Chapter 21: Chapter 20 Nightmares Are Real

The Imp was of similar size to all the others, no bigger than a human infant. There were two horns protruding from his head next to slicked-back hair. His beard was glorious and unexpectedly well-kept. The Imp had six muscular arms which held the makeshift staff in its lap. He maintained eye contact with Helios as a grin formed on its bearded face. He pulled out a flask, it was the object he had stolen from the distracted vendor.

 

He unstoppered the container and poured a liquid over Helios’ staff. The Imp unhitched a strange hammer tied to his waist. It had a single eye on the hammerhead which abruptly focused on Helios and blinked. 

 

The Imp smashed the hammer down atop the staff, causing Helios to jump. Wisps of black smoke emerged from where the Imp struck. The Imp leaned forward and sharply inhaled the fumes, tilting his head while his eyes rolled back. The thick oily water started to ripple across the staff’s surface and protruded toward the imp. It was the last thing Helios saw before the crowd closed in.

 

“Hoh hoh, it looks like you’re all shit out of luck. Old Shazza still has a lot of pull around here. Even a Luminare wants in on the action. Come and see me afterwards, mate. I’ll sort something special out for you with one of my girls…” Shazz gloated. He was completely oblivious to a disturbance from the back of the crowd.

 

Helios noticed the demons surrounding him all pause and look behind him. The Luminare pinning Krutak even raised its legs and hastily took a step back. Tsiyaha took advantage of her opponent’s distraction. Her hair struck out with lightning precision, and the numerous snake heads embedded themselves into their arms and torso. Their flesh began to sizzle around the snakebites. 

 

Tsiyaha reared to her feet and thrust her spike into the pockmarked demon’s throat. He tore away from the snakeheads with an expression of terror plastered on his face, rancid blood splashing across her face. She watched his suffering with merciless indifference as yellow venom continued to spread over his body. He helplessly clawed at his skin while the flesh melted from his bones. He finally collapsed to his knees, falling face-first into the dry dirt. Once the dust settled, all that was left of the pockmarked demon was a hollow skeleton.

 

The snakeskin woman instinctively gripped hold of one of Tsiyaha’s snakeheads in two hands, it pierced through her shoulder. With a mighty roar, she ripped it in half, eliciting a hiss of pain from Tsiyaha. The snakeskin demon immediately sprang forward and sank her fangs into Tsiyaha’s neck. Black veins appeared under Tsiyaha’s veins as venom spread through her body. 

 

The newly formed Sigil on Tsiyaha’s brow reacted aggressively. Helios was the only one who could see the tendrils stretch out from it to absorb the scattered life force of the pockmarked demon. Once it was satisfied, the tendrils bored their way under Tsiyaha’s skin. They directly entered the snakeskin woman’s mouth through Tsiyaha’s bloodstream. She stumbled away, looking at Tsiyaha with an expression of confusion. A moment later, her head exploded into an ugly mass of gore. Her headless body thumped into the ground.

 

What just happened? I didn’t do that, but I could clearly feel the meaning of my true name being drawn on by the Sigil on her brow. Can my underlings utilise my magic? No, I don’t think so. Tsiyaha looks more confused than I am. I don’t think she could see the tendrils acting of their own accord.

 

“Absolutely shameless behaviour, Vulgaris and Luminare demons lowering themselves to harass those much weaker than them. Also, inciting disorderly chaos among the Dolore within my city. Fastidium is not your playhouse to do as you please,” a feminine voice called out. Shazz’s face dropped as he quickly spun toward the voice. He mouthed silent words like a fish out of water.

 

The crowd shifted, allowing Helios to see a man and a woman riding a pair of Vulgaris demons as mounts. They both greatly resembled humans with only a few minor differences. Such as black sclera in their eyes. Their hair was black with startling streaks of white for contrast. They wore matching outfits of white robes covered in decorative patterns. They each wore a textured black garment with a high neckline underneath that framed the lower half of their face. 

 

The iris in the man’s eyes was a piercing white and an intricate Sigil danced on his brow. It was highlighted by a strange headpiece similar to a woven crown. It had a black gemstone in the centre made of the obsidian-like material found everywhere. It seemed to slowly spiral, drawing the onlookers' attention.

 

“Demon lords… I want no more part in this,” someone murmured in the crowd before pushing their way in deeper.

 

“Not just any demon lords. That’s the King of Fastidium, Lady Beebo, and her consort, Lord Arthrin. They must have just returned from an excursion out of the city,” another in the crowd whispered. 

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Upon hearing that, Helios returned his attention to the woman he had initially overlooked. He was immediately rooted with fear. Her beautiful features were accentuated by subtle markings under her eyes. But that wasn’t what affected him, a broken halo writhed in the air above her head. Golden light radiated in a circle around her.

 

How did I not notice her before? My eyes seemed to refuse to look upon her like I’m not worthy. 

 

“I-I-I didn’t mean any disrespect, my lord. Old Shazza merely wanted to teach them a lesson about how things work around here,” Shazz stammered, holding his chest with a gesture of sincerity. He adjusted his body to hide the arm holding the Peon Ethos behind his back. 

 

The movement drew the attention of the male demon lord. He flicked his wrist and reality seemed to shatter. A blade of unnatural energy crossed the distance to cleanly sever Shazz’s arm at the shoulder. Shazz blinked before looking down. The stump of his arm and the giant limb on the dirt, larger than Helios, sizzled with cauterised wounds. 

 

Shazz’s eyes flew wide as he froze. His body began to tremble in absolute terror. The crowd’s eyes fixated on the three Peon Ethos conspicuously hovering on the severed arm’s palm.

 

“Tell me. How do things work around here, miscreant? That’s what I thought,” Lord Arthrin asked, looking down on him with a haughty expression. Shazz remained silent, afraid to even move.

 

Lord Arthrin dismounted from the Vulgaris demon under him, lightly landing on the ground. He walked over and offered his hand to the King of Fastidium, Lady Beebo. She gracefully accepted his aid and climbed down. Their Vulgaris mounts instantly turned hostile. They rivalled Shazz in size while on all fours with an appearance resembling feral wolves. Twisted spikes of varying lengths decorated their flanks. They each had an identical Sigal to Lord Arthrin on their brows. Upon closer examination, Helios recognised it as the same one Zegg wore.

 

“H-have mercy on me, Lord. Old Shazza never meant any harm…” Shazz started to speak. Lord Arthrim ignored his pleas. Fastidium’s King, Lady Beebo paused in contemplation. Shazz looked at her in supplication.

 

“Do not look at us, miscreant,” Lady Beebo said, waving a dismissive gesture with her fingers. She watched as the pair of Vulgaris mounts lunged forward, tackling Shazz to the ground. Satisfied by the sound of his screams, Lady Beebo turned away briefly making eye contact with Helios. His body seemed to stop, a cold sweat forming over his back as she looked at him with curiosity.

 

Helios lowered his eyes in submission to Fastidium’s King. Shazz’s agonized screams echoed throughout the silent crowd as the Vulgaris mounts stripped his flesh from his body. 

 

“Enough, let this be a lesson to you, miscreant. A Vulgaris is nothing, fit only for a mount. Think yourself above your station once more and we will not be so merciful…” Lady Beebo said.

 

“Oi, you!” a pitched voice interrupted her from the crowd. A hammer flew at Lord Arthrim’s head which he reflectively caught. Lord Arthrim’s eyes widened in surprise when the hammer disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Tuktuk told you that it’s on sight if he ever saw you again, cheater. Best Nightmare in Hell, my ass!”

 

The Imp who had taken Helios’ staff earlier emerged from the crowd. He was holding an unfamiliar object behind him as he dragged himself to Helios’ side. Helios looked at him in confusion. The Imp gave him a mischievous grin and tossed the object beside him. It was a staff resembling his but far more refined. 

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