“You are only a prisoner when you surrender.”

― Tad Williams, Shadowplay

“The prisoner is the jailer's jailer.”

― Ursula K. Le Guin, Rocannon's World

“How did they find us?”

Zula demanded in disbelief as she and the others followed Tabitha through the tunnels to the other cave exit on the other side of the mountain.

“Let’s worry about that when we are far away from our pursuers.”

“Our pursuers?”

Zula gave Talin a look.

“While I don’t mind you gals tagging along, you’re not the ones they are after. Hell, they’re not even after Tabitha. Eldest wants me and without Tabitha, I am as good as caught. But you guys, Eldest doesn’t know about you. As soon as we get out of here, you guys can make your own way without trouble following you.”

“Zula’s right.”

Tabitha added.

“You guys should not put yourself in danger, as soon as we get outside. If there are any demons, I’ll distract them while you guys make a break for it.”

“I agree with you wholeheartedly, but my partner…”

Talin gave Balca a look of her own.

“…believes it will be a lot more fun hanging out with you guys.”

Tabitha turned to look at Talin who shrugged, the message was clear it was not her idea.

“Balca, I don’t mind you staying with us but if you do and this Eldest finds out you are with us. I think he would like to get his claws in you.”

Zula nodded in agreement at Tabitha’s words.

“My father is a lecherous son-of-a-bitch. Trust me, you do not want to be caught in his clutches.”

“Aaaaah, you guys really like us. Don’t worry so much, everything will be good in the end.”

That was Balca’s only reply before the group reached the cave exit. Tabitha halted the group a dozen or so yards away from the mouth of the cave. There are multiple exits leading out of the mountain, Tabitha chose an exit that was a few hundred feet higher than the others. Her thinking was this, the intruders would surmise that Tabitha and Zula would choose a cave exit near the bottom as to try and escape unnoticed. If the intruders were smart, they would have scouted out multiple cave entrances. Tabitha hoped that they did not have enough people to cover all the exits. If she was wrong, she would be in for a fight.

“I’ll go check it out first if it’s clear I’ll give you the signal to come out and we will fly away from here as fast as possible.”

“What if you get in trouble, what do we do then?”

Talin asked.

“If I get into a fight, don’t interfere. Wait and watch, when you see your chance to escape take it.”

“Are you sure about that Tabitha?”

Zula demanded Tabitha, nodded.

“Yes, your jobs are to get away. Mine is to keep them busy so that you can get away. Don’t worry, I’ll follow once I’m finished.”

Zula and Talin did not look happy with the plan, but they saw no other alternatives at the moment. They consented to Tabitha’s plan but Balca just gave her a thumbs up as if to say ‘let’s do this’. So they waited deep inside the tunnel while Tabitha walked slowly through the cave exit. As she emerged into the light of the Nether Realm, Tabitha used both her eyes and senses to scan for enemies. Because she was using all of her senses, Tabitha was able to duck underneath the sword swing which came for her head from her blindside. But Tabitha could not avoid the fist that crashed into her right temple making her see stars. The blow caused Tabitha to take a single step back and the greater demon in obsidian black armor pushed forward swinging his sword in a downward arch.

Tombs had to admit that Razor was right yet again, that major demon had good instincts and logic. After the explosive trap, Razor told Tombs the greater she-devil will be aware that she has intruders in her cave. No doubt she will make her escape with the succubus via another cave exit. The scouts did a survey of the area as soon as Razor tracked the succubus to this cave. The scouts reported many cave entrances with similar traps, and Tombs had no doubt that the she-devil would use one of them to escape. It was Tombs who guessed that the greater she-devil would use the cave that was higher in the mountain to flee, and he was correct. Tombs moved in on the stunned greater she-devil to deliver an overhead chop with his greatsword.

The greater demon was above 13 feet tall and was bringing down a massive black greatsword on Tabitha’s head. He had to jump in order to gain the high ground because Tabitha was a greater she-devil and over 2 feet taller than Tombs. The blow from the greater demon had stunned Tabitha but only for a moment. Devils it turns out have a higher rate of healing and regeneration than demons. As Tombs brought down his greatsword, Tabitha blocked it with her left forearm brace. Metal struck metal, and the black greatsword bounced off the golden arm brace. Tombs was off balance in mid-air when his blow bounced back. Tabitha delivered a forward kick to the greater demon’s black armored chest. Her red dress had splits on either side allowing her legs greater ease of movement. The metal bent but did not break, Tombs felt his sternum crack. As he flew Tombs yelled.

“Attack!”

Two greater demons who had used stealth magic to remain invisible appeared on either side of Tabitha with weapons pointed straight at her large body. One had a long spear, the other a broad sword. They charged Tabitha who had only seconds before she was skewered. Tabitha cast two elemental spells, she cast an earth spell towards the spear-wielding greater demon. Summoning a wall of rock to block the demon, and then she used her tail to summon lightning and whipped it towards the sword-wielding greater demon. The greater demon was covered from head to toe in red infernal armor. So Tabitha made the tip of her tail as hard as steel and jabbed it between the openings of the demon’s helmet.

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The tip of her tail connected with flesh and Tabitha sent a current of electricity through the demon’s head and throughout his entire body. The greater demon danced a jig and then crumpled to the ground his armor smoking. But while Tabitha’s tail was doing one thing, she herself was doing another. Tabitha placed her right-hand flat upon the rock wall and summoned earth spikes to erupt. The greater demon with the spear had no time to react when several earth spikes shot out from the wall. Four of the earth spikes struck the greater demon in the arms, chest, and thigh. They moved so fast and the demon was so close the spikes penetrated the demon’s infernal armor.

Tombs watched in amazement as the greater she-devil took down two of his best in a mere five seconds. His sternum had mended as he watched the fight. I knew that a greater she-devil would be difficult to take down, but this is insane. Her moves are too fast, her armor is too strong, and her magic is too powerful. But Tombs had a plan and it would take everything in his power to make certain it went their way. The greater she-devil took flight, with just a few flaps of her massive wings she had already attain a great height in a matter of seconds.

“With me!”

Tombs bellowed his command and flew towards the greater she-devil. Six of his greater demons followed him. The greater she-devil charged them head-on, not afraid of seven greater demons with swords and axes. They met in the sky in a clash of steel and talons and magic. Even though she was outnumbered seven to one, the greater she-devil downed two of Tomb’s greater demons with her lightning tail. By striking at their heads through the openings of their helmets. In just two seconds, they were electrocuted and falling back to the ground. Tombs slashed and stabbed with his greatsword, the she-devil deflected first with her talons and then blocked with her forearm brace. Tombs was about to unleash another series of sword strikes when he received a booted kick to his lower jaw. Tomb’s head snapped back and he fell from the sky seeing stars.

“Are you not ready yet!?”

Tombs demanded, sending a telepathic message to one of the demon magic casters he was linked to.

“We need a few more minutes to complete the ritual. Just hold her off for as long as you can.”

“Damnit!”

Tombs cursed, righting himself and going back into the fight. The greater she-devil had taken down two more of his greater demons. Damn! Is there nothing we can do to even slow her down? There was movement at the corner of Tomb’s peripheral vision, he turned his had to see three she-demons flying away from the mouth of the cave in another direction. There was one small green demoness, a red demoness with long black hair, and a demoness with alabaster skin and platinum blonde hair. Tombs would recognize Zula even if she was a hundred miles away. Tombs banked in their direction and flew after the three demons.

The three she-demons saw him coming and sped up. Tombs was fast, he was gaining on them when something hard hit him in his side. Tombs thought that he was struck by a boulder or something equally hard when a large red hand grabbed his throat. The greater she-devil! She must have finished off the last pair and came to stop me from intercepting those she-demons. Tombs still held on to his black great sword and tried to use it on the she-devil. But she was a step ahead of him, she clamped her hand on the wrist of his sword arm. The she-devil had a vice like grip, Tombs could not move his hand a centimeter.

She’s just too strong! I can’t use my sword against her and if I can’t break free we’ll hit the ground hard. When Tabitha crashed into Tombs, she had grabbed him by the throat and held on tightly to his sword hand to prevent the great sword dealing her any damage. In turn, Tombs grabbed the wrist of the hand around his neck to lessening the she-devil’s grip. The she-devil was trying to break his neck while at the same time Tombs was trying to stab her with his great sword. They were locked in combat tumbling to the ground in a ball of leathery wings, limbs, and tails. Just before they hit the ground, the greater she-devil pushed Tombs away with a kick.

Tombs was surprised but he was able to right himself in mid-air before both he and the she-devil landed on the ground feet first. Because of their size and the speed of their fall, they struck the ground with the force of missiles. Causing dust and debris to billow up in the air when the dust finally settled. The she-devil and Tombs faced each other. The she-devil did not have a weapon, she herself is the weapon and the armor she wears is strong on defense. Tombs knew right away that this was a fight he could not win, but he had his duty to his master. The she-devil said nothing, she did not have to say anything. Tombs knew that, and so he attacked.

Tabitha blocked the first strike with her left forearm brace, then the second with her right and then she blocked the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sword strikes. On the ground the greater demon was fast, Tabitha was impressed. When she grabbed his neck preparing to break it, the greater demon immediately grabbed her wrist and prevented it. From the way he fights, this greater demon has speed and strength. This demon is strong, he must be the leader. If I can take him down, then the others will be disorganized. I can deal with them and get back to Zula and the others. Tabitha ducked a sword swing and struck back with her electrified tail.

Tombs barely dodged the tail strike when it came at him a second time. It was so fast like a viper, and the she-devil was using lightning to make her tail even more deadly. Tombs rolled out of the tail’s way, and then jumped back out of range. But the she-devil was not going to allow him any reprieve. Faster than the eye could blink, Tabitha closed the distance and deliver a spinning heel kick to Tomb’s head. Tombs barely saw the attack coming before he could brace himself. His head whipped to one side from the kick, so he did not see the massive fist coming. When Tombs face forward once again, he was met with a fist to the face. It blew him back all the way to the mountain wall, his body crashed into hard rock. Tombs felt his bones breaking, the blow from the she-devil’s fist was debilitating. Tombs tried to get up but discovered that he was embedded in the wall of the mountain. He was trapped and then he sensed a large amount of magic being gathered.

Tombs looked towards the greater she-devil and saw her summoning a large amount of lightning elemental magic. Damn. She’s going to hit me with a large bolt of lightning. It will put me down for a while. Long enough for her to deal with the rest of my people and get away. Tombs could not move, so he prepared himself for the attack. The she-devil was about to cast a large bolt of lightning when suddenly golden bars erupted from beneath the ground surrounding the greater she-devil. Tombs sighed in relief and said.

“It took you long enough Servick.”

A greater demon in robes of purple and black landed beside Tombs and he was not alone. Several others similarly dressed surrounded the greater she-devil chanting a spell. The bars became a golden cage and inside is the greater she-devil who tried to break out but discovered that she could not.

“What the hell is this thing?”

The she-devil demanded trying in vain to breakout, but she did not even leave a scratch on the bars.

“I am sorry commander, but the greater she-devil is truly powerful. It took some time to match her essence with the golden cage. It is thanks to you and your warriors that we were able to scan her magical particles while you were fighting her.”

Servick stated all this while helping Tombs out of the mountain wall.

“Better late than never, I guess. I saw the succubus with two unknown she-demons escaping in that direction.”

As Tombs pointed in the direction that the females took, he was surprised to see that his troops had captured and brought back the said females. Zula and Talin were struggling with their demon captors, while Balca looked…bored? Tombs found the green demoness’s attitude strange, but he put that at the back of his mind.

“Do not worry commander, they were spotted by the rest of your troops and were immediately apprehended. We have accomplished Lord Eldest’s orders. We have the greater she-devil trapped in the cage, and we have captured his wayward daughter Zula.”

Tombs nodded at Servick’s words but also added.

“We have captured two extra females as well. Eldest will be pleased when we present him his prizes.”

“I hope we get extra for a job well done.”

Tombs turns towards the owner of the comment and saw Razor, Crank, and Block along with the four greater demons that were buried by the she-devil’s explosive trap. The three trackers had stayed behind to dig them out, Tombs nodded his thanks at them.

“I will make certain that Lord Eldest hears of your contributions. You have earned your rewards.”

Razor nodded his thanks, and Tombs raised his voice for all to hear.

“Secure the prisoners! We head back to the Courts!”