Thal

Amy

She dreamed.

Amy stood in a pale wasteland. The sky was overcast by clouds of grey. All was ash. All was death. A metal mountain peeked from beyond the hill of dust. She blinked at the surreal vision.

“Nope! Don’t have time for this- no sir!”

She snapped her fingers, waking instantly from the rejected vision. She started from under the large branches of a giant’s conifer. Glistening pine needles the size of knives swayed in the gentle breeze. The storm had passed. All was halcyon.

“Uh. Amy- Master! You are being awake, yes?”

She grimaced at Gup’s broken sentence. She felt he was getting even worse at speaking. Among everything else.

Like- how is that even possible? How can someone get worse with power? The big idiot!

He still clung to his sack, slung over his scaly shoulder. She grumbled at being reminded of her wasted dragon bag. His eyes dart independently as he grinned at her, unable to read her mood. Her very obvious and cranky mood. She got to her feet in a huff, rubbing her eyes as she scanned the conifer grove. Thal was a hinterland environment mixed with tropical poles and a large body of water flowing from large deltas caused by the snowmelt from the mountain tops.

She adjusted her traveling robes with her soft and fair hands. She gazed into the forest, rubbing at her temple. She had taken a human disguise, opting for such subtle colors as bright crimson for her garb and sporting deep violet hair. Her mirror finish silver walking stave added a nice touch, glinting in the light. No one would notice her!

Keheheheh! I’m the best!

She outstretched her hand, using her domain of the Treasure Seeker to find the Throne she sought. She sensed a large body of power many miles away. Her gate dropped her just outside of the planet’s gravity well before she rushed to the least populated portion, hiding her presence. Seeing a new world was great. New food to eat, new demons to dominate, and people to either speak to or fight.

All of her demons were present, with Gup just in front of her, Henry the rat king shrunken inside her Robe pouch, and Revent hidden in her shadow. She had her massive array of spells from almost every tree, from elemental to spatial to time to mental. And the big bonus of new worlds was the knowledge glean from new books to read. Spellbooks. Tomes. Technological artifacts were also a possibility. She could smell the adventure. She sniffed, and scowled as she caught a whiff of Gup’s ‘leavings’. A nearby conifer steamed, revealing his mess. She glanced at him with a twisted frown, barking at him.

“Come on, Gup! Ugh- let’s get out of here. And stop marking!”

The demon recoiled at her rebuke and raised fist, arching his back as he stalked behind her.

“Uh. Yes. I am- uh, following.”

She huffed at his pointless response.

“Revent is cool,” she began to mutter, “He does what he’s told, he’s clever, and wasn’t a big dumb idiot thief!”

She glanced back to Gup with her last words. The demon returned her stare with cocked eyes and a dumb smile.

He only cowers when I’m ready to bonk him. At least he learns a little! Nyeh!

She was frustrated constantly by Gup’s actions, but she still felt for the demon; it was her first outside of Gehenna.

I just need to be patient. We’ll have a big breakthrough soon! Or that big idiot will take more of my stuff!

She crunched down on the eight-inch pine needles littering the tree’s embowerment.

“It’s this way. It’s probably a few days. We’ll have to walk- who knows if anyone will spot us if we try to move quickly!”

She looked up, seeing dancing rays of light along with the expansive trees. Hundreds of feet high they stood sentinel. The forest was quiet, with only the soft breeze whispering against her.

As soon as she arrived at Thal. The miasmatic stench of demonkind struck her. The planet was densely polluted with it. She felt immense power in the cities and villages. Demons were everywhere; too many to pick out individuals, unless she counted her own. It would be dangerous.

And heaven at the same time for her. So many new demons to enslave and categorize. Her collection would skyrocket the moment she reached civilization.

Maybe the entire planet is populated by demons...

She trudged along the forest path, feet unsteady on the rough terrain. Patches of snow that had managed to penetrate the conifer’s needle barrier lay scattered throughout. Gup had seen fit to stomp around them, enjoying himself. Her thoughts were filled with possibilities. Maybe she could conquer the planet outright. The Thrones would be served up to her on silver platters, ripe for the taking where she would then deposit them to Lucifer.

Earning her love couldn’t have been easier. So easy it had already happened.

Kehehehe! I’m the best!

She hummed to herself, daydreaming of the possibilities. She tripped over her robe, falling flat on her face, stave clattering away.

"Oh, dear… Clumsy!"

She gathered herself and her stave, rebuking her distracted mind. Gup just stared on vacantly.

"What are you looking at?"

He blinked, cocking his head like a dog.

"Uh. Amy? I mean master. Yes- looking at master."

She marched up to Gup, who expected praise. She sent her stave shooting through her fingers, the tip striking Gup on the nose. He reeled back, flopping on the ground with a wailing whine. She rolled her eyes at his dramatic display, turning to leave.

"Come on Gup! Next time keep an eye out for me!"

He scurried after her, low to the ground as he rubbed his poor nose.

"Yes! Ouchies!"

They came to a clearing, the high-noon light of the white dwarf beamed along the open grove.

She adjusted her robes, peering into the clearing. Amy felt no other demons nearby. She smiled, tapping her temple.

Nyeh! Why am I being so cautious? Demons can't even hurt me- no sir!

She marched through the grove, avoiding the rocky outcropping in the center. A crack drew her attention, the tree behind her exploded. She snapped her focus to the half-ruined giant conifer, the blow having blasted through bark and bough, trunk and branch. It groaned and swayed, like a boxer's rung bell.

She turned to the source, seeing a boy clothed in blue rags, juggling a stone in one hand as he sat atop the largest boulder. He sported a hat with two ear flaps and a white tuft on top.

You big idiot! You weren't looking for humans!

Her chastisement ended quickly as the boy eyed her. It was an intense and weighty stare, having seen far too much suffering and bloodshed for one so young. One who had childhood torn from him, innocence replaced by suspicion. She gulped, the strength needed to do that was no joke.

"Hey watch what you're doing, you could hurt someone!" Amy rebuked.

"Could've slain you now," the boy shot back, his voice and tone lazy. He lifted the rock, the intent clear as day.

"A warning? Fine- no need to be grumpy, I'm going!"

She turned around, intending to had back the way she came. A stone streaked past her, clapping into the tree, blasting the last of the trunk away. It dropped with a thunderclap crunch and slowly toppled. The titan fell and the earthquake shuddered through the forest as she tried to remain balanced. Snow and pine needles rained down, peppering the embowers. She covered up and froze, protecting herself from the splinter shards. Her shadow blurred as Revent guarded her against the debris.

She glanced back at the boy. He wore a cocky grin, his hard-edged eyes weighing her.

"Didn't say you could leave."

She trembled. The other Angels had explained it. Faithful Ones. Extremely strong, some were on par with them in terms of power and majesty. But those were just stories! She was mentally rocked on her heels, the psychological battle already lost.

He hopped off the boulder, bounding across from rock to rock, the sound of his feet clapping against stone rang out in the quiet woods. He touched down on grassy grove, folding his arms.

"Ah! See that Gup? He's going to steal my stave!!"

The boy scrunched his face, shaking his head.

"What? No!"

"Then you're here to steal my clothes?"

"No, that's-"

Amy gasped, her face twisting in horror.

"My… Maidenhood?"

The boy's face went vacant deadpan before he burst out in frustration.

"NO! What's wrong with you?"

She blinked, looking down at Gup cowering just behind her robe. She stared needles into her useless demon. The boy spoke up before she could retort.

“You’re the one after me!”

Amy paused, furrowing her brow at the accusation.

“After you? I don’t even know who you are!”

He waved her away, his face crumpled to a scowl. His voice went low.

“They always deny it.”

He locked his fingers together, bending them back with a loud crack. He bent his neck, cracking as he rolled his shoulder. She tensed, her soul trembling at the oncoming battle. He took a step closer and she could see the ring of scars tracing through his arms and legs.

Her eyes went wide at the realization.

This kid’s been dismembered- like a lot! Oh my, Lucy! Most likely accelerated healing, too! Faithful Ones are unfair!

“H-hey now, stay back!”

“Or what?”

He took a step forward.

She felt a tinge a fear, squeaking as she backed up, leveling her stave.

“I won’t have this- no sir!”

Another step.

“Then stop me.”

He was within feet. She acted first in a panic.

“Gup- stop him, you idiot!”

Her demon sprung to, teeth bared and eyes forward. He readied his sack and charged.

Right back into the woods.

Amy stood there dumbfounded, stammering over herself. Gup skulked behind a tree, peeking around and eyeing the boy with a faux scowl. She was about to say something when her little thief skulked to another tree, peeking out.

She palmed her face, flushed with embarrassment.

“Is… Is he alright?” the boy asked with a finger to his mouth, taken off guard by the strange behavior.

“No- he’s not alright! He’s a big idiot! Stop playing and get him!”

Gup’s eyes swiveled to her. He gave her a big smile and a thumbs-up as he snuck behind a rock, circling around the boy.

“Oh dear- for crying out loud!”

Gup slipped back behind the rocky outcropping, moving away from line of sight. She sighed at the most anticlimactic of battles. The boy turned back to her, shrugging at her.

“Did you train it bad on purpose?”

She scowled at him, averting his heavy stare.

“No- only a big idiot would even think that! He’s going to get you- look out!”

The boy’s face dropped to a vacant deadpan stare. Gup peeked out from behind the rock, dumb grin affixed before zipping back behind the boulder.

“Ok Gup, come out of here- stop being dumb! I won’t stand for it!”

Silence. The boy sighed, gathering a pebble and flicking it between two fingers. It crumbled to bits, sending a blasting volley to where the demon hid, shattering the boulder with a tectonic clap. The dust settled to find Gup had bamboozled both of them. He vanished. They glanced around, looking for him.

“Miiiine!”

A shrill cry from above rang out as the demon lizard thief dropped from the canopy. Amy went slack-jawed, wide-eyed, and dumb from shock at Gup’s maneuver. He actually used his smooth brain for once. He fell, sack open and ready to catch the enemy. The boy looked up, eyebrows raised in apparent surprise. Gup stuck home, getting the sack around his head as he rode atop the boy's shoulders. The boy casually reached up to grab him and the thief abandoned his idea to steal the human.

“That was pretty good,” the boy complimented as he rubbed his eyes.

“Uh- Er... Yes,” Gup blinked in confusion as he padded side-to-side, gauging him.

Amy tensed, watching her beloved- albeit annoying- demon fight.

The boy picked up a pebble, eyeing the demon. Amy meddled in the fight, clacking her stave down, drawing the boy’s attention for a brief second. It was the opening Gup needed. He scrambled on two legs, his empty hand releasing a cloud of dust.

“Blinding Sand!”

Amy’s eyes bugged out at Gup’s first spell. The boy turned back to the demon, catching the full blast of the spell in his face. The boy stumbled back with a grunt, grasping at his eyes. Gup went low, striking his calf with his tail, intending to ground him. Amy’s eyes bugged out again as the blow did nothing except cracked the demon’s tail in half. The boy was tough as a brick. Gup retreated back, stroking his now broken limb with a whimper.

“Gup! You can do it!” Amy exhorted, new energy and hope building up for the little guy.

The demon looked back with a pained smile. Amy channeled her powers into the demon, healing him with raw magic. The tail snapped back into place as Gup shook off the pain.

“T-thank you. Master!”

The boy managed to recover an eye from the blindness, readying his stone. Gup took advantage, rushing close and shouting another spell.

“Pilfer Roulette!”

Amy gasped as the little thief used another spell. A dark shadow of a grubby hand rushed to the boy, snatching an item away. Gup grasped the item, revealing it was the boy’s hat and not the pebble the human readied.

Why is he just standing there!

Gup cocked his head, slowly putting on the hat. He gave a final look to Amy, uttering a profound statement.

“Eh?”

Amy slapped her forehead. All of the cool points he had just earned were burned into the negative. The spell stole a random item, which Gup obviously didn’t understand. The boy flicked the pebble, striking Gup in the nose. His upper torso exploded, his lower torso went flying off into the conifers, painting the grove with a long streak of black blood and viscera. The resounding thunderclap shook the trees of their excess snow.

Gup was defeated.

Amy felt a pang of sadness. She would be able to resummon him quickly enough- he had an extremely low magic footprint. The boy turned to look at her, a puzzled look plastered on his face.

“I think he’s defective.”

Her face went vacant. Gup was weak even with his new abilities; no question about it.

“Tell me about it!”

He shook his head, revealing long sandy brown hair that glistened in the light. She reached into her robe, grabbing her rat king. She paused, taking in the gorgeous hair.

Oh my Lucy- we’ve got a Fabio here! Stop! Calm! Fight him and win!

“Go get him, Henry!”

The rat king grew to four feet in size, sporting fifteen rats tangled by their tails in a pile of refuse bundled in the center. All of them screeched at the boy, puffing big for effect.

“Skreeee!”

The boy picked at his ear. He sprang with one leg, hurtling towards them in a blur; a chunk of dirt went flying where his heel had dug in. The boy went limp as a ragdoll into her prized demon. Henry squeaked in fear, each rat attempting to run in different directions, going nowhere. The rat went splat. Black blood and viscera scattered the grove, spraying Amy and the trees. The boy thrashed his arms and legs with rat heads, limbs, and gore going everywhere. The remains quickly crumbled to dust.

Henry was defeated.

“What!? No way!”

The boy was content to making ash angels on the ground with Henry’s remains.

“Yeah… Fought one before. More rats- bigger. Thirty- maybe? Where’s the demon stone?”

Oh, sweet Lucy above- he fought a prince ranked rat king!?

She trembled, her stave clinking against the ground. The boy got to his feet, dusting himself off.

“I control them- you can’t take their stones- no sir!”

She made a pose, using her final gambit.

“Kehehehe, they were all distractions! Prepare to be beaten, kid! Revent, go!”

A black blade blurred as the boy lifted an arm to block. It shattered against him, rocking him back on a heel before he caught himself. Revent quickly vanished back into shadow.

“And now the best part!”

“Demon’s Strength.”

“Racial Mimicry: Angel.”

“Angel’s Might.”

“Wall of Nehemiah.”

“Keheheh! Now fall before my power!” Amy laughed.

Revent is so busted! Can’t catch him when shadows are around!

“Uh. Why didn’t you use those spells on the others?”

Amy sputtered and stammered, her prideful comeback deflated.

“I thought you liked them?” he added.

Her eyes darted around the grove. She was so caught up with fighting that she stuck to her trained plans, failing to adapt. Her mind was still frozen from the boy’s initial warning attack. That is to say, Revent was the only one she practiced her buffs with. After all, she was the best.

“Are you bad on purpose?” The boy asked.

Amy scowled, barking back at him.

“It was a duel you fool! That would be cheating if I got involved! Why are you still talking? You big idiot- pay attention!”

Revent struck again with a spear, the blade blurring by his head. The boy dodged by inches as the wind whipped from the strike. He rolled along the ground as he backed up, wary of the strikes from the shadows.

“Kehehe! You’ll never beat him! You can’t even see Revent!”

The boy turned to her, a new thought had dawned on him.

“Oh- but I can see you.”

Amy sputtered at spotting the handful of flakes and pebbles the boy readied; collected when he had dodged.

“Wait- not me! You have to fight Revent!” She shrieked.

The boy shrugged as he hurled the equivalent of hypersonic grapeshot. Amy braced, her life flashing before her eyes. Revent sprung from the shadows limbs wide as he covered her. Nehemia’s brick wall of energy shattered under the numerous shotgun blast of rocks, riddling the demon. A thunder blast kicked Amy off her feet, thudding into a pile of snow and needles. She was dizzy and drained, her vision swimming as she saw Revent slump to his knees, crumbling to an ash statue.

Malady was defeated.

Wait. What? Whose Malady?

She felt at her forehead, her hand squishing as she continued to feel her wound. Some of her skull was missing. She pulled back golden blood and brain matter. Her robe was stain with glistening gold.

The boy loomed, scowling down at her. The damage, the fear, the loss of her demons, and the trembling pushed her over the edge. She felt like a big idiot. She readied her strongest spell, aiming for the boy. His intense eyes gazed at her, staring hot coals into her mind. She felt a terror at the boy. She was going to be slain, crushed to viscera like her demons. Her spell fizzled as her mind tripped over itself. She readied another spell and then fizzled again under pressure. She remembered Gehenna. The hopelessness. The isolation. Her crippling by Archangel Raphael. The eternity in solitary darkness. It had felt like death. And when the boy splattered her against the tree, would she not be in the same place inside her the remains of her soul mote?

The boy flexed his fist, readying it for a strike. She did the only thing she could think of.

“Waaaaah!”

She broke down into tears, fear and terror overwhelming her. The boy paused, the hard-edged eyes replaced with the emphatic child hidden underneath.

“Stop crying!” he barked, trying to close off the mounting guilt.

“Waaaaahaaaa!”

Tears streamed down her face, soaking her stained robe as she tried to hide. Her small crow wings extended from behind, wrapping around her body.

The boy’s eyes filled with shock. And then shame. He knelt down, trying to get close. She scooted away, halted by the pile of snow.

“Go-ho-away-hay!” she blubbered, her voice choking on sobs.

“Wait! I’m… Sorry.”

She sniffed, wiping at her grimy nose, looking back at the boy. His eyes were pained; childlike again.

“You’re a big bully!” she cried.

He looked down, face sullen.

“I know.”

He looked back at her, gently grasping her hand.

“Thought you were a cultist. Wearing red,” he gestured to her garb, “Been after me since…” he halted, pursing his lips as he bit back the words.

“Cultist? Me? I’m wearing red because it’s the best- *sniff*- Color-her! Waaah!”

She broke down into tears again, sobs racking her body.

"Are you an Angel?"

The question halted her, her face twisting in confusion as tears flowed freely. She felt at her crow wings and blubbered a squeaking cry at her realization.

"I'm not even good at disguises! I’m just an angel of the lib-er-al arrrts- ulgh!-"

He explained hurriedly, interrupting her self-chastisement.

“Dreamed I would meet one.”

She stopped, her voice watery.

“And you decided to beat her up?” she scowled at him, her tears halting at the new revelation.

The boy’s face twisted at the accusation.

“Didn’t know!”

“You didn’t ask!”

He pointed to her, a smile blossomed on his face as he caught her.

“Would you have told me?”

She scowled, shaking her head with a shout.

“No- of course not! Not with that welcome you gave me!”

Amy glared needles at him, gesturing to the felled giant conifer. His shoulders sagged.

“Sorry about the demons... Get you new ones.”

The boy looked away towards the ruins of the grove.

“Really? Because they aren’t gone!”

“Oh! Oh, well… Uh-” his eyes darted, caught off guard.

“-You’ll get me new demons- just like you said!” Amy smirked at catching the boy in her own small way.

She relaxed, her wounds instantly healing. Her garb flashed with a scanning sweep, cleaning the mess. The boy sputtered at being duped.

“Bu-but you were hurt!”

“Yeah- duh! That was painful and really scary! But remember, I’m an angel!”

“Oh…”

The boy got to his feet, reaching out a hand, she gripped and pulled hard to her feet. Any more and she’d have been flung high and away into the canopy. He stood a few inches shorter than her. For all appearances, he was on the scrawny side with taught muscles and dazzling hair. The boy’s rough edge from moments ago had vanished, revealing the youth that he was.

“Do angels always work with demons?”

Amy suddenly puffed up, seeing an easily impressionable kid.

“No! That’s my realm- my calling! My identity!”

“Whoa…”

He perked up, almost stifling her as he closed in.

“Never seen an angel. Are there more?”

“Of course! Give me space- I won’t stand for it!”

He backed up, his enthusiasm undented in the slightest. She gave him a wry smile. All of her work memorizing her speech had led up to this.

“Ahem! I am Amy, Angel of Familiars! Lesser Key of Solomon. Angel of Astronomy. The Inciter! Angel of the Goetic Demon! Angel of Treasure Seeking. And...”

She coughed into her sleeve. The boy furrowed his brow.

“Angel of the Liberal Arts.”

“What?”

“Nothing! For I am Angel, Amy of magic- I mean Amy- Angel of Magic- Nyeh! I messed it up! Wah!”

She hid her face, her cheeks burned at the embarrassing stumble.

“That’s a lot of titles.”

She uncovered her face, perking up at the boy’s compliment.

“Yeah! My calling is to dissect, study, and combat demons; using demons! Fighting fire with fire!”

The boy’s eyes widened.

“That’s good. Don’t like demons. Going to go punch some. Wanna come?”

Amy blinked rapidly, a scheming grin slowly blossoming on her face. Two birds- one stone.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Alistair. Alistair Vaughn.”

He held out a hand, gripping her own; it was like holding a solid lump of steel.

“Well Alistair, I think we just became best friends! Let’s go punch demons!”

I got beat up… But I won? What?

In the back of her mind, Amy was confused. She had just been defeated and yet was somehow better off. She gave thanks to Lucifer as the party of five continued their journey. And now she had the big lug-head on her side. She was unstoppable.

“If only Lucy could see me now!”

They moved deeper into the forest.