Chapter 11: An Uneasy Meeting

Michael stepped out of the darkened hallway, his footsteps echoing across the tiled floors, each thud of his boot clear and precise. At his side lay a newly made platinum sword, the blade so sharp it easily pierced flesh. Despite his weapons and relative safety, his mind was filled with worry. He was not afraid of physical harm, but of what was to come.

It had been nearly two weeks since the attack on the castle, and now he is forced to watch over the same demon who took the lives of so many that day. His hands shook thinking back at it, realizing that he wasn’t struck by awe or stunned by amazement, he was frozen in fear at the carnage that was ensuing. This beast was not a tamed animal, it was a sentient, living creature of pure death and destruction. If not for its injured state, he was certain the demon could have escaped by now.

He made his way towards the entrance to the dungeon, which lay underground, underneath the largest tower in the center of the castle. It was made to make it as difficult as possible for prisoners to escape, and was heavily guarded by the elite guards of the castle. In other words, it was almost as safe as the King himself. A prison break was pretty much impossible by normal standards.

Michael strode towards the large door that signified the entrance to the dungeon, and saluted, sending his fist to his chest. Two guards, equipped in a dark black armor and emblazoned with a golden rose, repeated the action, their spears straightening as they saluted. Michael eyed the painted swords at their hips, and stepped into the dungeon. This isn’t the time to have invasive thoughts. One wrong move and I could end up in a bad position he thought to himself, making his way down a large spiral staircase.

The inner workings of the dungeon were intentionally narrow, and it portrayed a sense of claustrophobia. Large groups would find it difficult to move throughout them, and Michael could see why the Kingdom was considered a militarist country, despite their current weakness. He continued pushing forwards, his feet becoming familiar with the hard stone bricks under his feet.

Throughout the mass of corridors and hallways, guards were stationed around every corner, and with every sixth pillar, he found two more. It truly was more secure than it seemed. Row after row of guards followed, until suddenly, it didn’t. He stepped into a massive corridor, at least triple the size of the previous, and discovered one single cell. Inside lay a large red figure, hidden by the shadows of the bars.

Michael approached the cell, nodding to the guard neighboring the entrance. “I’ll take over from here, if you don’t mind.” Michael smiled at the man, and he eyed him down.

“Present your name, rank, and identification” The man said, not moving a muscle. It seemed he would be complacent until Michael followed orders. Michael reached into his pocket, grabbing a small coin purse. Inside the purse was a series of pockets, similar to a wallet, where he grabbed a few smaller papers. These papers were assigned on his first day, to show his status as a hero of the Kingdom. He had quickly realized that he was, in all terms, a military asset to the Kingdom, and a highly guarded one at that, and he knew what happened when those people’s opinions differed. It’s happened plenty on his world as well.

Shoving those thoughts aside, he grabbed a small golden badge, and handed it to the guard. “Name’s Michael Locke, Lesser Tier Hero of the Kingdom, sir. I’ve come to take over as the monitoring officer for the prisoner, as per the king’s orders.” He kept his words precise and straight to the point.

The man looked at the badge and papers, and nodded, grabbing Michael’s hand and shaking it before walking out of the room, and shutting the door. This was more of a training exercise rather than a precaution, as the demon was in the most protected place in the castle. Michael suspected the King ordered this watch to train the heroes in isolated situations, as well as overnight situations. They were all expected to stay up the entire night, after all.

When the guard finally left, and completely locked the armored door, he turned towards the demon, getting his first glance at it. He had seen it from afar, but a chance to get this close to one without fighting it? It was a liberty he most likely wouldn’t have again.

Its skin was an oily red, but more of a brighter color, like scarlet. Across its body sat several arms, a few replaced with stumps from the recent fight. Even though it was disabled, the creature was still horrifying. He couldn’t see its face, but it would tower over him if it stood at its full height. Muscles ripped across its body, showing its immense strength.

Just then, the creature turned around, facing him. The only thing that could compare to its face was the face of an orc, or what Michael had seen from movies and games. It had two freakishly large tusks protruding from its mouth, and a pair of eyes with glowing orange irises. Michael froze in fear. If it was strong enough to turn around that quickly… could it kill him?! A bead of sweat fell from Michael’s forehead as the two stared at each other in silence, neither making a move until finally…

“Welcome, Infiltrator” The demon spoke, and Michael understood what it said! When he heard it speak, Michael realized that he could understand it, but it felt rather foreign and jumbled, as if with a heavy accent. Taking a step back, he nodded his head, and the demon relaxed.

“I was wondering when it would be your time to visit. I’ve been expecting you ever since my capture” The demon said, matter-of-factly, which took Michael by surprise.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to visit you myself, so this is more surprising for me. What have you been expecting me for? If I might ask?” Michael was rather afraid that he could be identified so easily. The demon clearly knew what his core was, and at the moment, it was the biggest threat towards his safety.

The Demon chuckled, grabbing its waist. “Ahh, the burdens of battle prevent my fun.” It said, sitting up and facing Michael. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet such a person, blessed by a core of hellfire.” It said, bowing its head in respect, one arm draped over its chest. “I know your situation is… precarious, to say the least, so I wish to offer you a deal, Infiltrator”

“Michael” He said, unlocking the cell and stepping inside, his hand reaching out in offering. “Please, call me Michael” A confident smile was plastered to his face. He may be frightened, but after seeing it speak with respect and care, he was less inclined to fear the creature.

The Demon took his hand, shaking it and clapping Michael on the back, sending him stumbling. “The pleasure is all mine, human Michael. My name is unimportant, so let’s move on shall we?” It said, a smile resembling Michael’s grin placing itself on its face. The toothy grin made the demon feel like a goofy cartoon character, not some raging, senselessly killing beast.

Michael only nodded, rubbing his hand, which now felt crushed. “Well then, demon, what is the deal you wish to make? I will help you as much as I can, but know my situation is quite precarious. If I ever reveal my hand, I will die, or be tortured or whatnot.

The demon pointed at Michael’s chest, poking him in the center of his chest. “Your core lies there, beneath the flesh. You are currently a weak human, but I can change that. Allow me to gift you the knowledge of certain spells. I can make you a warrior worthy of true fear.”

Michael frowned a bit, thinking to himself. “While that is a precious gift, what do you want in return? There has to be a catch. Besides, no demons have a hellfire core, so how would you know any spells?” He questioned the demon, eager for more information.

“Silly human, your core does not define what magic you can use. Hellfire spells are still known by the nobles of demon society, and most mages or warriors know a few spells. As for a price, I have one task I require of you.” Michael gulped, afraid of what the demon would ask. Would it ask to kill his friends? To commit horrible atrocities?

“I want you to deliver a message to my lord, the Demon Lord” it said with a heavy voice. A large frown grew on its face, and its eyebrows drooped, as if it was saddened. “I will remain loyal to my liege, and I understand the consequences of doing so. Even so, I feel as if I should send a message of my undying loyalty, if it shall be the last thing I do. I have devoted my life to the Red Throne, and I shall devote my death to it as well. Please, young one, deliver this for me.” The demon reached out its hand, holding a small, but delicate envelope.

The demon continued to speak: “I know that you may not trust me very much, infiltrator, but please, I beg of you, do this for me.” Its hand grasped around his own, squeezing it slightly as the demon spoke. When it pulled away, Michael noticed two small items in his hand, one being the letter, while the other being a small necklace with a thin chain. He looked up in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing as he inspected the necklace.

“Consider it a gift. That necklace was passed down my family line, but I do not have anyone to pass it to. It’s saved my life more than once, and I’m sure it will save yours.” The demon said firmly, clasping its hands together. “Please, infiltrator, I ask this of you as a final request from a dead demon. Please, do this for me”

Michael’s face drooped. What do I do?! He wondered to himself. This demon had slaughtered and killed many, and Michael assumed that it’d be a ruthless unforgiving monster, but the demon had feelings. It had a purpose and a goal it was driven for, and a family that cared for it. His hands shook as he considered each side of the argument.

They sat in silence for several minutes, before Michael leaned forwards, seeing the demon’s eyes perk up at his movements. “Fine, I accept your proposal, but I have no guarantee I can do it anytime soon. You must teach me those spells, however. I need to get stronger, and I can’t just sit idly and twiddle my thumbs.”

His words put a grateful smile on the demon’s face, and it practically fell on the ground, moving into a kowtow position. “Thank you, Infiltrator. This brings joy to my final moments.” It remained in the position for a few seconds, before kneeling in front of Michael. “I know of two hellfire spells, which I can teach you immediately. The first is a variation of Burning Hands, which is a spell that encases your hands in fire. It’s better for more covert and discrete attacks, since you have to be touching your enemy to inflict damage.”

“The second spell is named Hellfire Wall. It’s mostly used to torture escaped servants or human slaves, but after trial and error, I’ve developed a way to use it in battle. It creates a wall of hellfire, which inflicts severe burns and damage to any who approach it. It also can inflict damage on the soul, causing excruciating pain on the target. Fortunately, magic cannot destroy a soul, but damaging one also separates them from their core, and therefore rendering magicians and magical warriors useless. It’s difficult however, to hit the target with this attack, due to the spell being stationary, which is why we commonly use it for torture.”

The demon finished its recounting of magical knowledge and got to its feet, reaching out its hand once more. “It’s best we get started right away, infiltrator. The walls of this dungeon are magic proof, so we do not have to worry about getting caught.”

Michael smiled at the demon, taking its hand and shaking it.

“Alright then, Demon. Let’s get started!”