Skye's POV
My tension rose as Sophia guided me through woods and patches of Demons to access what she called, "The Great Door." Several of the demons we traveled past gave me curious stares but otherwise didn't approach. I was doing the same to them. Most demons out here had humanoid forms and giant wings like Sophia. I did catch a few that looked to be made out of rock and were much larger in size to their Sophia-like counterparts. These were the types of demons I usually fought with. Their stares gave me goosebumps and I balled my hands into fists.
Don't kill them. Don't kill them. Don't kill them. Don't kill them. Don't kill them. Don't--
"We're here." Sophia's soft voice reached my ears and I stared at the door in front of me. It didn't look like a door at all. Green lightning that didn't strike the ground hovered in the air before me. Within the oval I could see a great city made from magma. A lava river flowed through the center of the city and I could see demons of all sorts roaming around. Sophia's giggle brought me back to her. "What? You've never seen a city before?" Her genuine smile caught me off guard once again. I stood there speechless. She held her hand out for me to take. "Come then. I'll take you around the city."
"Shouldn't he be brought before Bal?" A deep voice traveled through the earth and rose to my ears. Sophia and I turned around to see a large rock demon glaring at us with his arms folded across what I assumed was his chest.
"Of course he will be, Trag'o!" Sophia smiled at the monster in front of her. "I don't think it would hurt to show him around first though, do you?"
"Soph, you know the rules. Anyone new being brought in must be directly brought to Bal." Trag'o responded stiffly. I stood gaping at the sight. A demon was having a conversation with another demon. Right in front of me. I'd only ever heard roars, growls, and psychotic screams from demons. I had never heard one speak. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. I just watched from my spot as it continued.
"Rules are merely suggestions." Sophia countered.
"That's not true and you know it." The earth beneath my feet rumbled.
"Trag'thomoth, don't get upset." Sophia put a dainty hand on the big rock's arm.
"Who is he? What is he here for? Is he friend or foe?" A rocky hand pointed at me while his full attention was on Sophia.
"Friend!" She replied merrily. "He is here to aid us in our hour of need!"
"Hour of need? Friend? Did he tell you those things?" Trag'thomoth glared hard at me. An ounce of respect for him burrowed its way into my skull. At least he's asking questions and not merely assuming like this young demon girl. Trag'thomoth continued. "Soph, you are young and naive. Just because someone says something doesn't make it true. Not everybody is as honest as you are." Trag'thomoth patted the girl's head, but it didn't seem to faze her one bit.
"I am certain he is our new protector!" She seemed to keep her cheery attitude.
"Then why not let Bal see him?" Trag'thomoth tried a different approach. "If this..." The demon stared at me for a moment, "ugly creature is our new protector he will need to be provided with information only Bal can give."
An understanding light filled Sophia's eyes. "Yes! Yes, of course!" She ran to me, grabbed my hand and pulled us through the lightning that struck no ground. Soon, Trag'thomoth was with us. "Bal is our leader!" Sophia began to explain as she tugged me through a maze of alleyways. "He is the strongest and smartest demon, as well as the eldest!"
"Eldest?" For some reason, I imagined an old human with a cane and horns protruding from his spine. I shook it off.
"Yes, he was the first demon ever created." Trag'thomoth interceded.
"Yes, yes!" Sophia pulled into a crowded street.
"Watch it!" A three-headed monster yelled out.
"You're the one with three heads! You watch it!" Sophie yelled back. The monster opened his mouth to retort but Trag'thomoth shoved him away with one strong arm.
"Sophia, remember your manners!" He scolded.
"I'm not going to apologize for something I didn't do!" Sophia stuck her nose in the air.
"But you did run into him." Trag'thomoth pointed out.
"Six eyes, you think he would've seen me!" Sophia rolled her eyes. "Anyways, Skye--Skye?" I was putty in her hands as I tried to take in what was happening before me. The land of demons was dark yet lit with the lava river. While all buildings were made of magma rock, demons had buildings. I looked at my feet. This was a paved street. Demons had roads? Looking around, I noticed that there were demons of many types and of many sizes. I witnessed a small demon boy with only horns and no wings run to some sort of shop, pay for an item, and run back to a female demon with horns and wings like Sophie. The older female smiled at the young boy, dropped to her knees and held out her arms. The boy ran into them and gave the female a hug.
Mother and son.
"Oh, how I wish to be a mother someday!" Sophia sighed as she stared at the scene with me.
"You first have to find a man, Soph, and we both know that will never happen." Trag'thomoth's chuckle had me nearly falling to my knees. Sophia only glared at him.
"Anyways, Skye-" She turned her attention back to me. "We should get you to Bal as soon as possible!" She tugged my hand and my feet followed while my brain exploded like a canon. I watched as we traveled through a merchant street. Looking in the alleys, I saw gamblers and drunkards. Female demons, male demons, children demons. None looked in poverty, everyone seemed to have a place to go and things to do. Some held hands and some were fighting. I saw an arm competition through an open window of what seemed like a tavern.
This place is not so different from my home. Who have I been killing?
A rough push crashed me back into reality. Sophie was staring at me from above. I quickly stood up as Trag'thomoth apologized.
"Sorry, I am not used to dealing with beings like you. Don't know my own strength." The rock demon gallantly attested. And now a demon is apologizing? I nodded at him in lieu of speaking. What could I possibly say?
"He does that often." Sophia murmured to our companion. She turned back to me. "Skye, we're here." We were in front of a building that stood in between other buildings.
"A tavern?" I asked. What would a powerful, no the most powerful demon, be doing in a local tavern?
"Yes, he spends the weekends here." Sophia took my arm and gracefully pulled me inside.
Nobody noticed our arrival. Everyone was standing in a huge pit seemingly betting money on what I couldn't see. Sophia breathed in deeply and began to push our way through the throng. I burned my hand on a small demons head that was made of pure fire.
"Hey!" He gritted out as I went past.
"Sorry." I felt like an idiot for saying it as he just bobbed his head and looked at me curiously. Sophia pulled me further and soon we were out in front of the throng of demons. A giant demon was standing at one end of the pit and a masculine tall humanoid was at the other. The giant demon looked like a bald Minotaur. He was wearing an armored loin cloth and had armor on only one side of his body. The other side he left completely unclothed. His dark grey skin glowed fiery gold in some spots, almost like freckles, and in his arms he wielded a giant ax. Large horns protruded from his head like spiked hair and his wings were wide and thick. They wouldn't reach the ground even if they weren't unfurled.
With a sudden roar, he lunged at the seemingly humanoid man. At the very first sign of movement, the humanoid dodged so gracefully, my eyes couldn't see it. And then, the giant was on the ground, crying for mercy. What just happened?
"I surrender! You are my only liege!" The giant roared as he got up on one knee.
"Of course I am, pitiful Czar." The humanoid looked at the writhing creature in front of him. "If you forgive these debts, I can let you live. If you do not," The man's eyes turned a dark shade of red, "I will make an example of you in town square."
Czar? Debts? I remembered the conversation between Jacqueline and the stone creature. She said she would take care of it. I stared at the scene in front of me. This is how she deals with these matters?
"I forgive them! I forgive them all!" Czar shouted. The man's eyes turned back to a sharp orange color.
"Good." The man had dark brown hair that he kept short. He stepped back from the giant and turned straight towards me.
"Who are you?" His voice reminded me of a waterfall cascading down the edge of a cliff. I knew that if I didn't paddle hard enough, I would be pushed right off the cliff. Sophia had let go of my hand at some point which allowed me to step forward.
"My name is Skye Firebird." Faster than lightning, the man was standing in front of me. He curiously examined my face.
"Orphan?" He asked as he circled around me. I felt like a dead animal about to get ravaged by a vulture.
"No."
"Feels like a lie, and yet your eyes believe it." The man stared into my eyes. Flames licked the inside of his irises. He blinked and then turned his shoulder away from me.
"You haven't told me your name." If this guy was the Bal guy that Sophie and Trag'thomoth were raving about, which I was certain it was, then I needed to gain access to this dimension from him. He turned to me, flexing his bare chest, and answered my question.
"I am Bal Shadowend, Demons Keeper."