Angel of the Damned

AotD - 23

The Lieutenant stood by the map, pencil marks drawn on it marked the plan of attack. She ran over her presentation once more in her head. She had to prove her worth for her Master so he didn't kill her and find someone else to lead the assault. Her assistant stood next to her, visually shaking. The smallest act of compassion the cursed blood in her veins would allow, she reached out and took his hand, squeezing it.

She knelt down despite her body resisting every movement and took the young elf's shoulders. "Listen to me," she started, "You don't have to see this.  If you want, you can leave."

He sniffled and looked at her. His eyes were an ocean of fear and waves of tears reared up, ready to crash down onto his cheeks. He rubbed his eyes and sucked back the remaining tears. "Is that an order, ma'am?" His voice quivered.

"It's a decision for you to make," the Lieutenant said. "Stay or go, your choice."

The young elf threw his arms around her and began to cry, his tears wetting her patched uniform. "Can I hide?"

"I won't stop you," Lieutenant said. Her body still resisted the movement as she put her arms around they boy. "Run and hide."

The elf ran off into the tunnels and Lieutenant stood stiff as a rail. Her chin held high and her eyes straight ahead. Lucifer walked into the room and Lieutenant raised fist to her chest, saluting.

"Put your hand down," Lucifer snarled.

She hastily returned her hand behind her back and kept her mouth shut. The mark on the back of her neck burned slightly in his presence.

"Tell me how you intend to attack one of the most well fortified cities after the war?" Lucifer instructed.

Lieutenant swallowed and began to speak, "We leave here at dusk and under cover night approach the city. The wall cannot be destroyed but it can be scaled. Which is no problem for the Demon's, they can smoke, or whatever you call it, over it. From there, we make our way to the palace, I don't expect much resistance. We will split into two companies. I will lead the second company around and approach from the gardens. The first company will come through the front and distract while we slip inside and take out the Princess and her son. From there, we place evidence of human involvement and get out the way we came in."

Lucifer looked over her notations and markings, listening carefully. "Do not take out the princess and her son, abduct them. I want them alive."

"Sir, that would be infinitely hard bordering impossible. The princess fought during the war and I except large casualties just attempting to kill her," Lieutenant argued.

Lucifer snapped his fingers and pain ruptured into Lieutenant's chest. She screamed in agony falling for her knees. She grabbed her chest and screamed, withering in agony. The pain brought white flashes to her eyes, which momentarily rolled back in her skull.

"Kidnapp the Princess and her son," Lucifer said.

"Sir," Lieutenant wheezed, "Please, you have to understand. To kill the princess will be infinitely harder now that Drake is in the city. He would die for her. Kidnapping her is just going to be that much harder since we will have to subdue her, her bodyguards, and Drake enough to carry the princess out." The pain receded for a moment and she rolled into her back, gasping for air.

"You won't have any problems with the gay whores," Lucifer said.

"They were some of the best-AHH!" The pain shot back through her, arching her back up. Beads of sweat ran down her forehead and neck. Her lungs refused to work.

"Do you ever wonder what it would have felt like to be slowly impaled on that tree?" Lucifer asked. He brushed her hair out of her face. "The pain your feeling right now is what you would have felt if you were slowly impaled. If you want it to stop, just tell me you will bring back the princess and her son."

"I, I, I, I will," she wheezed and the pain left her.

"Ma'am!" Her assistant cried and ran in. He shoved past Lucifer and his small hands picked up Lieutenant's head and he cradled it in his arms. "I, I shouldn't have left," he sobbed.

"It's not you fault, there's nothing you could have done," Lieutenant whispered, her voice tight.

"I want the Princess and her son here! Make it happen!" Lucifer demanded.

"I will need to rework the exit stragety," Lieutenant said.

"Then do it! I want the two of them here within the day," Lucifer said.

"I will need more time, give me three days. That's all I need. Please," Lieutenant begged. "Three days."

"You have three days!" Lucifer snapped. "If they are not here by this time seventy-two hours from now, I will rip that wound open again and I will not close it until you have died a hundred times! Do I make myself clear!"

Lieutenant nodded and Lucifer stormed out, the Demon's bowing to him as he passed. "I'm so sorry, so sorry,” her assistant sobbed.