33. A DEMON’S APPETITES

Xivan’s story

The Afterlife

After meeting “Khae” for the first time

“Oh, this brings back memories,” Janel muttered as the first wave of demons broke from the tree line. Demon hounds—mostly bestial but with the faintest uncomfortable traces of human features still discernible. As the hounds raced toward them, Janel said, “Careful with these ones. They’re not dangerous by themselves, but they’ll overwhelm you in large numbers—”

She broke off as the hounds shot past her, past Xivan and Talea, and raced toward the other side of the clearing.

“—at least that’s what they normally try to do,” Janel finished. She sounded as confused as Xivan felt.

Before they had time to discuss the odd behavior, more demons entered the clearing. These were proper demons in horrific chimerical forms. Many of them resembled monstrous knights astride equally awful steeds. One spotted the three women and couched its lance. The demon’s trajectory was off, but it didn’t bother making a course correction; instead, the demon and its mount galloped past, a few yards to Talea’s right.

A second wave followed the first.

“I’m starting to feel offended,” Janel said as she watched the retreating demons. “I swear this is not how they normally behave—”

“Heads up!” Talea called out.

A third wave of demons entered the clearing. Unlike the first two, this wave came in walking, stumbling, tripping. A fighting retreat. These demons were battling something—something large enough and strong enough that they could neither easily defeat it nor easily run. Crashing sounds echoed through the woods as their opponent smashed trees to splinters while in pursuit.

That destruction became more personal when the last trees into the clearing exploded, showering the three women in daggerlike shards. The shrapnel flew in all directions, bounced off Janel’s arm, and never even came close to touching Talea. Xivan expected to be impaled herself, but the wood ricocheted off her upraised arm, either because she was harder to hurt in the Afterlife or because the woods themselves refused to harm her.

“Oh. It’s that demon. I hate that demon,” the old woman in the tree said.

“Joy,” Janel said at the same time. “Really, I should have known.”

Xivan lowered her arms to see. A writhing mass of animal demons seethed around a central figure, snapping and clawing as they tried to prevent it from advancing. The target of their wrath was huge; a humanoid male with obscene muscles, arms dipped in blood to his elbows, huge sharp teeth in a too-large mouth, and a crocodile’s tail that lashed to and fro.

A lionlike demon with razor-sharp quills launched itself at the huge figure, only to be caught mid-flight. The blood-drenched central demon grabbed his attacker and bit down, a ghastly, oversize bite that would have cut the other demon in half if it hadn’t dispersed. Xivan felt the tenyé of the weaker demon flow into its killer.

“Is that—?” Talea started to ask.

“Xaltorath!” Janel screamed.

***HELLO, DAUGHTER!*** Xaltorath “said,” his words battering at their minds like a siege ram.1 ***WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE. LET ME FINISH YOUR LESSER COUSINS, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A REUNION. OH, AND YOU BROUGHT ME SOME IMMORTALS. HOW LOVELY. I HAVEN’T TASTED THEIR KIND IN DAYS.***

“Run,” suggested Talea.

***YES, PLEASE DO,*** Xaltorath said, scooping up and consuming a few more demons. ***YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE THE CHASE.***

Janel scowled and took up a battle stance. She wasn’t going anywhere. On the other hand, the look on her face suggested unpleasant consequences for everyone who stayed, herself included. “Go!” she shouted at Xivan and Talea.

The demons too stupid to run were ignoring the three of them for the moment, but that was only because Xaltorath had their attention. Given the rate at which he was eating his way through the enemy forces, it wouldn’t be long before Xaltorath was free to focus on them.

“I think the little girl’s right,” Khae said from the tree. “Retreat. You’re not ready for this fight.”

“And how exactly are we supposed to escape him?” Xivan snapped.

The old woman blinked, baffled. Then she scoffed and leaped down from the tree. “Not on foot! Oh, you really are the first fish in the net, aren’t you? Like this!” The old woman disappeared from her original position and reappeared directly in front of Xivan. With her walking stick, she hit Xivan in the shoulder, the hip, the belly.

Xivan blinked. She felt that. How the hell had she felt that…?

Khae moved to attack her again, and this time, Xivan parried the blows. Across the way, Xaltorath ripped a demon in half with his teeth, tossed both parts aside, and advanced on Janel, grinning.

***YOUR TURN.***

Janel readied her sword and shield. Talea took up a position next to her.

The old woman gave Xivan an evil, pleased smile. “Good! Now again, but this time use your tenyé as you block. Here! Here! Here!”

The old woman attacked a third time; Xivan didn’t make her do it a fourth. As Xivan parried the last blow, she pushed out with her tenyé. The world around her changed. Just like that, Xivan and her companions were somewhere else.

She thought she could feel Xaltorath’s scream of rage echo through the very rocks.