How to Deal with the Devil

[Ryan - Loki]

In an explosion of fire Aion, Loki and Seth all burst into existence once more. For someone who wasn’t used to this form of travel it wasn’t a pleasant trip. Flames licking around you, giving the appearance you’re burning alive, the only colours you can see being the oranges, yellows and reds. The feeling of being thrown about, spinning, yet not knowing what direction you were moving in; it took feeling seasick to a completely new level. Loki suspected that both Aion and Seth would feel the though Loki doubted Aion would have much trouble with the unusual sensation; he enjoyed the method of travel, besides how weak it made him now feel afterwards.

Having travelled with both Aion and Seth, not to mention through from the realm of the living to the dead, Loki found himself extremely fatigued. He felt much like he had done after the great war of his former people, back when he and Ryan had been one in the same. He wouldn’t think of such pitiful things. He had been unable to hide his exhaustion as the fire dissipated. He had expected it, but the extent had taken him by surprise. Not wanting to seem weak in front of Aion Loki straightened his back to his full height, with some difficulty, and forced himself to appear fine; a grin completed the façade.

Seth immediately ran a few steps away from the two adults, bent over and threw up. He had been unable to stop himself. He had no idea what had just happened, but his body hadn’t agreed with the unexpected rush and swirling. He felt dizzy. Slowly he began to return to normal, he stopped vomiting and he attempted to compose himself. Wiping his mouth he stood back up properly and looked around properly. His eyes opened wide, so wide in fact they threatened to pop out of their sockets; his mouth had fallen open just as wide too.

“Wh-wh-what’s going on!?” Seth suddenly exclaimed. “Where are we?! I don’t understand.”

Their surroundings were not what were expected when one thought of what Hell might look like. Yes there was fire, brimstone and sulphur, but you had to go to the right places. This particular section of Hell was dead, dark and seemingly desolate; though Loki knew better. There was a huge structure behind them, a castle, for lack of better words, and Loki then knew that he had managed to bring them to the correct place.

“I give you, Lucifer’s palace.” Loki replied, looking up at the ancient and daunting structure. For the first time in his existence, Loki was worried.

[Aion]

Hell. How wonderful it was to return to this place after a thousand years; and from the looks of it, not much had changed. How..."comforting". A small, inaudible, murmur was all the general could manage to vocalize. His eyes shut tightly, as if he were focusing on something of a major importance. In this case, it was not following the example of his younger friend, Seth. Ack! What a disgusting feeling. If it wasn't for the Nenian's excellent ability to control his posture, Aion would have regurgitated everything from the past twenty four hours. Loki could have at least warned them about the ramification of his method of travel. Than again, he was probably getting some sick chuckles out of this.

Aion's eyes wondered over to Loki. Again, something was a bit odd. Whether Loki had meant to show it, or not, Aion could see the subtle changes in his demeanor; as a hand to hand combatant, it's what he was trained to spot. The demon's trademark arrogance suddenly had taken a blow, and for once, he showed a bit of apprehension. "Perfect..." Aion mumbled. Loki's sudden realization of how stupid this was had started to effect even the Nenian's confidence. He wouldn't admit to it, but he was starting to miss Loki's crude disposition; at least in this situation, it would have been reassuring.

Before the general could get in another word, something else took over the area, a darker, more sinister presence. "Just how long do you plan on staying out there?" The voice asked, accompanied by a snicker. "You couldn't imagine how long I've waited for this. I'd even gone through the trouble of clearing out all my subjects so they wouldn't pick the flesh from your bones; and this is how you treat your king? I'm...disappointed." Though it was clearly banter from was a faceless voice, you could sense the power behind it. Each syllable, seemed to shake the very foundation of the underworld.

Lucifer was aware of their presence, there was no turning back, no second guessing; the only option was to move forward.

[Ryan - Loki]

“Lucifer?” Seth asked, clear disbelief and confusion on his face. Then suddenly, without warning, a voice boomed out through the air.

"Just how long do you plan on staying out there?"

Loki felt his skin crawl and his blood boil. It was an instant reaction. His eyes, often the only giveaway to what he was feeling, exploded in a glowing blaze of pulsating red. But this time Loki did not care to hide his emotions, a snarl clear for all to see. It had been a thousand years since he had heard that voice, and if anything he found he hated him even more so. Loki was too busy fuelling his hatred to reply, luckily.

"You couldn't imagine how long I've waited for this. I'd even gone through the trouble of clearing out all my subjects so they wouldn't pick the flesh from your bones; and this is how you treat your king? I'm...disappointed."

“Hah. King?” Loki couldn’t help himself anymore. “The last thousand years much have made him senile if he thinks he’s our king.” It wasn’t much of a retort, it wasn’t meant to be. All his worries had vanished the moment he had heard Lucifer’s voice, where one would have expected the opposite to have happened. Loki was still very concerned that the drain on using his abilities was too much of a major disadvantage, and Aion probably had the exact same problem as well. He need Aion though, he need him to do exactly what he trusted him to do, be himself. Aion would not allow Loki, a man who he had agreed to help, be stabbed in the back by Lucifer; Aion was a man of honour, much like Ryan who had tutored him for a short while.

No, Loki had planned this too well.

“…Who was that…?” Seth meekly asked. He was looking from Aion to Loki to the surrounding area, as if trying to spot who had spoken to them.

Loki sighed, returning his attention back to the small group, more specifically Aion. “He’s not that smart, is he?” it was a rhetorical question. He turned to Seth. “It was Lucifer, kid.”

“Your serious…aren’t you?” Seth asked, still looking between the two adults.

Loki quickly turned back to Aion. “Why did you want to bring him again?” Loki had noticed that this kid, as he kept referring to him as, wore one of Ryan’s Twin Reavers at his waist. It was an interesting fact, but one that would have to wait. “Yes,” Loki replied to Seth. “That was Lucifer’s voice, that’s his tower and yes, before you ask, we are in Hell.” With that Loki just began walking towards the two extremely large doors of the palace. If Loki remembered correctly then the doors would simply open into a large throne room of sorts, where Lucifer would probably be perched upon his throne like a pompous imbecile.

He knew Lucifer could probably hear everything that was being said, so he had to say as little as possible, without giving too much away, but enough so that Aion would understand the underlining message. “Aion…keep your eyes and ears open. Ok?” Loki muttered, keeping his voice as low as he could without Aion being unable to hear it.

[Aion]

Aion remained quiet, choosing to ignore the bulk of Loki's comments. There were more pressing matter at hand than the general odd choice of forcing the prince to accompany them. Lucifer "waiting" for this meeting, for example. That alone implied that the devil had some knowledge regarding the fates of Dragonia's warriors a thousand years ago. This meant he knew the extent their current situation, that's why he removed the demons; even working as a team, both Loki and Aion couldn't break through Lucifer's guard. Whatever Loki had in his possession had to be grand, because their chance to haggle just flew out of the window.

The Nenian's crimson eyes were as radiant as Lunos on a pitch black night, putting even the flames of the underworld to shame; the animosity he had tried to keep hidden until now was begining to show. The whole situation concerning his contract with Leviathan should've been enough proof that something was amiss; but, in his youthful ignorance, he pushed it to the back of his mind.

The contract could only be broken in three ways:

1. Leviathan terminates the contract.

2. Leviathan met an early demise.

3. Higher powers intervened.

Even being after thrown centuries into the future, and practically left at the mercy of Neon Genesis, Aion never once thought that this was intentional; that Leviathan, who he had trusted completely, had simply let him out of his contract. It was only a theory, but Aion had an inkling as to how Lucifer acquired his information.

It was during this long period of silence, the Nenian had made his way to the large doors of Lucifer's palace, opening them to reveal just as Loki predicted: Lucifer, ass planted comfortably on his throne, his aura of "assholiness" as strong as ever. His massive frame, covered by a cloak composed of steel blue scales; which obscured every feature, aside from his sinister, eliminating, silver eyes.

Allowing a small chuckle to escape from his lips, the lord of darkness leaned forward, his eyes focused on the Nenian. "I know your question, and the answer is "yes"." By the end of his sentence his sinful snicker had grown into full blown laughter. He'd found his first victim, and interestingly enough, it wasn't the boy, it wasn't the loose cannon; it was the most cautious of the three. "She waited for you, child; and it was her downfall. She invested so much hope and power into your frail mortal shell, that by the end she was too weak to defend against a few simple strikes." His laughter only grew as he continued, becoming so loud that it echoed throughout Hell. "For a Goddess, to call upon a mortal for aid in her final moments, it was truly pathetic...."

The general had wanted desperately to lunge forward, and grasp the devil's neck tightly within his hands, choking the life out of him. But that's exactly what Lucifer wanted: to see the emotions his former servant had always managed to keep surpressed in his presence explode; to manifest themselves in one worthless action that lead to his death. There was nearly nothing left in this pitiful existence that would grant him such pleasure.

"But I'm sure we can all agree that words, such as "God", are thrown around too often. Right, little Loki?"

Each word cut through Aion like blade. There was nothing more he could say, nothing more he wanted to say. Nothing he could do could bring back one of the few beings that had actually cared for him, treating him as more than a simple mortal lusting after more power, as one of her own children. His head spun back toward Loki. For the first time ever, it was clear that the Nenian was only a mere few words from losing his composure."Loki, whatever your offer is, make it now."

[Ryan - Loki]

As the huge doors opened and the scene unfolded before their eyes Loki wasn’t at all surprised to have been proved right. Lucifer came quickly into view, sitting atop his throne with a sadistic smirk upon his face. At that moment Loki almost lost complete control of all his emotions. He had waited over a thousand years to exact his revenge on Lucifer, and now his thirst could finally be quenched; Lucifer was within his grasp, and arrogantly alone.

Seth had meekly moved into the room, not hiding behind but almost standing completely behind Aion. He was terrified. He was in Hell and Lucifer was apparently sitting no more than a hundred metres away from him. He could see his silver eyes; both Loki’s and Aion’s crimson eyes, though bright and intense, paled in comparison to the silvery ones that belonged to the absolute Lord of Hell. He didn’t know why Aion wanted him there, there was surely better equipped people to take, but Seth fully intended to keep quiet; hopefully everyone would forget he was there.

Loki’s hands had balled into fists and began shaking. He could feel his body weight moving forward, the only thing from keeping him rushing towards his victim being the weight of his feet; they seemed to be the only sane and in-control part of his body, oddly enough. However, before he could do or say anything Lucifer’s voice moved across the room towards them, and surprisingly it was directed at Aion.

"I know your question, and the answer is ‘yes’." the lord of darkness said, finding the humour in what he was saying instantly. "She waited for you, child; and it was her downfall. She invested so much hope and power into your frail mortal shell, that by the end she was too weak to defend against a few simple strikes. For a Goddess, to call upon a mortal for aid in her final moments, it was truly pathetic...."

Loki wasn’t completely clued up on Aion’s life story, but seeing that Aion had been a Lord of Hell at one point Loki had made it his business to know a fair amount; Lucifer’s rant had filled in some gaps, enough for Loki to piece the important information together. Everything was starting to make some form of sense. But Loki’s train of thought was disturbed as Lucifer finally took notice of Loki.

"But I'm sure we can all agree that words, such as "God", are thrown around too often. Right, little Loki?"

His eyes exploded a deep crimson. His anger was clear for everyone to see. He wanted to rip Lucifer’s voice box from his throat with his bare hands.

“Loki,” Aion’s voice distracted him from his thoughts. “Whatever your offer is, make it now."

Yes…the offer. Focus. Loki turned from Aion and looked directly at Lucifer. He would need to quell his anger, at least somewhat, if he was going to get through this. He needed to be full of himself, hint at being humble, but restrain his anger at all costs; Lucifer was a fickle creature. “I’ve come to bargain with you.” Loki stated. Lucifer would already know this, if he was as powerful as he often claimed to be. “I want, I mean…I ask[/size] two things from you…” [/color] this was harder than he had anticipated it would be, almost insufferable.

“The first is Sophronia’s freedom.” he stated coldly, his face emotionless apart from the burning of his eyes. “Set her free from your grasp completely and give her to me.” Already he was asking a lot, but there was more to come. “The second…Aion need power to sustain himself. Give it to him.” it was a completely selfless request, the first Loki had ever made. He leaned his head over towards Aion, without taking his eyes off of Lucifer, and whispered. “That’s for helping me…don’t say I never gave you anything…”

The requests had been put forward for Lucifer to think on, but Loki had purposely not mentioned what he was going to bargain with; he had kept that little gem right until the last moment. It may not have been the smartest of moves, but he wanted Lucifer to ask before he would give mention, he wanted to hold power over the demon lord – even if only briefly.

[Aion]

"Gee...thanks, pal. Wouldn't know what to do without you..." The Nenian responded. An honestly kind gesture or a well played act of deception, the last thing the general wanted was to receive any payment from this bastard. He'd come to keep an eye on him, not to become best friends forever.

The lord of darkness shifted forward, the flames of Hell mimicking his every move. His eyes remained locked on Loki as he finished speaking, as if to say "That's it?". The king of the underworld was unsure of how to react. Even he was surprised by each request. Both selfless, seemingly leaving Loki with little to gain, leaving himself with the short end of the stick. It wasn't like him, and the devil knew that Loki's time spent in such a weakened state didn't humble him this much, nor, this quickly.

Still Loki withheld his offer, as if he were dangling it over Lucifer's head like bait; it seemed as if once again Loki underestimated his intelligence. Lucifer knew this little game, he knew how much the fool lusted after power equal to his. "I'll bite..." The demon spoke, somewhat interested with the offer. "What do I gain from honoring your requests?"

It was no secret, that he was fond of Sophronia. Not only was she beautiful piece of property, but proof that an angel, even the most innocent and flawless of them in God's eyes, could still be corrupted; swayed into following his path. She was a living taunt he'd hold up to the Heaven's for eternity if he could. And to grant Aion power with no restrictions? Nothing to protect himself against the Nenian's eventual betrayal? Loki desired a great deal for an individual in his situation. Whatever this offer was, it had to be one of a kind.

[Ryan - Loki]

"Gee...thanks, pal. Wouldn't know what to do without you..." Aion responded sarcastically.

Loki couldn’t help but snigger at this.

"I'll bite..." No matter what Lucifer thought, it was clear from his face that his interest had at least been hooked. "What do I gain from honouring your requests?"

This was the moment Loki had been waiting for. He lifted his hand up and over his head, grasping the hilt of Bane and pulling the sword out in front of him, pointing the tip towards Lucifer. For the slightest of moments Loki considered the consequences of attacking Lucifer would be. Surely Lucifer would have expected as much, and Aion had already made himself completely clear on the subject, which meant he would probably attempt to stop Loki. No, that was not why he had come here, not this time. Begrudgingly he turned the sword around and placed the tip against the ground.

“I think this sword should look familiar to you.” Loki said with a smirk. “Bane, the ultimate destroyer – a sword supposedly infused with the most powerful and destructive force known to exist…the rare power of Lucifer.” Suddenly Loki’s bargaining chip was clear to all; Loki was looking extremely smug. “You know how powerful this sword should be, after all you created it – and I took it. I’m offering it back to you, my one true advantage, in return for my requests.”

I hope this works, Loki thought. otherwise I’ll have to go with plan B…

[Aion]

The silver flames within the devil's eyes shimmered, his legendary greed appearing at long last; that eternally unsatisfied gluttonous hunger for power unmatched, surfacing after a century of suppression. His long lost blade, Bane, had finally made it's way home; only mere yards away from his grasp. There was nothing stopping him from bolting forward and simply releaving Loki of his weapon, and by extent, his arm; once again reuniting the lord of darkness with his beloved sword. Nothing would separate the two of them again, he'd make sure of it this time. Lucifer was nearly salivating over the thought.

However, the devil hid his desires well. This was Loki's game, to hold power over the devil himself, to tease him with that power; and ultimately , withdraw it when the right time comes. Lucifer would not fall prey to Loki's intentions, not this time; everything was his, he was king, he controlled the fates of the three men before him. Nothing they could muster could stop him.

Lucifer arose from his throne, his frame alone putting the situation in perspective for the three warriors; the basic "I'm big, you're small!" approach. He stood in his place, glaring at Loki, the one individual who he, ironically, would say "perverted" his Bane. "You dare bring the piece of property that you and that witch stole from me as your bargaining chip? What's stopping me from taking back what is rightfully mine?" Lucifer spat at Loki, there was a low growl in his voice, his tone even more sinister than before. If Loki was intention to push Lucifer's button, getting a reaction out of the demon, he'd found the right one.

Even though this was a lost cause, the Nenian wasn't about to back down, especially given his current rage. He knew that if Lucifer made the jump, that he and Loki could hold him off for a minute or two, but Seth...he wasn't ready for this. "Do you see now?" The general asked his younger companion, his eyes still locked on the king of Hell. "These are the kind of beings you'll have to deal with if you walk Ryan's path, my path..." Aion paused. His legs parted at shoulder's length, feet planted firmly in the earth; his left hand pulled back to his rib cage, and his right held slightly out in front of his body."And no matter the odds, no matter how scared you are, you have to stand firm, face them head on, and give them the best you can."

This should have cleared up at least one reason why the Nenian had choose to bring the prince along. Another lesson, an extreme one, but hopefully an effective one. Not many warriors in a lifetime got a glimpse at the true forces behind their pitiful existence, and when they did, hope was lost. Aion hoped this would put the lifestyle the prince had desired into perspective; and, of course, that they'd make it out alive. Loki's next few words were crucial to their survival, and while Aion hated to do it, it looked like he'd have no choice but to rely on his actions.

[Ryan - Loki]

Loki waited as Lucifer seemed to look over both him and sword. Did he expect betrayal or trickery? Did he sense it? Good. It wasn’t Loki’s intention, at least not his main one, but he couldn’t help but derive some form of pleasure from all of this. Though he would never admit it he and Lucifer were extremely similar in many senses, none more so than both of their greatest weaknesses; their arrogance, it was this that Loki was dwelling on now.

Suddenly Lucifer stood from his throne. It wasn’t until moments like this that Loki really remembered the sheer size of his nemesis. It was intimidating, but for Loki it was the first time he had ever felt it; it was because he didn’t yet have the full extent of his powers back, it had to be the reason. Either way Loki didn’t show any emotion, he wouldn’t dare give away anything at this stage; as Aion had said, there was no going back now.

"You dare bring the piece of property that you and that witch stole from me as your bargaining chip? What's stopping me from taking back what is rightfully mine?" Lucifer’s voice was cold, sinister.

Loki was worried now, but thrill and excited all at the same time. He had hit the exact button he had hoped to hit. From the moment he had been torn from within Ryan he had felt the power of evil flowing through him and when he had taken Bane for himself, Lucifer’s own weapon containing his own powers, Loki had known then that he was destined for greatness. Loki had known power all of his existence, however all of that paled in comparison to the power he now held over Lucifer. He knew the Lord of Hell could charged the small group and with their current powers they would all be dead in a few minutes, tops, but to Loki this was bliss.

"Do you see now?"

It was Aion’s voice but it wasn’t directed at Loki this time, he was talking to Seth. The small boy was stood behind Aion, Loki could sense him faintly.

"These are the kind of beings you'll have to deal with if you walk Ryan's path, my path…and no matter the odds, no matter how scared you are, you have to stand firm, face them head on, and give them the best you can."

Seth listened very carefully, only taking his eyes off of Lucifer for a few seconds to look at the back of the generals head. This was all so surreal. Ryan never spoke about what his life had been like before he had come to work for the royal family of Lavertia. Of course Seth knew the history of Ryan’s people and the wars Ryan had fought in, but he had never known the true extent; the same went for the general too. Now Seth was standing behind the general face-to-face with the king of Hell, and this didn’t seem to be the first time the general had been in this situation.

Watching the generals movements Seth slide his feet to the side, so that he was to the left of the general in full view of Lucifer and everything else within the room, though he still made sure that he was behind the generals position; he wouldn’t hide anymore. Following the generals body movements Seth prepared himself, the only difference being he allowed his hands to fall down to the hilt of the Reaver Ryan had given him.

“I-I made my d-decision,” the young prince said. “I-I wont fail you a-again g-g-general.” he was absolutely terrified and unlike the others he wasn’t trained to hide it yet, but he was determined nevertheless.

Loki couldn’t help but smirk. Between Lucifer’s brewing rage, Aion gathering himself for as seemingly inevitable battle, their potential deaths, Loki was actually quite excited; the adrenaline was really kicking in now. “Because the Hell you now reside in was created by me,” Loki stated. It was true, before Loki had intervened Hell was based on a level system but now was one huge plain split into domains. “I single-handedly killed all the other lords of Hell who stood in my way. With Bane my power is unquestionable…and you know it.

“You could come at us now and try to take the sword from me, taking out Aion and the boy at the same time, ” he paused, his smirk stretching and his eyes pulsing. “but you wont…because your worried what could happen, if you’re wrong.” he lifted his chin up. “You underestimated me once. I’m giving you an easy way out of all of this. You’ll get your sword back, I’ll get my requests and then we’ll leave.”

[Aion]

The devil's throne room remained silent, nothing but the crackle of the flames surrounding the four men even daring to make a sound. It took Lucifer a few seconds to register what garbage had just spewed from his former servants mouth. Even he had to admit, the man's gull, especially given his situation, was second to none. "Power unquestionable, eh? You honestly think I have no way to counter that swords power? If you're so sure of yourself rush forward and take back the girls soul, this instant; nothing's standing between us but the hot air coming from that worthless trap of yours." The lord of darkness responded with a laugh.

He knew his challenge wouldn't be excepted, none of these warriors would be ignorant enough to initiate any violent actions; Lucifer wanted Loki to realize he was in a position of power. "You want your requests? I'll give them to you on my terms, there is no negotiating here. Not with you." The devil wouldn't allow there to be an exhibition of power between himself and those who simply hungered for it; to think the opposite was insulting.

"You hand over Bane, and you get seventy-five percent of the girl's soul; the rest you gain by serving under me once more." His offer, obviously, one sided and somewhat questionable; would probably leave the former lord of Hell wondering why Lucifer was so willing to give up so much. Surprisingly, his reasons didn't have much to do with his blade, that was just icing on the cake. "You see, that's all I need. No hidden conditions, nothing. This one's pretty straight forward." Lucifer continued, a sadistic smirk appearing on his face. His arrogance making itself visable once more. There was no way past this deal, Lucifer wouldn't budge. "Each time you question me, each time I catch you looking at me wrong, for every snarl or weakness in step, I'll set that twenty-five percent of her soul ablaze. The pain she'll feel will be incomparable, and you'll be the one at fault. You're going to become my dog, Loki, whether you like it or not."

"As for him..." Lucifer spoke once more, his attention on Aion."I'm suspicious as to why you'd to posses any power near what he had before; however, if he agrees to allow me to control that precious seal of his, I'll give him what he needs."

The Nenian winced at the thought of Lucifer having such power over him. After all, if he controlled the seal placed on his soul, he essentially controlled his life. Was regaining a few months really worth this price? Would the outcome taint the general's soul with even more darkness than before? Aion stayed silent, waiting for Loki's response.

[Ryan - Loki]

"Power unquestionable, eh? You honestly think I have no way to counter that swords power? If you're so sure of yourself rush forward and take back the girl’s soul, this instant; nothing's standing between us but the hot air coming from that worthless trap of yours."

Lucifer found this highly humorous, though it was taking all of Loki’s willpower not to charge at the devil. For once he was actually listening to the small voice in the back of Loki’s head, the voice of self-doubt and reason that he almost always ignored. Deep down he knew that if he did attack then it would spell the deaths of all of them, and he still had too much to do before he died.

"You want your requests? I'll give them to you on my terms, there is no negotiating here. Not with you." his voice had a sound of resounding finality about it. "You hand over Bane, and you get seventy-five percent of the girl's soul; the rest you gain by serving under me once more." he looked as if he had an ace up his sleeve, which meant he did.

Loki didn’t like this already. He had originally thought of giving himself to the devil in return for Sophronia but had opted to give Bane back instead, however it seemed the devil had unknowingly stumbled upon Loki’s original idea. “What’s the catch?”

"You see, that's all I need. No hidden conditions, nothing. This one's pretty straight forward." Loki felt what was coming before it was said. "Each time you question me, each time I catch you looking at me wrong, for every snarl or weakness in step, I'll set that twenty-five percent of her soul ablaze. The pain she'll feel will be incomparable, and you'll be the one at fault. You're going to become my dog, Loki, whether you like it or not."

Loki could no longer hide his anger. A snarl appeared in the corner of his mouth.

"As for him..." the devil finally turned his attention to Aion. "I'm suspicious as to why you'd to posses any power near what he had before; however, if he agrees to allow me to control that precious seal of his, I'll give him what he needs."

Loki had foolishly thought he could bargain with the devil, and he had found himself at the loose end of the deal. How could he have expected anything else? Silently Loki was cursing himself. Even if he wanted to leave now, to change his mind, there was no way that Lucifer would just let them leave. However Loki kept his cool. He wouldn’t be bullied by Lucifer. The fact that the devil was willing to bargain some of Sophronia to get Bane back meant that he was playing down the importance of the sword.

“I have to admit, those are some very tempting offers you’ve made.” Loki finally said. He was looking down at Bane, stroking his hand down the smooth steal. “But now I come to part with the sword I seem to be having some trouble letting it go.” It was at that point that Loki looked up at Lucifer, his crimson eyes glowing through the parts of his fringe that had fallen down over his eyes. “Keep the twenty-five percent of her soul, and I’ll serve under you as well…but I’ll keep Bane.” Loki knew Lucifer had said there would be no negotiating, but it wouldn’t stop him from trying. “With me serving under you, you should have no fear of me wielding the sword – especially with your control over twenty-five percent of Sophronia’s soul.”

Loki was grinning now, his usual confidence present as ever. “I can’t speak for Aion though,” Loki turned his heads to the Nenian, so Lucifer couldn’t see it, and winked. “That choice belongs to him.”

[Aion]

Through all of Loki's counter offer, Lucifer's malicious smirk remained the same. His former slave couldn't be this ignorant, could he? After entering his kingdom uninvited, demanding a deal, and offering up Bane as incentive; did he really think he could take it back this easily? "Realizing you made a mistake by offering that blade, eh?" The lord of hell responded, a slight snicker accompanying his taunt. He had Loki in a corner, and he wasn't about to let him escape.

Lucifer had stated there would be no more attempts to haggle, but he was interested in such an offer. Of coruse, there was one painfully obvious problem with Loki's offer; he wasn't exactly the most trustworthy of subordinates. Loki's words, his generosities, were finely crafted lies leading to one ultimate goal that would screw Lucifer over. Everything considered, he'd make a great successor to the throne, Lucifer ever tired of playing the tyrant.

Unfortunately for Loki, Lucifer had a solution thought up. "Gaining the both of you is tempting, but unlike the Nenian's situation, if you lose interest in your goal you could simply run away...." Lucifer paused in mid sentence, his arrogant tone transforming into one full of mock saddness. "And I couldn't stand to lose my little Loki, once more...."

The archdemon's arrogance return once more. Surprisingly, he'd change his stance, and agree to take Loki's deal, but would the price be worth it? "I'll go along with your deal, Loki, but there is one condition: Bane becomes your anchor to me. Your soul. That's all the security I require." Now it was time to see just how much this girls soul was worth to Loki.

[Ryan - Loki]

"Realizing you made a mistake by offering that blade, eh?" Lucifer was obviously finding this amusing. "Gaining the both of you is tempting, but unlike the Nenian's situation, if you lose interest in your goal you could simply run away....And I couldn't stand to lose my little Loki, once more...." he added, mockingly.

Loki’s smirk darkened as a hint of annoyance and anger mixed in with it. “I wouldn’t worry.” Loki stated coldly. “I’ve never run from you before, and I don’t intend to start now.” the devil knew how to pull Loki’s strings, he knew, but it didn’t make it any easier not to be tempted into a confrontation with him; in fact Loki was itching for it, despite knowing he would be bested. The fact Lucifer was so close to him, finally within his reach, and he didn’t have the power to destroy him was the worst part of it all.

"I'll go along with your deal, Loki, but there is one condition.” Lucifer stated boldly.

Loki had made progress, stirring the Devil’s interest enough for him to break his ‘no more negotiation’ rule, but he didn’t like where this was going.

“Bane becomes your anchor to me. Your soul. That's all the security I require."

Loki’s smirk vanished instantly, his eyes widening somewhat. He was shocked, yes, but he had expected Lucifer to do something like this. The ball was now in Loki’s court, but he felt as if he had already lost the game. He knew that there was no more tweaking this deal; Lucifer would not change his mind now. Loki had attempted to bargain with the devil and had discovered he did not have the power or leverage to do so as he wanted to.

Loki turned to look at Aion, but only for the briefest of moments. Looking back at Lucifer Loki found four words on the tip of his tongue that he never thought he would ever hear himself say to the Lord of Hell. “You’ve got a deal.” there really was no turning back now.

[Aion]

At the very moment Loki agreed to the terms of this contract, if one were to look into the veal of darkness that kept arch-demon's face hidden, they just might be able to spot his toothy grin. Loki's defeated demeanor was such a sight to behold. The shock in his eyes, his hesitation as he took a quick glance at Aion, the disgust in his voice; like a pleasant symphony of agony to the devil's ears.

But perhaps the best part of this was Loki's revelation that his attempts at bargaining not only made things worse, but that he didn't seem to grasp that he completely screwed over himself, as well as Sopherina, in the process. And not one of the three warriors before him caught it. "Consider our contract official."

The lord of darkness' attention was now on the Nenian. "I'm assuming that you aren't foolish enough to follow his lead." Lucifer remarked, referencing Loki's attempts to bargain."Unless, you're willing to offer up that boy's soul, of course. Having his bloodline under my control could prove useful." There was no hiding when confronting the devil; he may be in possession of every minor detail of each individual life, but he knew enough to sway a deal into his favor.

Aion stayed silent. Lucifer's offer was more than likely an attempt at humor than anything else; and even so, he wouldn't ask the prince of such a favor. It was a tough decision for the Nenian to make. Die slowly and painfully, but with his pride and freedom; or pledge his soul to the vary demon who was the root cause of his troubles, but extend his life. "Deal..." The general mumbled, obviously ashamed at his decision. He could try to justify it in his mind all he wanted, but it still left him empty...disgusted.

"Consider our contract offcial." Lucifer responded. And just like that, the devil had himself two new powerful pawns.

But there was one more prize, just one more little cheap shot Lucifer had to get in, for his own pleasure. His glance turned to Loki, but it was different this time, like a overgorged tyrant staring into the eyes of a starving peasant; one that should have clearly told Loki he was nothing but a cheap source of humor and entertainment for his new master. "You never change. Always the impatient one; out for power...for any chance to match me, your brother...." The arch-demon paused, he could see it in his servant's eyes, perhaps it was starting to come together."Oh my poor, little, Loki. Haven't you've yet realized what you've lost?"

While Lucifer now controlled twenty-five percent of Sopherina's soul, by choosing to keep Bane, Loki had renounced his ownership of the other seventy-five; Loki had practically given up his soul for free. Exactly who Lucifer would release that other seventy-five percent to was up in the air, but left the girl in a potentially worse situation.