by Nick Freo
“They breed,” I said as I realized what he was talking about. “I remember. Most dwarven and elven couples would be together for hundreds of years and produce a single child, if any. Here I have seen mothers with three and four squealing runts in tow. It is disorganized and rowdy, but I suppose I can see its effectiveness.”
“Are you saying...” Pride’s cheeks had reddened, and she had one hand on her face and the other on a sheathed dagger hilt. “Are you saying my people do not exist anymore because... because we did not bear enough children?”
“It makes sense, Pride,” I said gently. “In all your years of living, you never had real want of a child. And your parents never saw fit to give you a brother or sister.” She swallowed and shook her head, covering her eyes with the hand on her face momentarily, then lowering her arm to display a vicious blue gaze.
“Go on, then,” she said, staring a hole in the demon. “Continue with your tale. And make every word true, or we will let the vampire loose on you.”
Taking my cue, I held the Lustblade out to my side and allowed my second Viceguard to take her natural form. The dark-haired woman took shape, pulling her bangs back away from her eyes.
“I’ve never tasted demon blood before,” she said. “Do you think it would make me strong, my lord?”
“Down, Lust,” I commanded idly. “But yes, it probably would. Keep that in mind.” She licked her lips but sat obediently on the arm of the sofa next to me. “You know,” I said idly to no one in particular, “I would wager that Lust could drink a healthy measure of a demon’s blood before he started to perish. We could probably keep him alive for quite some time while she sucked him dry, slowly, bit by bit.”
“Fuck, stop it!” the demon screamed, pressing himself against his chair so it scraped backward over the floorboards. “I’m telling you everything I know, I swear.”
I nodded for him to continue, and he took a deep, steadying breath.
“When the new races, primarily the humans, rose up, they formed new treaties with the remnants of the ancient races. Treaties which banished the elves and the dwarves from memory, almost from existence. They agreed to them because they had little choice and little fighting spirit left. We demons were forced into hiding, with no one left to lead us. We only survived as a race because of our grit and longevity. You nearly doomed us all, Shining One.”
I frowned and motioned for him to continue.
“There was a great war. Most of the remaining elves and dwarves fought alongside the humans against the nightkin, ancestors of the vampires and shapeshifting beastmen you see today. Not to mention the rats that skulked behind enemy lines, gathering information. Some demons joined the fighting, choosing their side, while others remained in hiding. But it was chaos for everyone, chaos down to the core of the loneliest hermit hiding off in the woods.” He pointed at Lust. “The new races are too young and wild to remember, but they lost that war. They were banished, nearly into oblivion, to linger in the shadows for centuries. Only recently have they gathered enough power to be a force worthy of note on this world.”
The demon turned his eyes away from Lust. “But there were rumors, talk of a prophecy foretold by a budding virgin as she lay on her deathbed. It said that as she passed, her eyes glazed over and her voice became that of a god, and she told of how the Shining One would come again. But life moved on, people moved on. Humans, in particular, moved on. We forgot that young girl’s dying words, forgot the fate she foretold for our world. With all of the marvels of the modern age, no one believes the old stories anymore. And why would they? We are forgotten remnants.”
For the first time I could feel myself truly accepting what had happened. I had not been banished to another world from whence I could return. I had been sent forward in time. Everyone I had ever known was long dead, save for Pride. I stared straight through the demon, seeing the ages slip away like rotted pages of an endless calendar. Perhaps it was another world.
“And you...” I said at last, carefully considering my words. “You accept this? A demon? You skulk in the shadows and moan over your inevitable defeat? No wonder I did not recognize this world. Things have turned on their head. During my rule, the demons were renowned for their bravery. I could send them after any task, and they would conquer it. They were my trusted knights and advisors. You do not deserve to call yourself a demon if the best you can do is grovel and groan about days long past and forgotten.”
“I have done well!” the demon shot back, his yellow eyes glimmering with anger. “Did you not see how many humans I have under my control? Do you not see the wealth at my disposal? I am everything that anyone remaining in this world wants to be.”
“And yet you are a coward,” I said. “You lead a pathetic, sheltered life. You know this is true.”
For a moment I thought the demon would leap to his feet and attempt to fight me again, and my muscles steeled. But then he relaxed and laughed, almost a hiccup, as though the sound had escaped unbidden.
“I suppose you’ve got me there,” he said. “This world’s way is the way of cowards, by your standards.”
“So I have seen,” I growled, thinking of how the vampire king had begged and pleaded for his life. This demon had been stronger, but it showed no more resolve once broken and defeated. “Do you have any value? Any redeeming qualities? Any reason I should not kill you at the end of this story? I do not suppose you know where my old kingdom might be buried beneath the sands of time?”
“It would all have eroded by now,” he said, waving a clawed hand dismissively. “But I do have great value, my lord. You must only listen a little more. We can work together, as you suggested earlier. Naturally, I had my doubts about you, and I had my orders against you. But now that I have witnessed the power of the Shining One firsthand, I will pledge my loyalty to you.”
“You pledge your loyalty as easily as a whore spreads her legs,” I replied. “Why should I believe in you? Why should I trust you enough to keep you alive?”
“You have my word, on my honor as a demon. That still means something, in certain circles. I will not breach it. If you let me live, I will serve you and your followers, and act only in accordance with your purposes. You will find no resistance from me. Only guidance and assistance.”
I stood up and paced, looking from the demonic mob boss to Lust and Pride. The elf was considering the options as strongly as me. The vampire seemed to only be considering what the demon might taste like.
“Perhaps it would be wisest to grant you your life,” I said at last. “After all, I have found value in recruiting local allies.” I reached out and tousled Lust’s hair, and she beamed at me momentarily before leering back at the demon.
“He’s going to let me taste you,” she whispered. “I can tell.”
“Lust, to me,” I commanded, and she gave a disappointed look over her shoulder before transforming into my magnificent blade once more. “She can be a task to handle when she’s not in hand,” I chuckled. I leaned her long blade over my shoulder and stretched my back, gazing down at the seated demon. “I am still not convinced. Tell me more of your value. What is it you do?”
The demon’s eyes glowed, and he sat forward at a chance to boast. “I am the strongest underworld force in the state,” he declared confidently. “Those fourteen men who came calling on you were just a delegation of my usual retinue plus a few hired goons. Rest assured, I have armies at my disposal, and I can mobilize them within minutes if necessary.”
“Like the army you mobilized against us?” I laughed. “Children and elderly folk with sticks and knives?”
“I had every reason to believe you were contained!” the demon said hotly, “and I had the bullet priests on my side. The Overseers are not known for losing battles, or enforcers. They lost both today. That, as much as anything else, has proven to me that you are who you seem to be. I am yours to command, Shining One.” He stood briefly, then fell to his knees, head bowed. “If you still wish to take my life, then so be it, bu
t I think you know I will be more useful to you living. I can arrange all the connections which you need in order to take over this world quickly and efficiently. I can provide you with soldiers, with arms, and with everything else fighting men need. I can be your greatest ally. And I will do all this, so long as I have my life. On that I swear.”
I strode up and down the space in front of him, letting each footfall spell the potential for his doom. I rotated my shoulder as if loosening it for a mighty swing, and then I stopped in front of the demon.
“Very well,” I said at last. “I will let you live. I will even permit you to serve as my vassal in this land, beneath me. You will obey me and my Viceguard. You will be my emissary to the human underworld, to ensure that all my commands are passed on to my people. Since you know this world and its gutters so well, I will allow you to remain there. But there will be a price for your freedom.”
“Anything!” the demon laughed. “Take anything you want! I have wealth in every form. Gold, silver, rare books, art, and gemstones. Take it all! I can always get more of everything in this world. Just leave me my life. I’ve built a good one, and I intend to continue enjoying it a long while.”
“So you agree to my price?” I asked.
“I do,” he replied gratefully.
“Tell me your name,” I commanded.
“It is Krish,” he said simply.
“Well, Krish—“
I struck like a viper, the Lustblade slashing in a downward arc and severing the demon’s right arm. It slumped to the ground, twitching, and he screamed in agony as green blood spurted forth. I could hear Lust singing in my mind, happy to have finally slaked her thirst.
“Why?” the demon screamed. “Why would you do this to me? I would have given you anything you wanted...”
“Well, I wanted blood and bone,” I replied, walking in a slow circle around him. He clutched hopelessly at his bloody stump, trying to stem the flow. “How much of that can you offer me? Because your bill is only half paid.”
“What do you mean... No, no please!”
The Lustblade sizzled and sang as she severed the demon’s other arm, sending it writhing into the corner. More green viscera fountained to the ground in thickening globules, and the demon collapsed on his face, sobbing more for his loss than from pain. A demon’s arms meant more to him than any human’s ever would, for it was only through gestures that the demons could cast their most devastating spells. I had taken away the core of his strength.
The bleeding demon choked on his sobs as I held Lust at arm’s length and allowed her to take her true form. The young-looking former vampire gazed up at me, eyes shining in thanks for the taste of blood I had granted her.
“We have done what we came to do,” I said with a triumphant smile, beckoning for the women to accompany me. “Let us be away from this place before that ichor begins to turn sour.”
Pride fell into step silently, but Lust was filled with the questions of the very young.
“Will the demon die?” she asked. I shook my head and chuckled, throwing a glance over my shoulder at the moaning demon as we left the room.
“No,” Pride said. “Demons are built to withstand much worse than that. He will live to see another day, or a thousand. But he will never forget who his life belongs to. Our lord has made certain of that.”
We strolled out of the mansion and through the grounds together, past the piles of corpses left behind from the battle. No one attempted to block our way as we exited the gated village. Before long, Lust had stolen us a car and we were on our way back to the cathedral. I could not stop smiling. The demon’s screams were still echoing in my ears like the fond memories of a lover’s voice.
Chapter 22
The vehicle Lust had stolen on this occasion was a large, wide car painted green with scratchy fabric inside. Lust called it a station wagon. Pride rode in the back, sitting sideways with her lithe legs along the seat.
“I enjoy this front seat,” I said, reclining slightly in the padded chair. “I think I will always use it when we go about in cars.”
Lust grinned at me. “Shotgun?” she said.
I blinked and glanced out the window. “Where?”
“No,” she threw back her head and laughed. “Shotgun is what you say when you want to claim the front seat. It’s kind of a stupid game humans play with their friends.”
“Oh?” I frowned. “A game over such a trifle?” I tried to form some connection between the devastating firearms and the front seat of a vehicle but could see none.
“It comes from way back,” Lust explained as she guided the car around a corner. “From a time we refer to as the Wild West when the main means of getting around was via horse and buggy, or stagecoach. We invented guns before we really figured automobiles out.”
“Automobiles?”
“Cars. Anyway, as you can probably imagine in a place called the Wild West, there was a whole lot of crime, most particularly armed robbery. Anyone with a horse, a gun, and a bandana could potentially hold you up along the highway. So it became common practice to bring someone along, either a friend or a hired goon, to sit up front next to the driver with a shotgun in hand. It wasn’t a perfect method, but it deterred an awful lot of less determined robbers. Anyway, I guess people started referring to riding up front as riding shotgun, and the name just stuck with different types of vehicles through the ages.”
“Fascinating,” I said. “Even your other powerful inventions tend to be associated with guns. They are a powerful tool, no doubt, but I sense they are not without weaknesses. They run out of ammunition quickly, for one.”
“That, and more,” Lust said with a nod. “Depending on the type of gun, they can jam, overheat, misfire... the list goes on. And maintaining a gun properly is a bit more complex than keeping an edge on a sword or spear. There are definite advantages to the old ways. They just get massacred when going head-to-head against the new ones.”
I shifted in my seat. We were nearing the cathedral’s neighborhood, and a nervous energy crept into my bones. What if someone had stolen the starfire while we were gone?
“Massacred?” I said with passing interest, but wanting a distraction. “I assume that, at some point, scores of swordsmen fell to a few gunmen famously.”
“More than scores,” she chuckled. “And it happened many times, in many different parts of the world, until people finally figured guns out. Hell, it still happens. From time to time you get kids with knives and sticks fighting professional soldiers carrying thousands of dollars of equipment. Guns, especially machine guns, were like a gift from the gods on early battlefields. Imagine one man cutting down a small army. Well, I guess you don’t have to imagine that if you’ve done it.” The station wagon came to a stop with the nose almost touching the cathedral’s side wall.
“I have.” I smiled as I remembered the demon’s minions dying between my hands and on my blade. They were not warriors like those I had faced on my world, or rather, in the pre-ancient history of this world. But snuffing out their lives still served to bring me pleasure.
I climbed the cathedral’s front steps with Lust and Pride on either side of me, allowing me a slight lead. I did not know whether they were being deferential, or if they did not want to come between me and any potential trouble.
I stalked through the heavy doubled doors, past the sitting room where we had slain so many of the demon’s men, and down the long hall that wound around the main chamber to the bishop’s rooms I had claimed as my own. I pushed tentatively against the solid wooden door. It did not budge. A sigh of relief escaped my lungs. The starfire had not been stolen.
“It is still there,” Pride confirmed with a nod. “It is so potent, I can sense it through the door and the canisters, if faintly.”
I placed both hands flat on the door and braced my legs. I pushed with all of my might, slowly forcing the barrels to grate backward across the floor so the door could swing open.
“I know you must be tired,” I s
aid to Pride, “but I still have more to ask of you. We cannot go unprotected much longer. We are too vulnerable here.”
She nodded, stepping into my room and placing a pale hand over the hole she had carved atop the first canister. “It will be done, my lord. How shall I conceal us? With this amount of starfire at my disposal, only your imagination limits the illusions I can cast.”
“Well, we want it to last,” I mused, stroking the coarse stubble on my chin and gazing at Lust’s pouty mouth. “There would be little point to wasting it all in our first year. And besides, we cannot remove this cathedral from the face of the world without anyone noticing. No, I think you should best proceed with an array of lesser illusions, first of my Viceguard. Let it appear unremarkable at first sight, then distasteful to any who still approach. But let the strongest wielders of the arcana witness some flicker of your work here. We will thus attract allies and set a trap for enemies, all with a single swift stroke.”
Pride took a moment to consider, lips pursed as she blew blonde bangs out of her eyes. She nodded. “I believe I can do this. I will create the necessary bindings to perpetuate the illusions without me. It would be wise to combine my efforts with a more modern approach to our security.” Her gaze traveled to Lust, who took her cue and stepped forward.
“We discussed using some mines of different types, explosive traps, some triggered by pressure plates, others by tripwires. We could open up one or two of the lower entrances but booby-trap them to take out anyone who gets past your illusions. Or the illusions could conceal the traps even more effectively. That would probably keep the front steps mostly clear for our access; anyone attacking us is going to think they’re clever and go in one of the side ways.”
