The first sun rose to its zenith, shining its red light directly onto the glade below. Palan’s body stirred, causing Emergency Victuals’ head to perk up. His nictitating membrane flickered and cleared his vision as he tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck. His muscles were sore and burned in protest as he leaned forward. He frowned as he saw an orange-scaled blob clinging to his shin. “What is this thing doing on my leg?”
“I think she is sleeping,” Owen said. He was sitting on a rock, polishing a new set of armor since his old one was taken away by the lizardmen. White stubble had begun to grow along his chin and jawline, framing his face.
Palan snorted and used his free foot to push Cleo off of his leg. She hissed as she fell onto her back and scrambled to her feet, her cheeks puffing outwards. Her beady black eyes blinked a few times before she frowned and tilted her head, staring at the purple
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Demon's Journey Chapter 42
Raea and company walked down the streets under the gaze of all the sitting lizardmen. Most of them were thin and scrawny compared to the lizardmen in the army that had arrived under the banner of the greater demon. Raea frowned as she saw goblins and branded lizardmen kneeling in the mud beyond the general crowd. Their faces were dirty and flies buzzed around them. “Are those slaves?” she asked the chieftain. The bulky green lizardman’s tongue flickered as he turned his head to the side.“Yes,” the chieftain said and nodded. “They come from the tribes we’ve defeated. The weak submit to the strong and we grow together.”“There are children among them,” Raea said, blinking at a blue lizardman who was even tinier than Cleo. Its face was smudged and mud caked its legs, coming up to its thighs. Its eyes were glassy as it stared at the armored angels passing through, its mouth slightly parted. A grown lizardman smacked the back of its head, causing it to kneel and stare at the ground.The c
Demon's Journey Chapter 43
The lizardman chieftain pulled a chair out from underneath the rectangular wooden table in its residence. His tail rose and draped over the seatback as he sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. Raea hesitated as she glanced at the remaining chair, which had blood stains running down its sides, before she took a seat across from the lizardman. She sat at the edge and placed her hands in her lap. “Will anyone else be joining us?”The chieftain’s lips curled upwards. “All the elders were killed in the night,” he said as his tongue flickered in and out of his mouth. “I make all the decisions. The shadow hunter has given me his approval.”The corner of Raea’s lip twitched at the mention of Palan’s new title. The rest of her group came through the door and stood behind her, except Palan who sat on the chieftain’s bed and rested his back against the wall. The tattooed lizardman frowned, but didn’t say anything as he stared at the armored demon. “What have you come to discuss?”“I woul
Demon's Journey Chapter 44
The first sun was just beginning to set when Raea halted her boar in front of the third outpost’s gate. The lizardman chieftain’s corpse was bound in bandages, looking like a mummy strapped to the single boar that Owen led. The group had decided to spend one more night in the forest to polish their armor and bury Anidun’s corpse before heading back.“Lieutenant Raea has returned from her expedition against the lizardmen and commands you to open the gate,” Raea said towards the soldiers in the watchtower. Her face was hard as she stared at the soldier’s, recalling her subordinate’s words when he returned after being driven away by spears.“She actually did it?” one of the soldiers asked as he scratched his head. He squinted his eyes to stare at Raea’s group of six. “Go report this back to Lieutenant Malak. I will open the gate.” Raea watched the two soldiers vacate the watchtower. Moments later, the gate creaked open and her group traveled through. Cleo’s eyes were wide as she sat on E
Demon's Journey Chapter 45
Palan leaned back against his wooden chair, causing it to balance on its hind legs. His bare feet were propped up on the desk in front of him with his arms across his chest. Anidun’s dagger dangled from his waist on the opposite side of his leather bag. His head was turned to the side, facing Raea as moonlight streamed through the window in front of him and illuminated his face. His contractor sat on a bed with her knees against her chest. She wore a cotton robe that was provided with the residence. Beneath him, Emergency Victuals was curled up in a ball with Cleo sprawled out on top of its fur coat.“You want me to kill Malak?” Palan asked as he stared at Raea. Her hands were white as she clutched the edges of her robe, eyes downcast. She didn’t respond as her lips quivered. Faint red handprints could be seen on her cheeks. “I don’t care either way.” Palan shrugged as his lips parted. He exhaled. “I wouldn’t mind eating him though. He seems like he’d be very … nourishing.”“Killing i
Demon's Journey Chapter 46
Owen took a deep breath as he knocked on the wooden door in front of him. He wore a new set of plate armor without the helmet, and no weapons could be seen on his body. A voice replied from behind the door. “Come in.”Owen exhaled as he gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open. He entered a windowless room that was lit up by crystals emitting a white light. Lieutenant Malak sat behind a desk, his body facing the door. In his hands was a book with no illustrations on either cover. Two guards stood in the corners behind him with their lances drawn. Malak raised an eyebrow and shut the book, placing it on the desk. He clasped his hands together and smiled at Owen, his gray armor faintly glowing. “I was not expecting you. I suppose Lieutenant Raea sent you?”“No,” Owen said as he stared at Malak. “I am here of my own accord. Lady Raea does not have anything to do with this.”“Oh?” Malak asked. “And you expect me to believe that? Regardless, state your business.”Owen glanced at the g
Demon's Journey Chapter 47
Owen squinted his eyes as he followed Malak out of the tunnel, stepping into a glade illuminated by the yellow moonlight. Malak lowered the body he was carrying onto the ground underneath a tree and turned back to look at Owen who repeated the same action. Malak crossed his arms and smiled. “Is this secluded enough for you?”“We should go a little deeper into the forest,” Owen said and glanced at the tunnel exit. Brushes and tree roots kept a majority of it concealed. It was nearly impossible to see without standing in the right spot. “There may be crystals by the exit.”“You really are paranoid, huh?” Malak asked and sighed. “Very well. You lead the way. Don’t go too far; I don’t want to get lost in the forest at night.” Owen nodded and walked into a cluster of trees, his figure disappearing into the shadows. Malak narrowed his eyes as he adjusted the shields on his arms and followed after him.Owen held his breath as his hands clenched. His body was tense as leaves crunched undernea
Demon's Journey Chapter 48
Cleo yawned and opened her eyes as she stretched her arms upwards. The room was red from the sunrise when she crawled out from underneath the desk, stepping on Emergency Victuals’ tail. She hissed and smacked the dire wolf’s snout when it whined and nipped at her arm. She saw the tied-up female assassin sleeping in the middle of the room and tilted her head. Cleo blinked and yawned again while turning towards the bed. She walked to the edge and saw Palan staring at her, following her movements with her eyes. He was sitting with his back pressed against the wall, his legs lay horizontally across the sleeping Raea’s stomach.Cleo grinned and reached out to tickle the bottom of Palan’s feet with her pointed claws. Before she reached his soles, Palan stirred and retracted his feet. He yawned and stood up on the bed, causing Raea to groan. He asked, “What do you want?”“Nothing,” Cleo said and smile
Demon's Journey Chapter 49
“There are no goblins this time, right?” Raea asked, turning her head to glance at Palan as her horse jolted her up and down. Her contracted demon’s plate armor shone red in the sunlight.“I don’t smell anything. They shouldn’t be there,” Palan said. “Unless they all wasted water and took baths.”“Good,” Raea said and nodded. She faced the road and sighed. “It would be difficult to fight a group of them with only the six of us.”“Six? There’s only five of us.”“Stop forgetting about me!” Cleo said and pouted. Emergency Victuals ran alongside Palan’s horse with the orange lizardman on its back. “And don’t tell me you’re afraid of goblins.” She stared at Raea. “All you have to do is smack them around a bit and they’ll run away or beg for mercy.”