Demon Squabbles

All in all, it wasn’t a terrible day. Thana hadn’t shown her stupid face yet, which was a blessing. Aeron truly hated that arrogant psychopath, but unfortunately had not been able to find a way to get rid of her, yet. It was like Thana was connected to her somehow. No matter where Aeron ran off to, the other woman always found her and acted like they’d never been apart in the first place. It was infuriating, especially when Thana always found some way to make her life a living hell by getting them into all sorts of trouble. Escapades with the black haired bitch typically resulted in Aeron having to wash blood out of her clothes and retreat into hiding for her own protection.

But today, Thana had yet to show up. Aeron was taking the opportunity to enjoy the relative peace she was experiencing, which she didn’t often get. She should have known it wouldn’t last, of course, but the ever suspicious woman made the mistake of letting her guard down. Perhaps that was why she was entirely unprepared for what would happen next. Perhaps there was nothing she could have done to prevent it even if she’d been ready. It was a question she’d never find an answer to. All she knew was that she’d been walking along a deserted road in the middle of nowhere, minding her own business and trying to find a somewhat safe place to hole up for a few days, when her world was turned upside down.

Without any warning, a hand shot out of the ground and snatched her firmly by the ankle. It was covered in dark reddish-brown scales like a reptile, with sharp claws at the end of each finger. Aeron shrieked and tried to pull herself away, but the thing had an unshakable deathgrip on her. Instead of escaping its grasp, she only lost her balance and fell on her ass. “LET GO OF ME!” she screamed at the mysterious figure in a mixture of terror and ire, twisting and pulling on her leg to free it and continuing to find herself trapped at the creature’s mercy.

She was panicking so hard that she didn’t even notice the warning signs of something far worse than what she was imagining. Namely, the way the ground had not pitched or toiled to make room for this subterranean beast, but rather it seemed to move through the ground like it had about as much substance as the air around her. Truthfully, Aeron wouldn’t have much time to ponder anything, or even to start forming an attempt to fight back using her magic. Before she knew it, she was being swiftly dragged beneath the surface of the earth, down with whatever had snagged her, with only a piercing scream that fell on the ears of the empty road to proclaim that she’d ever been there.

Aeron was screaming the entire trip to wherever she was being kidnapped. Her mind was in a desperate state of paranoia. This was it. Darius had finally caught up to her, had finally found a way to secure her and bring her back to Bellum. She was going to be caged again, forced to fight like a wild animal for her survival, and this time he’d be keeping a closer eye on her. It had been an exceptionally difficult task to escape the first time they’d gotten out of that hell hole. This time, Aeron was sure it would be almost impossible. He’d have Karsson and his goons keeping constant tabs on her to make sure she could never find her freedom again.

So she panicked. She twisted, scrambled, utilized her magic to try and beat at the hand that held her fast but it was of no use. Nothing worked, nothing liberated her from her fate. In the end, all she could do was scream and cry and struggle in vain, sure that at any moment the trip would come to an end and she’d be back at Darius’ feet, back to being a slave for entertainment.

Instead, after a few minutes of sheer, unadulterated terror, she found herself in some place entirely unfamiliar to her. She was unceremoniously dumped on the ground where she sprawled for a moment before scrambling to run away. In the process, she turned around to look up at the creature that held her and found herself face to face with a very real demon. It’s humanoid body was rippling with muscles and covered in tough, scaly skin. Its legs were elongated and oversized like a gargoyle’s, with similarly batlike wings that looked like they would stretch out several meters on either side. It regarded her with an ugly face whose mouth was lined with razor sharp fangs that looked like they could pierce through bone as easily as a sheet of wet tissue paper.

Aeron screamed again, causing the beast to growl at her in annoyance.

“That’s enough!”

She had been so focused on the creature before her that she hadn’t even stopped to realize they weren’t alone. Her wide blue eyes quickly turned toward the source of the voice to find two women that looked almost exactly identical. They were the same height, same build, even the same clothing. The only difference between them was that one had blue hair and green eyes, while the other had pink hair and red eyes. Aeron blinked at them in confusion, her cheeks wet with tears and her breath coming in shallow gasps from the fright coursing through her body. Surrounding all of them were hundreds of other humanoid creatures with various appearances ranging from more human looking to more demonic in nature.

Everyone was staring at her, most of the looks condescending. “Who the fuck are you people? What do you want with me?!”

They are the demons Masaki and Misaki.

The male voice was unfamiliar to her, and sounded like it was coming from inside her head. “Who said that?!” she demanded. Turning to look at the gargoyle like demon that had dragged her here, she asked, “Was that you? Stop talking into my head!”

A mild sigh sounded between her ears. Now I see what Thana was talking about. No, I’m not the demon. Calm down, will you?

“I will not calm down! Not until you get out of my mind!”

Stop speaking out loud, and talk to me with your mind. You are causing a scene, Aeron.

Aeron was about to keep railing against the voice in defiance, but when she looked up she did, in fact, see that she was drawing a lot of attention. Everyone was looking at her like she was crazy, a look she often received when people claimed they couldn’t hear or see things that she was hearing or seeing. With a gulp, she forced herself to stop yelling and tried to get better control of herself.

One of the women sighed in exasperation. “You would pick one of Ataxia’s playthings.”

The other rolled her eyes. “We didn’t exactly have a lot of choices available to us, sister. Besides, you were as drawn to this one as I was, though it seems it was not her power that caught our attention so much as the power of that which she carries.”

“Hey, stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Aeron growled, pushing herself to her feet. “I never heard of any Ataxia, and I’m sure as hell no one’s ‘plaything’. Answer my question. Who the hell are you?”

“My name is Misaki, and this--”

I already told you who--

“For the love of god, one at a time!!!” Everyone shut up to stare at her again where she stood huffing with anger and confusion. “Yeah, I got your names already. Misaki and Masaki. Congratulations, you almost match in nearly every way. I’m sure it’s adorable,” she told them, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “But I want to know who you are, really? You’re actually demons..? What the hell do demons want with me? I haven’t done anything to you people!”

The sisters eyed her carefully before exchanging a glance. “How fascinating. I don’t think she is even aware of what she possesses.”

One of the sisters -- Aeron honestly couldn’t be fucked enough to care which was which -- reached a hand toward her. “Hey!” Aeron shouted, gearing herself up to protect herself against magic however she could. However, she did not find herself being attacked. There was a slight tug around her neck and a purple gem lifted from beneath her shirt where it hovered in front of her face, still attached to the cord that bound it to her like a necklace. She blinked at it. How long had she been wearing that? Aeron had woken up so many times to find herself in strange places and wearing unfamiliar things that she’d honestly stopped paying attention ages ago. She’d never seen this necklace before, yet there it was around her neck.

“Do you even know what this is?”

Instinctively, Aeron reached up and snatched it in both hands, cupping the gem and hiding it from their view, holding it to herself like a precious heirloom. “Of course I know what it is. It’s mine, isn’t it?” It was a blatant lie, one that anyone would be able to see through. Even Aeron knew how flimsy it was but she didn’t care. At this point, she was just behaving based off principle, giving way to the defiance that was her nature.

The demon twins ignored her protests. “You are in possession of a Spirit Amulet. It’s a magical item that carries the soul of a long dead wizard that once wielded tremendous power. It now carries only a fraction of what he or she once commanded, but even that sliver was enough to catch our attention.”

“Lucky me,” Aeron muttered irritably. Still, curiosity had struck her, despite herself. Opening her palms, and trying to keep it covered so no one else could peer over her shoulder, she looked at the crystal. It seemed to pulse with a faint light. Disliking the circumstances, but not wanting to look like any more of a dunce than she already had been, she tried to speak with her mind toward it. Are you the one that was talking to me earlier..?

I am.

Well, that was a relief.

How did I get this amulet?

Thana found me and entrusted me to your care.

That was less of a relief. Anything involving Thana was sure to be an ass load of trouble. Of course she did, Aeron grumbled in her head.

She was about to continue questioning the thing when the voices of the sisters picked back up and drew her attention back toward them. They appeared to be arguing about something. Not sure what else to do, Aeron just watched and waited until they finally addressed her again. “Even though we were drawn to the power of your amulet, rather than to you, we’ve decided that you’ll do for the purposes of what we need.”

“Erm… thanks…? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“My sister and I are having a disagreement. You’re going to help us solve it.”

Aeron scoffed. “Like hell I am. I’m not getting involved in your stupid family squabble. I’ve got enough problems of my own to deal with.”

They glared at her, clearly not impressed with the gall she had to more or less tell them to go fuck themselves, but the one of them smiled sweetly. “Very well. Then you are free to go.”

That was easier than she’d been expecting. It threw her off. “Well, uh… good!” she stammered. Triumphant, she turned around to start to leave and that was when it dawned on her that she had zero idea where she was. This place seemed to have no end to it. No matter what direction she turned to look in, all she could see past the hoards of demons was emptiness. There were no landmarks to speak of, and the beast that had taken her here had dragged her through into the ground -- a feat that her magic wouldn’t allow her to replicate even if she tried.

She was stuck, and the only way out of here would be with their assistance.

Growling angrily yet again, she clenched her fist into a tight ball and wrestled with her hatred of these women in that moment. Ultimately, she knew she was at their mercy. “Fine,” Aeron said, turning around. “What’s the problem, and what the hell do you want me to do about it?”

Both sisters chuckled to themselves, knowing they had the girl well and truly trapped. “Well, we both agree that the way demons operate is a bit… archaic. Most of the time, depending on which of the demon lords we serve, we have no purpose but to sew thoughtless chaos and carnage. No goal in mind, nothing driving us but the lust for blood and malice.”

“This needs to change. If demons are going to stay relevant to the mortal realm, we need to find a way to involve ourselves in their affairs using more impactful and strategic methods, doing things that will have more lasting results. This, we agree on. What we don’t agree on is the approach to enacting this change, and the type of reputation we should have going forward. I believe that we should strive to work with mortals on a more peaceful level, seeking trade and commerce with the mortals out of friendship.”

“And I believe that we should continue to be a force to be feared, demanding such relationships out of respect to our station and superior heritage.”

By the time they finished their little speech, Aeron was staring at them with a bewildered expression. “Do… do you guys understand the insanity of asking a mortal down here to figure this out for you? I’m going to be a little biased in this.” They couldn’t possibly think they were going to get an objective opinion from her.

“Do not insult us, mortal. We are aware.”

“Which is why this is going to be handled with more than just words.”

“Relax, you don’t have to get your panties in a twi-- wait, what did you just say?” The implications of the road ahead of her had taken a second to sink in, and she did not like where this was going.

“You are going to fight for one of us as our champion. Our armies are evenly matched, so you must pick one of our causes to fight for and then battle the other’s top warriors. Whoever loses must concede to the chosen path of the victor.”

Yep, she definitely did not like this. “You’re insane,” Aeron told them. “Me against a bunch of demons? That’s hardly a fair fight!”

One of the sisters shrugged. “Well, that’s why we tried to pick someone with more magical prowess, but we were fooled by the amulet to think that you would be stronger than you are. But you are here now, and our decision is final. Make your choice and prepare to fight.”

This was absolutely ridiculous! What the hell was she supposed to do?

Well, I think you have two strategies.

Having completely forgotten about the voice from the soul in the amulet, Aeron jumped a little when he spoke up again after being quiet for so long. “Would you kno--” She stopped when she realized she was speaking out loud and making herself look crazy again. Would you knock that off?

I’m just trying to help you, there’s no need to be rude about it.

Just get on with it already!

The voice seemed a bit irritated at being spoken to so brashly, but he pushed it aside for now. They aren’t being fully forthcoming in their plan. They will have you fight a few of their minions, but then you will also have to fight whichever sister you decide to oppose.

Well that’s just fucking great. How do you even know that?

I lost nearly all of my magical power when I died, but in fastening myself to this amulet I was able to preserve my mind and my ability to retain and acquire information, including learning others secrets.

Alright, so what do I do? Who should I pick?

He seemed to give a mental shrug. That I cannot tell you. I don’t know if you’d do any better against one than the other.

Didn’t you just say that you can learn like… basically all there is to learn about someone?

Of their pasts and their current states and thoughts, yes. But I can’t see the future.

Then what good are you to me?

Well, if you’d stop running your mouth for a minute to shut up and let me talk, then I’ll tell you. He gave a pause to see if she was going to lash out at him again, and she sorely thought about it. Ultimately, she decided to stay silent. Alright, here’s what I can tell you. One of them wields fire based magic, the other uses water. Given what I know of your own powers, I don’t think either provide you an advantage nor a disadvantage. They are demons, but they are not terribly high ranking ones. Don’t let their swagger fool you. They’re relatively low on the hierarchy, several steps below the demon lords. You are actually fairly evenly matched with them yourself.

She peered at the sisters curiously, who were waiting in impatient silence for her to make her decision. I am…? Aeron asked the voice uncertainly, having not expected him to say something like that. The thought of her strength being on par with a demon’s was strange, and she wasn’t entirely willing to accept it, but at the same time she didn’t have anyone else helping her.

I believe so, yes. I can’t say that you’ll win, but I also can’t say that you’ll lose. It could go either way. So what you need to do is decide who you want the victor to be -- whose cause you want to champion -- and then either fight to win, or fight to lose.

I’m sorry I don’t… I don’t think I follow.

The voice continued, showing a bit more patience than before, likely because he could sense the very genuine turmoil and insecurity in the woman. This battle does not have to be decided by winning. You could choose to fight for the person whose ideal you oppose, and then lose the match. They will not kill you if you lose. But if you choose that route, you’d have to fight without pulling any punches or else they will know you threw the match. Likewise, if you want to try to actually win, then champion for the one you want to help.

Well, he’d certainly given her much to think about. Aeron never would have stopped to look at the battle that way before. She was a survivor, but not much of a strategist. Of course she wanted to help the sister that believed in friendly relations with mortals; not out of any sense of altruism, Aeron couldn’t have given less of a shit about other humans and such people that called Earthland their home. However, she knew that no matter what was decided here today it would probably effect her someday, and she would rather watch out for herself. If the more benevolent sister won, then perhaps she could save herself some hassle in the future.

But did she think she could win against one of these demons? Not just against them, but after going through several of their charges first and expending much of her own power? By the time she got to one of them, she’d be pretty exhausted and the opposing sister would be fighting her fresh, at full strength. A part of her wanted to say she could do it, but at the end of the day Aeron didn’t have that much faith in herself. Or perhaps she just knew that if she had a chance at winning, she’d have to be facing one of the sisters at full strength, not partially spent.

Finally she pointed at Masaki, the sister who desired to force trade and advancement with humans through fear and control. “Fine. I’ll be fighting for you.” This seemed to catch both sisters completely by surprise. They must have known that whoever Aeron chose to fight for would be at a disadvantage, and they must have both assumed that she would want to fight for the nicer sister. Misaki seemed quite pleased, while Masaki appeared to be floored with shock and frustration at the turn of events.

In the end, it turned out to be the wise choice. Aeron was surprisingly able to overcome each of the beasts she had to fight, using her take over and nightmare magics to claim victory with each round. In truth, her self esteem actually grew tremendously to the point where she actually believed that she could have stood a chance against either of the sisters at full power. However, with her magic reserves heavily depleted, no matter how hard she fought she was not able to beat the water wielding demoness.

Drenched on the ground, choking on the little bit of fluid that had filled her lungs, Misaki finally took a victorious stance over Aeron. The kinder sister had won the challenge fair and square, meaning her path was the one they would move forward along. They did little after the battle except heal her a bit before thanking her for their help. Then, the terrifying gargoyle brought her back up to the surface exactly where he’d snatched her and disappeared to return to his mistresses.

Aeron had never been more thankful to see the sunshine and breathe the open air. She lifted the amulet up to her face and looked at it again with curiosity, turning it over in her fingers. Alright, she told the man as she started walking once more, Time for you to start answering some questions…