Chapter 1

"Ah, it’s nice to finally have someone to talk to. You’re a good listener. So, anyway, 1500 years! They locked ME up for 1500 years! Can you believe that?! I can’t wait to torture them into insanity…well, further insanity.

What have I done since I got out? I’m glad you asked. Well, see, it takes A LOT of energy to break out of an Ether Prison and even more to break the bindings, more for the opening of The Way, killing the guards, killing their families, killing their friends...you get the point. Since I broke out, I’ve pretty much just been killing, consolidating my energy and preparing for my chase. After all, they must be alive or the prison would have broken. It would have required a pretty steady influx of energy to keep the bindings strong and The Way blocked.

Stupid mages and their tricks, they wavered more and more over the years. Most likely because I didn’t resist, HAH! Just because I wasn’t kicking and screaming didn’t mean I had lost my ability. I’m not some delicate Human or something! I’m sorry if that offends you, but, your species is obviously weak. Look at all this destruction I caused! It’s like your city forgot the ways of war and went soft. Yes, very weak. I hope there is a challenge somewhere. Where were your mages? Your knights? Your warriors? Have you forgotten everything from your history?"

Sariah pointed out to the burning wreckage of the city she had just sacked. A scene of beautiful death laid out like a painting in the Halls of War. Hundreds of bodies bathed in blood accenting the dark greys created by smoking buildings and old tattered brick. Unlike “grand” cities, there were no large towers created by insufferable mages, no gaudy churches built to worship the Gods, nothing here to destroy the scene of pure destruction. Sariah picked this spot after the “battle” specifically for the view. So long, so very long had she waited to destroy the mage that managed to imprison her. This tiny town was not much in the way of numbers, but it was a good start.

Sariah’s blue hair waved in the wind flowing to the North, bringing with it the smell of burning bodies, buildings and grains. Oh, I missed that smell.

Standing with a gleeful look on her face she raised Bob to eye level, kissed him on the forehead, and promptly tossed the decapitated head behind her with careful aim.

*BONK*

Rolling to a stop in front of him, glazed eyes staring right at him, was Bob. “Ow! That hit me in the head! Ya looney bitch!” whined Srit.

“Next time, get out of the way Srit. It’s not my job to make sure you don’t get hit. You've gotten slow and fat over the years, get in shape.”

“The problem here isn't that I was unable to dodge the head or that I’m slow and fat, but that I had to try in the first place! Really, who goes around throwing heads at other beings?!”

Sariah turned and looked at Srit, grinning slightly. “Right, stupid question” Srit said with a sigh. I can’t believe she broke out. I swear I still have blood washing out of my hair from my time with her. Oh well.

“So! Boss lady! Can I eat some of these? They look weak and pitiful, but a meal is meal!” the little imp stated enthusiastically.

This is far from the best work I’ve ever done. I’ll have to try much harder next time. Cuts not deep enough. Slashes angled wrong. It even took two or three movements to kill at some point. *Sigh* I’m rusty.

“Boss?” Srit said quietly. No way was he going to get another head thrown at him.

“Hmm? Oh! Yeah, eat up. I don’t think you’ll get much from them.” she lazily answered.

Walking through the city Sariah tried hard to remember who imprisoned her and how. She knew the face, knew the magic and thought she knew the taste of the spell. She just couldn’t clear her head; her memories were blurring more and more as she traveled. At this rate she’d retain very little to work with.

“Srit. Do you have any knowledge of events that took place while I was gone?” Sariah asked as she tugged on the bonds that led her to the city.

“No mistress, I was sent back to my plane because our bond was so weak. Frazak the Wise said he thinks the bond was being suppressed by the prison. Time passes differently on my plane. You felt 1500 years, we felt closer to 5000. It seems like there are very few, if any Demon Bonded left in the world. I haven’t seen a Master Demon summoned to your plane in nearly 1000 years. Some of our Demon Gods say that bonding and magic are dead in this realm. Without bonded to thin the barrier, we can’t simply travel through barriers alone. We tried to look through The Way, but the link was too weak for our group to see clearly.” Srit replied with a thoughtful tone.

“Do you think that the barrier between the planes will weaken with you and I being here again? I mean, you were able to come back to this side with no problem.”

“No problem?!” Srit screamed as he mustered all his strength and threw a toe he was chewing on at Sariah’s face. Bingo!

“Ouch! You little dick head! What was that for?” Sariah stated while rubbing her head with murder in her eyes.

“No problem?! Are you demented?! I had to petition TWO Demon Lords and the entire Demon Council to assist me. It took nearly 1400 Demons to PUSH me through The Way! I’m not sure I can even go home! I pretty sure that we caused damage to the ether with that much power, and more than likely demons died in the ritual. Not that I give a shit about dead demons, but still! No problem?! Fuck you, no problem!!!” He announced with obvious anger at the audacity Sariah displayed.

“Sheesh, sorry.” Sariah said with a muffled laugh.

“By the way! You just got pegged in the face with a half-eaten toe, by an Imp! We’re not exactly renown for our strength and throwing skills, ya know. YOU’VE gotten fat and slow!” cackled Srit feeling awfully smug.

Sariah slowly broke into a mischievous grin, “Awwww, you really missed me, didn’t you? Srit, King of the Imps, I had no idea you liked me so…WAIT! I found it!” excitedly as she rushed into a tattered stone temple.

“Found what?!?! You STILL haven’t told me what we’re here for! I’ve been asking you for an entire month now. But nooooooooo, you must be all mysterious 'blah blah blah, patience my young rat. Your answers will be revealed in due time. Blah blah blah' *sigh*…Where the hell did you go?!” Srit yelled looking around for the irritating bonded of his. Giving up shortly, Srit plopped down on his “Fat” butt and kept eating. I’m going to rape her ear when she sleeps. After that, I’m going to poop in her water pouch and put stickers in her boots!

*Thump* A tiny rock bounced off Srit’s head and landed in the nostril of the nose he was currently chewing on.