by Diem, J. C.
We drew back around a bend where we would be out of sight of the guards. “Did you see any way in?” I asked.
Sam shook his head. “Not this time. I could not see any critters keeping watch, though. That has to be a plus.”
I scanned the roof of the palace and couldn’t see any gargoyles or wyverns. I hadn’t seen any hellhounds patrolling the yard either. I sent a question to Morax. Do any of the demons know of a way inside?
No, he replied instantly. You are on your own this time.
“Great,” I muttered. “That’s always worked out so well in the past.” Sam sent me a quizzical look, but I didn’t have time to tell him about the conversation.
Seeing the final carriage approach, a hasty plan came to me. It was drawn by nags, so it belonged to a captain rather than a lord. I didn’t stop to think it through. I just grabbed Sam and darted over to the door. He gave me a startled look when I yanked it open and shoved him inside.
Cramming myself into the already overcrowded space, I pulled my dagger and stabbed the captain in the throat before she could shout an alarm. All five of her lackeys scrambled for the opposite door. “Stay where you are,” I snarled in my new gravelly voice and they all froze. I’d managed to make some lesser demons obey me once before. It happened again now. Their eyes glazed over and they became as wooden as robots.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Sam whispered as we rumbled through the entrance that led to the palace. Thick black curtains covered the windows and hid us from view.
“Nope, but it’s too late now,” I replied. We only had a short while to come up with a plan. “Can you make yourself look like a soldier, but make me look like the captain?”
He shrugged nervously. “I do not know. I have never tried to do anything that difficult before.”
“You have about twenty seconds to figure out if you can do it.”
Concentrating hard, he touched me and the captain. I shimmered and took on the deceased demon’s appearance. He then touched one of the soldiers and turned into an exact duplicate of him. “I cannot hold these illusions for long,” he said and his voice was strained.
“You can do this,” I told him with quiet confidence. The moment the carriage stopped, I pushed the door open and stepped out. Sam had to remain in contact with me in order to keep up the illusion. He scurried at my side, surreptitiously touching my arm. No one noticed that I had six minions instead of five as we headed past the guards and entered the palace.
Striding down the wide corridor as if I belonged there, I could see the throne room far ahead. A throng of demons blocked my view of the throne. Reaching a smaller hallway, I turned into it and my pack followed me.
Sam lost his hold on our illusions a few moments later and slumped against the wall in exhaustion. Putting an arm around him, I guided him into an empty room. “Have I told you lately how awesome you are?” I said and picked him up off the ground for a hug.
Too tired to hug me back, he hung limply in my arms. “No,” he replied. “You should make a point of saying it more frequently.”
It was true. I didn’t show him my appreciation often enough. I’d have to find a way to repay him for saving my hide so often.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Four
Slight movement in the shadows drew my attention and my dagger was suddenly in my hand. It didn’t glow, which meant I wasn’t in immediate danger. It was just an imp. He cowered away from me with his hands over his head. Dressed in a tattered loincloth, he peeked through his fingers when I didn’t stab him. His eyes widened when he saw my face and realized who and what I was. “Hellscourge?” he squeaked.
“That’s me,” I confirmed. “You’re not going to give us away, are you?”
He shook his head vehemently. “I know better than to incur your wrath.”
“Good. Then I won’t have to kill you.” Heads would roll today, but I didn’t want to kill a defenseless imp. He looked exactly like Sam had when we’d first met. His skin was as dark as a demon’s. He was bald and far too thin.
“Be careful, Hellscourge,” the imp warned me. “The Prince has gathered many of his minions together. They are all waiting for you in the throne room, ready to annihilate you both.” He gave Sam a sympathetic look when he paled slightly. “You have become the hero of our kind,” he said to my best friend.
“Me?” Sam said in surprise. “Why?”
“You freed yourself from your master and from hell itself. You chose to assist Hellscourge and put yourself in peril. You are the bravest imp that has ever existed.” Taking in Sam’s appearance, his awe increased. “Due to your selfless actions, you are doing what the rest of us can only dream of. You are redeeming yourself.”
Sam had to choke back his tears. “The rest of you could do the same,” he said when he’d regained control. “Help us and you will help yourselves.”
The imp shook his head sadly. “We are not strong like you. We are too afraid to stand up to our masters.”
“That’s okay,” I said to the twisted creature. “Sam was chosen by Fate to help me. I don’t expect anyone else to risk themselves.”
He was silent for a moment then looked at the blank eyed soldiers that stood behind me. “What do you intend to do?”
An idea came to me and I smiled widely. “I’m going to kill the Prince, but I’ll have to whittle down his lackeys first.” Thanks to Sy, I now knew a rune that might help me cut a lot of them down in a short space of time. “I need to get to the second floor and get as close as I can to the throne room.”
“I can sneak you upstairs without being seen,” he said and turned to the door. “Follow me.” His tone held fright and a hint of determination.
Sam took my hand as we hurried after our guide. He was ready to blend us in with the walls, but it wasn’t necessary. The imp skillfully avoided the guards and other servants that roamed the ground floor as he led us through the hallways. Reaching a corner, he didn’t take it, but instead pressed one of the rocks. To my surprise, a hidden door swung open to reveal a staircase that led upwards.
Seeing my astonishment, the imp waited for us to enter before he gave me an explanation. “There are hidden doorways in every palace,” he said. Pressing on another stone, the door swung back into place. “They were designed to be used as escape routes for the Princes, but we servants use them to stay out of sight as much as possible.”
“That’s pretty awesome,” I said and he grinned briefly. We climbed to the second floor and followed the imp through a complicated warren of hallways. He knew the palace like the back of his hand. We passed a couple more imps and they stared at us in awe.
“They will say nothing,” our guide assured us. “We hate our masters and secretly pray for their downfall.” That explained why he was willing to help us even though he was trembling in fear.
We reached the balcony that overlooked the throne room far more quickly than we would have if we’d been on our own. Sam crept forward and touched the slick black railing before he reached for me. I took his hand and we both became nearly invisible. A casual glance upwards from the throng below hopefully wouldn’t give us away.
I looked down at the throne and was disappointed to see that it was empty. Demon Lords, captains and soldiers crowded the space below. They were restless and some held their weapons ready.
A new lord entered from the back of the palace and came to a stop next to the throne. “Quiet!” he shouted and the hubbub died down. “Our Prince has been called away on an important matter,” he said in a self-important tone. “He will return in a few days, but he has left us instructions. Hellscourge is in the city and she will no doubt be on her way to the palace as I speak.” The noise started up again and he glared around until they went quiet. “Our Prince wants the intruders to be captured. They are to be placed in the dungeon to wait for his return.”
“He was not called away,” someone shouted. “He has fled like a coward!” Gasps rang out at the anonymous accusation. “Hellsco
urge has killed four Princes already and our master is next! We should flee before she arrives and unleashes her wrath on us all!”
Semi-hysteria began to sweep through the throng, but no one fled. Their fear of their ruler was too strong. He’d ordered them to capture me and they weren’t brave enough to defy him. The servants that we’d seen leave the city hadn’t been directly ordered to stay. They’d made their escape before they could be caught up in this directive.
Drawing Sam back, I motioned for him to give me the backpack. “What are you going to do?” he asked as I took the container of demon blood out.
“I’m going to use one of Sy’s runes to clear out the throne room,” I replied and grabbed a paintbrush. My hand was so large that it looked like a toy. “Hopefully, at least one of them will survive so they can tell us where their Prince is hiding. Can you camouflage us while I paint the rune on one of the pillars?” The pillars were spaced out every few yards and were probably in place to bolster the balcony. I would have preferred to paint the symbol on one of the wide circular columns that ran from the ground to the ceiling far above us, but they were too far away.
“I think so,” Sam replied.
We snuck back over to the railing and I listened with half an ear as the Demon Lord did his best to rally the troops. He was giving a speech about the rewards that they would receive once they took me into custody. No one seemed to be buying it.
As quickly as I could, I painted Sy’s rune on the pillar so it was facing the throne room. I had to lean out awkwardly to do it. Nervous sweat ran down my spine and I hoped no one would detect my movement. To me, my arm and the paintbrush blended in with the black stone, but the blood was clearly visible.
When I was finished, I sent a question to Sy. How does it look? All of the souls that resided inside me could see through my eyes when I was in hell. They were windows that they could peer through at will.
I could sense the scribe studying it. It is perfect, he said in anticipation. I am glad that you chose this particular rune to whittle down your foes. He was almost rubbing his hands in glee that he’d get to see one of his creations at work.
If it works the way you said it should, it will get the job done, I replied.
Pulling my dagger out when I was so close to my enemies would make it blaze with light, which would draw their attention. It wasn’t necessary to use my own blood to activate the symbol when I had a container of demon blood at hand. I dipped a finger in it then reached out and placed my hand on the rune. Scarlet light flared and eyes flicked upwards. The lords could sense the magic. “What rune is that?” one of them asked. Sam had drawn me back and made us blend in with the wall. My minions and the imp were staying back so they were out of sight.
“I do not recognize it,” someone replied. “Does anyone know what it does?”
Murmurs spread, then a hush fell when they heard wind coming out of the hole that appeared on the pillar. It increased in intensity, then a tiny tornado hurtled out. Sam and I darted forward to watch as it hit the floor below. It looked almost cute as it spun and danced around the throne.
Everyone watched in fascination as clouds formed above it. Thunder sounded and lightning flashed then the tornado began to grow. Moving back from it, the demons didn’t realize how dangerous it would be until it went berserk. Growing larger by the second, the whirlwind sucked victims up and spat them out. Bodies flew through the air to smash into columns. Lightning struck a dozen times in rapid succession, zapping more unlucky targets. Their smoking bodies shimmered then disappeared.
Sy had been wrong about how big it could grow. It didn’t stop until it hit the ceiling eighty or so feet above us. Contained to the throne room, it decimated the hundreds of demons as if they were playthings. Only the Demon Lord that had been chosen as a spokesman had been smart enough to sprint out of the room. He slunk back in to survey the carnage when the tornado finally sputtered and died.
Tucking Sam beneath my arm, I leaped over the railing and landed lightly on my feet behind the lord. I put my friend down, gave him the backpack and motioned for him to stay back. The lord was staring at the few minions who remained. He seemed to be in a daze. He spun around to face me when I spoke. “That worked even better than I expected,” I said. I was almost as pleased as Sy was at the devastation that his rune had created.
Backing away from me, the lord called on his weapon. It was an axe that was similar to mine, but it had only one blade. I pulled my dagger and it transformed into Morax’s favorite double headed axe. From what I’d seen, my weapon was the only one that could change shape. “My Prince will defeat you if you manage to locate him,” the lord said unconvincingly.
“No he won’t,” I replied. “He ran away like a scared little girl and he left you all behind to be a sacrifice and to try to slow me down.” His eyes darted to the side, knowing I was right. “Tell me where he is and I’ll kill you quickly.”
“I will never betray my master,” he snarled and leaped at me.
Sam backed away even further as I deflected the blade. Morax was eager for a fight, so I let him surge forward and take over. I could have taken on the lord myself, but there was no need for me to waste my energy.
Shaking off their injuries, the surviving lackeys joined in the fight. Before I could even think to call on them, the five soldiers that I’d taken ownership of came to my defense. Leaping over the balcony, they landed behind me and immediately engaged their kin in battle.
More demons were drawn by the sound of our clanging weapons and came running inside. There were too many for us to defeat so I sent out a call to my hounds. They appeared from wherever it was that they disappeared to when I didn’t need them. With toothy grins, they tore into the mob of lesser demons, captains and a few lords.
Focusing on the Demon Lord, Morax toyed with him for a while before slicing his hand off. The limb and his axe clattered to the floor and he became pinned against a column. The lord looked down when the sharp edge of my blade came to a rest against his neck.
“Where is your Prince?” I asked with a menacing growl.
Blanching at my anger, he held the stump of his wrist to his chest. “Will you allow me to live if I tell you?”
I debated about it for a moment then nodded. “I give you my word that I won’t kill you.”
“I heard him instruct his nightmares to take him to the petrified woods that lie at the base of the nearby mountain range. I have heard that he has a secret palace there.”
“What sort of security will he have?” If the prince was scared enough to flee, he must have set guards in place. I wondered why the prince had given his steeds their orders out loud. Doing so had ensured his downfall.
He shrugged helplessly. “I do not know. I have never been there.”
Since I wouldn’t be able to get anything else from him, I took a few steps back and motioned to my new minions. “Cut him down,” I instructed.
“You said you would let me go!” the lord said with a look of betrayal.
“No I didn’t. I said I wouldn’t kill you.” It was always tricky to make deals with a demon, even a hybrid like me. He should have listened to my words more closely.
All five of my lackeys fell on him and he went down in seconds. As I’d promised, he didn’t die. Instead, he was sent back to the first realm along with all of the other defeated soldiers and captains. Their bodies shimmered then they disappeared. My hounds joined them and then it was just Sam, my soldiers and me left.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-Five
“We should get out of here before the mob arrives,” I said to Sam as he stepped out of the shadows to join me. We could hear the roar of a crowd approaching. The demons that had been guarding the gates to the city were now swarming towards the palace.
“It would be best if you left through the back exit,” the imp called from the floor above.
“Good idea,” I replied. “Thanks for your help. I won’t forget it.” He nodded and lifted his hand in far
ewell before fading out of sight.
We hurried towards one of the doorways at the back of the throne room with my new minions in tow. Still blank faced, they trotted after us as we made our way through the hallways. All of the palaces were similar in shape, but this one was even larger than the previous ones. Everything seemed to increase in size with each new realm that we visited.
Finally reaching the back exit to the building, we swiftly cut down the four guards that had been stationed to keep watch. At a thought, my nightmares appeared with my carriage.
“Are they coming with us?” Sam asked and pointed at the soldiers.
“The Prince is bound to have guards that we’ll have to fight our way through,” I replied. “It couldn’t hurt to take some backup along.”
“That is true,” he conceded, but he didn’t seem particularly happy about it.
“What’s wrong?”
He opened the door for me and slid a look at our silent companions. “Are they going to remain like that?”
I turned to survey them then shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve never taken over a pack of demons before.”
“They resemble wax statues. It is kind of creepy,” he said with a shudder.
I climbed inside and slid across to the far side of the seat. “I’d rather they look like creepy statues than constantly trying to kill us,” I said then gestured for them to enter. They filed in and four of them took the seat across from me. They were crammed in hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder, but they didn’t complain about being squished together.
Sam slid in next to me and the minion that was seated next to him closed the door. “This is cozy,” he said with a nervous grin and slid a look at the demons across from us. They stared back at him without blinking.