Heretic Anthem (Open)

[Dusty Killum]

6:45 PM
10th January, 2012
Sewers, Washington D.C.

Deep within the cavernous sewers of D.C., there is little seen but filth and rodents. However, in one small section, if one were to ever delve deep enough into the labyrinthine systems of grime they would find a single room. Fifty feet in length, thirty in width, it was originally built to house rotted goods, broken storage crates, anything to be dumped and left forgotten. One person after many years finally found this place with the help of some little friends. Rats lead Dusty there several months ago, and it was there he built his torture chamber.

Blood soaked the walls, pentacles and illegible words sprawled across the concrete. A chair sat in the center, and in it now was the killer's latest victim, still alive, hoarse screams coming from behind the layers of tape wrapped around his fat jaws. There was a mattress in the far corner, the only place where light could be found. A candle, burning bright, cast a thin light there. No blood stained this place. It was for rest, and rest Dusty awoke from.

The boy gave a yawn and pawed at his eyes before blinking fully awake. Sliding on his cap, he reached next to the candle and pulled up his bat. The weapon's blood stains glimmered hideously in the lone light of the dark room, and two rodents ran over to the signal they thought was for them. Dusty smiled widely.

"No, my friends, remain at watch." The language he spoke was barely a language at all. It was more a series of clicks and whistles, but the rats seemed to understand all the same. They scampered back over to the door as the boy rose to his feet and slung the bat around idly. He still needed to kill the fat bastard he'd kidnapped. Gramps said he was a bad man. Bad men died.

"Mister, I know you want to go, but I can't let you." He stepped forward, now dragging the steel bat behind him. The man silenced himself momentarily before letting out another long, dry scream. "Perhaps the dark lord will pity you and leave you be when you pass." At this a slasher smile came upon Dusty's lips and he dropped the bat.

"I know! We can play a game first!" The child's eyes began to shine red, a new master coming under control of the shell. The demon he allowed to live within him caused a maddening cackle to come from the boy's mouth. Grandpa Parker had woken up too.

"Let's see..." Bringing a finger to his bottom lip, his expression became curious, seemingly aged and thoughtful. Reaching forward, he ripped the duct tape from the man's mouth bringing about another scream, this one of pain. "How about a riddle? The smile returned. "What stalks the night in search of prey, prays at noon and sleeps all day? Locks no doors before going to bed, but picks your lock and then you're dead?"

The fat man's eyes widened, teeth gritted in fear. "I- I don't know!" He spat out, trembling beneath what would seem to be a newly found ability to speak. His arms pulled at the ropes that held him down. This man wouldn't be escaping anytime soon, little did he know.

"It's no fun unless you guess, have at it! Kyukyukyu..."

His body shook at the words, pulling once more at his bindings before he gave his guess, "A... A monster?" The man began to cry, the fear for his mortal soul becoming so much more real.

"Close! Oh so close, but wrong!" The demon cackled once more behind the boy's voice. "Dusty, would you like to tell him the answer?"

The boy's head dropped once more, hat toppling to the floor. He stood there, silent, no movements coming from his form for the longest time. After two painful minutes of waiting, the man finally spotted movement about his kidnapper. The boy's lips and eyes twitched back open, the glowing red gone now. He picked up his bat and slung it over his shoulder, jamming his thumb to his chest.

"Me."

[Moloch]

Ah, Washington... It had been a long time since Moloch had journeyed into this portion of the mortal realm, preferring his own lands, Russia, far more-so than the Americas. His loud footsteps echoed off the hollow walls of the sewer system, though with the gushing of waters nearby, they were muffled in a way. He had to use the sewers, of course; even in his mortal form, he was an eye-catcher, most definitely, at eleven feet tall, and a good four feet wide, at least. He liked to think of himself as eh... Large and in charge! Definitely not monstrous and horrifying. Though he knew he was, and he quite liked the fact, in all honesty; even the rats of the sewers despised him, darting away in fear of the man before them, the man who wasn't. Which was all the better; he'd rather not risk hearing that dreadful death cry as he accidentally smote one with his feet, each the size of a large cinder-block, and just as strong, stronger, in fact.

But as he walked, he heard a scream, checking down to see if there was a rather unfortunate blood smear on his foot. There wasn't, but as he heard another scream, a minute or so later, he could tell where it was, and followed the sound, stepping with concentrated lightness, masking the presence of the archdemon, as he came upon quite an unusual sight; a child had a man pent up in a corner, and seemed to be speaking to him, but it was, alas, he didn't understand a word of this... modern, tongue. It was so long ago that men spoke in the tongues easily understood by the giant... But not that long ago at all, in fact. He could still recall the novelty of the things called languages, far back when the Tower was struck down. It was quite amusing, actually, his booming laughter echoed throughout the Stygian Tundra as he learned of this.

The boy seemed to pause, as Moloch watched, stroking his chin with one gargantuan hand. Odd. He then resumed speaking, if but for a single word, although his tone had changed, in whatever silly language that was. Perhaps Anglo-Saxon, or Old Frisian, he could recall a few speakers of those. All dead now, but of course. It didn't quite matter much to him, however; if the child could communicate with him, he would communicate with the child. If the child could not, then the child wouldn't be worth communicating with. Though he did have to wonder... Was this human a child anyways? He honestly thought they all looked much alike perhaps he'd just lost his touch with distinguishing the younglings from the matured. It had really been long since he left Inferis... Though... Perhaps child was an apt term anyways.

Because to Moloch...

All of this realm is but a child, in his primordial eyes. The eyes that awaited the completion of the boy's bloody work...

[Dusty Killum]

The fun part was over; Dusty always enjoyed seeing the fear seemingly grow more and more the longer he allowed them to live. Now, however, this man had reached his limit. Any more of this and he would faint. He was a little young to be knowing things like this, but he had experience under his belt in these dealings. Twenty-three kills worth of experience to be exact, and the tub of lard he had tied up was going to be his twenty-fourth. Where would this string of murders end? No one knew, but Dusty hoped it lasted forever!

Pointing the bat to the man's temple, a small flicker could be seen in his eyes. The demon was still in there, rewiring the boy's spirit in ways unimaginable. He was given strength through his dealings with demons, and not just metaphysical strength. No, he could throw a child his own size through a wall if he so chose. Don't begin to assume there will be some drawn out speech of how this power came with responsibility. There was no responsibility here, only the life Dusty Killum chose to live.

And life was good.

Drawing the bat back, angle memorized, his reflexes did the rest of the work from there. With one swift swing, he'd left an indention within the man's skull in the shape of his bat. Then he swung again. And again. And again, and so on, and so forth, until he had bashed the entire top of the man's head off, brain matter splattered upon the ground and wall. The boy stood there, breathing heavily, before turning at the squeak of one of his guards. The rats had done their job and warned him of an intruder.

"Wh-Who's there?" He spun around and blood flew off of his weapon and onto the ground. "Show yourself or forever be hunted by Lucifer's executioner!" He pointed the bat out now, still as could be.

"SHOW YOURSELF."

[Moloch]

SPLAT.

That was the sound of the cold, hard, steel of the bat, as it cracked the man's skull. And again. Again. Again. Brains splattered all over the wall; Mammon would have enjoyed such a pleasant scene. He heard the rodents of the place squeaking furiously, and cocked his head to the side slightly, as the boy turned to the shadows Moloch was lurking in. He spoke in that odd tongue again, seeming nervous, as he pointed a bat out to him, saying something about Lucifer. Ahh, so he may be... A ritualist, perhaps? Neat. Personally, Moloch rarely used them, as he could walk the Earth as he so fancied anyways, but it certainly helped. The child then spoke a language he could comprehend; that infernal language of the demons... And a command for Moloch to reveal himself, no less?

A great booming laughter pierced the dankness of the sewers, as an eleven foot tall mastodon stepped out of the darkness and into the light, into Rusty's field of view, grinning down at the boy, with blank red eyes, no pupil, no cornea, just blood-red irises. He shook his head, muttering softly(?) to himself, in a quite audible tone, like someone speaking just below a shout. "Ahh, little foolish one... Moloch has taken interest in you..." Giving a low chuckle from deep in his diaphragm, rising to a booming laugh like the first, but far more evanescent, lasting but moments now. "SHOW MYSELF, YOU SAY... YOU AMUSE THIS ONE, INFANT..."

He gave pause to allow those words to sink in as he moved closer, not stopping until he was within arms' reach of the boy. He touched the bat with one massive hand, almost curiously. "A FINE CLUB YOU POSSESS, YOUNG ONE. AND HOW WELL YOU WIELD YOUR CLUB; WHY, YOU SHOW WITHIN YOU THE SAME KNACK AS THAT OF THE GREATS! ATTILA, KHAN, ALEXANDER, MR. BLACK AND MR. WHITE. WELL, ALLEGEDLY BLACK AND WHITE, THAT IS." He gave another booming chuckle. "WE SHALL ENJOY WATCHING YOU AS YOU GROW IN YOUR KILL COUNT!"

He turned, walking away a bit, pacing slightly, as he turned back and wagged a meaty finger at Dusty. "THOUGH BEFORE THAT, ONE MUST LEARN THE BASICS. FOR ONE, HOW DO YOU DEMAND ME, THE DEVOURER, LAPUTA, SATURN, CRONUS, BOSHETH, CHILDEATER, THE UNHOLY FLAME, HE WHO TAKETH... HOW DOES ONE DEMAND THAT I REVEAL MYSELF? FOR I DID SO OF MY OWN CHOICE, LITTLE ONE, DO UNDERSTAND." Moloch then stepped a bit closer, once more, thoroughly enjoying the intimidation process. He had the power, and he enjoyed wielding it so well, and while at times, he could be cheerful and nice, there was... a darker side. More sadistic, crueler. He was letting out a bit of that side- just a little bit. He wanted to scare the boy.

"TELL ME... HAVE YOU EVER READ THE WORD OF GOD? THE BIBLE?" He paused, allowing for an answer, before continuing. " ”AGAIN, THOU SHALT SAY TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, WHOSOEVER HE BE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, OR OF THE STRANGERS THAT SOJOURN IN ISRAEL, THAT GIVETH ANY OF HIS SEED TO MOLOCH; HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH: THE PEOPLE OF THE LANDS SHALL STONE HIM WITH STONES. LEVITICUS 20:2.” I'M FLATTERED, REALLY, BY THIS ONE VERSE IN PARTICULAR. TELL ME, CHILD... TELL ME NOT YOUR NAME... BUT TELL ME MINE, MERIT A GUESS..."

[Dusty Killum]

Dusty watched and waited, bat at the ready before his eyes widened. A great, lumbering giant, skin of grey, presented itself. Its footsteps shook the ground slightly, his rat friends shakily scurrying away at each of them. Who was this behemoth? What did he want with Dusty?

It spoke something in a tongue that Dusty couldn't understand in the slightest, but he felt Gramps writhe within him. Some holy incantation? A tongue spoken by the divine perhaps? The next words shocked him even more so, however, as they were in a language understandable. Unholy and booming.

"SHOW MYSELF, YOU SAY... YOU AMUSE THIS ONE, INFANT..." Dusty made not a sound or movement as the demon approached. He must have been a demon, the size and manner in which it spoke, coupled with its complete disregard for indoor voice. Perhaps it was nearly deaf? Oh, that would be sad...

Dusty flinched as it reached out with one of its massive hands and inspected his bat. It screamed yet again, ear piercing its voice was. However, where there was harshness in tone, its words came as praise; even so much as to comment that it would enjoy watching as he killed more and more people. It then turned, stepping away from him, but just as the mere thought of its leave could even begin to fathom in the boy's imagination, it was stripped away from him.

"THOUGH BEFORE THAT, ONE MUST LEARN THE BASICS. FOR ONE, HOW DO YOU DEMAND ME, THE DEVOURER, LAPUTA, SATURN, CRONUS, BOSHETH, CHILDEATER, THE UNHOLY FLAME, HE WHO TAKETH... HOW DOES ONE DEMAND THAT I REVEAL MYSELF? FOR I DID SO OF MY OWN CHOICE, LITTLE ONE, DO UNDERSTAND." Dusty knew those names the beast spat out, he had read of them, but which Archdemon was it that took such titles? The child's brain spun around in circles, trying to grasp for straws. He couldn't think clearly in this demon's presence.

"TELL ME... HAVE YOU EVER READ THE WORD OF GOD? THE BIBLE?" Dusty merely shook his head at this, allowing the lumbering giant to give his quotation of the holy scripture. As a Satanist, Dusty only cared for one bible and that was the one of his religion. He'd never even touched the word of God in his life.

"We know who you are." Gramps spoke out for him, the boy mentally kicking himself for not responding sooner. Taking control of his own voice once more, Dusty began to quote his own scripture. "Moloch, I invoke thee. Moloch, I summon thee. Moloch, I conjure thee. Come forth, Moloch, and manifest thyself Within this body, this temple which I have prepared. Come forth, Moloch, and manifest thyself. Come forth, Moloch, and manifest thyself." The kid looked down and dropped his bat. "Then one is to drink of the chalice and proclaim the ninth lock to be open. That is your summoning is it not? That is who you are. The Archdemon Moloch."

He looked back up, a smile growing upon his face as his eyes met those of the demon's. Gramps squirmed within him at the foolishness of such an act, but Dusty paid no mind. He was honored to meet one of the fallen angels, one of those who stood by Lucifer and betrayed their creator. He saw not a monster any longer, but a creature to hold dear as an idol.

"You and I are similar, great one. We both know of God's existence, yet choose to stand by the true king, Lucifer. My fall has yet to pass, but when it does, I hope to be seen by someone as you are me."

[Moloch]

A rather sharpened tongue for one as young as he rang out from the boy, as it quite bluntly stated that he knew of Moloch. It was... Unusual, to say the least, but it did nothing to unnerve the great and powerful archdemon. He'd seen far stranger, far worse, far more terrible; the child was possessed, it was rather clear. And as to the blunt statement, Moloch merely laughed a great and loud laugh, "lightly" patting the child twice on the shoulder, hopefully not dislocating said shoulder. "OH, I KNOW YOU DO, I KNOW YOU DO... I COULD SEE IT IN YOUR EYES, THE FEAR, THE RESPECT." Moments later, however, the child began to speak as a child would again, like many children do when reciting verses of scripture. But he was special.

What he'd quoted was clearly not of the biblical scripture, but rather, a different one, a sort Moloch knew only pieces of. It intrigued him, though... It seemed to be a spell of sorts, and the child explained it as a sort of summoning rite. "AHH, YOU FLATTER ME, INFANT..." He grinned a cheery grin, though horribly distorted by a face barely human; it more resembled a monstrous mockery of a sneer than a genuine grin. "BUT I DOUBT THAT MAGICK WILL ACTUALLY SUMMON ANYTHING AT ALL. FOR YOU SEE, MOLOCH ONLY APPEARS BEFORE THOSE WHOM MOLOCH DESIRES TO APPEAR BEFORE, SUCH AS YOURSELF. SPEAKING OF WHICH, GO ON, INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!” Moloch turned away, grasping a trio of large pipes, which he tore from the sewer, spewing water from the severed ends, as he folded the steel to his liking with his immense strength, before setting it in front of the child, and sitting on it; a makeshift throne of sorts, or at the least, a chair. He placed one large fist under his chin, and stared over at Dusty, still taller than him, even while seated.

It was, however, what Dusty said next that particularly caught the mastodon’s attention. Similar, were they? Quite an idea, it amused him to ponder it, and he chuckled as he did so. “YOU AND I? SIMILAR? YOU, BUT A MERE EVANESCENT MOSQUITO ON THE TIMELINE OF EXISTANCE, COMPARED TO MYSELF, INFINITELY MORE POWERFUL AND ANCIENT? QUITE AN ARROGANT ONE, YOU ARE…” His slow and low chuckle sounded particularly disturbing now, as he shook his head with a grin. “CHILD, MY SIN IS THAT OF WRATH, RECALL. THE ICY COLD HATRED IN THE HEARTS OF MAN… WE ARE NOT SIMILAR… NO, YOU AND LUCIFER ARE FAR MORE ALIKE, YOUNGLING.” He gave a hearty laugh, shifting in his seat with a loud crunch of the folding and bending metal. “THOUGH WHAT YOU SAY IS INDEED TRUE. SERVANTS THE BOTH OF US, ONCE ONE LOOKS PAST THE SUPERFICIAL.” He paused for a moment, as an idea popped into his head. “HMMM… NOW… TELL ME, LITTLE ONE…

DO YOU LIKE ICE CREAM?”

[Dusty Killum]

Dusty rubbed at his shoulder as the demon continued to speak in what could only be described as shouts of Demonic. He really did seem like the patron of wrath, unable to control his voice or strength, though it appeared he was at least trying. Dusty gave a few nods, before his eyes widened in terror at one of the suggestions Moloch had made towards him.

"I would never attempt arrogance, great one! Pretentiousness only leads to the downfall of man!" He stopped, noticing he was preaching a sermon he'd only given to his rat friends before. While the knowledge of the sins made his grandfather proud, the demon within him chuckled within his head at the thought of trying to tell such things to a being such as the mighty Moloch.

Then something unexpected came from the archdemon's words. Dusty's eyes shone with astonishment, amazed that he had been compared to the high king himself! There was great pride that came from being called similar to Lucifer, but he wouldn't let it go to his head. However, what did go to his head was the giant's next words. Words of something the child held close to his heart.

"I LOVE ICE CREAM!" His eyes seemed to relight in a blaze of love and passion at the mentioning of his most beloved dairy product. If there was any human on Earth who could love ice cream more so than Dusty Killum, they must have had hunger pains for the delicious snack all day every day! "Do you have some?!" He placed himself upon the arm of the mastodon, looking every which way around his form, crawling lightly over the demon. Within his mind, Gramps was yelling curse after curse at the foolish young boy.

"DUSTY GET OFF OF HIM, YOU KNOW NOT WHO YOU TOUCH! HE IS A PRINCE OF HELL, THERE IS NONE WORTHY TO LINGER ATOP HIM IN SUCH A WAY!" Dusty couldn't care less at the moment, suppressing the demon's control over him to the point where its voice was but an insect buzzing in his ears. He wanted that ice cream, wherever it was, and he was going to find it.

[Moloch]

Moloch chuckled once more, shaking the sewer walls again as his loud voice echoed about. The child had indeed seemed arrogant, but he seemed moreso now; who was he to deny his own arrogance for the sake of his religious beliefs? That was even more arrogant of him, though he didn't know this. "AH, BUT LITTLE PADAWAN, THERE IS MUCH DIFFERENCE IN ARROGANCE AND PRETENTIOUSNESS. YOU'VE YET MUCH, MUCH, MORE TO LEARN... TRUE ARROGANCE IS NEXT TO DEVILLISHNESS, YOU KNOW!~" And indeed it was; it had been Lucifer's first sin, the sin of pride, hubris, arrogance. What kind of an idiot would write a book instructing his followers not to be arrogant? Foolishness, that's what that was. Another of their sins... Haha, he broke his own laws, just by penning them! But for what the author of the book lacked in knowledge, Moloch would certainly be sure to keep this child well-informed.

Moloch laughed once more, in amusement as the child's eyes lit up, however, at the comparison between himself and Lucifer. This kid was an odd one, that was for sure, even by Moloch's standards. Though the oddity of him vanished at his reaction to ice cream; one Moloch could relate to, and one that was certainly normal. He seemed to like ice cream at least more than the average lamer BEAR human.

And an incredibly incredible idea hit Moloch's brain as the powerful ex-angel contemplated a bit of mischief. But his mischief was slightly interrupted as Dusty tackled his arm, to Moloch's highest amusement. "YOU DARE LAY YOUR MORTAL HANDS ON THE VERY SKIN OF AN ARCHDEMON, AN INFERNAL PRINCE!? DO YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU DO, INFANT!?" He paused, glaring deadly sharp daggers into the child as his booming roars hit him wave after wave, at close range, his icy breath blowing across the childs face... He waited a moment or two, to see the kid's reaction... Then he burst out laughing, setting the boy to the ground. "HE WHO SHOWS NO FEAR IN THE FACE OF MOLOCH IS QUITE WORTHY OF TOUCHING MOLOCH, LITTLE ONE. FOR MOLOCH TRULY APPROVES OF THOSE THAT ARE FEARLESS." He patted the boy's head, with a single finger, so as not to snap his neck, and grinned devillishly at him. "AS FOR ICE CREAM, I HAVE NONE ON ME CURRENTLY. BUT TELL ME... WHAT THINK YOU OF THE PAIR OF US COMMITTING A LITTLE REGICIDE? WE SHALL TAKE THE CASTLE OF THE "DAIRY QUEEN" BY STORM, AND STEAL THE VAST STORES OF ICE CREAM WITHIN! WE SHOULD EVEN HAVE ENOUGH TO SEND HOME TO LUCI, EH? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT?" And he grinned a wide grin. THis was going to be awesome.

[Dusty Killum]

"The... Dairy Queen?" Dusty looked up, one eye squinted from the thumping to his noggin, before he bent down to pick up his hat and pat it off. Putting it back on, he straightened it quickly and grinned back at the demon. "That's an amazing idea, boss!" He hastily turned around and grabbed his bat up, swinging it around a few times before running around the seated archdemon and into the sewers.

"I even know which manhole is just outside of the place, c'mon! Hyuck!" His giggles echoed off of the grimy walls around them, rather creepily, as he ran through the grime and sludge. Several rats hurried along after him, their scurrying leaps matching the large steps he took with each foot as he ran. He hadn't been able to afford ice cream for a few days now, so the thought had been pressed to the back of his mind, but now that the treat had been brought up his hunger felt insatiable.

Dust leaped over the waterway between the paths and slid slightly before he continued his frantic sprint. He hadn't even stopped to make sure the archdemon had followed, his mind in rather far off places at the time. He made it to a cross section and finally turned around, yelling down the tunnel.

"Just a left up here and we'll be right in the parking lot!" Giggling madly once more, he bolted down the left path. The boy nearly passed by the metal ladder that lead up to the surface, but he grabbed the handrail and slid along the filth once more. He stopped then and gave a small huff, the feeling of his heart pounding against his chest stopping as well. Just above him was the grand palace of frozen deliciousness.

[Moloch]

Moloch gave another booming chuckle at Dusty's amusing antics. Such an easily excited little morsel- erm. Mortal. Moloch, unlike quite a few, actually liked for the kid to call him boss, as if he were but a mere worker, toiling away such that the infinitely powerful archdemons needn't lift a finger. Or so Moloch assumed the lad thought of himself. Honestly, he wasn't doing much. But hey, he was trying, Moloch could at least credit him for that.

As the boy darted off down the halls and corridors of a place few dared to tread, Moloch stepped along slowly at a dead man's pace, his long steps, even at this casual pace, carrying him rather quickly, for his walking speed. He soon arrived where Dusty was as the kid frenzied about, flailing madly about the ice cream he'd soon enjoy, or something. Moloch smiled, gesturing for the kid to go up first. They would soon have such fun...

[Dusty Killum]

Giggling loudly and nodding his head in instant approval, Dusty bolted his way up the ladder and appeared right next to the parking lot of the Dairy Queen. It was just as he said outside, and, luckily enough for society, there weren't as many cars parked outside as usual. Dusty counted three of them before shrugging and running across the lot, no longer having much of a care for how many people were inside.

"ICE CREEEEEEAAAAAAAM!!!" He screamed and continued to giggle all the way to the door. Gramps had accepted by this point that there was no stopping his wayward grandson and just tried to enjoy the ride. Peering inside, Dusty flicked his wrist and summoned his yo-yo. The bloodbath that awaited would surely be on the news the next day. The boy kicked open the door and began to flick his toy-like weapon as he slowly strode inside. Odd looks came from those within, especially the workers.

"The angel of death descends upon you, mortals. DO YOU KNOW HIS NAME?" No answers came forth, only silence. That is, until he flicked his yo-yo out and it cut through a man's skull. Then his answer was not but screams.

"THAT'S RIGHT! AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! IT'S DUSTY!" The child stepped forward, and as a woman ran towards the exit he disposed of her as well. "Not just me though! I have a new friend that loves ice cream probably more than I do! He should be here soon~!"

[Moloch]

Moloch managed to climb up the ladder, eventually, possibly bending or breaking it as he did so, and definitely breaking the ground above; he was simply too large, and had to punch through the ground a few times to knock it out of his way. A suitable path carved, or rather, punched out, he clamored up, stretching with a loud and audible crack of the spine. "AHHHHH, MUCH BETTER. OPEN SPACES, MUCH LESS CRAMPED." Aaaaaaand, there goes the neighborhood's sense of peace and quiet. The hulking brute of a man, if he could so be called such, dramatically flung open the doors of the building his very words had once inspired, decades ago, more evanescent moments in the eyes of the eternal devourer.

"THY KING HATH COME, AND HIS NAME IS MOLOCH. BASK, INFANTILE PEASANTRY. BASK IN MY GLORY. KNEEL."

So shouting, in his own ironically harsh and eldritch mutation of the Heavenly tongue, Moloch stepped close to one man, standing still, in terror as the giant neared him, practically roaring like a train's passing, hauntingly beautiful, yet terrible all at once. Moloch grasped the man by the shoulder and shoved him down, shattering his shoulder blade into shards with a sickening crack and a scream of pain. The man was kneeling now. Good. Moloch grinned a wicked grin.

"DUSTY, DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY CALL ME DEVOURER?" He was about to demonstrate for the lad. Doing such, he grasped the man by the waist, wrapping his entire massive hand around him, lifting him up with ease, grinning a wide grin, to the tune of horrified shrieks. He opened his mouth...

...and vomited up shitloads of spaghetti.

All over the guy's face. It was disgusting really, not to mention, when was the last time he even had spaghetti? Weird. The archdemon laughed, a slow rumbling giggle, almost like a contrabass tuba if contrabass tubas could giggle. Well, that was amusing. Oh, until he opened his mouth again and shoved the man's head into his mouth, biting down with a skull-crushing crunch.

Chewing thoughtfully for a moment, as the building erupted in screams, he flung the rapidly bleeding body to the side, taking a moment before swallowing his kill. "YOU EE-ARTHICANS TASTE LIKE MAMMOTH BLUBBER. IT WILL GO STRAIGHT TO MOLOCH'S THIGHS, BUT IT IS DELICIOUS." He turned to Dusty. "AND NOW WE MAKE STOLEN WITH THE ICE CREAM, INFANT."

[Dusty Killum]

"DUSTY, DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY CALL ME DEVOURER?" The boy ceased his claps and giggles to stare in awe at the Archdemon he had the utmost pleasure to be working with at this very moment. Time stood still around him as he awaited the magnificent demonstration in store. Whatever it was that made this creature known as such would truly be a site to see. And then...

Spaghetti flew from the beast's mouth in great amounts, all over the man who flailed under Moloch's grasp.

The boy said nothing for a short few seconds, but began to bust out laughing and clenched his sides. He almost missed the head chomping that ensued after. Almost. Luckily he had reopened his eyes just in time to see the flesh and bone break apart, blood and brain matter squirming about in what could only be described as a 'disasterpiece'.

"So cool..."

In response to the next order from his boss, Dusty gave a solute and nod before he fumbled over the table and behind the counter. The workers were all huddled together, none of them having the courage to even get up and run out of the establishment to keep their lives. Too bad for them, because Dusty wasn't in the mood for survivors. He made quick work of the fools with his yo-yo and got down to his real business.

Ice cream.

Dusty made several trips to and from the freezer in the back, armfuls of containers being piled atop tables upon each return. Once he had it all out, he rubbed his arms and gave a sneeze. Shivers ran rampant over him, but he still smiled, even through his teeth chatters.

"Sure is cold in there, boss." He sneezed once more and wiped his nose with his jacket sleeve. "Where to now?"

[Sponsored content]