Chapter 15: Battle Arena Practice

The demon Beleth is outside the castle grounds, in the battle arena, fighting with Alastair.

Many lower demons flocked to see two high-ranked demons fight each other from the safety of the seats that surrounded the Demon  Arena, protected by a powerful magic barrier that shields the spectators from powerful blows and magic done to each other by combatants in the Demon's Arena. 

A majority of the seats are filled with spectators, 

The Battle Arena is where demons and their allies fought seriously to hone their skills. 

"Total Darkness Activate"

Beleth chanted. 

The Battle Arena grounds went dark. Beleth sped towards the location of Alastair while atop his pale horse, with a spear in his hand. 

Alastair at first fumbled in the darkness before he chanted a spell that allowed him to see in the dark. 

Alastair teleported at the back of Beleth. 

He lifted Beleth's pale horse effortlessly off the ground  and flung Beleth's pale horse right above Beleth, who managed to teleport safely to the ground. 

Beleth avoided  Alastair's attack, and he is about to thrust his spear into Alastair when Alastair pushes him back through telepathy. 

"You forgot one thing there, Beleth. Ordinary weapons can't hurt me. And another thing, it seems you're holding back." 

"Oh really, Alastair? This spear here is dipped with holy water. Ever figured out why I wore gloves yet?" 

Beleth replied  as he lunged at Alastair, who teleported right at Alastair's back. 

"You and your teleportation skill. Let's see if you can dodge my next move." 

Beleth said. 

Before Alastair could push him away through telepathy, Beleth summoned a group of undead musicians, whose music caused Alastair to stumble to the ground, with his hands covering his ears. 

" Music to the ears. The sound of terror. Screams and wailings of those you tortured. The scary sounds of creatures of the night that you forced them to listen to, when you're not enjoying yourself torturing them physically. How does it feel to go mad using your own attacks, huh Alastair? "

Alastair just smiled throughout all the pain. 

" Do you think I don't have a counter for this? "

He asked Beleth, who concentrated on the undead musicians. 

He concentrated throughout the pain, and managed to push Beleth away through telepathy. 

He chanted a spell that made him immune to sound attacks, and made the undead musicians vanish through his spells. 

"You shouldn't have used reapers. What an obvious mistake." 

Alastair smiled. 

" That was a good fight, Alastair." 

Beleth said as the two of them transformed back to their human forms. 

"Right back at you, Beleth." 

When the audience witnessed that the fight was over, they dispersed and went about on their business. 

Beleth clapped Alastair on the back, then put his arm on Alastair's shoulder. 

"Do you have something you planned to do today, Alastair? "

" Nope. I got wind that the half-orc spy got killed by Lilith. He's been a thorn on my side for as long as I could remember, so I gave Lilith the info on the half-orc spy." 

"Why did you have to do that? You know he's one good spy, even if he's downright annoying and arrogant." 

Beleth frowned in a disapproving tone, aghast that Alastair had Inuk killed. 

"Inuk the Clever is dangerous. He knows our secrets. He's arrogant and hard to control. And besides, I already made arrangements to have him replaced by someone who is just as good as him." 

Alastair countered. 

"We all are dangerous, and work for our own ends. Admit it or not, you yourself are no different from the half-orc spy you plotted to have killed.  You're a pot calling a kettle black. You just angered the Guild Master of the Necromancer Guild, buddy. We live in a dangerous world. You better watch out for spies of the Necromancer Guild, and watch your back. You'll do well to listen to my piece of advice, old friend. "

Beleth tapped Alastair twice on the shoulder, then he went off to the kitchen to find something to eat. 

The practice earlier got him hungry. 

He noticed that Alastair's fighting skill got better. 

He tried hard not to dwell on what Morrigan had done to him. 

He plotted to set Morrigan, Anubis and Hecate against each other, with the assistance of Alastair. 

He suspected that Alastair had ties with Lilith, who in turn had ties to both Galadriel and Hashioki. 

He still remained suspicious of the three, since he knew that Galadriel, Lilith and Hashioki belonged to the other faction. 

But he couldn't afford to do reckless actions. 

An enemy of the enemy is still a friend. 

He pushed those thoughts away, and walked  to the kitchen. 

"Hello, Samael."

He greeted the dark angel of death, who passed by him. 

"Oh, hello, Beleth. I trust your plot is going well?" 

The angel of death called back to him, before going on his way. 

He's finally at the kitchen door. 

He could smell the delicious aroma that wafted off the food being cooked by servants in the kitchen. 

" My, my. What do we have here?"

 Beleth said, as he examined what's being cooked in the kitchen. 

"Hmm. Slow boiled beef, to be recooked by stewing with vegetables. My favorite." 

"That's not cooked yet, Beleth. We know that you'll be hungry after a fight. We prepared sandwiches for you to munch on, while this is being cooked. Here." 

Luciano prepared a plate full of  ham sandwiches, and a pitcher full of cold juice. 

"Where do you want to eat, Beleth?" 

"Can you bring the food to the garden? I could use some peace and quiet after the events that happened." 

Luciano, an incubus in his human form, couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

"Ha-ha. That's funny. We're demons, used to causing chaos, and basking in the destruction and fighting caused by all the chaos. To think I'd hear those words from an arch-demon." 

"You think I did all this to cause chaos all for nothing, eh, Luciano? Make that  remark that I just cause chaos wantonly and senselessly, and I'll have you fed to Cerberus, the three headed dog of destruction owned by Anubis. Now, come with me, and bring those foods to the garden. "

Beleth's sharp remark silenced Luciano, and Luciano went to the garden to place Beleth's food on the garden table. 

Beleth followed Luciano. 

" Is there anything more I can do, Beleth? "

" Nope. Now, run along, and do what you have to do. "

Luciano immediately turned around and left. 

Beleth ate and drank in silence, admiring the peace and quiet for a change.