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Utopia	By : FlayraDowitcher Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 2991 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
***Sorry for the long update. Special thanks to my beta for her quick work! This is a fairly busy chapter, and almost everyone has their own part focused on just them. This is a LudwigxFeli story, but supporting characters help to move a story along, so we have to know about what's going on with them as well. So read on and enjoy!
***Warnings: language, violence, hardcore yaoi, character death, angst
***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I am making no money off of this fic.

'When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.'- Friedrich Nietzsche
Chapter 15: Dark Promises
Upon arriving at Alfred's castle the servants were running around in a mob of mass hysteria. Feliciano would not let go of Ludwig's arm as they hurried to Alfred's room where the screaming was coming from. The door was already opened, and when they stepped inside they saw the horror that had befallen there. There was a long body trail of blood, and multiple smaller ones that looked like claws. Matthew's ghostly form was a crying heap of sobs on the floor, his limbs free of chains but his solid form gone. Feliciano hurried to Matthew while Ludwig scanned the room for evidence of what had transpired here. There was no sign of evil aura or magic, so whatever it was that attacked had gone.
'Alfred.' Ludwig softly stated the name while looking at a painting of the young demon on the wall. He turned from the picture to join the two on the floor. "Matthew, did you see what happened here?"
The ghost nodded, wiping his eyes. 'I did! It was horrible! She took Alfred away! She tried to kill him!'
"Who did?"
'I don't know who she was…a dark creature, with lightening eyes and black tentacles…she had one through Alfred's belly and the others pulled him inside of her! I couldn't stop it!'
"Merkova." Ludwig stated the name of the Fiend of Deception. 'She must have lured Alfred in somehow…but how could she enter this realm without us knowing it? And what did she use to lure Alfred away from the truth? He should have known better.'
"Ludwig, what do we do?" Feliciano asked in a trembling voice. "They've got Alfred! It's just like in my visions!"
"Now stop that." Ludwig hissed. "We don't know the full extent of what happened here." A gasp from Matthew alerted him to the ghost. "What is it?"
'I'm…disappearing!' Matthew held up his ghostly hands to see that one was slowly fading away. 'No! I can't fade away! Help me, please!' Ludwig didn't know what to do so he only remained silent. Feliciano wanted to help his friend's spirit yet he didn't know how. Something inside of him knew what to do; Antonio was summoned, floating above him while holding out a ghostly hand to Matthew. 'W-What-?'
Antonio motioned for Matthew's hand. Matthew reached out to grasp it, and slowly, Antonio pulled him in to join Feliciano. 'Now you are safe.' Antonio's voice echoed in Feliciano's head and Matthew answered back with a 'thank you'.
"We have saved Matthew, but that still leaves Alfred missing." Ludwig stood up. "We have to alert the others, and the Dark One."
"Some of us are here." They both turned to see Gilbert and Ivan entering the room. "What's happened?" Ivan asked.
"The Fiend of Deception, Merkova, took Alfred and destroyed Matthew's golem body."
Ivan's eyes slowly widened at Ludwig. "Are you certain?"
"Look at the blood." Ludwig pointed to the streaks on the floor, watching as Ivan knelt on the floor to taste it.
"It is Alfred's blood." Ivan said with a hiss, clenching his fists and letting his tail swish rapidly. "What happened here?"
Feliciano answered this time. "She attacked Alfred here in his room, and Matthew said he disappeared inside of her."
Gilbert looked down at the blood on the floor. "Dark red blood too. She struck deep."
"Matthew said her tentacle went through his stomach." Ludwig added.
Feliciano couldn't stand to listen to any more. He silently moved away from the three demons to retreat from the room, entering the now silent hall. Lowering his wings he rest against the wall, holding a fist to his heart and feeling the ache of Matthew's suffering. Ludwig still would not believe that this could be his visions coming to light; first Gilbert, and now Alfred. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, feeling the pain of nerves beginning again. All he wanted was to be happy, eat good food, drink wine, and sleep all day. It would seem that now he would never know true peace. Should all of his visions come true, where would that leave him? In his visions, he did not see himself being tortured or harmed in any way. Would he somehow survive all this? Or would it be up to him to save his demon friends and the new world they strive for?
The worst of it is, Feliciano honestly didn't know what he would do if he were approached by the Fiends. If the Fiends offered him safety from a horrible death or painful torture, would he betray the others and go with the enemy? He bit the tip of his claws. He was terrified of pain, and blood, and horrors in general. The idea of being tortured threatened to make him wet his pants right here. There was not one ounce of bravery in him, not even with Antonio, Romano, and now Matthew to protect him. He loved Ludwig yet there was no way he could actually protect the demon if he were in trouble. Feliciano couldn't fight a Fiend if they had Ludwig in their grasp. 'Why can't I just be brave for once?' he wondered to himself. 'Be brave for the people I love.'
"Feli?" Feliciano turned at the sound of his name to see Sadiq. "Where are the others?"
"Inside Alfred's room." He watched Sadiq enter, hearing him speaking with the others. 'Poor Alfred…I wonder if he was scared? He's a very brave demon, I can't see him running away. I bet he fought her as much as he could! Ow! My stomach!' He moaned weakly. "I bet I have an ulcer from all this!"
After the meeting in Alfred's room, the rest of the demons gathered at Ludwig's castle, finding it best to all remain together for now. A message bat had arrived from Arthur stating that he would be arriving shortly. Now the five of them, plus Kiku, sat quietly at the table full of untouched food. Everyone was silent, trying to avoid any gazes as they sat in thought. Ivan was controlling his anger, gripping the armrests and trembling violently. His lips kept twitching as his teeth and claws cried out for revenge. Ludwig sat at the head of the table with Feliciano to his left. The young demon took his hand only to have Ludwig pull away.
Feliciano was hurt by Ludwig's cold rejection of support and comfort. While he didn't fully understand the extent of the situation he felt just as heartbroken and worried about Alfred's capture as the rest of them. The silence was starting to get to him, and the best way to cure the quiet was to get everyone talking and eating. "We can't think on empty stomachs." Feliciano piped up. "Let's try and eat something, we'll feel much better if we do." They all looked at him, save for Ivan. "Food helps to heal."
"But that won't bring Alfred back." Ivan said darkly.
"He's only trying to help." Gilbert said, coming to Feliciano's defense. "We should try and eat, like he said. Keeping up our strength is a must right now."
"Why would they take Alfred?" Ivan thought out loud. "Why not one of us? Why was Alfred targeted first? It should have been me." No one had an answer for that, until Kiku began to glow faintly and answered in a soft tone.
"I believe I have a possible explanation." They all turned to Kiku. "The Fiends have always feared the Five Nations coming together, and you finally have. There is only one way to keep the Five Nations from ruling the world, and that is to keep them apart. By taking just one, they withhold us from conjuring the new Utopia, thus putting them back on the playing field."
"Then we have to get Alfred back." Sadiq added. "We can't let them take any more of us. Taking one is not enough for them to feel secure in this. They will want to see more of us gone." A knock at the door had heads turning.
"Warlock Arthur is here." Said a guard, and he was summoned inside.
Arthur sped in a power walk to the head of the table to stand beside Ludwig, with Francis slowly following behind. Arthur looked at each of them. "We seem to be missing one. What's happened to Alfred?" Arthur was filled in and he rubbed his temples. "This is bad. Very bad. Someone is leaking information. There's no other way the Fiends could have crossed over so easily!"
Gilbert slammed his fist on the table. "But that doesn't make any sense! Which one of us would want to betray the other? We could have done it long ago if we had wanted to!"
"It is someone who is close to one of us. Someone knows a little too much, whether it was told to them or they simply found out on their own. There is a third party working in this mix, but the perpetrator is coming from our end."
Ludwig's eyes immediately focused on Sadiq from across the table. The other demon knew he was watching, so green eyes glared back at him. Sadiq knew what he was thinking, Ludwig could see it on his face. "Excuse me." He interrupted Arthur and stood up from the table. "Sadiq. Come with me."
"What the fuck?" Gilbert raised a brow. "Why are you two leaving?"
"Mind your own business." Sadiq hissed at the albino, leaving with Ludwig through the second doors of the hall. He followed him far away from the others. "Don't you dare look at me as if this is my fault!" Sadiq hissed at the blonde when they entered a small writing room. He closed the doors behind them and stalked up to Ludwig. "I had nothing to do with it! Nor did Heracles."
Ludwig lifted his chin and crossed his arms, showing dominance over the other. "I did not like how that werecat of yours just barged in our meeting that time, offering up advice. You're the only one with a strange creature here."
"It is not Heracles! He has changed! If he had wanted to betray me, he would have done it already."
Ludwig shook his head. "You are an idiot! This is your life now because of his sacrifice and curse to destroy you! Something trapped him for all these years! Something awoken him from wherever he was. Something told him what to do!"
"It wasn't me!"
"I'm not saying it was you! I'm saying that someone is working through him to get to us, and you're the intersection. It's that damn werecat of yours. I know this to be true. Don't make me have to involve Ivan in this. He will get the confession out of the werecat." Ludwig had angered the other for he could see the look of promised violence on Sadiq's face. But he would not back down from a fight if it came to that. "Bring us this werecat so that we may cross examine him. Should he prove innocent, we will let him go."
Sadiq stomped his hoof on the floor. "I will do no such thing!"
"You have no choice. Once I speak to the others about this hunch they will want to do the same. You will be outvoted. I am not going to let the fate of our cause, or our lives, be brought on by your ridiculous lust to rekindle an old flame. He killed you once, and he will kill you again. The Demon Duke of the Voluptuous Ones seeks the love of that who betrayed him. Think about it, Sadiq. 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame of me.' Does that little statement mean anything to you?"
"Why are you being so cruel to me, Ludwig? I've never done anything to you. Why can't you trust me?"
"Because too much has happened already! First my brother, and now Alfred. As of now, your werecat is the prime suspect."
Sadiq walked up to the other, his hooves clicking on the hard floor. He stood facing Ludwig, straight faced. "I made a vow to you and the others, that we would always vote on issues and concerns. I will be outvoted in this, as you've said. I will bring Heracles here for an interrogation. Once you see that he is innocent, then I will demand an apology from you. However, consider the friendship and relationship we once had now null and void. I will remain on business speaking terms with you, but if you cannot trust me, then there is no room for friendship." He stepped closer, nearly touching noses. "I was older than you when I was killed, boy. I was in my early 30's, already an 'old man'. I had commanded vast armies three times the size of your pesky little Germanic tribe. I met with all kinds of people, men and women, who were cheaters, liars, double-crossers, and backstabbers. You were a little brat of seventeen commanding your first army consisting of hunters and primitive warriors. You knew nothing but the trees and the woods, I knew empires, kingdoms, and countries. I knew their leaders, their children, everything. So do not stand here and preach to me like you know how to tell who is good and who is bad."
"Yet this 'powerful man' you speak of was killed by a pair of green eyes and long legs. Clearly you did not see the cruel intentions behind his first lifetime. I don't trust your judgment in this. I will involve Ivan if I have to. This is not a joke, and if I have to be hard on you I will."
"Bastard." Sadiq pushed past him angrily and stormed out of the room.
Ludwig kept his arms crossed as he left, staring at the door in a hard stare. Sadiq's case was the closet answer they had. It made a whole lot of sense. All of this started to happen when that werecat entered the meeting. Who knows what Sadiq is telling him in loving confidence. Some of the worlds greatest secrets could be told when wrapped in the loving arms of another pretending to care. So desperate was Sadiq to win this demon's love that he would put everything at risk to believe it so. Heracles had to be interrogated right away, with no chance of retrial. Ludwig would not allow the werecat to go back to Sadiq even if he is found innocent. That will be more reason for Sadiq to hate him, but then he and Alfred can create the 'We Hate Ludwig' fanclub together. It would seem these hatreds only came from those he's slept with, so would Feliciano end up hating him too? He headed back to the meeting room.
"What happened?" Feliciano asked. "Sadiq just stormed out of here without saying a word."
"He is going to get Heracles, his old lover, to be interrogated."
Arthur frowned deeply. "You think you know who it is?"
"It's a strong hunch." He quickly explained to the others about Sadiq and Heracles. "We will see if he is innocent. But I will want this werecat locked up until all this is over even if he is still proven innocent. He is the only one with the greatest motive."
"Give him to me!" Ivan commanded. "I will make him confess!"
"Anyone can confess when put to torture." Kiku stated calmly. "Even so, he could claim to be guilty when he is really innocent to avoid further punishment. That will not end the terrors that are happening." Kiku looked to Ludwig. "I suggest we listen to his testimony first, and then proceed from there." Ludwig nodded in agreement.
"No wonder he left in a huff." Gilbert stated plainly.
Arthur took over the conversation. "Aside from that, we have to figure out what we are going to do now that one of ours is missing. We can't rise up without Alfred; all of the Five Accursed Nations need to be together. That way, we remain strong. Separated, we're nothing. There is a good chance that the Fiends and their armies will reign down upon us now that they have one of our own in their custody. We have to get Alfred back, and the Dark One is going to help us."
"I want answers from the Dark One now." Ivan demanded.
"And you will have them." Arthur answered. "Figure out about this Heracles fellow and I will go with Francis to speak to the Dark One. I will return shortly. Stay together in pairs if you can- two heads are better than one."

Feliciano waited in Ludwig's bed for his lover to retire with him. Beside him on the bed slept Viper, snoring loudly next to his ear. Bones was at the foot of the bed keeping his feet warm and Hellbeast slept on the floor beside him. Feliciano didn't mind being with the large dogs for they gave him a strong sense of security and protection, at least until Ludwig came. He was afraid to go to sleep alone and waited for when he could fall asleep in Ludwig's arms. It had been a terrible and frightening day for all of them, but everyone still needed to rest. His heart leapt when he heard the bedroom door open, meaning that Ludwig had finally retired. Feliciano sat up in the bed, fully naked, to greet Ludwig with a welcoming smile.
"I was worried you'd never come." He said to his lover.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, but I was thinking about all that has happened. I am very troubled by all this."
Feliciano held out his arms. "Come to bed and rest. You need to keep up your strength." He watched Ludwig shoo all the dogs away from the bed so he could take over. "I may not be able to fight as well as you, Ludwig, but I know how to comfort and make you feel better. You can draw your strength from me." Feliciano guided the larger demon into his arms, holding him in a tender embrace that Ludwig welcomed. In fact, the demon hugged him back as if seeking the comfort he had to offer. Feliciano just smiled and tenderly stroked the blonde hair and horns, even humming a tune. He let his tails curl around Ludwig's; even his white feathers lifted and moved to stroke a strong cheek. The short embrace didn't last long, for a short couple of minutes later, Ludwig was on top of him.
Ludwig said nothing as he covered the smaller body with his own, staring down in to those soft, warm, and trusting amber eyes. He needed to taste the sweet nectar of Feliciano's life force, needing to be buried deep inside while he sucked. Feliciano seemed to read his mind when long legs spread in welcome. Ludwig easily prepared the tight hole first; gripping his hard cock he guided himself inside, pushing slow and deep in to the warm embrace of Feli's body. The smaller demon arched his back, sucking him in greedily while his lips formed a perfect 'o' with every inch of penetration. They coupled wildly with claws scratching and teeth biting. Feliciano even drank from him between thrusts. Ludwig was taking his pent up frustration and stress out on Feliciano's body, using it in whatever way he pleased. Knowing that the other was liking it just as much made him feel guiltless. Harder he pounded in to the slim body while whispering to his lover never to betray him. He asked that Feliciano never leave him, to always trust him, and to keep loving him. Feliciano's answer came with a bright smile, flushed cheeks, and bucking hips promising to do so and begging for more. Ludwig shuddered and came inside, feeling the other splash against his belly. He didn't stop there; he wanted to take more of Feliciano's sweet body.
This time he threaded their fingers together and realized just how slim Feliciano's hands are. They were small compared to his. As he continued to thrust onward for a second orgasm, Ludwig hoped that this show of tender affection would keep Feliciano from betraying them. It wasn't in his personality to be tender and romantic, but if it's what needed to be done to keep them safe then so be it. He kissed the swollen lips, swallowing the screams that accompanied his thrusts. If they ever caught hold of Feliciano the Fiends wouldn't let up on him. Demons like Botis would make him a sex slave, fucking him raw and hard any time he wanted. Ludwig thrust harder at the thought. Feliciano would have to take multiple demon partners, all whom would show him no mercy and he'd receive no rest. The small demon would die within a few days.
"Ow…Ludwig…slow down! You're hurting me!"
Ludwig heard the plea but couldn't comply. His need to claim, mate, and mark Feliciano was stronger than the demon's pleas. Right now he was claiming Feliciano roughly, spurred on by the terrible images of what other male demons would do to him. It drove him mad in a jealous rage.
"Please stop! Ludwig!"
Ludwig roared through clenched teeth as he came a second time, coating Feliciano's insides. His cock was still rock hard, ready for more, but he could not proceed further with the tears pouring down flushed cheeks. Ludwig did not pull out right away, instead he lay his full body on top of Feli's so they were nose to nose. "I'm sorry for hurting you, but I couldn't help myself. I thought about the Fiends catching you…and all the things they would do to you. The thought of you being gang raped and forced into sex every day by demons just drove me mad. I was insanely jealous and used my demon mating instincts to further mark and claim you. I did not mean to hurt you." He kissed the tears away.
"I understand, Ludwig." While he did understand that didn't mean he liked it but he would never say it. He wanted Ludwig to love him, not hate him. He was useless to Ludwig in all other ways of combat, so the least he could do was satisfy the needs sexually and emotionally. If that's what Ludwig wanted, then Feliciano would give it to him with his blessing. It wasn't entirely bad, only at the end of the second round did it become hurtful. He felt himself tear a bit while some of the claw marks were only beginning to ache now. He would endure the pain silently so that Ludwig would not be disappointed in him. "You're still hard…I'll take care of it."
When Ludwig laid on his back Feliciano lowered his body to face the large, dark organ throbbing for release. He carefully took the tip in his mouth, slowly sucking his way down on the length. When Ludwig was hard like this his cock was always perfectly straight, which made oral much easier. He tried to take him all the way in, managed to make it further than before, but still could not deep throat the organ. It burned in his mouth, but a delightful burn. Strangely, his body was reacting again despite the pain in his backside. Surprising himself and his lover, Feliciano replaced his mouth with his body. He cried out while rocking against the other, feeling the burning cock stinging his insides and shooting up to his belly. This sensation was different from the previous times; this sensation made his entire body feel like it was burning from the inside. His belly, his heart, and even his brain were burning in pleasure, overriding any amount of pain. With a shudder he came hard, splashing the milky substance onto Ludwig's chest. Flushed and panting, Feliciano spread all four of his wings in triumph. His eyes glowed red, his double fangs long, and a long tongue licking at swollen lips. For the first time ever, he felt dominant.
"You look stunning when those eyes glow."
Feliciano lifted himself off and lay beside him, spooning them together. "Will you always protect me, Ludwig? If we are captured together, will you keep me safe?"
"I would. I do care for you deeply…I just don't know the best ways to show it, if I even can show it. You will just have to bear with me on this, and trust in my feelings for you."
"Then why can't you trust in my visions? You want me to trust you when you can't even trust me?"
Ludwig looked at him. "You have only been a demon for a short time. They could have just been bad dreams that you interpreted and this is coincidental. Now go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow with the interrogation."
"Don't be too hard on Heracles?"
"I will do what I must." He kissed Feli's forehead and they fell asleep wrapped tightly together.

The Demon Court House was separate from the castles and stood in the middle of the kingdoms- a tall gothic style building that could be a mini fortress. Inside on the center stand stood Heracles, his wrists bound in chains, looking up at the Demon Dukes sitting in identical chairs made of iron. Most would be terrified by the image of the dukes sitting on those chairs, ready to decide your fate while dressed in black robes with high cloak collars. There was very little candle light up on the dais where they sat, shadowing most of their features save for glowing eyes and the movements of flapping wings. Heracles wasn't intimidated by them. Sadiq wasn't even up on the dais with them; the duke had refused to be a part of this. Fair enough.
"Let's get on with it." Heracles stated slowly. "I don't like falling behind on my cat naps."
Feliciano was scared himself being up high on the dais with the others, in the dark, with only their glowing eyes. There was only himself, Ludwig, Ivan, and Gilbert. He could imagine how frightening it must be for one to stand below the sight of them. Feliciano didn't like this style of judgment, and as a Demon of Mercy, he would voice his concerns later. Right now their main focus was Heracles and finding out if he had anything to do with the recent horrors of the Abyss. Ludwig spoke first.
"You stand accused of acting against your duke and the realm of the Abyss by offering information to our enemies. How do you plea?"
"Not guilty. Or does it even matter what I say? You have the power to pass whatever judgment you like."
Ivan slowly revealed a cleaver that he took from his sleeve robe. "Mind your sarcasm, werecat. You are in a very dangerous position."
"Answer our questions truthfully and clearly." Gilbert warned him. "And choose your answers carefully. Keep in mind that my brother is the Supreme Judge of this court."
Ludwig threaded his fingers together. "For all ears to hear, please tell of your betrayal when living with Sadiq all those centuries ago."
"Very well. I was a poor farm boy stolen from my home by the Turks, slave traders they were. I was being transported on foot to a slave auction. Before we arrived, Sadiq and his men approached. Instead of setting me free, he decided to take me as his own slave. I wanted to be free, yet he refused to let me go. So I let him teach me the ways of his people; I learned to read and write, but all the while still a prisoner of the general." He glanced at Sadiq and then back to the dukes. "His people hated me at his palace. Every day I was insulted, accused, beaten, yelled at- they even tried to poison my food, booby-trap my room, sabotage my name- the daily insults never ceased. Sadiq's only answer was to beat or punish the people who did these things to me, but that only made them hate me all the more. I suffered every day, and I grew tired of it. Back then, I held no love for Sadiq- only hatred. I'll admit that. Yes, I did curse him. Yes, I did ask the old gods to let a spear or arrow strike him down from his horse, forever freeing me of slavery's chains. I played with fire, and I got burned."
Ivan asked the next question. "Who was it that helped you carry out this curse? It wasn't the old gods, they never existed. It was someone else, wasn't it?"
Heracles nodded. "Yes, it was someone else. Someone I thought was Zeus. They promised me eternal freedom if I killed Sadiq for them. I didn't need to be told to kill him, that was all the motivation I needed. But the person betrayed me. They lied to me, turned me in to what you see now, and kept me trapped inside the statue of a cat until the Five Nations came together. So here I stand."
"Do you regret what you did?" Gilbert asked.
"I do. I have made a huge mistake, I know that now. I knew that the moment the palace servants and guard stabbed me to death and murdered all my cats. I threw away a good thing, and now I suffer for it, as does he." He pointed to Sadiq. "I will not join with the Fiends who betrayed me all those years ago. They would only lie to me again. I am innocent of leaking information to the enemy. I have no reason to. Not anymore."
The dukes were silent. Feliciano was relieved. He believed the werecat was telling the truth and it was a tremendous relief on his part. No one would get tortured or punished.
"We may find you innocent," Ludwig started. "However, until these matters are figured out, you will not be allowed to remain with Sadiq. You will be placed in the courthouse dungeons until we find the true culprit. No one can be trusted beyond this point."
"Wait a minute!" Sadiq shot up from the bench. "That wasn't what we agreed on! I told you he was innocent, now let him go!"
"No." Stated Ivan firmly. "He is to remain in jail. That is our ruling."
Gilbert nodded. "Second."
Feliciano trembled, not knowing what to say. He believed Heracles but no one else did, and they still wanted to lock him up. Sadiq would end up hating him too! What was he going to say? He wanted to say 'no', but was too afraid to stand against the others. But he didn't have to.
From the ceiling swarmed a dark cloud; it grew rapidly in size with tiny bolts of what looked like electric waves running through it. Before anyone could react, a bolt shot down and struck Heracles going straight through his chest. Sadiq screamed in outrage, jumping over the railings to cradle his dying lover. Ivan and Gilbert flew up to the cloud, ready to attack whatever it was. Ludwig rushed to Feliciano, pulling him in to a tight embrace and shielding him from any further bolts that may come. But Ivan and Gilbert had no luck in their powers, tricks, or weapons against the dark cloud. It disappeared quickly, its electric bolts being the last to fade away. Once the darkness was gone only Sadiq's voice was left begging Heracles not to die. It was too late for the werecat. The bolt had struck him down on the spot, leaving a gaping hole in his chest and a stream of blood pooling from his mouth.
Ivan and Gilbert returned to the judges stand, refusing to look at the scene before them. Feliciano had his hands to this mouth, trying to hold back his cries as he felt the sorrow of Sadiq's pain aching throughout his chest. Only Ludwig stood silently still watching the pair on the floor.
Sadiq turned hateful, tear stained eyes to Ludwig, holding the dead body of his lover closer to him. Without another word to any of them, he carried the body of Heracles out of the courthouse.
Gilbert walked up to Ludwig to place a hand on his shoulder and rub it. "You did nothing wrong, Ludwig. None of us did. This was an unfortunate event."
Ludwig crossed his arms. "Heracles was not entirely innocent, though. He admitted to being approached by the Fiends. It was probably their plan to use him to get to us…but he denied them that aide, so they killed him."
Ivan put away his cleaver. "You have to make amends with Sadiq." He said to Ludwig. "We are already split apart because of Alfred's kidnapping. We can't have a riff between our bonds as demon dukes."
"Sadiq will never accept my apology. You don't know what went on between us last night when we left the meeting. It wasn't a friendly parting."
"Someone has to talk to him." Ivan stated. "I can't do it."
"I will." Gilbert offered. "Feliciano and I will go together and try to soothe things over with Sadiq after he's had some time to mourn. What do you say?" He grinned at Feli.
Feliciano swallowed his doubt and fears, giving a nervous smile. "O-Okay. Sure."
"No." Ludwig stated. "I don't want Feliciano leaving without me. We will give Sadiq some time to cope with his loss, and then we will go over. Until then, arm yourselves and stay together." He said to Ivan and Gilbert. "Feliciano and I will remain at my castle."

After breaking from the court, Ivan and Gilbert traveled back to Ivan's castle. While Gilbert was freshening up, Ivan was seated in front of the bedroom fireplace admiring the variety of sharp weapons before him with their blades glowing in the flames. He was thinking about Alfred, and what the Fiends must be doing to him right now. His Alfred would never give in, nor would he betray his fellow dukes. In some ways, Ivan wished Alfred would give in just so they wouldn't hurt or kill him. But how did Alfred allow himself to get caught so easily? What forms of deception did Merkova use to lure him to her? It must have been something Alfred cared deeply about. Did Merkova use him, by chance? Ivan remembered having a conversation about Alfred to Gilbert last night when the attack happened. He was discussing their relationship, the one he shared with Alfred. Ivan thought he was ready to make his choice about who he wanted but chickened out at the end. He loved both Alfred and Gilbert; he did not want to lose either of them. Yes, he was being selfish but this had to do with love, and Ivan didn't come to love easily. They were both very special to him, and now that one was missing, again, he was heartbroken.
"Hey, ready for bed?" Gilbert came into the room wrapped in a towel. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just thinking about ways to kill those who took my Alfred from me."
Gilbert hated when Ivan referred to Alfred like that. "We'll find him. The Dark One will help us find where he is, and then we can go rescue them."
"But what if he is being hurt?" He turned saddened eyes to Gilbert. "What if they are hurting my little sunflower and making him cry?"
"I'm certain they are." Gilbert answered truthfully while walking over to the sitting form. "They did the same to me."
"That was the angels though. I don't know who else is working for the Fiends."
"Ivan…I know you are hurt over Alfred's kidnapping. I am too. But I need you now. Please, don't forget about me?"
Ivan stood up and brought Gilbert into an embrace. "I would never. I love both you and Alfred deeply. I want you both."
"You can't have us both."
"I know, but I still want you both to be mine. It's so hard to choose. I want my Alfie back. If I have to kill every last one of them then I will. But we have to stay together. I don't want to lose you too. I'll go mad."
Gilbert leaned against Ivan's chest thinking about Ivan's words. It always hurt to hear about how much he loved Alfred. Yes, he knew Ivan loved him too, but he hated having to share it with another. He wanted all of Ivan's love for himself. "So what are we going to do? Any ideas?"
"I'm thinking." That was a lie for he already had a plan. It was a stupid one, but it was the most effective way to find Alfred and keep him safe. If he told the others they would try to lock him up for even entertaining the thought. Gilbert would be the one to try and stop him first, with pleas and tears, which would be his undoing. If Gilbert cried, then he wouldn't be able to go through with it and he needed to find Alfred. His plan was to allow himself to be caught. That way, he can find out where Alfred is and get them out to safety. Sitting around here in the Abyss wasn't accomplishing anything- actions needed to be taken immediately.
"Come to bed and think on it. I'm tired, and you should get your rest as well."
Ivan allowed himself to be led over to the bed with no intention of actually staying. He would wait until Gilbert was asleep, and then in the night, he would sneak out to get himself captured.
Sadiq's Castle
He carried the cold body of his lover down to the cellar of the palace where he could be alone to mourn. Sadiq knew this had been a terrible idea and wished he had fought harder to keep Heracles from going there. Ludwig had lied to him when they spoke the other night; he said that Heracles would be free to go when the real plan was to simply lock him up. Revenge wasn't his thing for he found it to be meaningless. Revenge would not bring Heracles back. Revenge would not ease the suffering in his heart. Revenge will not change the fact that his lover was struck down dead right before them. Heracles' body was not like the others, he had no spirit. His spirit lived inside the winged cats, all of whom he found dead throughout his walk in the palace. He wondered if there was at least one winged cat still living, for that tiny animal would give him hope.
Choosing a small room, Sadiq carried Heracles inside to lay him on a stone bench against the wall. There were crypts where he stored the dead bodies of his favorite demons throughout the centuries, and now Heracles would be joining them. But his lover would not sleep for eternity on a stone bench no matter how catlike he is. It would take an hour or so, but Sadiq concentrated his powers and formed a glass coffin set upon a large flat stone. Inside was dark red cushioning, just perfect for his lover whom loved to sleep and now would do so forever. Walking back to the still form he lifted Heracles in his arms but brought the cold face up to his own. Once again his happiness was taken away from him; Heracles' love was the only thing he had ever wanted, in his last life as well as this one. He had been so close to finally feeling loved by him, and now he would never know the true feeling. It was hard to let go when he first placed Heracles on the red bedding. It took all of his will to pull his hands away and slowly close the glass lid. He had a feeling that he would be spending a lot of time down here in this room so he'd best start setting it up to be more comfortable. Heracles' life was taken when he was too young, and now it had happened again. Sadiq crouched beside the casket to rest his forehead on the cold glass.
'Oh Heracles…I'm so sorry.' He wanted to cry but withheld the tears. He had to stay strong. And this was all Ludwig's fault. 'Our friendship will never be the same again' Sadiq thought with a low growl.
He had remained in the crypt for a few hours before getting up the courage to finally leave, for now. On his way up to the palace floors he saw a tiny winged form at the top of the steps, as if it were waiting for him. The closer he came to it he could make out the shape of a cat. It was a winged cat! Just like the ones that always followed Heracles around. Sadiq smiled down at the fuzzy creature, who looked humanly familiar to him. Squinting, he looked at the lazy eyes of the cat with fluffy grayish-brown fur on its head and it continued around its neck. A little gray heart sat on its flank. The rest of it was fluffy, a long haired cat, which meant shedding. Still Sadiq felt drawn to the small creature. His Heracles loved cat, and this one had wings, so it must belong to him.
"Hello there, fluffy." He scratched behind the ears. "You know, you look just like- gah! Ow!" The cat had bit him! It bit his hand, right between the thumb and index finger. "Why you little shit!" He said with a gritted smirk. "I know EXACTLY who you are. Heracles is alive and well!" The cat rolled onto its fluffy belly. "Oh no, I know that trick! In cat form and human form! Now are you coming with me or not?" Sadiq stepped over the cat who made a mewl of distress and displeasure. "Come with me." The cat just laid down. "Are you going to make me carry you?" He hissed. The cat tapped his paw on the floor. "Stupid fuzzball." He picked the cat up and it settled in the crook of his arm to sleep. Immediately his heart melted. "Aww, that's sort of cute. At least you're not completely out of my life. Glad to have you, Herc."

Alfred could breathe easy now for his tormentors had finally left.
He lay on a cold stone floor, battered, bleeding, and aching with throbbing pain. The Fiends had their men torturing him for information, all of which he wouldn't give. Currently, the torture had been nothing more than rapes and beatings, but other torturing procedures were certain to follow shortly. His body was stiff from the drugs they had fed him. A demon's body could handle heavy dosages of drugs and a mixture of them. If he had been human his heart would have exploded by now. They had to drug him because he was too wild, having killed at least ten of their soldiers with just his claws and wings alone. He wouldn't go down without a fight.
The room was pitch black save for a small window of firelight lead to the hallway. He was locked up in some sort of dungeon room, and with his powers being subdued by the heavy drugs he couldn't conjure a light spell. But there wasn't much he could do now anyway except sleep and rest up for the next interrogation. While having been here for only a short time he had listened carefully to what the tormenters were saying. He never knew the Fiends had their own special kingdom in the Dark World. The Abyss was much larger than he had previously thought. The Fiends have an entire race and culture that is all their own. They are not simple demons like the rest of the Dark World and are a completely different race. That was all he knew right now. He would hope to find out more about them, hopefully escape, and then bring this information back to the others. He also wanted to warn them of the dangers of this specific realm. The Fiends had plans for them. True to their promise on the rooftop, they would all die again and become slaves.
'Don't come to rescue me.' Alfred pleaded. 'I'll find my own way out of this mess. Please, don't come to find me. Ivan, you above all. Do not try to find me!'
He would escape from this place, even if he had only one leg and no eyes, he would still manage to escape. Alfred F. Jones never ran from anything, but in this state he had no choice. The important thing was to get the message back to the others. The hero never fails. The hero always wins.
The door to his cell opened. He clenched his fists.
End Chapter 15 TBC
- 15
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- 17
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