Hecate's Orphanage

by BlackRoseRaven


The Fire In The Heart Of Helheim

Chapter Fifty Six: The Fire In The Heart Of Helheim
~BlackRoseRaven

So far, their 'investigation' had been very dry and boring. Revelation Hall, as it turned out, was a  massive library of old Archive files: they were apparently supposed to sort through all of these to find... something, Cadence didn't know what. She understood she was being kept out of the loop partly because she had to look like nothing more than a bodyguard to the two bozos babysitting them, and partly because of operational secrecy, or whatever Thorn wanted to call it, but either way, she was actually rather glad for it. She wasn't a huge fan of digging through dusty old files, looking for answers, when she felt more and more like the easiest way to find out what they were looking for was to find Lord Penumbra and beat the answers out of him.
Apparently that was not an option at this point, however: not only because Penumbra commanded the respect of these Destroyers and was some kind of extremely powerful Pride demon, but because he apparently had the same level of status in the Archives that Thorn did. Cadence didn't want to imagine how that worked... and if Hel's suspicious about him, why doesn't she just erase him from existence? She's obviously powerful enough to.
Cadence tapped a hoof moodily against the tabletop, stuck sitting between the two massive Destroyers who were wedged into either corner of the uncomfortably-small table. She scowled at one beneath her mask, and he scowled back, apparently seeing her distaste in her eyes. None of them spoke, however, all three looking after a moment towards another table, where Thorn and Phraxis were going over files, while Vextus Lux and Aphrodisia fetched boxes and folders and... volumes and volumes of files. Horses of Heaven. What are we doing here?
Cadence slumped in her seat as much as she could between the two giants, and then she scowled for a moment before she rose her head and asked moodily: “So do you two really want to just... waste all your time babysitting us?”
One of the Destroyers grunted, and the other glared down at her before he said distastefully: “Unlike you, our loyalty isn't bought. Loyalty means we do what we are told to do.”
“That's not loyalty. That's just being a good little dog.” Cadence muttered, and the Destroyer slowly narrowed his eyes at her, but at this point, Cadence felt like she would welcome a fight, even against a pair of giants who completely outclassed her. “Who the hell is this Penumbra guy, anyway, to-”
One of the Destroyers laughed shortly, and the other rolled his eyes before he grumbled: “Lord Penumbra is not the one we are loyal to, idiot child.”
Cadence frowned at this, choosing to ignore the insult for now as she asked: “Then why are you doing his dirty work for him?”
“We are not. We are doing as we were ordered to by his warlord.” retorted the Destroyer, before he grimaced when his comrade glared at him. “Oh, as if they don't know. Perhaps the mortal doesn't know, but the Magistrate surely does. What harm is there in-”
The other demon said something in some hissing, growling language, and the first Destroyer rolled his eyes in disgust before he replied in the same, then crossed his arms and visibly sulked. It left them sitting in silence for a few moments, until Cadence finally asked moodily: “So you're that afraid of him, huh?”
Neither Destroyer reacted beyond an awkward shifting, and this made Cadence immediately much more uncomfortable. Destroyers, after all, weren't afraid of much: even the things that did manage to beat them down usually only earned their respect. For something to actually inspire fear in them...
The mare looked back and forth between them, and then she asked: “Well, why does the warlord listen to Penumbra, then?”
Neither Destroyer answered, both of them looking pointedly away from her, and Cadence sighed as she slumped back in the chair, grumbling: “Fantastic. Great help.”
She managed to sit in awkward silence for a few more minutes, until Phraxis and Thorn finally picked themselves up from their table. Cadence and the Destroyers hurried to their own feet, looking at the stallions with matching relief on their faces, before Cadence frowned and both Destroyers winced when Thorn said calmly: “We need to speak to the Fyrjarl. Take us to him.”
Neither Destroyer seemed exactly happy with this turn of events, both of them shifting back and forth uneasily before one of them muttered: “I... he will be in session right now and he does not like to be interrupted when-”
“He will make an exception for us.” Phraxis replied undeniably, and there was silence for a few moments, before both Destroyers simply lowered their heads, both mumbling uncomfortably in agreement, and the ever-serious magistrate nodded curtly back before he turned around and instructed: “Vextus Lux, Aphrodisia, please ensure that you have all the files in order, I don't want to waste anyone's time.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Phraxis!” Aphrodisia said brightly, saluting sharply before she simply slammed her rump back into the table, a stack of folders neatly popping off the furnishing and landing on her back as Vextus gathered hers up much more neatly. “Got 'em!”
Phraxis only looked at the Inquisitor for a moment before he turned his attention to the Destroyers, saying politely: “Please announce our intentions.”
The Destroyers both looked surprised by this, but then one of them hesitantly nodded before he rose his head and cleared his throat, his claw tracing out the shape of a rune against the ground in pale energy. He waited a moment, then said clearly: “We are escorting Magistrate Phraxis and High Inquisitor Blackfeather to Reception Tower 5. Magistrate Phraxis has requested an audience with the Fyrjarl.”
There was silence for a moment, and then a voice responded, echoing eerily through the room: “The Fyrjarl will see them at his earliest convenience. You are cleared to escort the guests to Reception Tower 5.”
“Promising.” Cadence grumbled as the magic faded from the air, and the Destroyers both scowled at her, but Cadence only looked moodily back at them until Thorn cleared his throat, and she sighed and fell back into place beside him as the Destroyers headed for the doors.
Cadence frowned a bit: their 'escorts' seemed much less interested in staying close to them now and making sure they were going where they said they were, but without her having to ask, Vextus informed her gently: “If a devil such as Lord Phraxis makes an appointment, you can expect that come heaven or high water, he'll make that appointment. The Destroyers were probably just as unhappy to be stuck with us as you were to have them around.”
“Did it show?” Cadence asked ironically, which made Aphrodisia giggle childishly, before Cadence asked in a lower voice as Thorn led them towards the exit: “Who the hell is this Fyrjarl?”
“Lord Penumbra's chief lieutenant.” Phraxis replied, and for some reason, the distaste in his voice made Cadence nervous. “He was appointed by Lord Penumbra a century or so ago: no one is entirely sure of where he came from or what his previous employment was, but as his position is an appointed one beneath Lord Penumbra, no one had any right to speak out against giving the position away to an unknown, either.”
“We have some questions about his practices and appointments, however. He may have been involved with Brave Cavalier.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence frowned a bit: she recognized that name, but from...
Her eyes widened slightly, but Thorn only gave a small smile before he shook his head as Phraxis said quietly: “Let's keep our attention on the task before us.”
Cadence didn't know what else to do except to nod and look awkwardly over at Thorn, but the stallion only kept his own eyes ahead, apparently deferring to Phraxis. Since the other demons seemed happy to fall in as well, Cadence decided it was probably best just to behave for the moment: she had the uncomfortable feeling that she might not like the answers to the questions she had, anyway.
It wasn't exactly a long or difficult trip, but it left her feeling drained all the same: Cadence didn't think she'd ever get used to how utterly, exhaustingly cold it was here in the Circle of Tragedy. They at least didn't have any line to contend with at the entrance, but from the moment that Cadence laid eyes on 'Reception Tower 5,' she felt apprehension take over.
Reception Tower 5 was, like most of the buildings in this district, a single pillar of carved obsidian. Unlike many of the other towers, however, it had branches of steel attached along its length, from which hung flags that swayed in the windless air. Every metal arm ended in a brazier, in which burned eerie blue flames, except when Cadence looked a little closer, she thought she saw, an arm, a head, a twisting body...
“Sentinel spirits.” Thorn said quietly, and Cadence grimaced a bit before she noted the two Destroyers who had 'escorted' them around this District were standing by the massive double doors leading into the tower. One of them seemed to be arguing with the wall of the tower, but when they drew closer, Cadence saw that he was growling at some kind of crystal.
“Demonic intercom?” Cadence asked dryly, and Thorn gave maybe the slightest of smiles before he cocked his head slightly, as Phraxis looked less-than-pleased at whatever the Destroyer was saying.
“Unacceptable. Tell your master he has an obligation to meet with us.” Phraxis said clearly to the Destroyer at the intercom, and the demon visibly flinched before he hesitantly relayed the message.
There was silence for a few moments, and then the crystal glowed for a moment before the double doors swung slowly open. The Destroyers grimaced, but simply stepped aside for them, letting Phraxis lead the way inside.
And Horses of Heaven: the moment Cadence stepped over the threshold, it went from ice-cold to swelteringly hot, the the mare immediately grimacing under her mask. Neither Thorn nor Phraxis seemed to be bothered by it, however, any more than they were put off by the fact that the room was filled with Wrath and Pride demons who were all glaring furiously at them, quite a few of them armed with weapons enchanted with magic so toxic it made Cadence itch just to look at them.
The ivory mare had an awful feeling about whatever was going to happen next, as they approached a massive desk in the center of the room. Some strange, six-armed serpent-demon was there, twisting and turning constantly on her own coils as her hands grabbed and sorted files and stroked across magical crystals: as they approached her, however, she immediately spun towards them and tented her topmost pair of hands in front of herself, bowing her head as she said politely: “Magistrate Phraxis. High Inquisitor Thorn Blackfeather. The Fyrjarl will meet with you in a moment: your companions, however, must wait in the vestibule.”
“Very well.” Thorn said, bowing his head before he looked towards Vextus Lux, saying calmly as his horn glowed and lifted the files free from both her and Aphrodisia: “Lord Phraxis and I will not be long. You are in charge until I return. I am sure both my bodyguard and Aphrodisia will listen closely to your commands.”
Apps saluted immediately with a smile, and Cadence bowed her head after a moment, glancing almost apprehensively at Vextus Lux: but she supposed that yes, she did trust the High Priestess, who smiled at Thorn as she said softly: “Of course. You have my word I will take good care of them.”
Thorn smiled and nodded, before he and Phraxis both turned back towards the serpent-demon, who simply reached out and touched one of the crystals in front of her. A moment later, some hulking, armored monstrosity approached, and Cadence grimaced at the sight of the massive, ugly thing; the serpent secretary, however, only gestured at them before saying calmly: “Please escort these three to the vestibule. Lord Phraxis, Lord Thorn, please make your way to the waiting area behind me. Someone will be with you in just a moment.”
Thorn bowed his head politely, forcing himself not to look back as Vextus Lux and the others left with the hulking demon. The sapphire stallion instead kept his head high as he and Phraxis made their way to a small, square waiting area filled with chairs inside a cage of soundproofed walls, only the front open to the rest of the room. Thorn sat opposite the entrance, and Phraxis joined him, the two looking calmly at the back of the serpent demon in her island in the center of the enormous hall, simply watching her for a little while.
“I trust you remember how discussions with dignitaries usually goes in Helheim, yes?” Phraxis broke the silence between them and tilted his head slightly towards the sapphire stallion, and Thorn gave the slightest of smiles.
“I might be a little rusty, though. I'll let you do most of the talking.” Thorn paused for a moment, and then he asked in a quieter voice: “What do you think of all these employees?”
“Pride and arrogance. That's all.” Phraxis said dismissively, but he shifted after a moment before admitting in a lower voice: “But I don't understand how this happened so quickly. This is supposed to be a secure site, but not...”
“Not like this.” Thorn finished, shaking his head with a brief smile before he sat back in his chair, shuffling the files into the seat beside him. “Let's just ensure we do this as professionally as possible.”
“Yes, Lord Blackfeather. Of course.” Phraxis pulled out his silver pocketwatch to check it once, and then he sighed a little before flicking his other claw, a black notebook appearing in it. He popped this open, glancing through it before he ordered calmly: “Reschedule my appointments for next week. Send apologies to Lord Cottonswell.”
“You should consider taking a personal day tomorrow as well. I feel like this is going to be a long meeting.” Thorn noted, but Phraxis simply gave the stallion a quirk of a smile.
“Justice does not wait, so neither shall we.” he replied calmly with a polite tip of his head towards Thorn, and the sapphire stallion chuckled quietly before the two sat back in silence. Phraxis paged through his notebook, while Thorn simply shuffled through the files, familiarizing himself as much as possible with the information.
After a few minutes, a uniformed demon appeared, and Thorn gathered his files as Phraxis dismissed his notebook, and the two followed the attendant out of the waiting area and across to a heavy, armored door. He opened this for them to reveal another uniformed demon, who politely greeted them before escorting them down the corridor as the first attendant sealed the armored door behind them.
They passed through a security checkpoint, but they were only given a cursory check before they were led onward to another waiting room, where several nervous-looking demons were seated in front of a massive door leading into an office. A secretary was at a desk at one corner of the room: some kind of masked devil, Thorn noted.
“Your honors, the Fyrjarl will see you immediately.” The secretary gestured absently towards the door, and it rumbled before swinging slowly open for them. Phraxis and Thorn traded surprised looks, but then they both simply shrugged and headed to the office, even though Thorn felt somehow that this was all very wrong.
The door closed behind them with a click as the two stepped up in front of the Fyrjarl's... altar, Thorn thought distastefully. It was no desk: it was made of metal and stone, full of holes and lit from within by crimson, ever-burning hellfire. It filled the room with a reek like sulfur, and Thorn's eyes narrowed slightly as he realized he could detect corruption in the air, as well: concentrated corruption, and in such amounts that even the Ice Devil stiffened slightly at it.
“Well, look what the Wendigo dragged in. What a pleasure.” mocked the figure on the other side of the altar, and Thorn narrowed his eyes slightly as Phraxis rose his own head, a moue of distaste spreading over his features as they both regarded the giant in his throne.
Ugly and immense, the Fyrjarl was covered from head to toe in sooty black armor, a featureless and faceless plate of black metal veiling his face beneath a heavy, thorny crown. Magma and firelight pulsed in the holes and cracks throughout his gothic, savage armor, and he emanated not just heat, but a vicious malice as he idly stroked a hand over a large, draconic skull that sat on top of a pile of books, the giant asking softly: “And to what do I owe these attentions?”
Thorn calmly placed the files on top of the altar, grimacing a bit at the way the paper steamed from contact with the heated stone. But he figured it didn't have to last that long, as he began: “We have a few questions for you, as-”
“Yes, yes.” The Fyrjarl flicked his wrist, and Thorn couldn't help but grit his teeth and lean back in surprise when the pages burst into crimson flames, as Phraxis visibly tensed. “Ask your questions. I have no interest in lying to you. It's far, far too late for that.”
“What do you mean?” Thorn asked coldly, and the Fyrjarl chuckled before the sapphire stallion added calmly: “Those were archive documents you just so carelessly destroyed. That alone is grounds for immediately dismissal and-”
“Oh, stupid little creatures. You're sacrificial lambs, you know. Hel knows precisely who I am, and why Penumbra hired me, and that, why yes, I have been using my influence to create alliances and gather information for Thokk.” the Fyrjarl said, leaning idly on one arm and rubbing the claws of his free gauntlet together as if bored, both Thorn and Phraxis tensing immediately. “But Hel can't just destroy me, you see. She needs blood to be spilled. I, however, am more than happy to spill that blood.”
“Fyrjarl, you are under arrest. I hereby revoke your Archive authority and order you to submit.” Phraxis said coldly and fearlessly, and the giant laughed loudly at this, leaning back in his throne, and Thorn could almost feel his grin through his featureless faceplate.
“Oh my! Oh no! You order me, do you?” the giant mocked, and then he stood calmly up, placing his hands against the altar and saying softly: “You do not even know what you are dealing with, Ice Devil. Neither of you do. Neither of you can kill me. Hel herself cannot kill me. And my position here has long fulfilled its purpose. As a matter of fact, I was getting bored, waiting for you all to catch up to me! Thokk already took precisely what she wanted from Helheim, without any of you being any the wiser.”
“What are you talking about?” Thorn leaned forwards, his horn beginning to glow, but then his eyes widened as there was no response from the Archives, and the Fyrjarl rose a finger and shook it slowly back and forth as he clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“Oh, no. What's wrong, can't cry for help? That's because I've ensured this entire tower has been deadwalled.” Phraxis and Thorn both set themselves, and they could both hear the smile in the Fyrjarl's voice as he idly stretched before flexing one hand slowly, towering over them, twenty feet of steel and fire. “Now, any other questions or concerns before I kill you both? I don't want to disappoint Hel, after all. I want to give her a reason to come after me herself. I have some unfinished business with her.”
Phraxis began to lean forwards, but the Fyrjarl suddenly moved like lightning, flipping his altar on its side before he kicked it savagely into the Ice Devil, crushing him into the wall. Thorn flinched, barely avoiding being clipped by the side of the desk before he was punted into the air, and then his eyes widened as a massive, black metal fist streaked towards him-
The impact was deadened by a magic barrier that flashed into existence around him, but Thorn still felt like he had been hit by a truck as he was slammed backwards through a wall with a gasp. Physically he was only bruised, but the impact left him stunned and shocked even as the Fyrjarl laughed loudly and quickly smashed through the wall after him before he slammed a vicious kick into the stallion, knocking him through another wall as he mocked: “Well now! Your protection is much tougher than the last Inquisitor I killed! Either Hel wanted me to enjoy killing you, or she must care about you... and either way, that makes this all the more fun!”
Thorn staggered to his hooves, but he barely had enough time to register where he was before he was hefted into the air and slammed back into a wall hard enough to shatter the stone around him and leave him crushed uncomfortably in the broken wall. A moment later, he was battered backwards by a volley of savage punches, his body jerking back and forth even as the protection from the Archives absorbed the worst of the damage.
A massive fist slammed into him and knocked him flying backwards through the wall, hitting the floor and skidding painfully on his back through an office filled with demons and desks. He coughed blood as he rolled quickly backwards, his mechanical forelimb sparking he managed to pull himself to his hooves as the Fyrjarl simply tore through the wall like paper, and the sapphire stallion grimaced as the armored goliath teased: “Had enough already? Do you need me to give you a moment?”
“Lethal force is hereby authorized.” Thorn grasped his mechanical leg as the pistons on his shoulder began to pump, before his eyes narrowed as he said coldly: “Defense protocol alpha, engage.”
“Gibberish!” The Fyrjarl stepped forwards, and he slammed a contemptible kick into Thorn to send him crashing across the room to bounce painfully off the wall as demons scattered to either side of the room, ignoring the electricity that sizzled up over his steel limb as he snorted. “That was barely even a tickle. Are you going to try and resist, or should I put you down?”
Thorn slowly picked himself up, shaking himself off before he grimaced as he cracked his back, looking up and saying calmly: “This is your last warning.”
“Stupid child.” The Fyrjarl sounded almost pitying as he stepped forwards, and then he roared in pain and surprise, arms going wide with shock as a blast of cold hammered into his back, ice rapidly and violently spreading over his armor as he half-turned-
Thorn lunged forwards, channeling all his magic into his mechanical limb as the pistons pumped powerfully before he slammed a punch into the Fyrjarl's breast, and the giant was knocked staggering back a step with a roar of disbelief, pinwheeling his arms wildly. A moment later, a blast of ice ripped past his legs, and the giant was knocked off balance, toppling with a tremendous crash onto his back before Phraxis smoothly leapt over him, the devil's eyes glowing as he channeled his magic and caused more ice to rapidly spread over the Fyrjarl, trying to entomb him in glacial frost.
But the ice was steaming away almost the moment it touched his superheated steel armor, and Phraxis' expression tightened as he said coldly over his shoulder: “I can't hold him back for very long.”
The Fyrjarl roared in fury, but Thorn only took a calm step backwards before he called up a translucent screen: as expected, the insulation the Fyrjarl had blocked out the tower with also blocked out the magnetic resonance, letting the sapphire stallion quickly tap in a short order as he instructed coldly: “All noncombatants should leave this area immediately. You will not be warned again.”
The Fyrjarl emphasized this by yanking himself up from the ice with a snarl, and the demons who had been hiding around the edges of the room immediately bolted for the door before the goliath lunged forwards, shattering through the ice that had been restraining him as he swept a gauntlet towards Phraxis. But the Ice Devil simply leaned back, the black claws barely grazing his cheek as he said distastefully: “Please hurry up, High Inquisitor.”
Fyrjarl lunged like an animal, but tentacles of cold and frost swept around him and flung the giant savagely into the ceiling before they pulled him backwards and lashed him back through the hole in the wall he had come in through. Phraxis moodily brushed out his torn suit, but he was still tense, the Magistrate saying quietly: “He was prepared for us, and my magic can't penetrate his armor.”
“I'm just about ready.” Thorn replied calmly as he tapped another quick command across the screen in front of him, and then he gave a thin smile and dismissed it, even as the humiliated goliath stormed back in through the hole in the wall.
“Insects!” the Fyrjarl snarled as he strode towards them, and he only hissed as a tentacle of ice snapped around one of his arms, shattering it with a hard tug as he stormed forwards. “I was going to make your deaths kind and quick, but now I think I'll take my time killing you both!”
Thorn stepped forwards, raising his head and replying calmly: “By the authority of both Helheim and Decretum, I repeat the order to surrender. Otherwise I will not hesitate to respond with lethal force.”
“Yes, little tin boy, go ahead.” the Fyrjarl held his arms wide, looking with contempt at Thorn, barely a dent in his armor where the stallion had struck him. “Take your best shot.”
“I already did. And for how much you talked, I already knocked you down . Perhaps I'm not the one made of tin here.” Thorn replied contemptibly, and the Fyrjarl stared at him before the sapphire stallion stepped forwards, brushing his chest off before he rose his head high and said softly: “But what else could be expected from a preening king who is so proud to be a puppet, he gladly licks the hooves of whatever slag his mistress orders him to.”
“Shut your mouth, impudent vermin!” the Fyrjarl roared as he stepped forwards, and Thorn braced himself before the goliath slammed a kick into him hard enough to send him rocketing across the room and through the wall, the giant ignoring the surge of electricity that shocked along his limb and forgetting completely about Phraxis as he stormed after the sapphire stallion, shouting: “When Thokk rules, and all the broken realms are dragged back into one, little boy, I will ensure you have a special place serving me! And we will see who licks boots then, boy!”
Thorn groaned as he picked himself slowly up, his mechanical limb bleating faintly once as magic flickered brokenly over his body: his protection from the Archives had almost been shattered, even though he'd reinforced it. But as he slowly crawled up out of the rubble, he smiled tiredly as he looked across the waiting room he'd been kicked into to see Vextus Lux and Aphrodisia both gaping as Cadence leapt out of her seat, but the sapphire stallion only gestured with his head towards the rumbling that was drawing closer towards them by the second. “Negotiations have failed. Watch your head.”
The wall all but exploded as the Fyrjarl smashed through it, roaring: “Little boy, I am going to-”
Cadence felt the Swan seize control of her body, and in a flash she was in front of the giant's face, slamming a hoof across the black metal as it glowed white. She was as shocked as the others when her blow didn't just rattle the helm, but it tore a long gouge through the facemask, the Fyrjarl flinging himself backwards with a gasp of pained confusion as he clutched at his head.
“Swan?” he managed to blurt, before a lasso of frost snapped around his neck and yanked him down onto his back.
Immediately, Cadence felt the Swan move her again, ruthlessly and relentlessly pounding down into the giant's chest to slam a vicious volley of blows into his breastplate. Ivory energy tore effortlessly into the steel, making the Fyrjarl howl before she was blasted backwards by a vent of fire that exploded upwards when one of her blows tore through the breastplate, Cadence gasping as she was knocked into the air and her control over her own body returned.
She flipped gracelessly, but then flapped her wings hard, launching herself backwards and skidding to a halt as the giant yanked himself off the ground with a snarl. She could feel his eyes, his hatred, focusing on her acutely, and she felt the Swan almost shivering inside of her with a mixture of fear and fury.
For a few moments, they only stood, frozen in standoff as the Fyrjarl clutched the wound in his breastplate... and then he slowly lowered his hand, snorting quietly once as he said softly: “Well, well. So you hide behind a woman, little boy?”
Thorn only smiled wryly, and Cadence felt the Swan smile through her mouth before Danzsöngr replied contemptibly: “And we see that you are a slave to a witch, Surt of Muspell. How the proud have fallen; how the mighty have been broken. And you do not just wear the witch's collar around your neck... you have given up your power to her.”
“I am a thousand times stronger than a mere puppet!” the Fyrjarl, Surt, snarled, clenching a gauntlet into a fist before he pointed at her and said coldly: “I will give you one chance to get out of my way, Swan, or-”
“No. You fear me. You bluster and you threaten because you are afraid, Surt. And so you should be.” Danzsöngr replied coldly, and Cadence felt her body flex, felt the strangest sense of synchronicity filling her up, as if she and the Swan were locking together, were joining as one...
Cadence set herself as she rose her head, keeping her eyes locked on the goliath as Thorn said quietly: “Don't underestimate what he is capable of. We've never faced-”
“You never have. I have.” the Swan said from Cadence's mouth, and the mare shifted into a feline ready stance, her back arched and her hooves tense against the ground as she said softly: “He is ours to kill. And how the Valkyrie will envy us for it.”
“Valkyries or Swans, I do not fear you!” roared Surt, leaping forwards and slamming a steel fist down, but Cadence leapt sharply upwards and landed on his wrist before lunging straight into his face, slamming a hoof across his steel mask as it flared with white energy.
Surt snarled as his head snapped to the side, swinging his arm out, and he narrowly managed to clip Cadence and knock her off balance in midair, making her flail at the sky before she cried out as he seized her between his hands with a cruel grin as he began to crush-
The giant howled in misery as a scythe slammed home between his shoulderblades, knocking him to his knees, and then Aphrodisia leapt forwards and seized the end of her weapon, yanking it downwards to split his armor open before she swore as a gush of fire and magma burst out of the wound, hurriedly withdrawing as she tore her scythe loose. She tossed the steaming weapon away, dismissing it from reality with a wince before it could melt, and then Surt spun around and simply flung Cadence at the Inquisitor like a rock, snarling: “Pathetic whelps!”
The ivory mare slammed into the demon, but Aphrodisia only wheezed as she caught the mare against her body, crashing painfully backwards and skidding across the floor to thump into the wall opposite. “How are we going to-”
“He is mine, Inquisitor.” the Swan said coldly, and Cadence shoved herself off of Aphrodisia as she spun around, glaring at the Fyrjarl as he leaned towards her with a snarl. “I do not require the aid of any of you. He is mine, and mine alone.”
Yet even as the Swan spoke, Cadence felt a strange, subtle shifting in her body, a silent instruction as the fearsome giant snarled: “Your arrogance will be your undoing, little bird... I will rip your wings from your body before I crush you under my heel!”
The Swan gave Cadence a mental order, and she lunged sharply upwards, her eyes locked on the Fyrjarl. The giant's gauntlets snapped up towards her almost immediately, but Cadence twisted her body hard at the last moment, narrowly escaping the grab to instead gracefully shoot past the giant, her horn lashing out to rend a cut along his arm before she flipped her body around and slammed both rear hooves viciously into his featureless mask, rattling his senses.
He swept his other arm up towards her, but Cadence had already gracefully flung herself out of his reach, landing on all fours as the Swan smiled contemptibly before mocking: “It is little wonder you spent your days confined to rampaging throughout Muspell, Surt. You are weak and flimsy. No wonder you crave to be known as jarl: you must have to hide behind that title as you hide inside that ugly metal shell.”
“Be silent, Swan!” The Fyrjarl leapt forwards, his attention focusing almost wholly on Cadence as he slammed a fist down towards her: the mare easily stepped out of the way of the blow, however, leading the giant across the room as the others scattered to either side, and the Swan continued to smile mockingly through Cadence's features. It only infuriated Surt further, making him focus on her more and more as he tried to pounce on her, fists crashing down through the floor. “Face me, little bird, stop fluttering away!”
The Fyrjarl slashed a gauntlet out, trying to decapitate the mare, but Cadence smoothly ducked beneath it before she retaliated by lunging forwards and slamming a hoof into his stomach, tearing through his armor and gritting her teeth as flames erupted outwards along her leg. She yanked herself backwards, quickly backpedaling as the giant gasped and grasped his stomach, his legs trembling beneath him as he seemed to stare disbelievingly down at her through his featureless mask, but Cadence only looked coldly back before the Swan said contemptibly: “Little wonder we always considered Ymir to be the enemy, not you.”
The Fyrjarl roared in fury as he leapt forwards, slashing and clawing like an animal after Cadence, but Cadence concentrated on dodging and evading, gritting her teeth as she focused her magic through her own body to quicken her movements. Surt's attacks were wild and furious, smashing and crashing through the room, and Cadence didn't have time to check the positions of her allies, only hoping that they were staying out of the way before the Swan suddenly gave her an order that seemed suicidal, and yet Cadence forced herself to obey, all the same.
Surt lunged at her, and Cadence tried to shoot straight into the air, but gasped as she was caught between his strong hands. The Fyrjarl snarled at her triumphantly, leaning forwards as he crushed into her sides, making her writhe and hiss in pain as he growled: “Now who is weak, little puppet? Now who is the-”
A spear of ice slammed into the open wound in his back, and the Fyrjarl howled in misery before Aphrodisia lunged forwards, hooking her scythe into his ankle and yanking hard to jerk his leg out from under him, sending him crashing down on one knee. His hands automatically went out, flinging Cadence away, and Vextus Lux leapt out and caught her as Thorn Blackfeather lunged in and slammed his hoof into the giant's side with a flare of electricity.
Surt slammed his arm out, batting Thorn away as he snarled and staggered up to his hooves, roaring in frustration: “Stupid, worthless pony dreck! Honorless demon scum, how dare you-”
Cadence lunged forwards out of Vextus' grip, almost knocking the High Priestess over as the ivory mare sprang toward Surt's face, and the Fyrjarl swung a fist out too late, Cadence narrowly twisting out of the air before she slammed into his featureless mask and smashed through it, nearly knocking his helm off as the giant's head snapped back.
He stumbled as Cadence twisted around in midair and hovered at the ready a short distance away, Surt covering his face for a moment before he snarled, fire leaking through his fingers before his hands clenched into fists and dropped away from an ugly, flat skull as the broken metal plate that had covered his face bounced away across the ground. Fire danced and flickered around the ugly, yellowed bone as he hissed through rotten teeth: “You will pay for that, Swan...”
“I see now. Thokk did not even see fit to bring you back as Voidborn... only to make a puppet of your withered corpse.” the Swan said softly, before she smiled coldly as the burning skeleton-giant leaned forwards with a snarl, hellish light flaring in his sockets. “Growl as much as you like. You will not be growling for long.”
Surt stomped forwards, his metal armor steaming before his entire body burst into crimson flames, the Fyrjarl roaring: “Keep talking, Swan, but now I know your tricks and your treachery! Don't think that I'll be so easily taken in by your weakness!”
“Faith in my allies is not weakness.” the Swan said, and then Cadence felt herself propelled into a lunge, streaking towards the Fyrjarl even as the Swan mentally warned her to avoid contact with those deadly Muspell flames.
The Fyrjarl leapt at her, swinging an arm out, but Cadence twisted out of the way. Aphrodisia tried to take advantage of the opening, but she was rebuffed by a thrum of hellfire that almost lunged out of the giant's body, like the mantle of flames wrapped over his arm had an unholy life of its own.
Phraxis gestured sharply forwards, but the ice he conjured melted before it could even make contact with the Fyrjarl, the devil narrowing his eyes. Yet he didn't let up, creating another set of frosty spikes that he fired into the giant, ordering sharply: “Keep up the pressure!”
Thorn withdrew for a moment, narrowing his eyes as Vextus Lux dropped back beside him, asking quietly: “Can we outlast him? The amount of energy he's putting out...”
“We can stop him. Amplify Aphrodisia.” Thorn instructed, and Vextus grimaced even as she nodded, stepping quickly back as Thorn called up a holographic screen, sharply tapping commands over it.
Aphrodisia looked suddenly, sharply up as Vextus Lux focused on her, before the Inquisitor leapt back from the fray as Cadence distracted the Fyrjarl with several sharp blasts of white energy. As the giant staggered backwards, raising his arms to defend his skull, Aphrodisia dismissed her scythe and braced herself, baring her needle-like teeth as her eyes clenched shut.
Her body rippled, orange veins pulsing through her flesh as horns pushed up through her mane, muscle bulging and expanding rapidly as a rumbling growl built in her throat. Her eyes opened, becoming burning blue pits, as she exhaled a burst of toxic orange smog, tripling in size before she lunged forwards as cloven hooves snapped apart into monstrous claws, the demon ignoring the burst of flame from the cloak of hellfire that washed over her before she tore down through the giant's leg, knocking him crashing to a kneel with a gasp.
The enraged demon slammed her shoulder into his breast before she tackled him, and then she leaned down and vomited out a stream of corrosive smog over his features, the Fyrjarl howling as his flames bit and tore at the demon until he finally managed to kick her off. But Aphrodisia caught herself in midair and flipped gracefully, landing with a bang on her hooves as she grinned savagely, monstrous body flexing with power as she charged back towards the giant-
Surt suddenly kicked a foot up with a snarl, slamming it with a crunch into the Inquisitor's face and sending the demon stumbling before he rose a fist; before he could finish off the staggering demon, Cadence shot down and smashed a hoof across his brittle skull, cracking it and knocking him stumbling backwards with a howl as he automatically covered his face, the fiery cloak around his body twisting and lashing wildly out in all directions, driving the ivory mare backwards with a grimace.
Aphrodisia recovered with a shake of her head, then hissed through her teeth at a mental order from Vextus, the mare quickly withdrawing. She didn't even seem to be aware that her body was aflame and her muzzle was a broken, bloody mess, only lowering her head almost impatiently as Vextus quickly began to heal her, the demon thrumming with magical energy as she muttered: “I can't keep up the amplification for much longer, Thorn.”
Thorn didn't reply, even as the Fyrjarl picked himself up before he grunted in surprise as ice shot through the ground beneath him, shattering the floor and knocking him back to his knees, before he hissed in frustration as the ice evaporated into reeking mist around him from his own cloak of flames. He began to shove himself back up through the fog obscuring him, before he swore as several blasts of white energy smashed against his body, making his armor rattle where they struck as he growled: “Are you too afraid to fight me?”
He stomped forwards, clearing the mist with a wave of an arm only to see Aphrodisia lunging at him, but this time he reacted fast enough to bring an elbow down into her head before his knee swung up, catching her under the jaw and knocking her crashing backwards in a bloody spray. She hit the ground hard and skidded backwards with a gurgle as Vextus Lux flinched and gasped in pain.
The Fyrjarl's eyes locked on the High Priestess, a fireball appearing in his hand before he flung it sharply down at her. The demon didn't react fast enough: she managed to avoid being struck directly, but the explosion still caught her and sent her flying bonelessly backwards, the blast powerful enough to send Thorn skidding several feet as well.
He grinned, then snarled as Cadence lunged in, swatting at her: she avoided the first strike, but this time the Fyrjarl was ready, bringing his other fist up and smashing her across the room with the powerful strike. She crashed into the wall with enough force to crack the stone before she fell from the air with a gasp, and the giant turned his attention towards her with a cold smile, saying softly: “You are all so fragile, in the end. Fragile, and stupid.”
“You will never escape here.” Phraxis said calmly from behind him, and Surt snorted in contempt. “This is pointless. Surrender and your attempts on our lives will be overlooked. Continue to fight and you will be destroyed.”
“You would never understand, dog of Hel. I am not afraid of death. I live for it.” Surt retorted, and then he smiled coldly as he began to step towards Cadence, before he frowned slightly at the sound of a throat clearing.
Thorn Blackfeather stepped forwards as he dismissed his holographic screen, the sapphire stallion saying quietly: “Final warning. Surrender, or you will be neutralized and captured.”
The Fyrjarl only smiled contemptibly, and then he spread his arms wide as his cloak of flames flared over his armor, saying mockingly: “Go ahead, little boy. Pretend to be a hero. But know that I will never be taken alive.”
Thorn smiled thinly, then he simply flicked his horn to the side, and the Fyrjarl stumbled backwards in shock as a massive vortex spun into being in the ceiling, making the room shake violently. He stumbled back a step before falling to a kneel, snarling and shouting in disbelief: “Not possible! I... I insulated-”
“Against Archive interference. But that means I can override Archive authority as well. Welcome to Decretum.” Thorn said, ruthless, as a massive turret on a square platform fell out of the vortex, the weapon already gearing up as several Worker Drones rapidly prepared the weapon.
The Fyrjarl snarled, then lunged to his feet, raising a fist, but Thorn was faster as he stomped his  mechanical foreleg against the ground, unleashing a pulse of lightning through the floor that only tickled the others but sent Surt crashing down with a howl of misery and shock as his entire armor lit up like a neon sign.
He screamed as he twisted back and forth beneath the arcs of lightning ripping back and forth across his armor, his cloak of flames wildly lashing back and forth across his body before he looked up, almost desperately stretching towards the cannon-
The weapon sizzled, and a massive blast of lightning erupted from the turret, smashing across the giant as Cadence slowly forced herself to sit up, watching with disbelief as Surt screamed. Across his body, his metal armor trembled violently, the plates popping and tearing loose across his frame in smoking ruin, magma and flame washing out of his body as he clutched helplessly at himself.
Thorn only watched, calm and cold, as lightning coursed and danced over Surt until the turret finally geared down, the stream of lightning crackling to a halt and leaving Surt laying on the ground, gasping and twitching helplessly. His armor was nothing but a broken ruin, black and melted here and there against his skeletal frame, slag and fire and half-liquefied red gemstones spilling from his body like blood as he looked up disbelievingly at Thorn.
Thorn looked back at him for a moment, and then he glanced over at the turret, ordering calmly: “Prepare specimen for transport. Class II, risk level B. Requires full seal.”
“I-Impossible... no...” Surt rasped, before the skeleton snarled as he slowly reached forwards... but the flames over his body were already dying, magic and material essence both visibly bleeding out without his armor to contain his body, his jaws working spasmodically as he hissed: “H-How...”
“We classify entities like you as semicorporeal, anchor-dependent. You have blood quartz throughout your armor to help stabilize and empower you. I applied an electrical charge that your ferromagnetic armor held every time I struck you or you struck me. Then I overloaded you, and the tesla coil did the rest and superheated your armor, stripping it of both magnetic bond and the magic holding you together.” Thorn calmly explained, and Surt stared at him before the sapphire stallion smiled thinly. “I'll put it in a way you can understand, Fyrjarl: I melted you.”
The Fyrjarl snarled, then he lunged suddenly upwards, tearing out of the remains of his armor as he launched himself towards Thorn. But Thorn didn't even flinch as a wave of ice erupted upwards, the skeleton screaming in agony as the cold frost snared tightly around his body, quenching his flames and leaving the ruined skeleton hanging limply in the air as Phraxis commented: “This goes against Helheim law.”
“My duties as regent of Decretum supersede my obligations to the Archives.” Thorn said calmly, and he met Phraxis' eyes as he asked politely: “I trust you have no issues with removing this subject to Decretum for interrogation?”
“I do. But I am in no position to deny the request, considering the circumstances.” Phraxis replied after a moment, as the Fyrjarl struggled weakly in the ice, the giant skeleton rasping and hissing. “Besides. I don't think you'll get much of a chance to question him. Without his armor...”
“We have ways of keeping our prisoners alive for as long as we need.” Thorn replied, and Cadence thought that was one of the most frightening things she had ever heard the stallion say, before she frowned uneasily as the tesla coil geared up again. “Will you please seal the captive in a block of ice? It only has to hold for a moment.”
The Fyrjarl managed to swear at them one last time before frost twisted over his form entirely, leaving him completely sealed inside a coffin of ice as Phraxis grimaced a bit and brushed at himself slowly. But he remained silent, all conscious eyes instead only watching as the tesla coil didn't roar so much as hiss, lighting crackling over the already-melting ice casket and making it glow brightly before it was hefted slowly into the air, and Thorn smiled slightly as he tilted his head to the side and stated: “Cleared for transport.”
The vortex that was still spinning above the turret began to spin even faster, bright light shining down from it as the tesla coil began to vibrate, before it and the trapped Fyrjarl were slowly dragged up through the air into the portal. Thorn watched as they slowly but steadily vanished before he cocked his head in surprise as the door to the room was slammed open and one of Hel's ice puppets dashed through, dancing back and forth as she shouted: “Hey, hey, wait, you come back here with that!”
But a moment later, the vortex slammed shut, and the ice puppet let her arms drop as she stared up at where, only a moment ago, the hole in reality to Decretum had been. She twitched after a moment, then spun on her heel towards Thorn, grinding her teeth together before she asked disgustedly: “And what the my name was that?”
“The Fyrjarl was an agent of Thokk. I sent him to Decretum for processing and interrogation.” Thorn stated, and a moment later he was slammed back into the wall and pinned against the stone by a furious glare from Hel, the stallion grimacing but refusing to lower his gaze from Hel's even as the ice puppet slowly advanced on him.
“Now, now. You know that I can overlook a lot of things, Thorn – and I do have to admit I'm a teensy-tiny bit impressed you were smart enough to figure out how to sneak some help in here, shielding or no shielding – but there are also certain things that I just can't ignore!” Hel stated, and Cadence thought she caught a moment of hesitance before Hel suddenly stepped back and ordered sharply: “Hey! Ascarion! I need your corpse in here, pronto!”
A thrum passed through the room, and Aphrodisia stirred back to consciousness just in time to shiver and lower her head as a tall figure faded into reality. It was dressed in long black robes that fell around its body like a kimono, manicured black claws tented in front of itself as it bowed its ram's skull head towards Hel, asking in an unearthly voice: “How may I be of service, your majesty?”
“Ascarion, this High Inquisitor has overstepped his bounds and needs punishment.” Hel said moodily, gesturing sharply at Thorn before she sighed as Thorn continued to look at her pointedly, muttering: “Yeah, yeah, I get it. He needs to be punished after he finishes his job for me. Handle it.”
With that, Hel simply vanished, and Thorn fell loose from the wall, landing with a thump. Ascarion studied him almost curiously, his eyes burning like golden candles before his bony jaw seemed to stretch into a smile, as he asked softly: “Do you understand the rite of obligation?”
“I do, and you have my word that I will be present once my business is complete.” Thorn replied evenly, and Ascarion seemed satisfied by this, nodding slowly.
Still, the creature lingered, and Cadence shifted uneasily as the strange entity drew its eyes over them searchingly before it finally settled on her. They looked at each other for a few long moments, and then Ascarion slowly pointed towards her, making a brief tapping gesture. Then it drew its claw back, tapping beneath one of its sockets gently, and it chuckled quietly as it faded from reality without another word.
“What the hell was all that about?” Cadence asked moodily, as she grimaced and pushed herself up to her hooves. She felt a little wobbly, but the Swan was quiet at least, which helped her focus back on what had just happened as she asked with a bit more urgency: “And Thorn, are you okay? I mean, what does it mean that-”
“That is enough for now. Lord Blackfeather, we still have a task to complete.” Phraxis interrupted, and Cadence gave the Ice Devil a sour look.
Thorn only shook his head, however, raising a hoof and muttering: “I'm fine. Vextus? Aphrodisia?”
Vextus Lux looked up with a small smile, and Aphrodisia rumbled as she rose her head before nodding once and closing her eyes tightly, wheezing as her body slowly returned to normal. She smiled even as her stretched hat fell a little loose on her head, awkwardly tugging at her scarf as she said lamely: “Yep! Still a little... grumpy, but I'm good to go!”
Cadence looked uncertainly over at the Inquisitor, who clearly still had a few burns and wounds over her body, and who had just transformed before her eyes. The ivory mare resisted asking any questions for now, however, as Thorn said finally: “Alright. Check your equipment, then meet Lord Phraxis and I back in the lobby. We have to catch up to Lord Penumbra so we can question him.”
Cadence saluted, figuring it was better not to argue, and that Thorn was really just giving them a moment to rest while he and Phraxis danced through more of Helheim's ridiculous bureaucracy. She grimaced a bit as the two left the room before slumping a little, awkwardly rubbing at her armored body before she looked up in surprise as Aphrodisia bounced over to her: either her wounds weren't as bad as Cadence thought, or she was a lot more resilient than the ivory mare had expected. “Hi!”
“Uh... hi.” Cadence said after a moment, before she asked: “So are you okay?”
“Yep!” Aphrodisia smiled brightly as Vextus Lux joined them, the Inquisitor bowing her head towards the High Priestess. “Well, mostly! See, I've got lots of Wrath in me, so I heal super-fast, especially when Lady Lux amplifies me!”
Aphrodisia paused, then she suddenly leaned in close and waggled her eyebrows, adding: “But I'm half-Lust, too, so I can also turn pain into pleasure, you know, and I saw you take quite a nasty hit there. But if you want, I can totally-”
“Uh. Okay. Thanks. Really.” Cadence awkwardly pushed Aphrodisia away by the face, grimacing a bit as she leaned away from the demon. “What do you mean, 'amplify?'”
“In a way, demons represent specific elements of sin. That is how we typify ourselves beyond just physical differences.” Vextus Lux explained, as Aphrodisia huffed a little, then childishly licked Cadence's hoof to make the mare wince and draw it quickly back. “A succubus, for example, represents lust, and specifically physical desires, physical hungers. But through amplification, I can bring out other characteristics that are often associated with certain sins... such as with Wrath subtypes, the ability to numb one's self to pain.”
“Yep! I feel pretty great!” Aphrodisia said brightly, even as she poked at one of the large burns on her foreleg, and Cadence winced in spite of herself at the sight. “I can also feel myself healing faster! Isn't that cool? But the downside is that all our bad parts get amplified, too, so I kind of want of either sexually eat you because you're really pretty or literally eat you because you're really pretty.”
Aphrodisia licked her lips visibly, and Cadence stared at her before Vextus Lux said gently: “Aphrodisia, dear. I know you're a little silly right now, but please don't say things like that out loud. Some people might not be so understanding.”
“Oh, right, yep! I'll do my best to shush myself.” Aphrodisia promised, nodding and covering her mouth with an embarrassed smile before she looked over at Cadence and asked in a naive, almost-innocent voice: “You still like me plenty, right?”
“Uh. Yeah.” Cadence said after a moment, and then she shook her head before she rubbed slowly at her face and muttered: “And... you know, thanks for helping out against Surt. I really couldn't have done it without you guys. And Thorn, obviously. Although it would have been nice for Phraxis to have done more. And maybe stood up for Thorn afterwards...”
“Phraxis is an Ice Devil, dear. He does what is logical. And, strange as it may sound, he is extremely passionate in his own way, and has immense respect for Thorn Blackfeather. Trust him.” Vextus Lux said, and Cadence sighed a little, but then forced herself to nod, almost in resignation. “Do you need any healing?”
“I'm...” Cadence absently touched her body, then she frowned a little. Sure, her armor was badly damaged, but that was to be expected from the force she had been punched with. What she hadn't expected was... “I'm fine, actually. I mean, yes, I hurt like hell and I feel like I just got run over by a train, but... I don't think any of my bones are broken or anything.”
“Are you sure?” Vextus asked with a slight frown, leaning towards her and reaching a hoof up, and Cadence grimaced a bit, but forced herself not to stiffen too much even as the demon's magic pulsed over her. “How strange... but I suppose that a warrior like you must be durable indeed.”
“Thorn said there were... changes. I was just a normal pony once, but...” Cadence looked down at one of her golden hooves as her long tail flicked uncertainly behind her, before she shook herself quickly out and said finally: “Should we regroup, then? I'm sure Thorn and Phraxis must both want to get to Penumbra. And I'm kind of eager to punch him in the face myself.”
“Careful, okay?” Aphrodisia piped up suddenly, and Cadence looked at the Inquisitor with surprise. The demon was smiling at her, but her eyes were strangely knowing, for a demon who normally seemed so bright and oblivious. “We don't want to underestimate him. But even more than that, Hell super especially is a place where you don't want to start giving in to all those nasty urges. Because I know you're a good person, Cadence, not a bad person at all, but... it's easy to get lost, isn't it?”
The two looked at each other steadily for a few moments, and then Cadence smiled a little after a moment, feeling almost ashamed of herself and as if she had misjudged this odd Inquisitor, as she murmured: “Yeah. It is. Thanks, Aphrodisia.”
“No problem!” Aphrodisia said brightly, and then Cadence winced when the demon leaned forwards and hugged her fiercely before she almost purred: “I do still really want to just eat you up, though!”
“Okay, okay, let's go.” Cadence grumbled, shoving the mare loose, and Aphrodisia giggled as she landed with a thump on her rump before the ivory mare shook her head and turned around to head towards the doors, trying to focus on the task at hoof even as the Swan shifted strangely inside of her, musing on the words of the Inquisitor.