The 'great Marquis of Hell' stared down at the girl, releasing a brief sigh and lowered his form and came closer to her, just mere inches away. "Pia Marie Hov. Why is it a mere girl like you have decided to summon one of the Lords of Hell? I cannot imagine any mortal alive today would have the gall, the audacity to summon me... Unless one has enormous potential that draws the interest of such a demon like me." Forneus chuckled, for this would be an interesting deception to play out.

"A mere child like you, and yet you were able to summon me. I sense great potential within you, Pia Marie Hov. Great potential, indeed. A potential that may exceed even that of great Solomon himself." The demon lord leaned back slightly, giving Pia more space.

"Well, what is your request?"

Without knowing it, Pia hunched down as Forneus bowed down closer to her. Had it not backed up, she would probably have ended up sitting on the flooded floor of the cave.
Pia was not very used to flattery. Now she was embarrassed, proud and scared all at once. She was starting to blush a bit from the praise.
"Er.. Thank you, Lord Forneus. I'm not that good, actually. As for why I called upon you.."
Pia cleared her throat. "I would, if it does not displease the Marquis, ask if I, uh, I mean, you would kindly allow me to use your servangnt here as a familiar. He says he can help me learn stuff. That is, I mean, assist me in my studies."
Pia turned her head a bit, indicating the little creature, hiding bei the hood of her jacket.
"Please?", she added, big blue eyes looking at the infernal lord before her.

The Marquis stared at the girl, amused at her request. Others had requested for great power or knowledge, or even for dark blessings and gifts. Some had even wished for the power to transform their enemies into allies. And this one... had merely wished for a familiar of her own? How positively amusing for the great demon lord, indeed. It seemed that humans were quite diverse... and amusing!

"Huh, this one could swear that it sounded like that you are saying that I'm capable of misjudging people's potential? One would be offended at that, but considering the potential I can sense in you, I'll excuse your audacity this time, little one." The demon peered up slightly at the little creature hiding behind Pia, amused at the stage the two of them had set up for the poor girl.

"Now, as for your request... A familiar, is it? Hoping to learn more of the demons' knowledge and power, I see." Forneus smirked, his voice drawling slightly. "I suppose I can spare a lowly servant if it pleases you." Then he leaned back forward, hunched over the girl, and gave a brief nod. " Your request is granted, and can never be undone."

"My apologies, my Lord, I did not mean to imply..." Pia,s voice grew smaller, and she looked down on her water soaked shoes, shamefull that she had offended the marquis.
Her fear and shame turned to gratitude as she realized the creature had just granted her request.
"Wow, that really cool of.. I mean, Thank you.. er.. The Marquis is most generous! I humbly thank you for this!"
She once again curtsied, and knelt down in what she hoped was a proper expression of gratitude, getting the hem of her skirt wet in the process.

Only then did she pay attention to the undone part.
That sounded somewhat omnious to me..

"Uh, Great Lord, is there a reason you needed to stress that. I mean, I'm not going to undo anything, I mean, I would never scorn your gift, Lord Forneus."

Forneus smirked, leaning back lazily, pleased with the path this situation was now proceeding along. Now, this would be where things would diverge along various paths. Who could claim to truly foresee the future, to know all of the possibilities that the chaos of life could offer? Not even a great demon, a Marquis like him, could predict everything. But then... ultimate prediction brought on only boredom, and how unutterably boring life would be with no new instant to experience, nothing worth seeing.

This was where he enjoyed himself, this moment in time, the 'now' that he often found himself in. The Marquis continued to smirk back at Pia, every thing about the girl, all the smallest details, consumed by his gazing eyes. "It has always been the custom to give something in return when requesting a favor from one of the great Lords of Hell. Solomon. Alexander. Caesar. Napoleon..." Forneus shrugged softly, citing some of the greatest mortals in the history of mankind, especially those who were said to possess a strong charisma as to move the heart and mind of their fellow men. Such a charisma was not natural... It could only be... requested.

"My preferences are bribes of the flesh. I trust you, Pia Marie Hov, understand what I mean. Such is the price of consorting with a demon of my standings. And as seeing as you have no other female here on hand to serve as such a 'bribe'..." Now... what would the little girl do next, Forneus wondered.

"Bribes of the flesh? Uh, you're not going to eat.. Oh!"
Pia's eyes widened in understanding. "You didn't mention this part!", she whispered harshly, adressing her new "familiar".

She backed away, very slowly, desperatedly trying to think of something. Escaping would be futile, seing she was in a cave, and the infernal lord could easily just snatch her as she climbed out.
"Uh..err.. I would hate to be ungrateful, my Lord, but.. I was missinformed about this. I was told there would be just a simple test. Logic. Rhetoric. This was not exactly what I was told."

"Help, me out here!", she said, turning her head halfway towards the familiar.
She had to buy time somehow.
"So. Bribes of the flesh. Did you and Solomon..?"

The little demon looked at Pia and shrugged, "I didn't know about this, no, I didn't know!" And it looked back at the greater demon who merely grinned and spoke, "This little demonling is a mere servant, one meant to scour the planes of existence for information useful to me. What would he know of my preferences or how I do things. Don't blame him, very few know what a great demon will ask for in return."

Forneus chuckled. Just as he had predicted of this female. "Yes, normally... I would test mortals before granting them my dark gifts. But you, Pia Marie Hov, I grant you a singular honor. A honor only one other mortal in all of history has ever had, the great king himself, Solomon." The demon leaned even closer to the female, making sure he did nothing threatening as to not scare the girl. "He had a potential so great that I was... interested in seeing how far he could go, so I gave him power. And in return, he claimed domination over the Lords of Hell. Such a dangerous thing. Such a risky thing to do. And yet, he managed to force all of us to submit to him."

The demon began moving around, slithering along the cave's wall and splashing around the water. "Potential is what interests me the most. And in you, I sense a potential great enough to... swallow up the world. Just imagine..." Forneus stared at Pia, his crimson eyes piercing into the girl, "With my gifts, with my powers, there would be nothing you could not do. Your friends would love you dearly... Your enemies would love you dearly. They all would worship the very ground you walk upon. None would dare oppose you, not with a great demon lord waiting in the wings."

This was his greatest skill, the power to spin such imaginative stories that would eventually capture the heart of a mortal and bend him to do things he would never do. The power of temptation was a great and terrible force to reckon with. "In time, you would surpass even Alexander the Great himself. In time, all would come to call you... Empress. Such a vision is not impossible, not with your potential and my legions. You could achieve such greatness as to never be overshadowed by any giant of the past... or the future. Pia Marie Hov, the future would be yours to dictate."

That would be enough for now, he decided, and now he would have to answer her questions. "As to Solomon... No. The first demon he summoned was Eligos, the Great Duke of Hell. Eligos has a taste for human sacrifice, as do many of our kind. It was then that he learned of this trait in us, that we often ask for a price in return for favors. In his wisdom, the King began asking each one of us what the next demon lord would prefer the most. When it came to be my turn to be summoned, he had many virgins waiting for me as my bribe."

Forneus grinned and settled himself back in front of the cave's entrance, two of his left elbows propping himself up from the ground as he laid himself down. "Well... Again, I see no other females here, so I presume that now you know about this custom, you're prepared to honor our bargain with your body. And I really do rather hope you do, because if that isn't the case, then I fear the only thing that awaits you is death. If a deal between a mortal and a demon is not honored... then the mortal is taken to the realm of the demons, to be devoured by the very demons the mortal sought to barter with. As it was with Solomon. As it was with Alexander of Macedon. As it was with Julius Caesar. As it was with Napoleon Bonaparte. They demanded more favors from us... and did not pay the price for those favors. In the end, they were consumed by the legions of Hell, their ambition ruined, their achievements now lost to the history books. Is this such a fate you wish of yourself, Pia Marie Hov?"

Forneus stared at the girl again. " Decide. Now."

Pia swallowed nervously. Her eyes dated about, looking for a way out. She was still backing away from the demon lord, until her back was against a wall.

She had been stupid, she realized that. It was probably true that the demonling had known nothing about this, or that it had even cared. It probably sought familiarhood as a nice way to get away from its demanding boss, at least for a human lifetime. Too bad hers was in danger of being awfully short, she feared this being was not kidding about being dragged down to hell.
Unless..
The imp told me he had a weak spot for arguments. Maybe hope is not gone yet!

"Uh, well, Lord Forneus, you see this as a bargain.. But have a bargain actually been stuck in this case? I merely requested a familiar, I did not actually agree to any deal. And Empresshood was not even on the table, even if it does sound cool."
Pia gathered her resolve before continuing. This might not be a good idea, but..
"I believe this falls under the category of, ahem, negative sale. That is, sale, without the express consent of one part."

Forneus merely stared back at Pia, a blank expression or what passed for one on his demonic visage. Internally, the monster was amused at this girl's poor attempt to get away. Now... what to do at this point, for it would be more exceedingly difficult to perpetuate a lie if too much deception were to be added to the web; Forneus realized he would have to be careful if he wanted this deception to succeed, and he did so love his fun. Deciding on a course quickly, the demon rose up a bit, and moved toward the female, taking care to not slip into the hole he had made or leave any opportunity for the girl to escape to become visible for her.

A frown visible on his face, Forneus stopped in front of Pia, his crimson eyes staring back down at her. When he spoke, his voice lost all traces of its playful demeanor, sounding deeper and somehow more menacing, a baritone that seemed to rumble across the centuries. "My patience is quickly evaporating, Pia Marie Hov. I said, make your decision... Adhere to the price for your request..."

And suddenly, the water in the cave began to drain back down the hole, surging and splashing as it emptied itself out of the cave, leaving only billowing amounts of hot steam drifting out of the hole. "...Or prepare yourself for a trip to my infernal domains. Hell's dark legions are forever seeking new prey, always hungering after the sweet flesh of mortals. And I warn you, any attempt to stall for time or to get out of this, I will consider as a negative reply and proceed to take you back to Hell with me."

The demon drew in even closer to Pia, his face mere inches away from her own. "I am in no mood for arguing games at the moment, you summoned me when I was in the process of expanding my influence and power in Hell. I demand reparations for the waste of my time and the loss of my opportunities."

His crimson eyes continued to stare back at Pia. "King Solomon discovered one truth that he should have learned early on, despite all his wisdom... Never make enemies with a Lord of Hell." The demon looked up at the little creature that had become her familiar. "And you, you will be punished harshly for this girl's audacity."

As the creature came closer, Pia subconsciously let herself slide further down the wall of the cave.
She was shivering, obviously from fear, as the cave was filled with hot steam. Her hair was wet and clinging to her face, and moisture was on her glasses.

Logically, Pia should have yielded by now. She did not place so much value on her virtue that she would risk her life for it. Indeed, without even thinking, she had placed her hand on the zipper on her jacket.

But something prevented her from going though with it. Stupid as it sounds, it was Forneus' threat towards her familiar that triggered it. It was a simple thing, really; Pia tended to have a great deal of sympathy with the underdog.
So she acted without really thinking. "You leave him alone! He has no fault in this!"
She then reached behind her, grabbed hold of the imp, and flung it as far away as she could.
"Run!"

The little demon squealed as it was thrown past Forneus, earning a grin from the larger one. Ignoring the familiar for now, Forneus's hands sprang forward, pushing Pia against the cavern wall, immobilizing her in place with his unreasoning strength and power. "Hell awaits you, little one." Forneus growled in that menacing tone of his, a maddening grin on his face. Another hand gripped Pia's face in its vile clutches and forced her to stare at the demon.

Crimson red eyes boring into Pia's own, Forneus gave a brief, and dark, laugh before the world went black for Pia. An absolute darkness that consumed everything, devouring all light and crushing all hope. A darkness that swallowed up even the mightiest mortals the world had ever seen. What hope did a mere girl have?

Awake, foolish girl.

The voice seemed to come from nowhere and yet from all around. And just as abruptly as it had come, the darkness began to recede, abandoning Forneus' latest prey as light returned to the world. Forneus laughed as he stared at the prone form of the brat, sitting on a great throne... with a vast sea of molten lava surrounded the small mesa that the throne had been erected upon. The great demon moved through the lava, much of his tail and lower body concealed under its searing hot surface, even as his arms gripped the mesa and pulled himself closer, his vast form towering above the girl. "Welcome to my personal domain, Pia. Welcome... to Hell." The demon laughed cruelly...

Hell! I am in hell!

Pia looked around her in horror and awe. She had never really believed in Hell, but then again, she had not really believed in demons until quite recently, and if one existed, the other one apparently did as well.

This was clearly a different realm with its own rules. Pia knew that lava released toxic gas, and being surrounded with it on all sides, she should, logically speaking, be dead or dying. Logically speaking, no organic creature should be able to swim around in magma either.
I guess logic does not apply here..

It was very hot, Pia found that she was already sweating.
"Nooo! Please.. W-what are you going to do to me?", she whimpered in a fearful voice.

Forneus continued to stare down at the girl, considering his next moves and what would best drive her into fulfilling his whims. Perhaps it would not be as difficult as it first seemed. But then again, things were never what they seemed with mortals, such was their power. Such a strength they possessed, along with determination and resourcefulness, their sheer... unpredictability that seemed to flare into life even in the face of insurmountable odds. He had seen it many times, it was their greatest power, what alone set them above the beasts and the birds of this world.

Even their technology advanced in leaps and bounds, as if their makers had imparted such a wonderous quality in their very creations. He knew that individually or even in groups, no mortal would be able to stand against him, but even he wasn't sure he could last against mankind's armies and their technology now. His legions, however- His legions... The demon smirked inwardly, considering such a move. Perhaps he would have a better chance of getting her to do as he wished, if she was confronted with the prospect of facing his legions, no... the legions of Hell themselves.

"Do you know where you sit? You are on the very seat of power... of Hell. In the long millenniums, the very forces of Hell have forever been at war. A petty, all-out struggle for absolute power and authority." Forneus spoke, while thousands of demons, only illusions and yet who would know, began climbing up the mesa, out of the lava. Within seconds, they reached the top and scampered onto the surface and stood up, staring at the girl, each one terrifying and grotesque, and yet magnificent in their aspect. The darkest horrors Hell had to offer. And Forneus went on.

"It has taken me a long time, but all of Hell now answers to me. I alone am its ruler, I alone lord over the realms of Hell. And it is I alone that all the legions of Hell answers to. Defy me... and you defy the legions of Hell themselves." With that, the demons began advancing toward Pia, hunger and rage apparent on their terrible visages, cruel claws and fangs bared and reaching out for the girl, terrible wings and tails swishing and flapping softly, savoring the meal yet to come. "I give you one final chance to uphold your end of our deal. Unfair, it was that you did not know about the custom, I know. But I am afraid, there is little I can do about it. Now, choose. Oblivion, as you are devoured and castigated by my legions... or Salvation, for with your body you can ensure your freedom."

"Decide." Forneus said as the demons fast closed in on Pia, the distance in between them fading away, inch by grudging inch. It would only take one word. Just a difference of one word would decide life and death, freedom or punishment. Never before in all of history has one word mattered so much. "Now."

Pia whimpered and hugged herself in fear as the demonic horde closed in on her. She felt like character in a zombie film, a lone human against a relentles mob of enemies.
OK, these were demons, not undead, but she was certain she would be just as dead if they caught her. There was nowhere to run. Even if she coud soehow dodge the army of fiends, there was stil the small matter of an ocean of magma. Having nowhere else to go, she climbed atop the throne, even if it was obvous that this would make a poor place of refuge indeed.

OK. Face it, Pia. You have lost.
But what to do. The heroic thing might have been to defy the demonic lord to the last, but Pia was not of an heroic kind. And she did not place a higher value on her virtue than her life.

"OK! OK! You win!", she nearly screamed.
"I-I.. I'll succumb! Just don't let them get me.. please!" A tear gathered in the corner of her eye.

With the indifferent sweep of a hand, the great Marquis cleared off many of the demons in front of Pia, sending them screaming off the mesa and into the magma sea. The rest, having gotten the hint, began retreating away from their master's newest plaything. And the Marquis himself shimmered out of view, disappearing completely. He reappeared, in a much smaller and humanoid-sized form, at the side of the throne, staring eye level at Pia. "Well, get off my throne then." He smirked, all politeness in his voice entirely gone now that he had gotten what he wished for. "You didn't slaughter the rest of Hell's rulers and earned it. And if you're concerned about your little friend back on the mortal plane, he's fine. He's just waiting for your return, in the cave, if that makes you feel any better."