.^^ Diana ^^

— Adelaide —

Still reeling from my conversation with Seth, I returned to the Sanctum, and looked around for Diana. Her machine shop was outside, and it's where she spent a lot of her time, so I started there.

As I entered, she was so engrossed in the vehicle she was fixing that she didn't notice me, which was both endearing and scary, had I been dangerous.

She paused, a few minutes later. "How long have you been sitting on the hood of that muscle?"

"Ten minutes. You need a break." I nodded, and drew the tools out of her hands, setting them aside.

"This is my break." She protested, and then silenced when I picked her up by the hips, and laid her down on the hood of the car nearest to us.

"I need a break, then." I chuckled, and kissed her sweetly.

She laughed softly, and drew her tight sports-bra off, tossing it aside. "That, I can handle."

—

There was a tentative knock on the doorframe, as we laid on top of each other on the hood of the car, sweating and regaining our breath. "What?" Diana asked, casually sitting up.

The messenger tossed a phone to her, and sprinted away.

I chuckled. "You're scandalizing the poor apprentices, Diana."

She shrugged, and answered the phone. "You're speaking to Diana LeFay, Huntmaster. What?"

"Oh, Hullo, Diana! So nice teh hear from yeh, true yeah! It's yer doll, Naimhe, Huntmaster from da Euro-Branch! Gots some weird happenin's... thinkin' you migh' 'ave some answers?" She spoke tiredly, which was understandable, as it was probably 1am there, because of the time difference.

I hummed. "Hello, Naimhe, darling! It's Addy!"

"Oh! Hullo, dear! Now, the Magik Folk 'ave been doin' some weird t'ings, dere, recently..."

"Like how? If it's the Thorn Camp and Briar Camp going to war or merging, we will talk about it at the Conference, next week. We know what's going on over here, and we'd be happy to share, darling." Diana nodded.

"Oh?! No? No, that sounds mighty interestin', but I was talkin' about how the Demons are suddenly more bold... attacking us in the streets of Paris like it's the sixties, all over again. Luckily it's always night-time, but still... it's getting dangerously close to spilling into view. We don't have enough Sorcerers to throw up the Fields of Serenity." She sighed.

"We'd be happy to send a few over, darling, whatever we can spare... we're dealing with new turf wars, over here, because of the Thorn giving up his territory to the Briar, in the America's." Diana sighed, rubbing her face.

"For real?!? Oh, Doll! My problems will be alright, you need reinforcements!"

"Just... wait for the Conference, Alright? If it isn't solved in a week, we could probably use some help, but we have sixteen times your members, darling. The help we could use would be from the Arcane Side, as your Sorcerers are better than ours in the first place." She chuckled.

I frowned at her, and narrowed my eyes, shimmying down to her waist, and biting the skin of her thigh roughly.

She groaned. "On that note... I've got a woman to tumble, and relax after a week of bullshit, so we'll send who we can, and talk more at the conference, Alright? Bye, darling!" She hung up, and tossed the phone away. "Your teeth are very sharp."

"So is your tongue." I glared, and bit the other thigh.

She groaned deeply, leaning back. "Indeed... must be a problem with my engine, all overclocked and all... might could need a recalibration..." she looked through her bangs at me, her green eyes glinting with a slight predatory light.

"Talking shop isn't gonna help you, sexy." I frowned, and stood, gathering my clothes.

"Oh don't be that way, we both know it's true! Our Sorcerers are, -literally about three quarters of them,- total noobs! It's not an insult to you, don't be offended!" She frowned.

"Too late." I turned and walked out, pulling my clothes on as I walked out. 'That'll keep her on her toes... good! Now where is Gale...'

I found him in the Chicago house, messing with the sink, and smirked, shimmying my pants off and standing over him slowly. "Now mister plumber man... how ever can I repay you for all your hard work? My husband is gone, and I don't have the pocketbook... would you accept... something else?"

He chuckled. "I'm busy, Cha'ge."

"Awwwe, I love when you call me your heart!" I sighed, and sat on his stomach. "What you doing, then?" I asked casually.

"This Paulie guy... didn't use his water... had it turned off... I'm turning it back on." He grunted, turning the wrench.

I hummed, and traced a finger over his jeans. "Cool, Cool..."

"You just screwed Diana, Cha'ge, I can smell her on you. You can't be that insatiable." He chuckled.

I unzipped his pants slowly. "You'd be surprised... just keep working, mister Plumber Man, I'll take care of everything." I smiled, wiggling myself into position.

"Oh jeez... how did I ever get involved with the Polyamorous Nympho-Witch?" He sighed, but began cleaning his hands on a rag.

"I believe we fucked in a bar in Ireland, and you brought me home to the Order... almost like meeting your parents." I giggled, and sat down slowly.

He groaned, and tried to get out from under the sink, but I held him where he was. "No?" He asked.

"Oh no... I like you where you are, sir..." I grinned, and ran my hands over his stomach slowly, running my nails over his chiseled abs.

"Wow... under the sink. That's new. Carry on." Seth stepped in, and fished around in the cabinets, somehow finding a box of breakfast bars and Ashe, both, and then walking out casually.

Gale sighed. "Did that kill it for you, or- oh." He saw my glare, and grinned. "Oh okay... uh... Carry on, lady, before your husband gets home. I'm sure you can make it up to me...?"

"You need to work on your Roleplay, dear, but yes, I will." I chuckled, and began rocking my hips, riding him at my own pace, slow and luxurious.

—

"Well! My pipes are clean, and I enjoyed myself immensely, mister plumber man! Do come again... if you can." I patted his cheek gently, and zipped up his pants, gathering my clothes and continuing on.

He chuckled softly, and went back to work casually, the many scratches on his chest healing slowly. "That was one of my best work shirts." He muttered.

"Oh shush, you enjoy my attention. Now! I'm sated, so business- we need to go to Paris, immediately. They're having some issues and need a Sorcerer and more hunters, and I've volunteered us. Finish up that pipe or whatever, and then gear up." I swatted his hip, and danced away, dressing quickly.

"Seth?" I looked down into the basement.

He glanced up from the Violin he was tuning, a breakfast bar hanging out of his mouth. "Yus?" He mumbled around it.

"How do you feel about Paris?" I smiled.

He swallowed the entire thing, and nodded. "I feel like that's a good idea. The Sorcerers in Europe are mostly mine, Yeah? Could be I could send the good ones to the Silver Cure, and at least order the rest to be helpful when asked, do damage control, that stuff." He nodded, and continued tuning the Violin.

"Okay, well, we're leaving in a few minutes, so..."

He glanced up. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Oh... you just seemed preoccupied."

"A Little... I have come to the decision that if I have eternity, I will learn every musical instrument, and every language. That's my first goal... but, I already know the Violin, but it's beautiful." He shrugged, and drew the bow across the strings carefully, producing a deep, eerie sound.

"Okay... join us in the Foyer when you're ready." I nodded, and walked back up the stairs, into the foyer.

He followed immediately, holding the violin in one hand, and his sword on his hip.

"How's your French?" I asked.

"Nonexistent!" I grinned.

"German?"

"Nope!" He shrugged.

"They speak English, and he knows Gaelic, and you can do translator spells. We'll be fine. Let's go." Gale shook his head.

I nodded, and portalled us to the Sanctum quickly, then found the door to the Paris Sanctum, and knocked swiftly.

The slide opened. "Salut? Who comes?"

"It's Addy, and Gale, and a new member, Seth. Naimhe just called Diana, requested some help?" I responded.

The slide closed, and the door opened. "Bonjour, mon ami. Naimhe mentions this, yes. Come."

We stepped through, and then I heard a gong, and whipped around. "Oh fuck. I forgot to tell you, Seth is a Lich, and our ally. Silence the alarm, please?" I shouted over the continuous gong.

The barrier had stopped him, and he had used Solomon's Key like a Skeleton Key, and stepped through anyway. He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout that. Where's the fire, eh?"

I sighed, as the alarm ceased, and led Seth up the stairs, towards the main floor. "Well, that could have gone better."

"Could've gone worse." He shrugged, as a spear exited his stomach. He glanced down, then up at the owner. "Dick!" The spear shattered, turning to dust, and the skin healed before our eyes, as he continued walking casually.

I followed, and shrugged at the incredulous owner of the spear. As we entered the main training hall, Naimhe approached. "Ahh, Adelaide, my dear! How are you? I just spoke to you, you are here already? And with an apprentice Sorcerer? Your apprentice?" She asked, smiling down at Seth from her height of 6'10", the Irish giant.

Seth looked amused by the assumption. "I suppose she's taught me a bit, yes, but I am not her apprentice. My name is Seth, and I am the-"

"-Newest member of the Order!" I interrupted, laughing awkwardly.

"-Greater Lich of the Briar, King of Roses, and recently I killed the Thorn, and gained his territory and followers. Your problems right now are probably my fault, because I killed a Greater Daemon yesterday, and all the demons are running around like chickens with their heads cut off." He kept talking, ignoring my attempts to downplay.

She blinked slowly, and then looked at me. "Tell me he's joking."

"He's... joking?" I grinned unconvincingly.

She nodded slowly. "And you have full control of your body and mind?" She asked him slowly.

"Indeed. I also sealed away most of the power of the Briar with a Solomon's Gate and Solomon's Cage, so as to remove the possibility of him ever taking control. Now, I was told you have an issue, and I'd like to help. What's the problem?" He asked seriously.

She hummed. "Alright... well, if you're in control..."

"Of course, the Sorcerer Community thinks I'm just Briar, not Seth, as that makes them follow my orders, so far, so if we could keep that tidbit between us, that'd be peachy." He grinned.

She nodded sternly, and looked around. "It will not be spread at all, who you are. You are Seth, a Lich, and a member of the Order. That. Is. All." Her voice carried, and people went back to their training, no longer staring at us.

"Cool." He smiled.

"Now! My problem, dear, is really quite simple! The Demons of dis here City are gettin' ballsy for some reason. Mayhap's they think that without the Thorn, no one will punish them, who knows?"

"Actually, they might just be rioting because of my new policy changes... as the Briar, I told them all that they were only allowed to contract, eat, kill, or corrupt already corrupt people. Innocents are to stay that way, was the spirit of my orders. They might have a problem with that. I may have to put down my first little rebellion." He chuckled.

Every French person in the room stiffened, and glared at him.

"Uhm, Seth? Maybe Ex-Nay on the Ebellion-Say." I muttered.

"What? I don't speak Pigeon. Either way! I'll gather them up and eat the ones who bother me, that should galvanize the rest. Should get your city back in order quickly enough." He nodded, and walked out the door, Gale on his heels.

I sighed. "Sorry, I'll try to solve more problems than he causes."

"Please do." She nodded slowly, and sighed. "Back to work everyone! One Lich does not mean you get to slack off!!!" She snapped.

I caught up to the two men, as they walked into the street, and grumbled at Seth. "The French don't like tyrants, Seth. Some of the people here were parts of the French Revolution."

He blinked. "The what?"

I paused. "The French Revolution, Seth? You know... the time when the king of France got executed by the people, so on? Napoleon Bonaparte?"

He shrugged. "No clue what you're talking about."

"Wow... okay... I thought that was something everyone was taught..." I hummed, walking next to him in shock.

"I never went to school, Adelaide. Don't be so confused by my lack of scholastic knowledge." He snorted, and then sniffed. "That's odd... I smell another Lich."

"I smell it too..." Tempest and Gale's drake said in sync. Tempest glared at the little drake, and ruffled his feathers. "East, Master Seth. East and South."

He nodded, and changed direction, then paused again. "And another... and another... damn, there's seven of them! Which do I get first?" He sighed.

"You could bring them all together, in front of the Sorcerers and Demons of the city, and eat them all, to galvanize the rest." The Briar's Voice, a sickly, oily, screeching sound, like slick glass scratching against thin steel, grinding against my eardrums, even mentally.

Seth grinned slowly. "Oh... fun times."

—

Somehow, we ended up on top of the Eiffel Tower, and there was a gathered group of Sorcerers and Upper Daemons, the most powerful that usually visited this realm, and the ones that usually made Lich's. In addition, Seven Lich's stood in front of Seth, taking tough stances.

He sat on his throne made of black ice, and sighed. "Children... children... children... what did I say? Did I say, 'make some Havoc in Paris', or 'Riot like little, tiny, infantile morons, possibly exposing us to the humans, and probably ruining the extremely fragile peace we have established over millennia of deals, just because you want Senpai to notice you'? No... I didn't say any of that. I said 'Follow my orders or I will Feast on your Ashes', I believe those were my exact words. I'm a creature of my word, but I'm not above mercy... speak." He flicked his fingers at them, dropping the silence over the crowd.

"Ve of France's Sorcerer's do not believe that you are Lord Briar! You are a fake, an imposter! Our Lord would never order us to stay our fangs from ze flesh of ze innocent! Ve demand-"

He stopped talking, clutching his throat as ice water began to pour out of it, then through it, and slowly his entire body was crystallized, then turned to Ashe, which Seth breathed in.

"You do not Demand... you may request, respectfully, that I prove myself to you. That is understandable... rude, offensive, and will cost you your life, but understandable, nonetheless... but, how to show you my identity? None of you are nearly important enough to have ever seen my true form, so I can't imagine that would be of much help, not to mention it has changed, ever since I ate the Thorn... what to do..." he sighed, and every time he tapped his finger, one of the demons in attendance dissolved, screaming.

When there was just the Lich's left, he stopped. "Ah! I know! YOU WILL TAKE MY FUCKING WORD FOR IT, YOU INSIGNIFICANT, PUTRID VERMIN!" He roared, taking on the form that he had used to fight the Thorn, with the added effect that the little red eyes were gold, now, and he seemed to be even bigger, if that was possible, almost doubled his original size.

The tower creaked a little, under the strain of his voice, and his weight. "Who-, how-," the Lich's stuttered, their bravado completely squashed.

"I AM BRIAR, LORD OF THE REALMS OF ICE AND FIRE, KING OF ROSES, SLAYER OF THE SCORCHED KING, AND YOUR LEIGE-LORD! YOU WILL FOLLOW MY EDICT WITHOUT QUESTION, OR I WILL GRIND YOU INTO DUST!!! END!!! OF!!! DEBATE!!! YOU ARE FREE TO CHALLENGE ME FOR THE POSITION OF GREATER DAEMON OF THE NORTH AND WEST, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU WLL DIE, SCREAMING, AND REGRETTING YOUR EVERY SINGLE BREATH IN DEFIANCE OF ME!!!"

When he roared, his voice echoed out over the entire city from this vantage point, which I realized was his plan all along. I could see a few demons, in the distance, halt attacks against what I could only assume were members of the Order, and scurry off into the dark.

The Lich's knelt, pressing their heads against the ground, and he snarled at them, shifting back to his human form, with the addition of the bull's horns, and golden eyes still dotting his visible skin. He sat down in his throne, and hummed. "Now that that's been established... do you have any further... complaints?" He asked calmly.

They shook their heads slowly.

"Wonderful! Spread the news, then, and my edict. All those who pledge fealty to me will follow these orders, or I will personally use the perpetrators as fodder for an Artifact, preventing their souls from EVER being joined with the Great Abyss... well? Go, spread the word, little Vermin, scurry like you rats do." He flapped a Hand at them casually, and they sprinted away, down the stairs and into the elevator.

I released my sphere of serenity, which had only prevented mortals from seeing or hearing what just happened, and sat down. "Wow... I wonder how much damage that did to the Tower?" I asked.

He grinned guiltily. "I may have bent the Eiffel Tower."

I groaned, dropping my head against the steel underneath me. "Naimhe is gonna kill me..."

"I'm honestly considering it." She appeared, glaring at us stormily.