The next three days passed by in a complete blur. Balthazar had been hard at work hunting the many creatures hiding within the woods, skinning them to the best of his abilities for clothing. It was a crude process, one he wasn't very skilled at, but the need for some type of bodily protection outweighed his lack of experience. The hides were tough and hard to work with, with his many attempts to make pants coming out in jagged, uneven pieces. Still, it was better than being naked.
Azazel, meanwhile, had undergone a massive transformation. Like Balthazar, Azazel had also gone through a growth spurt. Azazel had grown taller and more muscular than Balthazar, his single right arm bulging with muscle forged from the workouts Balthazar had subjected him to.
Once Balthazar was sure that Azazel wasn't going to be a liability anymore, he fashioned him a crude, but effective hook attached to a long rope. It was made from one of the moles' claws that were particularly curved and durable, giving it a natural hook shape after some carving. Balthazar had tied it around Azazel's makeshift pants, just to make sure he wouldn't accidentally lose it.
Azazel adapted to using the hook remarkably fast. He practiced using it daily, learning how to swing it, catch objects, and even how to grapple up trees. In addition to the hook, Balthazar had fashioned him a hunting knife, for when he had to fight in close quarters.
While Azazel trained, Balthazar had begun mapping the area around their cave, trying to find any traces of saltpeter. One of these excursions led him to find what he could only describe as a large anthill. The structure was large, and even with just a quick peek inside, he could tell there was an intricate system of tunnels leading deep underground. Balthazar’s interest peaked, depending on how deep the nest was, there was no doubt he would be able to find some amount of saltpeter.
As Balthazar made it back to his cave, he began to prepare for their excursion into the anthill. He immediately began the task of creating bags to carry whatever they found. Using thick, durable leaves, Balthazar wove them together to form makeshift bags, securing them with vine ties. They weren't perfect in any means, but they would work non the less.
As the third day came to a close, Balthazar found himself idly watching Azazel work out, the younger imp using the tree roots to do pull-ups. “You should be resting, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow,” Balthazar called out. Azazel glanced over at him, doing a few more pull-ups before letting go of the tree roots. “Can't… stop…” Azazel muttered, his speech completely broken compared to Balthazar’s.
“Look,” Balthazar insisted, standing up and walking over to him, “It doesn't matter how tough you are if you don't have the energy to use it. So rest, you'll be getting actual battle experience tomorrow.”
“Fine,” Azazel nodded, laying down on a pile of leaves he had fashioned into a bed. Balthazar watched him for a few moments, making sure he was actually settling down before turning away. Balthazar couldn't blame the imp, he was only a few days old, and compared to him Azazel hadn't had the chance to prove himself.
Yawning, Balthazar walked back to his bed, a small pile of furs and leaves, before lying down. He glanced over at the cave opening, listening for any signs of trouble. The forest outside was quiet, a sign that Balthazar’s hunting had driven away some of the creatures that lurked around the area, but he knew better than to think it was safe.
Balthazar closed his eyes, the sound of his breathing filling the cave around him. Sleep came slowly, every sound of their environment making it harder for him to truly relax. Eventually, sleep overtook him, as he drifted away into a restless sleep.
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The next morning Balthazar and Azazel made their way to the ant-hill, scaling a nearby tree to get a better view of the area. The ant-hill stood prominently in the center of the clearing, it was a towering structure, looking more like a miniature mountain than a hill. Its surface was covered in green moss, crawling with the metallic ants that called the nest home.
From their vantage point, Balthazar could see that the area around the hill was barren, save for a few patches of grass and rocks. The only sounds that remained were the clicking of mandibles and chittering of commands from the ants as they worked tirelessly.
“Looks like they're all busy… that's good for us,” Balthazar smiled, keeping his voice low. “Means we can sneak in without too much trouble.”
“What… they doing?” Azazel asked, watching the ants cautiously. “They look… scared.”
Balthazar squinted his eyes, watching the ants carefully. Now that Azazel mentioned it, the ants did seem to be moving with a sense of urgency. Instead of scavenging for food, they seem to be barricading a few entrances that no ants were using.
“You're right… They seem to be preparing some type of defense,” he paused, thinking over the implications. “Either way the plan stays the same. We’ll lure out two ants, take them down quietly, and use their heads as disguises. Then we'll cover ourselves in their scent to blend in as best we can, then sneak inside."
Azazel nodded, his grip tightening on his hook. “Stay low, and remember, keep the head as intact as you can,” Balthazar whispered before descending the tree, leaving Azazel alone in the tree.
Azazel grabbed his hook, twirling it a few times before throwing it as hard as he could at a nearby branch. The hook wrapped around the branch, latching onto the branch securely. He grinned, pushing himself off the branch, swinging silently through the air. Azazel landed softly on the ground a few feet away from Balthazar, hidden behind a few trees. He quickly reeled his hook back in, readying to use it again.
Balthazar nodded, moving swiftly to one of the smaller tunnels. The ants were still scurrying about, unaware of the intruder standing on their land. Once he was sure none of the other ants were nearby, Balthazar cupped his hands together, making sure his thumbs touched just enough for a small gap between his hands. Then placing his lips on his thumbs, he blew, producing a loud whistle that echoed through the tunnel.
It was a sharp piercing sound that echoed off the earthen walls, growing louder as it traveled deeper into the tunnel. Then, almost on command, came the sounds of rustling of legs and clicking of mandibles as a pair of ants responded to the noise, emerging cautiously from the tunnel. Balthazar glanced at Azazel, giving him a thumbs- up.
The first ant stepped out, its antennas twitching as it tried to search for what made the noise. Azazel didn't hesitate, swinging his hook around the ant and, with a swift yank, forcibly pulled the ant out of the tunnel, the sudden motion snapping its neck. The ant crumpled to the ground, unable to even spasm before being pulled away.
The second ant didn't have any time to react, as soon as its head emerged from the tunnel Balthazar sliced through its neck, severing the head cleanly. The ant's body collapsed onto the ground, its mandibles clicking only once in a reflexive motion.
“Easy,” Balthazar muttered, pulling the headless ants body deep into the underbrush. Azazel had already dragged his body away, the head of the ant in his hand as he waited for Balthazar. Grabbing the knife off of Azazel, Balthazar made a few cuts into the ant's abdomen, revealing its pheromone gland.
The air was immediately filled with the musky scent of the ant, making the both of them gag. It was a truly pungent smell that his stomach churn, but if they wanted to get past the stupid ants they would need to smell like them. Holding his breath, Balthazar grabbed the scent gland, smearing the sticky fluid onto his arms. He handed some to Azazel, who followed suit, covering himself in the scent despite the grimace on his face.
“Now for the heads,” Balthazar muttered, cutting a small hole into the base of the head, removing as much of the insides from the head so he could put it on. It was a disgusting task, but nothing that Balthazar hadn't done before. Once he was satisfied, he slipped the head on. It was cold and slimy inside, the mandibles dangling awkwardly in front of his face.
“Let's just get this over with,” Balthazar muttered, adjusting the head to fit comfortably over his head. They couldn't afford to waste any time.
They approached the entrance slowly, not trying to draw too much attention to themselves. The other ants didn't seem to pay them much mind, too absorbed in their work to care. Balthazar decided to take the lead into the tunnels, his heart pounding out of his chest as they descended deeper and deeper through the tunnels.
The scent inside the colony was even worse than the smell they had just rubbed on themselves. It was a mix of earth, decay, and ant musky. Balthazar had to force himself to breathe out of his mouth in an attempt to reduce how queasy he felt. He couldn't see Azazel's face under their mask, but he was sure they felt the same way.
The tunnels soon opened up into a large, sprawling cavern with rock bridges and pathways criss crossing over a vast, bustling chamber. Ants swarmed everywhere, moving in organized lines. Balthazar couldn’t quite see what they were doing, but they all seemed to be gathering around a particularly large ant that stood at the center of the activity.
The large ant in the center of the gathered workers was noticeably different from the rest. Unlike the bulkier, crawling appearance of the worker this one had a more streamlined, almost humanoid form. Its form was slender and graceful, with a humanoid hourglass figure attached where you would expect to see an ant's head. Its exoskeleton gleamed a dark crimson, that gave it a feel of superiority.
“What is that?” Balthazar questioned, making sure to watch it carefully. It definitely had to be the queen or something with a similar status, the way the workers swarmed around her confirmed it's high status. The workers seemed to be bringing her offerings, and among the various items was a shimmering white substance that immediately caught his eye.
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“So they do have it,” Balthazar smirked, waving Azazel to follow him. They moved slowly across the bridge, continuing down the passage they were walking. Every now and then Balthazar would look behind him, making sure that Azazel wasn't keeping up and that no ants were following.
The deeper they went, the more complex the hive became, some tunnels ended at dead ends, some led to vast chambers full of eggs, likely hatching rooms. Other paths lead to rooms brimming with junk. There were rusting weapons, scrap metal, and decomposing bodies. If Balthazar wasn't looking for minerals in particular he would happily scrounge around in the room for hours, happily picking over everything.
Rounding around the corner Balthazar's eyes widened, a smile slowly forming over his face. There, right in front of them, was the resource chamber he had been looking for. Piles of different minerals and gems lined the floor, each organized by type. Flint, copper, silver, and in the far back saltpeter.
Balthazar could hardly contain his joy. He had done it, he had reached the motherload.
“Azazel, did you grab the bag?” Balthazar asked quietly, turning to face him. Azazel nodded, handing him the bag he had been carrying on his back. Balthazar wasted no time shoveling a ton of different ores into the bag, making sure to grab a lot of saltpeter and a few things of flint. Balthazar was so busy filling his bags, he didn't even notice Azazel trying to warn him until he was pulling on his arm.
Balthazar finally turned to where Azazel was looking, wanting to see what was making him so agitated. Standing at the opening of the chamber, watching them with a keen glare, was the regal-looking ant. She was watching them with a confused look on her face, trying to comprehend what the two strange looking ants were doing.
Balthazar quickly nodded his head at the ant, trying to mimic the respectful gesture he had seen the other ants do. His heart was pounding in his chest as he watched the ant move closer to him, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to piece together the scene in front of her.
“Now if this isn't strange,” the ant said smoothly, her voice carrying an edge of suspicion to it. “May I ask what the two of you are doing?”
Balthazar stared in confusion at the large ant. Why could he understand her? Were they speaking some type of shared language, or had his transformation into an imp give him the ability to communicate with other creatures?
He quickly pushed those thoughts off to the side. He didn't have time to think this over, he needed to give her a satisfying enough answer. “I was… gathering an offering for our esteemed queen.”
The regal ant's suspicion seemed to melt away almost instantly. Her antennae relaxed, and she clicked her mandibles softly in approval. “Ah, an offering for the queen? You should have said so sooner. Come,” she said, her voice taking on a more commanding tone, “I will bring you to her directly. She will want to see this for herself.”
Balthazar blinked in surprise, gesturing to Azazel to follow her. He was shocked and disappointed at how quickly she accepted his words. Beside him, Azazel seemed to remain calm, it's trust in Balthazar enough to keep itself calm.
As they followed the regal ant deeper into the hive, the tunnel began to narrow, the walls closing in around them. He could hear the soft clicking of the ant's legs as she led them deeper. Finally, after a few more minutes of walking, the tunnel finally opened into a vast chamber. The ceiling stretched impossibly high, adorned with glowing stones that illuminated the room like stars. The worker ants were gone, instead replaced by ants that looked more like the ant leading them.
These ants stood guard at the edges of the chamber, their antennas twitching at every sound. Their presence alone was enough to destroy Balthazar’s hope of escape, but what really shattered any hope was the being in the center of the room. There, lying on polished stone, was the queen.
She was enormous, her lower half was a sprawling mass of segmented legs and sleek black exoskeleton, but her upper half was completely humanoid looking, cloaked in shimmering white and gold cloth. Her eyes were also more intelligent looking than the others in the room, who looked only to be following orders.
Slowly, she lifted her head, her gaze locking onto Balthazar. “Pride?” She asked quietly, her voice carrying a hint of sleepiness to it, as if she had just woken up. “No, you're not him. I met him not too long ago, but yet here you are. Such arrogance… how could it not be you?” She asked, not really expecting an answer.
Knowing that the jig was up, Balthazar removed the ant head from his head, revealing his impish features to the queen. The regal ant standing next to him recoiled slightly in surprise, her antennae twitching in confusion.
“Only one person has called me pride,” Balthazar said calmly, not exactly knowing what he was doing. “And it wasn’t exactly a complement.”
The queen's eyes, once sleepy, now fully opened, gleaming with curiosity. “Not pride you say?” Her voice held a hint of disbelief as she thought about his words. “No, you're right. You lack his aura, but yet here you are.”
Balthazar continued to stare back at the queen, resisting the urge to flinch under her gaze. “I just need these rocks, and I'll leave without causing a ruckus.”
The queen raised a brow, her expression unreadable. “You came into my hive, killed my children, and then took something that belongs to me.” She paused, her voice icy. “And then, you stand before me, thinking I would let you leave without consequence?”
“Yep,” Balthazar confirmed, shrugging his shoulders, a smile tugging at his lips as he realized how dumb his answer would sound to her.
Instead of anger, his answer was met with laughter. The queen's massive form trembled as her amusement filled the chamber. “The audacity,” she said between laughs, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “And yet you stand before me and deny that you are Pride.”
After a few more seconds, the queen's laughter subsided, a smile now plastered on her face. “Very well imp. I'll give you the items you and your servant have stolen from me, but in return I want a favor.”
Balthazar didn’t hesitate to accept the deal, he may have the confidence to stand his ground but he didn’t have the strength to back that confidence up. “Fine, I can live with that.”
The queen smiled, her teeth glistening in the light. “Now to get this deal set in stone,” she purred, the satisfaction in her voice causing the non existent hair on Balthazar's neck to stand.
The queen suddenly raised her hand, and at the very edge of her palm, a glowing magic circle began to form. It expanded fast, forming intricate symbols and lines. Balthazar watched in amazement as the circle finished forming, glowing with otherworldly intensity.
On the ground a few feet away from the queen, a thick, black mass began to bubble up from the stone floor. It writhed on the ground for a few moments before being slowly pulled off the ground and into a central point. The dark mass twisted and writhed before solidifying into a fate, grinning demon. His large, toothy smile seemed to be permanently etched onto his face as he floated above the ground, wearing a illfit-fitting waistcoat.
Circling around him was a smaller, orb-like creature holding a scroll and quill, it scribbled endlessly into the paper never once glancing at the world around it.
“Aaah, your majesty!” the demon purred, his eyes roaming over the queen’s body with unrestrained lust. “You're looking as sexy as ever.”
The queen looked at the demon with thinly veiled disdain, though she didn't bother to correct him. “Enough Vraxil, I didn't summon you for poor attempts at flattery.”
Vraxil chuckled, his grin only widening. “Of course your radiant majesty. What's on the menu today? A meeting with the demon king, lunch with the demon queen?”
The queen sighed, clearly impatient. “I summoned you to bind this imp to a favor he has promised me.”
Vraxil's eyes gleamed with excitement as he turned towards Balthazar. “Aah a binding contract, my favorite kind of magic,” he cooed, rubbing his hands together. “Now little buddy, a binding contract…”
“I know what a binding contract is,” Balthazar interrupted, crossing his arms.
Vraxil blinked in surprise, his grin faltering for a moment. “O-oh, do you now?” His eyes narrowed as he floated around Balthazar, studying his every move. “You're certainly smarter than your average imp. Already speaking in full sentences, crafting your own weapons and clothing. I don't see why you won't grow any genitalia until after you evolve into a low-demon.”
Balthazar met his gaze, his face expressionless, but his mind racing. He didn't want to draw the attention of anything stronger than him, not yet at least. “Just doing your job.”
Vraxil chuckled, surprise still lingering in his eyes. “As you wish.’His grin returned, wider than before, but now tinged with intrigue. Snapping his fingers a paper appeared in front of Vraxil, floating lazily in front of his hand. The orb-like demon quickly snatched it out of the air, flying it over to the queen. With a graceful motion, she grabbed the paper and the quill and wrote a few lines on the paper.
Once the queen finished, she handed the scroll back to the orb, who then floated over to Balthazar with the document held out for him to sign. "Now, you can just make a mark here,” Vraxil said smoothly, pointing at the small line on the paper.
Balthazar instead snatched the paper out of the orb-like demon's hands, reading it over to make sure the queen wasn't trying to change the deal on him. Once he was sure it was what they promised, Balthazar made sure to write his name: Balthazar.
The room went quiet as they contract burst into flames, sealing the deal. Vraxil's eyes widened in shock along with the queen and the other soldier ants in the room. “You-you have a name?” Vraxil stammered, his ever present grin faltering again. “Imps don't… they can't have names until the naming ceremony!”
Balthazar simply raised an eyebrow, offering no further explanation. “Now my queen, I think we're done here, correct?”
“Athena!” Vraxil shouted, watching as Balthazar and Azazel began walking away, the female soldier ant that had once been escorting them now following them in disbelief. “H-how is this possible?”
“How should I know?” She giggled, watching them walk away with amusement. “I'm not a demon.”
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Once Balthazar and Azazel were a good way from the nest, Balthazar took a moment to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. The towering anthill was now far behind them, the fresh air of the forest a welcome change.
“That couldn't have been worse,” Balthazar muttered, looking over to Azazel. “Let's get out of here.”
Azazel remained silent, his eyes gleaming with excitement. After a few moments, he pulled something from behind his back and held it up for Balthazar to see.
It was an egg. A black metallic ant egg.
Balthazar’s eyes widened, a smile slowly forming on his face. “You stole an egg?”
Azazel nodded, a wide grin plastered on his face as he proudly presented his prize. “Pretty cool?” He asked, unable to hide his excitement any longer.
Balthazar threw his arm around Azazel's neck. “I'll be damned,” he said with a chuckle. “Looks like we got the last laugh.”