“Not corrupted by the Abyss?” I tilted my head and arched an eyebrow behind my helmet. “Elaborate.”

It nodded and took a shaky breath.

Lapia looked up at me with a scowl, “You'll have her lay on the ground?”

Am I the bad person here? I wondered for a second, then bent down and grabbed the demon by the front-most horn on its head and lifted it up.

It froze and shook like a leaf in the wind.

I clicked my tongue and brought it to the bench it previously sat at, then dropped it on top of it.

It weakly nodded, “Please-”

“Speak,” I interrupted.

Lapia sighed and walked to my side, facing the Demon.

The late day suns bathed us in light, giving the scene an unnaturally beautiful atmosphere. The tree in the middle of the patio granted shade and the leaves had the vibrant glow of recently watered vegetation. The stone ground and walls with large windows surrounding us made for an ideal reading spot.

And yet, I was questioning a Demon who was tormenting the King of the nation. Not a relaxing event at all. There was an excitement to it, however. A thrill I couldn't properly point out.

The Demon fixed the apron it was wearing and tightened its claws on the fabric, “Haal, or Hell as people call it, was a thriving world a very long time ago.”

I rolled my eyes.

Lapia nodded.

“A great deal of detail went missing due to the events that took place,” it explained with a shaky voice that gained confidence the more it spoke. “Our home was made into a prison to house the beings of the Abyss. They were initially held in highly secured containment places. Out of reach and out of sight. My people performed their duty with outstanding results for a long time,” it sighed and bit its lips. “Then, The Whispers plunged our world in chaos. Very little is known from that time. The beings of the Abyss corrupted the minds of those in charge of guarding them... which sent them into a feral frenzy. With time, the corruption changed their bodies to an irreversible state. Those free of the corruption had no chance to stand against them. People retreated to the depths of Haal to seek refuge,” it looked up at me and gulped, “Then, the Hellwalker showed up. A very long period of dread due to rampant genocide by the hands of a single individual followed. There are uncountable tales about you. It is said that the beings of the Abyss were violently awoken and felled by you. How you survived the corruption is up to speculation.”

I stared at it for a second, “And how the fuck do you know this?”

It gulped and blinked a few times, “I was told so by my elders.”

“Here in Galeia?” Lapia asked.

The Elf was taking the conversation surprisingly well. I could not imagine talking about different worlds without first having serious doubts. Her adaptability pleasantly surprised me. Maybe telling her I lived in another world loosened her worldview.

The Demon shook its head, “No, back home.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms, “So you come from Hell?”

It nodded.

I sighed in exasperation, “How?”

“The few free of corruption wanted to leave Haal, so we searched the... barren world you left behind,” its chin trembled and looked away, then used a hand to cover its mouth. “We found a way. A most foul way. In our desperation, we paid no concern to consequences. Our world was already dead. Vegetation refused to grow no matter what we tried. In the end we...” it took a shaky breath and wiped a few tears flowing down its face, “sacrificed our elders to open gates to other worlds.”

“And then you got here,” I concluded with a nod, not caring about the sacrifices it spoke about.

It nodded.

I swallowed the saliva in my mouth and took a deep, calming breath. “How old are you?”

“I arrived here three hundred years ago...” the Demon hesitated for a second. “Time was... blurry in Haal.”

I looked up to the sky, “You speak of vegetation, is that what your kind eats for sustenance?”

“Not anymore,” its voice sounded pained. “When I entered this world, no amount of food satiated me. My hunger only grew with time. I traveled the land, desperately looking for a solution. One day, I came across a dying person to the far south. They begged for help, but I found myself feeding off their pain and fear. I... got drunk on it back then.”

I looked down on it, “Were you alone?”

It shook its head with a sad chuckle, “I learned we were not the first to come here.”

“Elaborate,” I gestured with a hand.

“Haal is many times the size of Galeia,” it gulped and sighed. “Some must have found a way to open gates long before my clan did. Perhaps during the time you were there.”

I sighed, “And?”

“It came to my attention that those who came before us had offspring,” its red eyebrows furrowed and a scowl formed on its face. “The energy of this world influenced them with time, replacing the need to feed off emotions and allowed them to become another species of this world. They inherited our shape-shifting capabilities.”

Lapia gasped, “Changelings?”

The Demon closed its eyes and more tears flowed accompanied by shoulders shaking, then nodded.

I turned to Lapia, “Didn't Changelings descend from the same creatures as doppelgangers?”

Lapia nodded with a complicated expression, “That is the accepted theory. The Gods have supported it so nobody questioned it.”

I groaned, “That means they accepted these creatures at one point.”

Lapia chew on her cheek for a second, then sighed, “So it would seem.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I grabbed the Demon by the horns on its temples and forced it to look at me, “Is the King going to die if you continue tormenting him?”

Its lips trembled and snot came out of its nose, “No!” it whispered with wide eyes. “People with good lives don't succumb to my feeding.”

“How many more of you are there?” I tightened my hands around the horns, making cracking sounds.

It winced but didn't resist. “No more than a thousand,” it replied in pain.

“Are you all the same?” I questioned, bringing her face closer to my helmet.

It sobbed, “No, we aren't! I left them once I knew what I feed on.”

“Good,” I nodded and let go of the horns. “So, a Felyareth feeds on the mind?”

It brought both hands to the side of its head and whimpered in pain, then took a shaky breath, “Yes, we induce a state of hypnosis and then directly steal Life Energy. Not enough to result in any kind of loss.”

I scoffed, “As I see it, the King is losing his mind.”

It looked down at its hands and tightened the fabric, “But if I don't do it, I'll die.”

“Then die,” I declared with no empathy, retrieving my spear. “Why should you be allowed to live if the very concept means the suffering of others?”

Lapia turned to me, “Natasha-”

“I won't compromise, Lapia,” I interrupted her, storing my helmet and looking into the Demon's black eyes. “What's your name?”

Its eyes widened to the limit and its mouth opened wide in fear. The light in its eyes slowly faded with the realization it would inevitably die in the following minutes.

I hit the ground with the butt of my weapon, “Well?”

More tears poured down its face. Its lips trembled and its body shook in fear, “P-please!”

I tightened my jaw and clicked my tongue, then laced my words with venom, “Your very existence brings torment to others.”

“I didn't choose to be like this!” it cried and pleaded, going down on its knees in front of me and bringing its hands together on its chest. “Hellwalker! You cleansed our world of the corruption that plunged it into chaos. Please! Find mercy in your heart! I'm a victim!”

I nodded, “May you find a better life after death. State your name.”

“...Why?” it sobbed and hung its head. “This is not fair...”

“What about Gordon?” I retorted, pushing the creature away with an armored foot.

Its back hit the bench and it looked up at me in surprise.

“What has he done to deserve having his very life sucked out of him?” I curled my lips in disgust and glared at the Demon. “To see the horrors you put him through every night? To be on the receiving end of such atrocious actions?”

“I know my actions can't be justified!” it cried, supporting itself on the bench. “But-!”

“BUT?!” I growled and stomped on the bench, pulverizing the stone. “How dare you?! Are you going to say 'it's just a dream'?”

Its breathing became frantic and its face was a mess of tears and snot. “Please!” it cried, lifting its arms in front of its face in a defensive gesture.

“No,” I simply said, shaking my head. “Just... no. I declare your actions as irredeemable. You are a danger to the people of this world. Draining others of their Life Energy clearly results in mental degradation. I will not have that. State your name.”

Lapia turned her back on the creature and sighed, “Somehow, I'm getting increasingly aroused.”

I bit my tongue. Not now, Lapia... I sighed in my mind.

“Nerissa,” the Demon whispered and closed its eyes. “My name is Nerissa.”

“Well, Nerissa,” I took aim with my spear and spoke infernal, “Farewell,” then pierced its chest with a single stab.

The creature went limp and a copious amount of blood flowed from the wound.

I pulled my weapon back and brought the blade close to my face, then sniffed it. The smell was indeed sweet. Nothing like the putrid fragrance from my memories.

I stared at the dead thing for a while. The talk about corruption made sense since Elena lost her mind and memories. That would fit with the relentless violence of corrupted Demons. If the effects of Abyssal could be influenced by the intent of the speaker, then a variety of options were available if the circumstances led me to mind-break people. I would do so only as a last resort since the first and only experience resulted in substantial loss of information. While I'm willing to use it, understanding is required.

The Demon itself was not corrupted just as it said. It's actions, however, meant her death.

Justice, as I had seen in this world, wouldn't have done as I did. Imprisonment would be the just solution. To isolate it or chain it in a dark place. Probably in the Endless Pit or a far away place.

That would not satisfy me.

Again, I do not strive for justice. Gordon's mental health would steadily decline if the Demon was left in the palace. Relocating it would simply mean the King, and only him and Royalty, would be free of the Demon's influence. It could go for another person, or not. That was a risk I would simply not take.

The E'er from the creature flowed into me and I absorbed it.

My body grew hot, and a wave of pleasure washed my senses. Then, a feeling similar to holding back a sneeze took root in my core. I relaxed and let the feeling run its course.

A soft pop similar to cracking my neck after a long day of drawing doused me with satisfaction: Like a fruitful day of productive work.

After it vanished, I felt marginally stronger than before so I checked my information.

Natasha Novak

Forest Halve

Class(es)

-Hoplite Lvl 451 (Open Skills)

-Lancer Lvl 450 (Open Skills)

-Dragoon Lvl 450 (Open Skills)

Status

-STR: 5404 (+750)

-CON: 2702 (+750)

-INT: 675 (+250)

-WIS: 675 (+250)

-DEX: 4053 (+750)

Health: 54040/54040

Stamina: 13495/13510

E’er: 13500/13500

Well, well, well. I leveled up, I nodded with a smile. Also, I learned valuable information today, I concluded, looking back at what the Demon said about Hell.

“Natasha...” Lapia called to me.

I returned to reality and faced my girlfriend, “Yes, Lapia?”

Her eyes squinted a little at the corpse on the ground, “Did you feel a... wavelength of sorts when talking to the Demon?”

I recalled the short encounter and shook my head, “Nothing like that. Why?”

“The... aroused comment that slipped,” she tilted her head. “I didn't mean to say that out loud.”

I gestured at the dead thing, “Could that be some sort of aura?”

She bit her lips, “I'll talk about it with Alyssa when we get back. She's the expert on the Laws of Life.”

I nodded, then squatted down and placed a hand on the Demon's torso. With a 'pulling' thought the corpse went into my storage.

“Now to let the King know,” I sighed, standing up.

“Natasha... I do not want this to come across as me being angry, but I need to say this,” she placed a hand on my shoulder with a serious face. “Don't ever torture someone in my presence. Whether you see a person in front of you or not, simply do not. That's my bottom line.”

I nodded, “Got it. I'll do better in the future.”

She smirked and gave me a wink, “I bet.”

"Also," I smiled with all the smug I could muster. "I leveled up."

The Elf's eyes widened with an impressed expression. "You're right! Finally!"