This is an updated version of an image I did awhile back. Seraph Dancing on the Tip. And this is not the story of Our Damsel, Vivianna. No, it is the story of the seraph, Duskur, Vivianna's constant companion. Duskur of the angelic wings and glittering halo. A closer examination of Duskur will inform the inspector that she's no angel! Duskur, you see, was one of the "rabble of devilkin." She was a powerful diabolical fiend who aspired to be Queen of the Erinyes. But Duskur was also vain and headstrong. She refused many an offer to be the consort of one of the Dukes or Lords of Hell. So she found herself cast out of Hell’s Hierarchy, to wander alone. Alone with her beautiful singing voice, her undead hordes, and such fiends as would follow her. Also outcasts. Vivianna, our heroine, fights the darkness not only with sword, spell, and song, but she prides herself on fighting it by redeeming spirits from the darkness. Perhaps Vivianna redeemed Duskur with her beautiful, lilting singing voice? Oh, no, my friend. Duskur then was far too jealous for that. Duskur only found her own singing voice beautiful. The song of others filled her with rage and wroth in the days of her wanderings. No, no. Somehow Duskur had found herself indebted to a diabolical diety. Ba’al. Ba’al knew his future fate, and was creating spawn of his seed to one day be reborn. He had chosen Vivianna to bare his seed and become one of these. But it had to be done with care, for Vivianna’s purity and innocence was also required to remain intact, to forge another bond, which was also part of Ba’al’s plotting schemes. He, Ba’al, tasked our beauteous Duskur with ensnaring Vivianna so that Ba’al could fulfill his schemes. Duskur followed through with Ba’al’s orders. Though an outcast, Duskur was a diabolical agent. As such her word remained her bond. She could not, would not, break the letter of her contract of service with Ba’al. But she seethed in her bond to him. She resented her servitude and hated him with a passion that outshone all the other, many, hatreds that filled her spirit. She sought ways to thwart and subvert Ba’al’s aims. What became of our young damsel, Vivianna, in all of this? Well, the full story is a story for another time, and will be told in detail. For now just know that Duskur partly failed, and partly succeeded. But Ba’al was no blind fool. He learned of this, and, being a powerful divinity of the underworld, stripped Duskur of most of her powers and cast her out. He gave Duskur some final words (what were these? Also a tale for another time) and sent her tumbling to the material plain. Where Duskur found Our Damsel’s body and soul. Duskur, poor Duskur. An outcast of the Hells, yet a being of order. A being of order and hierarchy with no hierarchy to belong to. Insuferable! For reasons of her own, Duskur decided to enter Vivianna’s service. To be her familiar and one of her guardian spirits (Ninshubur, who you shall meet another time, is Vivianna’s genius and another guardian and companion). In the company of this bright damsel, Duskur finds herself reconsidering things. She is realizing she rather did not like Hell so much. The sunlit promise Vivianna holds appeals to her. Indeed she even finds Our Damsel’s singing…not grating. Soothing even. The spirit and life and vivacity Vivianna has, despite all that she has gone through and done, is inspiring. She finds their adventures together, their ventures, not just enriching but enjoyable and stimulating. She even finds the company of another, for reasons other than using that person for her own ends, dare she say it, good. Perhaps Duskur can be angelic after all. Can a dark spirit that has been in the underworld for untold aeons be reformed? Redeemed? That is part of a rather long tale. But for now, Duskur dances in the company of the swordmaiden she calls friend. Thanks for looking. Please like and comment. This image is an updated version of one I did before. I tweeked a lot of things. I hope you find them to be improvements! Also, before you ask: Vivianna is an innocent and pure maiden here. She even has the seal on her hip to prove it! The sanctified seal’s inscription says so!