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Time Dwindles...

You had been summoned to council for the last 3 moons, along with all the other worst and darkest of Lucifer's ranking minions. The Moment is fast encroaching, and the battle that has waged since before time is coming to its zenith. Both armies have grown with each century. Souls of the mortals are not easily won for good or for evil.



Your name alone used to be enough to quell dissent and unrest. In days gone by, the name Vapula was whispered, not spoken, in the mortal realm for fear of invoking your scorching wrath. Now, it seems it is almost forgotten. Although your wicked legions are vast, they are undisciplined, unruly, and disrespectful. Their ranks consist of some of the worst souls that have walked the Earth. Even your own legions apparently don't honor your name and fear you as they rightfully should. You have been the master of deception and the champion of temptation for millennia. 



You cast your eyes about, to affirm you are indeed alone. The chamber walls always appear to flicker and sway with the ripples of heat that caress them from the fires of the cauldrons of brimstone below. Their churning retches sulfurous gases into the dimly lit chasm that glows red with a constant heat. From your lofty tower, you can gaze at the legions at your disposal that throng below, moving among the crevices and caves that wind through every level of Hell. Their grotesque gargoyle bodies transformed by the evil that courses through their demonic bodies show their twisted power.  



Your power is evident by your mighty lion's head and body with giant eagle wings. With your powerful claws you grip the ledge of the tower and with your majestic wings, you leap into the abyss and swoop and soar on the delicious hot air currents that tickle your flesh with their scorching tendrils. You let fly a guttural screech from your throat to summon your highest commanders to your chambers.



Before you alight back in your high chambers, several of your 36 commanders have already arrived. They stand in small groups with low speech and hushed tones. Most carry unsettling expressions on their faces. As you pass among them and head to your high seat above them, they shush themselves and barely move to let you pass. You stare out among them and wait as more small groups materialize in your chambers. The group seems to move and swell below you.



Satisfied that enough have arrived and sensing an unrest, you stretch your wings to their full extension and puff out your chest and begin to address your congregation.



" I have met in council with our Supreme Master. All of you must be aware that the Moment is close. You are the highest of my minions and have served me well, but we must DOUBLE our efforts in these final hours to amass an undeniable force against our foes. It has been required of us that we hone our skills and recover the ground we may have lost these last few decades-"



"You want us to double our efforts?"



You are cut off by one of your minions. He is a gruff, strong, albeit short, troll of a demon who you know well. He has always been one of the slimiest and grotesque commanders and has a lot of clout with some of the oldest commanders.



"You sit here in your palace and gloat over us and our hard work. You haven't won us even one soul in decades! You can't seriously believe that we can do more with what we've been given."



The outrage you feel betrays itself in your voice as you respond,"I will expect you to do just as I say as I  have won your  soul and it belongs to me!" And with that, you raise a clawed paw and twist it in the air. The squat troll succumbs to your power and writhes and convulses in agony. You can't help but enjoy tormenting the insolent pug. You look into the faces of several others and see that your actions are having the reverse effect than you expected.



You cease your torment and the demon wheezes and pants before speaking again. "You see... (pant), you see now that you may hold dominion over our souls, but that you do not command our spirits." He spits a coagulated black blood clot from his mouth onto the floor at your feet.