'What the h.e.l.l do you think you're doing?' she asked.

'I'm trying to get more information about the Holi Wars, the city I'm about to travel to, and the people leading it from the shadows. I'm trying to get to know my family better if I could too,' I said.

'And you're doing this by dealing with demons?' It wasn't a question really. I hated rhetorical questions, especially if I wasn't the one using them. 'I knew you were reckless, but I never thought you could be this stupid.'

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'I thought I'd have your support most of the times,' I said, sounding a bit hurt. 'But you've gone and disappeared on me.'

'That's because you blocked me,' she said. 'I don't think you've realized it though.'

'I never did that,' I said. 'I tried to reach out to you more than once.' I lied.

'When?' she asked. 'You've been busy staring at beautiful girls, or staring helplessly at your friend getting slaughtered. You've been busy playing hero detective. You've forgotten what's at stake here.'

'What's at stake?' I asked her. 'My life? Yours? This thing in my pocket almost drove me crazy. I had to get rid of it.'

'You could have just placed it back where you found it,' she said. 'But no, you had to keep it, even though you knew what it did to your head.'

'They're useful,' I said. 'Besides, I got it all covered now. They won't come after me, or speak about me.'

'You a.s.sume too much,' Eva said. 'Demons lie. That's the first rule in dealing with them. Do you really think there are eleven demons trapped inside that jewel? For all we know, there could be hundreds.'

'You're more paranoid than I am,' I said. 'They have more to lose than I do. They can't afford to play games with me.'

'Listen to yourself Stalwart!' she hissed. 'You're lying to yourself. Do you enjoy lying, hiding truths? I heard the story you told your friends last time, about your lover, your family. It didn't exactly go that way, did it?'

'What does that have to do with anything?' I was getting angrier now. I hated talking about the past, especially about that chapter in my life.

'Everything,' Eva said. 'You're taking a dark path Stalwart. Back away from this deal while you can.'

'I can't,' I said, frustrated. 'One of them is already free. I don't have the same leverage I used to.'

'He can't kill you,' Eva said.

'Let's just not talk about this now,' I told her.

'You can't admit you were wrong,' Eva said. 'That will be the end of you Stalwart. Back away, while you can.'

'We'll see about that,' I said. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.'

I blocked her next words from reaching me. I didn't need another consciousness to gnaw at me like that. I knew I was taking a great risk, but the payoff was well worth it. The mayor and Gunter's screams were getting closer. I got up and stretched my limbs.

I took the dark jewel from my pocket and held it out in front of me. I started chanting in the ancient language again, summoning the two demons Cristoph and Gunter had imprisoned. They came out in a dark cloud. Their laughter filled the main hall as the cloud expanded to cover the entire area.

Soon after, the nimbus dissipated. I saw two large creatures, taller than the goat headed demon, furrier, and much, much uglier. Their heads were covered in slimy fur, only their clear blue eyes were visible. They took up more than half their heads.

They stood on all fours and continued laughing. The slimy fur on their bodies extended to the floor below their gigantic paws. They shook their bodies and dark sparks exploded around them.

"Remember the deal," I said. "Help me expose them. Then you're free."

They looked at me and I shuddered. Their eyes could actually speak a thousand words. I looked into them and saw the murderous intent they gave off. The chitinous demon felt more intelligent, more composed than these two creatures before me.

They gave off a raw aura. It felt as though they wanted nothing but jump at me and rip me to shreds. One of them took a step toward me, and his voice reached me from the inside. It was something raw, something that made all the essence inside of me swirl and beat against my conduits.

I was afraid it would go out of control, destroy my body from within.

"We can't kill you," the demon said. "But we didn't say anything about unfortunate accidents. It would be a shame if you couldn't control your own energy, if your body collapsed from within."

"Hahaha, why didn't I think of this first?" the other demon said.

s.h.i.+t! The more I dealt with these things, the more I realized how powerless I was, and how stupid too… My essence was out of control. My breathing became ragged. My heart raced and my vision became blurry. I could feel the Fragment of time vibrating furiously within me. One more word from them, and everything would end for me.

"Stop it!" the goat headed demon intervened. His voice was but a faint whisper to me. "I want Jenkins. You don't want to anger me, do you?"

The two furry creatures retreated. They didn't speak another word. They glowered at me. I could read the hunger in those gigantic eyes of theirs.

Cristoph and Gunter were getting closer to the main hall. Chitin was doing a great job at scaring them, leading them toward me like cattle for the slaughter. I remembered the children playing in the hidden floor beneath the kitchen. My anger at these crooked men brought me back to life. I urged my energy to stabilize and made sure everything was under control.

By the time the two reached me, they had soiled their pants. They were sweating profusely. They looked at me, then at the two demons to my right. Their eyes were quivering. Cristoph was whimpering like a scared little girl. Gunter was trying to find a way out. He looked behind him, to see Chitin heading for him, and squealed.

I opened the main door for them.

"You can still escape," I told them. My lips pursed into a benevolent smile.

The men looked at the demons that hadn't moved an inch. They looked at me then. I cleared the s.p.a.ce for them to run away. They didn't need to be asked twice. They ran for it. They got out of the mansion, screaming their lungs out, asking for help, calling out to guards.

The streets were deserted. No doubt the guards had cleared it after the murder. People opened their windows and peeked out from them. Cristoph and Gunter, sweaty and soiled, called out for help. The people opened their doors and came out to have a closer look at the commotion.

Guards were running toward them. I could see them from where I was standing. The mayor's mansion had a great view of the village. After all, it was built a little higher than all the structures, giving the leader a strategic view over the place.

"Not yet," I told the demons that were getting ready to run after them. "Kill innocent souls and we don't have a deal. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," the goat headed demon answered for them.

The two growled furiously.

"Wait a bit more, let the others see their mayor's true face."

Chitin joined me and stood by the door, watching the villagers swarm the streets. "I'll be leaving now," he said. "Find Jenkins, and you won't have to see any of us, ever again."

"Counting on it," I said.

"Can we go now?" one of the furry demons asked.

Guards had reached the mayor, who was screaming, pointing toward the mansion.

"Yes," I said. "Go easy on the guards. I won't hold you accountable if they attacked you first though."  

"Yeeeees!" the demons said in unison. I saw them drooling. Dark sparks flew around them as they slowly walked toward their prey.

"One more thing," I said.

"What?!" one of the furry creatures turned toward me. I winced, my essence started going berserk again.

"Don't kill the mayor quickly," I said. "I need him to speak before he dies."

The demon growled furiously.

"You'll get to eat him," I said. "You shouldn't care about the process as long as the end result stays the same, right?"

"Fine…" the demon said then leapt outside.