Written by: Epicstu Wyyvernwriter

The Fourth was a powerful Warlock who sought out first born virgin women and sacrificed them to himself, bathing in their blood. Those unfortunate enough to be sacrificed this way received an eternity in the Underrealms as Succubi. In Hell, he feeds on souls from every Underrealm in the Multiverse brought to him by his Succubus horde. With every feeding, he grows more powerful. He impatiently waits for his chance to escape the circle of Hell he has been bound to.
* *
“That cannot be possible, I am a Wyyvernforged, not a Goddess,” Zesrial could not believe what Michael had explained to her, “there must be some kind of mistake.”
“There is no mistaking it, Zesrial,” interrupted the Nekolich. “That Lich Lord shares your lifeforce. Though I do not know how since your lifeforce has been nonexistent since the day you died. Obviously, you manage to get it back at some point in the future,” the Nekolich knew how this could be achieved, though he hoped she would find another way. Such a sacrifice should never have to be made. “I have no idea how” he could not bring himself to even explain it to her.
Zesrial looked at her black wings and her purple lightning, “When I was alive my wings were white as snow and my lightning was golden like the city within me.” A tear fell only when the memory her God’s end returned to her, “this Basilisk,” she gave the giant lizard that had struck her down the name without knowing that Reaven had called it just that, “proclaims himself as the Living God.” Her lightning thundered across the walled in the sky above, “an insult to the memory of my Lord,” her lightning struck violently around her, then her thunder and lightning ceased. “I am a disgrace to his memory for failing to destroy it,” it began to rain.
“Would you calm down,” Hagur interrupted. “Your constant rainstorms of tears are going to flood the entire World.”
Zesrial dried her eyes and the rain stopped, “this would not be the first time,” She remembered the time she cried for all the souls of a world she would never see due to their sinful ways. Her Lord had to warn a family to make a great boat and put two of every animal on it before her floodgates broke and flooded that world. Her tears rained for forty days and forty nights until even the tallest mountains were fully submerged. Then she thought of Edward and smiled, “I shouldn’t dwell on the past, besides I have a Knight who loves me more than my Lord ever did.” She never thought it possible, yet she could not deny it.
“He does,” the Nekolich knew the hearts and minds of all Dead within the Wyyvernwriter’s Multiverse, “and that overpowered God that once lived in you graced all things with a love I have never seen matched until now.” He too remembered the day that God fell.
Zesrial noticed the look of sorrow hidden by the Nekolich’s smile, “It was not your fault,” she smiled back at him.
The Nekolich’s smile turned to a frown, “wasn’t it?” Before Zesrial could say anything, “Only Edward Dimir can defeat this, what did you call him? Basilisk? For now, your future Lich, Reaven, should be able to keep him busy. I need you to go to the Warpriest, Pip. He has had a change of heart and has been praying to Edward that he may follow him. Edward has heard his prayers, but cannot save him from Fate’s jaws while he remains in Hell.”
“You want me to save him?” Zesrial questioned.
“No,” the Nekolich replied, “I simply want you to show him the way. Edward will need his faith if he is to make it past the fourth gate of Hell,” he sighed, knowing who was bound to that gate. “If not for the Warpriest, do it for Edward.”
Zesrial left the Realm on a bolt of her lightning and was taken to Pip’s location.
* *
Edward found himself lost in a great labyrinth and noticed that Dolan was no longer with him, “Dolan?” there was no response. “Dolan?” still nothing. “Dolan!”
“Looking for someone?” giggled a playful woman’s voice.
“Are you the Fourth?” Edward asked, “what have you done with Dolan?”
“No,” the voice giggled. “As for your friend, he diverged down another path a while ago. I dare say he’s quite lost by now.”
“Show yourself,” Edward demanded, “and stop your giggling.
“Daw… you are even more adorable up close” the voice said from behind Edward as small delicate hands began rubbing behind his ears. Edward’s foot began to tap, then he growled and snapped at her. “Easy, Fennec,” she said seductively as she booped Edward’s nose. “Behave yourself and I just might show you where your friend is.” The humanlike woman was shorter than Edward, only came up to his chest, and had scales that skimpily covered her body instead of clothing. Her hair was as pure white as her scales and her eyes were bright orange. She used her wings to get around.
Edward continued to growl, resisting the urge to headbutt her for her irritating temptations, “Out of my way, Succubus. I will find him myself.” He walked past her.
The Succubus brushed her hair, wings, and tail off. Then she sat down on a rock that was there and waited as she watched Edward’s ass disappear down the dark corridor. She, ever so slightly, bit her lip and moaned with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow.
* *
Pip suddenly found himself at the foot of a great mountain. The air was cold and all around him was covered by a thick blanket of snow. “Where am I?” Then he saw holes in the mountain, holes made by the six-inch retractable claws of the Fox he sought to follow. He put his hand to it and smiled, his hands were about the same size.
“Strip,” a voice Pip recognized came from behind him.
“What?” he turned around and saw her, the Archangel who was Heaven.
“His tradition was that only one item could be taken with to the top,” Zesrial explained maintaining a scowl. “If you wish to follow him, you will strip.” He had no fur to keep him warm, but Pip did as he was told. Shivering in the freezing cold he rubbed his hands together and blew warmish air from his lungs into them. “You may take only one thing with you,” Zesrial reminded him. “Choose wisely.” Much to Zesrial’s surprise Pip took his robes and some chainmail from his armor and fashioned a crude scarf from the materials. He wrapped the scarf around his neck and looked up the mountain, then back at Zesrial. “Go on,” she urged maintaining her scowl. Pip had no claws to stab into the mountain’s side so he used the holes made by the Fox’s claws. His toes were already frostbitten and he had little strength left, but he was determined and would not give up. Zesrial watched as Pip slipped many times, but kept going. She was inspired by his will to become a follower of her Knight. It would almost have brought a smile to her face if she had not wanted him to fail. She did not believe the Warpriest deserved to follow her Knight and thought this challenge would have been too much for him. In an effort to thwart him, she became a lightning storm that struck the mountain relentlessly.
* *
Edward came around a corner and saw the Succubus sitting on a rock there, “are you following me?”
“There you are,” the Succubus replied. “It’s been hours. What, did you stop for coffee?”
“What are you going on about? It has only been a few minutes at best. Where am I?” Edward questioned.
“The same place you were before, cutie,” the Succubus giggled. “Time works differently here as does direction. So I’m afraid that without my help,” she walked up to Edward and booped his nose again, “You will never find your friend or your way out.” She looked at Edward with widened eyes and a wanting for him.
Edward had no choice, she was right. Even if he could find his way out it would potentially take him years and still he had to locate Dolan. “Lead the way,” he reluctantly said.
“Yay!” the Succubus flew in loop de loops with excitement around him.
“Up front where I can see you,” Edward snapped.
“Oh I see, you want a view,” the succubus landed on her hands and walked ahead with her legs spread out, “How’s that?” Edward just growled and ignored her. “What? are you gay or something?” She flew up to him holding an assortment of toys between her massive breasts, “I have strapons!” she shouted with an excited smile. Edward just rolled his eyes with a look of disgust on his face as he walked past her. “Well alright, Mr. Uptight,” the Succubus put her toys away and flew next to Edward staring at him.
They came to a fork in the tunnels, “which way, Succubus?” Edward asked.
“SO irritable,” the Succubus replied. Edward glared at her and the air around them became cold, “alright alright, your friend is that way,” she pointed to the leftmost path.
Edward walked in that direction, “come on, Succubus.”
“Stop calling me that!” the Succubus crossed her arms and stood at the fork, refusing to budge.
Edward laughed, “That is what you are, are you not?”
“Well yeah, but not by my choice,” the Succubus insisted. Edward just rolled his eyes and walked on. She flew to him, “even if it was my choice, there is nothing wrong with what I am or what I do.”
“I agree,” Edward replied.
“No there is not…” the Succubus froze. “Wait, you agree with me?”
“So long as all parties consent and no one is cheated on, there is nothing wrong with what any number of adults do behind closed doors,” Edward explained his point of view on the subject.
The Succubus stopped and gently let her self to the ground. No one had ever even tried to see her side, this Fox just saw it that way. Edward had continued walking so she flew up to him and followed next to him again, “What’s her name?”
“What?” Edward questioned not believing that the question she asked was the question she asked.
“Come now, you must have someone you love,” the Succubus replied. “I know you are into some weird kinks, you cannot hide that from me. The only way you would be so hellbent to resist my seduction is love for another.”
Edward raised an eyebrow. The Succubus raised an eyebrow back at him, “Alright, you got me,” Edward smiled.
“So… what’s her name?” the Succubus insisted. “Tell me, tell me, tell me! Please!”
Edward laughed, “she is going to kick my ass for so much as speaking with you.”
“She shouldn’t,” the Succubus smiled with genuine friendliness. “You are far too trustworthy. It is actually annoying.”
“Zesrial,” Edward replied. “Her name is Zesrial.”
“Heaven?!” the Succubus replied. “Oh, uh… maybe I should go.”
Edward grabbed her by the leather collar around her neck, “No you don’t, I need you to help me find Dolan.”
“Let me go!” the Succubus pleaded. “If Heaven finds out I was flirting with her man, I’m done for. She’ll rip me out of existence,” she squirmed and flapped her wings violently.
“She will find out either way,” Edward rebutted. “So what would you rather have her find out? That you saved me from an eternity here, or that you left me to become lost in this place where she will never find me again?”
The Succubus stopped squirming, “good point.” She flew ahead aways and gestured for Edward to follow, “this way.”
“What’s your name?” Edward asked.
“My name?” the Succubus thought for a moment. It had been so long since she knew it.
“Well you don’t like being called what you are, so what else do I call you?” Edward insisted.
“I, uh… I don’t know,” the Succubus could not remember.
“Your scales are white, like the freshly fallen snow of my homeland,” said Edward. “I will call you Snow.”
Edward walked on and then felt a squeeze. Snow was hugging him, then thunder cracked and she let go, “Sorry!” she shouted fearing Heaven’s wrath.
* *
Heaven’s lightning struck the mountain all around Pip, but never touched him. She knew that Edward would never forgive her if she did not let the Warpriest try. Pieces of the mountain fell upon Pip, but he kept his grip and would not falter. “Why are you so hellbent to follow him?” Zesrial demanded to know, “What makes you think you are worthy of my Knight?”
Pip laughed, “don’t you mean, foxbent.” Heaven’s lightning struck him directly this time and thunder that could be heard across the multiverse cracked in its wake. “I believed that nothing existed outside of the Universe I was born in, that was what I was taught. Then he came along. As you struck me and pulled me from the God who created me I saw the Multiverse and it was beautiful. Then I saw something else, a horrifying monster that hungered for me.” As Heaven’s lightning struck him he continued to climb through it, “Between that monster and I stood the Fox that is Hell and in his right hand he held the sword that is Heaven, you.” Heaven’s lightning stopped, “That monster reminded me of my own God who hungers for the Dead. I decided then that if the Dead would stand between the Living and the devourer of Life then I would stand between the Dead and the devourer of Death,” Pip put his hand to the top of the mountain and pulled himself up, then he slipped and fell.
* *
Snow led Edward to a large room where a figure, hooded cloaked and masked in shadow, stood. “Edward Michael of House Dimir,” the man spoke, “The Wall. The Fennec Fox of the Northlands that became the Underrealm that is Hell.” the figure complimented Edward.
“You must be the Fourth. You’ve heard of me,” Edward smiled. “Then you know how this will end. Just let me pass and I will spare you the embarrassment.” The Fourth snapped his fingers and a Succubus with black hair, wings, and scales flew to him carrying Dolan’s limp body, “Dolan!”
“He is fine,” the Fourth replied, “for the moment.”
Edward growled, “what do you want?”
“For you to leave,” the Fourth replied as he opened a portal to the Northlands. “Go home and your friend can go with you.”
“Don’t do it!” Snow covered her mouth, she wasn’t entirely sure why she warned Edward. The Fourth waved a hand and Snow was thrown to the wall, then she knew. Edward treated her with kindness and respect, not as a toy. “If you leave Hell in this way the Nine will be free to leave whenever they want.” Then she screamed as the Fourth flicked his wrist causing her wings to break.
“Leave now!” the Fourth demanded, “or I will devour your friend’s soul.”
“What happen’s to her?” Edward questioned.
“Who cares, she is a Succubus,” the Fourth replied. “Just a worthless slut to be cast aside after use. Is your friend not more important?”
Edward drew his sword and teal snow fell from the ceiling. The Succubi around the Fourth fell to the ground, their wings too cold to allow flight. Dolan fell from the one that had held him and woke up upon hitting the floor. “They are both my friends,” Edward replied, “equally important.” Then he threw one end of his chainmail scarf to Snow, wrapping it around her neck and pulling her towards him.
“Do you always choke your friends?” Snow coughed.
“I always thought Succubi enjoyed asphyxiation,” Edward replied as he handed Snow his greatsword, “take this to the one who prays to me and tell him my name.”
Dolan rolled down to him and got back to his feet next to Edward using the snow he created to amplify his water disk and freeze the Fourth in place.
“I can’t without my wings,” Snow rebutted.
Edward looked up and saw a ledge high up with some light coming through a tunnel. It was too high up unless she wall jumped to it. Then he noticed her enormous breasts which he had been ignoring until now out of respect for Zesrial. “Use this to get to him,” Edward handed snow a card and threw her at the wall.
Snow landed, breasts first, against the wall and bounced up to the ledge, “That hurt!” she shouted angrily before realizing he had just thrown her to the labyrinth’s exit. She walked through the tunnel and found herself at the edge of a cliff overlooking all of Hell. “Now what?” Then she remembered the card, “Victor’s Ware’s and Void Transportation?”
Then a door opened seemingly from nowhere and a Cat of brown, yellow, and off-white fur extended a hand, “Where would you like to go, my Dear?”
“Take me to the one who prays to Hell,” Snow replied.
“As you wish, but first let me have a look at those wings for you,” said Victor.
* *
Pip prayed to the Fox that was Hell as he fell and then a hand caught him and pulled him up. It was Zesrial, “So, you would worship my Knight?”
“If you will not let me then you may as well drop me,” Pip replied.
“Careful what you wish for, Warpriest,” Zesrial said as she tossed him atop the mountain’s peak.
“Hey, you!” said a voice from above that huffed and puffed. “I have never flown this high up before. Man this thing is heavy”
Zesrial noticed that the sword in her hands was Edward’s and then she recognized her as a Succubus, “Who are you and why do you have my Knight’s sword?”
Snow’s eyes grew wide, but she focused on her task, “this is for you,” she grunted as she handed Pip the sword, “Edward has heard your prayer.” Then Pip disappeared, leaving Snow alone with Zesrial who summoned a storm above them, “Uh, hey… Heaven, how ya doin?” Zesrial’s lightning struck terrifyingly close to her, “he saved me from my cruel master, I swear we are only friends and I didn’t do anything. Please don’t hurt me…”
Instead of being stricken from existence, Snow found herself being hugged by Zesrial which was no less frightening to her. “If you are friends with my Edward then you and I are going to be friends too,” said Zesrial causing Snow’s eyes to grow wide with fear, “Best friends.”
* *
The Fourth broke free from Dolan’s hold causing him to fly back into Edward, the two got to their feet, “you should have kept your sword,” the Fourth grinned.
“I have this one,” Edward replied as he unsheathed his short-sword with his off-hand and the gauntlet from the hammerspace in his scarf with his right hand. His fur became lit with flames as teal as the snow that fell from the ceiling.
“Ah, a cold day in Hell,” The Fourth smiled and then looked to Dolan, “and you?” A symphony of instruments played as disks of water formed on all sides around them. Dolan raised an eyebrow at the Fourth and smiled. “Interesting,” the Fourth raised an eyebrow back at him. “Shall we begin?”
* *
Pip found himself underwater and free of his chains staring at an open mouth that rushed towards him. He looked up at the hook he was next to and at the greatsword in his hand, he knew what to do. Without hesitation, he put the greatsword in his mouth and held it with his teeth as he grabbed the chain with one hand and the hook attached to it with the other. “Edward, give me strength,” he said as he swung the hook into the Wyyvern of Fate’s mouth and held on to it so he would not be swallowed whole. The Wyyvern of Fate turned around and dived, struggling to take the Dreadnautilus with it. With one hand gripping the hook he grabbed the greatsword in his mouth the other and tried to injure it and force it to return to the surface. It did not work, “Edward, give me strength,” he repeated as he let go of the hook and fell down the Wyyvern of Fate’s throat.
* *
The Fourth caused Edward’s teal snowfire and Dolan’s water disks to disperse and unsheathed a pair of twisted daggers from the sleeves of his robes. “Fine,” said Dolan as he unsheathed a pair of machete from his back, “we’ll do this the old fashion way.” He charged and swung down, but the Fourth parried and deflected. Before he could counter Dolan’s attack with his own, Edward jumped in, headbutting the Fourth in the gut. The Fourth flew back into a wall and ducked before Edward’s gauntlet struck where his head was and blocked as Edward followed through with his short-sword. The Fourth gave a shout and Edward was pushed back. Dolan swung down again. This time when the Fourth tried to parry, Dolan countered by maneuvering his machetes around the Fourth’s daggers and disarmed him of them. The Fourth gave another shout as he punched Dolan’s gut and Dolan flew back into the wall at the other end of the room. Edward charged towards the Fourth, but the Fourth shouted continuously and Edward could not break through the force being pushed against him.
Then Edward heard a voice, “Edward give me strength,” and from that prayer, Edward gained strength of his own. He began to overpower the Fourth’s shouting but it wasn’t enough, “Edward give me strength.” Edward knew he would have to have enough strength for both himself and for the one who prayed to him, so he calmed and looked deep within himself. Then he walked up to the Fourth slowly, forcing himself through the force that pushed against him, and headbutted the Fourth through the wall behind him. There the Fourth’s gate was.
“How?” the Fourth questioned.
“No one has faith in you,” Edward replied. “You control your Succubi with fear and they hate you for it. My followers have faith in me because they are also my friends. I treat them as my own family and that is what makes me stronger.” Then he walked passed the Fourth and onward through to the gate.
“Wait for me,” Dolan said as he ran to Edward. Then he looked up at the horde of Succubi that glared at the Fourth, seeing his weakness. He looked at the Fourth, “I would not want to be you right now.” As the Gate of the Fourth resealed in Edward’s teal snowfire behind them the Fourth’s screams could be heard through all of Hell’s circles.