XXXX Astaroth readjusted his weight in response to a groan from the rusted metal track on which he stood, cross-armed and confident. To save time wandering the area, knowing that there were more than lesser demons here to get in his way, he had chosen a high vantage point from which to scan the park below. The array of people messing around in the rotting carcass of supposed amusement were observed by serpentine eyes falling on each distant blot of movement with the utmost disinterest. The mission of fighting and killing had seemed fun at first, but already it had lost its lustre. Those distant specs with their flashes of light and colour did not feel worth the effort of engaging. Astaroth turned his gaze from the park and looked out to the barren horizon stretching behind it. At the end of the day this outing left him feeling more like a child on a field-trip than a man on a mission. The only difference, he felt, was that instead of some angel leading him around and reciting insignificant history, there was some old demon lazing on a throne while waiting for their report. That is, if Azrael cared at all what became of the lesser demons. It was a strangely insignificant undertaking from the start.
XXXX Astaroth was beginning to weigh whether he preferred to be ordered around by a demon or by a crusty angel when he was occupied instead by the sound of approaching wings. The noisy flight from the messy wings of Inferno's messenger birds. A disgusting sound. An uninviting glare was turned on the approaching weak bird sent by Azrael, causing it to stop and relay its message - orders to return to hell. Astaroth waved it off impatiently without verbal response. Looking back to the others to try and distinguish which of those blots he was supposedly united with on this venture, he questioned why Azrael suddenly needed them back. What would he know of their progress at this point? Did it not matter if they were finished or not? Perhaps it really was a pointless distraction to get them out of Inferno. A small smile appeared over a thought that proposed something terrible might had happened in Inferno. He would not mind a change of management. The scuffle between mindless factions could be interesting.
XXXX Deciding not to take the time to climb down from his perch, he jumped from a height bordering carelessness and watched the ground advance with open arms as he waited for the moment before impact. The temptation rose to bring out his scarcely used wings, but he was not alone and he had little desire to show off his black stained angel feathers. Shifting at the perfect moment, he took the hard impact landing on his feet. Ever so briefly the rattling sounds resonating in the surrounding delicate buildings affected by his impact amused him. A moment later, his expression turned to irritation at the thought of a return trip accompanying the princess Bavol and her boy-toy. He really had no interest in spending any more time in audio proximity of the princess's sugary voice and quickly decided to take his own way back. Preferably, a longer one that would avoid them entirely. He doubted they would have much concern for his absence.
XXXX Weaving through roller-coaster supports, he found a break in the once colourfully painted backdrop wall at the opposite end of the park from where they had entered and exited to a sense of isolation. The park of amusement, he decided, had not lived up to its name. At the very least he had gotten to fight something, as poor and brief a fight as it had been. The one with a red eye and questions about demon plans. Where was that knowledge gained? What was the boy? An irritated scoff left him. So much time in Inferno must have made him lazy that he had let one who threatened him simply walk away... Hooking his thumbs into his black and white belt, the camouflaged incarnation of his snake familiar, he lingered with his irritating thoughts of what should have been done as he stared at the dull landscape ahead.
XXXX The barren path ahead drained care over that one lost kill in favour of more significant thoughts. Earth... The third world to be created. An unappealing place filled with weak little creatures predominantly ignorant of the higher realms all around them. For what purpose did the goddess bother? Each creation went further downhill after Aurae. Perhaps she had been trying to convince herself that her masterpiece was not a fluke and she could make another place good enough to birth and house worthy men. But she could not. Her work was finished with Aurae and she would have done better dying there, purpose completed. At least we have some places to wipe our feet on... Astaroth gazed up to the sky as though his snake-like eyes were powerful enough to penetrate the realms and peer into Aurae. Father - dead. Brothers - dead. Little Tera'le... What had little Tera'le been up to? He carried the Grigorie blood, even if it was too far infected by their mother. He bared his teeth in a grin, thinking words intended to be cooed to his brother, Run the place now, do you?
XXXX From a bush a few meters to the left emanated a soft hissing. Astaroth's eyes locked on the source of the sound. He crouched and then crept silently closer until enough of the creature came into view among the foliage to confirm that it was a snake. With a sly smile, Astaroth stroked his belt, mumbling quietly, “An earth companion of yours, Iaculus. Do you think it even has teeth?” Chuckling under his breath, he began to reverse the camouflage veiling his familiar. As Iaculus gradually regained his muscular python prepositions, Astaroth supported his belly as he slid from around him and winded onto the ground.
XXXX As if Iaculus's return to full form sent out a silent warning, the Earth snake shot from the bush and fled away from the park the instant the familiar settled independently on the Earth. Astaroth laughed in mocking amusement. Nothing like an Inferno snake, so small and skittish. The snakes of Inferno almost always attacked and died long before considering running. Pathetic Earth. Expecting Iaculus to keep up, Astaroth began chasing after the fleeing snake as it whipped across the dry landscape.
XXXX Matching the less than impressive speed of the snake would have taken little effort, but Astaroth chose instead to hold back as though it was defeating him. Pretending the chase to be a struggle, he only occasionally pressed forward and make a grab at the creature's tail. With each threat of capture he imagined the creature's terror spiking only to be soothed by intermittent hope as it regained the lead again. The activity enthralled him, overriding awareness of the time being wasted, the true futility of the distraction. How foolish he would appear frolicking about, cackling, with a snake as his target and a much larger snake following at his heel. A burst of laughter, very different in tone than those amused chuckles that had preceded it, sounded in response to the snake partially lashing back to try to bite him as he made another grab for its tail. When he had drained the loud laugh of all its pleasure, he straightened his form and closed the distance between himself and the snake that had grown while he stumbled with laughter.
XXXX Astaroth suddenly stilled, Iaculus took the effort to make a quick stop so not to collide with his master. Flicking his tongue, he observed as the snake they had pursued gave a final twitch, Astaroth's dagger pinned through its head. Astaroth face was void of all amusement, as though Iaculus had imagined the entire frolicking adventure.
XXXX Astaroth's face remained blank as he took the time to milk the venom from the felled snake into a spare bottle pulled from the pouch at his side. Standing and stowing the bottle away to be tested later, he turned his eyes to the sky, this time looking at it rather than trying to peer through it. It had shifted, changed colour and form, and appeared now so different than it had when they arrived. He had a poor impression of the time that had passed. He was quick in deciding he had little inclination, in any case, to care. Let Azrael get impatient if he would. The smooth scales of Iaculus underbelly brushed over his foot as the snake moved to continue on the path they had started during the chase. Astaroth eyed him and scoffed. Not about to be the follower, he caught up with him and picked him up by the neck before guiding him to circle back around his waist and into belt form.
XXXX At a carelessly moderate pace he took a roundabout path calculated to lead back to the portal from which he had entered Earth. After searching two different alleys which momentarily impersonated the one he was looking for, he found the proper alley. It was the stink of those particular garbage bins that confirmed it. As he pressed through the wall to sink back to Inferno, a strange sensation prickled at him, and he knew it meant something all too terribly interesting.