5 comments/ 33643 views/ 75 favorites Hell's Gate Ch. 01 By: secret_reader Chapter One: The Prisoner "Sir?" a voice said from behind the tall figure, deep in the dark room's shadows staring into the cold fireplace, " We've captured one." The figure turned around suddenly, still masked in darkness, and the owner of the voice, a small goblin-like creature jumped back a little in fright. The goblin's Lord was not known for his kindness and everything he did, right down to his movements, struck fear into the hearts of those under his command. "Bring her to me." "Right away, my Lord," The goblin creature said, his deep bow causing the bits and pieces of armor he wore to clang together before he ran off out of his master's chambers to retrieve the prisoner. Alone, the figure stepped out of the shadows and made dark red fire spring up in the fireplace, reveling himself to be a very tall, very strong man with jet black hair slicked back over his skull. Yellow eyes gleamed in the firelight as he adjusted the black suit he wore over his pale skin. After only a few seconds of waiting, the goblin was back, this time with company. Behind him marched two huge, red beasts with hooves for feet and horns growing out of their heads. Muscles bulged awkwardly all over their bodies and a filthy loincloth was the only piece of clothing either of them wore. Between the beasts, an unconscious woman slumped. White-blond hair hung across her face and a simple white gown flowed around her thin body. Her feet dragged across the floor as she was brought into the room. "Lord Taint," the goblin soldier bowed, "I present you with an Angel from the Spirit Dimension." Lord Taint smiled and snapped his fingers. With a clink and a rattle, a black chain descended from the stone ceiling above them. Attached to the end of the chain was a pair of light shackles which dangled about seven feet from the ground. "Please secure her," Taint ordered and the beast-guards went to work putting the unconscious woman's wrists into the fetters. Once secure, she hung limply with her arms stretched straight above her head and her feet barely touching the ground. "Angel, huh?" the Lord chuckled at some private joke, "We'll see about that. You are free to go." Bowing another noisy bow, the goblin exited the room quickly, followed by the two guards. The door shut by itself behind the creatures, leaving Lord Taint alone with his newly acquired and very beautiful looking prisoner. "Wake up, Angel," he commanded loudly. At the sound of his words, the woman's eyelids started to flutter open, revealing brilliantly blue irises beneath. She was groggy, but instantly aware of her surroundings, letting out a soft moan of despair. "Not where you were planning on waking up?" Taint asked her with a smirk. The prisoner moaned again and lifted her head to face her captor. The soft features of her face made her look weak and innocent, but Taint knew enough about Angels to know she was far from it. "What is your name?" he asked. She didn't answer, but instead stared Taint directly in the eyes in defiance. He took a step toward her, "I don't know who you are, but do you know who I am?" Olivia continued to stare, not blinking once. If looks could kill... "My name is Lord Taint, one of the sex demon keepers of Hell's Gate and this is my stronghold." Reaction. The woman's eyes widened briefly in...fear? Shock? Whatever it was, Taint knew in that instant that she had indeed heard of him, or at least his rank. There were very few people in the universe who hadn't. Human's, mostly. Taint waited for Olivia to say something, but she remained silent, irking him slightly. "This silent treatment is already growing old, Angel," his voice was laced with warning, "If you don't speak soon, I might let those guards come in here and convince you to." After a moment's thinking it through, the Angel finally spoke, "My name is Olivia. What do you want with me, demon?" "There's a good girl," Taint smiled maliciously and snapped his fingers. A black armchair appeared in a puff of smoke and he sat down in it, facing the chained woman as he spoke, "What I want is very simple. And that is...you. Or rather, your power." Olivia's small eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You see, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma here," Taint continued, "Armies from all over Hell have been attacking the Gate in an attempt to escape. These attacks have been small and foolish, but they're beginning to take a toll on the integrity of the Gate," he paused and grinned hungrily at Olivia, "That's where you come in." "I can't fix your damn Gate if that's what you think," Olivia snarled angrily. "You don't need to. I can do that myself," Taint sat back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, "But I will need your energy. The Gate was built by Angelic power and so needs to be repaired by the same force. The force that you possess in great quantities." He let the message sink in and watched as Olivia's face fell. "You can't just..." "Don't you worry about what I can or cannot do," Taint interrupted, "I just thought I'd extend the courtesy of telling you why you are here. That is all." "And what if I refuse to cooperate?" Olivia challenged. "I have ways of persuading you..." Taint said, allowing his voice to trail off menacingly, "But you don't refuse...do you?" He asked the question with a distinct air of anticipation; wanting her to defy him. "Of course I do," the Angel said defiantly. The demon stood up and his chair disappeared. "Good," he sneered, revealing impossibly white teeth with pointed tips. The door to his chambers opened, revealing the two guards from earlier. "Strip her and put her in the prison," he ordered the guards before turning to a now-terrified looking Olivia, "We'll talk more tomorrow, where you will pay for your refusal." Taint observed with malicious glee as the guards tore Olivia's white gown from her body with one tug. She hung naked and pale, tempting the demon's resolve as she was unshackled and dragged, struggling uselessly, from the room. The door closed and Taint was alone once again. He had not wanted to harm the Angel, but her power was needed. Everything he had told her was true; the Gate was weakening and needed repair. It would look very poor if the gatekeepers did not keep the object of their command firmly shut. The consequences of failing would be catastrophic... "Sir?" the goblin soldier was back, wordlessly bidden by Taint's powers. "How many did we lose getting her here?" he asked the soldier. "A couple hundred, my Lord." "Did the Archangels see you?" "She was alone, Sir." "Good. That is all." The soldier left silently and Taint felt a little better. The last thing he needed was the wrath of the Archangels descending upon his already cracked walls. He had full intentions of returning Olivia once he was done using her. If she wanted to leave by then, that is. Perhaps she would find her stay here more pleasurable than she imagined... A guard arrived and Taint ordered it to bring Olivia to him in the morning. She still had to pay for her insubordination. Nobody defied him in his home and got away with it, especially not Angels. She was his prisoner and would remain as such until his walls were repaired. Until then, she would listen and obey just like everyone else. The guard grunted its understanding and sauntered off. Undressing, Taint climbed into his bed in the corner of his chambers and fell asleep quickly. His dreams were filled with fire and destruction. Demons attacked his Gate while Archangels flew down from the sky, smiting his stronghold with Heavenly wrath. In the midst of it all was Olivia, reaching out for the Archangels and demanding rescue from the tallest tower of the castle; his chambers. The scene dissolved and there was the Angel again, reaching out for him this time, surrounded by blackness. She was saying something that Taint could not make out, but he knew the meaning of the words. Feeling himself reach out for her hand in the dream, Taint was suddenly awakened by a loud knock. He sat up in bed, his sheets tented in front of him and his mood fouled from being dragged from a rapidly improving dream. "What!?" he yelled toward the door. Light was streaming through the windows of his room, indicating it was already morning. "Your prisoner, Sir," a soft voice called, muffled by the thick wood of the door, "You told us to bring her to you in the morning." Suddenly, Taint's mood improved and he climbed out of bed. With a snap of his fingers he was fully dressed and groomed in the same style he had been the day before. Straightening his suit coat, he made his armchair appear and he sat down in front of the chain he had left dangling. "Bring her in," he called and the door opened, revealing a tall, thin figure in a hooded black robe that blocked its face from view. Behind the figure were the same two guards from the night before, with Olivia held between them. "Slake," he addressed the hooded figure, "I'm surprised to see you." "There are so few fellow women in this castle," the figure said, "I always get curious when one drops by. And an Angel no less..." Slake was Taint's second and command and a frightfully gifted sorceress. Originally a human, she gained demon status when the acts she committed on Earth polluted her soul beyond repair. "She is here for our benefit," Taint explained, gesturing for the guards to shackle her, "Olivia is going to repair our Gate." "Very good, Sir," Slake whispered from beneath her hood, "But I trust you will be breaking her in first?" "Only because she needs to learn her place," Taint eyed the now-secured Angel pointedly. Slake said nothing, just bowed shallowly and left with the guards without another sound. The door clicked shut satisfyingly, leaving Taint alone with his prisoner. His eyes roamed over her suspended body, still free of garments. "Such a beautiful creature," he purred, soaking in the view of small, pert breasts tipped with tiny pink nipples. Further down, across a span of smooth, pure skin, his eyes settled on the completely bare pussy nestled between the Angel's dangling legs. "I am sure I will enjoy this..." Olivia's eyes widened in fear, "What...please..." Taint laughed out loud at her sudden reaction. What had she thought was going to happen to her? He was a demon after all, and if there was one thing demons loved, it was sex and seduction. They lived off it and were very well practiced in it. She might resist him at first, but soon would learn to crave his touch and to have him insider her. They always did, in the end. "Tsk tsk, little Angel," Taint scolded from his chair, "I told you that you would pay for defying me. Now what kind of demon Lord would I be if I did not hold true to my words?" The Angel was now struggling fecklessly against her bonds, "You can't..." In an instant, Taint was out of his chair and standing inches from his captive. He grabbed her chin with one hand and held it so she was forced to look into his eyes, which were glowing an angry red. "I can do whatever I please," he snarled, placing his free hand on Olivia's thighs, "This is my domain." His fingers traveled lightly across her skin, inching closer to the juncture between her legs. "Please..." tears were forming at the corners of Olivia's eyes as she searched his face, pleading. It was a well known fact that Angels are required to remain pure their entire lives and what Taint was presuming to do to her would ruin that for her forever. Good. Taint continued to hold her gaze as he dipped the tip of one finger in between her folds. She was dry, so he withdrew and smirked satisfyingly. He had properly frightened her. Now it was time to pleasure his little Angel. "Don't worry, Olivia," he purred, releasing her chin and taking a step back, "You will enjoy this...you have my word..." ******************** She couldn't believe the situation she had managed to get herself into. When the goblins had arrived in the hundreds, Olivia had thought she was dreaming. But when she didn't wake up, she knew that they were frightfully real. They must have been there for ages, just waiting for some stupid, curious Angel to wander too far from the protection of the Archangels and the City. Which is exactly what Olivia had done. Angry at her father, she had run to the edge of their city before crossing under the huge golden gates. It was not forbidden to leave the City of Angels, just strongly discouraged. But Olivia had not cared and so had put herself in grave danger. Outside the walls was no less beautiful than inside. The sky was a perfect blue and green fields ran off into the horizon. A road had led from the gate through these fields and Olivia had wandered down it, enjoying the scenery and looking behind her every couple of minutes to see the City fading into the background. After about an hour or two of walking, she had come upon a small, clear stream and sat down to relax. She would return to her father later that evening and confront him, but until then she was content with sitting in the grass and listening to the babble of the stream as it flowed over the rocky bed. It hadn't taken her long to start to feel drowsy, sitting by the stream, and had just been about to doze off when the sound of splashing reached her ears from somewhere downstream. Immediately, she had sat up and stared toward the source of the noise, but had seen nothing. Deciding it was just an animal, she had lain back down and closed her eyes when a loud horn blast shook her awake and chilled her nerves. Springing to her feet, Olivia had reached into the air and pulled out a brilliant golden sword out of nothing. She held it defensively, scanning her surroundings with narrowed eyes. They came from all around her; pale green and no more than four feet high with beady black eyes and tall, tufted ears. Pieces of armor, no doubt stolen, adored each of their bodies haphazardly and they carried long, black curved blades in their long, knobby fingers. She had read about goblins before, but the books claimed they only lived in Hell, leaving occasionally to wander the mortal realm called Earth to feast on humans. Now they had wandered into the Spirit Dimension and were surrounding Olivia from all sides, and she had nowhere to run. In a flash of bright white light, large feathery wings had sprung from between her shoulders and flapped menacingly, stirring the wind and causing more than a few of the goblins to shirk back. "Stay away," she had warned, "I am an Angel and you are trespassing in my Dimension. Return to Hell immediately and I will not harm you." None of the goblins had moved except for one, larger than the rest with red eyes instead of black and a sword made out of expensive looking steel. "We have orders to capture an Angel and bring it back to Hell," the goblin had said in a raspy voice. "I do not care what your orders are," Olivia had said firmly, sounding braver than she felt, "You will pay dearly if you lay one hand on me." "Then how about more than one hand?" the goblin had sneered and raised his sword up in one fluid motion. On cue, the goblin hoard descended on her from all sides. Mustering her strength, Olivia had sent a blast of magic in a circle around her, vaporizing a few dozen goblins and halting the advance. But they had been insistent and regrouped in a matter of seconds, advancing on her once again. The blast had taken a lot out of Olivia, but she was an Angel and a trained warrior. With a cry, she met the goblins head-on, hacking and slashing at them with her sword. They were superior in number, but she far outmatched them in skill. Head and limbs flew in every direction as her sword met its marks. Her wings had tried to keep the goblins off her back, and had succeeded for a while. But their numbers were too great and it wasn't long before they began to overcome her. With a shout to the heavens, Olivia had used the last of her strength to send a beam of pure energy straight from the sky into the mass of creatures. With that attack alone, over one hundred goblins had been instantly vaporized. It wasn't enough, though and with her strength completely tapped, Olivia had sunk to her knees and watched as the seemingly unending army of goblins overcame her until blackness clouded her vision and she fell unconscious to the ground. She had woken up suspended from a chain in some demon's castle while he sneered and demanded things from her that she was not willing to give. And when she denied him, the demon, Taint was his name, had her stripped naked and thrown into a damp, dark cell somewhere beneath the stronghold. All night she had lain there, shivering with cold and plotting her revenge. And the next morning, the guards were back, this time with a thin figure in black robes. The figure had bent toward where Olivia crouched on the ground and whispered, "Just try and enjoy him," revealing herself to be a woman. Next the guards had dragged her back up from the bowels of the castle and into the room from the night before. She had realized, with a strange feeling inside her chest, that the room was a bedchamber and what the robed woman had said before took on a whole new meaning. 'Try and enjoy him' she had said, and now, with the demon sticking the tip of his finger inside her... "So you're just going to rape me?" she spat when Taint finally stepped back, claiming that she'd enjoy it. "Not if you don't want me to," the demon said, calmly removing his black suit coat and having it disappear in a puff of black smoke. "I don't want you to," Olivia said firmly, knowing that he wouldn't listen. "Not yet you don't," the black tie was next, "But you will." One button at a time, Taint began to remove his shirt. Each one undone revealed another expanse of pale skin. With the last button, he pulled off the garment and it too disappeared. And as much as Olivia hated to admit it, the demon was not a sore sight. He was tall, with darkly handsome features and a strong, athletic build. Black tattoos depicting ancient demonic symbols appeared here and there across his well-defined chest and sculpted abs. For the first time since being dragged into this place, Olivia felt something other than simmering hatred. She couldn't quite place what this new feeling was. Admiration? Fear? Whatever it was, it formed a warm pit in her belly. "Spread your legs for me, Angel," Taint said smoothly, pausing his undressing and facing her. She refused to budge. "What will it take for you to learn your lesson?" he asked, shaking his head and snapping his fingers. Olivia felt cold metal securely clamp itself around her ankles. Looking down, she noticed two chains had appeared from the floor and fastened themselves to her. She heard Taint snap his fingers again, and the chains began to shorten. As they did so, her legs were drawn apart inch by inch. There was nothing Olivia could do to stop it and by the time the chains stopped moving, her thighs were spread far apart, revealing her sex and leaving it defenseless. "You are so beautiful," Taint breathed, coming to stand directly in front of her. He was so close that with each breath, Olivia could feel the very tips of her nipples brush against the hard muscle of Taint's chest. Slight shivers raced down her spine and the warmth in her belly grew a little more. The demon reached up to grab her chin again. But this time he was gentler, slowly guiding her head to stare up into his eyes, which were glowing a soft, seductive yellow. "Tell me, little Angel," he whispered, "Have you ever even been kissed before?" Olivia had not. Angels were required to remain chaste their entire immortal lives. Children were not born but raised, beginning as pure human souls and eventually becoming fierce heavenly warriors. Hell's Gate Ch. 01 "I'll take that as a no," Taint smiled and then moved his head downward. The first kiss was gentle, barely a peck. Then became hungrier and Olivia could feel his tongue sweeping over her lips sensuously. The warmth was growing and she found herself not hating the feel of his mouth covering hers. Vaguely, Olivia felt fingertips traveling down her rib cage when Taint broke the kiss for a moment. "Open," he commanded and she felt her mouth part, unbidden, and before she knew it the demon's mouth was back, his tongue plunging into her while his lips devoured hers. As if she was not an innocent Angel, Olivia was returning the deeper kiss despite her protesting mind. Something primal inside of her was awakening and, despite her conscious calling out for her to stop, her body was responding in the most wonderful way to Taint's advances. Their tongues dueled and she moaned softly into his mouth, arms stretched above her head and legs spread lewdly apart, as the warmth in her belly spread between her legs. She could feel her arousal pooling between her lips and wished she could rub her legs together to relieve the burning ache that was growing every second. Just as she was about to cry out for relief, something probed her entrance, rubbing over her swollen outer lips and dipping ever so slightly inside her increasingly wet channel. Fingers. Taint's fingers. "Stop," she moaned as he continued to assault her mouth and her entrance simultaneously, "Please..." "Just give in, Angel," Taint breathed, adding a second finger to the first. Olivia's conscious was screaming for him to stop while her body was aching for him to continue. "No..." she panted while her hips surged forward, trying to bring his fingers closer to her core, "I can't...STOP!" At her sudden outburst, Taint removed his fingers and took a step back, wiping them on his pants. Olivia was panting and starting to sweat. Wonderful warmth between her thighs demanded to be satisfied and moisture was now pooling liberally around her swollen outer lips. Taint chuckled darkly, "Your body shows the truth while your mouth shouts lies, little Angel." She hated to admit it but the demon Lord was right. "I do not lie, demon," she spat, trying to keep the quiver of desire out of her voice, "You repulse me." This time Taint laughed out loud; a deep, masculine laugh that shot straight to Olivia's sex. "Your resolve amuses me, Angel. But I will not listen to anymore of your lies," he snapped his magic fingers and a piece of cloth suddenly wrapped itself around Olivia's head, gagging her. "The next words that come out of your mouth will be filled with less poison." Olivia tried to protest, to tell him he was dead wrong, but the gag only allowed a muffled choking sound to come out. She watched as Taint advanced again, and then knelt in front of her. His mouth was now at the same level of her sex and she could feel hot breath against it, releasing a fresh rush of moisture. Taint inhaled deeply through his nose, "Such a sweet smell," he groaned, "Like nothing I've ever experienced." A bead of moisture was making its way down Olivia's inner thigh and she moaned into her gag as the tip of his tongue licked its way up her skin, tasting her flesh and leaking arousal and making her hips thrust toward him. The demon licked his lips and closed his eyes in ecstasy, "You taste even more delicious then you smell, little Angel." Without pretense and much to Olivia's genuine surprise and pleasure, Taint took her engorged clit between his lips and sucked hard. If she could scream, she would have. In all her life, Olivia had never felt such blinding pleasure and when Taint shoved two fingers into her cunt the pleasure seemed to double. "You like this," Taint said. It was not a question, but a simple statement of fact. And she did like it and when his fingers began to slide in and out of her while his mouth continued to suck and lick at her clit, she could feel a coil inside her belly begin to wind tighter and tighter with each passing moment. What was going on between her legs was both appalling and insurmountably pleasurable to Olivia and her hips thrust to meet the increasing speed of Taint's insertions. Then, just as the coil inside her was about to burst, he withdrew and stood up. His lips and chin were literally dripping with her arousal and she watched fascinated as it flowed down his neck and chest. "I'm going to remove your gag now, Olivia," Taint explained, "And all I want you to say is the answer to my next question." She nodded slowly. Her body demanded something and she was coming to realize that only the demon before her could give it what it needed. She just hoped he asked the right question... Taint snapped his fingers and the gag disappeared from Olivia's mouth. "Now, little Angel, here is my question," his yellow eyes stared directly into her blue ones, wild with desire, "Do you want me to fuck you?" The crude words took Olivia a little by surprise. Such talk was unheard of where she came from. But despite everything, they sent a jolt of anticipation and pleasure straight down her spine. Waiting for her answer, Taint continued to stare into her eyes, which were darting across his sculpted body, as if searching for the answer there. And that is where she found it. Between his legs she could see the outline of a very hard and very large erection tenting his pants. The air was cool on her thighs where they were sticky with her arousal, but it did nothing to calm the heat between them. But she knew something that could... "Yes," she whispered, answering his question at last. Her mind went wild with regret and protests but she knew she could take no more of this torment. Years of chastity had left her with a hidden desire that needed to be satiated. If she was going to sin, who better to sin with than an evil demon lord? "Once more, little Angel," Taint said smoothly, "Louder." "Yes," Olivia repeated, louder this time. With a triumphant smile, Taint snapped his fingers and the chains holding her limbs disappeared. Lowering her arms, she was surprised to find that her shoulders were not sore from being suspended for so long. But she did not have long to contemplate this small grace before she was scooped off her feet and into Taint's strong arms. His body radiated heat and Olivia had to resist the temptation to taste the flesh of his chest that was mere inches from her mouth. With two quick strides, he reached the large bed in the corner of the room and dumped her onto it. "Lay back, Angel," Taint ordered and she obeyed, spreading her body out. "Now spread your legs," and she did, bending her knees and splaying her feet far apart, displaying her dripping cunt to him. With a puff of smoke, Taint's remaining clothes disappeared and he revealed his full self to her for the first time. Leaning on her elbows and looking between her bent and spread legs, Olivia let out a small gasp as she caught sight of his manhood. Eight inches long and at least two thick, she started to highly doubt that it would fit inside her. "Scoot back," he ordered and again she listened, wanting only to relieve the burning between her thighs. The mattress sagged slightly when Taint joined her on the bed, on his knees with his cock jutting out from his hips. A bead of pre-cum adorned its mushroom head and slowly dripped onto the black sheets as he angled it at her entrance. Transfixed, Olivia watched as he spread the head of his cock around her outer lips, coating it in her copious fluids and heightening her pleasure once again. After he was well lubed, he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly moved his hips forward. Immediately, she felt her walls stretch as the thick head of the demon's cock pushed its way past her lips and inside her virgin cunt. But despite the stretching, the feeling of his cock sliding along her sensitive inner walls was enough to release another stream of lubrication that bathed the head of Taint's cock, which was fully inside her now, and leaked around it, spilling out onto the sheets. "So wet, little Angel," he breathed, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to regain control over himself. With his head fully seated inside her, Taint pushed forward a little more and Olivia could feel him pushing against her barrier. She was just considering asking him to be gentle when he jerked forward, bursting through her virginity and sheathing himself another inch inside her. Tears welled at the corner's of Olivia's eyes at the searing pain of the thrust, but it was soon replaced by rapturous pleasure as he continued to enter her channel, sliding along her inner walls and reaching places of pleasure she had never before felt. "Almost there," Taint breathed, bringing his body over Olivia's and bracing himself above her with his arms, "And then the real fun begins." What real fun? What else could their possibly be? Moisture continued to flood her channel and trickle out where their sexes met and the coil inside her was once again tightening to an unbearable level. And then, with one final thrust from Taint, he was seated fully inside her. The coil snapped. "Oh!" she gasped and reached up to cling to his shoulders as electric pleasure like she had never felt before zapped through her body like a million volts. Thrusting her hips upward, she felt a dam break within her and her inner walls convulsed around Taint's cock while a flood of arousal flowed out of her entrance. She tried to contain her screams of pleasure, but it was too hard and she found herself crying out loud; incoherent sounds because she did not know how to express how she felt. Fingers dug into hard muscle as her body spasmed and thrashed beneath Taint, who was holding completely still inside her. After what felt like an eternity, Olivia finally came down from her high and lay panting, still holding tightly onto the demon who had given her more pleasure with one thrust of his cock than anything in her life had ever done before. "Taint..." she sighed, saying his name for the first time. "My turn, little Angel," he whispered and shifted his hips, slowly withdrawing his cock from her entrance. Renewed pleasure flowed through her cunt as he rubbed against her walls, leaving her empty when nothing but the head remained. She whimpered in protest, but then groaned when he slammed forward, filling her again with his length before slowly withdrawing and then slamming home. With each thrust, Taint's pace quickened and Olivia's pleasure soared. Before long he was seesawing his cock into her while she cried out, clinging to his shoulders and digging her fingernails into his flesh. "You like this, don't you, little Angel," Taint growled from above her. She was too preoccupied to answer, but nodded her agreement. All thoughts of protest had been thrown out the window after her first orgasm and now all she wanted was to experience the same pleasure again. It didn't take long before she crested again, and this time she cried out "FUCK!" as she came, using the word she had never before uttered and feeling it was the most appropriate. As her walls convulsed around him, Taint picked up his pace even more and before Olivia was done cumming he paused, buried deep inside her and grunted as he shot himself within her. The hot cum felt amazing against her oversensitive inner flesh and her eyes rolled into her head as they both came down from the precipice. With a pop, Taint withdrew from Olivia and stood up next to the bed. She sat out and looked at his sweaty body, messy hair and still-erect cock, coated with their combined juices and a little bit of blood. Looking down, she could see his seed spilling out of her pussy and joining the wet spot already staining the sheets. Without warning, the pleasure she had been feeling only moments before was being replaced by shame and humiliation. She had given in to his advances and begged to be raped, and to top it all off had allowed a demon to spill his seed into her body. Angels couldn't get pregnant, but Olivia still felt tainted by a foreign invader. Tears clouded her vision as she watched Taint snap his fingers. In an instant, he was fully clothed and clean, staring down at her used body. "Come here, little Angel," he said softly and held out his hand. Reluctantly, she took it and was hauled to her feet. His cum was still leaking from her hole and she could feel it sliding down her thigh. She was still holding his hand when a warm tingle spread from where their palms met and up her arm. The sensation quickly rushed across her entire body and when she looked down, Olivia watched as the sweat and arousal disappeared from her body. Then, out of thin air, a sheer black skirt wrapped itself around her hips and fastened itself with a golden chain. Then a thin strip of black cloth encircled her breasts, tying itself tight behind her and leaving her arms and torso bare. "Thank you," she said, not knowing what else to say. Taint ignored her gratitude, "Follow me, Olivia. I have something to show you." Having no other choice, she followed him as he led her toward a door near the window. Stepping through, they found themselves outside, high in the air on a balcony made of black stone. Light from some unknown source illuminated the huge, black castle around and below them as well as the lands surrounding it. Fields of dead grass stretched out from in front of the castle and ended at a huge wall almost as tall as the castle itself that extended to the left and right further than Olivia could see, even at her high vantage point. Far in the distance, she thought she could make out another castle as a tiny dot against the horizon. "This is Hell's Gate," Taint said, gesturing toward the wall. It was covered with dead-looking vines, but Olivia could see that it was a brilliant white beneath the ugly vegetation. "It looks more like a wall," Olivia said lamely. The demon chuckled, "It is designed to keep things out. A true gate would create a weak spot." "Where are these cracks you claim exist?" Taint pointed and Olivia followed his gaze to where a black, jagged line marred the surface of the white wall, "That is one of the larger ones. Many more appear along the wall and almost once a week a castle reports an attack near them." "Who's attacking it?" she asked, genuinely curious. "Demons from deeper inside Hell," he shrugged, "They've tried for millennia to escape into the other realms, but have become more organized as of late. I suspect they have a leader behind them." Olivia shuddered at the thought of demons escaping the confines of Hell. There would be chaos and war, and she doubted Earth would make it through alive. "So what exactly can I do?" she asked, crossing her arms and staring up at Taint. He looked down at her, "We will discuss that more later. Right now I have things to attend to." "And what am I supposed to do while you attend to these 'things'?" Olivia asked, fearing he would place her back in the prison cell. "Come with me," he responded, as if it was obvious, "I don't yet trust you out of my sight. And just to make sure you don't try and escape..." He laid a hand on Olivia's bare shoulder and she flinched as a burning sensation lanced down her arm. Feeling metal, she looked down and noticed that a gold bracelet had wrapped tightly around her wrist. "This will prevent you from wandering too far away from me," Taint explained. "Is this how you treat all of your prisoners?" Olivia snapped, feeling angry at being tethered to what amounted to being a magic leash. "Only the pretty ones," Taint responded and walked through the door back into his chambers, "Now come along, a day is never dull in the life of a demon Lord." Olivia could feel a slight tugging at her body as Taint got further away from her and by the time he had reached the door to his chambers, it was becoming difficult to stay rooted to her spot on the balcony. Having no other choice, she quickly walked to him and followed him out into the hallway, resigning herself to a day of demon duties... To be continued... Hell's Gate Ch. 02 ***Some commented in Chapter One that the seduction happened too fast. Sorry about that. My thoughts were that because Taint is a demon, and a very powerful one at that, his powers of corruption were strong enough to break down Olivia's barriers rapidly. The point is that she was not truly as chaste as she thought, but only had it suppressed by her Angelic upbringing. I probably should have made that clearer, but please assume from now on that the seduction period is largely over and that a deeper relationship will now begin to develop.*** Chapter Two: Bloodlust {Taint's Castle; afternoon} "My soldiers tell me they found you outside the safety of the City of Angel's," the demon Lord, Taint said as he lounged in his black, stone throne, having just completed the bulk of that day's business, "What were you doing there?" Olivia looked up at him from where she sat in a smaller chair to his right, "None of your business." "Tsk tsk, little Angel," Taint shook his head, "Did we not learn our lesson about playing nice this morning?" He hardened slightly at the memory. She had all but begged for him, a corrupt demon, to take her sweet Angelic innocence. And he had been more than eager to oblige, and wished to return to his chambers now to explore her body for a few more hours. But business had to be conducted, and Olivia needed a break before they could return to his bed. Such inexperience could not be rushed. "It was my father," Olivia offered suddenly, avoiding Taint's gaze, "He tried to order me to marry someone..." Taint could not control himself and laughed loudly, startling her, "What? You asked," she sounded slightly hurt. "Such a cliché story, my little Angel," Taint chuckled, "Betrothed to a man she could never love, the sweet princess runs away only to be kidnapped by an evil prince. After her betrothed recues her she realizes what she had been missing and decides to marry him after all. Sickening, really." "I am happy my life is so amusing to you, demon," Olivia said a little heatedly, "But it is the truth." "I did not know Angels married," Taint mused, trying to defuse her temper and not undo the amazing progress he had made that morning, "What's the point, if you cannot...you know...fuck? We demons certainly do not marry; it would be just as pointless." "To start a family," Olivia said, ignoring his crude language. Her tone suggested that the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "How do they start families if they are not permitted to..." "You know nothing of Angels, do you, demon?" Olivia sounded slightly amused. Admittedly, Taint knew precious little about the species. It was natural for a demon to know much about the sexual habits of other beings, but he had no knowledge on Angelic social customs or structures. Only that they were ruled by a powerful King and guarded by the frightful Archangels. And that they all had a deep seeded hatred of demon kind. "Very little," Taint nodded, "So why don't you enlighten me?" Olivia shifted in her chair, smoothing her black skirt before explaining, "Angels are created from the souls of humans who have lived their lives purely. Or as purely as a human can. When two Angels marry, it is to raise one of these souls. The human essence is naïve and must be molded carefully to reach its fullest potential." The answer took Taint aback; he had not been expecting something so very alien to him. "What a very strange custom," Taint said, "But it was my understanding that when humans die, they are generally full grown already." He was enjoying the conversation, noticing that Olivia was beginning to open up to him. "Not their souls. They appear as infants to Angels, and that is why they are raised as children." Taint was genuinely fascinated at the practice. It was a demon's job to corrupt souls while Angels apparently built and raised them up to greater heights. The contrast was startlingly stark and he found himself wondering how Angels and demons got to be so different in the first place. "My Lord," Still musing, Taint turned toward the voice of one of his goblin soldiers standing near the open door of the giant throne room in which he had conducted all that morning's Lordly duties. "What is it?" he asked, dreading more business. "Lord Wraith has come to meet with you," the goblin explained, "He awaits just outside." Rolling his eyes at the interruption, Taint nodded, "Send him in." Despite the gesture, he was happy to see his fellow demon Lord, but at the same time wished to be alone with his Angel for a little longer. He glanced at Olivia, who was sitting perfectly rigid in her seat, fists gripping her skirt tightly and staring at the door to the throne room. She had seen a number of frightening creatures as Taint conducted his business, and had still not gotten used to them. Demons came in all sizes and shapes, and it was unusual for an Angel to witness such frightening creatures in so vast an array. "Relax, little Angel," he soothed, laying a hand on her bare shoulder, "Lord Wraith is an old friend and a fellow Gatekeeper." Despite his words, Olivia did not un-tense as a completely bald demon, only a few inches shorter than Taint's seven feet, strolled easily through the door. The demon Lord wore black pants with chains dangling from its numerous pockets, which clinked together softly as he walked across the wide expanse of marble floor toward Taint's throne. Other than the pants, the demon wore nothing, showing off bronze skin, arms as thick as Olivia's legs and a thickly muscled torso that promised a great strength lie in the demon. "Lord Taint," he said in a very deep voice, addressing his fellow Lord but staring at Olivia with solid black eyes, "Thank you for receiving me." "Always welcome, Lord Wraith," Taint said, "What brings you here?" "Well if I had known you were entertaining such a lovely creature," Wraith smiled at Olivia, "I would have been sooner and for that reason alone. But unfortunately," he cut off his flattery and turned his face to Taint, "There is trouble at my walls." "There is trouble all along the Wall," Taint shrugged, "What else is new?" "Not THE Wall, MY wall," Wraith corrected and Taint frowned. "Your castle?" "Yes. A large company of ogres has come down from the mountains and surrounded me. I only just got out myself to seek your assistance. I doubt that they will be hard to dispatch, but the position I'm in makes it difficult to go on the offensive and it has taken all my army just to keep them on the other side." Taint stood quickly and stared straight ahead, thinking furiously. Demons at his walls... Wraith was correct; ogres were notoriously stupid and undisciplined and would be easily defeated. Still, armies had been attacking the Wall for a while now, but never had one been so brash as to attack a Gatekeeper's castle. Mostly they avoided the strongholds, not wishing to chance the wrath of one of the Lords. But if they were changing tactics... "I will of course call my soldiers to arms," Taint decided out loud and sent the silent order to the goblin officers. Turning to Olivia, he said in a stern voice, "We must go with them and fight." His Angel was not amused, "Whatever happened to me just fixing the Wall? Now you want me to go fight an army with you?" Her tone was defiant and one she would be punished for later, and it peaked Wraith's curiosity. "Who exactly IS this woman, Lord Taint?" Wraith asked, eyeing Olivia questionably. "She is here to fix the wall," Taint explained simply. Realization dawned on the other demon, "So you did it? Kidnapped an Angel?" he paused, "You're insane." "Desperate," Taint corrected, and then turned his attention to Olivia, "You will come with me, little Angel; without protest. You will fix the Wall in due time, and then I will release you as promised. But first you must aid in keeping it safe. Surely a warrior such as you is not afraid of some ogres?" "That is not the point..." "We must hurry," Wraith insisted. Nodding, Taint snapped his fingers and his black suit was replaced by light leather armor that covered his body, with silver runes etched into the black surface. A long, thin sword hung at his side. Olivia's own clothing changed at the same time, from the sheer skirt and black strip of cloth covering her breasts to a more substantial leather skirt and shirt, similar to Taint's but without the runes. While her previous outfit was much more fun to admire, this one would keep her safe. "Come, little Angel," he ordered and began walking away. He felt a slight tug on his body as Olivia remained where she was, but the resistance slackened when she finally began following, unable to resist the pull of the magical fetters he had bound her in. "Do I at least get a weapon?" Olivia asked from behind Taint as they neared the door to the throne room. Agreeing with her, he snapped his fingers, causing a golden sword to materialize before him. "That is my sword!" she gasped, and grabbed it from where it floated in the air. Taint stopped in his tracks and turned to face Olivia, "The bond that holds us together is made from ancient demonic magic," he said with warning in his voice, "It is as unkind as it is powerful. If either of us dies today, the other does too." "Good thing we are marching off to battle, then," she scoffed, giving the sword a few practice swings. "Just be careful where you point that," Taint nodded at the sword, "And do not worry, ogres are an easy enemy," and then turned around, leading her and Wraith toward the front gates of his castle. When they reached the great wooden doors at the front, they creaked open slightly on their own and allowed the party to pass through before slamming shut again. Outside in the hot air of Hell, the trio found themselves on a stone bridge that spanned a moat lined with sharp, gleaming spikes. On the other side of the bridge, a great hoard of goblin soldiers had gathered. Other demonic creatures, greatly outnumbered by the goblins, were also scattered through the ranks. The army had gathered quickly and was eager for the spoils of battle, swords and armor clanking as they shifted impatiently. Taint cleared his throat loudly and the din of the goblins stopped abruptly, all eyes turned toward him. "Lord Wraith requires our assistance," he called to his army in a booming voice, "Ogres have surrounded his castle and we are to liberate it. We shall meet their army in open combat and destroy them. The spoils will go to the victor." It was not with hopeful encouragement that Taint spoke but with strong assurance. They would win, and that was fact. Besides, all the goblins really wanted were the plunder. The army remained silent even after Taint finished his short speech. None of the demons would cheer until they had ogre flesh to feed on and stolen swords to replace their own. Turning to Wraith, Taint nodded and his fellow Gatekeeper clapped his hands together once. A sound not unlike thunder reverberated around the castle walls and a single lightning bolt fell from the dead orange sky above and landed in front of the army, on the opposite end of the bridge. "Stay close, little Angel," Taint whispered as a swirling black portal opened in midair, growing wider until it was large enough for a column of twenty soldiers could pass through. Olivia watched in fascination as the hoard of goblins and beasts formed ranks quickly and began marching toward the portal. For such vile creatures, goblins made exceptional soldiers and were Taint's favorite to use for his army. They fought with voracity and only asked for the right to pillage as payment. The two demon Lords and the Angel stood and watched as the army marched along, disappearing through the portal and into god knew what on the other side. It took nearly half an hour for the thousands of soldiers to make it through, and when they did Wraith and Taint walked across the moat, tugging Olivia along with them. "There will be chaos on the other side of this portal," Taint warned her just as they were about to cross through, "Try not to get killed." Then, without another warning, he grabbed the Angel's arm and pulled her through the black portal and into true hell. ******************** {City of Angels; twilight} Gabriel slammed his fist onto the table shouting at the soldier standing in front of him, "What does that mean!?" "There is no sign of her anywhere, Sir," the soldier said as calmly as possible to the seething hulk of a man in gleaming gold armor, "In or out of the City." The King of Angels stood from where he was trying to eat his evening meal, "If Olivia is not here as you claim, then where in hell is she?" The soldier shook his head, "I do not know, Sir." Breathing deeply, Gabriel contemplated his options. As King, he could force his soldiers to keep looking for his daughter until they found her, call off the search and wait for her to return on her own, or go out looking for her himself. After a surprisingly short moment's thought, he made up his mind. "Call the soldiers off. I'm going to look for her on my own." "Sir..." the soldier started to protest, but Gabriel cut him off. "You said you searched the lands beyond the wall?" "Yes, Sir." "No sign of her whatsoever?" "Not yet...but there are still soldiers looking. I suggest you give them a little more time before calling off the search," As soon as the words left the soldier's mouth, the large wooden door to Gabriel's dining room banged open and a young Angel with long brown hair and striking green eyes stumbled in. He was out of breath and his wings were unfurled, meaning he had not paused to put them away before bursting into the room. "Leo!" Gabriel exclaimed, "What news?" "Sir," Leo gasped, "Outside...the gate...a struggle...Olivia..." Without a moment's hesitation, Gabriel strode over to stand before the younger Angel, "Show me," he demanded with fear and anger in his voice. Leo nodded, turning around and leading the King out of the room. "What did you find?" Gabriel asked as the they strode down a long, slightly curving golden hallway. "Signs of a fight, Sir," Leo explained, his voice steadier now that he had had a chance to catch his breath. "Olivia?" "If I had to guess..." "Damn..." They turned down another hallway, which was very short and ended abruptly at an open ledge jutting out over the gleaming streets far below the King's Tower. With a flash and a flutter, giant golden wings sprung from Gabriel's back, crowding the ledge. "After you," he said to Leo, and the younger Angel leapt into the open air, wings folded into his body as he nosedived toward the streets below. Gabriel followed, mimicking the maneuver and spreading his great golden wings after plummeting a hundred feet, coming out of the dive and gliding high into the sky. With one steady flap, he took himself above the glittering towers of the City of Angels before leveling out, moving rapidly above the City with Leo close behind. "Which way?" he called, and looked while Leo pointed to the east. The sun was starting to set, the sky in that direction was tinted a light purple. They would have to hurry to get to their destination before dark. Banking to the left, Gabriel led the way and it was not long before they were flying over the green fields and hills beyond the City walls. After a few seconds, he conceded the lead to Leo and followed him along a small stream that cut through the hills and valleys far below. "There," Leo pointed, and Gabriel cursed. Even from far away, he could make out scorched earth forming a perfect circle in the grass right beside the stream. The area around the circle was kicked up and trampled over, as if by an entire army. Three soldiers waited for them as they made their landing and as soon as his feet touched the ground, Gabriel demanded to be told all that they knew. "Well this was made by Angel magic," one of the soldiers, a thickly built, bald man, said, gesturing to the circle of burnt grass. "What about these marks?" Gabriel asked, pointing to what were now unmistakably hundreds of footprints. "Can't tell for sure," another soldier reported, "But they're smaller than Angel feet. Possibly a Demon..." "Goblin," Leo interrupted, and addressed the slightly surprised-looking faces. "I recognize them from a hunt I partook in on Earth. Although I've never seen so many in one place," he admitted with a frown. Gabriel growled deep in his throat. Angel magic and goblin tracks. It did not look good. "Any other signs beside the tracks?" he asked. The bald soldier shook his head, "If it was indeed goblins, there likely won't be any; they're known for leaving no trace behind. It's why they're able to sneak around Earth without being spotted." "Patrol the area until sundown," Gabriel ordered the three soldiers, anxious to leave the area, "Leo, you come with me." The soldiers saluted and Leo spread his wings, crouching for takeoff. Gabriel followed suit and the two shot into the air, heading toward the City. When they arrived, Gabriel told Leo to wait for him at the Tower, "I have to talk to Michael," he explained and the younger Angel nodded, flying off toward the giant golden needle of the King's Tower that speared the twilit sky. Gabriel banked west and flew toward another tower, this one silver and slightly shorter. He landed on a ledge that hung over the City and pulled in his wings. A squire met him with a low bow, "Your Grace." "Tell Michael that I have arrived," he told the squire, "I come with urgent news." The squire straightened and hurried off while Gabriel waited impatiently. The scene in the field filled him with dread and he was anxious to meet with the Archangels and deal with this business as soon as possible. If his daughter had truly been taken by goblins... She had already been gone for a whole night and day and Gabriel shuddered at the thought of what such creatures could have done to her in that amount of time. "My King," a strong, masculine voice called out and Gabriel watched as an impossibly strong man with flowing black hair that reached past the shoulders of his black, iron armor strode toward him. "Michael," Gabriel returned the greeting, eyeing the enormous iron hammer that peaked out from behind the Archangel's back. "What news do you bring, your Grace?" Michael asked, concern flashing across his dark eyes as he came to a halt in front of him. As tall as Gabriel stood, Michael was taller and was one of the few Angels that intimidated the King. "It is my daughter," Gabriel explained. "Yes. I heard she had gone missing. Good news I hope?" "Unfortunately, no," the King growled, "It appears as though she encountered some goblins in the lands beyond the City." "In the Spirit Dimension?" Michael said incredulously, "Impossible." "Apparently not." "Bad news indeed, my King. I shall gather the Archangels at once." Gabriel held up his hand to stop him, "That will not be necessary, Michael." "Sir?" "I will go myself," he said and a fleeting, queer expression crossed Michael's face, almost resembling excitement. "Alone?" "No, I will take my soldier, Leo. He and Olivia are close and I trust him." Michael narrowed his eyes disapprovingly, "Sir, I strongly recommend you not do this. You are needed here in the City, not hunting down goblin hoards across the wastes of Hell." "It was I who chased Olivia away, and it will be I who brings her back," Gabriel said in a tone that suggested that there would be no persuading him otherwise. "Very well, Sir," Michael said with a small bow, "But who will run the City while you are gone?" Hell's Gate Ch. 02 "That would be you, Michael," Gabriel said matter-of-factly and the same queer expression lit the Archangel's face for a split second before one of humility replaced it. "I would be honored, my King." "Good, I leave at once. Please report to the Tower as soon as possible." Michael bowed again, and Gabriel spread his wings. "I do not intend to be long gone," he said before taking off, flying toward the Tower where Leo was waiting for him. "Where should we begin our search, Sir?" the young Angel asked. Gabriel had explained his intentions on the flight back to the City and Leo was eager to be off. "Hell sounds like a good place to me," Gabriel suggested and Leo nodded his agreement, "Its inhabitants had better hope my daughter is not there..." Then, with a loud CRACK and a blast of white light, the two Angels disappeared, leaving nothing behind but a thin, white smoke. *************** {Wraith's Castle; evening} Olivia looked as though she had bathed in blood. It stained her exposed arms red and coated her leather armor. Her once blond hair now appeared black and her golden sword was dripping crimson. And she had never felt so alive. "Well fought, Angel!" the hulking demon Lord, Wraith, boomed, clasping a strong hand on her shoulder. Giant grey bodies lay all around them, crawled over by stained and wounded goblins. Taint was busy removing his armor and wiping blood of his skin with a white rag that was quickly becoming red. The battle had been very short, but immensely bloody, due mostly to the great size of the creatures they had been fighting. Soon after stepping out of the portal and into chaos, Olivia had been nervous to face the thickly built, towering ogres that attacked them immediately. But Taint had soon demonstrated that they were clumsy and slow and she found her skill with a sword far outpaced their own. So after a few hours of slashing and dancing around the beasts alongside her demon captor and countless goblin soldiers, Olivia was soaked in blood and feeling surprisingly exhilarated and, despite her obvious captivity, free. "Thank you, Lord Wraith," Olivia said to Wraith, whose bronzed bare chest looked surprisingly clean, "That was indeed quite the battle." "You have seen nothing, little Angel," Taint commented, coming up to them with his pale torso bared and forearms a little cleaner of blood, "A truly great demon battle would have been much more exciting. These ogres were disorganized and weak. Fight against the Keykeeper's hounds and then we may talk about exhilarating battles." Trying to ignore the rising heat in her blood at the sight of not one but two perfect masculine specimens showing off their various attributes, Olivia held out her arms to her side, "So how am I to get this blood off? Perhaps you can magic me clean like..." her voice cut off abruptly. She was still trying to ignore the morning's activities, but was finding it hard with Taint standing half naked before her and eliciting thoughts that no Angel was supposed to have. But she was not really much of an Angel anymore, was she? Not after this battle. Taint shook his head with a small smile, "It is customary to clean the enemies' blood off without the use of magic," he explained, and then leaned in closer, whispering into her ear so Wraith could not overhear, "And it is also tradition to find a woman to fuck before the night is through," he straightened and turned his muscular back on Olivia, leaving her breath caught in her throat at the suggestion. What was she becoming? Lusting after her demon kidnapper. Fighting alongside him with such passion. What would her father say? A cold dread settled in the pit of her stomach. He would say plenty. Disown her for a start, and then banish her from the City and possibly the Spirit Dimension altogether. Angels had received a lot worse for a lot less... "Let us retire to my castle," Wraith suggested, distracting Olivia from her troubling thoughts. The battle had been fought directly under the keep's towering walls and it was hard to remember in the midst of such carnage that hospitality was only a few feet away. "That is a fine idea," Taint said, turning back toward them. "I would like a bath and some new clothes, if that is alright," Olivia asked Wraith and he nodded. "Of course! Now follow me." Taint held back while Wraith took the lead, walking close to Olivia's side. She could feel the heat from his skin on her own and shuddered a little at the sudden memory of what it had felt like to grip his powerful shoulders as he drove himself into her. Perhaps this demon tradition he had spoken of would not be so bad... They walked around the walls of the castle, past more bodies of ogre and goblin alike and around to a moat very similar to the one at Taint's castle. In fact, Olivia observed, almost everything here was similar to Taint's. The Wall, looming in the dark distance, looked exactly like it had when Olivia first viewed it and the castle seemed to be built out of the same black stone. The only difference was that Wraith's moat was filled with a toxic-looking mist, instead of spikes, that floated sluggishly along the bottom of the pit as they passed over the bridge and through the wooden front doors. After stepping foot through the threshold, a small black creature flew up to them. It was half the size of a goblin and had jet black skin and very large, glowing red eyes. Where it hovered, the creature made a humming sound much like hornet. It had no discernible mouth and stared expectantly at Wraith as if looking for orders. "Imp," Taint explained to Olivia while Wraith addressed the creature, "Vile little demons that live in volcanoes. He likes to hunt them down for leisure and force them into servitude. Personally, I find them repulsive." In truth, so did Olivia and she found she was grateful that Taint employed goblins instead. Though she did prefer the little bug-like imp over the hulking prison guards she had encountered in her initial captivity. "Follow it," Wraith instructed Olivia and, by extension, Taint, "It will lead you to the guest chambers. Clean yourselves up and then we will celebrate with a feast." The Lord of the castle departed and they followed the imp up flights of stairs and down various hallways until it stopped, hovering in front of an ornate wooden door. "Leave us," Taint ordered the creature, and it flitted away as he pushed open the door. He walked inside, and Olivia followed, the door closing solidly behind her. The room was smaller than Taint's chambers had been and Olivia felt a little trapped; but not entirely in a bad way. "Come here, little Angel," the demon beckoned from where he stood on the opposite side of the room. She obeyed, her heart thudding in her chest as she neared him. "Do you feel it?" he asked softly when she neared, grabbing her blood streaked hand in his and pulling her close. Colliding with warm, hard muscle, Olivia looked up into yellow eyes, "Feel what?" she breathed, trying to hide the unbidden desire in her voice at being so near his body. "The heat," he growled deeply, eyes flashing, "The bloodlust." One hand gripped Olivia's wrist while the other cupped her ass, drawing her against his hips where she felt his erection press against her. The material of her skirt protected her sex from rubbing against him and she groaned internally in frustration. "Taint," she whispered, arching her hips, "No..." "That's not what you said this morning," the demon taunted, not releasing her. He was right. That morning she had practically begged for him. And now that there was no turning back, why was she fighting it? It was time to come to terms with her new situation. She was an Angel no longer; the price she had paid for the pleasure Taint brought. But was it worth it? "It would be rude to keep Wraith waiting." Surprise flashed across Taint's eyes at her denial, but he complied, releasing Olivia. "The washroom is in there," he said, jerking his thumb toward a plain wooden door, "Wash yourself up and then we will join Wraith." Heat still wrapped itself around Olivia's senses and her body protested against leaving Taint's, but she nodded anyway and walked past him and into the bathroom. But before she got there, Taint stopped her with a call. "We will finish this later, little Angel. You can count on that." With a shudder of fear and anticipation, she continued on her way and locked herself in the bathroom. Away from the demon who had defiled her, and from the one who would do it again. ******************** {Wraith's Castle; night} The great hall was packed full of goblins, imps, and other the various demons that made up Wraith's army, all chattering loudly and showing off their plunder from the battle. It was an egregious sight, watching the goblins enjoy their feast, but Taint, dressed once gain in his elegant black suit, was safe at the high table with Lord Wraith and Olivia, who was dressed in a beautiful black dress with thin shoulder straps and a plunging neckline that he had conjured up for her after she had cleaned herself up. The Angel ate silently, only glancing up from her plate to look at the feast in mild disgust. He knew all she really wanted was to leave the feast in return to their chambers, but that would insult their host. There would be time for fulfilling true wishes later. "While we may have won a great victory," Wraith was saying gravely, stuffing his face with food at the same time, "The fact remains that no demon army has ever attacked a Gatekeeper's castle, and that means trouble." Stoically, Taint nodded his agreement, "I fear that you are right, my friend. And to see ogres banding together...there must be a greater power influencing them." "It would have to be very strong to make ogres work together," Wraith was sounding uncharacteristically worried. "Unfortunately, all their efforts will be for nothing once Olivia fixes the wall," Taint assured. At the mention of her name, the Angel perked up and looked at the two demon Lords, but remained silent, observing their conversation with an inquisitive gaze. "I believe that with the use of her power, we can repair the Wall and then face this power head on without having to worry about our defenses failing," Taint continued. "Are you up for the task, Angel?" Wraith asked Olivia, noticing she was watching. She shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure what it is I am supposed to do." "We will discuss that more tomorrow," Taint interjected. Seeing Olivia looking so lovely all evening without being able to touch her had been torture, "Right now I am weary and wish to retire. Thank you, Lord Wraith for the feast." Wraith stood from his seat, "No, thank you, Lord Taint for your army and your strength. I am forever in your debt." Standing as well, Taint bowed his head, "I fear that a time to cash in on that debt may come quicker than either of us would like. Good evening, Wraith. Olivia?" he held out his hand and the Angel took it, standing from her chair and following Taint out of the great hall. "We did not stay long," Olivia observed as she walked along with her hand still gripped by his, "Lord Wraith will not take offense?" "Lord Wraith is probably already off looking for a woman," Taint assured, "Luckily for me, I've already got one. Right?" He said this last word with emphasis, remembering her strange reluctance earlier. Olivia nodded shyly. "Good," Taint rumbled and pushed open the door to their chambers. He let Olivia go first, but followed close behind, kicking the door shut and grabbing her around her thin waist, not wasting any time. Spinning around, he pinned her against the door, his hands still gripping her hips, and kissed her. Startled at first, she responded quickly and he growled as he tasted her lips. "Taint," she moaned into his mouth and grabbed his arms tightly as he began planting kisses down her neck. When he reached her shoulder, he reached up with one hand and slid the strap of her dress down her arm before biting the area lightly. She cried out in surprise and pleasure, and then moaned as he kissed the spot. Returning to her mouth, Taint pulled the other strap, and then the dress, down. When it had cleared her chest, it pooled at her feet in a silky pile. "Beautiful," he moaned, palming one of her soft breasts and toying with the nipple, teasing it to a hard peak. Olivia's hands, which had been idle, now pushed at his blazer, sliding it over his shoulders impatiently. "Getting bold, are we?" he teased, backing up a step and removing the blazer on his own. She followed, completely naked, and smiled, "You've brought me pleasure like I've never felt," she said, loosening his tie and pulling it down, "Now I want to please you. Teach me how," her voice was husky as she pulled his tie off and went to work on the buttons of his shirt. He watched as she undid the garment, exposing his chest, which she kissed longingly. Where her lips met, pure pleasure followed and he hissed at the sensation. Continuing, Olivia's mouth traced a wet path down his torso and across his belly as she undressed him. Then, naked and on her knees before him, she reached for his belt while he pulled the shirt down his arms before discarding it. "You pleasured me with your mouth this morning," the Angel reminisced, unbuckling the belt and pulling it through the loops of his pants, "May I do the same for you?" "Do whatever you wish, little Angel," Taint groaned, looking down as she unbuttoned his pants. He wore no garments beneath, so when she pulled them down, his fully erect cock sprung forth. Snapping his fingers, Taint made his shoes and pants disappear, leaving him completely naked and aroused before the wanton Angel. "It's so big," Olivia whispered, mainly to herself, as she reached up to tentatively touch the rod of flesh. It twitched when her fingertips brushed it, but Taint remained still, allowing the near-virgin to explore him at her own pace, maddening as it was. With a gentle touch, she wrapped her fingers around the thick shaft and moved it slowly up, stopping at the head before traveling down again. The deliberate speed at which she moved was tortuous and Taint wished for more. "Go ahead," he urged, noticing Olivia licking her lips and mulling something over in her mind, "Taste it." The Angel smiled a little at her own transparency before moving her head toward his leaking head. Her hand had stilled as she concentrated on her present task, opening her mouth slightly and wrapping her lips around the tip of his cock. Taint shuddered at the warm sensation of her wet mouth around his head and then groaned as he felt her tongue explore it with teasing, novice skill. Unable to take her slow pace any longer, Taint gently gripped the back of her head, winding his fingers through her soft, blond hair. She flinched at first, but then gave into his efforts as he gently pushed himself deeper into her warm mouth. Because of his size, Taint knew Olivia would not be able to take all of his cock, but the just over half she could take felt like heaven; whatever that felt like. "Fuck," Taint swore, basking in the sweet, warm sensation of her mouth around his cock and her explorative tongue that lavished the underside of the organ. With the same gentle guidance with which he had entered her, Taint withdrew everything but the head of his member. Releasing Olivia's head, he waited for her to continue on her own. She obliged, and took his shaft into her mouth again, her hands clasped firmly on her thighs and the scent of her arousal beginning to saturate the air. Sucking him was turning her on, and this knowledge affected Taint similarly. "Faster, little Angel," he grunted, wishing to release himself soon. Olivia picked up the pace, bobbing her head in a steady rhythm down his shaft, still only taking half of his full length. In time she would learn to take more, but for now this was perfect and it was not long until he felt his balls tighten in preparation for his release. "I'm close," he warned Olivia. She shuddered and moaned softly around his cock at his words and increased her pace even more. His little Angel was turning into quite the lover and he smiled to himself, unable to not feel pride for turning her so rapidly from being a holy Angel. A few more thrusts and his orgasm arrived. Despite his warning, Olivia was startled by the sudden jets of cum shooting into her mouth and pulled off of Taint. A single rope of cum splattered her lips before he grabbed his shaft and aimed it downward, spilling himself onto her chest and breasts instead. "I'm sorry about that," he said when at last his orgasm had subsided. Olivia's chest dripped with his semen and she wiped her own chin free of it. "It's fine," she said, licking her lips, "I just wasn't expecting it..." Taint held out his hand and she took it so he could pull her to her feet, "Do you want me to clean it off of you?" he offered, knowing it would soon feel uncomfortable against her skin. "Please," she nodded and he snapped his fingers, removing the sticky mess from her body. "Thank you," Olivia said salaciously once clean and reached up to grip his shoulders. She took a step forward, plastering herself to his body with his cock between them, "Still hard?" she asked. "For you...always," he growled, walking backward and bringing her with him as he crossed the room. When his legs met the mattress, he fell backward onto it with Olivia following. She was straddling him now at the edge of the bed, his knees bent and feet resting on the floor. Taint smiled and brought her head down to take her lips in a searing kiss. She returned it, hard nipples rubbing against his chest and he could feel the warm moisture of her sex coating his cock where she rubbed her outer lips against it. "Lift your hips up," he ordered and Olivia sat up, raising her hips above him. Gripping his cock, he held it straight up so that it lined up with her glistening sex. "Now lower yourself." She did, and he watched, propped up on his elbows, as the Angel lowered herself onto his throbbing cock. Still sore from the morning, she went slowly, and whimpered as inch after inch of him disappeared into her scorching hot depths. This time, she was able to take all of him, and when at last she bottomed out, Olivia lay panting, sweat glistening off her breasts and fingers digging into Taint's hard abs. "You feel so good," she moaned, rubbing his muscles and wiggling her hips slightly, crying out at the stimulation in her overstuffed pussy. "So do you, little Angel," he replied, gripping the sheets beneath him tightly, "Now fuck yourself on me." His order was frank and effective. Without speaking, Olivia pushed down on Taint's stomach, levering her hips off of his cock. It withdrew, slick with her juices, before she impaled herself again on it, quicker than before. "God," she panted, repeating the process. Her nails were leaving scratches in his skin, but it only heightened his pleasure. It was mesmerizing, watching his cock appearing and disappearing as she moved on top of him. Her breasts bounced slightly with each insertion, and he reached up with one hand to gently pinch one of her erect nipples. Olivia cried out and bit her lower lip, increasing her speed on Taint's cock as he palmed her breast. "Will you cum for me, little Angel?" he growled through gritted teeth, arching his hips when she came down again, driving himself even deeper into her slit, "Drench me in your cum like I did to you?" "Yes," she hissed, "I'm so close." "You've come so far in one short day," he observed playfully, "Hard to believe you were an Angel this morning, because whatever this creature is on top of me is certainly not one." Hell's Gate Ch. 02 "Angels don't...experience...this much...pleasure..." she grunted thrusting her chest into his palm and rotating her hips once. "Keep doing that," he commanded, enjoying the added pleasure the new maneuver caused, "And cum for me, Angel." She added the slight rotation of her hips regularly to her thrusts, and Taint groaned before removing his hand from her breast and reaching toward where their bodies were joined. There he found her clit and pressed hard on it with his thumb to bring her to orgasm. She exploded, coming down hard on his cock before screaming out in bliss. "Taint!" she cried and ran her hands up his body, digging her fingers into his chest as she came. Fluid shot from her cunt, soaking his pelvis and lower stomach while her inner walls spasmed around his shaft. She was so tight that he felt every flutter and wave of her orgasm; it was too much. Letting his head fall back, Taint gripped her hips roughly and spun Olivia around so she was beneath, legs dangling off the edge of the bed. He stood crouched between her thighs, cock still impaled inside her as he began pumping himself into her pussy at a slight downward angle, hitting new points along her inner walls revitalizing her pleasure. "Fuck, Taint," she moaned, still high on her orgasm. Her arms were spread out to her sides as he pounded into her abused flesh, trying to reach his own orgasm. "In you or on you?" he asked her, referring to where she wanted him to cum. Although surprised, Olivia seemed to have enjoyed the feeling of his hot seed on her body and he wished to see if it was true. "On me," she said, "It felt so wonderful before; so hot and naughty." Taint smiled and continued to fuck her relentlessly. After a few moments she came again, juices gushing out of her vagina to drip onto the bed. He was not far behind, and pulled out just as his second orgasm of the night hit him, spraying thick ropes of cum over her smooth stomach. Some of it pooled in her belly button and one strand managed to make its way to her left breast, where it covered her nipple in white cream. "Yes!" she cried, and arched her hips as he finished, running one hand over her cum soaked belly and rubbing the sticky fluid into her skin. "Fascinating," Taint breathed, used to such exertions but still a little out of breath, coming to sit beside her on the bed. "What is?" Olivia asked tiredly, sitting up with cum slowly running down her body. "I had assumed you would be rather chaste and reluctant to my advances," he admitted, snapping his fingers and cleaning his little Angel of the rapidly cooling semen, "But you have proven twice now to be just as wanton as many of my demon lovers of the past have been." Olivia frowned, "I am as surprised as you are," she mused, resting her head on Taint's shoulder, "I was raised to avoid sex, yet have found it to be the most enjoyable thing I have ever experienced. And it confuses me..." "Perhaps you Angels are not as wise as you think," Taint offered with a friendly chuckle, "To deny yourselves something that is so basic and universal as sex seems silly." The Angel did not answer, but laid a gentle palm on his chest, pushing him down into a reclined position before taking her place next to him on the bed, head between his shoulder and chest. "You should have never kidnapped me," she said softly and not unkindly. "Are you unhappy I did?" Taint asked, with a queer tightening in his chest he had never experienced before. "Not at the moment," Olivia admitted, "But my father will be looking for me, and I fear for what he will do to you if he finds you out what you did." He nodded silently. She was right, of course. Angelic powers did not work well in Hell, but they were still a breed of warriors. Keeping Olivia captive was one thing, but defending against multiple Angels, or worse yet, Archangels, was something Taint was not prepared to do even with his power. "Do not worry, little Angel," he cooed, "Tomorrow you will begin to repair the Wall. And then I will return you to your home. If that is what you still wish." He added this last part with a small shrug. "Thank you," she said very quietly, and when Taint looked down, Olivia was fast asleep. Using his magic, he draped a heavy blanket over their naked bodies and hugged her close, enjoying the feel of her soft skin against his. Perhaps, out of desperation, he had made a mistake in kidnapping an Angel. The consequences could be severe and far-reaching, perhaps affecting all of Hell. But, right then, with Olivia sleeping in his arms, Taint felt like he had made the best decision of his very long life. To be continued... Hell's Gate Ch. 03 Chapter Three: Keykeeper {Unknown location, Hell, night} Gabriel knew there had been a problem as soon as he and Leo materialized in the middle of a pitch black field of dead vegetation situated under an equally black night sky. When he had dematerialized from the King's Tower, he had been aiming to appear in the middle of a well known goblin town, to make as much of a spectacle as possible, and to quickly ascertain the whereabouts of his daughter. But this place was all wrong. "Stay close," he told the young soldier, peering warily up at the moonless night sky, "This is not where I had intended us to end up." Leo was silent and the sound of his steel sword being drawn from its scabbard permeated the eerie silence of the field. Looking around at their surroundings, Gabriel immediately noticed a distant light flickering against the black horizon. "Do you see that?" he asked Leo. "Yes, your Grace," the younger Angel responded, "Shall we avoid it?" It was the sensible thing to do in unknown territory. "No, we will go toward it." Welcome or not, a light meant civilization, and Gabriel knew enough about Hell to know that anything was better than being lost in it. Besides, the light might be the goblin town, and he had only missed its location by a few miles. Loyal as always, Leo did not protest against the obvious danger, but followed as the King began walking toward the distant light. It was slow going on foot, but he did not dare use any magic for fear of becoming stranded. Angels could not use their powers freely in Hell, and before they had departed, Gabriel had stored up just enough to get himself, Leo, and, hopefully, Olivia home safely. Fortunately, the field was very flat and open, allowing the pair to pass over it without too much trouble, keeping the growing light in front of them as they went. As they got closer their destination, it became apparent that the light was coming off not a town, but a very large castle. Its many windows illuminated the inky darkness and continued to grow in number as they neared it. Even though it was still not the goblin town, Gabriel decided to keep pressing on, curiosity spurring him more than logic. "Sir," Leo cautioned as they approached the castle after about an hour of walking, "I think it would be wise to avoid this place." Gabriel could see why Leo was so anxious. The closer they got to the building, the more massive it revealed itself to be. Hundreds of windows and dozens of towers of flickering light rose above an enormous dark, black wall. Whoever controlled the castle was obviously very powerful and, being a demon, would not take kindly to Angels trespassing on his land. "I think you are right," the King agreed at last, feeling a slight twinge of anxiety himself. He changed course, angling away from the castle, keeping it to their left as they continued across the field. He was beginning to think that they should stop prowling around Hell soon. When he had left the City, Gabriel was certain that he would be able to bring Olivia back quickly and without much trouble. Now, under the shadow of the colossal castle and already wasting precious time, he did not feel so sure. And the longer they wasted, the more danger Olivia might find herself in. "Perhaps we should return home," he offered, thinking that it might actually have been better to send in the Archangels and cursing himself for not doing that to begin with. Something about the castle and the darkness was draining all courage from the mighty King's spirit and he wished very much to just give up... "Shh," Leo piped up, his voice high with fear uncharacteristic for an Angelic warrior, "I heard something." Trying to clear his mind of his sudden and crippling self-doubt, Gabriel listened carefully to the night air. *Click, click, click* Off in the direction of the castle, Gabriel could hear what sounded like something hard hitting stone. Looking down, he noticed that the field beneath their feet had become very rocky, and although his leather boots did not make much noise against the terrain, he imagined that something of the right material certainly could. "Stay quiet, Leo," he warned, his chest tightening with fear. *Click, click, click, click* This time he heard the sound off in the darkness from where they had come, the rhythmic pattern of the noise indicating that the source was from a living creature. Another listen; it was now coming from all directions. "Sir..." Leo sounded very frightened and Gabriel drew his great sword from where it was strapped to his back, holding the heavy weapon ahead of him with two hands. Heavy panting and fierce snarls joined sounds of what were to Gabriel now recognized as leisurely footsteps. Suddenly, as if born from the dark, a circle of gigantic dogs materialized around them. The hounds stood almost as tall as Gabriel, with shaggy, jet black fur and glowing red eyes. Sinister white teeth gleamed as they bared them at the Angels menacingly. "Leo," Gabriel whispered, trying not to make any sudden movements and spur the dogs into action, "I am going to get us out of here. We should have never come alone. Now, on the count of three; one...two..." "Three!" a gleeful female voice cried above his and one of the hounds leapt into the air, knocking Gabriel onto his back with its weight and pinning him to the ground with gigantic paws. His sword flew from his hands, coming to rest just out of reach. "Sir!" Leo shouted and made a move to help him, but recoiled as the hound atop Gabriel snapped at him threateningly. "Down boy," a woman said, slinking out of the darkness from among the hounds. Gabriel stared up at the source of the voice with angry eyes. She was a demoness, judging by her ashen grey skin and revealing attire; a long, black strip of cloth draped between her legs, attached to an identical strip behind her by a very thin silver chain. A bikini top made of black chainmail barely covered her very large breasts, and long, purely white hair spilled out over her shoulders. "My, my, what have we got here?" she teased, coming to stand directly above Gabriel's head while the hounds kept Leo at bay, "Two Angels trespassing on my territory." "I am only here..." Gabriel started to explain, but was cut short when the razor sharp claws of the hound dug straight through his thick golden armor and raked against his flesh beneath. "Quiet, Angel," the demoness warned, crouching down next to him, "Or my friend here will tear your arms off." Knowing demons rarely made idle threats, Gabriel gritted his teeth and said no more while she continued to address them both. "I felt your jump coming, so I intercepted it," she said, explaining instantly why they had not ended up where they wanted to, "I don't much care for Angels coming unannounced into my dimension in the dead of night. It makes me...nervous." The demoness spoke with a strong, clear tone; the voice of a ruler. "So tell me," she said, turning her head to look at Leo as well, "Why DID two Angels jump here unannounced in the dead of night?" "I am looking for my daughter," Gabriel explained from the ground, "She was taken by goblins sometime yesterday and I assumed they took her back to Hell." "Hmm..." the demoness hummed thoughtfully, "Then it's Lord Taint you're looking for." "Then it is to him I shall...UGH!", claws punctured his skin, drawing blood beneath the armor. "Do not speak out of turn again, or I will have your friend killed," the demoness warned and stood up straight, "Now; I'm sure Lord Taint had good reason for taking your daughter, but I'm afraid that if he did...well, knowing Angels and their fabled chastity...you might not want her back after all." Anger seared through Gabriel's veins at the demoness' implication, and it took all he had not to muster a bolt of energy to kill the hound currently pinning him down and attack the woman, hopefully killing her too before the other hounds ripped him to shreds. But using that power would certainly kill him, and he did not want that to happen, no matter how angry she made him. "But that is really beside the point, and of no consequence to me," she continued, staring down at Gabriel with deep violet eyes as if eyeing a treasure trove, "Because I have just bagged myself the King of Angels." "How do you..." Gabriel began to say, but the demoness gave him warning look, and so he fell silent. Demons were not supposed to know the identity of the King of Angels lest they use that knowledge for nefarious purposes. "It is my business to know who my potential adversaries are," she explained, answering his unfinished question, "But do you know yours, King? Do you know who I am?" Truthfully, Gabriel did not recognize the demoness, so he shook his head slowly. "My name is Clava, the Keykeeper, and soon-to-be queen of Hell." Clava made a small gesture with her hand, and the hound on top of Gabriel stepped off. Free, he sprang to his feet and turned to face the demoness, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulders from where the beast had wounded him. Standing, he was shocked to find that Clava was almost a foot shorter than him, and looked very unthreatening despite the hounds surrounding her. "You will let us go," he threatened angrily, already reaching for the power that would send Leo and himself home, "I am not an enemy you want to have." With a half smile, Clava took a few steps forward, and rested her palm on Gabriel's breastplate, "Big words for a big man," she said, skimming her eyes over his body, "Maybe I can find a way to cool that temper." Gabriel gasped as her other hand cupped the area between his legs lewdly. It was time to go. "You have made a huge mistake here tonight," he said, "And I will be back, with an army that will tear down your walls and root you from your castle alive so that I may kill you myself." Clava continued to smile, "How about you stay right where you are?" Sudden and debilitating weakness spread through Gabriel's body, starting from where her palm still rested against his chest. "What did you..." he could no longer feel the power he had stored to send him home, and the edges of his vision were getting blurry. The demoness took her hands off him and stepped back, snapping her fingers. Two shadowy figures rose from the ground in front of Gabriel and Leo. They were dark but transparent, clearly humanoid, with no discernible features. "Take them to the dungeons," the Clava demanded, and Gabriel was immobilized by an unseen force, unable to move any of his limbs, "And if either tries anything tricky, kill the younger one." The hounds parted, opening their circle and allowing for the dark shapes to pass through. Gabriel refused to move at first, but found that resistance proved impossible as his feet carried him forward against his volition. He tried to speak, to threaten some more, but his mouth refused to listen and no sound came out. As they marched through the darkness toward the giant castle, Gabriel was forced to admit that he, King of Angels and protector of the Spirit Dimension, was now a helpless prisoner. Taken by a demoness with unclear intentions and soon to be locked away in a dungeon... He just hoped Olivia was ok. ****************************************************************************** {Wraith's Castle; morning} "How old are you?" Olivia asked, rubbing her palm across Taint's chest and snuggling closer to his warm body beneath the sheets. "Why?" he asked, eyes still closed and only half awake, "Are you afraid I'm too old for you?" "No, I just want to know more about you." Taint opened his eyes and looked down at the Angel draped across half his body. "If you must know, I am just over seven hundred years old." Olivia laughed, sitting up to look down at him, blond hair falling around her face, "Maybe you ARE too old for me..." "And what about you, little Angel?" he asked, smiling up at her, "How old are you?" "Only seventy six," she said, "Although according to my father, that is nearly too old for marriage." The smile slipped from her face at mentioning her father, and Taint could see that thinking of him brought Olivia pain and regret, even though she had only been gone from him for a little over a day. "You will see him again," he promised her, reaching up to cup her cheek softly, "After today. I promise." His Angel still did not smile, but touched the back of his hand gently, "You are so kind...for a demon." She added this last part with a bit of playfulness. Taint sat up and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She returned the gesture. He deepened it, wanting to taste more of her, when the door to his chambers opened. "Easy, Taint," Lord Wraith's booming voice said from behind him. With a growl, he reluctantly broke the kiss and turned toward the intruder, "What is it, Wraith?" The large demon was not smiling, "News from Slake, from back at your castle," he explained, stepping further into the chambers, "You have a visitor." Completely nude, Taint immediately climbed out of bed, snapping his fingers once he stood. Instantly, he was freshly groomed and clothed in his usual suit, hair slicked back neatly over his head. "Who?" he asked, glancing at Olivia, who was holding a sheet up to cover her own nakedness from Wraith. "Clava," Wraith answered simply and Taint swore under his breath. "Olivia," he said turning to the bed, "We must go at once," he bowed to Wraith, "Thank you for your hospitality. I trust I will be seeing you soon." Wraith returned the bow before backing silently out of the room, closing the door behind him. Alone, Taint held his hand out to Olivia to take, who gripped it tightly. "Hold on," he instructed and snapped his fingers again. There was a loud whooshing sound, and the pair was no longer in Wraith's castle, but standing in the throne room in Taint's. Olivia was no longer naked, wearing the simple black dress she had on at the feast the night before. "Lord Taint," a female voice said from near the throne room's giant wooden doors, "So glad you could finally join me." Taint bowed low at the scantily clad demoness standing with one hand on her cocked hip, "I apologize, Keykeeper, I was enjoying Lord Wraith's hospitality. I trust Slake took care of you in my absence?" "Of course she did," Clava said in a dismissive tone, sauntering nearer to the throne and eyeing Olivia knowingly, "So this is the Angel?" Olivia stood tall, but Taint could tell by her facial features that she felt threatened by the domineering demoness currently scrutinizing her, "Yes, ma'am. She is here to fix the Wall." "Interesting idea, I have to admit," Clava now stood only a few feet away, violet eyes gleaming, "But will it work?" "I have every confidence," Taint assured, glancing rapidly between the two contrasting women. One beautiful and pure, the other darkly sensuous. "How do you intend for her to do anything if her powers do not work in Hell?" Clava's tone did not betray if she felt positively about the plan. Taint had to admit the Keykeeper raised a good point, but he had thought of it already. "The Wall will respond merely to her presence and repair itself. It was not made for demon tampering, but rather an Angel's touch. That is why it will work, ma'am." "Hmmm..." the Keykeeper sounded thoughtful, "Perhaps it will after all..." she paused for a moment, studying Olivia once more with her gleaming eyes. "Taint?" she asked after a few moments of silence, "I was hoping we could speak in private?" "Of course," he replied with a short bow, "Please come here, Olivia." The Angel took a step nearer to him, and he gently took her wrist, removing the golden bracelet that was binding them together. Then, bidden by Taint's silent command, a thin, black robed figure stepped out of the shadows behind the throne. "Sir?" Slake asked from behind her hood. "Please take Olivia to my chambers," Taint instructed the sorceress, "Keep an eye on her until I arrive. I do not intend to be long." Slake bowed and held out her arm, her hand concealed by heavy fabric, toward Olivia. After muttering a few unheard words, both she and the Angel disappeared silently. "I have her father," Clava said without pretense once they had gone. "What?" Taint did not immediately understand. The Keykeeper stepped up to the dais where Taint's large, black throne was situated and took a seat upon it, "Her father came looking for her last night," she explained, crossing one shapely leg over the other, "And you'll never guess who he is." Taint was only half listening. This was bad news. His worst fear had come true; Olivia had been missed and now Angels were crossing over to look for her. That must be why Clava had come, to punish him for bringing such trouble to Hell. "Who?" Taint asked lamely, unable to keep his thoughts completely straight. "Gabriel, King of Angels," Clava sneered smoothly, brushing a strand of snow white hair behind her ear, "You've captured yourself a princess, Gatekeeper. I didn't know you had it in you. Though I doubt she's much of a princess after one day with you, now is she?" "Shit..." Taint swore loudly, ignoring her final comment, his heart thudding in his chest. He was dead for sure; the Archangels would descend upon the Wall and kill him and his fellow Gatekeepers, the latter just for sport. If he had known who Olivia was... "Did you hear me a moment ago?" Clava asked, calmly staring at Taint with an expression that suggested she knew something he didn't. "You said her father...the King...came looking for her." "I also said that I have him in custody." It took a moment for the words to sink in, and when they did, Taint felt even more helpless. "Why!? Do you want war with the Angels?" He was rapidly losing his usual cool. "That won't happen," the Keykeeper was still maddeningly calm. Taint was trying very hard to keep his mind straight. He had just learned that he had kidnapped an Angel princess and that the Keykeeper had arrested the King of Angels so it was a rather difficult task. "And why not?" "You let me worry about that," Clava said, standing from her seat, "I am here to give you orders, not hear advice and answer questions from a lesser Lord." Realizing his transgression, Taint bowed low, waiting patiently for his superior to tell him what to do. "Have your Angel fix the Wall," she said, "And when it is done, bring her to me. I will take things from there." A painful tightening gripped Taint's heart at the idea of giving up Olivia to the Keykeeper, but he did not have much of a choice and nodded as he straightened. "Of course, ma'am." "You sound glum," Clava pouted, coming close and straightening Taint's jacket, "Is something the matter?" "No, ma'am," he lied, "Just weary from yesterday's battle is all." "Yes, I heard about that," Clava did not step away and Taint was feeling flushed at her nearness, "Very bravely fought. I hope that such attacks will become less frequent once the Wall is repaired." Taint did not express the concerns he had discussed with Wraith; that there was another power controlling the demon armies. The less the Keykeeper knew about it at the moment, the better. Something about the way she was reacting to their dire situation with the Angels made him uneasy. Clava had something planned and he did not like being in the dark. "I do too," was all he said. "Well, I guess I'll leave you to your duties," the demoness said, finally stepping away from Taint, "Maybe we can have a little fun once they're all over." She winked at him and his cock twitched slightly at fond memories of nights spent with the Keykeeper. But the feelings were fleeting, and he found himself more concerned with Olivia's well-being than with sleeping with the salacious demoness. Hell's Gate Ch. 03 "Perhaps," he tried to sound hopeful, but instead sounded slightly disgusted; at least to his own ears. "See you then, Gatekeeper," Clava said, blowing a kiss and then vanishing with a crack. Alone, Taint collapsed heavily into his chair. The fact that the Keykeeper, head protector of Hell's Gate, was keeping the King of Angels prisoner made him very nervous. He had known Clava for hundreds of years, and also knew that she was very tricky, a good quality for a demoness. But ever since her father, the previous Keykeeper, had died in battle a few years previous, leaving his duties to her, Taint had come to view this trait as more of a liability. War with the Spirit Dimension was something that they needed to avoid at all costs, so unless Clava had extended her influence beyond Hell and had lofty allies, her attitude was cause for concern. And she wanted Olivia, which opened up a whole different batch of problems for Taint. Thinking frantically over possible avenues to take from there, he stood from his throne. Under orders or not, he had to fix the Wall and restore the integrity of the Gate. So with a heavy heart, he snapped his fingers, disappearing from his throne room and going to meet his lover. ****************************************************************************** {King's Tower, morning} There was seldom spoken, but popular rumor among the City of Angels which suggested that once a female Angel had enlisted into the Archangel Michael's personal service, she did not remain an Angel for very long. And as Michael watched the petite redheaded beauty undress before him, he could honestly say that the rumor was very well founded. It was highly illegal, but no one could lay a hand on him anyway; they never could... The Angel was a little nervous, they always were at first, but would come to value her place in his service, just as all the girls that came before her had. Joining it was completely voluntary, and Michael had come to discover that many of the women just wanted a taste of the forbidden fruit they had been denied all their lives as Angels. Pitiful creatures. "Breathtaking," he sighed, lounging in the King's throne, situated in the middle of an enormous, round room, "Now turn around for me." The redhead rotated in a complete circle, giving Michael a wonderful view of her large, wonderfully rounded breasts and delicious looking ass. The look she gave him after performing her twirl suggested that she was trying hard to look sexy for him, but because of her inexperience she just looked a little silly. "What is your name?" Michael asked, leaning back in the throne, armor creaking. "Sophia," the young Angel said almost too quietly for him to hear. It was a fairly modern name, meaning she couldn't be more than a century old. Michael waved his hand through the air and a small padded chair that faced the throne materialized about five feet away, right next to where Sophia was standing. "Have a seat," he offered and she took it without protest, keeping her naked thighs shut tight and the treasure between them hidden from his view, "Would you like to hear a story, Sophia?" Confused at the strange request, Sophia nodded once, not wishing to upset her new master with her refusal, "Whatever pleases you, Sir." The naivety in her voice amused and aroused Michael, "Very well, Sophia," he smiled darkly, "But if I tell you a story, you will have to do something for me." "Of course, Sir." "Pleasure yourself," Michael said simply. The Angel's face blushed almost as red as her hair, "Sir...I do not know..." "Just do what comes naturally," Michael encouraged, waiting, "You'd be surprised at how easy it is." Sophia nodded and raised one hand tentatively, taking a moment to decide what to do with it before placing it on her breast. She used her fingers to play with her own, pink nipple, caressing and rubbing it to a point before doing the same to the other with her free hand. She continued like this for a few moments before growing a bolder and cupping them more fully in her palms. Occupied with her breasts, Sophia leant a little further back in her chair and opened her thighs a few inches. Feeling his cock start to stir at the redhead's novice efforts, Michael spoke, "Good; now when you feel it is right, go ahead and play with that little pussy." Such crude language was uncommon for most Angels, but Michael was clearly not most Angels. One hand started shyly traveling over her softly rounded tummy as Sophia nodded, spreading her legs a little further. Angel's had so much pent up lust it was a miracle that the chastity laws remained relatively unbroken. This one had come to him knowing what would be expected of her, but it was sill impressive how quickly she was opening up. "I am going to tell you a story from a very, very long time ago," Michael said as Sophia's hand disappeared between her thighs, "Just open your legs up a little more...good." He now had the perfect view of her bald cunt, already beginning to glisten with her juices, probably for the first time in her life as an Angel. "Now; long ago Angels and demons were not enemies, as they are now," Michael continued his story in a fatherly tone, "And were essentially the same beings. In fact, Angels used to travel to Hell all the time; and vice versa." Sophia had dipped a fingertip into her folds and was currently exploring the uses of her clit with her thumb, the other hand still playing with her breast. "Back then, there was peace between the two realms and even interbreeding." Sophia paused and gave a flushed, puzzled look at this statement, a fingertip still just inside her lips. "That's right; once upon a time Angels and demons copulated, and formed half-breeds that were, in my biased opinion, the best of both worlds. Powerful and versatile, these beings marked a wonderful time of peace between Hell and the Spirit Dimension," he paused, giving Sophia a reproachful look, "Don't stop now..." Realizing her mistake at stopping to listen to Michael's story, Sophia continued to pleasure herself, thrusting two fingers into her virgin hole and breathing harder with each move. "In those days, such a thing was not even given a second thought, and soon the mixed breed became almost as common as its two progenitors. Some Angels even revered them for the miracle they were; for while demons could create new demons with each other, only a human soul could be made into an Angel, and a pure soul at that," Michael took this moment to sigh deeply, "But alas, these times of peace were about to be shattered...are you about to cum?" Sophia had at some point in Michael's story begun thrusting her fingers with earnest into her cunt, albeit shallowly as to avoid her virgin barrier, and was starting to leak around them and onto the chair. Her breathing had become whimpers and gasps and her chest was flushed with crimson. "It's ok," Michael urged, leaning forward in the throne, his armor creaking, "I want to see you cum for the first time in your life; keep your thighs spread." Spurred by his words, Sophia's fingers plunged into her pussy faster, and her hips rose from the chair while her idle hand moved from her breast and gripped the chair's arm tightly. Letting out a loud, long moan of pleasure, she came. Juices flowed out around her fingers, coating them and the chair alike with a slippery sheen as her hips jerked spasmodically. Michael stood, cock rock hard at watching the beautiful Angel frig herself to orgasm. He reached for the buckles that held his armor on and undid them roughly. The Angel continued to come down from her climax while he undressed, baring first his upper torso, tan and corded with strong muscle and more than a few battle scars. Next he undid his belt and the ties on his breeches, kicking them off with haste and baring himself completely before taking his seat on the throne. "Come here," he told Sophia, who, done cumming at last, stood on shaky legs and walked up to where Michael sat, cock standing straight up at a full eight inches long and thick with blood. Slick cum ran down her thighs and when she was close enough to him, Michael reached his fingers out, rubbing them along her damp outer lips and coating the digits with her arousal. He brought his fingers to his lips and tasted her nectar, groaning in sheer pleasure. Nothing was sweeter than Angel cum. "Climb up," he commanded. Understanding his meaning, Sophia took a deep, steadying breath and placed one knee beside Michael's enormous thigh before swinging the other over to straddle him, his cock directly in front of her. "Closer." She moved forward until his member lay flat across her belly and leaked a pearl of pre-cum onto her pale skin. "Shall I...?" Sophia asked, looking with vague horror at the enormous organ. Michael nodded and watched as she leaned forward, breasts swinging, and laid both hands on his shoulders. Using his body for support, the virgin Angel lifted her hips and positioned them just above his oozing cockhead. Slowly, she lowered, and whimpered with pleasure and pain when the thick head began to part her sopping lips. Cum ran down his shaft in small rivulets, lubricating it adequately for his next move. With no warning and smiling very darkly all the while, Michael gripped Sophia's hips tightly before ramming her down on his cock with one strong thrust. Sophia cried out in pain and tears streamed from the corners of her eyes as he simultaneously broke through her virginity and stretched her virgin pussy to an extreme degree. "Shhh..." he cooed, wiping tears from her eyes with his thumb and reveling in the feeling of her tight sheath around his cock and her fingernails digging deeply into his shoulders, "The pain will be gone shortly. Would you like me to continue my story in the meantime?" Sophia stared at him with a hurt and baffled expression for a moment before nodding once, remembering who she was addressing, "Yes, Sir." Remaining perfectly still while she adjusted to him, Michael played absently with one of her nipples as he continued the tale, "Remember how I said that Angels and demons had once mated and produced half-breeds? Yes, well, when the Spirit Dimension was attacked by creatures from Hell, it was the end of the era. Goblins, vile little creatures good for nothing but servitude, felt like they were not being treated fairly by the lofty Angels in their golden City and resented the more-powerful demons of Hell. So, in all their infinite wisdom, the goblins decided to take over the City of Angels and amassed an enormous army to accomplish it." Experimentally, Michael flexed his cock within the tight channel of Sophia's pussy and smiled as it fluttered around him, releasing a flood of moisture that trickled out and coated his balls and signaling that she was ready for him. "You may start riding me," he said and without question, Sophia slowly rose off his cock, whimpering as he slid out of her, shining with her arousal. He continued his story, groaning inwardly at the amazing feeling of her tight inner walls rubbing along his shaft, "Luckily, a powerful Angelic warrior created his own army and drove off the goblin invaders. This Angel was Gabriel's grandfather and was elevated to King of Angels after the battle by the people he had saved. But the new King was very pious and distrustful of anything from Hell, so he ordered that a great Gate be built so that no demon could travel between the dimensions without the permission of the Keykeeper, and would forever be confined to their dark realm." Sophia was riding him faster, and her moans of pleasure were back, previous pain forgotten and breasts bouncing. Michael had to try very hard to keep from cumming, wishing to finish his story before finishing her. Gulping, he resumed, a little faster this time, "No one questioned this King because he had saved the people from the goblin threat. And because he could do anything he wished without question, the King ordered the murder of any half-breed in the Spirit Dimension, feeling they were spawn of evil and did not deserve to live. Some of his soldiers protested, so he had them stripped of their wings and weapons and forced into servitude. After setting this example, no other soldier disobeyed him and they swiftly carried out the command." He was very close now and Sophia was probably not even listening, dripping arousal in copious amounts and raking short nails down his chest, leaving red welts and heightening his own pleasure. In a one sentence Michael finished, "But they missed one; because this half-breed was older and more powerful than any Angel in the City and not even the great King could touch him." As he said "touch", he pressed the pad of his thumb hard into Sophia's clit and she came, a waterfall of cum gushing out of her cunt. The rippling of her inner walls pushed Michael over the edge, and his own cum sprayed her insides, leaking out and mixing with her juices from where they were tightly joined. In the throes of her orgasm, Sophia was digging her nails into his flesh deep enough to draw blood. Drenched with sweat from his efforts of control and Sophia's cum, Michael stood, his climax still abating and with the Angel still impaled on his cock. He turned around, depositing the exhausted Angel on the throne. He withdrew then, watching as a rush of cum and a bit of blood flowed from her cunt before turning his back on her, running a hand through his long, sweat dampened hair. "Who was the half-breed they couldn't kill?" Sophia's soft voice asked from the throne. Michael smiled. They always wanted to know the ending. "Me," he said waving his hand and holding out his arms as his armor began attaching itself to him, "I was that half-breed. An Archangel long before the great King could murder my brothers and sisters. But one learns to choose his battles..." Fully dressed and unsmiling, he turned to the shocked-looking redhead. "But..." "No more questions," he said sharply, retrieving his hammer from where it leaned against the back of the throne, "I think you will do nicely in my service. Someone will be right in to take care of you. Good day." He left her then, bewildered and still dripping cum all over the King's throne. Gabriel would not mind much; it wouldn't be his throne for much longer. Returning to his own chambers, Michael was pleased to find a message waiting for him. It was from Clava. She had Gabriel in custody and knew where Olivia was being held. All good news. It was not like he had planned for the princess to be kidnapped, that had just been happy coincidence. But the fact that she had been had certainly sped along his ultimate plans. For Michael was old enough to remember a better time, a story he liked to tell often, and with the help of the Keykeeper he intended to bring that time back. No matter what the cost. So with a smirk, he crumpled up the message and threw it in the fireplace. He needed to call the Archangels to arms. The King and princess were being held in Hell and needed to be freed... ****************************************************************************** {Hell's Gate, mid-morning} "The cracks are evidence that the magic in the Wall is fading fast," Taint explained, looking very small standing directly under the enormous, vine-covered structure that formed part of the enormous Hell's Gate, "But since demons did not build it, demon magic cannot fix it." Olivia's hair whipped around her head in the strong wind, forming a golden halo, "But my magic doesn't work here," she said, trying not to sound foolish in her ignorance, "So how can I help?" She glanced at Slake, who was remaining silent within her dark robes. Why the sorceress had come, Olivia did not know. She had been silent ever since whisking her away from the company of the very intimidating Clava, and so Olivia had been forced to wait for Taint in uncomfortable silence, wondering if any demoness would ever impress her with their winning personalities. "The Wall does not require the importation of Angelic power; it has enough of that on its own," Taint explained, running a hand over one of the larger cracks, white along its edges but an ugly black within, "All it needs is a guiding hand." "My hand," Olivia nodded, trying to see the beauty of the Wall through the ugliness that Hell had covered it with. "Do you think I am powerful enough? It certainly is big..." "Power has nothing to do with it," Slake spoke for the first time in her icy tone, "All good magic needs is a strong will behind it." "She would know," Taint said, looking at the demoness, "Slake was Earth's most powerful sorceress at one time." Olivia shuddered to think what it was that Slake had done to be promoted from human sorceress to demoness. Clearly she was a woman of few words, but when she did speak, she came off very cold. Olivia doubted many humans had mourned her passing. "So how do I do this?" sitting around talking about fixing the Wall of Hell's Gate was all well and good, but was doing nothing for Olivia at this point. It was now or never... "Reach out," Taint lightly grasped the Angel's hand, guiding it toward the massive stone structure, "And simply touch it." Tingles spread up Olivia's arm where the demon Lord touched her, and she was so busy staring into his yellow eyes that she did not realize when her fingertips brushed the Wall. Immediately upon contact, warmth flowed through her body and she felt charged with a great power like she had never experienced. With a fluttering whoosh, great wings sprung from her back, tearing the back of her dress and illuminating the air around her with their silver refulgence. "Slake?" she heard Taint say over a loud rushing sound in her ears. In her peripherals, Olivia could see the demoness reach up and pull back her hood, revealing her face for the first time. Immediately the light around Olivia faded and the rushing sound ceased, though the warm sensation continued to swirl around her body pleasantly. Folding her wings back into her body, she turned her head to Slake, who was staring very calmly at her. The cruel demoness beneath the hood was beautiful. Thick, curly and barely controlled red hair framed her softly featured face and dark blue eyes blinked nonchalantly. "What was that?" Olivia asked her, keeping one hand on the Wall, afraid that if she let go something even more shocking would happen. "I told you the Wall had its own power, little Angel," Taint mused, laying a steadying hand on her shoulder, "You have beautiful wings, by the way." Blushing like a child at the endearing compliment, Olivia smiled at him before turning back to Slake, "But what did you do to stop it?" "My own power countered yours so that it did not spread any further," Slake explained, looking much less threatening with her hood lowered, but sounding just as cold. "Thank you," Olivia said lamely. She turned back to the Wall and Taint, and gasped. From where her palm rested against the surface of the structure, a circle of white was growing slowly. Except that it wasn't a circle, but the Wall itself, shedding off choking vines and repairing cracks right before her eyes. Taint was likewise transfixed, eyes wide and face beaming with...was it pride? Whatever it was, it made Olivia's heart swell a little at the sight. "Am I doing that?" she asked in awe as the area of repaired Wall continued to grow. Taint nodded, "But are you meaning to, little Angel?" "No..." a portion of the circle had reached the ground, and it continued to grow in size at a steady pace along the Wall. "Put your will into it," Slake said from behind, "We will be here for days at this rate." Truthfully astonished that Taint's insane plan was actually working, Olivia furrowed her brows and concentrated. Almost immediately, the rate at which the Wall was repairing itself quickened and before long an entire section, from the ground to the top, looked brand new, gleaming brilliant white. Olivia put even more effort behind the repair, and the rushing sound in her ears returned as the Wall vibrated beneath her hand. Hell's Gate Ch. 03 With a flash of power that ruffled the feathers of her wings, which had once again sprung free, the area of repair spread swiftly in both directions, following the Wall with an immense speed and disappearing into the distance within a matter of moments. "Keep it up for a few more minutes," Taint had stepped very near to Olivia and was whispering into her ear over the rushing sound. The feeling of his heated breath along her skin sent a ripple of pleasure through her system. Another burst of power swept over Olivia's body and Slake called out, "Be careful; I can barely contain this as it is." With reluctance, Taint stepped back, a devilish smile playing across his lips. "My apologies," he said, bowing politely to Slake. Olivia returned to concentrating on the Wall. The power coursing through her body was exhilarating and adrenaline pumped into her veins, heating her skin and heightening her senses. "Any word from Lords Peril or Hazard?" Slake asked in her calm demeanor. Olivia did not recognize the names. Taint cocked his head, as if listening for something. A few moments passed until he nodded once, "Both Peril and Hazard report that their end of the Wall is repaired," he turned to Olivia, not bothering to conceal the beaming smile that stretched across his face, "You may let go now, little Angel. You have done it. Hell's Gate will continue to stand thanks to you." With a deep breath, Olivia removed her palm from the Wall. The rushing ceased and she could already feel the power begin to fade from her body, her wings shrinking back into her back. It was an honest relief, but as the magic faded, something remained behind; a burning feeling deep inside her body. Heat that burned her skin and clouded her mind. "Taint..." Slake was looking at Olivia with what almost resembled concern. Still beaming, Taint glanced first at Slake and then at Olivia. At once, the wide smile disappeared from his face and he rushed up to support the Angel, whose legs were feeling very weak and failing her. Grateful for the help, Olivia leaned into his embrace, and immediately regretted the decision. As soon as she made contact with his hard body, the flame inside Olivia flared up to near painful levels, centered in her lower belly. "Oh..." she gasped, trying to figure out what she needed to do to relieve the alarming sensation. "What is wrong with her?" Taint sounded frantic, searching Slake's face with wild eyes as if looking for the answer to appear there. Olivia was in obvious danger. The sorceress remained completely calm and stared at the struggling Angel for a minute before nodding in understanding, "The cracks." "Speak plainly," Taint growled, hugging Olivia closer to his chest while she clung to his clothes for support. Slake sighed, "When she repaired the Wall, Olivia was exposed to some of the demonic power that had formed the cracks. It would probably a minimal amount to you or I, but to an Angel even that small amount is too much to absorb directly." "How do I fix it?" "How does one best exorcise a buildup of demonic power?" the traces of a smile lit Slake's eyes, "...sin." Realization dawned on Taint's features. "Olivia," he said softly, cupping one of her cheeks with his palm, "We must get rid of this demonic energy that is inside of you." "How?" she pleaded, answering her own question by writhing against Taint's body, unaware that she was rubbing her hips roughly along his thigh. Taint leaned down and whispered softly into her ear, "By sinning." Eyes flying wide, Olivia's mind clicked as she consciously realized what she needed to do to quell the heat still growing inside her. "Here?" she asked, and then cried out in pain as the fire flared up within her. In response, Taint gently guided her backward. Warm stone contacted Olivia's back where her wings had torn through them. "Here," he growled and bent his head down, searing her neck with a hungry kiss. Olivia threw her head to the side, exposing the sensitive skin and balled her hands into fists, grabbing the fabric of Taint's jacket. Wetness had already spilled from her slit and still more flowed as his actions inflamed her lust. The lust was instantaneous, and her mind concentrated on the single task at hand. Taint's lips were still busy at the juncture of her neck and shoulder as Olivia felt one hand drift across her hips and thigh before gathering the edge of her dress. The fabric slid up as the hand quickly sought her sex, wasting no time. "Taint!" she cried when two fingers plunged deeply inside her, releasing another wave of arousal and peaking her lust to painful levels. "Don't tease," she begged, leaning against the Wall and releasing his jacket. Struggling with fumbling hands, Olivia reached for his belt, managing to undo it while his fingers continued to probe her. There was no time for foreplay, the heat was becoming unbearable. "You've never been so hot," Taint muttered against her skin, "It feels so good." The fingers curled upward, rubbing roughly against the upper walls of her pussy just as she got the button of his pants undone and the zipper down. Crying out and placing her palms flat against the Wall, Olivia came, gushing cum around Taint's fingers. Some of it slid down her thighs, leaving scalding trails where it ran. A portion of the heat had abated with the orgasm, but it was still raging through her body as Taint's freed cock nudged at her entrance through the fabric of her dress, driving her insane. "Fuck me," she pleaded, removing one hand from the Wall and gripping his thick member, "The heat...please!" After a bit of fumbling and minimal help from Taint, who was jutting his hips forward in a futile attempt to rip through her dress and plunge inside her dripping heat, Olivia managed slip his cock beneath the short hem of the dress. Moisture from the tip joined the already flowing river of arousal surrounding her cunt and he head butted against her bare opening, causing her to cry out. "Hold on, little Angel," Taint gasped looking down between their bodies and shoving his hips forward. In one quick thrust, he had impaled himself fully within her depths and they both cried out in pleasure. "Still so tight," he groaned. Shifting his hips, he slowly began to thrust into her. To Olivia's heightened senses, Taint's cock felt like a red hot iron burning her inner walls. Each thrust of his hips made her ride up the wall a few inches before sliding down again when he withdrew, leaving her tortuously empty for a fraction of a second. Strong fingers gripped her thighs as Taint panted, resting his forehead against her shoulder and hammering into her like it would be his dying act. She could feel every inch of him inside her and smell his sweat beneath his suit, intoxicating her senses and bringing her to the brink of another explosive orgasm. "Almost there," she cried, feeling the uncomfortable heat beginning to center on her lower belly, "Just keep....YES!" Olivia snapped her head back in unadulterated pleasure as the ball of warmth in her belly exploded in a million pieces, making her toes curl against the ground and her cunt to spasm uncontrollably around Taint. Dimly, she heard his own cry and felt the hot splashes of his semen against her inner flesh. With shaking hands, Olivia reached up and cupped Taint's head in her hands, crushing her lips to his mouth and riding out her orgasm by wrapping her legs around his lower back and using his body to support her own. He greedily returned the kiss, pressing himself closer to her and pinning her to the Wall. The world stood still as the unbidden heat and lust finally seeped out of Olivia's system along with the evidence of their fucking when Taint pulled out of her. Thighs sticky with fluid, she gently placed her feet on solid ground and released Taint's head, pulling reluctantly from his mouth. "Thank you, lord Taint," she whispered, placing her palms on his heaving chest. "Anything, little Angel," he smiled, bringing his own hands up to grasp hers and staring deep into her eyes. "Fascinating display," Slake piped up from behind them, "Did it work?" Olivia peered around Taint's body with wide eyes. Slake had seen the whole thing and had not had the decency to leave. Though this did not completely shock Olivia; Slake was a demoness and probably viewed sex with the same degree of pleasure as most other demons. She had probably enjoyed watching, and this knowledge sent a strange tingle of pleasure racing along Olivia's spine. "Yes," she nodded, stepping around Taint to face the sorceress, "Thank you for figuring out what was wrong." Slake remained silent for a moment, and was just about to say something when the air above them split open with a resounding crack. Olivia looked up to see a circle of pure white appear in the red sky and a magnificent beam of shimmering light shoot down from it, landing only a few feet from where the trio was standing close to the Wall. "Slake," Taint yelled loudly, his voice frantic with sudden worry, "Take Olivia and get to the castle." The sorceress hesitated for a fraction of a second. "NOW!" he yelled and Olivia felt a strong hand grip her upper arm, tugging her away from the beam of light. "What is it?" she asked, worried for Taint and not wishing to leave him. In answer, a booming male voice called down from above them, "Demonic Lord Taint, Gatekeeper, you have been sentenced to death by the order of Archangel Michael for the forceful kidnapping and detention of Gabriel, King of Angels and the princess, his daughter, Olivia." Holding her ground against Slake's insistent pulling, Olivia watched as an Angel descended from the sky on enormous black wings. His hair was white, cut close to his scalp and he wore light armor of brown leather. In his hands, the Angel held a golden bow, currently knocked with a silver arrow, pointed directly at Taint. "Raguel!" Olivia shouted, recognizing the Angel was not an Angel at all, but one of the feared and respected protectors of the Spirit Dimension; an Archangel. "Olivia, please go!" Taint shouted, holding out his fist. His thin, black sword materialized in it with a puff of black smoke, "You don't need to see this. Thank you for everything you've done, little Angel, but there is no stopping this." Taint's voice was strained and his eyes filled with sorrow. And there, in the shimmering light of the Raguel's pillar, she could see a tear barely formed at the edge of his eye. In that instant, Olivia knew she could not let Raguel kill her demonic lover. There was more to him than the cruel demon Lord she had met just over a day ago when he had kidnapped her, and she intended to keep him around to explore this side of him further. For as long as she could. With a wrenching motion, she tore away from Slake's grip and made a move to throw herself in front of Taint. Time slowed and she watched the arrow loose from Raguel's bow, headed for Taint. She tried to move, but her feet would not obey and so stood rooted to the spot as the arrow neared its target. "Taint..." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes as the weapon made contact, piercing through his suit and burying itself deep in his chest, "No..." With a thump, Taint fell back against the Wall, clutching at his chest where the arrow was sticking out, blood already pooling around the area. "No," Olivia said, a little louder as Raguel loaded another arrow, "NO!" Summoning all her strength, she took a bounding leap toward the Wall and laid her hand upon it. In an instant she could feel the power of it surge through her. Looking up at the surprised Archangel, she held out her free palm and concentrated. Raguel released the arrow just as Olivia let loose a powerful bolt of energy, heading straight for him. The arrow never reached its intended target, disintegrated by the magic. When the same magic made contact with Raguel's body, he let out a scream of pain and a brilliant flash of light illuminated the entire field around Taint's castle for less than a second. Then blackness fell as Olivia slumped against the Wall, slipping into the dark and reaching for her lover's hand. Crippling the Archangel, for he was certainly not dead, had taken more power than Olivia had ever channeled, and she could not stay awake. "Slake," she managed to croak before losing consciousness, "Help him..." and fell silent. To be continued (Very soon, I promise!!)... Hell's Gate Ch. 04 Because there is a lot of setup in this chapter and not much in the way of advancing the plot, I've focused on exploring some new characters/sexual themes. The next chapter will contain a lot of plot and probably only one scene of erotica. Chapter 4: Counsel {Wraith's Castle; evening} With a massive groan, Taint sat up from his reclined position, gritting his teeth at the pain that shot through his chest with the movement and blinking away the blurriness in his vision from being unconscious for so long. He was in a bed in a massive bedchamber, covered with blood red sheets. Someone had stripped the suit from his body and placed a thick cloth bandage on his chest, just over his heart. With his vision rapidly becoming less obscured, Taint was able to get a better look at the chamber, and recognized it immediately by the chains that hung from the ceiling, permanently installed to meet the needs of their owner. A variety of tools hung on the stone walls and a fire blazed in the fireplace, warming the room comfortably. "I knew you'd pull through," a deep voice said from near the door of the bedchamber. "Lord Wraith, what am I doing in your bed?" Taint's voice sounded weak to his ears, but fairly good considering the injury in his chest. Wraith came closer to the bed, the chains on his pants making a racket as he walked, "Slake brought you here," his solid black eyes were filled with worry, "She told me what happened at the Wall." What had happened was a disaster, Taint recalled faintly. Somehow the Archangels had discovered that it was Taint who had kidnapped Olivia and had sent one of their members to kill him, a fearsome creature with a golden bow. The last thing he remembered was being shot in the chest with a silver arrow and his little Angel crying out for him... "Where is Olivia?" Taint demanded, sitting up further in bed and causing another sharp stab of pain to lance through his chest. "Safe, my friend," Wraith assured, placing a large hand on Taint's shoulder and guiding him back down, "She was unconscious when Slake got here with you both, but is now awake and asking for you. She saved your life, you know." Shocked, Taint looked up at Wraith with surprise. He had not expected Olivia to turn against her own kind for him. To take on an Archangel and survive must have taken an enormous amount of effort on her part; more than he truly deserved. Whatever punishment she would have received for being with him in violation of Angel chastity laws would pale in comparison to whatever the Angels would have in store for her now. Exile, most likely, if not death. "I want to see her," Taint said, struggling to sit up against Wraith's strong grip on his shoulder. The other demon shook his head, "You need to rest, my friend. You just took an Archangel's arrow to the chest," he gave Taint that same worried expression from a second ago, "Which we need to discuss." "What's to discuss? I made a mistake, put Hell in danger and Olivia in an impossible situation." "Whatever that Angel did was by her own choice," Wraith said roughly, "And Hell's been in danger for a long time now. You cannot blame yourself for those things." "I don't even know how they found out she was here," Taint shook his head, giving up on his efforts to resist Wraith's hand. "Did anybody with the ability to communicate with the Spirit Dimension know who Olivia is?" For a moment Taint thought it over, and then swore loudly, pounding his fist on the bed, "Shit!" "What is it?" "Clava," Taint said angrily, "She knew..." The Keykeeper was one of the few demons in Hell who could communicate or travel to the realms from Hell; barring goblins and other minor demons that just slipped by the Gate's weakened defenses. Or did, they would not be able to now that the Wall was repaired. Wraith looked thoughtful, "But why would she tell the Archangels? She hates Angels." It didn't make sense to Taint either. For one thing, she had Gabriel captive in her own castle. And Wraith was right, Clava's sole mission as Keykeeper had been to keep Hell's Gate firmly shut. Or that is what she claimed. "I don't know," he admitted, "But we need to be careful. I am not sure who we can trust." There was a knock at the door, and Slake peered inside, her hood covering her face. "Lord Wraith, is Lord Taint awake?" "I am," Taint answered from the bed, "Come in." Slake entered, shutting the door and turning her head up at Wraith, "I would like to talk to him alone, if that is ok." With a final, harried look at Taint, Wraith nodded, "He's all yours. I'll go check on Olivia." When he had left, Slake addressed Taint, "My Lord, the situation along the Wall is dire. Six Archangels are threatening to storm the Gatekeepers' castles if the King of Angels and Olivia are not turned over at once. The only Archangel not to show up was Michael himself." "Are we threatened here?" Taint asked. If he could see her face, he was sure Slake was smirking by the tone of her voice, "One is trying to threaten, but he will only find an empty shell if he ever enters the castle. I have altered the plane of existence around this place for the time being. No Angels allowed." "You truly are an extraordinary sorceress," Taint complimented, never ceasing to be amazed by Slake's abilities, "How long can we be shielded like this?" "A few days at the most," Slake admitted, "Even my powers have their limits and this spell is not an easy one to maintain." "I appreciate your efforts. It will give us time to figure out what to do next...whatever that is." "Might I suggest confronting the Keykeeper directly?" Slake suggested calmly. Taint frowned, "What do you know about that?" "I know that she is behind this attack." "How?" "Who else could it be? She's the only one with an open line between the Spirit Dimension and Hell. Plus, you let her see Olivia." This last part she said with a hint of reproach. At least she did not know the whole story, about Clava having Gabriel in custody. "In my opinion, you have gotten too close to that Angel," Slake continued, "Two days ago you had her trussed up in your bedchamber with questionable intentions." Taint did not comment. It was not Slake's place to comment on his choices. What he needed to do was get out of bed and find Olivia. Once he knew she was safe, he would begin to plan his next move. Open war with the Keykeeper was not something he wished to consider, but the situation was looking very dire. The last time Archangels had entered Hell, they had overseen the construction of the Gate, ending a long era of peace between Angels and demons. Old wounds could easily be reopened. "Activate my healer so I can put this arrow business behind me," Taint requested, flexing his arm across his chest and exposing a red rune tattooed on his bicep to Slake. The sorceress bowed shallowly, and reached out with her hand. At a single word from Slake's mouth, the rune began to burn and glow against Taint's pale skin. He gritted his teeth against the pain the burning caused. Tingles crept along his arm to his chest where the arrow had pierced. Beneath his bandage, he could feel the magic of the rune work on the wound, healing it in moments where it would have taken his body days. Slake herself had marked his body with the many markings; each one of the dozens he possessed serving a separate purpose. Some were rarely used and required Slake's help to activate, like the healing rune, but others were activated more often and with minimal effort, like the black rune at the base of his neck that allowed him instant communication with his fellow Gatekeepers. They hurt each time they were activated, but that was the small price he was willing to pay to use the powerful magic. After a few minutes, the pain in his bicep receded and the rune stopped glowing, confirming that his chest wound was fully healed. With a snap of his fingers, the bandage disappeared, revealing smooth skin beneath. Conjuring and traveling were easy magic and required no price for their use, which was why Taint utilized them often. The pain of moving gone, Taint swung from his bed, conjuring his clothes with a snap. "Please take me to see Olivia," he asked. "Of course, she is in..." Slake turned toward the door, which opened with a bang, "Here." Indeed, Olivia was standing in the doorway, dressed in the leather armor she had worn at the battle the day before, although her skirt had been replaced with pants that clung to her legs tightly. Her golden sword hung at her hips and her hair was pulled back and tied behind her head. She looked ready for war. "Taint!" she cried, walking swiftly to where he stood admiring her and flinging her arms around him, "Thank god you're alive." Pulling his Angel close to his body, Taint returned the embrace softly, "Let's be careful who we thank, little Angel. But yes, I am alive and healed." Olivia looked up into his eyes, "I'm sorry for bringing this upon you. It's my fault the Archangels came." "No," Taint shook his head, "It is my fault for taking you in the first place. But that is neither here nor there; we must decide what to do next." "I'm afraid that decision may have already been made," Olivia confessed with a small frown. Wraith had appeared at some point and now spoke from the doorway, "They're here, Taint. All of them." Taint frowned at his friend, who filled the doorway with his massive size, "Who?" "The other Gatekeepers," Wraith explained, rubbing his bald head, "And they want to meet with you. They've called a counsel." Gulping, Taint nodded, "Of course," he unwrapped himself from Olivia's embrace, "Perhaps a different attire would be more appropriate." With a snap, he was dressed in his own leather armor and sword. "All of them?" Slake asked, sounding a little hopeful. Both Wraith and Taint smiled at a common thought while Olivia looked at them in confusion. "All of them," Wraith confirmed, "And they don't like to be kept waiting." "Then let us not keep them any longer," Taint announced, and with a deep breath walked to the door, "Lead the way, Lord Wraith." ****************************************************************************** {Hell's Door, evening} Having just received a very warm welcome from her visitor, Clava was laying against his huge chest, with one hand lazily tracing the muscles of his stomach. The evidence of their recent encounter trickled out of from inside her and onto her thighs warmly. They made strange bedfellows, but it was not the first time they had enjoyed each other's company. They had, after all, been scheming together for years. She had met the Archangel while her father was still the Keykeeper. Michael had been visiting Hell on one of his routine checks of Hell's Gate. Unbeknownst to Clava at the time, he had actually been checking for political rather than physical weakness among the Gate's protectors. But Clava's father had run a tight ship, and his Gatekeepers were deeply loyal. Or they had been, until Clava began a rumor that ended up getting her father killed. During one of his visits, Michael had approached Clava and seduced her with a grand scheme he had been planning for a "very long time". All grown up by then and hungry for a power only her father possessed, Clava had allied with the Archangel. Using her penchant for spreading lies and mischief, she had started an innocent rumor among the Gatekeepers that resulted in Lord Taint declaring war on her father. He met the challenge, although had been completely shocked at the show of disloyalty from his most powerful Gatekeeper. It was during that battle that Clava snuck up on her father and stabbed him in the back. When it was declared that the Keykeeper was dead, the battle was halted. The Gatekeepers had taken heavy losses, and so, with Clava declared the new Keykeeper, had sued for peace, unsure that declaring war had been the right choice to begin with. After seizing power, her affair with Michael continued for almost one hundred years. Both knew they would have to try and be patient for their ultimate plans to work and so had waited with minimal advancement all those years. Finally, frustrated, Clava had decided to attack the Wall by manipulating lesser demons, weakening the defenses between Hell and the other realms a little at a time until the time that it would finally fall. It was a choppy and brutish plan, but she was running out of patience. And then Lord Taint had slipped her a golden opportunity by sneaking his goblins past the Wall's weakened defenses and kidnapping an Angel princess. Upon discovery, Clava had immediately met with Michael, and together they hatched an elegant but effective plan that would finally see their ambitions come to light. Now, with all the players in place, they were meeting once more; after a heated welcome that left both shining with sweat and eager for more. "This is it," Clava said, snuggling closer to Michael's body, "All these years." She felt the Archangel's chest rumble beneath her cheek as he chuckled, "Who knew we would be able to get rid of both of our problems with one move. The Gatekeepers and Archangels will all but destroy each other." "They will figure out our plan sooner or later if they have not already," Clava cautioned. It was typical of Michael to get ahead of himself with his arrogance. "Do not worry about that," Michael said, "By the time they can do anything to stop us, it will be too late." Clava sat up onto her knees to look down at the naked Archangel, "I will continue to worry until you are King of the Angels and I rule all of Hell. Only then will I be satisfied that we have done our job to its completion." Michael sat up as well to lean against the headboard of the bed they had collapsed into almost immediately upon greeting each other, "As long as the Archangels die and the Gatekeepers are sufficiently weakened, you will have all that and more," he reached out a hand to Clava. She took it and giggled like a young maiden as he pulled her onto his lap with powerful arms. Apparently their break was over. Straddling his hips, Clava felt the flesh of Michael's manhood press against her backside, hard as iron. She cocked her head to the side and placed a kiss on his lips, pressing her palms against the hard wall of his chest. Clava moaned when he returned it, slipping his tongue between her lips to duel with her own. A familiar heat began to form around her sex and she could feel moisture begin to build around it, joining the already copious amounts from their previous session. "Tell me all those Angels you fuck in the City aren't nearly as good as me," Clava pouted, pulling away from Michael's mouth and humping her hips against him, depositing some of her arousal on his skin. "They don't even come close," Michael promised, reaching up and cupping her large breasts in his hands, squeezing them and caressing her nipples against his palms. Pushing against him, Clava arched her chest into his hands, "Good, now lay down flat." Releasing her breasts, Michael complied, using his arms to slide his body down the bed until he was lying on his back, his head supported by pillows, looking up at the demoness currently straddling him. With a secret smile, Clava stood, her sex leaking down her thighs, and turned around so her back was facing him. Then, coming back down, she slid her lower body along his, getting closer to his head and leaving a trail of moisture along the way. Understanding her intentions, Michael gripped her thighs roughly and yanked her up the last few inches so that her cunt was positioned right above his head. With her breasts pressing into his lower abdomen, Clava gripped his cock and stroked it a few times before placing a tender kiss on the head, tasting the salty drop of pre-cum that had formed there. "Naughty girl," Michael smiled and licked her slit, beginning with her clit and following it to just below her ass. Clava moaned and her inner walls fluttered, coating her outer lips and Michael's chin with arousal. He licked her there again as she took the head of his cock completely into her mouth, worshiping it with her tongue. His hips bucked upward, forcing another inch of his shaft inside. Deliberately, she continued down his cock, running her tongue along his pole as he used his own tongue to pleasure her. When she reached the base of his member, she let out an involuntary moan when Michael sucked her clit into his mouth. Clava pulled her mouth off of Michael's cock, wet with her saliva, before taking it again. As she began to suck him with earnest, he parted her pussy with two fingers, spearing his tongue between them and stimulating the sensitive inner flesh. Pausing at the intrusion, Clava hissed in pleasure and ground her hips against Michael's mouth to get closer as he fucked her with is tongue, releasing a wave of arousal that coated his face and ran down his chin and neck. "Don't stop," she moaned, leaning forward to lick along his shaft, feeling herself begin to approach orgasm as his tongue hit all the right spots. He was not the best lover she had ever had, but he got the job done. Michael continued and while one hand parted her lips, the other pinched and played with her clit. With this added stimulation it was not long until Clava lost control. "Fuck!" she cried, arching her back and throwing back her head as she came. A rush of cum erupted from her cunt, nearly drowning Michael as he endeavored to take it all into his mouth. It was the third time she had cum that day, and she would not be surprised if she experienced a fourth. She prided herself on being a very sexual demon, accepting it as both a pleasurable pastime and a tool for manipulation. Even with Clava's orgasm beginning to subside, Michael continued to lap at her pussy, drawing out her pleasure and giving her reason to resume sucking his cock. But she did so more quickly now, bobbing her head along his shaft to bring him his own release. The taste of cum was one her favorites, and the thought of him shooting his load into her mouth sent shocks of pleasure straight to her cunt. "I'm almost there," Michael warned, his voice muffled and strained. Trying to ignore the growing pressure in her pussy as another orgasm approached, Clava concentrated on her efforts on Michael's cock until she felt his mouth still against her cunt and his body harden beneath hers. Sensing his impending release, she pulled her mouth off his shaft and positioned her lips around his head, waiting for his cum. When it came, he groaned against her sex, sending vibrations along her sensitive flesh. She swallowed the first few blasts of cum with ease, but as they continued to come in copious amounts, they soon filled her mouth. Unable to keep up, Clava had to allow some of it to dribble out of the corner of her mouth and down her chin, painting her flesh white. After what felt like an eternity, Michael's orgasm subsided, and Clava was able to swallow the last of his cum and pull his cock out of her mouth. Satisfied, she sat up, sliding back down his chest and turning her body around so that she was facing him, thighs straddling his hard stomach. Streaks of cum still flowed from the corner of her mouth, and she reached up to wipe it off, sucking it off her fingers with a lust-filled moan. "Dirty girl," Michael growled. "Not quite done," Clava said, and reached her down between her thighs. Her pussy was still soaking from her orgasms. She shoved two fingers inside, sliding them in up to their second knuckles. Curling them upward, she began to plunge her fingers into her snatch, filling the room with a sloshing sound as she frigged herself to the orgasm Michael had not finished giving her. Hell's Gate Ch. 04 It came quickly, as she was already close, and a stream of cum erupted from her cunt, spraying along Michael's body and coating his chest. He moaned as she continued to gush, pulling her down and kissing her roughly until at last she was finished cuming. When they parted, Clava got up from the bed, wet with sweat and her own arousal, snapping her fingers and instantly cleaning her body of their lovemaking. Her clothes appeared next, which only consisted of a glorified loincloth and a bra made of clinking chainmail. The sex had been a welcome distraction, but it was time to end it. "Going somewhere?" Michael asked, sounding a little disappointed. "I think we have had enough fun for now," Clava said, "I have work to do, and so do you." With a moan of reluctance, Michael also stood, waving his hand and dressing himself in his black armor. Archangels could still use their magic in Hell, unlike regular Angels, which made them wonderful enforcers of inter-realm law. "I suppose you're right," he said, "But I intend to see more of you before too long." Clava nodded her agreement, "Once we are rulers of the realms, we will see each other as often as we wish." "Good," Michael said bluntly before disappeared from the bedchamber with another wave of his hand. Clava had to admit, the sex with Michael was rather good, if far from perfect. They had shared many hours together in numerous positions, and every time they finished, she felt adequately satisfied. But she was a demoness, and could find sex and pleasure anywhere. Michael could make her cum, but she never really felt anything with him apart from basic sexual fulfillment. Still, she thought as she walked out of her bedchamber and headed toward the war room where she would plan her next move, I will miss him after he's dead. Good allies were always so hard to find. ****************************************************************************** {Wraith's Castle, evening} Slake knew the history of Hell's Gate well, even though it was built centuries before her human self had even been born. Constructed after goblins had attempted to invade the City of Angels, it was designed to seal demons inside Hell, but not keep Angels out. Although the Gate was a physical structure, protected by the massively long Wall, it was more magic than mortar. Demons could travel freely through Hell, but if they ever tried to travel outside the borders, either physically or through magic, they would find themselves in front of the Wall and at the mercy of the Gatekeepers. There were six of these Gatekeepers in all; powerful demon Lords who were tasked to keep lesser demons away from the Wall. If a demon was found, the Gatekeepers' job was to kill the demon. Deeper within Hell, away from the Gate, the Gatekeepers were viewed with disdain and mocked for their 'trivial' jobs. But every Gatekeeper was proud of their work, and viewed protecting the other realms from invasion as an important mission. Now they had all gathered in Lord Wraith's castle, angry at being under attack from a realm they had protected with great effort. It had been a long time since the Gatekeepers had all met, and they had declared war on the Keykeeper then. A war they had come to lose. Lord Taint sat at the head of the large stone black table in Wraith's war room, with Wraith himself to his right and Olivia to his left. Next to the Angel sat Lords Peril and Hazard, protectors of the peripheries of the Wall. They were both very bland looking demons. Hazard had short blond hair and Peril short brown hair and both wore the same, simple suit and tie. They would have passed for humans if it were not for their red eyes and an expanse of smooth skin where lips and a mouth should be. Peril and Hazard spoke together, through an eerie, ethereal voice. They were related in some way, but Slake did not know how. On the opposite end of the table from Peril and Hazard sat two of the most powerful users of magic in Hell. Lord Magus and his twin brother, Lord Fulmen were both just over six feet tall and wore their hair in the same messy, spiked up style, except that Magus had light brown hair where Fulmen had dark blond. They also had the same, sharply masculine facial features and lean, muscular builds. Apart from their hair, they could be told apart by their eyes, with Magus possessing sky blue irises and Fulmen sea green. Both wore a collared shirt and black pants; Magus' was black and Fulmen's dark red to match the tattooed runes that covered almost every inch of their covered skin. Slake had seen every single one of the brothers' markings and had planned to see them again later. But first they had important business to discuss, and Slake took her seat at the table, opposite of Taint, glancing briefly at the brothers from beneath her hood. They both smiled at her, though there was no way for them to see her return the gesture. "It is good to see you all," Taint began loudly from the head of the table, standing up and bowing his head at the Gatekeepers, "Unfortunately our meeting comes at a dangerous time." "I'd say," a disembodied voice piped up from somewhere in the general vicinity of Lords Peril and Hazard. The rest of the Gatekeepers nodded their agreement. "An Archangel at every castle, demanding the return of the King of Angels and his daughter," Lord Magnus said in his smooth tenor, "I had almost thought it an awful misunderstanding until I saw the Angel with my own eyes." He stared pointedly at Olivia, who seemed to shrink under the collective gaze of the Gatekeepers. "My brother and I would like to hear why we should protect the Angel," Lord Fulmen said, his voice slightly deeper than Magus', but very similar, "We face all out war with the Spirit Dimension, and for what, exactly? A pretty face, Lord Taint?" Olivia blushed crimson. "We too would like to know why this Angel deserves protection as well as why she was kidnapped in the first place," Peril and Hazard's voice contributed. Offering no hint of emotion, Taint retook his seat before addressing the Lords, "Olivia has performed a great service for us in repairing the Wall." "SHE was how you repaired it?" Fulmen sounded shocked, "I figured Slake had come up with an exceptionally clever spell." Slake blushed beneath her robe, "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Fulmen, but not even I could tamper with the Wall. Only Angelic magic could do what we did today." "Interesting..." Peril and Hazard said, "You certainly have gone to great lengths to ensure the Wall's integrity, Lord Taint. But was it worth it? Is it still? Archangels are not to be underestimated." Wraith spoke for the first time, "What Lord Taint did was impulsive and perhaps a little foolish," he gave his friend an apologetic look, "But it was our last chance to save the Wall. None of us would have taken such a great risk to uphold our sworn duty, and we all know it. We are forever in his debt. And without Olivia, we would not have lasted another year before the Wall shattered and the Gate stood wide open." The other Lords remained silent. "Thank you, Lord Wraith," Taint said, "You are right, what I did was foolish and I am sorry. But I fear that this attack from the Archangels stems from something deeper than kidnapping. I believe that the Keykeeper is up to something nefarious." "What would that be?" Magus asked. "I do not know," Taint admitted, "But I will confess that kidnapping Olivia probably gave her an opportunity to set some sort of plan in motion, with the Archangels being but one piece of a larger plot." "Which would make us pieces as well," Olivia said, and everyone looked at her. Slake smirked as the Angel blushed again and shrank further into her seat. The Gatekeepers did not seem happy she spoke. "She is right," the sorceress said after a moment of uncomfortable silence, "If Clava is clever enough to use the Archangels for her purposes, than it would not be difficult to include us in her schemes as well." Eyes left Olivia and settled on Slake, but she did not mind; she very much liked the attention. Everyone knew who the smartest person at the table was. "So what do we do?" Peril and Hazard asked. "We play along," Slake answered, "But on our own terms. Clava expects each castle to attack the Archangels alone. Even against the mightiest warriors in all the realms, demons are too proud to take an attack on their territory without a fight. But they would destroy your armies before you killed them or sent them back to the Spirit Dimension, leaving you weak and open for invasion. She has already tested the castles' defenses against Lord Wraith and would make quick work of them." Wraith's eyes widened, "You think she was behind the ogre attack?" "Almost definitely," Slake nodded beneath her hood, "But she's been commanding armies of demons for years now; attacking the Wall and weakening it. The ogre assault was just her latest probe into the Gatekeepers' defenses." "This is an outrage," Peril and Hazard hissed angrily, "To suggest that the Keykeeper is trying to bring down the Gatekeepers. You do remember what happened the last time someone made that accusation? And for the sake of an Angel." Fulmen muttered in weak agreement, but his brother spoke up, "I agree with Slake," he said strongly, "These attacks have been too organized and frequent to be the work of lesser demons working alone. They had help, and Clava seems like the type who would be behind it. She always had a thirst for power beyond her reach." Taint nodded, "I think we can all agree that if Clava is indeed behind our recent misfortunes, it would come as no surprise." A rumble of agreement went around the table. The Keykeeper was known for her tricks and there was an unspoken rumor that it was she who had killed her father in battle during the last war against the Keykeeper. Wraith spoke over the Gatekeepers, asking the question that everyone was thinking, "So is it war or not?" Demons never wasted time with arguments; they were a decisive species. Silence. No one wanted to be the Lord who declared war on the Keykeeper; it had not gone well the last time. "Yes, I think that is most wise," Slake offered, "At least against the Archangels." It was a soft answer, and did not implicate Clava as the larger enemy, but would solve at least one of their problems. "I second that," Fulmen stood, holding out his hand and rapping the long, red staff that appeared in it three times on the stone floor. His brother agreed, tapping his own staff, his black. Wraith was the next to rise, summoning a large, double bladed axe and holding it across his chest. Both Peril and Hazard stood reluctantly together, though neither drew a weapon. Slake remained seating and hoped that Olivia would do the same. Only the Gatekeepers could rise to war and it was their place only to observe. Thankfully, the Angel remained seated as Taint finally stood and drew his sword, holding it out in front of him. "Fellow Gatekeepers, Lords and protectors of Hell, do you declare war on those who threaten us?" He chose his words carefully, without naming any party in particular. "We do!" the other five Gatekeepers said in unison. "Do you pledge your armies to the protection of Hell's Gate?" "We do!" "And do you accept me, Lord Taint, as your leader in the upcoming battles?" "We do!" "It is done," Taint lowered his sword, "We are at war." The Gatekeepers remained stoic, and retook their seats, awaiting their first official order, which came from Slake. "Clava will expect six individual attacks from six castles," she said, "We will do the opposite. Each of you will summon your armies to this castle and form ranks. Then, tomorrow, we will attack the Archangel currently threatening Wraith with the full might of the Gatekeepers. His allies will come to support him, and that is when the real battle will begin." The plan was tactically solid. Together, the Gatekeepers stood a greater chance against the Archangels than alone. It was simple math; the more numbers they had available to sacrifice, the better. Taint nodded, affirming Slake's decision. She had already proven herself to the Gatekeepers in the past, and they all trusted her judgment, knowing it would reflect Taint's. "You have your orders," he said, standing, "We will meet again tomorrow morning. Slake has the entire grounds shielded from the Archangels so your armies will be safe to gather. But be quick, we do not have time to waste." At once, Peril and Hazard vanished in a shimmering haze and the twins stood from their chairs. Slake stood with them, and followed them out of the war room, leaving Olivia, Taint, and Wraith to converse. She had better things to do than listen to her Lord's endearing tones. "Contact your generals and then meet me in my usual suite," Slake told the brothers once they were out in the corridor. "This is wartime, sorceress," Magnus said with a playful smirk, "We do not have time to entertain you." Slake rolled her eyes beneath her hood, "You have all night to TRY and please me, Lord Magnus. Now contact your generals and meet me in my usual suite; east tower." Without another word, she vanished, leaving the twins to their duties. They would not be long, so Slake removed her robe quickly, leaving her completely nude. She had no need for the brothers to undress her; it would only distract from the true pleasure they could bring. When Slake had first come to Hell, she had been disappointed in the magical abilities of most demons; so few knew anything beyond simple conjuring and travel. But soon after joining Taint's services, she had met Magnus and Fulmen and fell in love with their impressive power. The brothers were famous for their sharing of women, and when she had visited them, had easily seduced Slake. Now she always looked forward to seeing them. She would learn a few more spells and runes and experience ecstasy like no other man, human or demon, could ever bring her at the same time. Lying down on her side on the bed, Slake waited for her lovers to arrive. Her breasts were full and heavy, though did not sag noticeably. Small, demonic runes encircled her arms from wrists to shoulders, leaving the rest of her pale white flesh free of blemish. Even her sex was shaved bare, and already beginning to moisten in anticipation. Almost no one knew what she looked like under the robes she wore most of the time, but the few who did were supremely lucky; she never shed her robes except to make love. With two pops, the brothers materialized together, immediately cracking large smiles at her state. They were always quick to humor. "My, my, Slake," Fulmen said, already beginning to unbutton his shirt, "Couldn't wait for us, could you?" "Shut up," Slake shot back, stretching out her body and thrusting her chest upward, giving the twins something to view as they continued to undress for her. After stretching, she propped herself up with her arms behind her back, admiring the view of the demons. To Slake it was like having two copies of the perfect man. Both were cut with lean muscles, with powerful arms and torsos that were not overly bulky. "Did you manage to fit a few more runes in since I last saw you?" Slake inquired, pointing at Magnus' chest. He looked down his body, which was literally covered head to toe with black demonic markings that exposed his real flesh only where gaps appeared in the symbols. His brother's body was marked almost identically, though with different symbols and in red. Even their erect cocks were tattooed with similar, spiraling runes that Slake was pretty sure made them perpetually sexually aroused. "Probably," Magnus shrugged, walking up to the bed, "Want to see if you can find it?" "My pleasure," Slake purred, and got onto her knees, walking on them across the bed to kneel in front of Magnus, who was waiting at the edge of the mattress. Reaching out, she traced the skin of his chest with her fingertips, traveling across the lines of the symbols. "Well there appears to be one here," she leaned in and suckled on his nipple, lavishing it with her tongue, "And here," she did the same with the other. Magnus chuckled, "Not quite," he said, "Try lower." Slake looked up at him and rolled her eyes, "You're not serious." "Take a look and see," Magnus dared and his brother came to stand next to him. "Don't forget about me," Fulmen said as Slake began kissing her way down Magnus' body. She traveled across his chest and down his abs, positioning herself until she was on her belly, propped on her elbows with his cock directly in front of her waiting mouth. There was no new rune; Magnus just wanted her between his legs. Reaching out, Slake gripped the seven inch shaft, using the tip of her tongue to run along the bottom, beginning at the base and slowly tracing the lines of his tattoo. When she reached the head, she turned her face to the left and repeated the gesture on Fulmen. Both brothers moaned softly. "I see you missed us," Fulmen said when Slake returned to his brother, suckling on the tip of his cock. She didn't answer, but took another few inches of Magnus inside her mouth, bathing it with her warm saliva and swallowing the bit of pre-cum that trickled down her throat. He tasted wonderful. The mattress shifted beneath her, and Slake felt strong hands on her hips a second later, lifting them up so that she was on her knees. As she continued to please Magnus with her mouth, fingers slipped between her thighs and found the hot box there, rubbing along her outer lips and spreading the moisture that had gathered there around her pussy. "How long have you been wet for us?" Fulmen asked from behind her, pinching her clit hard. Slake moaned around Magnus' cock as Fulmen stuck a teasing fingertip between her folds. "Shit," Magnus growled and shifted forward, shoving more of his cock into Slake's mouth, which she took with greedy lust, saliva beginning to drip down the corners of her mouth. Slake had always liked it a little rough, she was attracted to power. "Fuck her mouth," Fulmen told his brother, "I'll take care of her cunt." Fingers wrapped themselves through Slake's hair and held her head in place. Hungry for the taste of Magnus' cock, she continued to lavish it with her tongue as he made her stay still. Behind her, Fulmen wormed his finger deeper into her snatch, reaching the second knuckle before pulling it out. A second joined it as he plunged into her again. Slake's back arched at the intrusion, and Magnus pulled his cock out of her mouth. "You like this?" Fulmen asked, quickly thrusting his fingers in and out of her pussy. "Fuck yes," she moaned as her clit throbbed with pleasure, "Don't stop." He didn't, and shoved deeper into her, curling his fingers against her g-spot and applying pressure to the sensitive area. "Yesss," she hissed, her mouth opening in bliss, and giving Magnus the perfect opportunity to plunge back into her mouth. She accepted the intrusion eagerly and moaned as two of her holes were penetrated by the eager brothers. Magnus held her head as he fucked her mouth, groaning with each thrust while Fulmen continued to penetrate her pussy, rubbing along her upper wall and bringing her closer to orgasm. "You're going to feel so good around my cock," he said, rubbing the aforementioned item along the crevice of her ass, "Though I can't tell if I want you here," he invaded her snatch with deliberate slowness, wiggling his fingers and stretching her channel further, "Or here." Fulmen grabbed his cock and positioned it just outside the puckered ring of her ass, coating it with his pre-cum and nudging against it. Feeling him so close to her backdoor, Slake gasped around Magnus' cock, sending shocks of vibration along his shaft. She could feel her orgasm getting close as Fulmen continued to slide the tip of his cock along her ass while plundering her pussy with his fingers. And by the increased speed at which Magnus was fucking her mouth, she knew he was close as well. Hell's Gate Ch. 04 "Cum for me," Fulmen encouraged and he shifted behind her, his cock leaving her ass. She could not tell what he was doing and when she felt his fingers leave her pussy she whimpered around Magnus in protest. After being so close to the edge, she felt achingly empty. But Slake did not have long to mourn the loss of Fulmen's fingers. Magnus stilled, with his cock fully within her mouth. "I'm cumming," he announced and moaned as the first jet of hot semen hit the back of her throat. She swallowed it, almost choking when warm lips clamped down around her clit, followed by a tongue that lavished her folds. Squealing with pleasure, Slake came. Juices dripping from her pussy and into Fulmen's mouth as Magnus continued to shoot his load inside her mouth. "You taste so good," Fulmen's muffled voice said as Slake continued to gush around his mouth and busy tongue. Her own mouth was already filled with Magnus' cum and by the time he was done it was near overflowing. With a gulp, she swallowed the rest of it, and finally began to come down from her first orgasm, her inner walls fluttering lightly as Fulmen refused to leave his position beneath her snatch. Magnus withdrew from her mouth, his cock still hard and the tattoo that spiraled around it glowing softly. "Ready to get truly fucked?" he asked with a dark smile as his brother finally removed himself from beneath her, "Would you like her ass or her cunt, Fulmen?" "Definitely her ass," Fulmen growled, and Slake stood up on her knees, thighs sticky with her cum and eager for more. "Lie down on your back," she told Magnus, and the demon obliged her, laying flat across the mattress. Fulmen backed off slightly as Slake straddled Magnus' body, lowering herself onto him and filling her sopping pussy with his member. The glowing tattoo felt amazing against her inner walls and she moaned out loud, arching her back, proudly displaying her breasts. "Bring those down to me," Magnus demanded. Slake grinned and bent down over his body, pressing against his heated skin and holding out her breast for him. Lifting his head, he took one nipple into his mouth, nipping and sucking at it before doing the same to the other. It felt amazing, and Slake pressed herself further against Magnus' mouth. The mattress shifted as Fulmen positioned himself behind her exposed asshole, between his brother's widely spread legs. "How tight is she?" he asked Magnus, who had stopped worshiping her tits long enough to answer. "So tight...and wet," Magnus arched his hips upward, grinding into Slake's pussy. She released a wave of moisture at the sensation. "Just fuck me already," she demanded, wiggling her ass in front of Fulmen. He shifted again, and she felt the head of his cock against her asshole. She knew he would have already lubricated his shaft with his magic, and she was proven right when the tip began to slide easily inside. "Fuck!" she moaned, shifting her pussy against Magnus' hips as her hole clenched at Fulmen's invasion, heightening both their pleasure as he continued to press forward. Inch by inch, the warm flesh of his cock rubbed along her back entrance, pressing the upper wall of her pussy against Magnus, causing the brother's cock to jerk in response. After a few agonizing seconds, Fulmen was finally fully seated within her ass. Together, the twins felt amazing, their cocks filling her body to its capacity. Her clit rubbed against Magnus' skin and she could already feel herself getting close to orgasm at the feeling of them both inside her. "Go ahead and start fucking her," Magnus said through gritted teeth, laying his head back on the pillows of the bed and gripping Slake's thighs tightly, "I won't last long like this." Fulmen thrust forward, causing Slake's hips to slide forward and Magnus' cock to withdraw a little from within her body. Then Fulmen withdrew, pulling her back and impaling her pussy with Magnus' cock. "Yes!" she cried and gripped Magnus' shoulders tightly, pulling herself forward to intensify Fulmen's second hard thrust into her ass. "I'm not going to last long either," Fulmen said, withdrawing again. "Keep going," Magnus panted. Slake just moaned and lowered her head into the crook between Magnus' neck and shoulder, inhaling the scent of his skin and reveling in the feel of the brothers bringing her to what she knew would be an explosive orgasm. Fulmen's thrusts got harder, his movements sliding her along Magnus' sweaty body and causing his own cock to continuously impale her pussy with each stroke. They worked in perfect synchronization, brought upon by years of practice. The pleasure they brought was intense, inching Slake closer to orgasm with each second until finally the dam broke, and she cried out against Magnus' skin, cumming hard. Electricity sparked through her system as her inner walls spasmed around Magnus' cock, bathing it with her cum. Both brothers stilled within her, their own releases coming at the same time. Vaguely, high on her orgasm, Slake felt their hot cum paint her insides simultaneously. Cocks jerked within her with each shot, sustaining her pleasure. The brothers' efforts had been perfectly timed to please her and it had paid off. Slake never cum harder than when she was with Lords Magnus and Fulmen. After a few moments, her orgasm subsided and she felt Fulmen's cock withdraw from her ass. Cum immediately began leaking out of the widened hole and down her pussy. Rolling over, she removed Magnus from inside her. More fluid gushed out of her cunt and unto the sheets as she lay flat, panting and flushed. The brothers were of course still hard, their magic prolonging their virility far beyond normal demons; who could easily go multiple rounds in a row without the aid of magic. It would be hours before the twins were satisfied, but Slake was willing to continue. "Just let me catch my breath," she panted, activating one of her own runes to increase her stamina. "I call your ass next," Magnus said, sitting up in the bed. "Well you better enjoy it," Slake said, feeling her strength already returning, "We've got a long day ahead of us." "Then we better not waste tonight," Fulmen said positioning himself on his belly between her thighs. With a moan, Slake sank further into the mattress as his mouth began to devour her pussy, cleaned of his brother's cum with a quick wave of magic. The twins would distract her from the dire situation at hand; they were good at that. She just hoped they would deliver tomorrow, when the cards were down and there was no turning back. Archangels would more than likely destroy half their armies, so the Gatekeepers' only chance was to stay one step ahead of the Keykeeper. For she would certainly win if they did not keep their wits about them. But if Clava did win, then none of the realms were safe. "What are you thinking about?" Magnus asked, reaching out to play with her nipple. "Nothing," she lied, arching toward Fulmen's mouth, "Nothing at all." She whimpered when Magnus' fingers found her nipple. Giving in to the sensation, Slake banished dark thoughts from her mind. If it was truly their last night alive, then she was going to make the most of it. To be continued... Hell's Gate Ch. 05 ***Thanks for being so patient, readers. I've got little excuse for taking so long with this chapter other than it was a long and busy semester at college. Hopefully now that I have some time, I can get this story up and going again. No sex in this chapter. It's all about wrapping up this part of the story. Lots of action though. Hope you enjoy. Remember to comment.*** Chapter Five: Stranded {Hell's Gate; Early Morning} Clava stood in front of the enormous stone gate, hands planted firmly on her hips as she surveyed the complicated locking mechanism. Behind her, a small company of guards held the King of Angels and his companion secure. They were silent, no doubt trying to figure a way out of their situation. The Keykeeper welcomed the peace; the next few hours would be crucial for her plan to succeed and she didn't need any distractions. "What is the status on the Gatekeepers?" she asked a robed figure that appeared out of place among the huge demon guards. "They are planning an attack against the Archangel at Lord Wraith's castle," the demon in robes replied. Clava smirked, "Perfect," She raised a hand and cocked a figure, beckoning one of her guards to come forward. "Make sure my army is ready to mobilize," she ordered, "Events will begin to move very quickly now and I don't want to be caught unprepared." The guard nodded and turned around, jogging back toward the giant black castle in the distance behind the company. "Any moment now," Clava said aloud, still facing the gate, "And your kingdom will be mine." Gabriel shifted and Clava smiled. "That's right," she said, "As soon as Michael takes care of things on his end, this gate will open and my army will storm your City and destroy everything that you love," she laughed once, "Maybe I'll even let them rape your women..." Shackles clanked together as Gabriel struggled to free himself, "You bitch! What do you mean when Michael takes care of things!?" "I mean," Clava said evenly, "That you have quite the traitor in your midst. And a few deflowered maidens as well," she chuckled. "You're a liar," Gabriel growled, "Michael would nev-..." The King's voice cut off abruptly as the very traitor in question materialized directly in front of Clava in a brilliant flash of light. He was covered from neck to foot in black armor, and was holding his hammer in his hands, the blunt end red with blood. "You won't have to worry about anyone raising an alarm when the gate is opened," the Archangel said to Clava, hefting his hammer for emphasis. His eyes skimmed across Gabriel's face, contorted in mixture of shock and betrayal, before he turned his attentions back to the demoness. Clava held out her left hand, "You have something for me?" Reaching into a red pouch that hung from his waist, Michael produced a small, golden key. "As you requested," he said, placing the key into Clava's hand. She closed her fist around the object, "That was easy." "Not really," Michael snorted, "But now you have all you need. Are the other Archangels occupied with the Gatekeepers?" Clava nodded, "They won't know what I've done until I have already sat myself upon the King's throne." "You mean what WE have done," Michael smiled, "As King and Queen." The Keykeeper returned the smile with sickening sweetness, "No; I mean I." Faster than anyone could react, Clava flicked dagger that had been hanging around her hips out of its short scabbard and buried it to the hilt between Michael's ribs. She had navigated the layers of armor with expert precision, planting the tip of the dagger squarely in the Archangel's heart. "You...," Michael stuttered, grabbing weakly at the dagger with his right hand. "I don't share anything, Michael," Clava said softly, "But thank you for your devoted service; I could not have done this without you." Michael's strength was waning fast as the dark magic imbued into the dagger's blade worked its way through his system. Sinking to his knees, he stared up at Clava with the same look of betrayal Gabriel had given him seconds before. "Never trust a demon, old friend," a sad voice said from behind Clava. She turned her head to see Gabriel looking at Michael with tearful eyes, "They are all vile creatures. You've seen that yourself today." Clava smirked, "Then you should have exterminated them all when you had the chance," she said, "Instead of leaving this one behind to do your dirty work while revenge festered like a wound in his heart." The King said nothing, refusing to meet the Keykeeper's eyes. Turning back to the gate, Clava ignored the dying Archangel at her feet, opening the fist that held the golden key she had just acquired. With her other hand, she grabbed at the air, opening this fist as well to reveal an identical, silver key. The keys began to glow softly where they rested in her palms and lighting forked in the sky overhead. Raising her hands, Clava threw her head back and twin beams of light, one red and one white, shot from her palms upward, until they converged above her. From where the beams met, another ray, this one blue, shot straight forward, striking the stone gate and causing it to reverberate loudly with frightening energy and a sickly-sweet hum. "I want you to watch this," Clava shouted over the din of the gate, "I want you to watch as I destroy the kingdom that you have tried so hard to protect, Gabriel." The gate was getting loader now, and a high pitched squeak rang out at it began to swing forward on rusted iron hinges for the first time since it had been built so many years ago. It continued to open, slowly revealing what lie behind its great stone façade and opening itself to Hell. It took only moments, and when the squeaking finally ceased and the gate was fully open, the lights from the keys vanished and it grew quiet, the only sound was that of Clava chuckling softly to herself. Beyond the now-open gate was a never ending expanse of rolling green hills and valleys. A few clouds dotted the otherwise pure blue sky from where they escaped across the Wall and ventured into the Spirit Dimension. For that was all that Hell was; the part of the Spirit Dimension that lay beyond the Wall. "What a beautiful kingdom you have," the Keykeeper mused, causing the two keys she had used to vanish and staring straight ahead, "I will very much enjoy destroying it." She turned around, facing the company of guards who were all stricken by what they were seeing. A paradise just a few hundred feet away that they never knew was so close. "Go lock these two up," she commanded pointing her chin at Gabriel and Leo, who had been so quiet the entire time that Clava almost forgot he was there, "And mobilize the army. It's time." ****************************************************************************** {Outside Wraith's Castle; Morning} "You don't have to do this," Taint told Olivia solemnly as she buckled on the last of her light, leather armor, "Who says he won't kill you where you stand?" "No one," Olivia shrugged, "But you need the distraction." She looked up at her tall, powerful demon lover and smiled at how lucky she had been the past few days, "What have I got myself into?" Taint reached out with one huge arm and pulled her to his body, "A whole lot," he smiled before leaning down and kissing her deeply until she moaned and gripped his arms and he had to let her go before they were in danger of missing the big battle. "Come on," Taint said, "We've got to meet the others. I don't think that Archangel is going to wait much longer before raining holy hell down on us." "I would agree," Olivia suddenly sounded worried as she strapped on her sword and led Taint out of the bedchambers and down the steps of the tower they had been staying in, "I'm surprised Raphael hasn't tried anything already, to be honest. I wonder what they're waiting for." Taint growled, "Despite their grandiose power, even an Archangel would think twice before besieging a fully armed castle of a Demon Lord. He'll wait for us to make the first move, especially now that they know you might have turned sides." "It's not about sides," Olivia sighed as they neared the front gate of Wraith's castle, "It's about doing what's right." With a grunt, Taint threw open the heavy wooden door and walked outside. He was met by an enormous crowd of demons, large and small, that dwarfed his own army that had marched off to fight ogres only a few days before. It stretched beyond the walls of the castle, forming a gigantic semi-circle around the Gatekeepers, who were all standing together, clad in various types of armor. The robed figure of Slake was not far off from the group, but had her back turned and arms raised toward a small shape that floated in the air in the distance. "Raphael," Olivia pointed out with her chin, "Slake appears to be concentrating on him pretty hard." "She can only conceal us for so much longer," Taint said worriedly and as they neared the other Lords, Olivia could tell that he was not the only one. "We have leant some of our magic to Slake," Lord Fulmen said. "But we can only give so much," his brother, Magus said, "We will need it for the battle." "It won't be much longer," Taint assured, "We have a plan." He relayed it quickly to the other Lords. "Risky," the disembodied voices of Peril and Hazard hissed. "I agree," Wraith boomed, "It will take a while to mobilize to that position. Are you sure Olivia can distract him for that long?" "It's only about a quarter of a mile by my approximation," Taint said, "It won't take more than fifteen minutes if we hurry. We're demons, remember. Quick and powerful," he tried to smile, but it came off as a thinly concealed grimace. "Fine," Fulmen nodded, "But we all need to pitch in some power for Slake. She won't last another two minutes let alone fifteen." "Agreed," Taint nodded, and then turned to Olivia, who had been waiting patiently for the word, "Are you ready?" "Yes," she nodded, and silver wings snapped from her back and spread wide as she prepared to take off. "Fifteen minutes," Taint confirmed, "And then get out of there." Olivia nodded and crouched, wings folded in. "Good luck, Little Angel." She kicked off from the ground, shooting into the air before spreading her wings and flapping them heavily to gain altitude. From high above, she could make out the massive size of the demon army. Swallowing hard, hoping that it would be enough to at least send the Archangels back the Spirit Dimension, she flew toward the floating shape in the distance. It did not take long to near the growing figure of Raphael, who had no doubt noticed her by then. To her surprise, she saw that he looking not at her, but intently east, toward Taint's castle and, beyond that, Clava's. She was next to him in minutes, and he barely registered her presence. Short for an Archangel, at only five feet, eight inches, Raphael was built like a tank. Muscles bulged from every bone and his tarnished, bronze armor made him look like a statue come to life. He was completely bald, and wore a mace to his left and a short sword on his right and would wield both equally well, and at the same time in battle. "Olivia," he said in his shockingly soft voice, "Good to see you again." "Raphael," she said uncertainly, looking in the direction he was and trying to make out what he was watching so intensely. In the distance he could see Taint's castle, black and looming on the flat, brown fields of Hell's boundary. Beyond that, she could barely make out what must have been Clava's castle. It was a tiny black dot on the horizon. She definitely could not see the Wall at this distance, but Archangels were more powerful than regular Angels and Olivia could only assume Raphael could see something she could not. "What have your actions caused?" Raphael asked heavily before finally turning to her, his eyes filled with a potent mix of worry and rage, "What did you do?" "I'm sorry I attacked Raguel," Olivia said, "But he wouldn't listen to reason. I only want to..." "Stupid girl," Raphael shook his head before turning it back east, "I was not referring to your pitiful attempt to wound one of us. I'm talking about you opening Hell's Gate. Do you know what this means?" Olivia was floored. She had no idea what Raphael was talking about. All she did was fix the Wall. The last thing she, or any other Angel, would dream of doing was opening Hell's Gate. It was unthinkable. As much as she had fallen for Taint, she had enough sense to know that opening the Gate would have serious repercussions for both sides of it. "I wouldn't...I couldn't..." she protested. "How did you do it?" Raphael turned back to her, more rage than worry in his eyes now, "Seduce Michael so he would tell you how? Sneak away to shack up with some Demon Lord, draw your father from his kingdom and then kidnap him so he wouldn't pose a threat?" the accusations kept coming, louder and angrier, "How'd he get to you, the demon? Sneak through a crack? Fuck you until you told him you'd do anything for him? Huh? Is that how? Whore!" Raphael roared the last word and stuck Olivia with the back of his hand, causing her to reel and drawing blood which she could taste on the inside of her mouth. She spat it out, watching it fall to the earth below. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, trying to sound strong and not as afraid as she was feeling. "You've brought ruin to us all," Raphael growled, and Olivia saw him draw his sword, "And for what? Some demon filth? I don't care whose daughter you are, you deserve to die. It would be a betrayal to my oath not to do it myself." Olivia drew her own sword, knowing it was too early to flee. She needed to give the army more time to sneak into position, and the only way she was going to be able to do that was to fight Raphael. It was not supposed to go like this, but something Raphael had saw had made him unreasonable. "He's not filth," she grimaced, gripping her sword with two hands, hoping to muster some rage that would fuel her energy. "They're all filth," Raphael growled, "And so are you." He lunged and Olivia blocked him just in time. Metal clanged on metal and sparks leapt through the air. Recovering in an instance, Raphael spun around and swung another blow at the Angel princess. Folding her wings in, Olivia free-fell, avoiding the lethal swing. The Archangel pursued her expertly, diving and gaining on her quickly. "Hurry," Olivia pleaded to Taint, "Please." And then turned, sword raised, to face her attacker head on. Preparing for death. ****************************************************************************** {Between the Wall and Wraith's Castle; Morning} Taint saw the spark of metal high in the air and let out a roar of anger. They were only halfway to the Archangel, and he had already started to attack Olivia. The Archangel's aggression did not shock him, but it was still a scary thought to think that his Little Angel was facing one of the most powerful creatures in the universe alone; and he had let her do it. "We need to hurry!" he yelled, and then took off at a sprint. His Angel was in trouble, and he needed to do something, anything. Army or no. "Catch up, quickly," he yelled toward Wraith and pulled ahead of the group, his long, powerful legs carrying him swiftly across the brown grass toward the dueling Angels. When he reached the spot directly beneath them, Taint wasted no time in summoning a ball of energy in his right palm, which he threw with as much power as he could at Raphael, who was fifty feet above him and advancing on a rapidly tiring Olivia. The ball hit the Archangel's wing and he cried out in fury and pain, abandoning his attack on Olivia to focus on Taint. The demon drew his great sword and took a defensive stance against his aggressor. "Leave her alone," he yelled at Raphael, "She has nothing to do with this. I'm the one you want to fight." "So you're the filth that tainted her?" the Archangel snarled and folded in his wings, falling like a stone to the ground and landing heavily on his feet. His wings disappeared and Taint shifted his sword in his grasp, ready for a fight he knew he probably would not win. Olivia landed clumsily next to him, and Taint could see a tear in her armor near her shoulder. Blood was seeping out of it, but it did not look fatally serious. Nevertheless, Taint did not want her fighting anymore. "Go back to the army," he whispered to her, "They'll protect you. You've done more than enough for me." Olivia shook her head, "I'm not leaving you. We stand a better chance together than alone." "Stubborn," Taint growled, but knew better than to argue. She might stay, but Taint made a vow to himself then not to let any harm befall Olivia. "Lover's quarrel?" Raphael sneered. "Go home, Archangel," Taint said, "We had nothing to do with kidnapping the King. And Olivia has made her choice to stay here. She is no one's prisoner." "Perhaps," Raphael shrugged, "But she is a traitor and you are an accomplice to multiple treaty violations. And for that, you must both die by the hand of an Archangel." He sprung without further warning, leaping astonishingly high into the air, slashing at Taint in a wide arc. Despite the distance, Raphael traveled fast, and Taint was barely able to lift his sword up to block the blow in time. The attack landed hard, and reverberated through his body, vibrating his bones and causing his ears to ring. With a mighty heave, he threw Raphael off him, and made a countermove. The Archangel blocked it like it was nothing, and swung low at Taint's legs. He managed to jump back, but he was too slow and the tip of Raphael's blade dug into the flesh of his thighs with searing pain. He only wore armor on his chest and torso, leaving this part of him vulnerable to the full force of the attack. Crying out, Taint faltered and barely dodged another ringing blow from the more powerful being. "Is that all you've got, Lord?" Raphael mocked and raised his sword high above his head, "They always said you Gatekeepers are the laughing stock of Hell." Taint crouched low and rolled out of the way, pushing himself up while Raphael recovered from the miss. While he was preparing his next attack, Taint was surprised to see the Archangel turn his back on him. Something had distracted him, and Taint saw it was Olivia, who had managed to land a glancing blow along Raphael's shoulder while he had been busy with Taint. She had drawn blood, and no matter how little it was, it was enough to renew Taint's confidence. It was also enough to redirect Raphael's rage onto the Olivia, and he advanced on her, swinging his sword wildly, barely missing the lithe Angel and moving further and further from where Taint was standing. "Olivia!" Taint shouted, and rushed to where she was trying desperately to dodge Raphael's continuing attacks. Olivia was quicker than the Archangel, but it wasn't enough, and Raphael continued to advance until she stumbled and fell onto her back, now completely prone to the killing move. And Taint was still too far away to do anything. With a bellow, Taint leapt into the air, much as Raphael had done for his opening move, and came down heavily behind the bald Archangel. Raphael flipped around in a blink of an eye, holding up his sword to block Taint's attack. But the swing had had the entire strength of the demon Lord's nearly seven foot frame behind it and the Archangel was forced to one knee. "Impressive," Raphael admitted with a grunt, "But not enough." White hot, searing pain ripped through Taint's lungs and he staggered backward. Something had rammed itself hard into his ribcage, and he was having trouble breathing. Stars danced in front of his eyes, and he struggled to stay upright and hold onto his sword. He barely saw the mace coming for him a second time, and once again fell to the ground, rolling away just in time. Hell's Gate Ch. 05 Except he couldn't get up this time, and rolled onto his back, his breath coming in heavy gasps as he looked up at his to-be-killer advancing on him with a sword in one hand, and bloody mace in the other. In Taint's left periphery, he could make out a shape struggling to get to its feet, and all around him he could perceive more and more vague figures materializing as if out of thin air. He smiled as Raphael continued to advance; his only focus was on the demon and not on the army slowly coming into existence all around. "First time for everything, I suppose," Taint shrugged to himself. "What is that supposed to mean?" Raphael grunted, raising the point of his sword, ready to bring it down on Taint's skull. "I just thought you Archangel's were supposed to be undefeatable." Raphael grimaced, "We are..." Then his eyes went wide and the words caught in his throat as his head went flying from his body to land a few feet away. A silver sword, dipping with blood was thrown aside as leather-clad arms shoved the short, tank-like body of Raphael off of Taint. "Are you ok?" Olivia asked as he struggled to his feet. "Fine, Little Angel," Taint nodded, "Though I think he cracked a few of my ribs." "Maybe more..." Olivia muttered, leaning in to inspect his wound. The armor around it was dented but not destroyed, with a few holes punched through from where Raphael's spike-covered mace had managed to do some more damage. "Missed the party, I see," Wraith's loud voice called from a short distance away and Taint limped toward him. "I'm afraid not," he said and pointed toward the sky. In the distance, five flying figures were rapidly advancing on the newly-arrived army. The other Archangel's had clearly been drawn by Raphael's death, and were now prepared for a fight fueled by revenge. "If we can bring down one," Taint told the other Gatekeepers, who had come to join he and Wraith, "Then we can bring down the rest." "This isn't what I wanted..." Olivia said mournfully, more to herself than to anyone else, staring grimly at the wide-eyed stare of Raphael's head. Then she turned to the Gatekeepers, "But I know what could help." The Lord's turned to her and she spoke quickly, "Raphael was mad about something going on at I think Clava's castle. He blamed it on me. Something about Hell's Gate opening. If we can keep the Archangel's busy long enough to find out what Clava's up to, maybe we could find some way to show them what the real threat is." Taint didn't have time to think over the suggestion. Olivia had said something about Clava being behind Hell's Gate opening, and that was enough for him. "It's worth a shot, at least," he said, "Slake, Wraith, you're with me. The rest of you, stall the Archangel's for as long as you can. If we start taking heavy losses..." he didn't finish the order, but it was implicit. Switch from stalling to killing. Turning to the side, Taint raised his palm and opened a portal in the air large enough for him, Slake, Wraith, and Olivia to walk through. "Good luck," Peril and Hazard said and then turned with Magus and Fulmen toward their army to start giving orders. "Come on," Taint said, and led the group of four through the portal, leaving the army behind. It was bad for a general to do so, but he knew that whatever was going on at Clava's castle was worth his attention. He also knew the other Gatekeepers would stay true to his orders until they could no longer, at which point Taint hoped they would not be completely decimated by the vengeful Archangels. ****************************************************************************** {Hell's Gate, Morning} Slake was exhausted. She had spent all night and morning shielding an entire army of demons from the eyes of Archangels. No amount of magic borrowed from Magus and Fulmen made the task any easier, and she was sure she would collapse at any minute. But her Lord need her, so Slake gritted her teeth and walked through the portal when Taint ordered her to, taking a small modicum of power from it as she passed through. It would not be enough to kill even a goblin, but she needed something to prevent her from feeling completely naked and exposed. Once on the other side of the portal, she let out a mournful sigh at what she faced. She was joined by similar moans from both Wraith and Taint and a pitiful sound from Olivia as they too noticed what Clava's castle had in store for them. Slake almost wished she had stayed behind to face the Archangels. Not one hundred feet away, legions upon legions of demons were marching in unison toward a very large, very open gate. They were all of the same species; large, muscular brutes with thick red skin, horns on their heads, and hoofed feet. Taint used them as prison guards, but Clava valued the species for their ferocity in battle which is why she used them as guards and soldiers. And they were headed straight into the Spirit Dimension by the thousands, unimpeded. "No!" Olivia shouted and started running toward the advancing army. Taint swore and grabbed her arm, roughly bringing her back to the group, "There is nothing you can do on your own," he growled then yelled loudly, "Clava!!" "Do you really think that is wise?" Wraith questioned cautiously, but it was too late. Someone cackled a short way's off, and then there was a flash of red light and the Keykeeper was standing in front of them, one hand on her hip, the other on the hilt of her dagger. "What have you done, Clava?" Taint snarled angrily, gesturing toward the Gate and holding Olivia's hand tightly. The demoness smiled, "What my father was too cowardly to do. I've opened Hell's Gate and will now take the sparkling paradise we demons have been denied for too long. Isn't that what it looks like?" "You took an oath to protect the Gate," Taint said, "Not let all of Hell waltz right through. How did you manage to open it anyway?" "Revenge is a powerful motivator," Clava explained, "It makes traitors out of anyone. Even lofty leaders of Archangels." "Michael!" Olivia gasped, "Where is he?" "Dead," Clava said calmly, "I killed him. His usefulness was short-lived." She turned her attention on Taint, "But yours can begin now, if you so choose." "What do you mean?" Taint growled as Clava advanced on him with a wicked smile. "I mean join your Keykeeper in her conquest and take your place at my right side. You have always been my favorite Gatekeeper," she placed a palm on his chest, "And most powerful." "I do not betray my oaths," Taint snapped and pushed Clava away roughly. The smile never left Clava's lips as she glanced up at the sky toward where the Archangels were doing battle with Taint's army. "Then die," she said, "It does not matter to me." She vanished with another flash of red, and Taint let out a shout of rage. "Damn her!" Slake had watched the exchange warily from a short distance away, not wishing to get involved in her weakened state. She felt hopeless as she watched Clava's army continue to march through the Gate. There was nothing they could do now except wait as the Spirit Dimension was destroyed by the demons and Hell by vengeful Archangels... Something suddenly clicked in Slake's mind and she turned toward the rest of the group, "Olivia, can you get the Archangel's attention?" "What?" the Angel was still seething from learning about Michael's treachery, which Slake understood, but had no time for. "Can you summon the Archangels somehow? Do you still have enough power from the Wall?" Olivia thought for a split second then nodded, "Yes, I think so. But why would you want to do that?" "Why did we come here in the first place, you silly girl?" Slake rolled her eyes, "To convince them of the real threat," she gestured at the Gate, "Well, here it is!" Taint bobbed his head in agreement, "She's right. Olivia, you have to get the Archangels here. We have to try and show them this. Hopefully they will see reason and abandon Hell for the time being." Olivia nodded firmly and said, "I'll try," then raised her fist above her head. After muttering a few words of magic, a bright white light lanced from her fist high into the sky. It did not appear to do much to Slake except create a bright beacon, but after a moment there came a loud clap of thunder that shook the ground. All around the beam of light, smaller spheres of light formed; five of them. They grew larger and larger until they were no longer balls of light, but five large, armored men holding bloody weapons and sporting impressive sets of wings; the remaining five Archangels. "So you wish to die on your own time? And not with your army?" one of them said. He had long, flowing blond hair, golden armor and an extremely handsome face. A large long sword was clasped in his hands, dripping with blood. "No, Uriel," Olivia said, lowering her fist and looking up at the Archangels, "Look around you. I am not the threat here." They glanced toward the Gate and let out a collective shout of anger. "Who has done this!?" one shouted, another handsome face with long, brunette hair. "Clava, the Keykeeper," Taint explained angrily, "She and Michael." "It's impossible!" another Archangel exclaimed, this one Slake recognized as the one who had attacked Taint's castle, "Michael would never betray us." "No one could have opened the Gate without his key," Olivia pointed out, "Clava used him and then killed him once she had what she wanted. Now you must go protect the City of Angels. Seek revenge some other day." Slake smiled at Olivia's intelligence. She knew the only way to get the Archangels to abandon their warpath was to promise them a chance to continue sometime in the future. "The Gate must be closed," Uriel said, shifting his long sword in his hands nervously, "We cannot protect the City from an unending stream of demons. Even our power has its limits. We would be no match to all of Hell." "Let us worry about the Gate," Slake offered, "You have to go. Now!" "She's right," the Archangel with the bow, Raguel, said, "We cannot stay here. We shall return though, and you will pay for Gabriel's death." He led the charge, swooping into the air and racing toward the Gate. Demons were still pouring through it, but faltered as they saw the Archangel's overhead. One of them shot a powerful beam of magic into the ranks, doing little damage but scattering the large beasts, causing a moment of confusion. Slake watched this for only a second before addressing the group again, "We've taken care of one problem, for now, but we still need to fix this one," she pointed at the Gate, "We need to close it." "How?" Wraith asked, "Only Michael and the Keykeeper can open it. One's dead and the other is long gone by now." "You're right," Slake nodded, "Only they can open it. But there's nothing saying we cannot close it." Everyone frowned at this. "We are only three demons and an Angel," Wraith said, "There is no way we could close the most powerful door in the entire Universe by ourselves." "We can try," Slake said, "Though I need more power..." Taint nodded once and began quickly stripping off the armor on his right arm, baring the pale skin beneath. "Here," he said stepping up to Slake and offering her his right side, "On the shoulder. There is a ruin, activate it." Slake found it and reached up, frowning beneath her hood. She had never seen the marking before, and she knew she had not placed it there for Taint. Touching it, she gasped as power immediately surged through her body, flowing up from where her fingertips rested against Taint's flesh. She pulled away, feeling stronger and sharper than she had ever felt before, "Where was that this morning when I really needed?" "One time use only," Taint explained, "Very powerful; very rare." "Thank you," Slake said. And she meant it. Her body felt strong and her mind was clear. Best of all, she had a plan, and enough magic coursing through her veins to enact it. "What now?" Olivia asked, sounding very apprehensive. The Archangels had long since disappeared through the Gate, and Clava's massive army kept marching, though they could now see where the ranks ended. "Grab my arm," Slake said, and held it out for them, "All of you." Three hands grasped her and with a crack they vanished, materializing a moment later in the middle of the demon army, directly in front of the Gate. Slake wasted no time, and let out a powerful spell that pushed the demons back from where they were standing with a powerful blast. She also formed a massive wall of crackling black energy to cut off the advancing army. "That was amazing," Wraith admitted, adding a low whistle. "Thank Taint for the power," Slake said, "But it won't last long. I need you to listen. Olivia, you need to stand just inside the Spirit Dimension," she pointed at where the grass was trampled, but still green. Some demons were scattered here and there from where Slake's blast had sent them, but they were paying no attention to them, and instead were scurrying away as fast as they could to join the safety of the rest of their company. Olivia moved, standing where Slake was pointing. "Here?" she asked and Slake nodded. She addressed the two demon Lords next, "You two, start pushing on the Gate's doors when I say so." Taint and Wraith exchanged quick glances before hurrying off to the giant stone slabs that had swung wide open. They were hidden from Slake's view, but still within earshot. Snarls and growls could be heard coming from the other side of the giant wall of energy, but Slake paid them no attention. She had to act fast or risk losing the opportunity to close the Gate. "Olivia," she said loudly, positioning herself fifty feet away, facing the Angel from Hell's side of the Gate, "I need you to will the Gate shut with your magic. Don't worry about the words, just do what your heart tells you to. I will do the same from this end." "But won't I be trapped here if I shut the it?" Olivia asked, sounding very worried, "I don't want to leave Taint behind." Slake shook her head, "Trust me, Olivia. Everything will be fine." She hoped. "Taint! Wraith! Start pushing!" She heard the Gatekeepers grunt as they began pushing against the doors. Raising her arms, Slake began to chant in words she had never heard or read before, but somehow knew were the right ones. The Gate wished to be closed, it was its purpose to remain so, and Slake was sure that the magic imbued in its structure would provide her and Olivia with the necessary incantations. On the other end of the Gate, Olivia was chanting as well. Her body was enveloped in a soft white light, and Slake wondered if that meant her spur of the moment plan was working. She got her answer a few seconds later with the loud squeak of rusted hinges sounded from either side of her. The doors were moving. They were shutting the Gate. Slake continued to chant with Olivia while the Gatekeepers continued to push with all their might against the doors. Moments passed before she could see the corners of the large stone slabs in the periphery of her vision, followed by the straining arms of the demon Lords, who had both stripped to the waist and were gleaming with their efforts. "Keep pushing, Wraith!" Taint shouted, "We're almost there!" And they were. Olivia was framed by the closing doors for a brief moment until she was suddenly blocked from Slake's view. Then, with a loud thud and a click, the Gate closed. There was silence, and then a sudden, loud rushing sound that blocked out all other noise. Slake could feel the magic drain from her body as the Gate sapped all energy from its surroundings. The wall of energy vanished, but the demons behind it remained still, powerless to move. The Gate was reactivating its locks, sealing the boundary between the Spirit Dimension and Hell once again, and using any magic it could from nearby. Taint looked worried having seen Olivia sealed behind the heavy stone doors. But Slake knew of a long-forgotten defense mechanism possessed by Hell's Gate and Wall. One she had read long ago when she first came to Hell, and had only just now remembered, her memory aided by the energy supplied by Taint. "Touch the Gate!" she shouted over the rushing sound, "Yell out to Olivia to touch the Gate!" Taint looked utterly confused, but he must have heard Slake over the sound of the Gate, because he laid a palm flat on the stone surface then yelled something at the crack in the doors. The rushing stopped as suddenly as it had started. There was a flash of blinding light, a loud crack, and then silence again. Slake collapsed to the ground, exhausted and utterly drained of energy. She vaguely felt someone pick her up with powerful arms, and was sure she recognized the face that looked concernedly down at her before she blacked out completely. ****************************************************************************** {Unknown Location; Night} Olivia was on her back. It was dark and raining, and bright lights were shining from above. She felt the ground beneath her, finding it rough to the touch, wet from the rain. She struggled to her feet and looked around. Close by she could see Wraith and Taint standing near each other. "Olivia!" Taint called and she started to make her over to him, trying to adjust to the dark conditions. Before she could make it halfway though, two circles of light suddenly appeared to Olivia's left, and approached her rapidly, growing by the second. Something screeched, and the lights slowed briefly before something hard slammed to the Angel and threw her backward through the air until she landed heavily on her back. Olivia heard a female voice swear loudly, and a door slam as she struggled back to her feet. The impact hadn't hurt nearly as much as hitting the hard ground had, and Olivia was sure that she would have another few bruises to add to her already battered body. "Damn it!" Taint said loudly, "I was afraid of this." The female who had sworn was shouting something hysterically as Olivia made her way back over to the Gatekeepers. The lights, as it turned out, were shining from a large metal machine that had a badly beaten front end from where it had run into Olivia. "What is that?" she asked Taint, who jogged up to meet her, his skin wet and shining in the lights, "Where are we?" "It's called a car," he explained, embracing Olivia firmly before turning toward Wraith and a pretty young woman with short brunette hair who was looking very scared and confused, "And that is a human." "So that means..." "Yes," Taint nodded, "This is Earth." "Now what?" Olivia asked, completely at a loss. She had never been to Earth, like most Angels and knew very little about humans other than they closely resembled her own species. "Now we find somewhere close by to regroup and think this out," Taint explained, "Wraith! Grab the witness. Knock her out if you have to. We can't leave any trail." Wraith mumbled something, and the human woman fell silent and limp in his arms. Although she was glad that they had managed to close Hell's Gate, Olivia knew that their troubles were just beginning. Clava was attacking the City of Angels, her father was still missing, and now she, Taint and Wraith were stranded on Earth; with an unconscious woman no less. They would need to be careful and work fast to get home. Earth was no place for demons and Angels. Humans were a backward race that would be of no help to them. But she was with Taint, and for that, Olivia was eternally grateful. For some strange reason she had fallen in love with her lordly captor and knew that whatever happened next, they would get through it together. Hell's Gate Ch. 05 Or not at all. And with that semi-happy thought, she followed the hulking form of Taint into the trees and the darkness that surrounded them. To be continued.... *A new series, a sequel, will be rolling out here hopefully relatively quickly. It will be titled "Thy Kingdom Come", so look out for it.