Arman, from his position peering through the gap in the intricately carved marble door, is surprised by Belial himself, who peers down at him sternly. “Little lemure,” he growls from his great height, “How is it you find yourself behind the door of my Throne Council? What did you hear?”
Gulping, Arman stutters, not entirely untruthfully, “I’m new at being a lemure and I’m lost…I just want to go home.”
Grinning, Belial pulls Arman in, dangling him over the grill in the floor. Beneath, Arman can see the writhing, tortured souls below, each engulfed in flames. Nervous and now intimidated by the enormous Archduke, Arman confesses, “I was sent here by someone who threatened me that I should help him overthrown you or else,” Arman whispers, ashamed of his betrayal abut unable to help himself.
“Or else? And who is this insurrectionist?” demands Belial.
”Chamo! He said his name is Chamo!” Belial drops the unfortunate Arman. “Tell him my daughter and I are headed to the Cave of the Salamanders. Suggest that he ambush us there.”
Arman scuttles from the throne room to deliver that news to Chamo that Belial and Fierna will be traveling to the salamanders. He does not share that he has told Belial of Chamo’s plans. Delighted and unaware of Arman’s betrayal, Chamo grabs the lemure and launches himself into the sky, flying backs to the Cave of the Salamanders. Arman has also neglected to let him know that Fierna and her father, Belial, expect him to be there and will be ready.
They arrive in the middle of a pitched battle. The girallion, bloodied, fights along side of the very recognizable bone devil, the guardian of the bridge. Wielding their wickedly sharp blades, Reteterex and his fellow salamanders struggle against their assailants.
Clinging to the back of the hellishly remodeled truck, Reklaw and Kiki are pinned down by the imps, who grin evilly at them. Reklaw thrusts a hand toward the tiny, vicious devils and releases an Elemental Burst of thunder. A wave of violent energy rolls from his hand, engulf the imps and shaking them furiously. Five of the tiny bodies fall, inert, and one is thrown into a distant pool of lava, sinking below the surface with nary a ripple.
Kiki scrambles forward into the pilot seat, while the tiny lemurs-shape of Reklaw mans the pedals. Kiki’s tiny lemure claws flip the ignition of the rail gun, and the deep hum of energy fills the cabin. The pair work together to point the nose of the truck at Chamo and punch the accelerator.
The insurgent devil leaps out of the barreling truck’s path, and the front end rolls into the flank of Reteterex, who snarls and curses the pair. Behind them, the battle between the salamanders and the devils.
In the distance, the loud flapping of leathery wings can be heard over the melee as Belial and Fierna approach.
