“He runs a business, like anyone else.”
“Abul, your uncle sells bombs to people!”
“He donates a portion of his profits to Nagao simply because of their allegiance with the Shikon; the Elder could not protect his people without the assistance of the one you are soon to meet.”
“I-I…”
“You didn’t know, of course.”
We slowed as the cruiser ascended toward what appeared to be only a lone peak standing among other towering formations.
“Brace yourself, Tavon…” The demon prince warned.
--
Abul understood that my encounter with the other realm was inevitable and so said nothing, allowing me to experience what happened next for myself…
Considering I could handle it.
It’s as though the world around me began to dissipate, disconnected from itself in a manifestation of chaotic static. Reality broke away around me, and I became fearful for my own sanity. Was I finally losing my grip after having killed Dfari?
White wisps of smoke bellowed in the hollow expanse abounding, and the sky softened to a light, foreboding grey crowded with dense and unending clouds overseeing lands entirely blackened and barren.
Before me, a tear emerged in the empty space and grew to implode in a variety of hues so vibrant that I collapsed in order to collect my will to confront this new world. But now, I couldn’t even remember who I was.
I peered down and gasped upon noticing that my hands had become almost formless, perpetually fading as they became misshapen deformities I no longer recognized.
“TAVON!” A voice boomed in my ear.
I rapidly turned to see Abul engulfed in flames and losing his own form as he stared at me with a grim expression. The cruiser dissolved to leave us suspended in this new world with nothing but thick clouds to stand upon, and now I could feel memories being pulled to the forefront:
Uban, Dfari, Beatrice… their faces rapidly flashed through my mind, among others. Eze remerged as a principally recurring vision.
I was trying to grasp on to something… to reach deep into my thoughts and discover how this all had suddenly happened to me. There wasn’t anything there, and I was forced to examine the years I’d been conscious. It broke my spirit, and I felt nauseous as I attempted to keep from fainting.
“Tavon!” Abul’s voice echoed again, normal this time. “Still yourself—this is not a place meant for humans!”
“Abul! Abul!” I screamed while pointing toward the colossal body of an elongated monstrosity obscuring the skies above us. The massive creature resembled a centipede spiraling and crawling as it sped its ascension into the atmosphere.
“Do not show weakness here, Tavon!”
“B-But…” I began sweating profusely and couldn’t keep myself from shaking. “Is this all real?! I-I’m not insane? —Why do my memories—they keep coming back!”
In full force, past images of those I’d known in my time growing up became increasingly prominent and placed a burden on my shoulders that I couldn’t shake…
Until Abul placed a reassuring hand on my back. “You don’t have to be so afraid… not one like you.” His voice had started to resonate and retained a static intonation.
I turned toward the Shikon prince, but he quickly grabbed the back of my skull before thrusting my gaze in the other direction.
“I’ve become Revealed, Tavon… it’s not a comforting sight to those inexperienced. You are but a human, after all.”
In a sudden fit of rage, I jerked my arm back with enough force to push Abul away before retreating in order to regain my composure. I prepared to proceed into what I believed could quickly turn into a fight, the prince being known for his overwhelming pride, but I froze when I saw what he truly was…
Bright ruby, pupilless eyes glowed from a two-horned and completely darkened head. The rest of his composition was similar to his humanoid figure but emitted black particles which bonded with the air around us as they faded into the atmosphere. It was as if a small storm gathered around my companion’s figure, speaking volumes of his own incredible talents I’d yet to see for myself.
The demon seemed appalled and exclaimed, “You can actually look at me?! The Shikon Prince?!”
My emotions, extremely volatile upon being exposed to this reality, had quickly drained away once I’d accepted that I’d need to fight…
But Abul… he wasn’t my enemy.
“I can see you.” I said flatly. “There. Now tell me where we are.”
Eze’s smiling face was hovering behind him. I hated it, but I ignored the aberration, even when fang abruptly protruded from his mouth and blood began to leak from eyes which rolled into the back of his head. He was still smiling.
Abul smirked, and, in an instant, his voice grew deeper into a growling bellow as he continued to speak, “Naizo believes himself to be the one conducting negotiations with my uncle, but vehicles are always vetted by him long before passing through…” He paused. “Do you understand now?”
“Not quite.”
“You will.”
Though there appeared to be no visible ground on which we stood, the two of us were thrown as the world around us began to quake furiously.
“He’s here!” I heard Abul shout as he scurried to get to his feet.
The area surrounding us continued to tremble as a black sphere formed at the base of the mountain looming before us. This entity doubled in size within a brief period of time, devouring all life inherent in the wind during its transfiguration.
It began as what seemed to be a tree growing only from a rock, which expanded to absorb the ground on which we were standing. I quickly realized that my own mind had deceived me…
It wasn’t a tree, but something was keeping me from comprehending it as a grotesque extremity struggled to reach out as an extension of this form. It started to bleed before transitioning to reveal itself as a pulpy mass supported by a malformed skeletal system and muscular portions of its body that pulsated under dark veins. At the height of the abomination, I witnessed a very human face—one which appeared lifeless and hung loosely off the demon’s neck. The face sifted between the despairing expressions of Dfari, Beatrice… Vice, Little… Eze again.
It hurt.
Looking at it… my mind burned as if it had been set on fire.
From the depths of the creature’s stomach, it screamed at a pitch powerful enough to burst my eardrums before I was compelled to spectate as protrusions forced their way through several different segments of its body.
Blood seeped from deep wounds formed as thin appendages ripped through the creature’s skin and soared across the breadth of the scene before sharply coming down to force its body into suspension above the ground. The demon now closely resembled an arachnid, and as part of the final stage of its growth, a gap in the creature’s throat parted to expose a small, blackened head containing no distinguishable features—not even a definable mouth other than rows upon rows of elongated, thick and rotten teeth which bared themselves at me through a repugnant mandible leaking saliva. Before I had time to react, one of the appendages thrusted outward and curled itself around me before hefting me up in the air as a voice echoed its laughter in my mind.
“Oh, Abul!” It growled. “You’ve the kindness to bring a sacrifice to your elders! It looks delicious!”
The creature twirled my form before its terrible, gaping maw.
Some demons love to eat humans.
“UNCLE!!!” Abul’s voice momentarily blared even louder than his relative’s. “A SACRIFICE HE IS NOT! PUT HIM DOWN!”
I sensed rage as the demon breathed in and out and seemed to moan disturbingly from within its writhing form. It dropped me, and I hit the earth with a thud overshadowed by the creature’s wail of disappointment.
“And here I thought you’d changed!” The uncle stabbed one of his appendages into the ground furiously.
“His name is Tavon,” Abul retorted while standing resolutely
against a demon immensely larger than himself. “He’s a family friend.”
“A human is now a family friend!?” The demon bellowed in astonishment. “Why consult with such an inferior and not simply eat him—can you still change your mind, nephew?! We can share him if you want—”
“Absolutely not. We simply came to complete the transaction.”
The great demon remained silent for a time before beginning again… this time in a slow, deliberate manner as he spoke to his family. “Abul… you don’t know?”
“What are you on about, uncle?”
The demon sighed. “I suppose it is a matter to be discussed in private.”
“We are in private!”
“Ease your mind, Abul…”
The demon’s figure began to softly fade as he suddenly spoke in a more respectful manner. “It is good to see you again.”
“Wait!” Abul pleaded. “What do you have to tell me that’s so very important? Why can’t you tell me now?”
“Prince of the Shikon clan…” The uncle started. “This is not something to be spoken of in front of outsiders—in fact, the existence of one who can see us is an insult, Abul; you should dispose of such an insult if you wish to maintain our integrity!”
“You are not the one to tell me as I should do!” Abul shouted defiantly.
But his relative continued to disappear into what was merely an outline as the scenery surrounding us once again began to alter itself, and he sighed.
“It really…” I began. “That thing…”
“Uncle Muromusz.” Abul replied in his human voice. “He belongs to an older lineage, Tavon. An almost entirely different species on its own. Muromusz…” Abul clenched his fists just as his normal appearance returned. “He’s a savage.” The demon declared.
“Did he take us to his world?”
When I’d finally felt enough strength return to peer around, I noticed that we were back on the cruiser and now slowly gliding through a heavy darkness on our approach to the real dwelling of Muromusz.
“He vetted us, Tavon. In his line of work, he remains successful by bringing customers into a different dimensional plane before ‘negotiating’ with them in person.” Abul sighed, “As you can imagine, humans in a more vulnerable state of mind are often manipulated, used, and broken by him—it’s how he maximizes his personal profit.”
I breathed in heavily before feeling myself eventually able to hold a conversation once again after the experience. “That’s why he chose the mountains.”
“They are the eastern outskirts of Gaspul; Muromusz is able to see everything. That monster exploits those who often undergo what would’ve just been temporary moments of weakness…”
“I don’t think I completely understand,” I admitted.
“We’re almost there now,” he replied without skipping a beat. “More will be made clear to you about the true nature of everything the Nagao have done and accomplished up to this point.”
I took a moment to let that sink in after having almost being eaten.
“I think it’s time for you to see the full extent of the operation.”
--
“You brought the idiot?” Naizo inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Abul and I stood on a metallic walkway with the Nagao Prince as we proceeded toward a cave that had been reinforced and used as the headquarters of Muromusz’s private business. Except… there wasn’t really a whole lot of décor to go along with the old demon’s living area. We were slowly approaching what appeared to be another walkway overlooking the beginnings of a factory.
“To my surprise,” Abul responded, “Tavon has proven to be Nagao’s greatest weapon.”
“Perhaps we sent the wrong challenger to face Mendo then.” Naizo retorted.
We proceeded down a long path revealing several connexes being shifted toward the exit by various construction vehicles. I attempted to look inside of them to see who worked for the demon, but the barrier windows to every vessel had been tinted. We proceeded farther to view vaults seeming to guard even more stockpiled goods by the profit-oriented entity.
“Do we take the left or—”
The walkway split into two different paths, and we looked to the left to see numerous naked individuals with their hands bound as they were led throughout the factory.
Just as we noticed the victims, a pale man in an old suit approached us and seemed desperate to draw our attention away from Muromusz’s slaves.
“Welcome to my master’s home.” The man spoke in a very monotone voice. His eyes didn’t stare at us directly and sat lifeless in a face that most likely hadn’t been washed in months and was plastered in a light film of dirt.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Abul asked in astonishment.
“It’s…” Naizo beamed at the butler. “It’s amazing.”
Abul and I looked at each other while almost rolling our eyes in unison.
Naizo continued praising the hollow man. “A base so discrete and well-kept… your master has outdone himself this time! And he’s multiplied his labor force—enough men to maybe put us at odds with the Meiziki!”
“Calm down, Naizo.” Abul said.
“Elder Nagao, once the war is over—and your uncle could assure our victory.” Naizo smiled earnestly at him.
His personal depravity was starting to match Dfari’s; he was willing to do anything to win.
--
We were led before a metallic door in the shape of an octagon that dwarfed our collective figures as we waited for the butler to explain.
“Master Muromusz is the only one allowed access through this door; he’s a very private man, after all!”
“I don’t think ‘man’ is what you meant to say.” Naizo said curtly.
“Excuse me?” The butler seemed genuinely confused before staring forlornly in the distance.
“Hello?” Abul looked at him in shock before his expression became more serious as he focused his own mind. “Hmph.” He shook his head. “He’s been brainwashed so thoroughly that nothing remains of himself.”
“What?!” Naizo’s eyes grew wide. “You mean this isn’t really him?” He waved a hand in front of the butler’s frozen statue of a body.
“Sometimes a person can be manipulated to perform one incorrigible action before they return.” Abul replied. “… Still, there are some humans who become so corrupted that they lose themselves.”
“Some humans?”
“Naizo!” I almost shouted. “Shut up!”
The Prince rapidly turned to me, embracing his full fury, and—
Metallic panels parted before us to expose a small-framed, older figure who was meek in appearance…
As he limped forward weakly, I gasped before freezing in terror.
“What?” Naizo exclaimed. “What’s wrong, idiot!?”
It was same face from before.
Muromusz’s dead face hanging from the top of his abominable form… the first lifeless visage I’d viewed belonged to his human form, which showed itself to be disturbing in its own fashion.
Muromusz possessed eyes unable to move on their own, with one pupil shuddering and twitching by itself as he drooled and spoke behind rows of molars rotted far beyond recovery. “Y-y-y-you’ve… f-f-finally come.” He managed to utter.
Naizo stared at him in repugnance. “And who might you be?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Muromusz quickly glared at the Nagao heir, compelling him to become motionless in place as he was psychologically disabled and subsequently trapped in his own subconscious.
Muromusz looked back to us, and his voice altered as he growled, “Such disrespect… I should make him into a meal.” He snarled. “Although there’s no meat on his bones—unlike your companion there.”
“Enough.” Abul demanded, maintaining his human form out of a courteous respect for me. “You are forbidden from eating ANY of the Nagao—especially their next leader!”
Muromusz laughed demonically. “This leader is
nothing close to the caliber of their Elder. The REAL Elder Nagao wouldn’t allow himself to become ensnared by his own weak mind.”
“Regardless of that,” Abul had become irritated with his relative, “you understand very well what we’ve come for—”
“And I’m having my men load everything up as we speak. This is simply a formality I’ve graciously granted all of you.”
“Are your ‘men’ all brainwashed?” I asked boldly. “Are they… gone?”
Muromusz glance at me was very insect-like, and he grinned with a wicked expression. “Gang members aren’t supposed to show compassion; what are dead slaves to you, kid?” He edged closer. “The ones who lose themselves the most… I eat them.”
I backed away in disgust.
I’d met someone I could hate beyond any other, a genuine monster possessing nothing but some nihilistic intent.
“Muromusz.” Abul began. “What was it you had to tell me?”
The old demon, his attention now completely drawn away from me, quickly displayed a more somber attitude. “We must speak in private—away from the two of them.”
Muromusz broke Naizo’s delusions, freeing the prince who then sank to the floor in his exhaustion. The two demons walked into Muromusz’s quarters, letting the door seal our groups off from each other.
Naizo looked up at me while covered in sweat. “What?” He exclaimed. “Why don’t you get me a fucking towel, dumbass! Can’t you see that the heir to the Nagao is distressed! —W-where did Muromusz go!?”
“Relax, Naizo.”
“Excuse me!?” The prince leapt up before forcefully shoving me. “I am your prince, Tavon—or would you like for me to strip you of your title as well?” He shouted in my face.
I didn’t back down, and I didn’t let myself get angry so that I’d fall into the same trap as Rokshasa.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not getting you a towel… Prince Nagao.”
“Tch.” Naizo punched the wall next to me. “Such insubordination!” He then walked away in a huff while turning his back to me as he said, “There will be plenty of changes being implemented across the family, rest assured. I will make it so that your only desire is to serve me.”
--
An hour later, all cargo had been placed within our cruiser, and we were ready to depart from Muromusz’s center of operations in Gaspul. As our cruiser ascended into the sky once again, Abul and I were able to catch a view of both the plains and mostly desert region encompassing the sprawling landscape of the vassal nation; it was a beautiful country.
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