Not Expecting Company
Timaern looked out from his balcony over Ascindis as night fell on the city, the false light of day fading away by the moment. It wasn’t the same as the sun over Paradise, but the magic Beathal had woven garnered the same effect. He’d worked tirelessly for the past two days, his hellhounds having run off with his wives in their groves, whose trees he now saw in silhouette in the distance. Their palaces stood as beacons in the dark city, glimmering with the last rays of light. In an instant, he sent a message to them both: ‘Goodnight, I love you dearly.’
With the reminder of his love (and notice of his incessant thoughts of them both) sent, the devil readied himself for bed. Cleaning himself with water hot enough to kill mortals prevented his bedding from being dirtied beyond reason, the floral scent of the soap Korralis had gifted him floating pleasantly through his bathroom as a result. He discovered by way of a cold nose nudging at his ankle in the shower that one of the youngest hellhound pups had remained in his palace, now seeking his company. He picked it up and gave it a bath too, finding it a wonderfully efficient opportunity. Both of them clean, Timaern wrapped himself in a cotton robe, and the puppy in a towel, to dry off as he walked the few paces back into the bedroom with the puppy in his arms. It wriggled happily, glad for the attention.
The consideration of dressing himself in something nicer was abandoned. Timaern wouldn’t have company until well into the afternoon, and two days of work had earned him the reward of comfort. He was tired besides, and both the softness of a bed and a night of sleep were unavoidable temptations. The hellhound puppy was also glad to be allowed in the bed, snuggling into a little ball on Timaern’s chest as soon as he’d settled into the center of the bed, yet-injured wings splaying out to lay across the room. The cool air felt good against the wounds and helped usher the archdevil to sleep a few minutes later.
Asleep, Timaern did not hear his door open – a heavy sleeper after millennia of guards who were able to keep out any unwelcome guests, let alone any real threats. Teryna came into the room along with the two dozen or so hellhounds that had followed her, carefully shutting the door behind her to keep the dogs from roaming around unattended to. She climbed into bed beside Timaern, cautious enough not to wake him as she got beneath the covers and under his arm, which wrapped around her even unconscious. The hellhounds too got into the bed, taking up the remainder of the space on the left side of the bed, snuggling into Timaern and Teryna as was their preferred manner of sleeping.
Teryna alone woke when the door opened again, though she hadn’t really fallen asleep yet. Korralis shooed in another two dozen hellhounds – most of them puppies of the three mothers who’d been resting in her realm. She closed the door behind them, and carefully guided the puppies around Timaern’s wings so as not to cause him any undue pain from sharp puppy paws stepping on his injuries. She lifted each of them into the bed, patting it to welcome the other hellhounds up before she got into the bed, tucking herself into the remaining space at Timaern’s right. She offered a hand out across the archdevil’s chest as his arm tightened around her, giving a bright smile when Teryna took it. Together, the three of them and their four or perhaps five dozen dogs went to sleep.
When Timaern woke in the morning, he was confused by the amount of heat around him. Blearily opening his eyes softened his gaze and his heart, finding his loves and their pets all in his bed, and in his arms. He peered over at the false sun’s light, finding it still incredibly early. He wouldn’t have guests until well into the afternoon, and decided to sleep a few more hours. The hellhound puppy on his chest also woke, pawing at his face until it too decided to go back to sleep.