"Niko? Niko? Are you alright?"

Niko opened his eyes to a monster. It had black fur, the head of a goat with great horns that curved backward. Its chest and arms were human-like, connected to the head with an elongated neck. On its abdomen were many small, round red eyes and a mouth with anglerfish teeth. There were four bat wings and four spider legs with fine hair and sharp claws. He still had the same arrowhead tail.

Niko froze, not knowing what nightmare he was in.

"Relax, it's just me."

"Change back then! What's stopping you?"

Mallomor changed to his usual self once Niko asked. Niko sighed, relieved.

"Alright, alright. That's good. Do you know where we are?"

"Hell. Vivalda's place. She'll be here soon."

Niko relaxed, lying on his back. "What's your relationship with her?"

"She's three times my superior. And likes me, thankfully."

Niko titled his head. "Romantically?"

"No, just she just thinks of me as a friend of hers. But she will flirt with you and me, so keep that in mind."

Niko sat up and stared at Mallomor directly. "Can you tell me why the hell I'm here? Y'know, in Hell?"

"Your paintings of monsters have gotten the attention of the hell architects. Just make do what they say and stay on their good side."

Niko went quiet, thinking of what to do about this. Mallomor held Niko's hand.

"Don't worry. I'll be here for you."

Surprised, Niko asked "What can you do? You're not a high-status demon. And how do I know your attraction to me isn't just lust?"

Mallomor gave Niko a devilish grin. "If I wanted to use you, you'd have known by now. Likely on the night I shared a bed with you, the one where we first met."

Niko couldn't argue that. Lustful people are hardly patient.

Mallomor sat next to Niko. "I know you don't entirely trust me, I don't most of the time either, but you could've voiced your concerns earlier."

Niko blinked. "Shit, I really should've done that."

"Never mind that, Niko."

Mallomor put an arm around Niko's shoulder, pulling him close.

"This is better than I thought. Thanks." Niko put his head on Mallomor's shoulder.

"You're welcome."

Mallomor's desire flared up again. He grabbed the tongue of the second mouth so it wouldn't lick Niko. He was certain that Niko wasn't human, but he still didn't want his demonic nature to drive him away.

Mallomor looked at Niko's skin, so smooth and such a nice color. So...kissable.

There were sounds of a door unlocking behind them. Mallomor got off the bed, turning to face the door. Niko sat in the same place, not noticing it much.

Out of the door came Vivalda. She had the head of a bee, horns of a longhorn steer, the body of a woman segmented like an insect's, the hind-quaters of a deer, gossamer wings, and a long, arrowhead tail.

Niko was shaken by the sight, holding onto Mallomor in his fear.

Vivalda's compound eyes were full of glee. "Oh, this must be the boyfriend Donnatello told me about! It's so nice that you've gotten a boyfriend, and a handsome one at that!"

Niko was still clinging to Mallomor.

"Um, Vivalda, can you go into your shadow form? Niko here isn't handling our appearances well."

Vivalda laughed. "I can see. How's this?"

Vivalda became a shadowy woman, with gossamer wings and horns like a longhorn steer. She kept many of the same demonic traits as Mallomor and Donnatello, her eyes glowing green.

Niko eyed her intently, thinking her fair. "You're very striking."

"Oh, you flatter me!" She grabbed his hand. "C'mon, let's go to the hall."

There architecture of Vivalda's mansion was like a storybook castle, lots of decor of nature and especially flowers. And she just loved the color green.

Vivalda dragged along Niko, who was followed by Mallomor.

"You lovebirds stay here. I gotta talk to Redir and get ready." Vivalda disappeared behind a heavy oak door.

Niko looked at Mallomor. "Will I be coming here often with you?"

"Let's hope not."

"Yeah, let's hope not. I looked out the window earlier and what I saw was just...pure nightmare fuel."

Soon, they were invited into the great hall. Vivalda stood next to a demon that was wearing some sort of gas mask connected to an oxygen tank.

"Hello, there, Niko! Before Redir here assigns you a job, we need to do a test." Redir, the oxygen tank demon, gave Vivalda a horseshoe. An iron horseshoe.

"Hold this, will you Niko?"

Niko shook his head. "No, I don't want to."

"C'mon, Niko, we have to do it."

"Can I leave? Now?" An magical wave washed over the area.

Mallomor knew at once what Niko was - a faery. But Glamour didn't work on demons.

Vivalda laughed. "Even though you asked so nicely, we'll have to refuse your offer."

Vivalda tried to poke Niko with the iron horseshoe, but he kept avoiding it.

Redir, tired of the scene, ordered Mallomor to restrain Niko.

"But don't you have enough proof to say he's a fae already?"

"Not enough for the recorders. Get out there and hold that idiot down!"

Mallomor obeyed, pining Niko to the floor.

Vivalda pressed the horseshoe against Niko's shoulder, burning the skin. Niko cried in pain.

"Stop it, Vivalda, you're hurting him!"

Vivalda stopped.

The burn looked particularly nasty, not at all easy to look at. Niko was still crying.

Mallomor helped Niko stand up. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

Niko nodded, his eyes red from crying.

At this time, Mallomor felt anger. The sort of anger you feel when someone you love is hurt and you desperately want to protect them.

He glared at Vivalda. "Why did you do this to him? Why did you have to hurt him?"

Vivalda laughed, nervously "Well, we had to make sure that Niko was faery somehow, and this was a good way to check!"

Redir spoke, his voice sounded strangely mechanical from his mask. "Stay in your lane, Malcontent. I'm taking the fae with me."

Redir grabbed Niko's arm, but Mallomor clung to the rest of the Niko.

"Bless you, Mallomor!" It was not a complement. "Just give me the faery!"

"No! Why should I? You've hurt him enough."

"Hand. Over. The. Fae."

He did, even though it hurt him.

Niko was led into Vivalda's basement by Redir.

Niko picked up on Redir having some sort of respiratory disability. He never thought that demons would be disabled, but he was walking next to one now. He decided not to bring it up.

"Thanks for not flirting with me, Redir."

Redir groaned. "Of course I didn't, I'm not homosexual."

"Oh, OK..."

Redir opened a closet that had 20 locks on it. He got out a white cardboard box and handed it to Niko.

"There's an ink stone inside. It'll last forever so don't come to me for refills. Use it when you draw a demon, because that'll make the demon show up in Hell."

Niko opened it and looked inside. "Anything else I should know?"

"Yes. You can leave now."

Niko and Mallomor left soon afterward.

When they returned to Earth, it was dark outside.

"Shit, how long were we down there?"

Mallomor glanced at the oven clock. "Not too long, from what it seems. Different planes of existence don't have time the same way in all of them. But you probably already know that, since you're a faery."

Niko rolled his eyes. "Don't make such a fuss about it."

"Well, I guess I understand you a little better now. Can I see that burn?"

After a bit of hesitation, Niko let him see it.

"Where's the first aid kit?"

"Tsarina can show you."

After putting the burn under cool water, Mallomor talked to Niko to distract him from the pain.

"What sort of fae are you?"

"Hyrdanna. I can turn into a siphonophore with the help of my hat and can control electricity, storms, and the sea. That's why we haven't come across any bad weather."

"That's really cool!"

"I suppose." Niko said, uninterested.

Mallomor applied a bandage to the shoulder. 'Is this better?"

Niko nodded. "Thanks for doing it for me."

"Of course I would! We're boyfriends, aren't we?"

Niko nodded, this time not looking at Mallomor. "Yeah, I guess we are."