Chapter 49: 46. Demons at a Discount

Oh crap. I don't know what to say. I'm not prepared for this. Gene did not prepare me for this. Pull it together. I got this. The muscular bird man asked a question. I can respond to a question. 

"Hello, friend. I am sorry for the disruption I caused. I have come looking for a shade and thought I could lure one in with my presence. I didn't realize I would be so enticing." 

"As far as smelling like a deceiver, I can promise you I've no idea what you are talking about. I am involved in some shady business, but honesty is my policy." I try to not let my grin manifest itself. I am such an idiot. Despite my best efforts, the rising grin isn't vanquished. 

"My name is Liam, by the way," I say as I stretch out my hand, grinning like a fool.

"In all my life, I don't think I have ever met a demon so willing to give out its name. You must be powerful if you do not fear the power you are giving up." The winged man says, laughing at my apparent blunder.

"Liam isn't technically my real name. Well, it is my name right now. It's just my main name is lost to me. But if knowing my name brings you power, I am happy for you." I pull my hand back, not making a scene out of it, "the sweetest thing one can hear, after all, is their own name, or so they say." 

Before my hand reaches my side, the shadow man reaches out to mine. "Very well, Liam, since you gave me your name, I will give you one of mine. You can call me Draxxo." His grip on my hand is firm and powerful despite looking more shadowy than actual substance. 

"Good to meet you, Draxxo." We end the handshake, and I return his questions with one of my own. "You called me a demon twice now. I am not offended; I have never thought of myself like that. In my mind, demons are much more awesome and powerful, like you." So maybe it wasn't really a question. Still, I put enough tone on it to make it a question and layered in compliments simultaneously. Simple conversations are never simple.

"You are the outworlder. That makes you the demon here. Though your world tends to think the label demon applies to everyone but them. Now tell me, why do you smell so strongly of the deceiver?" Draxxo asks, his tone more serious.

"You talking about a wolf lady. Dark fur. About this tall." I hold my hand above my head, approximating her size, "And refers to herself as the Queen of the Shadow Shamans?" Draxxo's grimace widens, turning into a complete smile. So Gene is known as The Deceiver here. That is slightly worrying.

"Yes, where is that wretched lycan hag?"

"Hey, easy now, I am not sure what she has done to you, but the Shadow Queen has only helped me. Sure she might only be doing so to accomplish her own means, but isn't that the way of things." I counter Draxxo with loyalty, hoping that will lead him to share more of what he knows. Perhaps Gene has wronged this man before. Maybe restitution is owed.

"She took our land in return for a bridge to your world. However, after the bridge was created, there was nothing but meager scraps left in your world to harvest." Draxxo's hand motions to the dead land around us. "She took our land," Beasts still frozen in space is the only life to be found in this dried up land. "and left us nothing in return."

"If it makes you feel any better, the Shadow Queen and her people were all but destroyed. I am here on her behalf, hoping to bond a shade so that her fading spirit can form a warlock bond with the shade and extend her existence." I attempt to deceive Draxxo with honesty.

Draxxo is caught off guard. "She and her people were destroyed? How? They were so powerful."

"Not enough power, I suppose."

"We might have underestimated your world. Still, a deal is a deal, and we demand reparation."

"You don't even know, man, our dragons on the other side have wings." I shouldn't have said that. I don't even know why I am trying to talk up our power level.

"You met Furioux? Where do you think Gene obtained her dragon from?"

"Yeah, I shouldn't have said that. Of course, there are winged dragons here." I shake my head in a disapproving manner. "As it is, if you are looking to punch the Shadow Queen around in the name of justice, then your best way forward is helping me find a shade to bind."

"Help you help her. You must think I am a fool."

"The only fool here is me. Listen, Draxxo, sometimes you got to build up your tower before you can bring it down. Did that make sense? Do you have towers here? Help me help you by helping me help her." I feel like I hit the bullseye with that one.

Draxxo takes a moment to process what I said. His head is nodding in an approving motion. I slightly nod my head along with him. "Very well then, demon. Let us help the wolf queen so I can expend my retribution once and for all." 

"Fair warning Draxxo, my friend," I use the term friend freely since, for one, I don't have very many friends, and I'm not picky. Two, it seems like a kind way to wrap up my soft threat. "When you come for the Shadow Queen, I will be by her side." The threat is more a display of loyalty than an actual threat. Based on our conversation so far, Draxxo seems to favor honesty.

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"Finish this mess." Draxxo gestures to all the beasts around. "And keep your eyes on the hawk." He points without looking at the frozen fireball hurling hawk high in the sky. "That is all the help you will get out of me. Goodbye." The bird man leaps into the air, carried by his mighty wings, and disappears in a cloud of shadow. Even his exit is spectacular.

"Thank you, Draxxo!" I yell back to my new friend as he leaves. I'm pretty sure we are friends now.

After his departure, the fighting picks up again. Still wielding my two swords, I abandon my platform and wade into the thick of battle. Death is left in my wake. All the while, I keep my energy sense locked onto the hawk.

….

Draxxonicuss helps the odd demon a little more than he lets on. He makes his way to the fire hawk and threatens the hawk enough that it doesn't feel safe in the skies. Watching the hawk abandon the sky, Draxxonicuss waits until the shade shifts into a grounded form before he strikes out with a shadow lance. The dark wispy lance cuts the fox's leg disabling it from fleeing the fight.

Draxxonicuss spends the rest of the time observing the demon. Something about Liam's honest answers unsettled Draxxonicuss. It wasn't just that he could not freeze the demon with his presence. His suppression aura doesn't work as well on awakened beings as it does on enlightened beings. That is especially true for powerful, awakened beings. Still, Draxxonicuss has met and dealt with his fair share of powerful awakened beings. None of which unnerved him as much as this demon did.

Draxxonicuss couldn't sense the demon's full power. The demon was only of the second rank, third at the highest. Why was Liam able to resist his suppression, and why was he able to speak so freely and openly? There is a mysterious power behind the demon, and Draxxonicuss isn't sure whether to flee, challenge, or ally himself with that power.

Astonishingly, the demon makes quick work of the gathered beasts. His swords cut through mole wyrms, earth golems, and armored tree dryads like he is slicing through water. Energy stretches past his blades, delivering more death. Not even veiled shadow sabers escape the swords' reach. Perhaps his blades are highly enchanted? 

Sensing the wounded shade is in danger, the demon becomes a monster as he rushes to protect his objective. Drakes fall before they can go berserk. Hounds are silenced, bats can't fly away fast enough, sabers can't hide, and not even the crystal golem lasted more than five moves against the demon.

If it is the blades that are enchanted, Draxxonicuss wants them. If they are not, Draxxonicuss wants nothing to do with the man or the she-wolf. The skill being displayed with the sword outmatched anything he had ever witnessed. A shiver runs down his spine when he thinks of their encounter together. 

However, he did call him a friend, and he did help the demon. As frightened of the monster as Draxxonicuss was, the opportunity of power he presents is equally enticing. Especially if his new friend owes him. 

Maniacal laughter bursts from the horned harpy as his powerful friend binds the shade, securing the demon's indebtedness to him. The binding shackling chains of loyalty. 

….

The gruesome fight finally comes to an end. The shade was wounded, allowing me to protect it and offer it a bond. Injured as it was, the shade was quick to accept the bond, if only to survive a little longer.

"Hello, demon of shadow. Thank you for your protection and accepting me as your totem. Do you plan to stay in this realm long, or will we be leaving soon?" The shade asks through our new bond. Although the communication is similar to how Bones and I communicate non-verbally, I am slightly startled to hear the unique voice. 

"Hello, shade. Thank you for accepting the bond. Is your leg well?" Even though there is no blood, I have applied a band of magic cords to the wound. The thread can adapt to needs, so I hope it can apply internal healing to the wounded leg.

"My leg will be fine. I can feel it getting better already. Thank you." The words are correct, but there is a sense of entitlement that I am getting from the shade's tone that is offputting. 

"Good, good. Yes, we will be on our way soon. However, before we depart, you should know that I intend on binding you to shadow spirit through a warlock contract." I probably shouldn't have given my plan away. I just don't want to blindside my new companion. 

"It sounds like an opportunity to grow in power. I gladly accept." Well, it turns out less complicated than I thought it would be.

After completing the totem ritual, I clean up my mess, absorbing all the dead and my fortress. I completely forgot about the cat hiding inside my fort, and I think I am just as scared as it is when it dashes away. 

All things considered, I feel filthy about the events that unfolded here. Calmly deserved much better. I should have expected as much. Fishing is never fair for the fish or the bait. 

I know I am in my head too deep when haunting my steps as I leave are the eerie cries of the demised. 

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