Epica!

A blink. That was all it took. In the half-second it took his eyes to preform this involuntary action he was transported him from his small apartment. What he saw before him was the greatest opposition to what he had grown used to in Salvo.

Ariel stood in the grandest of banquet halls painted in gold. People, all of them dressed in black, scurried about this hall as they talked with one another and danced to the beautiful music coming from an unseen source. Great white pillars towered from the ground in symmetrical lengths along the walls of the hall with perfect arches connecting them to one another at their tops. Paintings lined the walls between these pillars in vivid color and perfect marble figures; like living statues.

A long table was set across the length of the rectangular hall. Centerpieces of huge colorful round orbs floated above the table. Closer inspection showed these made entirely of flowers. Gold finished tableware and dishes made of the finest porcelain were set on the table. The chairs around this grand table were carved out of a single piece of dark wood; their cushions made of red velvet. One single chair - a throne in it's own right - at the very end was made of gold. It's cushion the darkest black.

Then Ariel looked up. The ceiling seemed to go on forever. He couldn't look away, for there hanging from a thin chain was a glorious chandelier, over thirty feet wide. It was cast in gold as all the metal in this room seemed to be. Small crystals hung precariously from it's adorned hooks like frozen rain drops. Ever so slowly it spun in place casting a brilliant light that filled the room.

"There you are!" Ariel heard someone speak to him from behind. Turning on his heel he was met by a red headed woman. Like everyone else in the hall the color of her clothing was black. She wore an elegant fitted halter top dress made of what Ariel assumed to be the finest silk. It took a moment for it to register in his mind who this woman was.

"Mistress Nine?!" Ariel said in disbelief. He had grown so used to seeing her in nothing but shiny leather. This number seemed so conservative in comparison to what she wore in her brothel. She seemed almost innocent without that wicked whip in her hand.

"I am offended Ariel." she replied with a pout uncharacteristic of her persona and a hand over where her missing heart should be. "You and I, we are on such personal terms yet you still call me by my business name. Please call me by my true name." she paused then with an evil smirk added. " Asmodeus."

"Where's Mephisto?" Ariel asked his eyes quickly scanning the room in case he didn't spot the angel in the grandeur of the hall.

"Silly." Mistress Nine laughed. "He did this feast is in your honor. To give you an example of what you could have. No this just wont do." Mistress Nine said as she stared at the faded cotton shirt and dark brown breeches Ariel wore. She placed her hand on Ariel's chest, then at once the feeling of being dumped into cold water flushed through his body. When he looked down at Mistress Nine's long fingered hand he saw that he longer wore his dingy clothing. Instead he wore a elegant black suit similar to that of the party goers.

Mistress Nine then led Ariel to grand table and showed him his seat. It was just four seats away from the golden chair at the end. All around him people gathered at the table and took their respective seats. No sooner had everyone had sat down that a heavy set man appeared at the end of the hall.

In one single motion all the people in the hall stood from their seats. Ariel, who didn't understand what was going on, remained seated. It was only when Mistress Nine shot him a look that he decided it was best to do as everyone had done and stood.

"Please make way, our host is making his entree." The overweight man announced; his voice rich and deep. The double doors behind this man opened revealing the angel. He was exactly as Ariel remembered him, only his wings were missing. Not missing Ariel thought as he feel them as prominently as he had in the forest.

Ariel couldn't remember what Mephisto wore in the forest - the actual event overshadowing any small details in his mind - but he was sure it was not what he wore this night. Mephisto wore black; a single red rose in his coat pocket. As ridiculous as it seemed Mephisto's clothing seemed darker than what others wore. Like staring directly into oblivion.