"I want to visit Edreial," said Laudon. "Hell is insufferable, and I need a break."

The young prince has been running Hell on and off for the last twelve years, and a vacation is long overdue. 

Zul, the advisor and part-time guardian to Lucifer's only child, sighs in disagreement with Laudon's statement. Nothing good can be found on Edreial, a place where the giants once lived. These days, Edreial goes by the new name of Earth, and it's cluttered with tiny moronic humans that God seems keen on keeping alive.

"You are an adult, so you are free to do as you so please," says Zul. "But if I may speak frankly, my prince, I ask that you reconsider this trip to Edreial."

"Why?" Laudon sits back in his seat and props his feet up on his desk, an impassive look resting on his perfectly sculpted face. "Ever since I was a child, I have done nothing but follow the strict rules that my father laid down. I have never stepped out of line, and I have never slacked off with my work. I deserve to travel beyond the gates of Hell and live just as freely as my father, or do you disagree with that as well?"

"No, my prince."

"Then what do you disagree with, Zul? I dislike guessing games."

"Edreial," Zul repeats. "That is God's territory. Whenever your father goes there, he does so in secret. Always for business, never for pleasure. Should you go for the latter, you must be careful—"

"To not cause a disturbance or harm any of my dear old grandfather's toys? Of course, of course." Laudon rolls his black eyes, growing annoyed. "I want to visit Edreial for a change in scenery, not because I want to socialize with the humans. There are only so many places in this universe that one can go, and Heaven is off-limits to our kind, as if I'd ever want to visit that dreadful prison. So, Edreial it is."

"Laudon..."

"My father comes and goes as he pleases from Hell," Laudon sharply interrupts. "I shall do the same. End of discussion." He waves a hand towards the door to his office, opening it without having to get up from his seat. Zul takes the hint and turns to leave. "Kindly fetch my cloak before you wander off to do whatever it is you do when you're not around to breathe down my neck."

"Yes, my prince." Zul bows before departing.

"Twenty-five years old and I still have a babysitter trying to give me orders," Laudon mutters to himself while angrily pushing around the junk on his desk, books mostly. "Fucking ridiculous."

Before Laudon mastered his powers at thirteen, having then been deemed competent enough by Lucifer to provisionally take over the throne during his absences, Zul was originally left in charge whenever Lucifer departed Hell. Despite being demoted, Zul held no ill-will towards Laudon. Albeit stubborn, Laudon is like a son to Zul. He practically raised the boy with little help from Lucifer, given how frequently the king travels. Nonetheless, Zul continues to be Lucifer's right-hand man, a title he's worn proudly for thousands of years. That, along with being the prince's nagging babysitter.

"I wonder if the sky is still as blue as I last remember it to be," Laudon whispers, completely lost in thought while flipping through a book about Edreial.

As a gift for conquering the spell of invisibility, Lucifer took Laudon to Edreial shortly after his ninth birthday. They weren't there for very long, but it had been an impactful trip that Laudon would never forget. 

Everything about Edreial had fascinated Laudon. All the distinct smells, the oddly shaped buildings, and especially the rambunctious humans, or what the demons jokingly call God's imperfect toys. Laudon had only been allowed to look, not touch. But his father is no longer around. Hasn't been around for several years. This time, Laudon is going to Edreial alone, and he will touch whatever the fuck he wants.

"My childhood... it was such a joyless period of my life," says Laudon after Zul rematerializes in the doorway. "I didn't have much of one. The majority of it I spent studying, practicing spells, and mastering my demonic powers. Always working to get stronger and smarter. And what is it that I received for having been so blindly obedient from the moment I took my first breath? A single twenty-minute trip to Edreial."

Zul quietly steps forward to approach Laudon's desk, his movements quiet despite his heavy weight and warrior-like build. He gently places Laudon's cloak on the desk, eyeing the prince warily.

"I have never heard you speak like this before," says Zul. "May I ask why you suddenly appear to be so full of... resentment today? And is there anything I can do to help alleviate it?"

"No." Laudon exhales loudly, running a hand through his long, raven-colored hair. "There comes a point in our lives when we wake up one day and realize we aren't as happy as we thought we were." Laudon meets Zul's matching black eyes. "Today, I finally woke up."

Zul takes a moment to respond. "I am sorry to hear that you have been having such a difficult time, my prince. I know firsthand just how challenging your upbringing was, and I once again apologize for having inadvertently turned a blind eye to your suffering. Please, forgive me."

"No need to be so dramatic." Laudon chuckles. "All is forgiven, my friend."

"Thank you," Zul says, then pauses. "I hope you understand that your father and I are only overprotective because we care. Regardless of whatever his reasons are for him not wanting you to leave Hell, after hearing what all you've had to say, I would like to offer my support."

Laudon raises a questioning brow.

"For your trip to Edreial," Zul clarifies. "You have proven yourself to be an exemplary leader, and if your father attempts to give you noise for taking a well-deserved break, because it is not about if but when he finds out you've left Hell, I swear I will do my best to convince him you meant no harm."

"I would appreciate that, Zul. Thank you for not disappointing me."

Ultimately, Zul cannot physically stop Laudon from leaving Hell. Second to his father, Laudon is the most powerful being in the underworld. He is the son of the almighty Lucifer, the first fallen angel turned demon king. The blood running through his veins is not the same as that which runs through Hell's inhabitants. Laudon's blood is 100% demonic. Pure evil. That counts for something. Unlike Zul, Laudon is not worried about getting into any trouble on Edreial. He has been in countless battles in Hell, and he has yet to come out on the losing end.

Then again, Laudon has never tussled with an angel before. Regardless of how well he can fight, it's a well-known fact that God's warriors can be just as ruthless as demons, if not more.

"A bit of advice," Zul starts as Laudon stands to put on his cloak, a required piece to complete the invisibility spell. "Do not underestimate the humans. They are not as weak as we once thought."

Laudon smirks. "Good. I always did enjoy a challenge."