B-grade horror themed Alternative Metal

“A demon is your friend?” Amber asked, moving away from the monster, her weapon still at the ready.

For a few seconds the mad joy in Mal Gehen’s eyes faded and was replaced by compassion, “Jyssayilor wasn’t involved in any torcher. In a way, she is just as much a victim of her evil masters. Her only task was trading thrills for a bit of energy.”

The demoness giggled, “And you know all about that, don’t you, Mal?”

“My friend is trying to embarrass me in front of my guest. She was only summoned to aid in arcane rituals.”

The demoness moved her hands down her hips seductively, “And I have to give it to you and the other mages, you do know how to throw one hell of a party!”

Amber put her gun away, yet still kept her distance.

Mal Adopted a reassuring tone, “You are safe here. Please, remove your mask.”

Amber looked around one more time, before reaching behind her head and loosening the straps. The rubber peeled off of her face, like a second set of skin was being removed.

The succubus licked her lips, “That mane of auburn hair, the light speckling of freckles on the cheeks, that cute little nose, those stunning blue eyes, she is the perfect vision of the All-American girl next door. I want to violate every part of her!”

“Jyssayilor, please don’t make my new apprentice uncomfortable. What is America?”

“It is a wicked place, very sinful and violent,” “Jyssayilor said, a big smile on her face. Amber didn’t object to the demon’s assessment of her homeland. She simply added that she loved the place and wouldn’t have it any other way. Then she asked what the wizard meant by his apprentice.

“You need to learn how to command the arcane. This I will show you.”

“You will show me how to do magick?”

“Yes, although I don’t understand why you don’t already know how.”

Jyssayilor’s expression changed from lust to annoyance, “I told you, that universe isn’t anything special. It actually kind of sucks. Trust me, I’ve spent a lot of time there.”

“The Midlothian is real, I have been there, I have felt it. I found it, the place that he told me about! The place where he came from!”

Midlothian: Amber thought that the word sounded familiar, but she didn’t understand its meaning.

The she-devil crossed her arms, “And why do you think that he was sent to Arkovlak? He was rewarded with a trip to a better place.”

“Just ask Amber! She will tell you about the glory of her home.”

Before Amber could say anything, the succubus spoke, her voice was irate. “She don’t know anything about what you are saying. Hell, she probably don’t even know that her realm, or dimension or whatever you want to call it, she probably don’t even know it aint the only one.” He looked even more puzzled. Then the demon tried again, this time completely changing how she spoke. “Thee arth so ignorant of other plains, and wrapped in thyn own pursuits, that yee cannot comprehend this woman. In her plain they know not of ye deeds and ways.”

This time he seemed to get it, the cloaked figure stepped forward and said that he would set things straight. “There are countless plains of existence. Each one different from all of the others. We often refer to them as realms.”

“I know about the multiverse, I have seen in it in movies and video games, but it is only a theory,” she stated, still confused and kind of doubting that any of it was actually happening. But this at least assigned some kind of logic to the situation. It was twisted, fantasy world logic, but at least it was something. It was like the engine of a car, she certainly didn’t understand exactly how it worked, but she understood the basic concept.

“It is no theory,” he spread his arms out, “You can look upon it here and now. That is the chaotic sky of a lower plain. I have harnessed its energy for my own purposes,” he pointed at the tower and men made of rock, “And from another low and dead realm I found the stone from which I made those golems.”

“Okay, as crazy as all of this is, I am willing to accept it. After all, it is a big universe and there is probably lots of weird stuff in it. But why do you think that my dimension is so important?”

There was a crash somewhere in the woods. Amber jumped, pulling her pistol. The wizard assured her that it was just some of the aforementioned golems gathering wood for the tower. After she had holstered her sidearm, Jyssayilor suggested that they return to the house. On the way back the golem that had knocked down the tree shuffled past, carrying the log under his arm. A bolt struck the rocky brute, causing her to jump again. The creature just kept lumbering along.

“Is it safe to be out here?” Amber asked, peering worriedly at the sky.

“The bolts won’t hit us. The golems are enchanted so that they are replenished.”

“Automatic recharge,” Jyssayilor clarified.

They settled down in the living room, the demon and the sorcerer sitting on the orange couch and Amber picking a chair that gave her a clean shot at making it out the front door. She looked into the wizard’s maniacal eyes, “Okay, explain it all to me, slowly.”