In the following weeks the two following trumpets called.
The star Wormwood crashed somewhere in the red ocean, so we did not have many problems with that. But after the fourth trumpet the sun went completely black.
Yes, the sky was already dark before that. But despite that we could still see the sun somewhere above us. But now it was like it wasn't even there.
This brought many problems like the cold and the uneasiness of the humans due to the darkness. I had to keep some flames around so that they would not freeze.
Apart from the disasters my temper also worsened drastically. Maye it was because the humans were more reliant on me or because it was just part of the seven trumpets. But it was no longer wanted the people I didn't know directly to come close to me. However, it got a little better after the fifth trumpet when strange monsters started to walk upon the land.
Tough they weren't demons they were certainly not from this world. The best way to describe them was a giant cockroach with hair and a humanoid face.
Because they weren't demons, they could not pick up my presence. So occasionally one would come close, and I could let my frustration and anger out on it.
I sat somewhere on the edge of our camp. Almost no lights from the fires reached this place. But that was fine by me. unlike the humans, I had no trouble seeing at all. I let my tail slightly move from side to side over the soft grass that would die soon.
I felt a gentle cold wind on my back as I watched the humans do their thing in the camp. This was one of the things that I would probably miss once this world merged with hell. Tough hell was more comfortable for me at the moment there were a few small things that I enjoyed more in the mortal worlds. In hell the winds were sharp and fierce or eerily quiet and almost non-existent. This gentle and calming in between was there almost unheard of.
I growled and looked up at Leonor who was approaching me while carrying Zosimos in her arm. After all this time it still surprised me how fast she got used to having only one arm.
"What is it?"
She hesitantly took a step back. Tough it did not seem to be out of fear.
"I need to discuss a few things with you. Can I come closer?"
I let out a final fierce snarl but then took a beep breath and tried to calm myself down. I knew that none of this was her fault.
"Fine!"
She faintly smiled and sat down under my wings while leaning against my body. I could hear her relatively slow heartbeat along with the faster one of Zosimos. The child laughed and reached out for the membrane of my wings while some clouds escaped his mouth.
I slightly grumbled. Normally I wouldn't have cared to much about this, but now it greatly irritated me.
"Do you have to get this close?" I asked with an annoyed frown.
"Sorry if it bothers you. Maybe it is because you are a fire demon, but you are strangely warm. I can sit somewhere else if you want to."
I sighed and embraced her with my lower wing now properly sheltering her from the cold. "No, you can stay right here."
"Thank you." She answered with a smile to which I just rolled my eyes.
"Just get on with it. what did you want to discuss?"
"As you know the darkness and the cold is terrible for the plant life. It won't take long before it eventually dies along with a lot of the animals. Also, the people are getting on each other's nerves. Small fights are already going on and it is only a matter of time before people would get wounded."
"Well, the only options I can think of at the moment is either to kill some people or to move towards the mountains. Tough I don't think you would like the first."
She nodded and then looked at me again. "And why the mountains?" She asked with a small hint of hope in her voice.
"I can probably find some food for you until this world is finally integrated into hell. But I can't leave you long enough for me to actually find it. Since my presence is the only thing that is keeping other demons away right now, this place will be swarming with demons once I leave. In the mountains you can take shelter somewhere deep inside a cave. There it will be harder for demons to find you and I can go and get food."
"And what about the people fighting?"
"As I told you, my first idea was to just kill some people. But now I will just go and ask Noah and Beatrice to keep order. Don't worry it will be fine."
After I had informed Noah and Beatrice Leonor and I just sat there with a sleeping Zosimos in our midst
This, however, could not go on for too long. After about an hour I heard some jellying and shouting. I had already suspected that this would happen. And even if I did not feel like doing something about it, I figured that it would work in my favour if I did step in.
I carefully let Leonor slip out of my grasp and stood up.
She looked up to see why I would suddenly stand up. Then she realised why and smiled. "Really, thank you for your help. Times like this make me think back to when you gave that kid one of your scales. Let's hope that this time your kindness won't go to waste."
I did not reply and just straight up walked towards the jellying people. There I saw how Noah was desperately trying to keep order between two fighting people who were now also turning on him.
I suddenly appeared behind them. tough somehow Noah immediately noticed.
"I'm sorry master. Please forgive my failure. I have proven myself incapable of keeping order. I promise I won't be as useless in the future."
At once the other people stopped fighting. "So, you're really a toy of that demon? Your stupid weakling, I would never bow to that overgrown hell lizard even if it costs me my life."
I grabbed the man by his shoulder and threw him against a nearby tree. I could hear some of his bones crack upon impact and his shoulder had been impaled by my claws.
I distorted the world around the man with illusions of calamity, fire and the embodiment of death slowly stumbling towards him from behind me. he tried to run but I wouldn't let him move. He screamed at the top of his lungs, yet he couldn't even let out a whisper.
"Once you're done insulting my subordinate and me, I want you to think about what will happen if you do so again. And if you decide that this really is the best course of action. Then I want you to do the wise thing. And that is to commit the worst sin according to your believes and hope that another demon finds you wandering hell before I do. But I have to warn you. you will find that the nine circles will never be large enough if you try to hide from me."
I turned around and left without saying another word.
I would have enjoyed killing that man. But I knew that it wouldn't be wise to do so. I needed him and the other human that were fighting to tell the others that Noah and Beatrice worked under my command and that ignoring their orders would lead to a direct conflict with me.