Here you are my Lovelies! I know its a teeny bit late, but I had a few things come up at work. This is a somewhat short Chapter due in part to this from Leo's POV, a hint and show and tell with he split tribe, a glimpse at how Fluffy is doing, and how his Packs are managing. Also, Specter POV, creepy bugger. ^.^

Next Chapter ends the Tournament, and is back to Sidnie POV only at last, she learns of Fluffy and his problems! What shall she do? How shall she save him and his Packs?! Find out next time!

As always, much love and cookies, PR credit goes to BlissForgotten, not fully PR'd, will be updated when he has the time to go over the chapter more. ^.^

----------------------------------------

Leo POV -

Sidnie was at a Tournament at last, I knew how much she had been looking forward to finally seeing one in person. She had Jessica with her as well, so I hardly needed to make an appearance and spoil their fun time together, though I believed Jessica would be in some form of turmoil, given Sidnie’s odd star gaze when it involved Suzuki.

Taking myself from such thoughts, I regarded the Imp Tribe I had requested Sidnie split from the rest of the Demon Nation. No outside influence to taint them. It had become a truly fascinating process over the last few days.

They had become closer knit, like one might expect from a closed off community of small numbers, they had developed very interesting hunting methods. One would act injured and alone to lure in predators, and before it could kill the faker, it would be pounced upon.

The closeness was no doubt the last vestige of Sidnie’s influence before separating them from such things, only evolved upon its own. A Variant had even occurred, though I had not yet informed Sidnie. Mostly because she would want to begin influence them somehow, because the little devil was really cute.

It was called an Origin Imp, it seemed a different Variant of the Species as a whole. What I have seen from the Evolution list, it had a very unique evolutionary pathway as well. But the Origin Imp retained its size, and general childish shape, however it now had long black locks of hair. Its bat-like wings were now more akin to small bird feathers, and bright amber colored eyes.

It reminded me of a Cherub, honestly, but it had distinctive qualities that separated it from everything I have read about the Angelic Race. Primarily it was something Primal, and had a disturbing affinity for Darkness. I had a feeling it would have been something of containing immense amounts of cruelty if the Vestige of Sidnie’s influence was not still upon them.

It was also, when I looked at the Variant Tree under ‘Origin’ a very Rare Legendary Variant. It could be made common, but the Point cost alone was nearly one billion. Well above the possible purchase of Sidnie at this time, or within the near future.

I would of course mention this Demon to Sidnie, along with a report on how the little Imp Tribe is doing. They seemed stronger, and smarter than the other Imp by leaps and bounds, easily the equivalent of the Lesser Fiends in strength. It made me wonder how they would be when allowed to Evolve, even more so I wondered at the little Origin Imp. It was easily, and obviously the leader of this small commune.

As fascinating as they were however, I would have to further my investigative desires at a later time. I had to check on Fluffy, and his Pack. I had not expected the events that led to him fighting the natural versions of himself, and the other canine Demon Species.

He was faring far better than Obsidian however. He had lost little of his territory, even with the very savage and brutal fights the separate Packs were partaking in. Both sides had split apart after the initial confrontation, more because of the power Fluffy displayed with his steam turned poisonous gas that wiped out countless of the ‘Dark Ones’ as he termed them.

It did little to cut the Natural Hell Hound numbers down, but it had made them retreat and go about a different tactic.

All the same, Fluffy had lost countless of his several Packs in the initial, and continued assaults the enemy made. They were fighting Demons that had the same proclivity as his kind did. They did not back down, they did not surrender, and they fought until killed, or their leader ordered a retreat.

That itself I found fascinating, as with the ones Obsidian had fought, these Natural Spawning Demons seemed to possess a Hive Mind centered around a being powerful enough to control them, and within this case that being was a massive Three Headed Hound that breathed Fire and called the Earth around it. A Cerberus.

It was an interesting facet of the Orthos, Cerberii, and Cerberus Species. Each one held two affinities within their bodies, and could breathe them out in a torrent, or exude them from their body depending upon the power itself.

Fluffy was a somewhat odd version of his species, he spat out the poison and heated water. Though he seemed to be able to create something similar to carbon monoxide through his steam when extremely angry, or in combat. The effects were short lived depending on what was occurring within the fight, but the density levels of the carbon monoxide tended to kill off his opponents. It was a double edged sword however, it has killed allies as well.

For that reason he began fighting alone in the swarms of the ‘Dark Ones’ to limit the casualties on his own side that may be caused due to his own power. What amazed me most is that Fluffy was the prime focus of Sidnie’s influence, he was the most...tame of the Demon Leaders currently, he also displayed the most powerful of abilities. It implied that not only how often, but the longer Sidnie controlled one of them, the greater the power they gained. It led to countless possibilities.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The main problem however was that aside from Fluffy, the others actively killed any that seemed to be controlled by Sidnie for an extended length of time. A few exceptions did exist of course. Though they were truly few in number.

Hmmm? I turned my attention to the western approach of Fluffy’s territory, just  at the edge of the rest of my Dungeon World outside of the Demon Nation. It seemed a small pack of the Natural Spawning Hell Hounds were running through the area, from the looks of it marking it to claim it. Interesting. Though personally, I felt the several Dark Hounds that were following behind from Fluffy’s first eldest Son's Pack, him leading, was far more interesting. Normally they were loud, baying their presence. They had adapted to this new threat that so freely fought them. The Packs were stalkers now, silent killers it seemed. It made me want to smile, it meant that Sidnie’s favorite Demons were Evolving on their own, and surviving against a massive threat. Perhaps, just perhaps, they would overcome this danger on their own.

Though that massive Cerberus concerned me, there was little I could do personally to aid Fluffy and the others, all I could do was increase their breeding rate, and growth rate to try and combat the overwhelming numbers that spawned with the Cerberus presence.

I watched the Dark Hounds slaughter the Natural Spawned Hell Hounds a moment, and then turned my attention toward Fluffy’s location. On my way toward the focal point however, a display appeared in front of me from the base run time programs within my passive systems.

Congratulations! The Mantel of the Devourer has been acquired! A unique evolutionary pathway has been unlocked, and the Special Dementor who has gained this mantel will no longer be able to follow the main path of Evolution's.

Continue to Surprise us, Leo, along with your Owner Sidnie.

~Dungeon Inc.

I blinked, what!?! I took my focus from my current destination and rushed as quickly as I could toward Specters location, somehow he had gained a mantel, just as Obsidian gained the Mantel of Behemoth, but she had gained it from a combination of killing the Natural Devil, and her Ax..Specter had no artifact, what had he done?

When I arrived, finding Specter deep within the bowels of his personal Castle, the Dungeons, what I saw there, I swore I would never allow Sidnie to witness, it was frightening, in a multitude of ways…

Specter POV -

"...Scream for me, weakling, scream your pain to sustain me." Specter whispered gently into the swirling mass of darkness that had been his opponent, it was crimson as the flame, and disparagingly cruel in appearance. "You wanted to kill my kind, take my lands? Now you sustain them, I will never allow you to die my lovely meal, I shall devour you bit by bit, until nothing but your replenishing power remains" He sucked in a portion of the leaking power from the damaged Red One, their leader, his screams filling the room from the pain of being forcibly torn from what was so inherently his.

“Gyaaaaaah! Stop! You Monster! Kill meeeEEEeeee!” Such exquisite sounds, so tender and sweet, it reminded me of some of the fear I tasted when ‘She’ took control of me. Now he would never die, I’d even allow a small shred of his sanity to remain, so I could toy with him.

“No, my Pet, no no no. That isn’t how this works.” I slid my hand into the swirling dark red mass that was his body and took a tiny sliver, just a pinch, of his essence, his power, and drank it down. The pain would be excruciating. He screamed out in agony. “You see, you started this fight. I simply came out and ended it. How could someone so weak believe they could fight me and survive?”

I tortured him for hours later, his screams so sweet to my ears. I loved the sounds, I even found all his ‘sweet’ spots, they created the most clarion, and clear screams and painful moans. Ecstasy, pure ecstasy.

I rose, stretching languishly from my seated position, I had just finished shearing away the mass of power that made up his toes. So tantalizingly sweet to devour. When I left the torture chamber, the sweet sobbing echoes of something termed ‘Devilish Deceiver’ accompanying me on my way out.

I felt refreshed, now I could begin making the plans to solidify my power base. The accursed Hounds were busy with those odd ones, the more savage looking of their breed, and the Female with the Ax was rebuilding. That left the Succubii. From what little my Wisps had gathered, they excelled in magical means of combat, that would make them tricky. But surely I could slaughter the others while they were busy.

All the same, it would take planning. I smiled a little, I’d play with my new meal while I went about my machinations to conquer our land, and claim that delicious meal that was the girl that controlled me for my own. Oh yes, so much to do. I must ensure my feast is splendid!