//------------------------------// // 02: Fresh // Story: Devils // by rillegas08 //------------------------------// Well below the surface, torches hang on metal sconces on the stairwell's stone walls, far away from any escaping surface winds that might extinguish them. The stairwell and the several others like it are unadorned except for these, as their primary function is as a vent for the smoke from the torches placed on every wall of the underground tunnels and chambers. Before long, Hellfire and Midnight can see the legs of the other Femescubi walking back and forth in the corridor below. On either side of the stairwell opening, the half-hidden forms of two winged Femescubi stand, one light blue with dark multicolored hair and the other a brighter turquoise with golden hair. Their wings, while bony and leathery like the wings on a Mother, are smaller than a Mother's but are no less powerful when trained for speed and agility. They are part of the fighting elite of the Femescubi, clad in lightwieght full-body armor, and they hold spears in their hands for defense and for intimidation. "Did you find her, Mother Midnight?" asks the turquoise woman in a condescending tone as Hellfire's orange form crossed the threshold, still facing forward, but her head and eyes are turned slightly toward Hellfire. Hellfire glares at her, knowing that she knew fully well that Mother Midnight had done just that. "Yes, Sister Thundercloud," she replies as she crosses into the guards' peripherals behind Hellfire. "Thank you for letting me know which stairwell she went up." "It wasn't her idea to tell you," says the light blue creature on the left. "She wanted to tell Mother Daybreaker and Mother Nightmare, but I convinced her to only tell you. You're more lenient than them." "And I thank you for persuading her to do so, Sister Pallid," Midnight replies. "I know we were friends before, but please refrain from saying such things aloud. I am a Mother now, and though I hate throwing around my title like that, it's your and everyone's duty to grant all Mothers the respect they require." "Yes, Mother Midnight." "That goes for you as well, Sister Thundercloud. Sister Hellfire may be more insubordinate than others at times, but so are you. Don't think I haven't noticed your own behavior, or that I didn't recognize the condescending tone in your question." Thundercloud swallows, and the quaver in her response betrays her stoic stature. "Yes, Mother." "Good. Now, as you were. The meeting will begin soon." The two pound their spears on the ground in response, standing at attention. Two Sisters nearby become startled at the sudden clamor move to the wall as they pass, giving wide berth to the two soldiers. Hellfire and Midnight take the path directly ahead of them, Midnight following behind Hellfire as if escorting her. "I don't recall you lecturing me about respecting your title on the surface a few minutes ago," Hellfire comments. "Because it was only us up there and nobody else." A smile creeps across Hellfire's face with a thought of love forbidden but not forgotten. She turns her head, glancing over her shoulder. "So you do still--" "I never said I didn't," Mother Midnight interrupts. "And I suggest you not finish that thought, nor entertain those like it. You know the rules." Hellfire looks forward, and her response is tainted with annoyance. "Yes, Mother." They walk in silence through the rest of the corridors toward their destination. Every other Femescubus gives the passing Mother berth without a word. Hellfire knows this path well; it is the path she must take every time she returns below from the surface. Mother Midnight is leading her toward the washroom. "This is where we part ways, right, Mother Midnight?" Hellfire asks by the arched aperture embedded into the stone. The room to their left is filled with Femescubi in various stages of dress and cleanness and the heat and humidity associated with naturally-occurring underground hot springs. "I will see you at the meeting, Sister Hellfire. Won't I." Her question is less a question and more a command. It creates an awkward tension that sends a chill of down the orange woman's spine. "Yes, Mother." As one of three washrooms in the subterranean society built around such artesian wells, the washroom is large enough to contain a significant number of Femescubi. Aside from the entrance Sister Hellfire is currently walking through, there is another on the opposite wall. Benches line each of these walls, on and under which are set the armors belonging to the women bathing inside. In the center of the room is a pool edged in stone, and water runs from the ceiling down into the center, where a stalagmite rises, causing the water run into the pool. Hellfire passes through the archway of stone and steps to her side, a pink-skinned woman with bright bushy pink hair who has neither a horn nor wings passing through the door. She finds an available piece of floor under a nearby bench, and dons her boots and armor, kneeling as she sets it neatly in the vacancy. She stands, turns, and walks toward the center of the room, ignoring the not-so-subtle glances of the other women. She doesn't have to look around to know they were looking at her; rumors and gossip spread quickly, and being escorted by a Mother is of utmost interest to most Femescubi. Hellfire sits on the edge of the stone fountain, slipping her feet into the warm water. She cups the water in her hands and runs it over her legs, the dust and dirt soiling the water as she cleans. Her ears turn at each quiet whisper behind her, which quickly become silent as her ears start focusing on the familiar sound of a certain woman's footfalls approaching her. "Everyone knows where you've been, Hellfire," says the voice of the other woman. Hellfire smirks, confirming her suspicions. "I'm just the only one with the guts to say it." "Why, Sister Extinction," the orange woman replies with feigned surprise, "how unexpected to meet you here." Hellfire finishes washing one leg and swings it out of the water, leaving her other leg in. Some water flies off her leg in Extinction's direction, and a few drops land on her pristine white leg. Sister Extinction, the white woman with a fabulous purple bouffant, frowns. She takes a towel from a nearby Femescubus, wipes away the few drops, and tosses it back to its previous owner. Extinction's armor is no less exquisitely crafted than anyone else's, but is made of a shimmering silver metal (perhaps platinum, though no other Sister truly knows) and golden trim. Her horn curves up from her forehead, but is a few inches shorter, and noticeably straighter, than Hellfire's. "Honestly, Sister, how do you expect to clean off all that surface muck in time for the meeting?" "I'll be there, just like I always do." Hellfire finishes cleaning her other leg and swings it over the edge, not trying to splash her Sister this time. "But what about you?" "How do you mean? I'm already ready for it." "That's what I'm talking about, Sister Extinction. What are you doing here in a dirty washroom when you've already primped and preened yourself as if preparing for a Mascubus lover?" Hellfire slides herself backwards into the fountain, arms behind her to keep her above the water. She spreads her legs and smirks up at her opponent, giving her a sly wink. "Unless you came looking for another Femescubus lover... Tink." Gasps and giggles spread throughout the washroom, and Extinction's pallor cheeks flush at both the implication and the nickname she'd once had. Extinction glares at a few of the other Sisters, killing the giggles, before crossing her arms and glaring back down at Hellfire. "Careful, Sister," Hellfire says, bringing one of her arms across her chest and under her breasts to wash the other. "You're staring." "You think you're so clever, don't you?" Hellfire finishes cleaning her arm and starts cleaning her other arm in the same manner. "I'm smarter than you and everyone knows it." Extinction moves closer, stepping to the side of Hellfire's legs which are still spread apart, and points her finger at Hellfire's chest. She raises her voice to speak, and a keen "Now you listen here, you hellion. I will not be made a fool of in front of anyone!" "Oh, no one is making a fool of you, darling. You do that all by yourself!" Hellfire quickly grabs Extinction's wrist and pulls her down beside her, using the momentum to pull herself up. Extinction screams as she falls into the hot water. Deeper gasps and laughter spread throughout the room as they look upon Sister Extinction's humiliation. "Nobody calls me 'Hellion' and gets away with it. Not anymore." The orange woman turns around, placing one hand on her hips and the other on her cheek in shock horror as she looks down at the white woman. "Well, would you look at that. I'm all clean, and you're an absolute mess! How will you ever be ready in time for the meeting?" Hellfire turns toward where she left her boots and armor, finding them exactly where she'd left them. It only takes a moment to don each piece, and some of the other Femescubi are all to eager too help her put them on. She thanks her Sisters and makes haste toward her chamber to finish preparing for the meeting, and all the while Hellfire feels the warmth of fury in her cheeks. Many of her Sisters can make her angry, but a very special few are able to infuriate her, Sister Extinction being the worst of all for manipulating her emotions and betraying her trust. Hellfire finds her way to her room, the same small dugout room every Sister is given, dressed with little more than a curtain hanging on a for privacy, a comfortable cot, and a place to hang her armor. She draws the curtain and closes her eyes, her hand gripping the. She keeps her hand on the bar and lets out a breath she's been holding in. Her body shudders with the bittersweet memories, and she lays down on her back on her cot. Her chest rises with deep breaths as she takes a few minutes to calm herself down. Hellfire doesn't know how much time passes before she hears the curtain draw back a few inches. She turns her head and sees a teal Femescubus with lighter teal hair and a curved horn slip her head into the chamber. Hellfire recognizes her as one of her Sisters who was in the washroom. "The meeting's about to start, Sister Hellfire." "Thank you, Sister Whammy." Hellfire sits up, adjusts her hair and armor, and passes through the curtain. She can feel some of her Sisters' eyes watching her without looking around, continuing to make her way toward the common room. The common room is very large, easily containing the hundreds of Femescubi for events such as celebrations and meetings, though the latter occurs much more frequently. Along one wall of the room is a raised dais where the four Mothers of the Femescubus commune stand, waiting for every woman to file in. Mother Daybreaker is the tallest and the oldest of the four. Her skin is whiter than Extinction's, and her hair is long and flowing past her waist, colored as vibrantly as flames. Her horn is the longest and most curved of any Femescubus, and her wide leathery wings are tucked in at her sides. Her body is adorned with intricate and durable metal armor a dark maroon color, as if made of highly glossy rust. The gorget of her armor has a large, spherical, multifaceted golden jewel. The horns on the side of her head curve forward and down to frame her cheeks, and her head is adorned with a helmet the same color and metal as the rest of her armor that fits over the base of her horns, giving her a threatening and powerful appearance. Mother Nightmare is taller than everyone except Mother Daybreaker. Unlike Mother Daybreaker, Mother Nightmare's skin is black, and her hair is long and flowing to her waist, colored with deep blues and violets. Her wings are black, and even more pointed, and almost Her horns are curved in the same way as Mother Daybreaker's, and her armor and forged in a similar manner. A light blue diamond is set into her gorget. Mother Dissonance is somewhat taller than Mother Midnight. Her skin is pink, her colorful hair, shades of yellow, magenta, and deep purple, reaching the middles of her back. Her leathery wings are pink with purple-frosted tips, and her horns and armor are much more like Mother Midnight's than the other Mothers'. She has a necklace of gold, in which is set a blue stone like Mother Midnight's. Mother Daybreaker steps forward as the last of the Sisters file in, and flares her wings wide. Immediately the room becomes silent. "Thank you all for coming quickly, as always." Her eyes and Mother Midnight's scan the room, pausing momentarily on Sister Hellfire before continuing her survey. Hellfire notices their hesitation, and suppresses a shiver of anxiety. Hellfire realizes that Mother Midnight must have told the other Mothers about her excursion earlier. "There are many things to speak about this meeting, so I shall begin with the most pressing. The Mascubi will be arriving within the week for the usual intermittent interplay."