himself to be tortured, rather than revealing the method for releasing the demons, which presumably would have allowed the Three Shadowed Ones to free the demon trapped in Gregor’s and Mephisto’s staffs?
Of course, the incubus could be lying… . I stared at the four-foot length of demon-infested wood I had formerly called my beloved flute and shuddered as I wondered what ill effect its proximity had worked upon my soul.
“Milady! The Kings!”
In staring at my flute, I had taken my eyes off the incubus. My head snapped up in time to see Seir bring the butt of the
Staff of Darkness
down upon the brittle lead seal on the copper pot that held the King of Fire.
CHAPTER SIX
The Staff of Eternity
The ancient lead seal broke with a resounding crack. With a tremendous cry of exultation, the King of Fire rose from the copper jar that had been his prison for nigh unto three thousand years. His coal-black eyes hung in the midst of the mass of flames that made up his body. Heat radiated from him like water cascading over Victoria Falls.
“Iblis al-Shaitan am I, King of Flame! Lord of Djinn! Master of Salamanders! Prince of Efreeti! Look upon me and tremble!” he cried in a great voice.
Seir of the Shadows smiled. “Welcome, your majesty, tarry but a moment while I free your companions.”
Iblis al-Shaitan’s fiery body moved rapidly between Seir and the copper pot containing the Queen of Earth. The intense heat radiating from his body scorched the floor and wall near the djinn to a sooty black and filled the Vault with the smell of burnt paint. The incubus, however, did not seem disturbed. Perhaps he was used to fires hotter still.
“Cease! Their freedom does me no honor. If they are bound, and I am free, I will be the greater. Fire will rule Earth, Water, and Air.” The coal-black eyes shifted amid the flames. “Where is Air?”
“I know not, Great Lord. The pot containing the King of the Air was not here when I arrived,” Seir replied.
“Worship me!” boomed the King of Fire. “Why do you not bow down? Press your face to the floor!”
“Who? Me?” The incubus laughed. “I am no subject of yours, Fire-King. I am Seir, called ‘of the Shadows,’ a Mighty Prince of Hell. I myself govern twenty-six legions of spirits. I bow to none but the Seven Rulers of Iniquity themselves.”
“Bah! The Great Seven.” The flames of his body grew brighter until heglowed like a stoked furnace, and the air around him wavered from the heat. “I, Iblis al-Shaitan, am mightier than the Lords of Hell. Lucifer himself is but my servant. I was created by the Hand of Allah himself, from a pure and smokeless flame of fire! Into my keeping, he gave all vessels of crude clay who were not faithful to his Law.”
“As you say.” Seir nodded politely. As the King of Fire swept down upon him, he added quickly, “Perhaps you should concern yourself with them.”
And he pointed at us.
Caurus and I had not been idle while the supernatural entities quarreled. Caurus had grabbed the long shield and remaining gauntlet of shining Urim from the stand holding the angel’s armor. Meanwhile, I knew I had to stop Seir before he broke open another seal, and the only means I had at my disposal was the lightning-throwing power of my demon-infested flute. I wanted to draw electricity for the blast from the node nearest to him, to minimize the damage, but as the Elemental Chamber was dark, it took time to figure out where the electrical nodes might be and to direct my flute—or the demon within it—to the correct spot.
As I was peering across the rotunda into the semi-darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of a lightning glyph as the Fire-King’s body illuminated various sections of the wall, Caurus whispered, “Milady, what is your plan?”
“I want to dispense with Seir first,” I whispered back. “Even if I don’t manage to strike him, he will flee. Teleporters are like that.” One had only to say ‘boo’ to
Of course, the incubus could be lying… . I stared at the four-foot length of demon-infested wood I had formerly called my beloved flute and shuddered as I wondered what ill effect its proximity had worked upon my soul.
“Milady! The Kings!”
In staring at my flute, I had taken my eyes off the incubus. My head snapped up in time to see Seir bring the butt of the
Staff of Darkness
down upon the brittle lead seal on the copper pot that held the King of Fire.
CHAPTER SIX
The Staff of Eternity
The ancient lead seal broke with a resounding crack. With a tremendous cry of exultation, the King of Fire rose from the copper jar that had been his prison for nigh unto three thousand years. His coal-black eyes hung in the midst of the mass of flames that made up his body. Heat radiated from him like water cascading over Victoria Falls.
“Iblis al-Shaitan am I, King of Flame! Lord of Djinn! Master of Salamanders! Prince of Efreeti! Look upon me and tremble!” he cried in a great voice.
Seir of the Shadows smiled. “Welcome, your majesty, tarry but a moment while I free your companions.”
Iblis al-Shaitan’s fiery body moved rapidly between Seir and the copper pot containing the Queen of Earth. The intense heat radiating from his body scorched the floor and wall near the djinn to a sooty black and filled the Vault with the smell of burnt paint. The incubus, however, did not seem disturbed. Perhaps he was used to fires hotter still.
“Cease! Their freedom does me no honor. If they are bound, and I am free, I will be the greater. Fire will rule Earth, Water, and Air.” The coal-black eyes shifted amid the flames. “Where is Air?”
“I know not, Great Lord. The pot containing the King of the Air was not here when I arrived,” Seir replied.
“Worship me!” boomed the King of Fire. “Why do you not bow down? Press your face to the floor!”
“Who? Me?” The incubus laughed. “I am no subject of yours, Fire-King. I am Seir, called ‘of the Shadows,’ a Mighty Prince of Hell. I myself govern twenty-six legions of spirits. I bow to none but the Seven Rulers of Iniquity themselves.”
“Bah! The Great Seven.” The flames of his body grew brighter until heglowed like a stoked furnace, and the air around him wavered from the heat. “I, Iblis al-Shaitan, am mightier than the Lords of Hell. Lucifer himself is but my servant. I was created by the Hand of Allah himself, from a pure and smokeless flame of fire! Into my keeping, he gave all vessels of crude clay who were not faithful to his Law.”
“As you say.” Seir nodded politely. As the King of Fire swept down upon him, he added quickly, “Perhaps you should concern yourself with them.”
And he pointed at us.
Caurus and I had not been idle while the supernatural entities quarreled. Caurus had grabbed the long shield and remaining gauntlet of shining Urim from the stand holding the angel’s armor. Meanwhile, I knew I had to stop Seir before he broke open another seal, and the only means I had at my disposal was the lightning-throwing power of my demon-infested flute. I wanted to draw electricity for the blast from the node nearest to him, to minimize the damage, but as the Elemental Chamber was dark, it took time to figure out where the electrical nodes might be and to direct my flute—or the demon within it—to the correct spot.
As I was peering across the rotunda into the semi-darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of a lightning glyph as the Fire-King’s body illuminated various sections of the wall, Caurus whispered, “Milady, what is your plan?”
“I want to dispense with Seir first,” I whispered back. “Even if I don’t manage to strike him, he will flee. Teleporters are like that.” One had only to say ‘boo’ to
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