Finally an agreement was brokered between the Mighty Grazz’t of the Seventh House and Domina Strangulina of the Ninth House, that in exchange for the Mighty Grazz’t bedding her on the zenith of the dark moon and thereby hopefully giving her a future child of the Ninth House, she would obtain an audience with Empress Killista of the Third House, allow the Mighty Grazz’t to attend with her, and at that meeting Domina Strangulina would raise the matter of the Mighty Grazz’t‘s lost son, Prince Zymaan.
As everyone waited for the dark moon to rise, Prince Zymaan languished in the Citadel of Hate with regular visits to the Lady of Pain. He no longer saw his old friend Grimald Nightleaf. Then one day Prince Zymaan heard that Grimald Nightleaf died in the chair as eventually they all would.
When the time came for the Mighty Grazz’t to bed Domina Strangulina, he did so with lust and vigour, for, despite her constant clawing and tail wrapping around his neck, he enjoyed the sport. When it was done, Domina Strangulina never once suggested any debt remained unpaid. She arranged the audience and seven days later it was held.
The Mighty Grazz’t remained silent at the meeting, as he was required to do, until eventually he was invited to speak. Empress Killista insisted that the matter of Prince Zymaan was a delicate one as her daughter, Prempress Cambion, was still quite wounded by Prince Zymaan’s undeserved trickery and spitefulness and humiliation of her, and as such Prempress Cambion required Prince Zymaan to suffer more.
Everyone present of course understood that Prince Zymaan had done wrong to one above him in the Courts of Chaos and that, as such, his victim was entitled to determine when his suffering should end, or when sufficient amends had been paid.
The discussions at that first meeting became heated and no resolution was achieved. Prince Zymaan continued to linger in the CItadel of Hate.
——-
Weeks later, when the first bedding was shown not to have taken, Domina Strangulina proposed a second overture to Empress Killista of the Third House on the same terms as before. The agreement was struck again, and again Prince Zymaan suffered terribly in the Citadel of Hate as his future waited for the dark moon to reach its zenith.
Eventually it did, and eventually another meeting was held with Empress Killista of the Third House. The Mighty Grazz’t was more compliant at this meeting, and eventually another dark deal was struck. Prempress Cambion was present to express her wishes personally.
Prince Zymaan would be flayed. That is to say, his skin removed.
Prince Zymaan would then be bonded with a devil that he would wear as a new skin. More like an exoskeleton, actually.
The whole process would be extremely painful, to be sure, and in the final result Prempress Cambion would have a significantly improved husband. The new Prince Zymaan would look much better, have very powerful natural armour, increased speed and dexterity, a jump ability, significantly increased toughness…
And if he ever disobeyed her again his own skin would force him to comply.
[Zymaan: if this happens to you, you and I will have a discussion very much like the one Grim and I had when he first turned to the dark side. For a few measly dark side points I have significant new power for you.*]
[Zymaan: after you hear the details of these many new and amazing powers, you’ll have to let me know if you want to be rescued from this skin replacement or not.]
*subject to the small condition of having a wife-activated-off-switch.
From Zymon:
…constant clawing and tail wrapping…
Prince Zymaan, alone in his dark cell, becoming weaker and more desperate by the day, finally attempts a plea to his Evil deity. Reaching the conclusion that, at this point, he simply has no other choice, he bows his head and begins.
“Lord Asmodeus, Lord Asmodeus, your loyal servant Zymaan prays to you. I have served you faithfully for many years. It is with heavy heart that I must now humbly request your assistance.
You see all, and know that I was deceived to end up in this unfortunate position. My ambitions got the better of me when I foolishly assumed the Abomination, although fully pledged to Evil, had been secured for our greater purposes.
You stand separately, with more power and authority than the Court forces currently imprisoning me. Those forces seek to bond me to a far lesser being than you, subverting my natural will. Yet I cannot serve two masters. You are my master.
I have never asked anything of you before, but must do so now. I implore you to intervene in this situation, for both of our benefit.
Quagmire has been following the Abomination, so I am certain I can find it again. You are aware that the importance of the Abomination is much greater than the petty inter-House conflicts of the Court. The Matriarchs do not fully understand this yet. While they focus on thrones and family lines, the War continues.
Appear! Show yourself to the Court on my behalf, on Hell’s behalf. Spare my life, that I may resume your ultimate mission and sway the balance of power in our favour.
My fate, as always, rests in your hands.”
Zymaan hears the sounds of rattling chains getting louder as guards approach his cell. He clenches his jaw and begins mentally preparing for another draining session. Anxiety, temporarily, gives way to pure fury.
Asmodeus likes fury.