“I suppose,” Jenn grudgingly agreed. “Why are you wasting your time?”
“What do you mean?” Tom asked, puzzled by the tone in her voice.
“I mean, why are you doing this? Surely, you have better things to do than follow us around and guard us. After all, I’m sure someone of your power has important things to take care of in the Abyss.” Jenn was trying a slightly different tack to get information out of the demon. She hoped that by being less confrontational, the demon might give a clue for its reasons.
“No, not really.”
“What do you mean not really? I’m sure you’d like to be off destroying something somewhere, wouldn’t you. Rather than baby-sitting?”
“No.” Tom wasn’t sure he understood exactly what she was getting at, other than trying to give him a hint to get lost. “What makes you think I like to destroy things?” Tom asked a question of his own.
“Why,” Jenn was rather surprised by that question, “that’s what demons do.” Aside from lying, thought Jenn, but she decided it might not be tactful to say that.
“Well, I’m afraid I don’t.” Tom defended himself. “Well, actually I do;” he had to amend that thinking back on what he’d done yesterday, “but, I don’t enjoy it. I generally don’t have much choice in the matter.”
“Sure,” obviously the thing still insisted on playing games. “So, anyway, why are you here. Don’t you find this boring?”
“Well,” Tom admitted, “I can’t claim it to be incredibly exciting; but then I’m sure you’re not having the time of your life either.”
“Yes, but we’re fleeing. You don’t have to. You can go back to your home and no one will bother you.”
“Oh really,” Tom said, “I don’t think so. You and your friends have seen to that. As long as Lenamare’s around, I can be summoned at any time. And he’s insured that no matter what, I’ll never return home.”
Jenn was puzzled, the demon actually sounded bitter. Human emotions coming from a demon? “Well, you could go back to where you go when you’re not here, I’m sure you’d at least prefer that wouldn’t you?”
Rupert was listening intently, he didn’t like the sound of this conversation. He wished Jenn would shut up. Fortunately, Tom relieved him with his next words. “No, and besides which, I promised Rupert I would see him to safety. I don’t go back on my word.”
Rupert saw Jenn’s shoulders and back tighten in frustration. Tom had told her something she couldn’t deny. Demons didn’t go back on their word. They twisted the living hell out of them, but they didn’t renege. “Ugh, I guess my question is,” Jenn’s frustration showed in her voice, “why should you want to? What is Rupert to you?”
Rupert’s ears pricked up at this, this was something he definitely wanted to hear, he strained to catch every word, even though Tom was generally incapable of talking softly. “Because he is my friend. I like him and I want to.” Tom’s voice was starting to get louder as he said this, obviously becoming slightly annoyed too.
“Like! Hah!” Jenn laughed at what she apparently saw as a blatant lie. “What would a creature of evil know of things like friendship, kindness or fondness. Lust, hatred, vengeance, yes. Love and friendship no.’
“WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH YOU PEOPLE!” Tom shouted. He then calmed down a bit, when Jenn jumped in her seat. “Every damn one of you, except for Rupert here,” and he pointed, “keeps telling me what a rotten evil person I am. None of you even know me! I never did one damn thing to any of you. You people, on the other hand, captured me like some animal and then bound and enslaved me to be your fricking servant.
“If anyone around here is evil, it’s you wizards! You grab people you don’t even know and force them into slavery. You never even ask us if we want it! You expect us to bow and scrape and do your every whim and then you rant and rave over how evil and destructive we are; but don’t you think we have a right to be upset? Besides, as far as I could see back there yesterday. You stupid Astlanians are as nasty to each other as we demons sometimes are to you!
“Do you think I like this situation. Do you think I like being forced to serve some egotistical moron, to be cut off from my family and friends? You bitch and moan about how I plan to destroy you and how you fear me and all this other garbage, but it’s your own damn fault I’m here. If you, and I mean you, because, I remember now where I’ve seen you before, you were there and helped Lenamare enslave me; don’t like my presence, then blame yourself. I’m the way I am because of you. If you don’t like it then just shove it.” With that, Tom flew back to the end of the small procession, and crossed his arms on his chest and just fumed.
Jenn was shocked, speechless. She had never, ever, heard of, read of, or even considered possible, such a tirade from a demon. What it said didn’t even make sense. It seemed to contradict every known fact about demons. Oh, to be sure they didn’t like be forced to serve, but then demons didn’t like anything. To imagine a demon having feelings like a human being-it was just too much.
Rupert too was shocked. Not at the words, he could understand them, had even experienced some of it for himself. It was just that-well, to have them expressed, it just brought home to him the whole situation. It also confirmed a lot of what he secretly hoped and felt. To actually have some of his own thoughts and feelings expressed by a demon of such tremendous power and might, was almost too much to be believed.
He looked over his shoulder at Tom in awe and happiness, maybe this was the sort of thing he’d been looking for. True, he hadn’t directly come out and said what Rupert had wanted said, but things were getting closer, maybe soon he’d have his confirmation. Tom said he did like Rupert, that was definitely a start.
“You! Halt in the name of the Exador, General of Turelane. Halt or be vaporized!” Not wishing to be vaporized, Gastropé naturally stopped. This was not good. He’d chosen to go west after the survivors of the wagon train, hoping they’d returned their demon, and were now sufficiently far ahead. He had figured that that would be better than risking a run in with Exador after failing. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to have made a difference.
He stopped and turned around, trying to appear pleased to see whoever called him. Coming up the mountain trail after him were two people on a Ponto’s Firebird Flying Carpet. He had to admit, it was a beautiful red carpet, and the flaming exhaust was a rather awe inspiring sight. He crossed his arms on his chest, and tried to look impassionate.
As they pulled to a stop near him he said, “About time we got some reinforcements!” Always best to bluff, he knew it wasn’t worth lying about who he was. If he wasn’t one of Exador’s people, then he was probably one of Lenamare’s refugees and would be executed, thus best to be himself. “That stupid demon wiped out the entire ambush party except for me! I’ve been trying to follow them to see where they were going, I’m glad you’ve come to help.”
The two men didn’t look surprised, or interested. “Name.”
“I might ask the same.” Seeing no response, he replied “Gastropé Al-Ghayrani, sid Mierkan, Tolan de Turelane con Exador.” He gave his full formal name, including his current lord, Exador, just so there could be no mistaking. The men looked down a list they had, apparently looking for his name.
“Well,” one said at last, “your name is here, but you certainly don’t dress like one of our people.”
“Naturally, as I just mentioned, our entire party was trashed by a fourth order demon. There wasn’t much left of my old clothes, so I simply got together the best that I could from the remains of the wagon train, before pursuing the enemy survivors.”