- Yamato, Peter, Oliver -
"I'm surprised you know of R'yarj," Yamato said.
"How do you know about that?" Oliver asked Peter. "The eldritch are a mystery to most gods."
"Hell's library," Peter said. "There are books on just about every bein' in the world. One of the books written by Satan had information on the eldritch. The book didn't have much in the way of details, but it did mention that some of the eldritch that have the ability to give deals." He sighed. "Satan's obsession with arbiters is one of his few positive traits."
Oliver had heard stories of the vast knowledge in Hell's library. Purgatory had its own great library, but even Death had admitted to it not being on the same scale as Hell's.
"I never visited the library when I was in Hell," Yamato revealed. "I would have if I had known of its available knowledge."
"You were reborn in Hell?" Oliver asked.
"Yes," Yamato responded. "I refused Lucifer's offer for a contract. I thought he might remember me when we met in the tavern."
"That's not important right now," Peter interjected. "R'yarj's deal comes with a severe payment. Why would someone with a triple affinity take his offer?"
"Before you ask-" Yamato looked at Oliver. "-R'yarj's deal comes with the payment of ninety percent of my mana reserves."
"Ninety?" Oliver mumbled. "Even if you're ancient you would barely have more than me, and that's only if you've been training with it since you were reborn."
"Do you mind telling me what benefits you get from your contract?" Peter asked. "In Satan's book, only the payment was listed."
Yamato explained his abilities. Oliver looked disgusted at the information with Peter maintaining a stern expression.
"I'm glad you're an ally," Peter said. 'I guess ya didn't use that ability in the Underground with Luce. He would have told me and Death.'
"Does your group have a plan or is the next step just playing it by ear?" Oliver asked.
"Our team will fight with Lucifer and Kahvis against Moloch while Death fights Baal's army by himself," Yamato explained while moving pieces on the table.
Oliver knew from Zach that Death preferred fighting alone. He didn't like the idea of leaving his leader alone on a massive battlefield. He tried to reassure himself by remembering the horror stories of what Death's magic had done to battlefields in the past.
"How many healers do ya have?" Peter asked.
"Fourteen now, after the addition of your two," Yamato said.
"About that..." Peter hesitated.
After the reveal that Lucifer had sent the team home Yamato's eye twitched with what the two could only assume was anger.
"You can't be serious?" Yamato asked.
"I agree with the decision so ya know," Peter explained. "My team aren't grim or resistance soldiers. This fight isn't theirs."
Oliver had just experienced what happens when someone questions Lucifer's decisions so he felt he should step in.
"I agree with the choice," Oliver said, drawing attention from the two. "As useful as two healers would be, especially a vampiric one, the choice is up to them whether they actually fight in this battle," His tone got angrier as he continued. "Besides, your leader dragged us into this. You're lucky we all didn't just leave."
Yamato sighed. He was outnumbered and didn't feel like making enemies out of his brand new allies. He shoved his frustrations to the back of his mind.
"Fine then. Nothing to do about it now except plan around it." Yamato conceded.
"What are the affinities of your other members?" Peter asked.
Yamato told the two everything he could before the other resistance commanders showed up. The information didn't fill Oliver or Peter with confidence. It seemed like the main strength of the resistance came from Kahvis and the commanders, with the other soldiers being average at best.
"They're here," Yamato said, looking at the three that had just arrived. "Ivan, William, and Ming, this is Peter and Oliver."
"Good to properly meet you," William spoke first.
William stood above everyone at 6'2" tall. His short blonde hair and brown eyes seemed almost out of place on his wide figure. He looked similar to a bodybuilder with a face that felt too young to match. His white shirt clung to his body while his blue pants seemed unusually baggy. He had a black sleeve covering his right arm with the left being similar to Yamato's in the number of tattoos.
"Have you and Yamato had the chance to have a proper match yet?" Ivan asked.
Ivan was the second tallest at six feet. Much like William, his face and body didn't seem to match. He had a look of a grizzled older man on a fit younger body. His bald head and blue eyes also seemed to contrast with one another, with the former making him seem older, and the latter much younger. His outfit was identical to Yamato's. His arms had a single pair of parallel tattoos, a black spiral leading up the forearm.
"Maybe after this war is over," Peter responded, looking over at Ming.
Ming didn't introduce herself. Her right eye had stayed on the table the entire time as her fingers tapped against her arms. Her 5'6" height was contrasted by the strong look on her face. She seemed enthralled by the war table, barely giving any attention to the two Yamato had just introduced. Her purple cloak had the hood pulled down revealing her medium-length black hair and a black wrapping over her left eye.
"Which demon took the eye?" Peter asked her.
The question was rude, Peter knew that. He asked it because he thought that the demon might have lied and told her that they needed it. What he didn't know, because Yamato had failed to mention it, was that Ming had lost more than just an eye for her deal.
Ming used sign language and signed "A demon" to Peter before continuing to look at the board.
"Qlisyth then," Peter said.
Ming looked up at him. Her eye was wide as she signed "You know the demon's name?" to Peter.
"I know all of the arch-demons. I make it a point to warn people not to take their deals," Peter said. "Speakin' of, where exactly are Bel and Asmodeus?" Peter asked Yamato.
"They're in other territories with another part of our resistance," Yamato answered. "Our main force is here though, so don't think we're holding back our strength."
Peter and Oliver joined the four in discussing what the plan was moving forward. The main goal was to stay on the defensive while Lucifer, Death, and Kahvis go for Baal and Moloch's heads. They had the advantage of knowing the demon commanders' abilities while having not revealed their own. They established their plan of retreat in the scenario that they start to lose.
Looking at the table had Peter and Oliver concerned. They both had experience in larger scale combat and could tell just by what they saw in the resistance's base that they would be vastly outnumbered. They had confidence in their respective leader's abilities, but couldn't help feeling nervous about the over-reliance this battle would put on them.
- Death, Lucifer, Kahvis -
"Those are all the plans moving forward," Kahvis said.
"Thorough, if not somewhat optimistic," Lucifer worried.
"Good to see you at least thought of something past "Have Death and Lucifer kill everything." Death joked.
The strategy meeting had gone well, with all three in agreement on the different plans. Death had been waiting until things had been fully explained before asking a question he had never gotten an answer to.
"There is one thing I need an answer for Kahvis." Death started. "Why are you trying to convince the underworld gods to overthrow their territories?"
Death's tone showed no signs of anger. His body language was passive, and his face remained normal. Nothing about the way he looked or sounded gave any hint that he was hiding greater anger. Lucifer read this as a calm before the storm.
'Just lie. For the love of Chaos, please just lie,' Lucifer hoped.
"I wanted to make a point," Kahvis answered.
Lucifer's wanted to hit himself for thinking that Kahvis would ever do something tactful when it came to Death. It was clear that the unknown would never hide what they're thinking around the man.
"That point is?" Death asked calmly.
"That this world is only in a holding pattern," Kahvis said, creating multiple stone models from the ground and placing them on the table. "The surface, literally and figuratively, is faking peace. The only god among the ones I asked who showed any signs of wanting peace was Hades."
Kahvis placed the newly-made stone models on the table. They created an initial on each piece for the gods they were referring to.
"Most of the underworld gods feel underappreciated. Hades does as well, just not enough to seriously consider usurpation." Kahvis moved the pieces so that there was one marked "H" by itself. "I'm an unknown and yet it didn't take much for me to refuel their fire."
Death had been perfectly calm listening to the explanation. He felt something tugging at the back of his mind. Whatever it was it kept him from reacting how Lucifer was expecting.
Death stayed in his head at first, 'What is this feeling I'm getting from you? You remind me of him...and yet not quite enough.'
Death's tone was firm but not angry, "I don't want the underworld gods trying to overthrow their territories. If you have any say in their alliance then I recommend telling them to call it off. Firstly, they wouldn't win. Secondly, even if they did it would cost them most of what they want to rule in the process. Last, and most importantly, it could spark another cataclysm."
Lucifer had been waiting for Death to get angry. He didn't think the situation would get as bad as it did in the tavern, but he definitely expected more than what was happening. Death's curious looks at Kahvis gave him an idea of what was going on.
'He really is similar to my father, isn't he? Ironic that that would be the thing keeping you calm.'
"The alliance won't last," Kahvis said matter-of-factly. "Those gods argue too much with each other and are too far away from one another to do anything quickly. I had a plan to use them for furthering my goals, but now that I have your assistance I won't need to."
"Are you saying you could have caused an underworld uprising if you wanted to?" Death's tone finally started showing anger.
Kahvis looked at Death with conviction. "It was an extreme option that I'm glad I no longer have to rely on. What I want will take kicking and thrashing, not long centuries of diplomacy," He retorted.
The comment was clearly meant as a jab at Death's passiveness. Lucifer wanted to yell at Kahvis to just shut up.
"Let's just focus on the war for now," Death grumbled. "I'll say one last thing so it doesn't come as a surprise later. If the underworld alliance happens, actually happens, I will hold you accountable."
"I knew that the moment I started this plan," Kahvis said. "As I told Lucifer, if I die by your hands it's my fault for not doing things properly."
The bluntness of the comment annoyed Death. He had never liked any of the former resistance leaders he had met. Most of them were either insane terrorists that disguised what they were doing as "rebellion," or were idealists that didn't predict how bloody their movements could end.
Kahvis's words made them seem different, just not in a way Death felt comfortable about.