Belquess leads me through the beauty of the demon lands.

There are trails. But, roads seem foreign to these lands.

As the day passes, I feel the effect of the drug abate.

"Who-" I find my voice. "Who were you before you became a demon?"

Belquess smiles, "Just a peasant girl."

She looks off to the horizon.

"I would have liked to have gotten my revenge on the doctor as you did.

"Don't get me wrong," she says. "I love being a demon. If I had remained human, I would have long ago married a man I didn't love. I would have lived a pitiful life and died unremarkably.

"You'll love it when you get used to it."

I find myself doubting that.

We make camp for the night.

"Aren't you supposed to be fighting the humans?" I ask as we settle around a fire.

She chuckles, "I found something more interesting. Besides, there were plenty of demons that wanted my position.

"The tragedy of power is that there is always someone looking to throw you off the top."

"Then, what are we doing?"

She looks into the fire, "Not every demon followed the demon lord's call.

"We're going to persuade them."

"Why should I care about the demon lord's orders?"

"Oh, little demon," she smirks. "The demon lord is our master. It rules through its power. To rebel is to seek death."

"Is it like us? Like humans?"

Her eyes leave the fire, "No."

She looks at me, "It's a behemoth."

"Behemoth?" I echo.

They are legendary monsters, reputed to be extinct.

"Come," she says. "There are more fun ways to spend our time than to talk about other demons."

She slides close to me.

I find myself enchanted by her allure.

She leans in to kiss me.

For a moment, I want to taste her lips.

But, I turned away.

She sighs before resting her head on my shoulder.

The night passes peacefully.

As day comes on, we walk.

"Couldn't you just fly there?" I ask.

She smirks, "I could. But, then this would be over much too quickly."

I find myself confused, "Why don't I have wings and a tail, like you?"

"Your transformation was incomplete."

"Did you want that?"

She looks at me, "You wanted revenge. Didn't you?"

I find some uncertainty in her gaze.

"I did. Thank you for helping me."

She smiles as we continue walking.

Days pass as I grow accustomed to life as a demon.

I find it not too different from being human. However, my strength and endurance are far beyond what I had as a human.

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The shadows are difficult to tame. They seek to travel all over my body.

I've resolved to bind them to my right arm.

It takes significant focus. But, as the days pass. I feel them settle, almost like a black tattoo on my arm.

On the horizon lies a towering castle with architecture unlike any I've seen before.

As we draw closer, I see the spires layered with silken thread.

The whole structure is covered in spider webs.

I find myself intimidated by the sight as it looms over us.

Belquess shows none of my concern as we come upon the open gate.

Skittering sounds meet my ears as we look into the cavernous compound.

My companion leads me to a central hall with vile sounds echoing out to us.

She smiles to reassure me and enters the spider nest.

We enter the hall and the room goes silent.

"Belquess," comes a malevolent voice.

She floats into the air with a woosh of air.

"Ner'ul."

A clicking sound echoes through the hall.

"Why," comes the malevolent voice, "have you come?"

The shadows on Belquess' body glow with a few shades of fel green.

"Ner'ul, you know why I've come."

Her body is wrapped in green flames that illuminate part of the room.

Many black eyes shine in the shadows.

"Return to your master, Belquess."

She laughs, "The Mao is your master too."

A round of rattling clicks comes from all around.

"We know of no Mao in the lands. Merely a mongrel playing king."

My companion rages, "Watch what you say, bug."

A sticky net flies towards Belquess.

She builds a tempest of fel fire that consumes the attack.

But, I notice a vicious spider, the size of a horse, behind her.

I mobilize the shadows bound to my arm and project them out like a lance.

My target bursts as the lance penetrates its carapace.

Belquess looks back to see my action. She smiles her gratitude before turning back to her adversary.

"Enough!" she yells with fel infused chi.

"The human lands," Belquess says, "are ripe for the picking. The empire of man is torn by internal strife and war.

"We can make the continent ours."

There is silence for a moment.

"Leave," is the only response.

Belquess takes a deep breath.

"If you will not listen to reason, then violence is the only answer."

"Agreed," comes the malevolent voice.

All hell breaks loose as spiders pounce from all directions.

I inhale deeply and mobilize unholy chi.

My body explodes into action as I watch the spiders draw close as if in slow motion.

The fel blade extends from my right hand.

The first fiend reaches me as I neatly draw a line through its head.

The next loses half of its legs as I meet it midflight.

For some reason, everything is slow as I cut my way through the horde.

Belquess proves a capable warrior as she consumes her foes with a green flame

Arachnid corpses litter the floor as I advance.

"Enough!" roars the malevolent voice.

The floor tremors as the largest creature I've ever seen stomps into view.

A tarantula the size of a house breathes acid at us.

I sense the danger as stone corrodes under the spider's breath.

I fall back a safe distance as Belquess floats away.

"Neither you nor your master, are worthy to command the Ner!

"Leave."

Belquess hesitates.

"I cannot leave without your allegiance."

The angry spider king clicks its mandibles, inspiring a chorus from the spiders in the shadows.

"Then," comes the malevolent voice, "you will not leave."

A net flies out at Belquess. As she burns it, another net follows and wraps around her.

She falls to the floor with a painful thud.

I rush to her side.

"Don't!" she says as I reach for the web. "It'll trap you too... Run."

For the first time, I realize that in her own sadistic way, she does care about me.

"Attendant," the giant spider says. "Leave."

I stand resolute. I will not abandon her to these creatures.

"Then die with her."

Javelin-like hairs burst from the spider's torso.

I move fluidly, deflecting them each as they come.

My dark chi extends to my fel blade and cuts down at the massive enemy.

The acid breath corrodes the structure of my attack and the blade fails to meet the spider.

The creature's demonic shadows lance out at me and I weave my way into close range.

I cut out to meet one of the massive legs.

Despite its size, the blade cuts cleanly through the exoskeleton.

Black blood flows freely as the spider roars with pain.

We trade the advantage as one of the hair javelins pierces my left shoulder.

I cry out in pain.

Not only does the hair pierce me, it induces a terrible itch.

I strain to pull the hair out after gaining some distance.

"Why, demon, do you submit to the mongrel that would be king?"

I contemplate the spider demon's words.

"I don't," is my answer.

"Then," the malevolent demon asks, "why do you seek to make the Ner submit?"

Again, I answer, "I don't."

The spider king clicks its mandibles, inspiring other clicking noises.

"Leave," the demon repeats itself. "Take Belquess, and go."

I hesitate. But, approach my companion.

It's difficult. But, I manage to free her.

She fails to find her feet.

"Paralytic," she mumbles.

I bend down and pick up my blonde companion.

We leave to a song of clicking arachnids.

I walk for hours, carrying the scantily clad demon. Far longer than I would have been able to endure as a human.

At some point, I realize that she's already recovered and is simply enjoying the ride.

I set her down to some protest.

She smiles, knowing that she's been caught.

"Ah," she sighs. "That did not go well."

"Is it that bad for them to refuse the call to war?"

She chuckles, "The Ner are notorious for their pride. It's not unexpected for them to refuse.

"But, it puts me in a bad position to report my failure to the demon lord."

"Would it kill you for failing?"

She's silent for a moment.

"Come on," she says. "Let's go on an adventure. That's what humans do, right?"

I can't help but worry about her.

"Where did you have in mind?"

She thinks for a moment, "There's a dungeon further South. It's reputed to have been crafted by the Makers. Lots of treasure to be claimed by one worthy."

My thoughts turn to my blade. Am I now unworthy to carry it?"

I think of how it passed through Max's hands when he tried to hold it.

Perhaps, it's still in that ravine, waiting for one worthy of it.

"Okay," I say.

She giggles and hugs my arm.

I don't know what to make of this demon.