I Scored Myself A Mate

"Isn't it a bit hot in here?" Ares asked as they got off the carriage. They had been traveling for hours, seated in those uncomfortable wooden seats and he wanted badly to get off. Now that he was facing a very warm heat wave caress his face though he didn't mind being uncomfortable in the carriage and getting out of here. 

"We are in hell, or some kind of version of it. Isn't it logical to be hot? You've been here before haven't you?" Allias asked him as he took ahold of Theseus' hand and got down too. They were standing in front of the entrance of the demonic capital. A very tall iron gate was before them, with elegant designs that reminded the king of vines with thorns. They surrounded the bars of the bullet shaped entrance with much detail and for a second he was tempted to touch them. After the gate was where the true hell began. Barren and chapped ground, with many rips and no signs of grass. It almost looked like as if it had been burned, is color a deep black while the sky shone red from a huge bloody moon above the city. The demonic palace was right ahead, in the back like usual with castles. It was made of black colored materials, with many pointy towers and few windows. Narrow balconies and red colored windows. Everything around them was surrounded by a very chaotic energy. Screams, people running and shouting here there some bathed in blood. There was also a river, wide and big overflowing with blood as it passed through the city. 

"The river has overflowed again! Call someone!" A woman with a horn in the middle of her head shouted. 

"Ea, look a unicorn." Ares joked and his husband sighed. 

"I doubt that's a unicorn. But good try. Shall we go in? I don't think they will send someone to get us." Ea commented. 

"They won't, this is their area, they will do everything they can to humiliate you. Achlys does not like Allias, that means no one here likes Allias. Come on, I will lead you to the palace." Asmodeus offered and moved first. He stood in front of the closed gates and touched them with his hand. A red light emitted and the heavy iron moved, opening their way for them. The elves followed quietly as their eyes scanned the area. 

"It looks…"

"Disgusting." Asmodeus commented. It was dirty and overpopulated, run down homes made of poor quality wood and patched hay roofs. This place looked as it could get destroyed at any minute. "I know, what will surprise you more is what will come up ahead." He told them and Allias blinked curious. 

The demon was right. What he witnessed was indeed quite surprising. The more they were getting close to the palace the more the scenery changed. First it was the quality of the housing, then the roads seemed to be a bit clearer. It was the final part which was the most stunning though. The city was being split in half by a river. Big wooden bridges united the two sides and guards were standing on the entrance from their sides. Demons, dressed in black, the official guard uniform of Achlys' palace. Once they attempted to pass the two guards crossed their spears, cutting off their way and looking at them suspiciously. 

"Open up." Asmodeus commanded. He looked a bit different. His usual calm behavior, his playfulness had disappeared and he was now tense and aggressive. His voice had an edge to it that signaled he didn't want anyone to mess with him. The demons at the entrance examined him for a while. "Open the fuck up before I kill you" he groaned.

"Let him in." Another voice was heard at the other side of the bridge. "He is Asmodeus, one of the kings of hell." The stranger said with a grin and the guards obviously shaken up moved to the side, their heads bowing as he passed by. 

Mark this whole time had been hiding behind Asmodeus. This place was only the host of his worst memories and that was why he had kept his head down all this time, looking at the rips in the ground and the roaches that emitted from it. He was scared to face the kingdom of his tortures, even if a lot of time had passed, the fear in his heart unfortunately remained the same and it was strong. 

They passed the bridge, hearing their footsteps echo and finally reached the person who had allowed them to get in. Allias observed him carefully, he was tall, almost as tall as Asmodeus and he stood proudly with his head up. He had a grin on his face as his brown cat eyes met with each one of them. He looked at some longer than others as if his interest was piqued. His hair was red, almost as bright as a fire and long. He had them in a very strict and high ponytail but still the ends of the hairs touched his waist. A scar was obvious at the bottom left side of his chin, probably a knife cut and he had some very peculiar characteristics. When he smiled Allias noticed that he had fangs, not the ones Asmodeus had though, they reminded him the front teeth of a serpent, thin and long while he also had lion ears on his head and a tail. As it seemed he was strongly associated with felines. 

"They didn't recognize me. That's a problem." Asmodeus commented and the man laughed. 

"Well you were locked up in that tower back there for three hundred years and the moment you were released you left. You shouldn't blame them, should you brother?" the man said. "Hello everyone. My name is Vines and I am Asmodeus' twin brother." He introduced himself.

"Shit, shit, shit Ea we need to run" The small elf heard his husband whisper in his ear while he pulled on his sleeve. 

"Shut up and play dumb. He won't create any problems in an official visit."