"What's your name?" Avariel asked the succubus with an intimidating tone.

Matthew brought her to their room in the inn and now the four of them were surrounding the demoness who was sitting on the bed.

"Tylith" She said, recoiling from the holy light of Avariel's halo which lightly burned her skin.

"You said you can help us find Mitzrael." Matthew said, pulling a chair and sitting on it.

"I did." Tylith played with her thumbs clearly intimidated by the people around her.

"So?" Matthew urged her to speak.

"So what?" The succubus asked.

"Where is him?" Ffyr asked.

"I don't know." Tylith shrugged.

Avariel slapped the bed very near the succubus thigh making a loud noise and scaring the demoness.

"You said you could help find him!" The angel shouted at her.

Tylith froze in fear.

Then Nanael gently pulled Avariel back.

"Patience, Ava. There's no need for haste nor anger." She said and sat down beside the succubus. "Why did you say you could find Mitzrael to Matthew?" She asked the demoness.

"The only one who knows where the Safekeeper stays is the Black Rider." Tylith said.

"Black Rider?" Matthew asked.

"Vine." Avariel sat down. "The Rider of Hunger, a demon king and the ruler of Ira." The angel explained to him.

"Don't tell me we have to make a deal with the agent of scarcity." Nanael protested.

"Did Vine do something to Mitzrael?" Ffyr asked Tylith.

"I don't know. I don't think so?" The succubus answered. "The Safekeeper shows himself from time to time, but he's a boring man. He doesn't have fun at all."

"So we need to ask the demon king." Matthew resigned.

"How do we do that? I doubt Vine will take an interest in us like Belial did." Nanael commented.

"There's where I can help you." Tylith said. "If you promise not to harm me, I can get you inside the Black Rider's palace."

"How?" Avariel was succinct.

"I work there. I'm entertainment." The succubus said with a sly smile.

"What's your plan?" Matthew asked.

Tylith leaned forward and held his hand with a seductive smile.

"You see. The Black Rider likes to throw parties from time to time. And I need a date since you just killed mine." She said.

"I won't let him go there alone." Ffyr protested.

"I guess I can get you in as well. Fairies are something rare even here. They'll like you." Tylith said, looking at Ffyr up and down. "I'm sorry but I can't take angels." She added when she noticed Avariel looking at her.

"And when is this party?" Matthew asked, taking away his hand from hers.

"In 3 days. You need to be better dressed than this." Tylith pulled Matthew's clothes with only two fingers in disgust.

"I'll see what we can do." Matthew slapped her hand away gently.

Matthew's clothes were in tatters and covered in blood. He was wearing clothes he got in Violentia made by cloth he salvaged from the hospital and fur from black hares. Ffyr also wore similar clothes.

In the seventh hell, the way a person was dressed didn't matter much, since resources were scarce. But in Dis, where life resembled more the life on Earth, with a great influx of people from the other planes walking around, societal norms like dress code could be enforced.

The next day Tylith took them to some clothing stores, Avariel and Nanael stayed behind, trying to find Mitzrael by other means. The succubus picked clothes for the pair. Black revealing leather like hers. Her eyes devoured both of them as they showcased the clothes she picked for them.

Matthew wore a short black leather long sleeved jacket, a tight red cotton shirt with a large V neck that showcased well his muscles, and black leather pants and boots.

Ffyr wore a black leather bikini top, long leather gloves that reached her elbows, and tight black leather pants and boots.

"You look so hot!" Tylith said, clapping her hands.

Matthew felt uncomfortable wearing those clothes. Especially the shirt, he never wore something so tight. He felt like he couldn't move.

Ffyr, however, was having the time of her life, flying around clad in leather.

"Do you think Sarah would like these clothes?" The fairy asked looking in a mirror how her pants pushed her bottom up.

"This is not Sarah's style." Matthew said, trying to pull his leather jacket down to cover his belly beyond his waist, but realising that the jacket was just that short.

"Sarah is your girlfriend?" Tylith feigned a pout.

"My sister." Matthew answered without giving much thought.

"So you're not dating?" Tylith asked, fixing his jacket's collar and looking at him seductively.

"He is. To a beautiful elf." Ffyr explained, getting close to the two and satisfied about her looks.

"That's alright honey. I'm not jealous." The succubus said without breaking eye contact.

Matthew pushed her away gently, shaking his head.

"I just need you to find Mitzrael. Nothing more." He said.

"You're no fun." She pouted.

Matthew used the crystals he had in his inventory to pay for the clothes.

"So, we'll see you in 2 days." He said coldly.

"Ah! Come on!" Tylith protested. "I have nothing to do today. You killed my toy yesterday. If you don't want to play with me, let's do something else. How about another brawl?" She pleaded.

Ffyr laughed at that scene.

"No." Matthew was resolute.

"Oh come on! What are you going to do then? Stare at the ceiling? Sightsee the Styx?" Tylith protested.

It is then that Matthew realised that Ffyr was also restless. It's been a long time since he saw her like that. When they got to Violentia both of them stayed in a constant state of vigilance.

It's been two years since he listened to her laugh like that.

"Can't hurt to have some fun." Ffyr said to him telepathically.

"Ok Tylith. But no sex or violence." Matthew ceded to the succubus.

"No sex or violence?" Tylith pouted and crossed her arms. "That only leaves drinking and gambling." She thinked out loud. "We could watch the petsuchoi race." She finally said.

"Petsuchoi?" Ffyr asked taking an interest.

"Yes. They're big lizards that live in the Styx." Tylith explained.

Big lizard was an understatement.

When Matthew and Ffyr got to the racing ground guided by the succubus, they saw gold horned crocodiles with green scales as big as elephants being herded with effort by imps. Those watching cheered loudly when an imp or another were devoured whole by the creature.

The racing ground was a big bog with wood fences that made a round circuit in the shallow waters.

Tylith pulled them to a table where an old satyr was taking bets and writing them on a piece of paper.

Ffyr picked the funniest name in the list to bet on pouring a huge quantity of crystals on it.

"Investigator is at the bottom of the list to win." Tylith said taking them to the stands to watch the race.

"But it's so funny. In vest gator." Ffyr laughed to herself explaining the joke.

Tylith chuckled at how the fairy was excited and not the pun.

When the petsuchoi were brought to the starting line, Ffyr started to slap Matthew's arm repeatedly and screeched.

"AAAA! He's wearing a vest! And he's so fat!" The fairy was loud. "He looks so cute! I want to hug him!!"

The race had 4 petsuchoi in line. Then they released a large silver fish in front of the crocodiles that made them chase it. The fish swam hard in the wood circles that made the circuit inside the bog while the petsuchoi swam after it.

Everyone in the stands screamed and cheered for the petsuchos they bet on. Ffyr was the loudest of all.

"Faster Vesty!" Already using a nickname for it.

Despite her cheering, Investigator was last in the race when Croc-a-dildo won the bout by eating the fish.

Ffyr sat down with a huge sigh lamenting her loss, but with a huge smile on her face.

Tylith went away for a while to grab some snacks.

Matthew took his familiar's hand and squeezed it lightly.

"I'm glad you're having fun." He said.

"It's been a while since we could do anything like this." She said back to him.

"2 years' been a long time." Matthew looked at the sky while imps struggled to reposition the petsuchoi in the bog.

"Despite how it happened, I'm glad you're healed from your taint." Ffyr squeezed his hand back.

"Yeah. A part of me is really thankful to Belial. And scared." Matthew chuckled revealing his thoughts.

"It doesn't really matter now, does it? We'll be home soon. Whatever they have in store for you we will face it together. This time with Lynn, Vanessa and the others." Ffyr said, getting up as Tylith approached with hot dogs in her hands.

"We're almost back." Matthew smiled.

His mind went back to his family, to Vanessa, Paula, Michael, Eric, Katia, Erin, Mia, Helen, Tina, Faynn and, of course, Faralynn. How he wished to see them all again.