Aura closed in on his nemesis as they flew above a row of buildings. The next three hoops were arranged in a weaving pattern. Each hoop was at a slightly different height as well. The death toucher followed Bora’s lead by banking to the right to clear the first hoop, lowered altitude and banked left for the second hoop, and beat wings to rise to the third hoop.
The racers continued following the hoop course until the scenery changed from dilapidated old buildings to dirt and rocks everywhere. They were leaving the ramshackle scenery of South Hell behind and entering West Hell, the rocky section of the kingdom built throughout a winding canyon. The first leg of the race was almost over now.
The racers glided over stone structures, some of which were built straight into the canyon wall surrounding them. Aura spotted the final two hoops up ahead. The first was attached to the side of a building three stories off the ground. The hoop after that was placed at the top of the canyon wall they were approaching.
Aura made a split-second decision when he noticed the small ledge on the building below him. Instead of tucking in his wings as he passed through the hoop, Aura recalled his wings into his back. He somersaulted through the hoop, landing on his feet and breaking out into a mad dash on the building ledge below. Focusing his soul power to his legs, Aura leapt like a rocket taking off.
He shot past Bora and started flapping his wings with his remaining stamina. Bora, still recovering from the quick ascent, was powerless to keep up. Aura reached the top of the canyon wall first, blasting through the last hoop of the leg and gliding over the rocky ground below.
He could see Shiva waiting for him ahead at the edge of another cliff. Of all the racers in waiting there, she was the only one not turned around watching for the incoming teammates. She stood ready to run, hand stretched out behind her back. Aura remembered the order she’d given him just before the start of the race.
Just make sure you get the baton to my hand.
Sars was down there too. Aura’s former best friend was next to run after Bora. He looked back with a troubled expression seeing Aura coming in first. He was the first to take off running, still looking back for his partner to deliver the baton.
Shiva stayed put while everyone else broke out running. Instead, she brought out her wings and crouched low to the ground. A glowing steam-like substance billowed off her legs and Aura knew at once what she was planning.
The death toucher glided in low and dropped to the ground. His wings were dead tired so he put them away. He used one final burst of stamina and started screaming as he ran the baton to Shiva. “Go go go go go!”
He slapped the baton down on the girl’s palm. Her hand snapped shut like a vice grip and she was off. With her wings positioned at the ready, one thrust of her leg muscles was all it took to make the girl fly. She fired like a bullet from the ground, up and over the other runners still sprinting with their heads turned. Before any of them made contact with a teammate, Shiva was already dropping off the side of the cliff heading for her first hoop.
While the race was underway in other parts of the kingdom, over in East Hell the racers of the last leg were waiting patiently for their turn. Ash had been waiting for almost an hour already. It wasn’t a long walk over from South Hell. Though Uverstarr had accompanied him most of the way, the boy said little on their walk.
Ash stood with the other four racers on the boardwalk next to the pier. The ocean connected to East Hell was a terrifying sight. Ash had once been informed that no one in history had ever been to the other side. He dreaded the possibility that one day Goddard might assign them the job of accompanying a fishing boat out on a trip. The boat captains often hired bodyguards whose sole job was to fend off the horrifying sea demons that dwelled in the deep.
A shiver ran down Ash’s spine just thinking about it. He tried to avoid gazing out into the water. Turning his head only treated him to a swell view of Dunger. The giant muscley man and Ash had many run-ins in the past, most of which involved Ash feeling some type of pain.
Dunger stared daggers at Ash. The man never spoke, unless you count the barbaric grunting he was known for. Ash smiled nervously back at him. Dunger’s nostrils flared. The guy just really did not like Ash for some reason.
Ash became bored. He started to look around, anything to avoid Dunger’s gaze. On top of the long wait, standing so close to the ocean was starting to have an unfortunate side effect on him. The sound of the waves churning against the shore over and over resonated with his bladder.
Damn it, Ash thought, twisting uncomfortably. Why’d I have to have that second cup of coffee? Is this race going to start anytime soon or what?
The boy shifted in place, twisting and turning his legs trying to look casual. He swore he saw a smirk flash across Dunger’s face for a brief second, but couldn’t be sure. That only agitated him more. He searched the crowd looking for a clock. He was given an approximate time his leg of the race was expected to start, but no way of telling the time.
“Attention athletes,” a voice from somewhere unseen boomed through a megaphone. “The race is officially underway. Your estimated start time is ten minutes from now.”
“Oh thank goodness,” Ash said with a sigh of relief. He located a bathroom sign nearby and decided to go for a short walk. An arrow pointed him through the crowd toward a side street. Ash fought through scores of people clapping him on the back and greeting him happily. He was flattered by his newfound fame, but sometimes he wished it would just go away. Specifically when it got in the way of him and a toilet.
He made it to where the first sign pointed and turned the corner. There he found a significantly less active street. He was thankful for that. Another sign greeted him as well. The comforting image of a toilet icon was painted under the arrow. Following it led Ash down a sidewalk that passed by a warehouse. Rows of steel shutters remained closed because of the festival. Any other day the fisherman would be there peddling their daily catches.
A final sign pointed him down a deserted back alley between warehouses. Though he could still hear the dull chattering of the nearby crowd, he could see no one. He walked down the alley but could not find the door to the bathroom. There were plenty of other unmarked doors to choose from though. One opened into a tiny storage closet that smelled like demon dung. Another opened into some kind of boiler room. He tried another door that was padlocked shut.
“Where’s the damn toilet already!” the boy shouted in frustration.
“Your desires no longer matter,” replied a voice from somewhere unseen.
Ash turned around, searching for whoever spoke. It was a man’s voice, he was sure of that much. It didn’t sound like anyone he knew though. The stranger stepped forward from the adjoining alleyway, out of the darkness.
“You and I have matters to settle,” said the old baker.
It took a moment for Ash to recall exactly where he’d seen this man before. When he thought back to earlier that morning and how he’d bought breakfast for his friends, he recalled the way the old baker repeated their order. His face wasn’t smiling anymore, but it was definitely the same guy.
“Oh, it’s you,” said Ash. “Look, I know what this is about. You accidentally gave me a five-skorch coin for change instead of one skorch. Honestly, I didn’t even realize it myself until I was already clear across town. I was going to bring it back, I swear.”
“Your business is not with my host,” the man said. He took another step closer. “Your business is with me.”
“Huh?” Ash replied. He wanted to elaborate with a follow-up question but it never happened.
The boy coughed. It was deep and turbulent. Blood sprayed from his open mouth. His vision went dark, and then in seconds everything was too bright. It went back and forth like a strobe light playing in his head. His muscles ached and trembled, locking him in place until his knees buckled. The whole time he could only watch as the old baker moved closer.
He did not like the look of the twisted smile on the old man’s fac
e.
“I thought we’d never find you,” he said. The old man advanced without ever taking his eyes off of Ash. “But you came right to us. A real, live human.”
“Damn my inferior bladder…” Ash said. My body may be breaking down, but at least my mouth still works. “It’s always nice to meet a fan… Mind helping me up to my feet?”
“This is our second meeting, human,” said the man. “My form may have changed but I assure you we have met before.”
“Half-human,” Ash replied. His head was still foggy, or else he might have picked up on the man’s other words more quickly. But because his head was pounding and his vision still going bonkers, he didn’t quite piece things together yet. He stared at the ground and spat up more blood.
“Half human, half devil?” the old baker said. “Interesting. You will make an exquisite meal for my father.”
Though Ash was still reeling, one doesn’t tend to let the word meal go unnoticed. Especially not when it’s used in reference to him. Ash looked up again. The look on the old bakers face. He’d seen it before. On the face of the woman he played push ball against. The one that frightened him to his core and first made him feel sick.
Matters to settle? My host? Form changed? Met before? Meal? These words flashed across Ash’s mind. The look on the old baker’s face and the destruction of his body were the last clues he needed.
“You,” Ash gasped. He locked eyes with the old man. “You’re a demon.”
“Demon Prince Otozek,” he replied with an evil smile. “Tell me: if the rumors of your strength are true, then why do you cower at my feet every time we meet?”
This was not good. This was really, really not good. Ash knew at once he was completely and utterly boned. The demon prince was closing in on him and he couldn’t even stand up to run away. Furthermore, he was entirely on his own. Everyone around him was focused on the relay race that he was supposed to be running in. All he could do was try to buy himself time and hope someone found him in time.
“What did you do to the woman you were using before?” Ash asked, stalling.
“We’ve enjoyed snacking on several devil delicacies over the last couple days,” replied Otozek. “You dodged my question. So there is something wrong with you. You’re starting to smell rotten to us.”
“You keep saying we and us,” said Ash. In an attempt to test his strength he tried his hardest to stand up. “So there’re more of you here?” He dropped back onto his knees. Using his jello-like legs was a no-go. “And that plant-like demon that possessed Shiva at the card tournament. That was one of your guys too?”
“So you were present for Goblotek’s demise?” asked Otozek, taking a step closer. Something clicked in the demon prince’s head. “Of course, you’re friends with the death toucher. He’s next on our list.”
Ash gulped. “What are you going to do… eat me?”
Otozek smirked. “You will be taken alive to my father. He’s always wanted to taste a live human. We were planning on having one of us ride inside your body out of here, but after smelling the rot on you I think I’ll ride in another host and just take you prisoner instead.”
Guess I should be thankful for that, Ash thought dismally.
Ash willed his body to move, to get up and run far from there, but he could not. Instead he had to stall more. “Why target Aura?” he asked.
“It’s no concern of yours. But since you’ll be sitting inside one of my father’s stomachs soon, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you we plan on eradicating the devils once and for all. That’s the mission I came here for, anyway. You were just a pleasant surprise.”
“Why? What good will conquering the devils accomplish?”
“It’s all to make the dreams of my father, Demon Lord Jirosek, a reality. That is why you and the rest of the devils must be sacrificed.”
“Look, I’m all for supporting family activities, but this is a little much. Even I know you draw the line at genocide…”
Ash’s tongue went numb and he froze. Otozek stood silently watching. That or Ash’s ears may have no longer been working properly. He could swear the crowd was going nuts in the distance, but it all sounded muffled. Through blurred, distorted eyesight Ash saw a few more men enter the alley behind Otozek. There were four of them, all different ages.
His initial thought was that of hope and salvation. But when he saw the look on Otozek’s face still frozen in agitation and the similar moods on the approaching men, Ash just knew.
He knew they were really going to take him. To drag him away, across the darkness that lies outside the safety of the devil’s kingdom. They’d drag him away to some hole in the ground and feed him to some old demon. In his current condition, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Desperate, he tried summoning his soul power. None would flow. More blood oozed out of Ash’s mouth and nose. The pain intensified the closer they got. He could see Otozek direct the others to wait behind him. He would not need their help. He saw Otozek take his final step forward. The demon in a devil’s body was within reaching distance, his arm grasping out for Ash. Grasping out to end his life.
A beam of brilliant color shot over Ash’s head.
The warmth of the flames brought unforeseen comfort to Ash as they collided with the unsuspecting Otozek. The fiery blast struck the old baker’s chest, knocking him backward. The four other demon-men there moved to catch their shocked master. Their attention turned to another figure beyond Ash. Even the sickly boy found the strength to turn his head enough to see his savior.
“Yo!” said the short kid at the end of the alley.
Chapter Nineteen: Uverstarr’s Intervention
“Uverstarr…”
Ash’s mouth felt dry and unresponsive, but he managed to choke out the boy’s name. He tried spitting out more words as the boy strutted down the alley to join the scene. Just twisting his head to see his friend was difficult. Try as he did, he couldn’t warn the boy to stay away.
“What gives, yo?” said Uverstarr. “We were in the lead until I show up to find you missing. Everyone pointed me to the bathroom, and here I find you about to get your butt whooped by some old guy. How pathetic!”
“Escape…” Ash said, trying his hardest to summon the strength to move. It was like he was trapped in concrete, just a spectator in the events happening around him. Uverstarr didn’t pay any attention to Ash’s warning. He kept his eyes on the old baker, who was still in the grip of his team. He held his hands out, ready to produce more flames if need be.
“Hey, I recognize you!” Uverstarr said, lighting up. “You’re the old guy we bought food from. I really liked your cocoa scone. What’s your beef with this idiot?”
Otozek remained in utter shock at the pain he felt from Uverstarr’s fire blast. With his head down he pulled away from the other demons. When he at last looked up to face Uverstarr he was enraged.
“You have caused me pain,” said Prince Otozek. “It is such an unusual sensation to me. I do not like it.”
“If we weren’t limited by these pathetic bodies it never would have happened, master!” Moskazek said, trying his best to comfort his Prince.
“Yes, it is unfortunate being dragged down by such a weak body,” Otozek said, gazing down as the searing wound to his chest. The baker’s clothes were even scorched open, revealing a charred, oozing burn. The demon prince appeared to be unaffected by the gore. He locked eyes with Ash instead. “I’ll enjoy eating this boy in front of you, human.”
“Whoa!” Uverstarr said. His voice filled with sarcasm. “First you want to feed me, now you want to feed on me? You musta’ gone mental old man! Well I ain’t scared, bring it on, geezer!” The boy put his hands together and started charging another fire blast.
In the time it took Ash to crane his head around to look at Otozek again, the demon prince was already standing next to the cocky boy. Before Uverstarr could pop off another shot the fight was over. Otozek disabled the boy with a chop to the back of
his neck. Any gathered flames in the boy’s hand died out in an instant as the boy fell forward, paralyzed by pain.
“Uverstarr!”
Ash sat watching, begging his body to just move, as the demon prince gripped the boy by the top of his head. He held onto Uverstarr’s hood and hair as he lifted the boy off the ground. Uverstarr clutched at his captor’s arm, crying out in pain. He was used to the brief and fleeting pain from one of Kurdis’s light smacks. This was true pain, pain that would not stop.
Uverstarr kicked his legs and squirmed, trying to free himself from the demon’s grip. Nothing worked. He screamed in terror as the rest of the demon team watched, laughing their sadistic demon laughter at the boy’s helplessness. Otozek opened his host body’s mouth as wide as it would go. Even wider than any normal mouth should be. Ash could see a second set of teeth behind the old man’s. It was the demon’s mouth, frothing and salivating as it waited to feed on Uverstarr.
Another couple of seconds and Uverstarr would have been a goner. Suspiciously, the boy stopped his screaming and a satisfied smirk crossed his pain-stricken face.
“Psych!”
Something small and fiery struck the bottom of the demon man’s still-expanding jaw. Caught off guard once again, Otozek took the hit fully unguarded. His hand loosened in the shock and he dropped the boy. Uverstarr quickly hopped backward closer to Ash. From his vantage point on the ground Ash couldn’t see what happened to make Otozek drop his prey.
But the boy couldn’t resist showing off his new toy. Uverstarr swung the object around in front of him, giving Ash a better view of what just saved him. It was a small, rounded wheel-like object that appeared to be metallic. It was connected to a string or wire, the other side of which ended in a small ring that was attached to Uverstarr’s finger.
Devil Ash Disarray (Devil Ash Saga Book 3) Page 21
