Chapter 12: Chapter 11 The Mass Hatching

The ground shook under Helios’s feet accompanied by a peel of thunder. He was distracted by the unexpected interruption, taking his eyes off his opponent. Fortunately, the Dolore demon’s attention was also attracted to the Birthing Pools.

 

The time between red lightning striking the nearby Birthing Pool was decreasing in length. The oil-black water churned aggressively, raising the level of the lake further up the beach. The water crushed the smaller obsidian stalagmites in its path, submerging them beneath turbulent waves. Numerous Primus demons fled the wave of destruction. 

 

Seeing the injured Dolore facing off against Helios and Krutak, they gave the combatants a wide berth. Anything capable of severing the limb of a Dolore was worthy of caution. Now also wasn’t the time to take advantage of any perceived weakness from the Dolore demon. The event they had all been waiting for had arrived, the swirling Birthing Pool had taken on a red hue. 

 

Volcanic steam rose from the surface of the raging water with Demonic Larvae riding the front of the small tsunami in a frenzy. The tidal wave showed no signs of slowing its momentum after rushing over the beach. 

 

One unfortunate Primus glanced over its shoulder and lost its footing, tripping facefirst onto the black sand. Moments later, it was submerged in steaming water. A swarm of Demonic Larvae overwhelmed it while struggling to its feet. Its shrieks could be heard over the cacophony of thunder as they tore into its exposed flesh like a school of piranhas. Blood mixed with the red-hued water.

 

It’s not one-sided like I expected. Anyone unfortunate enough to fall under the wave of bodies has their flesh meticulously stripped from the bone. The Demonic Larvae haven’t yet developed any sense of self-preservation, making them a force to be reckoned with when gathered together in such numbers. 

 

A glow spread outward from the corpse into the red water, only to be absorbed into the skin of the feasting Demonic Larva. Their maggot-like skin immediately stiffened, causing them to curl into themselves as they formed a protective cocoon. More Demonic Larvae rushed in from the sides. Those who failed to absorb any life force shrieked in frustration, directly tearing into the shells of their peers. 

 

The sight of countless Demonic Larvae tearing each other apart was enough to shake Helios to his core. He almost didn’t notice the water retreating back toward the Birthing Pool, returning to its original oil-black colour. The frenzy died down as more and more Demonic Larvae entered their cocoons. 

 

There must be thousands of them. I’m glad I wasn’t part of that. The odds of survival are left entirely to chance because they only act on instinct. Look, the other Primus demons are now returning to the beach.

 

The fiery clouds of the Hell gate overhead resumed their slow rotation, signalling the end of the hatching. Opportunistic Primus demons appeared from among the maze of stalagmites after the area surrounding the Birthing Pool cleared. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tsiyaha stealthily disengage from an obsidian spire to tentatively approach an unsuspecting Demonic Larva. She pounced on it while sinking in her teeth to absorb its essence.

 

The Dolore shifted, drawing Helios’s back attention. Its movement also caused Krutak to become alert.

 

“This was only a small hatching in terms of destruction. I’ve never seen so many Newborns hatching at once. They absorbed all the lifeforce and dissipated the flood before it could fully escape the confines of the pit. It’s unusual to see so many stalagmites still standing,” the Dolore mused out loud. A long tongue escaped its insectoid mandibles to lick imaginary lips. Instead, it brushed over skull-like teeth. “I’ll deal with you two first. There’ll be enough opportunity to feast after.”

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The Dolore demon focused its eyes on the pair. Helios made the mistake of eye contact with the third eye in the centre of its brow. He became mesmerised by alluring lights flickering strangely in the third eye’s depths, forgetting the words he was going to retort with. He blinked while shaking his head, quickly averting his eyes. 

 

Helios returned his gaze to the Dolore demon, taking extra care to keep his eyes lowered. The Dolore laughed in amusement at his caution, placing a forelimb over its severed stump and staunching the gushing flow of blood. 

 

A strange thing happened next, the Dolore’s muscles twitched unnervingly as the remaining pincer noticeably shrunk in size. The stump regrew into a matching pincer at a visible rate. Helios stared in stunned silence, unintentionally allowing the Dolore to completely heal. The design of the forelimbs had altered to become slender points, twice their previous length. 

 

Helios’s eyes widened in surprise as the Dolore demon suddenly leapt toward him, a pincer aimed at his head. He dodged out of the way of the attack, surprised by its unexpected new reach. The pincer pierced through the stalagmite behind him, dust and debris raining down to cover as it pulled free its spear-like forelimb.

 

Helios stumbled off-balance, a second attack striking where his head had been only moments before. His back was scraped bare across the sharp obsidian stalagmite, somehow successfully evading the strike. The Dolore reared above him, his eyes fixated on the lance forelimb, causing him to be distracted when the third strike unexpectedly came from a hind leg. It knocked him to the ground before stabbing down at him with a pincer. Unable to escape, it penetrated through his sternum and pinned him to the black sand under him. 

 

Gripping the forelimb with both hands, his dreadlocks moved autonomously. They ensnared the Dolore demon’s arm in a tight grip. He felt the paralytic take effect as the entangled pincer become slack in his grasp. The Dolore unsuccessfully tugged at his hold, unable to pry free its trapped pincer. Clicking in agitation, it braced the other pincer across Helios’s torso and savagely pushed him away. 

 

Intense pain washed over Helios. He rolled to his knees while coughing up blood before pushing himself to his feet. He stood unsteadily with his head drooping while clutching the agonising wound on his chest. Ignoring the agony of the gaping puncture wound through his torso, he raised his head. His face contorted with rage, causing the Dolore to cautiously retreat back a step.

 

“It won’t be that easy to take me down, pest. You’ll merely be a forgotten stepping stone on my path to power. No matter how long it takes, I’ll crawl free of this shit hole back to the living world, ” Helios declared through clenched teeth, causing the Dolore to cackle with laughter.

 

“Ahahaha, naive little Primus demon. Your ambition truly amuses me. The Hell gate to Earth only opens randomly every few millennia on Earth. It’s been closed for more than a century since the last. What makes you believe you can survive me, let alone until the next opening?” the Dolore demon mocked.

 

“For one, I’m not alone,” Helios replied, ignoring the demon’s attempt at provoking him.

 

“It’s my, Argolos’, duty to dissuade you of those delusions…” the Dolore demon, Argolos, sneered.

 

Argolos’ cackling was cut short as Krutak slammed into it from behind, tackling the Dolore demon to the ground. Black sand flew into the air as the entangled pair slammed heavily into the ground. Krutak straddled the surprised Argolos before he could recover. Helios stepped forward impassively, crouching down to reach out and dig a thumb into its third eye.

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