How long had he been wandering through this lightless and empty void? One aeon? Two? A million? Did it even matter at this point? Of course not. Time as humans knew it was a meaningless thing to an eternal being such as him, this much Samael knew all too well. Why it was almost as meaningless as whatever mundane and utterly banal passtimes those same hairless apes enjoyed partaking in, yet the latter had been of some use to him even then. A man could not declare himself king without a realm and subjects to rule, nor a lineage to proclaim, and while he had the first and the last in excess, it was that second part which drove him so. Samael had sworn in those ageless halls, in the days before time itself had even began, before the face of his father and the face of his brother that he would rule all one way or another. That was why he hunted man, why he tempted him so.

For humans were nothing if not easily swayed towards whatever destructive or impulsive whims they happened to have in mind at any given moment; this despite being made in the image of a supposedly infallible and ineffable god. To the point where they would sign away all that they were to him just to keep chasing the next high. How fortunate they were, then, to have a king as gracious as he. One who would fulfill their each and every desire in exchange for their immortal souls. A steep price for many, but a meager sum for those whose lustful exuberances ensured they walked forevermore with one foot in the grave. Granted, it wasn't always that easy. Especially not with the subtle approach he took. Most took years to corrupt, while the more morally upstanding ones took even longer than that, though they all gave way in the end - just like the earth to water. That was part of the reason why he had made his way through the primordial chaos between worlds in the first place, to find new souls to hunt now that those residing within his universe had dragged themselves to the endless pleasures-and gilded chains-of Hell at long last.

To that end he called forth his sword-a jet of flame so bright and so pure that it turned even the all-encompassing night of the void to day-and parted the un-space which lay around him, opening a rift just large enough for a man of average height to pass through. His target had been carefully chosen from the start, for it was a strange nexus that should not have existed to begin with, one that managed to attract all manner of folk from as many walks of life as there were grains of sand in the sea. That alone made it the perfect hunting ground so far as he was concerned, and the fact that it was an establishment which lowered one's inhibitions was merely icing on the proverbial cake. Nevertheless, he passed over, lighting upon the muddy road that lay on the other side.

With nary more than a thought he dispelled the weapon-having no further use for it at the moment-and straightened his attire. Checking that everything was in the right place, he set off down the winding path a moment later, though calling it such lended it more credence than it truly deserved. It really was little more than the vaguest outline of a road snaking off into the distance, one that any mortal would be lucky not to wind up lost on. The journey took some time by an outsider's estimation, yet for the angel himself it had passed in the blink of an eye. Resting his hand against the tavern's weathered door, Samael pushed it aside and stepped into the warmth beyond. A quick glance was all he spared the building's patrons as he proceeded to the bar to order a drink-one caught very little by brooding ominously in the shadows after all-though it was more than enough time for him to get the measure of them.

More than a few weren't human. A surprise to be sure, but not an altogether unmanageable one. The rest were varying degrees of human or mortal. Some more advanced, some less, yet all equally enticing prey.