“This prison is massive,” he said, waving his arms around. “We’ve been walking for hours and we’re only just leaving the high security section. There was more back behind the room with the crystal that you never even saw. And all the cells are full.
“Millions of demons here still pale in comparison to the sheer amount of demons that lay down one day within their domains and never got up, giving in to the despair of our existence. Another set of demons chose to stave off eternal boredom by visiting other demons’ domains–always a risky prospect; the domain caters to the owner’s whims. If that owner so chose, they could easily turn their domain worse than this prison. Many in that second set get enslaved.
“The demon who gave you that ring? The other one you mentioned? They’re the lucky ones. Chosen in a random lottery to visit a world full of individuals, rather than constructs. Those that get summoned tend to get summoned multiple times. They will leave behind a book or notes, something to entice others into summoning them. The more known demons there are, the less likely it is for a random demon to be summoned.”
Prax’s speech was getting more and more heated as he continued. He was almost spitting as he spoke about the summoned demons.
Based on his talking, Juliana doubted he had ever been summoned.
“Why go for an unknown quantity when tried and proven demons are readily available,” Juliana almost whispered to herself.
“Exactly.”
“But mortal servants?”
“Prestige. As I said, few demons actually get summoned. Fewer acquire mortals. You mortals are short-lived, so those that constantly have servants…”
“Get summoned a whole lot more.”
“You retain your individuality as well. That is a major factor for some. Domain constructs cater to our whims as much as any other aspect of domains. You do not. It brings a little slice of your world down here.”
“So the stories about demons dragging people to hell?”
“The demon wanted a pet, slave, servant, attendant, follower,” he glanced over and Shalise’s eyes actually glowed red for a moment, “lover. Something that could think for itself.”
Juliana frowned as Prax went silent. How much of that, she wondered, does Eva even know? She glanced down at the ring on her finger, rubbing it idly. Was she going to get kidnapped by Ylva one day? Dragged down to hell, never to be seen again?
Did Eva know what accepting the ring entailed?
And Eva was trying to turn herself into a demon. It didn’t sound like a very pleasant experience. Then again, Eva was already on Earth. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to seed the world with plenty of summoning manuscripts for herself.
“And you plan to keep Shalise here, forever?”
“It is in the cards.”
“Let her go.”
Prax stopped walking. He turned.
The muscles beneath Shalise’s skin rippled and grew. Skin split at various points on her body, her biceps, stomach, sides. Her neck. Juliana could see the muscles through the tears–there was surprisingly little blood. They coiled and twisted around themselves.
Like the muscles on a tiger getting ready to pounce.
Shalise’s face took on a cruel grin as her teeth sharpened and her eyes flared red.
“And you plan to stop me?”
Juliana smiled, hoping he wasn’t hurting her friend too much, and shook her head. “Nope. I plan to summon you.”
Whatever he expected her to say, that wasn’t it. Shalise’s eyes lost their cinders and the smile faltered.
“Let Shalise go. Tell me how to summon you. You and I can write all kinds of books with your name in them. Maybe even find you a few willing servants.” There had to be some freaks out there ready to spend the rest of their lives with Prax.
Prax cracked his neck to one side then the other. His right hand curled into a fist, knuckles popping as it tightened.
Juliana prepared to jump back, out of reach.
He twisted and threw his fist directly over his own shoulder.
It impacted mid-air with a sickening crunch. Black liquid splattered over Juliana’s face. Most of Prax didn’t make it out unsoiled.
On the ground, a gaunt demon shimmered into being on the floor.
The void opened and swallowed him whole a moment later.
“I shall consider it,” Prax said. “For now, there are more around.”
Juliana formed a helmet and a dagger in each hand out of her flowing metal. “More?”
“At least three,” Prax said, slowly turning his head around the hallway. “Morail tend to despise others of their race, but I suppose that doesn’t matter here. They found and broke out others of their own kind.”
Nodding, Juliana looked around herself with her daggers ready to move the moment anything happened.
They were past the red barriers. Juliana never thought she would miss being able to see into the cells, but at least the barriers provided a good amount of light. The small white lights dotting the walkways left much to be desired.
Juliana couldn’t see anything. Being invisible wouldn’t do much good if she could see them, but she thought there might be some tell. Some shimmering against the background of the hallway or some glimmer in the faint light.
Even holding her breath, Juliana could hear nothing but the beating of her own heart.
Prax swung an arm through empty air.
His arm spun around his back and snapped with a crack.
Jumping forward, Juliana thrust out with her knife where she thought the demon would be. She took care to avoid accidentally skewering Prax.
Something clamped down on Juliana’s arm and started to twist.
Juliana hardened all the metal in her arm. The knife in her hand was reabsorbed into her armor.
In an instant, Juliana’s entire arm turned into a sea urchin.
Black blood dripped down several of the needles.
Swinging her other arm, her dagger cut through thin air.
Juliana brought her dagger down on top of Prax’s captor. She flinched away from another splatter of black blood.
“See,” Prax said, patting her cheek with blood-slick fingers, “you can be worth something after all.”
“Yeah, you’re welc–wait, you thought I was worthless?”
Prax swung a fist over Shalise’s shoulder. Something cracked, but no void opened on the floor.
“There was only one unconscious body being lugged around for the last day or so,” he said. Prax swept a hand down Shalise’s chest. His eyes went wide and he sported a crooked grin. “And it wasn’t this one.”
Juliana opened her mouth to respond, but something crashed into her helmet. She stumbled around, trying to dampen the reverberations. Having a gong go off inside your head hurt.
Right, she thought, no discussions while fighting.
Lashing out with her spiny arm, Juliana tried to catch her attacker before they moved away.
Her arm sailed through the air and nothing else.
“Stop being such cowards and fight!”
“Oh, they cannot help that,” Prax drawled. “When your primary ability is to cower in the shadows,” Prax kicked a leg out.
Something cracked, cracked again as it hit a wall, and fell into a dark violet void portal.
“You learn to avoid confrontations.”
Juliana was only half listening to Prax; the knock on her head had been unpleasant enough the first time around. She slowly rotated in place, keeping her arms ready to strike.
“Behind you.”
Not hesitating for a moment, Juliana thrust her elbow straight back. The spines on her arm withdrew and formed into a single, barbed spike at the tip of her elbow.
It caught.
Juliana jerked her arm upwards, ignoring the pain stricken cry, and dug in deeper. Her metal spike spread out into another urchin-like implement of misery.
Fingers ran over her armor as the demon lashed out. He started trying to twist and squeeze.
Juliana was fairly certain that there were teeth involved as well. She responded with tiny hooks covering the surface of her armor.