Logan walked back to the hatch of the Jeep and popped open the tailgate. There were still shards of broken glass scattered all over the contents of the cargo bed, and he had to be careful not to cut himself as he dug. Finally, he found what he was looking for, his trusty duffel bag.“Alright, Rafester,” Logan explained. “You’re going for a ride, just like the good ol’ days.”Rafe now had his hand on the door latch, but he wasn’t able to pull it hard enough. With a faint smile, Logan outstretched his hand toward the goblin and covered him with a blast of emerald flames. Rafe’s demeanor didn’t change one bit as he was engulfed with the Magicfire, disappeared, and then reappeared inside of the bag on Logan's shoulder. The goblin was still fumbling helplessly for the door handle when he reappeared, and then his eyes widened in surprise.“Brooooooo,” he grinned, “I think I just time-traveled.”“Through time and space, actually,” Logan corrected the goblin in the bag.He clicked the bee
Logan swiveled around in his chair and noticed three men and a woman entering the bar. One of the men sported wide-brimmed glasses, a tie-dye shirt, khaki pants, and a man-bun. The other two men were dressed more inconspicuously in flannel shirts with well-groomed facial hair. The woman had a bright red headband, and her flowy dress gave off a distinct city slicker vibe. Their attire immediately set them apart in this small rural town, making Logan suspect they might share the same purpose for being there. They took a seat at a nearby table and engaged with the enthusiastic waiter. Logan couldn't catch everything they were saying, but it seemed like they were engaged in a conversation similar to the one he had with his group.Then, one of the men from the newcomers motioned for the waiter to approach, leaned in, and whispered something in his ear. The waiter nodded and headed toward the front of the bar. The group of four looked around cautiously, stood up, and followed him.L
Logan glanced over at Kelda and gestured for the elves to take a bite of the onion ring. “I guess if they’re that good, I can try to push Rafe’s comments out. of my mind,” the blonde elves sighed. “If it helps, I could tell you something even grosser,” Rafe suggested. “That’ll get your mind off the months-old tequila breath realll quick.”Kelda quickly raised a hand in Rafe’s direction. “Please stop talking,” she begged.With a grimace, the blonde elves took a deep breath to clear her mind and then took a bite of the onion ring. Her eyes widened with surprise, and then her expression transformed into one of satisfaction as she finished off the rest of the morsel.Logan reached out and grabbed his pilsner, noting its fairly light color. He hoped that would translate into a good taste. Raising the glass to his lips, he took a swig and instantly realized he had made the right choice. The beer had a lighter flavor but was bursting with hops. It was much less yeasty than the
Walking into this place was like sensory overload. Neon strobe lights were flashing alongside bright spotlights that shone all around the room. At the same time, hundreds of people were spread out between the dance floor and the bar area, and they murmured away as the music blared over their words. “A speakeasy,” Rafe observed as we walked down the stairs. “Out in the middle of nowhere. This was the perfect place for a secret demon party.” "He didn't think these sort of places still existed," Logan pondered aloud as they hit the bottom of the steps."Bro, you really do still have a lot to learn," Rafe sighed. "It’s the hot new trend right now to have these 'exclusive' places where you can go to party without everybody and their brother knowing about it. Great for album drops, invite-only parties, shady meetings, and masked orgies. You know, shit like that.""One of those things is not like the other," Logan protested."I agree," Rafe added. "Album drop parties a
“That would be the tequila talking,” Logan snickered. “I wouldn’t count out Aruna. I’m sure all we did was inconvenience her for a little bit.”“She really is amazing, isn’t she?” the blonde smiled and raised her eyebrow. “Maybe when all is said and done, she will want to join our group, too.”It took Logan a moment to register what Kelda was getting at.“What?” he feigned ignorance. “I don’t--I’m definitely not into her.”“That’s not what I’m seeing,” the blonde said with a sly grin. “I don’t blame you one bit. She’s really beautiful, she’s resourceful, and she can kick your ass. What more could you want in a woman?”“Not trying to kill us at every turn, for starters,” Logan sighed and finished off the glass of smooth whiskey. “That’s a kinda big turn off.”“She’s only trying to kill us because we keep getting in her way,” the blonde explained. “The Rakshasa may be assassins for hire, but they are a noble race. They don’t take sides unless they are specifically paid to do so. Hell, t
Boos and sneers rose up from the crowd, and Logan clenched his fists and prepared for the worst.“Now, now,” Gula shushed the group. “They may be part of our rival cult, but they’re still our guests. Besides, they’re not a threat. I know the Cult of Ralston, and they wouldn’t harm a fly unless it was working for Lucifer, and even then, they wouldn’t do jack shit unless it was trying to kill him.”“She’s putting you on blast, bro!” Rafe warned from across the room. “You want me to kick her ass?”Logan shook his head at the goblin, and he responded with a thumbs up.Tris leaned into the microphone. “No, we’re just going to let you, our humble friends, decide who you want to serve. Logan will make you work. He’ll make you put your life on the line for his own selfish gains. I’ve even heard that he forces all the women in his cult to sleep with him!”Gasps murmured through the crowd, but Logan shook his head in annoyance. “Well, that’s just not true,” Kelda muttered
“He doesn’t have to do that,” Logan chuckled and motioned for the brunette to stand up. “He’s really not comfortable with all that ‘Master’ bowing shit.”The woman looked at him up and down. “Is it true?” she asked coyly. “Does he really make all the women in his cult sleep with him? It’s a risk I think I’m willing to take.”“No, no,” Logan flirted back. “He doesn’t do that, either, but he is always open to the possibility, though.”The brunette stood up and shot him a wink. “Maybe after I get to know you a little,” she giggled.The next thing Logan knew, the rest of the group that was partying with Rafe approached. One by one, they gave him a little bow and swore their allegiance. Once all was said and done, their cult was ten members larger, and Azar’s was ten members smaller.“Hey Rafe,” Logan suggested to his friend, “do you think you could go out and do whatever you just did with another group of people? It worked like a charm.”“Bro,” Rafe said with an offended tone.
"Logan commanded the elves Abina to go grab Rafe as he drew the goat-headed dagger from his belt. A simple bit of thought brought forth the red Magicfire blade from its edge, and he prepared for the incoming assault of the undead.The elves nodded quickly as she jumped up into the air, summoned her wings, and then glided backward and out of sight.People were screaming as they dashed toward the exit of the club, causing a traffic jam on the stairs as they pushed at each other like lemmings. All around, glasses shattered onto the floor and furniture was overturned by the panicked stampede.One of the zombie fuckers was on Logan a second later, and he stabbed his blade into its eye socket. The creature wailed for a moment and then crumbled onto the floor. As it did so, Logan got a clear view off in the distance as Tris blew him a playful kiss, and then she and Gula dashed off into the crowd.He didn't have time to give chase because there were four more of the bastards headed in h