Thump-thump....thump-thump...thump-thump

It was...music. The giant fetus lay curled at the center of the pit, his heartbeat rebounding off the walls. Connected to the fetus were various tubes, leading into the pulsating sacs, floating magically above the floor.

Thump-thump...thump-thump-thump

The sacs contained the energy sustaining the as of yet unborn child. They tapped into the endless source of Dark energies that would one day power the Devil Child.

A hand caressed the slimy wet skin of the child. "My beautiful child..." The voice the hand belonged to said. "My beautiful, wonderful Devenus. Soon, yes, very soon my child, you will awake! And then...then..." A mad giggle erupted from the creature's mouth. "We'll take the Three Worlds and we will subjugate them! A dark renaissance, fit for beings such as ourselves! We will be the true Lords of Night, ruling for eternity, kings of the Damned!" The figure paused, and then turned away. "But for now, rest. Rest, and dream of the coming Armageddon.We'll be very busy after you awake, but it will pay off. Rest, Devenus. Rest."

And then, Jedah, the Vampire Saviour, Lord of Mikai, ascended the stairs of the Pit into the upper levels of his twisted, nightmarish palace.

Maijiden.

A place some of Mikai thought only to exist in legend. The truly devout believed that those who were incredibly vile and wicked were sent there after they died, to 'live' with the Dark God himself.

The Needle Mountains were the most treacherous mountains in Mikai, a constant storm raging around the jagged mountains. If you took shelter in one of the numerous caves in these mountains, you would most likely never be seen again, either consumed by the nightmarish creatures said to dwell deep beneath the mountains, or lost forever in the labyrinth of underground passages.

Not that anyone would want to look for you if you went into the Needle Mountains.

And at the very centre of the Needle Mountains, where the few poor souls who had ever successfully navigated the mountains, and returned alive (As drooling, gibbering idiots, but that is beside the point) sat Cat's Eye Mountain.

An enormous peak, larger than any mountain in the Needles, or on Mikai for that matter, Cat's Eye was so incredibly tall, that the storm clouds that always hovered over these mountains blocked the view of the top. To climb it would be impossible, for it was too smooth, and slippery and steep to climb. No one knew what dwelt at the top of Cat's Eye Mountain. However, the most impressive feature of Cat's Eye, was the Face. A giant Face, etched into the stone, frozen forever screaming silently. It was said anyone, Darkstalker or otherwise who looked upon the Face instantly went mad seeing it. Indeed, those mad fools who had come back from seeing Cat's Eye and the Face, made such ludicrous stories that they were generally ignored. How they had felt someone, a dark presence looking into their soul, judging them, evaluating them.

And laughing at them.

Or how the clouds had parted, for just a few moments, and they'd glimpsed Heaven itself. Or how they could see little pinpricks of light on the mountain, flickering occassionally, as though...as though a shadow had passed by it.

The fools did not know the truth. For at the top of the Cat's Eye Mountain, dwelt the Hall of the Dark God.

Maijiden.

The grotesque palace of Maijiden rose from the jagged cliffs of Cat's Eye, it's many towers jutting up like the fingers of a God. Banners floated eerily in the breeze, and the Great Spire, spiked and black rose from the central block of Maijiden, surrounded by smaller wings, and walls slanting downwards and towers extending upwards everywhere. Lit windows were everywhere, and shadows moved about the walls and courtyards of the palace, keeping a vigilant watch over Mikai. Maijiden actually extended into the mountain, into the living quarters of the soldiers, then down into the dungeons and finally, to the very bottom, beaneath the surface and the black spire called Cat's Eye, the Pit. It was said that you could spend an entire lifetime in Maijiden and never see all of it.

A home fit for a Dark God. A Dark God such as Jedah Dohma.

Jedah...Once a Noble of Makai, an Incubus, Jedah was the lord the now defunct country of Rune, the youngest Lord of Makai. Jedah might still rule there today, a petty noble in a two-bit world, had he not made contact with the Dark. Jedah infused himself with the powers of the Dark, and was transformed from a mere Incubus into a more...divine being. However, Jedah grew overconfident and raised the armies of Rune against the other lords. He was put down easily by the Demon Empire, his army destroyed, Rune razed, his palace wrecked. Jedah and a few memebers of his court survived and fled Makai. Rune, consequently, was annexed into the nearest realms.

And there, in the swirling Void, Jedah said 'Let there be Darkness', and so was born Mikai. However, Jedah had been severely weakened and fell into a deep slumber, to regain his powers.

However, there are whispers that Jedah awoke a century ago. Though what he has been doing in this time is unclear...Well, to most, anyways.

Guards, mostly descendants of the guards from his palace in Makai scuttled out of Jedah's way. To scale Maijiden from the Pit to the High Court would take perhaps a few days of nonstop walking. However, Jedah had placed a series of magic teleporters around the mountain and castle parts of Maijiden. So, after about fifteen minutes of walking and teleporter swapping, the giant doors to the High Court stood before Jedah. They swung inwards silently and Jedah proceeded inside.

The High Court was a giant room. The Lesser Nobles, families of those loyal to Jedah who fled with their master chatted amongst themselves, or feasting on the many unholy delights on the long tables on either side of the room. Guards, Soul Bee Soldiers and lesser Undead stood watch at various points. And high above, a glass dome showed very clearly the Three Moons of Mikai. However, all fell silent when Jedah entered. Everyone immediately bowed, or saluted...Save, for four. The only four in all Mikai who could get away with not showing the proper respect to the Dark God and live. His Elite Minions.

The first, and the only female in the Elite, was currently tasting the varieties of still-living grotesque treats, a half-woman, half-insect creature. She commanded a horde that was completely loyal and unwavering in their commitement to her, and she was completely loyal to her master. She had no name other than her title: Queen Bee.

Another of them was leaning against the far wall, a massive creature, covered in white fur with four mighty arms and the heads of a goat, lizard, and wolf. He wore nothing other than a single shoulder plate, and a metal skirt and belt. In one arm was clutched a great claymore, in another a battleaxe. The others held a mace and short sword respectively. This Chimera, whom Jedah had created himself was Sahtalus, former general of the armies of Rune and now Captain of the Palace Guard of Maijiden.

Another demon moved quietly among the kneeling nobility, a red skinned devil with long, slicked, black hair, curled ram's horns, yellow eyes, and the lower half of a goat. He wore a simple black cloak and carried two daggers tucked in a black leather belt around his waist. This Saturos demon was Verano, Chief of Intelligence, who had a massive information network and was said to know everything that went on in Mikai.

And the final stood, or rather floated next to the empty Throne of the Dark God. He wore a black leather suit, a long, white cloak, a steel mantle, and had the palest skin and long white hair. His demonic nature was revealed with two small horns on his forehead. He carried an ornate staff topped with a pentragram with a ruby in the middle of the star and stood on a floating black platform, decorated with faces silently screaming. Of all the Elite, his aura was the strongest, a master of Hell Magicks, High Arcanist to the Dark God, Sabbath.

Q-Bee popped one last squirming, squeaking furry animal into her mouth and immediately went to join Jedah, chewing on the crunchy thing in her mouth. Sahtalus and Verano came forward, walking in pace behind their Lord. Sabbath nodded to the crowd of nobles and guards who rose slowly, reverently. Jedah took his place on the throne.

"And is Devenus well, my lord?" Sabbath asked.

"Nearly complete!" Jedah said with satisfaction, a thin smile playing upon his lips. "He's almost complete. I can feel his power emanating from him...Oh, how I will enjoy the destruction he will cause!"

"Oh, yes, that reminds me." Verano said suddenly. "The Good Doctor said he'd learned something interesting."

"That old fool?" Sahtalus' wolf head spat while the lizard head carried on.

"We cannot trusssssst him! He issssss merely human. And a pathetic, gullible one at that." The goat head nodded.

"Cannot trust human." Q-Bee said simply.

"I’ll listen to what he has to say." Jedah said. "And if it is a waste of time, we can just throw him onto the rack again. Or possibly give him a good whipping. Oh, the choices!" He giggled. "ANYhoo, I want to know how my peons are managing. Verano?"

"A new temple is being erected in your honour in Kaos, and the Festival of Darkness is in two weeks time."

"Good, good. Have we any new Chaos Mutant stock?"

"Yes, my lord." Sahtalus said. "Our men in the Hellmarsh as well as Vertigo brought back approximately 50 new blood. They are still being warped."

"Good, good. How fare the Soul Bee Horde?"

"Still under my control." Replied Q-Bee.

"And are there any plots against me?"

"The Lesser Court have their petty schemes, but none of them currently involve overthrowing you, my lord." Verano said. "Most of them are still in awe of you, and completely loyal to too afraid to raise their hands against you. However, the Count Lyr is attempting to raise his own image among the peons as a god himself. He already has a small cult based in and around the city of Shell."

"Do I have a following there?" Jedah asked, his brow furrowing. "I have so many of them its hard to keep track."

"487 fanatics in Shell." Sabbath said. "And still growing."

"Excellent, excellent." Jedah said, giggling. "Throw Lyr in the torture chamber, for, oh, a day, and send a message to the fanatics in Shell that his cult must be wiped out, all its members killed, his temple destroyed and whatever riches and funds they have collected brought to my temple. There is only room enough for one god in Mikai."

The Good Doctor had a name once, though he couldn't remember it. He couldn't really remember his life before he'd sold his soul and been brought down to Hell. He had been kept alive, to serve the demons for all eternity. All he remembered was pain, agony and an intense feeling of lonliness. Now, he was at the demon's mercy. Sometimes they punished him for nothing at all. He'd tried raising his hands against the demons and praying to God when they had first brought him to this place, but they had merely beat him so severely that he almost died. But the demons had kept him alive for their own sadistic pleasures. The Good Doctor had been ordered by the demon he had once thought his servant, now his master, to research into dark artifacts for some reason. He didn't know why, but the Good Doctor knew not to question his orders.

A thin man, with only a few whisps of white hair on his head, wearing glasses and dressed in faded, torn clothes that may have once been fancy with a white labcoat thrown over his shoulders, with stooped shoulders and a great expression of tiredness on his face, the Good Doctor sat at a table cluttered with books, parchment, and various apparati, both magical and non-magical. His lab was also his prison cell, and the only times he was allowed out of it was to be punished in the torture chambers of Maijiden.

The door opened suddenly, making the Doctor jump. Several demons entered. The Insect, the Monster, the Devil, the Warlock, and the Lord as he called them in his minds, though he had to be more polite to them when he spoke.

"My masters, what can this pathetic, whimpering, cowering servant do for you?" He asked.

"Well, Doctor, how long has it been?" Verano asked, ignoring the Good Doctor's greeting.

"P-Pardon, my lord?"

Verano grinned, revealing a row of sharp, jagged teeth. "How long has it been since we last talked? I think its been far, far too long. Oh, let's talk about the good old days, we were a couple of hellions, weren't we? You, so confident in your powers as a magician, bossy, presumptious, and I, the humble, obedient servant. Remember the time we spent in Rome? Or the Emperor? We had some times, eh?"

"It was quite fun..." The Good Doctor replied, though he had trouble calling the events Verano spoke of to mind.

"But you don't remember them, do you?" Verano chuckled. The Monster was laughing throatily with all three of his heads, while the Insect, the Magician and the Lord looked very amused.

"If...if my master says it happened, then it must have. And it must have been fun." The Good Doctor said shakily.

"Yes, of course it was, Doctor...Doctor...Hmm, what was your name again?"

The Good Doctor looked down. "I do not remember, Lord Verano."

Sahtalus roared with laughter. Verano grinned even wider. "Oh, what a shame. I suppose there's no man alive who remembers your name. Strange, isn't it? You were going to be remembered forever, and yet not even you can remember your own name. Pity, that."

"Well then!" Jedah rubbed his hands together. "You said you had something for me?"

Sahtalus' goat head was the only head still not laughing. "And it better be a good piece of information, or else we'll throw you in the torture chamber!"

The Good Doctor nodded numbly. "It is, my Lord Sahtalus, it is. Three artifacts of Dark power. They were created by an Alchemist in Makai during the Realm Wars, though it is not known for whom."

"But what are they, Doctor?" Jedah said, impatiently tapping his foot on the cold stone floor of the Good Doctor's prison-lab.

"They have no names other than the Sword, the Pendant and the Scepter. If I recall correctly, they entered combat only once. The casualty rate was astronomical, both sides suffered massive losses, and the battlefield blasted away. After that, the artifacts seemingly vanished."

"Then what, may I ask, use are these artifacts to me?" Jedah said angrily. "My time is precious, Doctor, and I do not care for it to be wasted."

"To the torture chambers!" Sahtalus declared with all three heads and grabbed the Good Doctor by the collar of his coat and hoisted him up.

"NO! PLEASE NO!" The Doctor screamed. "I KNOW WHERE THE ARTIFACTS ARE! PLEASE, NO!"

"Sahtalus, wait." Jedah said, suddenly. Sahtalus groaned, but dropped the Good Doctor onto the floor. His breath was fast and shaky, and tears rolled down his face.

"Well, Doctor? Where are they?" Jedah demanded.

The Good Doctor whimpered, causing Sahtalus to give him a swift kick.

"Now, NOW, Sahtalus, that's no way to treat our dear friend!" Jedah said, in a mocking, reproachful voice. He bent down and picked up the Good Doctor and dusted him off. Jedah had a broad grin on his face. "Now, then, my dear, dear Doctor, where are the artifacts? Tell me, or I'll let our dear Queen here give you a nice wakeup sting." Q-Bee licked her lips.

"N-No, my Lord Jedah, that...that will not be necessary, I assure you." The Doctor said, recovering himself. "T-The artifacts were in fact picked up by a group of Lycanthrope bandits who scavenged what remained of the battlefield. After that, they disappear for a few decades, but I found records of a sale from an armoury in the land of Sithicus, where the three artifacts were sold to the blacksmith. Three years later, all three went missing, BUT there was a storm the night there was a terrific storm and that opened up a portal to Earth, ah, Ningenkai, and the nameless thief stumbled into it. The thief vanishes, but the artifacts were found eventually by a primitive tribe of people in Africa. But other powers took the artifacts from each other. They changed hands many times after that, but if from what I have learned is true, the Sword currently resides in a wealthy Japanese man's collection, the Pendant still resides in the original temple in Africa, and the Scepter is in the possession of a small time vampire wizard somewhere in the New World...Americas. He knows the Scepter has power, but I don't think he realizes the full extent of the Scepter's abilities, otherwise there would be a very large trail of destruction wherever he went."

"Impressive, impressive." Sabbath commented. "May I ask where you learned all this?"

"I have been going over leads and trails as Lord Verano commanded for the past eighty-four years, after I stumbled across the first reference to the three artifacts when I was commanded to find relics of Dark power for Lord Jedah. I only finished my research last night."

"Oh, yes." Verano said. "I'd forgotten I'd told you to do that. I suppose it wasn't all that important to me."

"Well, good!" Jedah said gleefully. "Come, let's go mull over our next move. We'll leave the Good Doctor to catch up with eighty-four years of work."

Sabbath nodded, and suddenly, through his power, the room was filled to the brim with books. Thousands of them covered the room, taking up every available space. "One of these books has a chapter on Summoning. I will need it within the next four weeks. Find it." He said.

"What is the book called sir?" The Good Doctor asked weakly.

"I don't know." Sabbath smiled benignly. "Find it."

"But, I've been working for nearly a century!" The Good Doctor's eyes watered. "Please, let me rest, if only for a few days!"

The Dark God of Mikai exchanged glances with his Elite. "Very well." Jedah said. "You can have five minutes, starting now. Have fun." And they left, leaving the Good Doctor to weep bitterly.

Jedah and the Elite ate in a room separate from the Lesser Nobles and certainly far away from the common grunts. The room was rocky, and jagged, inside Cat's Eye Mountain, with a large rectangular table. Jedah sat at the front, whilst the Elite sat around the table.

"So, who shall go after the artifacts, my lord?" Asked Sabbath as they ate.

"We can easily make a demon appear to be a human with illusionary magic." Jedah mused. "But it will need to be someone who can get close to the artifacts without drawing undue attenion to himself, and most importantly, someone I can trust with this mission. Therefore, I will go."

Silence.

"Are you sure that's wise, sir?" Verano asked. "You don't know very much about Ningenkai."

"Why can't you let me go, my lord? My strength will be more than enough to deal with any puny humans I encounter!" Sahtalus reasoned.

"But you lack the mental capabilities to get the artifacts. We'll need more than brute force, especially if we want to get the Sword or the Scepter. I need Verano here to keep a monitor on the court and on the rest of Mikai, Sabbath to keep things in Maijiden in order, and Q-Bee to keep the Soul Bees collecting souls for me. And I know none of you has a problem with that, do you?"

No one at the table dared raise their voice.

"Good." Jedah smiled and went back to eating.

In another part of Maijiden, Jedah and Sabbath stood on a cliff overlooking a lake of lava. Floating just above the lava was a sphere of black energy. It hummed and throbbed and pulsated, as energy crackled around it. Inside that energy rested a Devil Child, like Devenus, though this one was not of Jedah's creation. He didn't know where it came from, or how it had come to be in Mikai, but Jedah knew he had to keep the Lucifer's Child from ever awakening. For if the Child awoke, then everything would end. Lucifer's Child would be the undoing of everything in existance. Jedah did not want to destroy Makai and Ningenkai, he wanted to rule them. But the Lucifer's Chold would destroy both worlds and Mikai as well.

That was something Jedah was obviously against.

"If there were just a way to destroy this thing completely, then you could be at your full powers again." Sabbath said, staring down at the sphere.

"And not have to keep subduing it with your powers."

"Maybe the three artifacts will allow me to destroy the Child." Jedah mused. "But you know neither of us can destroy it. It is too powerful, even for beings such as ourselves. For now, I'll pay the price to keep everything going to ruin."

Jedah extended his hand and angled it down at the sphere. He closed his eyes. Suddenly, a bolt of purple energy shot out of his fingertips and hit the sphere. The humming increased in volume as Jedah poured his energies into the sphere. Sabbath watched his lord.

He's pouring more of his power in than usual. The High Arcanist mused. Of course, since he'll be away, he has to keep sufficient power into the Child so that it does not awake in his absence.

Finally, Jedah felt that he had pumped enough power to keep Lucifer's Child asleep for a few weeks. Enough time for him to get the artifacts and come back. He dropped his hand and the energy vanished. He slumped a bit, having used quite a bit of energy. "Well...that's that." He said.

"Do you wish to rest first, my lord?" Sabbath asked. "To be at full strength when you leave for Ningenkai?"

"No, I'll be fine." Jedah waved his hand dismissively. "I have to get going. You're in command, understand, Sabbath?"

"Yes, my lord." Sabbath bowed.

"Good. I'll make for the Pendant first, seeing as how that should be the easiest to obtain. I'll contact you when I have it." Sabbath nodded.

Jedah extended his hand and uttered an arcane phrase. Suddenly, a long scythe appeared in his hand. The blade was long and sharp and was inscribed with runes. This was Ba'al, the Rune Scythe, and Jedah's personal weapon. The blade was made from a magically-enchanted metal that could cut dimensional barriers. "Well, I'm off."

"I wish you the luck of the Dark Lords, my master." Sabbath said, respectfully bowing his head.

"Why would I need the luck of the Dark Lords? I am a Dark Lord." Jedah laughed and then cut the air with Ba'al. A rip in reality appeared. Jedah nodded once to Sabbath and leapt through into Earth.