Hell Fire-dark fire

The acidic steadily bubbling and melted husk of the hag formerly known as Offalia lay in a pooling puddle upon the windmill floor, her twisted sister nowhere to be seen. Before the assembled group was the last remaining cruel old mother witch-hag of the Nighstshade Sisters Coven and the original follower of the Tapestry of Souls, Mama Morgantha. Her unrestrained hatred and fury over the loss of her coven drove her only further into madness-her very breath being used to call down death upon these intruders.
Yet, even now her ongoing fight against the unyielding will and overwhleming strength of the barbarian Bissandrei, daring to oppose her, had begun to wear down her tiring defenses. The intense bout of spell slinging and fury of blows had left their mark upon the confined space of the room, as the arrows continued to rain down from above-the Tabaxi archer never relenting in her assault.

Gohzrik, having taken the dwarven initiative to carry the flaming barrel out of the building seemed to interrupt whatever dark rite the witch coven had deigned to complete. Their blind madness and conviction to the rite had caused them to continue on heedless of the blows they took themselves, and long after reason would have said to abandon the effort. The dark forces that strained against the servants of light- it would appear, had fought in vain. Their collective might seemed to have been vanquished.

There was an almost collective sigh of relief by those gathered, but then...the unthinkable happened. The small space of the bottom floor of the decrepit leaning windtower, was immersed in a blinding searing white light. All sight seemed lost for the briefest of moments, only to be followed by jolting pain. Heat billowed out in smothering waves and death drove them ever higher. The harrowing forged crucible of punishment was hot enough to begin peeling the dried paint from the walls. All eyes drew upon the newly appeared figure that now stood in the midst of those gathered.  The entity whose physical description defied clarity and reason towered over the group. It's unholy, burning, black-as-coal eyes drew a bead  on the gnome, whose face grew pale. The hazy distorted creature held up a single finger and unleashed a scorching blast of flame. Only the wizard's quick reflexes and mastery of defensive spellwork, ingrained in her since her initiation, saved her from the heat-though even this herculean effort taxed her strength of will and fortitude.

The blackened outline of her frail form was blasted into the wall behind her, as the oppressive heat only magnified in the aftermath of the vicious assault.

For many of those arrayed before the fiend-this was their first encounter with the powerful force known as Hellfire. However, for a select few...it wasn't.

Mahlajai concentrated for a moment, but clearly there was some effect the presence of the desecrated ground had on his abilities. He closed his eyes and uttered a silent unheard word. And in an instant, he stood before the presence of the angel Voriel. Not the physical form displayed before the rest of the party-no this was Voriel's true form. The Djinni was but a small and insignificant presence in comparison to the might and divine light of the powerful, glowing, beautifully majestic creature-in its home plane arrayed in all its splendor and glory.

The heavenly being seemed distant, distracted, and focused on matters far away.

Mahlajai spoke first, his tone neither commanding nor submissive: "Voriel...I think we need to talk for a moment."

Free of Rahsaan's influence Voriel's radiant form hung suspended amid a thick, swirling gray fog. His arms outstretched, his head titled back as if attempting to stare into an unseen sun. Two pairs of wings spread from his back, not feathered but instead formed from sharp, steel sheets. His skin was of polished silver, and he wore a bronze breastplate both shining not as if reflecting light, but as if it came from within. The lower half of his form diffused into the mist making it difficult for anyone with regular mortal senses  to determine where the angel ended and his realm began. His hair was like a white flame, whipped from an unfelt breeze. His face carried no mouth, and featured an additional eyelid on his forehead. With Mahlajai in his presence, any other observers would be able to see Voriel stood over twice the size of the smaller spirit. The lower pair of eyes opened when he was addressed, revealing two pools of blue energy. He titled his head to face the visitor, one of the eyes narrowing to make the closest approximation of an inquisitive expression.

"It has been sometime since I've had a visitor. And the first friendly one at that." Mahlajai heard echo in varying tones, sounding nothing like either the Aasimar or when Voriel had control over him.

He crossed his arms, and Mahlajai saw two additional pairs of arms fold before him as well as Voriel said, "It wouldn't happen to pertain to these fiends threatening the mortals, would it? It appears my gifts given to the boy are going to be of limited help in this battle."

His tone turned more serious as he added, "Though even if it is not- the privacy is appreciated. I want to share something with you I cannot even with Rahsaan."

Mahlajai seemed to take in the angels true self and voice all at once with much the same reaction and interest as he had when first meeting the group-a mix of curiosity and fascination, though it was apparent that Mahlajai had been to this plane before if not this location, as he seemed familiar with the terrain.

"Its been awhile since I've been able to walk freely, let alone venture... here."  He opens his arms to gesture around them.

He turns back towards the way he entered in response to the first question. "Yes, unfortunately. It would seem they were in fact not able to prevent the rituals completion...in fact the one calling himself Ironblood may have frustratingly triggered it." He says annoyed.

At the latter comment, Mahlajai tilts his head. "What troubles you so much that you feel unable to trust it with your channeled mortal?"

"Of all the  vile creatures from the neither realms, fiends are the worst. Devils and demons manage to refrain from spreading too much chaos but these just care about inflicting immediate suffering. And this one in particular is resistant to my power."

He gave a searching look at Mahlajai, "Though these witches did manage to coerce it into a prison- as flimsy as it may be if a dwarf-bird thing can accidently release it. But you have experience being trapped within a vessel. Do you have any ideas how we may be able to bind it once more? Barring that, I do not believe anyone besides Rahsaan would know to flee before it is too late. Nor will the wizards convictions allow them."

Regarding the Djinni's questions regarding his secret, Voriel let out a long sigh, "I am the boy's mentor, his guide through these realms so I can assure he not just survives but can stand against the darkness. Shorty after we met you and escaped that cursed house, I was able to strengthen the connection between Rahsaan and I, allowing him to borrow some of my power to smite evildoers. I thought he would be excited and jump at the chance, but he instead showed hesitation, asking instead of he may be able to make peace and ease the suffering of those afflicted by evil."

He paused, before he continued. and though his expression was limited it still seemed uneased,  "And while I didn't exactly say no , I skirted his concern and urged him to take what I was offering. While he accepted, I now see quite obviously he did so begrudgingly. I wouldn't be surprised if every blow or every punch he has thrown was second-guessed. The problem isn't that Rahsaan is too soft- it's his nature. Since then, I have realized he is descended from a different kind of angel and it is making a difference. I am of righteous judgement and vengeance, while he is protection and healing. He is not a true celestial by any means, but you know full well a spirit should not act contrary to its purpose."

Two pairs of his hand clasped flatly against one another and gestured to Mahlajai, "But that is not why I wanted to speak with you. I wished to because I realized I do have a way I can give Rahsaan what he wants. It would be using my own strength to instead let him use his latent abilities. I wanted your say on what is better not just for him or myself, but for all of us. And if you believe change is necessary. . . how to say it so Rahsaan would still trust me?"

At the remark of fiends inflicting suffering, the Djinn nodded firmly. "Exactly." But at the the mention of the fiend being resistant to the angel's power, Mahlajai arched an eyebrow. "Thats one of the things I wanted to discuss actually..."

At the question regarding binding, he shook his head, though his look soured as Voriel spoke what Mahlajai knew to be truth about the likely fate of the group. "Sadly though I have been on the inside...I do not fully understand how binding entities works, at least nothing beyond guessing."

As Voriel explained the problem and issues being contemplated, Mahlajai turned to look back at the angel. "I am no authority on what defines who you are; you know yourself and Rahsaan, better than anyone possibly could. Nor am I skilled in foresight and divining the future...maybe if I was I could have avoided being imprisoned. But-to me righteous judgment and vengeance can be very healing and are the base of any form of protection. This situation the group currently faces is prime example of that. By destroying those witch fiends with your righteous judgment, you protected the future of all mortal kind and avenged those that have already been destroyed or corrupted. But that might not matter to Rahsaan who sees things more small scale. To him what likely matters is the safety and defense of the child, but in order to do that, he must stop those who seek to harm the child. You both want the same thing. Rather than viewing your goals as contradictions, to me it sounds like you are both serving the same goal but simply seeing it from different perspectives. I do not believe either of you to be acting contrary to your natures."

The Djinn considered his next words carefully.
"I cannot say what is necessary or what will be more helpful or hurtful to the group in the end. I simply do not know with any degree of certainty. What I do know is that change is as inevitable as the wind, but change does not always require sacrifice. Growth is change. Unity can be change. I can say with certainty that I do not know where the journey we are on will lead. However, I am also of the mind that challenge begets strength. If you truly are his guide and are here to ensure he stands up against the darkness victoriously....maybe you being exactly as you are now, is what is needed. Challenging him to see things the way you do, and you being challenged to see things the way he does--it strengthens each of you. Perhaps, you leasing your power to his latent skills...is a test or trick that the forces of darkness seek to use against you...your own doubt. It does not escape my notice that the feathers on your wings in your lesser form are no longer as pure and white as they were the first time I met you."

Voriel listened to the smaller spirit's view on the matter, though his tone did not seem any more at ease as he repleid, "It is the situation we now face that brought my concern to light. That, and the fact the witch had the ability to try and destory my connection to Rahsaan. Thankfully, she failed as I don't think she realized what she was dealing with."

The pair of lower eyes closed, and the single, larger blue one opened on his forehead, "This creature is likely either immune or at the very least resistant to the powers I've granted Rahsaan. While I can keep trying to convince the boy that by striking down evildoers will still get him what he wants, the problem now is the 'striking down' part. If he was able to just keep everyone alive they may be able to eventually overpower it, or at least assure they could all escape safely. Perhaps I am avoiding the real issue. The real issue is I overestimated myself and my abilities and did not even give the boy a choice in the matter. If they perish it will be because if what I. . ."

All of his eyes closed for a moment, before all three snapped opened, each flaring with an intensity not previously seen, "No. That isn't going to happen. Even if this creature cannot directly be damaged by my power, it must still have a weakness."

He gave an inquisitive look at Mahlajai, "While it may have some sort of infernal blessing resisting heavenly light, do you think it may still be weak to silver?"

Mahlajai scratched his head. "Damn-I must be lost. Here I was thinking I was talking to a divine force of holy destruction...." He gives the angel a long look as he continues, "...Whose mere presence causes the lesser servants of darkness to flee in panic..." The Djinn slowly lifts himself off the ground coming to eye level with Voriel, "...whose true form if gazed upon by mortals leads to their death..." Mahlajai is grinning at this point. "Whose mighty power and hands have laid waste to the infinite hordes of the abyss and cast down false gods from lofty pedestals of vainglory."

He blinks, "My mistake." He turns to leave. "I was quite certain I'd come to the right place."

"If Voriel were here-then I'm sure it would be readily obvious that the tendrils of darkness had begun to coil as serpents do...poisoning the channel that was shared with Rahsaan. That the fiendish sorcery's lingering effect seeks to rob the divine force of conviction...in a pathetic plea for mercy."

The Djinn turned around to face the angel again. "C'mon Voriel. Don't make me keep buttering you up. It's embarrassing. Look at your mortal incarnation-and tell me you don't see the taint of evil draining the purity from your once snow-white wings.You are in the middle of a war! Do you intend to let Strahd and his evil darkness win?!"

Mahlajai brought his hands together as if to pray. "We can beat this foul fiend. I know it. None of them will die-not before I do everything in my power to help. But neither I nor they can defeat this monster alone. Rahsaan needs you now more than ever."

He pounded his fist into an open palm, "I have a way to weaken this creature, but I will need a second or two of you holding it back. Can you do that? Can you, Voriel-divine avenger of the heavenly hosts, protector of humanity and slayer of the immortal forces of darkness hold out long enough for me to throw something together that will allow you to blow this thing to ash?"

Voriel sighed inwardly as Mahlajai spoke, though he knew what his observations were all correct. The truth was Voriel had noticed the wings lose their luster- but he had tried to avoid thinking about it. The only proper explanation was the Djinni's reasoning- that Voriel was not as immune to the affects of this realm as he previously believed. But that was how Strahd and other of the other lesser evils would stop him- not destroy him in battle, merely fear him into submission. His spirits began to lift but what truly snapped the angel out of his stupor however were the words,  "protector of humanity" He did not correct the smaller spirit on his name, but something about how he said it just felt-right.

Voriel rose in place, seemingly growing even larger than before, as the mist enveloping his body disfused as silver flames erupted over his entire form.

"We shall fight this monster and all others until the stars grow cold and the oceans dry. Let us return our attention to their realm, and force this creature to regret the moment it decided to threaten. . ."

The flames diminished somewhat, and he looked down at  Mahlajai, his third eyes narrowing,

"Actually, time flows differently here so we really are not in any sort of rush. You said that you had come to this place previously . . . do I know you from somewhere or sometime?"

Mahlajai beamed seeing the angel shake free from the haze with a renewed and revitalized will to fight. "There we go. Much better."

Just as the Djinn was about to return to the situation at hand, he paused as the angel posed the question.

He froze, turning to look back, "You are kidding right? I've been playing along-thinking this was some new game you'd taken up to pass time, the whole amnesia thing-given your longevity. You really don't remember?"

Mahlajai spit off to his side. "Damn it."

"Yes--we know, well...knew each other." He said after a long sigh. "The Great War-the Wind Dukes of Aaqa...the Queen of Chaos, her general and prince of Demons Miska the wolf-spider? None of this rings any bells?"

He closes his eyes, thinking back, "The archangel-Uriel. You served under him at the last battle on the plains of Pesh. We fought alongside one another-to save the mortal planes of humanity from being overrun by the forces of darkness and chaos. I guess I can't blame you for not recognizing me-I looked much different then. You led a battalion of the divine host-routed a band of demonic forces and drove them all the way back down into the Abyss. I and my houdeam were at your side the whole way. We were separated in the aftermath of the fighting and formation of the rift after the Wind Duke Quadeesh plunged the grand rod of Law through Miska. I believed you to have escaped the fall."

Uriel. Pesh. Wind Dukes of Aada. Voriel continued to stare at Mahlajai as he recounted the exploits of their prior meeting. There was no grand spark of realization, no shocked surprise- after the Djinni has finished he said, "I truly do not remember any of that. The earliest memory I have- that is continuous with what I know now- was realizing I could speak with Rahsaan when he was only about five years old. A feral dog was chasing him and a friend, so I inspired him to pick up a stick and poke it in the eye."

He paused, "I take it the battle of Pesh was sometime before that."

As if fully comprehending the story, he then said quickly,  "But if we did not look the same, how did you recognize me? Did I look the same or at least similar? When did you recognize me? What fall are you talking about? If you remember that, what happened to the other angels? Did Uriel serve a god? If so than who . . ."

Mahlajai realized that unless interrupted, the angel's questions may continue for a human's lifetime. Back in the mortal plane.

The Djinn looked rather sorrowfully at the angel. "Yes. The great war-and Pesh were...a long time ago. Even by my standards. As far as how I recognized you-actually it was little things here and there. I couldn't be fully sure until I actually saw you."

A tingling sensation ran up Mahlajai's neck. Right-the fiend. A stroll down memory lane-with an immortal creature with some strange type of memory loss...not a quick ordeal.

"Voriel-look, I can give you all the information I have or can recall but the mortals need our attention presently."

He turned away, beginning to concentrate on returning to the fiend, but peeked an eye back at the angel. "And you look...well pretty much the same, but last time you had a great big sword. Other than that and your memory you still seem the same."

Voriel gave a curt nod, "You are correct. The past is not going anywhere, we can revisit this at a later time. Honestly, the reason I haven't given much thought about my past is because I didn't realize it was missing. I thought I had been ordered to strike at the evil that lay within Nova Vaasa, but it seems there is still quite a bit that would still need to be filled in to get from Pesh to battling with the Law Giver."

He seemed to lean back, as if resuming the pose that the Djinn had found him in, "And that is reassuring indeed, if my time in these mists have not corrupted me. But I will ensure you have time to strike this beast. The mortals will destroy this creature."

He then said with an inquisitive look, "Hm, we really need a more dignified name for them besides, ' the mortals'."