“Abkesh, have any reports on Gorrog come through?”
“No not since he took his stand against the Black Tide at the Hell Gate, we can only presume that he fell in battle or was captured.”
“Either way he is incapable of leading Hell’s Fists, I shall take his place, we need to secure a fresh source of troops…”
“Take his place?”
“Abkesh we are wasting time sitting here waiting for him to return, soon either the ponies or the Vargary will find us and there are but six of us. Unless we can gather up his army, we would be overwhelmed.”
Abkesh stared at the Baron, something was wrong, they had worked together for over a year trying to revive Gorrog, but only to that end. But they did have a mutual respect for another, complementing each other’s abilities.
The Baron took a breath through his single nostril, and a scent drifted into his nose, something else was in the cave, unfamiliar to him the Baron, started scanning the entrance and behind them, something was there, hiding in the shadows.
The Baron lift a massive red fireball, and bared his massive teeth as he searched the room, his eyes peeled for anything that moved.
“It seems the rumors are true, a Baron has indeed returned, tell me how does Gorrog fare. His absence is most troubling Baron, however I assure you I will find him.”
“Silence!”
Abkesh walked forward, and The Baron could see the fury in his eyes. Something about the Vargary’s words had enraged him.
“Now, now Abkesh you can’t honestly think that an up jumped bodyguard like you can talk out of place to War Tyrant like myself.”
The black Hell Knight glared in the direction of the voice but backed down.
“Baron, I have news of your lord, he was captured by a pony, known as the Empress, it is unlikely that he will escape alive, and I believe him to already have been executed. As such I believe that leadership of Hell’s Fists falls to you and I’d like to remove this enemy.”
“By what means?”
“Well I could slaughter you here, but that would be a major investment, even a normal Black Hell Knight is powerful, so I will extend you the hand of peace. Take it or leave it.”
The Baron’s eyes glimmered as the thought struck him, with Gorrog out of the way he was now master of a massive army of demons, and now with this peace he could acquire them.
“I take it.”
“Excellent, Baron shall we join our forces and assault the ponies in a most glorious slaughter?”
The Baron opened his jaws and roared.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Abkesh stared at the Baron, he and Gorrog had fought besides each other for a century in the Hellish Civil War. Watched as demon after demon died in that war, and been nearly killed several times over. How they had fought the very same demons that The Baron was now allying with, how they had fought off Guardians of Hell as they assaulted a fortress, broke the backs of many a demon horde and slowly incorporated surviving demons into his army. The Baron had thrown away over a century’s work with one sentence…
Abkesh felt a rage stirring within him, something was affecting the normally subservient Hell Knight, something was stirring up his wrath at this treason.
A voice whispered in his ear, inaudible to all but him.
“Go now my child, go now and strike down the traitor, the one who would throw Hell’s chosen aside ,strike him down and claim what’s yours, crush him beneath your fist!”
Abkesh opened one claw, letting plasma run through his fingers, the sound of it crackling into life. The Baron looked over his shoulder gloating over victories yet to come when his eyes rested on the plasma ball.
Abkesh’s face twisted into a look of uncontrolled rage and hurled the plasma ball, aiming for the Baron’s head.
The Baron ducked under it and a look of surprise manifested itself on his face, quickly replaced by one of pain as the smaller demon slammed into him, using his shoulder as a battering ram knocking the wind out of his lungs.
“Abkesh what is this treason?”
“TRAITOR!!” Abkesh screamed his eyes burning with rage, spittle flowing down his mouth.
He slammed the Baron into a wall, the element of surprise and his ferocity forcing the far larger demon to give him ground and forced him onto the defensive.
The other Black Hell Knights all jumped to their feet, unsure of who to help or attack. Abkesh was their leader in Gorrog’s absence but now the Baron was leader of their horde.
The Baron slammed his fist into the Hell Knight sending him sprawling, his massive size advantage being brought into play. It was his turn to beat the other in submission.
Bringing his fists down on Abkesh he sent the Hell Knight sprawling. His rage was visible his eyes glowing, twin red lights. He conjured his own fireball this one dwarfing Abkesh’s and slammed it into his face. Then he started to punch his ribs, as Abkesh got back up, trying to stand, until he heard a crack and one rib poked through the thick skin.
Picking up the smaller Hell Knight the Baron slammed him into a wall, with a sickening crunch. The Baron hurled him into this other wall, walking over leisurely.
Abkesh was lying down on the ground in a daze, his eyes were not focused and he made no move as the Baron lifted him up off the ground and in a low voice said
“Try something like this again, and I will gut you, than use your guts as a rope to hang you from. Am I clear?”
Shaking Abkesh he slammed him into the wall when he discovered that the smaller Hell Knight was far to battered to understand him.
“Let this be a lesson to you, I am in command now.”