“Are you sure, Highness?”

That grim question came from a pair of she-devils called the Eyes of Truth. They were known to some among the Royalty of Hell as older generation soldiers and kept strictly under service to the twelve members of Lucifer’s Echelons who were still clueless as to their secret activity: guiding those whom they must. Donning appearances mirroring each other with a single braid on either side of their heads and armor of midnight blue streaked with gold, Ravendy could foresee the future. In contrast, Lenora could peer far into the past. However, these abilities did not come with unlimited freedom.

Belphegor, the North Prince, directed a severe frown to the pair. Pure rage that tangled with resignation darkened his ruggedly handsome face. “You have revealed this secret to me, to what end, I know not, and I understand that you won’t disclose anything until the time comes.” 

“That is correct,” Lenora said.

“You gave me two choices, and I’ve picked one. Is that not what you wish for me to do?”

Ravendy shook her head. “We wish for nothing, Highness. We merely gave you that knowledge so you would choose according to your instincts. Just because we didn’t say that you could choose neither of those two does not mean it is not a choice. It is one but with even greater risks than the two we presented. That’s why we didn’t bother mentioning it to you.”

“But which of those choices presented the least risks?”             

“You are wise enough to know which, Highness. But greater risks don’t always mean worse than the one with the lesser.”

“Sometimes, I just can’t tell whether to like dealing with you or the other way around.”

Lenora smiled sadly. “We understand, but as you surmised, we are guides, nothing else.”

Belphegor almost opened his mouth to concede, but another thought crossed his mind, tugging in the back of his head during their tale, and he decided to redirect a bit. “Tell me. Why do I feel like you two were more directly involved in your tale about my father than you let on? Including even Behemoth and Leviathan?”

The question caught the pair rarely off-guard, and they went deathly still.

That reaction was over in a hairbreadth of a second before they resumed their expressionless-bordering-sad face, but Belphegor was no neophyte. “I hit a nerve just now?”

“Highness...” Ravendy started.

Raising a hand, Belphegor aimed a dark look at them. “Look, I have made a choice, as you requested, I might add. Don’t you think I have the right to know where your information—one that intimately concerns me—comes from? You wouldn’t react like that if that knowledge came from your visions. So, start talking.”

The pair traded a defeated look and returned their attention to him. “We may have to call His Majesty King Behemoth for this.”

Belphegor blinked. “Why?”

“He was there. We only arrived after the fact,” Lenora said.

“Her Majesty the Great Queen was also present,” Ravendy added quietly.

Belphegor let out a small gasp of surprise. “My mother?”

Ravendy nodded. “She was there to grant her permission to someone, Highness.”

“Someone you and His Majesty King Behemoth know very well.”

That statement instantly made Belphegor inwardly reeling. He debated whether he must agree to summon his Earthly older brother, but that internal war didn’t last long as his instincts that insisted on knowing whatever this was outweighed his reluctance to deal with the Primordial King. “Fine, I will call him.”

Turning from the Eyes of Truth, Belphegor expanded his aura, joining the energy coming from the sacred body of his Earthly Mother. Steeling his will, he used a voice rich with cadence as he called, “Behemoth.”

Not two breaths later, a tall, powerfully built young man wearing full soil-colored battle regalia materialized. His long, brown hair flowed along the breeze around him. His dark brown eyes found the three and arched a fine brow. “I thought you two would’ve wrapped up this nonsense without dragging me into it.”

That sentence was like a hard slap across Belphegor’s face. “Nice to know that you’re in cahoots with people who’s got ‘don’t tell anyone anything important’ as their life principal.”

Behemoth rolled his eyes. “Mind your tone, youngling. This matter doesn’t directly involve me, so why should I bother myself with it?”

“Don’t you fucking dare ‘youngling’ me when this fucking matter I have to deal with could potentially turn everything upside down, and I do mean with a bloodbath!”

Behemoth stared down his younger brother by vow, or more like by his mother the Great Queen’s will. Whether that decision was wise, not even he could tell. A part of him wished to tell Belphegor to go fuck himself—at least until a soft warm wind trailed down his cheek like a gentle touch of a mother.

This wasn’t lost to Belphegor as he, too, felt that touch and immediately fell to a knee. He reverently placed a palm on the ground, heartfelt gratitude coming out of his mouth.

That sealed the whole deal, and Behemoth sighed dejectedly. “Fine.” He turned his attention to the female pair. “What have you been telling him?”

“The tale of his father’s descent and all behind him, especially the other Two of the First Three,” Lenora said.

Ravendy nodded her confirmation. “After all, that event was the precursor of many incoming calamities.” She shifted her attention to Belphegor. “We told him that he had to make a choice, for the outcome of one of these calamities will be decided by it.”

“And I have made said choice,” Belphegor interjected.

Behemoth frowned in evident confusion. “So, everything’s done. What do you need me for?”

“His Highness, uh, realized that we involved more directly than we let on,” Ravendy said with an embarrassed tone. “He is not a youngling, after all.”

Belphegor winced. Did she just turn Behemoth’s word against himself? Did she wish to be killed or something?

To the shock of no one but Belphegor, Behemoth merely raised a brow without a trace of hostility toward Ravendy. “The right of calling him that is reserved only for me.”

“As you wish,” the addressed she-devil said solemnly, but Belphegor could see a hint of mischief was exchanged between the pair, and he doubted Behemoth missed that.

Just who were these two?

“Now,” Behemoth said abruptly, breaking Belphegor’s line of thoughts. “I’m here to tell you whether they were directly involved in their tale about your father’s descent, am I? Sure, they were there. They followed your father as you can see by their appearances. So, what about it?”

Belphegor made a face. “I thought she just told you I’m not a fucking youngling, so stop treating me like one. They wouldn’t have made me call your ass here if that was only the case! Something happened then, what was it?”

Behemoth didn’t exactly intend to keep his silence. He was wary as to how much he could reveal to his unholy younger brother regarding his damned father.

“Do we need to bring Mother into this?” Belphegor asked quietly. “They said Mother gave her permission to someone, whatever that meant.”

That was all the prince needed because Behemoth blinked and shook his head. Well, the pair had revealed that much, anyway. “Alright.” He then let out another heavy sigh. “What they said about Mother giving permission was to Leviathan so that he could join my ranks.”

Belphegor looked back and forth between the three. “I heard he had something to do with whatever had happened around the time of the Fall, though in what capacity, they have yet to disclose that to me.”

“Well, he’s not involved in this current matter we brought to you, Highness,” Lenora said. “But someday, he will do something in which you will be directly involved.”

“Not just you,” Ravendy added. “But those around you.”

“But why would a—wait,” Belphegor said slowly. “Back up, why would Mother give her permission to a fallen angel? One of the First Three no less?”

Behemoth shook his head. “Not exactly. Leviathan was given that permission after he conferred with another higher being. Obviously, he was still one of the Archangels at the time. Mother gave him a condition that he could only join my ranks after he had left Heaven.”

“So, he followed my father because of that? Not because he wished to wreak havoc alongside him?” Belphegor caught something else. “Who was this higher being you mentioned?”

“I know not. I came there only after I heard Mother was giving him her permission. I tried to object, of course, but she indicated that it is the will of the universe, and beings overseeing the order of the universe. I couldn’t contradict her infinite wisdom and never could, so I agreed.” He had to keep that ‘higher being’ part concealed because he didn’t think even his Mother would allow that sacred name to be mentioned.

“So, Leviathan came and asked permission from Mother. Why didn’t Beelzebub? From what I’ve learned so far about that part of their history, they were closer with each other than with my father.”

The three shared a peculiar look. “Beelzebub did come to see Mother as well,” Behemoth finally said. “But it wasn’t to join my ranks.”

“He asked the Great Queen to permit him to use one of her elements,” Lenora said quietly.

Belphegor blinked. “So that’s how he could master flies. Here I thought he would’ve asked to use butterfly or something.”

Ravendy’s eyes darkened by something that Belphegor could only construe as deep sadness. “He was too ashamed to ask for more,” was all she said.

If anything, I’d say she’s quite ashamed herself, the prince thought, but something told him not to call her out on that. Instead, he replayed everything Behemoth said and caught another thing. “This being was, at least, on par with the perished Celestials or higher, wasn’t it? There’s no way Archangels followed those who are underneath them.”

The three traded an alarmed look. “Where did you hear that name?” Behemoth whispered dangerously.

Belphegor almost buckled by the sudden burst of intimidating aura flared from Behemoth, but somehow, he stood his ground. “Not a youngling, remember?”

Behemoth turned to the pair, who raised both hands. “We didn’t tell him.”

“His knowledge regarding the Celestials seems to be limited, Majesty, at least he doesn’t know the truth about Leviathan, Beelzebub, and our shared history with them both,” Ravendy placated through a blocked mental channel that kept them from Belphegor’s reach.

“He at least knows enough to say that they had perished. We must know the extent of his knowledge. How long must you two guide him?”

“We’re with him for a long run. And before you ask, to see a particular past that’s outside of what I’m given the insight to, I must make physical contact, and I don’t think I can do that without him being suspicious about it,” Lenora explained.

“Just stay on him then.”

Belphegor knew enough that the three were conferring without him, but their reaction was something he intended to investigate later. Something about Celestials hit the wrong nerve with Behemoth, and he’d very much like to know the reason. “People, just get on with it. Scratch my comment if you like.”

“Fine,” Behemoth said flatly. “The Great War ignited by your father’s cohorts during their descent was only a disguise so he could obtain the Book of Lost Knowledge and run with it.”

Understanding dawned on Belphegor’s face and he nodded. “I see. So, that’s how he could get his hands on it.”

Behemoth’s brows twitched. “Do you recall what he did with it?”

“Yeah. He made thirteen copies of it and passed them around to his cohorts who then gave the pact makers access to them so they could use the information to fool the humans into giving up their souls. These two just got done telling me about it too, though that’s not necessary since the old bat wasn’t shy about it.”

Behemoth rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I heard about that one. Let me ask you something, does anyone among your father’s old comrades bother to stop and think why would he pass around the one thing he fought for so easily like it was some cheap drink? Especially if it was so powerful, it had to be locked up in the deepest part of Heaven?”

Belphegor nearly opened his mouth, but immediately clamped up as he realized he didn’t have a good enough answer.

“Realize it now, huh?” Behemoth commented. “Like you, no one among your father’s cohorts bothers to think a little because a sense of false victory blinded them that they couldn’t see the truth, and this is a secret your father would destroy to keep.”

Cold began creeping up Belphegor’s spine, and his hands slightly trembled as a thought came to him, and a terrible suspicion grew. “Tell me, Behemoth,” he whispered, rage shook his voice. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Behemoth sighed. “Well, no, and yes.” The next words that came out of his mouth were so staggering that Belphegor was left speechless for a few heartbeats.

Not long after, Behemoth vanished without even a goodbye, but the pair remained. “You’d better begin your preparations, Highness,” Ravendy said.

The North Prince sighed. He secretly wished for this, but he had never voiced this to another soul. He had thought that his core would tremble with anticipation, but now that the moment had arrived, he never considered that cold fingers of fear would creep through. “Very well, I shall make preparations.”

“Inform His Highness Prince Vassago, Highness, before everyone else,” Lenora suggested.

Belphegor cocked his head. “Why? And who’s ‘everyone else’?”

“It will help you down the road, and you know full well who ‘everyone else’ is, Highness,” Ravendy answered meaningfully with a small smile.

Belphegor rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll do it. Meanwhile, what will you do once I do what I will do?”

“We shall retreat, and we’ll find you should we must,” Lenora replied.

“I see,” Belphegor nodded. “But, before you go, I must ask you something else.”

“What is it?”

“Will... the repercussions of my actions be bad for those you suggested I should welcome instead of kill for their audacity?”

Ravendy blinked before a slightly wider smile lined her lips. “No, and I suggest you continue associating with them because it will help you and them. Open both your mansion and counsel to them further, Highness, and you will find more proof that they are not like the others.”

“Who knows, you might find yourself liking them more than you already do,” Lenora added.

Belphegor rubbed his temple. He hated being put under scrutiny in any way. Them using it for their practical purpose—or so they purported—was probably why he could tolerate it.

It wasn’t like he could do anything that would change what they did.

“Whatever you say, Lenora,” Belphegor retorted, and Lenora nodded. Both raised their fists upon their chests. “Until next time we meet, Highness,” and they vanished.

Shaking his head, Belphegor turned from his mansion. “Vassago’s not going to like this.”