't see details for any distance, but it's certainly possible to see that there are other balconies from down here.

"You know, not all that long ago, Lucifer quit Hell. The Silver City sent Remiel and Duma to rule here in his place. Now, they probably couldn't hear you all the way down here… But maybe if you got a little higher. Yes?"

Something… A dim forgotten longing appears on its confused countenance. Nothing beyond the level of a mangy dog not immediately biting someone it remembers having fed it, but it's certainly a change. I walk over to the left extremity of the balcony, where it meets the wall of the shaft. Carefully, I lift the angel so that it can grip the rock face.

"Best of luck."

I step back as its eyes widen, and it takes its left hand away to reach upward to the next handhold.

And loses its grip and plummets downward.

I watch it fall for a moment, then shrug and turn back towards the entrance. Harm frowns beautifully. "That was not quite what Harm had in mind. Nonetheless, Harm appreciates its effort."

"Oh, come now. What's not funny about that? The first remotely positive thing it's felt since it got stuck down here, and it results directly in its death. It will feel despair that it thought it had become accustomed to with new bitterness as the last thing it ever feels."

"And then it will feel nothing. One of the few truly free creatures in the universe will eat its remains, and it will cease to be."

"Your pardon, my lord. I didn't bring my custard pies with me." Still, that's an interesting point of view. I stroll back towards the entrance, keeping a cautious watch on him at all times. "Free in what sense?"

"Almost everything that is, is created by God. Even this place, the souls in it and the capacity for the suffering they experience. Evil itself is defined by God. Harm always sought freedom from the chains of morality, and is now close to Its who cannot exist within that framework. Who can scarce understand it. Harm cannot help but feel jealous."

I lead the way back inside, keeping an eye out for any stronger inmates.

"There must be some way to graft that capacity onto a demon. Ran va Daath claimed to have dammed Etrigan, after all."

"That is why Harm has learned to tolerate lesser Its."

Tunnels, the layout… Deliberately confusing. And the width is such that a single being couldn't block it and that an army couldn't bring its full strength to bear. A few rags, a few well-gnawed bones… It seems a bit of a waste, leaving them here.

"Is there a Missus Harm?"

"Yes. She did not come here upon her death. At the time, Harm did not know the appropriate rituals."

I nod. "It's sad when families are broken up like that."

Somewhere in the distance I hear a whimpering.

"Harm notes that It has stopped compulsively rhyming."

"So it has. So either I've bored Lucifer's spell or… What, my power growth has halted?"

"Harm is surprised that It is not more familiar with the process."

"I didn't fancy paying Mammon's fees. I've gained a lot of power lately, but as I said, I've been away from Hell."

Hm-? He hangs back sl-.

I'm already crouched as the first Scabbie throws itself at me from the side passage. This one is notably stronger, only the skin visibly worried while the muscle beneath remains strong. One wing's shorn away at the shoulder, but the other seems reasonably healthy.

"Hellspawn."

I feint at his head with my sword but he doesn't seem concerned. I edge forward, feinting again while just close enough that inactivity could see it turn into a stab-. He slaps the flat of my blade aside with more strength than any human of his proportions would have, nearly knocking it from my hand! I step back and raise my shield as he steps forward, whipping his wing out in a feint of his own-.

Why am I wasting time with this scum? I've trained with Kon often enough to know what super strength feels like.

I push forward, grinning at the sting from his wing strike and from his attempt to reverse his advance to avoid my sword. I cut a shallow slash across his chest and narrowly miss chomping down on the tip of his wing with my fangs. The fact he's backing up is a fairly clear indication that he knows he's not strong enough to do much to me. It's a front.

Bringing my shield back up I push rapidly forward. One punch is blocked by my shield, my sword getting a decent cut on his arm in retaliation. He's still backing up so I charge, smacking into him and using my bulk to pin him against a wall. He punches me in the face with his left fist but I barely feel it. Harm-honey wanted amusing?

I bite, his fingers crunching as I mutilate his hand. Another bite gets me a chunk of palm and now my sword's in position. Slicing a wing off would be hard but for the unyielding stone behind us. I drop the sword and grab it by the bleeding end, pulling back just far enough to shove it into his mouth. The impact knocks his head back into the stone, stunning him, and I let the ridiculous failure of an angel fall to the ground.

"I remember something about the worst torture in Hell being one that gave the victims a view of Heaven, so that they would always know what they had failed to achieve. I don't know how to do that to this one, but perhaps propping him up on the balcony sans arms and legs would achieve a similar result? Mm?"

Harm smiles