A waitress arrived with a platter of steaming meat and vegetables and gave them two plates for serving. Lyric overpaid her with the last of his cash and asked her to secure the keys to their rooms. She disappeared without a word and Lyric and Cadence set to their meal.
While he ate, Lyric watched Cadence watch the room. He noticed a methodical movement to her eyes as they casually scanned each group, never staying for long on one. She looked up expectantly and he followed her gaze. One of Acheron's card-playing friends approached their table.
"How much for your whore for the night?"
"Um, she's not my whore. You can help yourself for all I care."
"Really? Great!" He turned and hurried back to the table.
"WHAT!?" Acheron's voice raised in outrage. Lyric watched her approach the table and kept his face carefully neutral. "You said I'm free?"
"Um, I told him you're not my whore, what's the problem?"
Acheron leaned close and hissed at him.
"First off, as a matter of principle alone, a night with me is priceless you ignorant ass. Second, they would happily pay a ludicrous amount of money for me; they all just made a fat wad of cash working for a local political type. Third, I'm not free! There's always a price for demon pleasures, and since your damned soul song officially puts me subordinate to you, you are responsible for the price they would have paid had you not offered me to them for free. Last, but not least, you colossal moron, demonic contracts are always bad for you. You are now completely screwed until payment is rendered." Looking over at Cadence she said, "you're going to have to stay with him tonight, I have seven free favors to perform. I will hold you responsible for every scrape or bruise he gets while in your care." With that, she spun on her heel and stalked back to her new friends. The last thing Lyric heard was, "okay boys, we're going to need a safe word."
"Well that doesn't bode well for my future does it?" Lyric sighed.
Cadence shrugged and went back to her meal.
* * *
Lyric lay awake in the bed. Cadence had refused to take it and sat erect at its foot with her knives resting on her knees. A sound at the window had her back to the wall in a flash, waiting expectantly. The instant she moved from the bed a translucent wall of yellow light surrounded it and a portly man in a mustard yellow suit poofed into existence at its foot, sitting cross-legged with a bored expression on his face and a large, official looking book in his lap. Lyric sat up in alarm and froze unable to move.
"What the hell. ..?" His voice suddenly choked off as the small man looked at him in alarm and waved a hand.
"What the hell Indeed! You're a Singer? She didn't tell me you were a Singer. Fantastic, we never get our hooks into you bastards!" The excited gleam in the man's eye was not encouraging.
Cadence was on the other side of the wall beating at it furiously. Lyric could not hear the sound of her attack.
"Don't worry about her; she can't get through that barrier. My name is Race Widoc. Now, just to be official, you are Lyric of the Soul Singers Guild are you not? Don't try to speak, just nod." The small man conferred with the book in his lap.
Lyric found himself nodding involuntarily.
"You are responsible for Acheron, the Demoness?"
Again, Lyric nodded, though he tried not to. This man, no, this demon was forcing his responses.
"You offered her services for one night to seven men. Is that correct?"
Lyric nodded again helplessly.
"You have the right to waive responsibility and place it on Acheron so she must pay the price. Would you like to do so?"
Against his will, Lyric found himself shaking his head no.
"Very well, you're responsible to Hell for the price of a major demoness seven times. Rather than the standard pricing and requirements, considering the nature of who you are and who Acheron is, we will waive the normal fees and offer this deal instead. We will ask you for seven favors in the future. Small matters that will not harm you in any way. If you refuse any of the seven, you will be responsible for the original price. Do you accept our terms?" Widoc gestured at Lyric and he found himself able to move and speak.
"I do not. What are my options?"
"The original price is your only other option; I drag you bodily to Hell where you will be tortured by seven angry demons for all eternity. I have a list here somewhere of their standard tortures, then there are daily specials," the small demon went through his pockets as he spoke. "Sometimes they let me watch. One of my favorites is burning off your skin. In addition, since you'll be entering Hell alive, you'll suffer on multiple levels. Your tortures should be excruciating!" Lyric was disgusted at the glee in his voice.
"What if I banish you to Hell and refuse both options?"
Widoc shrugged.
"Go ahead." Lyric opened his mouth to sing and found he could not. The demon smiled. "My power inside this bubble is absolute; it is fed by all the cowardice of mankind. You can't sing your way out of this."
Cadence had stopped beating the yellow wall and now was using various weapons to try to cut through it. The situation was so weird Lyric found his thoughts remarkably mundane, like wondering where she kept all these weapons since her clothing was snug and really would not hide such bulky items.
"Aaaah, there it is. You are clinging to unrelated questions to stave off the inevitable. Take your time; the reality will set in soon enough."
A flurry of movement distracted them both as Acheron entered the room and immediately set on the yellow barrier. The little demon blanched as her first strike caused his shield to shudder. Lyric smiled.
"That’s Acheron; she draws her power from all of Hell. I’m pretty sure she has more juice than you do. Want to rethink any of your offers?"
Widoc's lazy attitude evaporated and he looked back at Lyric angrily.
"Let me explain to you how this goes, Singer. Acheron is strong enough to give me a bad day, but even she cannot trump this. You choose before she comes through or I choose for you, and frankly, I don't have the patience to wait for seven favors, regardless of that bitch's promises. I figure you have twenty seconds before Acheron breaks through. I'll give you ten before I decide for you and take both you and your pretty, mute bodyguard on a one-way trip. Ten, nine, three, two. .."
"The favors!" Lyric shouted just as the barrier shattered and Acheron came through reaching for Race Widoc who grinned and vanished in a cloud of sulfur.
"DAMMIT!!" Acheron shrieked and vanished in a flash of black leaving behind the familiar scent of lilacs.
"Told you this was going to end poorly." Lyric said to Cadence. She sighed and nodded.
* * *
"Joe?"
"I don't know his real name," this was the eighth person Lyric had asked about the Prophet Man since Cadence and he had left the Dancing Demon that morning, Acheron still hadn't reappeared. This was also the first person who had not immediately said: "No" and then walked away.
"Prob'ly Joe." The man kept rocking and smoking his pipe. A lot of people seemed to smoke pipes around here Lyric thought.
"You're not from around here are you?" Lyric guessed. Compared to the rest of the town, this guy was a chatterbox.
"Nope, I'm an import, can't tell you much about the area, but I heard o' this fella Joe, lives down at the jam. Kinda crazy, but people do go see him for advice and whatnot."
"The Jam?" Why did that ring a bell?
"Yup, narrow part of the river south of the town where junk gets all jammed up. There's a fella lives down there, keeps it cleared, Joe lives on the other side of the river, laughin', dancin', carryin' on like a lunatic."
"So if we follow the river south of town eventually we'll find it?"
"You'll have to travel through the woods, but you should be able to make it in two days."
"Thank you, sir, you've been most helpful."
"My pleasure, son, always nice to talk in complete sentences. You be careful in those trees. Whisper in the wind is there's a real demon out there
. Wouldn't want to get mixed up with the likes of them."
Lyric smiled.
"Indeed."
* * *
Johaus dropped the waitress' broken body into the water. Keith sat on the edge of the bridge looking out over the bayou. His annoyance was imperceptible to the eye. Of course, Johaus felt it and tended to act out. Keith had not actually told him to kill the girl, but appreciated his initiative.
Their quarry had been through the town, but had left yesterday. The waitress had no idea where they had gone. The demoness Johaus was able to track, but she had disappeared completely. Lisian assured him they would find the boy here, and if not, not to worry because she had an ace in the hole. Apparently, another contract she had was to converge with the boy. She was going to give him a bomb to deliver to this Prophet who annoyed her king. When the prophet man was blown up, it would send a flare up that would guide Normvy to Lyric.
She had a tribe of ogres who would hold the demoness so she could not interfere.
Now he had to wait for his mistress' instructions. Not his favorite past time. Gritting his teeth, he caught Johaus' eye and jerked his head at a portly man walking quickly toward them with a pipe clenched in his teeth.
"Go ahead, Jo, have fun."
The Verger lumbered to intercept the pedestrian.
12 SEVEN EASY PAYMENTS
Cadence led the way as they followed the river south out of Sta Catoe in search of the Prophet Man.
"Oof!"
That's the sound made by one full-grown man when he is hit in the gut by one-half of a tree. There probably would have been more said but Lyric was preoccupied with flying through the air. He saw Cadence turn, knives in hand, right before he fell into the river.
Lyric's head submerged and he swallowed a good amount of river water and what he hoped was just a tadpole. Finding the bottom with his feet, he launched himself toward the surface only to find himself face to snout with an enormous crocodile.
Crocodile? This was Louisiana, this must be a gator.
Looking into its eyes, he was shocked to see human not reptilian eyes looking back at him. The enormous maw opened wide. In Lyric's opinion, it looked wide enough to swallow a house. Lyric considered the size of the beast and the pointed snout and decided it was definitely a crocodile...
The croc stood up on back legs that were far too long and reached for him with arms that did not at all resemble crocodile legs.
Okay, it’s a crocodile man Lyric thought swimming backward in a hurry. Thankfully, water was a comfortable environment for him. The majority of his third measure was spent in the water trying to get up the nerve to make bad choices with Morgan. During their flirting, he spent a lot of time learning how to manipulate water with his voice.
Lyric sang, loud and hard. The water swirled around him and four-foot waves began to build, slamming into the giant beast. It held on for a moment but the waves grew. It sank into the water and tried to swim against the fierce current Lyric was producing. Lyric was familiar with this trick and switched his song, creating a powerful undertow that lifted the croc back to the surface and sent it splashing backwards. As it turns out giant crocodile men cannot do much about thousands of pounds of water hammering them into submission.
Lyric made his way to the shore to see Cadence locked in combat with a huge brute of a man. Ogre, Lyric thought immediately, easily identified by his enormous size, small head and the fact he had moss growing on his skin in several places... She moved fast as lightning, but her knives were barely scratching the tough hide. As she danced away from a ponderous but powerful blow, she dropped the knives and drew her sword. Standing still she waited, sword ready. The huge club the creature carried crashed downward and she leapt aside at the last moment and delivered an incredible two-handed blow, which severed the ogre's hand at the wrist. The club smashed into the ground and the ogre howled in pain. Reaching for the club with his other hand Cadence stepped on his reaching hand and placed the sword gently against his wrist. The ogre looked into her eyes and she shook her head. Wailing, the stupid brute turned and lumbered off into the trees.
Cadence turned to look for Lyric. Upon seeing him and without the slightest change of expression she whipped a large throwing knife from beneath her shirt and in one fluid motion hurled it at Lyric. It happened so fast he didn't even have time to blink. A wet thud sounded close behind him and a roar of pain startled him forward several steps to turn and see the crocodile man had returned and the hilt of Cadence's knife protruded from its right eye socket.
Snarling the monster rushed past Lyric on all fours, heading for Cadence, who was obviously the immediate threat. The small warrior met the crocodile's charge with one of her long knives in hand. Cadence exhibited a complete lack of concern as the beast crashed into her. She went slack and allowed herself to be borne to the ground. The inertia created by the monster's weight and speed coupled with the slickness of its wet skin carried it over the top of her prone body. At that moment, a twist of her wrist brought the knife straight up and into the croc's exposed throat and underbelly. The sharp knife sliced it open from top to bottom. Before it realized what had happened the giant reptile leapt to its feet and gravity finished Cadence's job. Lyric watch in horrible fascination as the Crocodile's insides became its outsides.
The angry monster snarled at them with hate and what Lyric would have sworn was relief before it succumbed to its injuries and collapsed in death.
"I'm back," said a familiar weary voice. Lyric and Cadence turned to see Acheron stepping out of the trees. The beautiful demoness was shredded, bruises, cuts, scrapes covered her body from head to toe.
"What the hell happened?" Lyric asked.
"Awww, Lover, you almost sound worried." A glimpse of her dazzling smile shone through her split lip and swollen jaw. Cadence turned away from the demoness and began collecting her fallen weapons.
"I am worried. Every time you take off on your own, you come back beat to hell, not an impressive record for one of the most powerful demons in existence. Plus, I feel like this is partly my fault."
"Umm, this is completely your fault."
"I'm sorry," Lyric said, sincerely regretting his foolish words at the inn.
"I wouldn't have received such a complete ass kicking if we weren't apart like that." Acheron said as she approached him and her wounds began healing.
“I thought you said distance didn’t matter for us.”
“If our tie was friendly, it wouldn’t matter. The tie has to be in harmony for it to operate the way it is supposed to. After what you did to me during our sparring session, I'm leaning closer to the "I want to kill you" voice. Besides, you have so much innate resistance to me that it hampers the flow of our power. What should be a flood is a trickle, and unfortunately as long as you resist your attraction and affection for me it won’t be what it should be.”
Lyric thought carefully about how to respond to that.
“You are very beautiful and I cannot help the physical attraction I feel for you. But it doesn’t mean I am attracted to you, Acheron. And I do not feel any affection for you whatsoever. I am repelled by your very nature. The fact that you are so seductive is part of what makes me hate you and it outweighs any desire on my part. If this is impacting our tie I don’t know how to fix it, as I cannot embrace any aspect of our relationship as positive.”
“Well then, it seems we’ll simply have to stay close to one another, Lover. I can’t leave you without one or both of us getting our asses handed to us.”
Lyric felt a surge of power as she drew nearer and in a matter of moments, she was again flawless, except for the issue of her being a minion of Hell. Cadence returned from cleaning her knives and sword on the grass and stood near Lyric.
“You saved me again, thank you.” He said to her.
Cadence smiled and secreted her weapons about her person.
“I wonder why they attacked us.” Lyric said before thinking, Acheron and Cadence both looked at him as if he was simple and
finally Cadence pointed at him.
“Of course, bounty on the demon singer.” Lyric joked humorlessly. “This sucks. Demons, contracts, hellhounds, vampires, missing towns, goblins, yetis, ogres and crocodile men. It's as if the entire supernatural world is gunning for me." Acheron had walked over to the dead croco-man and was looking it over.
“She’s not a crocodile.”
“It's a she? What is she?”
Acheron pulled open the beast’s eye with her thumb.
"She’s been shapeshifted. See the eye? She’s naturally a human, someone has been playing mad scientist with her. If she was an actual shifter, she’d have shifted fully, and possess the musculature of an actual crocodile. Look at her legs and arms. Human muscles, only much bigger. She must be eighteen feet from nose to tail. Shifters can’t change mass. This was done to her. By someone who didn’t like her much either. This kind of manipulation had to be extremely painful.” Acheron sounded impressed. Probably professional respect Lyric thought sourly.
“Do you think it’s the same hellion that sent the hell hounds?”
“It’s possible,” Acheron admitted, “maybe your Prophet Man can tell us.”
"So what happened, where did you go?" Lyric asked as he picked up his backpack from where it had fallen among the reeds. They followed Cadence as she again headed east.
"I went to stop that little bastard Race Widoc. He set a trap for me, but I caught up to him on the Verge and flattened him." Lyric felt a surge of hope at that news. "Don't get excited, Lover, you already accepted responsibility for me, payment's due. Even I can't do anything about that. I just needed to take my rage out on something and I really don't like Race."
"If he's dead, doesn't that nullify the deal?"
"No, for two reasons. One, you can't kill a demon, we're immortal. I pounded him deep in Hell and sank him beneath my waves. It'll take him a long time to get out on his own.
“Reason two, Race is an Authority on contracts. He makes them, sells them and seals them. Once it's done, the contract is ironclad, I can abuse Race for a thousand years, but all of his contracts remain. The only one besides Trytohn with the juice to break one of Race's contracts is the Power of Bondage."
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