The air swirled around us, kicking up dust from the dry plateau as we stepped through the stone doorway, forcing us to close our eyes. A squeezing sensation, pressure building in my ears until they ached to pop, and a few seconds later, they did.

The air stopped swirling, the pressure released, and we opened our eyes.

What we were seeing was nothing short of impossible. I glanced over at Callie, who was just as wide-eyed and wind-swept as I surely was. Our mouths had fallen open at what was in front of us, and we stood in front of the stone doorway, positively stunned. As always, I saw her aura, ebbing and flowing around her in a black cloud. I didn’t usually notice it, having seen it so often the last few days, but it seemed more vibrant here, more fluid.

Ahead of us was not the fields and plains we had just been staring at. Instead, we were faced with a looming castle of red sandstone. The walls surrounding the castle screamed into the sky, their imposing presence staring down at us. I peeked around, taking in my surroundings, remembering the stone doorway behind us. Looking through it, I couldn’t see Diamond Lake or the mountains beyond it, instead, I saw a strange landscape that must belong only to the realm of demons.

It looked like sharp spires of stone had erupted from the center of the earth and exploded into the sky, forming thin peaks that threatened to pierce the sky itself. The sky was a strange orange, as awash in a perpetual sunset, though there was no sun that I could see. Although, that could be due to the overwhelming volume of thin clouds that covered the entire expanse above, filtering the odd orange light as it shone down towards the ground. This peculiar sunset cast everything below it in a warm glow, though it did not feel friendly. There was little to no vegetation, the landscape favoring a rather rocky countenance. I noticed there was a path, some kind of roadway, that wove its way through and between the rocky spires, traveling through to the unknown.

Just looking around and existing in this realm for only a few seconds had spawned more questions within me than I ever had thought possible. Was it possible that I was the first demon hunter – valid or otherwise – that had set foot in this place? I faced back to stare at the tall walls of the castle. They had to be at least several stories high, the red stone it was composed of clearly mined from the spires around us, as they shared the same color and appearance.

I wondered how long ago this castle had been erected, and how long demons have been around to begin with. I realized that though the hunter’s guild had made it their purpose to learn as much about demons – so as to defeat them – I knew little to nothing about their way of life. I had never heard of the demon realm looking this way, had learned nothing about it. Of course, that could have been because I was a poor student, but I feel like I would’ve remembered if they’d taught me anything about this place. Perhaps I really was the first demon hunter who’d been here.

Callie looked over at me, and I saw the determination harden in her small, delicate features. She looked fierce. We nodded at each other, ready to brave whatever came behind these castle walls. Would they let us in? Would they turn us away? Or, most likely, would they spear us through the gut without asking a single question? I gulped. I hoped they were feeling generous and hospitable today.

We walked slowly on the red gravel path leading up to the castle gate, myself because my injuries and fatigue made it difficult to go much faster than an amble, and Callie, because she was wide eyed and gaping at the world in front of us. The gate was open, guarded by two demons who stood tall at attention. They both exceeded my height by at least half a foot, and both of them looked so terrifying with their armor, shining and glinting orange in the bizarre light.

The one to the right had the head of an ox, complete with a set of massive horns, and his body was as thick as one. His hands were humanoid, however, although I did spot a serpent-like tail swishing behind him, almost like a cat. His aura was a swirling vortex of a deep blue, ebbing from around him like waves in a sea. My experience was limited on what exactly that meant, but it felt dangerous and strong, as expected of a city guard to the demon city of whatever this place was called. The one to the left was much thinner, although no less terrifying. His horns grew in two twin spirals around his head, and his eyes were like that of a goat’s – vertical slits – and although he had fur coating his entire body, like a mammal, it was a vivid blue: a stark contrast against the primarily warm colored landscape. His aura matched his fur, a bright, electric blue, compared to his partner’s deep indigo one.

“State your business in Ruzen,” grumbled the oxen-like demon, barely noticing us.

“We have an urgent message and require an audience with the Demon King,” Callie said authoritatively, speaking up first.

She used a voice that sounded so different to her usual, casual speaking tone; this must be her princess tone. I grinned shyly; it was nice to hear her sound so confident. I wondered how often she spoke that way, and if she had only previously used it in her royal responsibilities, like when she attended court.

The demon guards, who hadn’t taken much notice of her as we approached, startled a bit at her words. They peered closely at her, widened their eyes, and then stepped aside.

“Welcome, Princess,” said the ox.

The goat demon bowed his head in reverence. “Follow the road straight to the front door. If you stay on the main street, it dead ends into the castle entrance,” he said, indicating to Callie where to follow. His eyes flit to me warily. “And make sure your friend stays close to you,” he warned.

The guards opened the gate and allowed us through, bowing their heads as we did. Callie bowed her head back, respectfully, and I hastily bowed mine, as well. Apparently, demons knew enough of the alliance to recognize her as royalty, and that gave her certain privileges. The gate revealed a whole other world secured within its walls. The towers of the castle were visible in the distance, almost like an afterthought, but the bustle of a crowd demanded our immediate attention. The gate opened up directly to what looked like a gigantic web of markets.

To me, it was a burst of rainbows of colors, interspersed with random assortments of mammal-like faces, sometimes humanoid, sometimes reptilian, and sometimes creatures entirely unrecognizable to me. Their auras, all different and intermixing with each other in the close proximity, was almost nauseating as my senses were overwhelmed. Merchants shouted their wares, some common foods that a human would expect, others sounded like potion ingredients, other items I’d never heard of.

We stood in front of all, shell shocked into paralysis, unable to do anything but watch the chaos of demon markets. Demons wove in and out between stalls, between each other, shouting back and forth with the merchants, talking and laughing with each other, their voices ranging from musical sweet sing-song tones to gruff, barely audible animalistic growls. The cacophony of the city was intoxicating, and though I could barely process what was happening. I found myself becoming drunk on it. I wanted to see more, to know more, to find out what else lie beyond in this realm. I’d never seen anything like this before.

“Come on, the castle looks like it’s this way,” Callie whispered to me, gently brushing my uninjured arm.

In the midst of these new sights, sounds, and smells, I’d momentarily forgotten about my injury. I grimaced as the pain shot back through my arm, throbbing. We needed to get somewhere where we could get it looked at.

“I’m sure the Demon King will have a medic,” she said, glancing at my shoulder. “Let’s go.”

I nodded, my eyes flicking up to the tall towers of the castle that matched the vibrant red sandstone of the walls, the rocky spires behind us, and a large portion of the buildings ahead. We walked gingerly in the vague direction of the castle, careful not to jostle anyone in the crowd.

“We can’t let ourselves get distracted,” Callie said absentmindedly, as if trying to convince herself of the fact. A family of demons passed by, the smallest one in the guise of almost a monkey, except its fur was pink. Its parents, or at least, the larger monkey-like demons holding onto the little one’s claws, lifted it up and swung the child playfully, causing it to laugh raucously.

We wove around and through the crowd, taking care not to run into anyone, call attention to ourselves, or do anything that would impede our progress. It was all I could do not to just watch the chaos in front of us. It was mesmerizing, the complete individuality of the demons – every single one of them was different. I didn’t know what I expected from the demon realm, but it wasn’t this happy, pleasant city life. Maybe it was my bias, but I had thought this to be an evil place, filled with creatures only wishing to kill.

But there were families, merchants, bakers, shoppers, and at first glance, it looked like they were just creatures. Sentient creatures just living their lives. Were they really so different from us, aside from the obvious external differences?

We kept walking, the crowd thinning slightly as we walked towards the castle. The main road, or at least, the largest path through the city seemed to wind through the buildings, meandering in the general direction of the castle. The city wasn’t built in squares, there were no neat tidy blocks to go by. Instead, the city twisted and turned, the streets winding around uniquely shaped buildings that must be homes, storefronts, and other businesses. The buildings themselves weren’t square either, instead favoring varying degrees of elaborate carving of the red stone. Some were circular, some smooth curves, while others were simpler rectangles, or a pleasing mixture of shapes. Whatever techniques of architecture they had in the demonic realm, I reasoned that it must be far more sophisticated than what we simple humans have. There was no way any of these structures could have existed at home.

We took another turn, a hairpin twist around a tall set of thin buildings, windows randomly scattered across their surfaces and exposing the homes of the demons inside. It seemed there was vibrant life everywhere one looked, within the windows, outside of the buildings on the streets, and on the roofs. The city was crawling with all size, shapes, colors, and forms of life. But as we turned the sharp corner, the castle was suddenly in view. We had been able to see the towers since before we’d even entered through the gate, but now, here were the front doors, beyond which held the fate of our two realms.

The front doors of the castle were imposing, easily high enough for several men to stand on each other’s shoulders and was made of some kind of material that seemed to change color every time you looked at it, although subtly. In a way. It was as if the shell was clear, and the substance underneath swirled, slow and mesmerizing, beneath the shell, each shift in flow modifying the hue, just enough to confuse the watcher.

Callie extended a tentative hand, her fingers clenched into a fist as if to knock, then thinking better of it. Instead, she flattened her palm to simply push the massive doors open – and before she could press her palm to the strange door, it opened by itself, deliberately and ominously.

Exchanging looks, we walked through. There were more guards on the inside, lining the hallway. The one closest to us, a short yet stout bull-like figure with yellowed mammoth fur, flicked his red eyes to Callie. She stared back at him, unphased.

“You wish to see Hazuzu?” he asked, a grumble from lips that barely moved.

She nodded briskly.

“Straight ahead, through the doors,” he said, jerking his head in the correct direction. “Welcome, princess.”

She didn’t respond but straightened and walked purposefully towards the doors he had indicated. I followed, after nodding respectfully to the bull-guard, whose aura pulsed with a lazy yellow glow. Every step was beginning to cause more pain in my shoulder; I could barely take it anymore. I ached for a chance to lie down and rest.

We reached the doors, very similar to the pearly swirling front doors. Once more, Callie went to press her palms against them, and they opened of their own accord, majestically revealing what was sure to be the throne room. I couldn’t believe we had made it here unscathed. Well – relatively. As soon as we opened the doors, a rail thin and serpentine creature turned to us, their scales glistening a deep forest green in the light of the torches that edged the walls. Their eyes, wide, black pupils edged with bright white iris, with no visible sclera, examined us carefully.

“I announce the Princess Callisto,” the snake demon said as it looked me up and down. “And…a guest.”

Before the snake had spoken, a light buzz had been fluttering throughout the throne room, soft, reverent whispers gently filling the area. But after it had announced our presence, it fell silent with a sharp pang. It was clear we were unexpected.

At the end of the room was a great throne, standing tall and towering over the rest of us. I didn’t dare look directly at what must be the demon King, though his aura extended like a cloud of black ink throughout the air, feeling not unsimilar to Callie’s. Hers was also a deep black but differed in that it had more depth. I wasn’t sure how else to say that, except that if Callie’s was a dense rain cloud, the demon King’s was a swatch of liquid. Callie walked forward, and if she felt fear in the presence of the demon King, she didn’t show it. I followed her meekly, staring at my feet.

“Behold, the great King Hazuzu, Lord of the Demons,” announced a thin demon, whose skin was nearly transparent, his aura a pale white, pulsing with apparent anxiety. His organs and veins pulsed wildly beneath the translucent skin as he spoke, his vocal cords quite visibly straining. His muscles tensed as he gripped a large book in his hands, some type of records. He must be some kind of record-keeper, I surmised. There was always a need for that kind of bureaucrat, whether a demon or human.

I finally felt brave enough to glance up at the throne to see this Demon King. Hazuzu himself, skin a deep, navy blue, tinged with gray, sat upon the tall throne that seemed to be made entirely of silver. It shone in the candlelight, reflecting and flickering just like those flames. He looked down on us, his sclera as dark as his skin, and his irises even darker. With his random freckles of gray spattering his body, it was almost as if someone had taken a chunk of sky, shaped it vaguely humanoid, and called it Hazuzu. His aura made him appear almost fuzzy, as if his edges were blurred. It was difficult to tell where his body ended, and his energy began.

“Welcome, travelers,” grumbled a deep voice, emanating from the terrifying figure that lounged on the throne.

I coughed, suddenly choking on my own spit.

Callie, however, had retained composure somehow. She must be used to addressing royalty, being one herself. Her eyes stared straightforward, unphased. Her stoic face showed no fear, no judgement. I envied her serenity; I wished I could have a dose of poise right now.

“As your subject said a moment ago, my name is Princess Callisto Morning, your grace, and my guest is Tomas…” she glanced at me, silently asking me what my last name was.

“Belfield,” I managed to whisper.

“…Tomas Belfield,” she continued regally, tilting her chin up as she spoke. “Full disclosure, King Hazuzu; he used to be a demon hunter belonging to the Guild.”

I gulped, for what felt like the hundredth time since we’d stepped through that portal. Why did she have to bring that up? Didn’t we learn our lesson with the mob?

Hazuzu stared ahead, his gaze not unlike Callie’s: stoic and revealing nothing. “I appreciate your honesty,” he said. “It reflects well on your character.” He shifted in his seat, staring me down. “Not in the Guild anymore, eh?”

I didn’t answer, my vocal cords unable to vibrate to produce any other sound than a meek squeak that I couldn’t halt at my throat. It fell from my lips, eliciting the smallest of grins from the demon King himself.

“I see that he’s injured,” Hazuzu said, his black eyes flicking to my shoulder. He visually scanned my person, his eyes lingering on my pocket.

I shuffled my feet, uncomfortable. I didn’t want to be stared at like that; it felt like he could see through my entire soul.

“Is that an Ahool’s Claw in your pocket?” Hazuzu asked, sounding interested. “How did you get that?”

“From our travels here, your grace, and the source of his injury,” Callie said quickly and politely. “Not to impose on your hospitality, but if you could spare him any medical expertise…” she trailed off, her eyes asking the question.

Hazuzu jumped up quickly, causing every single demon in the room to jump as well, startled at his sudden movement. “Of course, Callisto dear, how rude of me.”

He gestured towards a demon in the corner of the room, who sped off, presumably to fetch whatever demons used as doctors. Demons bustled about, carrying out Hazuzu’s wishes, scrambling to find medicine for me. Before I could say anything, a small, child-like demon was at my side, standing on tip toes – or rather, claws – poking at prodding at my shoulder. Their soft, pink aura comforted me however, and whatever ointment she dabbed on the seeping wound eliminated my pain immediately. I stared down at them in wonder, their eyes a vivid purple, their pink skin shiny and almost metallic. They smiled at me, revealing sharp, shark-like teeth, and gestured that I return my attention to the King. I did so, feeling the odd sensation of being mended, while without feeling the usual pain associated with getting stitches. This all felt like the strangest dream I’d ever had; surely, I’d wake up and find it so.

“Bring me a string, or a chain, or something,” commanded Hazuzu, leaning back in his throne and holding out a palm expectantly.

Demons of all shapes, sizes, and colors spurred into action, and almost immediately, his palm was filled with a thin leather strap. It looked like it may have been some kind of lacing, removed from its original purpose. Hazuzu held it out, and the translucent bureaucrat next to him hurried to take it from the King and bring it to my hands.

“For the Ahool’s Claw,” whispered the bureaucrat, offering the piece of leather to me.

I took it, dazed, the pink healer demon still adding medicines and cleaning my now painless wound, and stared at the clear demon next to me. He pointed again at my pocket, prompting me to take it out and stare at it.

The cold, black claw made me shiver to look at it as I examined it, laying there in my palm. Slowly, so as to not jar the healer still working on me, I wrapped the leather strap around it, tying a knot as best I could, and fashioned a sort of necklace of it. The translucent bureaucrat demon helped me put it on, delicately avoiding the healer demon, who worked steadily and calmly.

“You should wear it proudly,” said Hazuzu. “The Ahool are a rare, seclusive creature. There have only ever been a handful of recorded sightings in the hundreds of years I’ve reigned. It is a badge of honor to have defeated such a magnificent creature.”

“I don’t know if I – “

“We thank you, your grace,” said Callie, cutting me off. “Your kindness is without measure.” She eyed me with a steely gaze, wordlessly warning me.

“I believe we can dispense with the formalities, Princess,” Hazuzu said after a pause of watching the healer tend to me, then flicking his eyes back to Callie with a soft smile. “We are family, after all.”