“If you have carefully examined a hundred people you met in your life journey, it means that you have read a hundred different books! Every person you know is a book; the world is full of walking books; some are boring, some are marvelous, some are weak, some are powerful, but they are all useful because they all carry different experiences of different paths!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
She was not tired or hungry, she did not feel thirsty or the need to relieve herself of any bodily functions. Tabitha has been flying over the hellish landscape below for hours now. She has flown over rivers of lava and molten magma, she has flown over valleys, craters, and canyons. Even the flaming geysers were no bother to her. Just an hour ago, a geyser shot up to a thousand feet not three meters away from her. Tabitha was so shocked that it took her several minutes after the event was over to realize that the intense heat did not bother her one bit. It was like being in a sauna, it was nothing to her.
“It must be my demonic body, it is made or born or formed, whatever. To survive in this harsh environment. I don’t even feel the need to eat, sleep, or drink. In fact, I feel stronger than before as the hours go by. And that’s another thing, I know I literally know that it has been four hours since I appeared. How do I know how much time has passed without a watch or clock?”
The more Tabitha accepted what has happened to her and what she has become. The more questions she asks if only she could find another person or demon in this place. So far, she has not seen a living soul anywhere. If she was the only being in this hell, then she might go mad. But Tabitha did not believe that, there must be other demons here. This part of the hellish region must be where new demons are formed or whatever. A place where they like her can come to terms with what they have become. And prepare themselves for whatever is to come.
But while flying, Tabitha has not been idle. Having gained a stronger and more powerful body, Tabitha thought she would try to discover what other abilities she has gained. She used comic books as her reference. Back on earth when she was still living with her parents. Her father gave her a bunch of old comic books he used to read before the fall of the United States when he was a kid. Tabitha enjoyed reading and looking at the images of superheroes and supervillains. Comic books like Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, etc. But her favorite was the Adventures of Superman. So, she based her tests on some of his powers.
First, Tabitha used her eyes to focus in on a floating landmass in the distance. At 50 kilometers, she zoomed in on the rock. She could see every detail as if she were right next to its surface. Then, after a few tries. Tabitha was able to shift her eyes to view different color spectrums. She was glad to find that she had X-ray vision, night vision, infrared vision, and she discovered that she was able to see glowing colors around the landmass. Tabitha did not know what to call it, but she assumes it has something to do with magic or the like.
Next, Tabitha flicked her tongue out like a serpent. Tasting the air. She tasted sulfur and smoke. She also tasted the acidic properties of the air.
“So, my sense of taste has been heightened by my new form just like my sense of sight. What else can I do?”
Tabitha decided to focus on her ears, using the geyser that just shot up 10 miles away. Tabitha concentrated on that location, and as soon as she did. She heard the rush of flames as if she were standing right next to the geyser. She laughed in wonder at what she could do. Tabitha continued to focus her hearing at other geysers further and further away. She even used both her sight and hearing in combination. With her discoveries of these new abilities, Tabitha decided to use her sight and hearing as sensors. To try and locate other lifeforms as she flew over the landscape.
After another hour went by, Tabitha heard something. At first, she thought she was hearing another geyser or a river of lava. But then, she heard words. Tabitha could not make out the words, but she knew they were words. And she knew there was more than one being, but she did not know how many. This is what I’ve been looking for, other lifeforms. But should I go? I don’t know anyone. But I can’t stay ignorant forever. It might be dangerous meeting other people, but if I don’t take risks. Then I can’t move forward. Tabitha decided to risk it. Banking slightly starboard, she flew to the sound that had attracted her notice.
As Tabitha flew closer to the source of the voices, she could make them out a little better now. It was definitely voices, and there were more than two people. Tabitha could now make out words, not sentences yet. There are three…no…four people. Tabitha continued to listen, she wanted to gain as much information as possible before entering the scene. Her eyes widen as she made a few more discoveries. I can tell now that there are four people, three males and one female. And the female doesn’t sound too pleased. I might be jumping into something nefarious. Tabitha listened carefully, and she heard the female say in a furious voice.
“I told you! Leave me be!”
“Sorry, no can-do darling.”
Replied a male voice that did not sound too friendly.
“There’s a bounty to bring you back. And me and my boys need the reward. Sorry, but that’s how it is.”
“I’m not going back no matter what! I’ll never go back! I rather die!”
The female voice declared. The males laughed in response.
“Too bad darling, we can’t die so easily. We’re demons and demons live forever. Now don’t fight, be a good girl and come with us. You know you can’t get away.”
“I’d say go to hell but you’re already here. So, I’ll warn you once demon. Touch me, and I’ll shred your nuts off.”
The female voice threatened. The male voice sighed in resignation.
“Okay boys, it’ll be the hard way.”
Then Tabitha without a doubt heard fighting. She could see people moving in the distance now and focused her sights on the scene. Zooming in, Tabitha was pleased to find that her hearing was indeed accurate. Three male demons and one female demon were fighting in the air just 45 kilometers away. Tabitha was amazed at what she saw, all four of them were moving so fast. If she were still human, Tabitha would have been unable to see anything. All three males seem to have her skin complexion, two had a darker shade of red though but one was the same color red as Tabitha. But while she had blue horns, wings, and a tail. Their horns, wings, and tails are the same color red as their bodies.
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But the female demon stood out, to say that she was the most beautiful thing Tabitha has ever seen would be an understatement. But it was not her beauty that made her stand out, unlike Tabitha and the male demons. The female demon’s skin was alabaster, her hair was a platinum blonde and reached all the way down to her waist. Her horns were short, possibly two or three inches protruding from her forehead. And they were black as oil, her bat-like wings, and corded spade tail were the same color as her horns. All the demons had humanoid features too, if not for the extra appendages they could have passed for human. Tabitha cocked her head to the side, just realizing something.
“They all have spades at the end of their tails. I don’t have a spade tail. Is that significant somehow? Or is that a normal thing?”
Tabitha put those questions at the back of her mind, the fight was still going. The female demon was good, she dodged and swiped at her attackers with white claws, she got in a few hits. But the wounds were superficial. In the blink of an eye, they were gone, Tabitha noticed this too. So, demons have healing abilities too. I wonder if they can heal any injury. Does the time it takes to heal depends on the severity of the wound? Again, Tabitha put that question aside for a later date.
The female demon was moving well, but the male demons were slowly anticipating her. As Tabitha got closer to the battle, she noticed another thing, all the demons wore clothing. While she was completely in the nude for all to see, the male demons wore a combination of leather and fur. The female wore a strapless tight black dress that hugged her body in all the nice places. Her breasts looked like they were going to spill out of her dress. The dress had slits on both sides allowing the female demon to use her legs effectively. She had on knee-high black leather boots with needle tip high heels. Clothes? How did they get clothes? How do clothes survive in this environment without burning away?
The more Tabitha learned the more questions she has. There was a sudden movement from one of the male demons, and this time the female demon was not fast enough to avoid the male’s hands. The male demon grabbed on to the female demon’s left forearm. She retaliated with claws and kicks, but the male demon refused to let go. This gave the other two male demons the chance they were aiming for from the beginning of the fight. The other demons closed in on the female, one grabbed her other arm, and the other grabbed her legs. The female demon thrashed wildly in desperation, but the male demons had a good hold on her now. They brought her down to the ground to further lessen her movements. Tabitha was only ten kilometers away now. She had already decided to intervene.
Zula struggled with all her might but to no avail. They had her and they were stronger, and she knew it was over. If it were one of them, it would not have been a problem. Two? Two would have been manageable. But three was a little bit too much for her liking. When the fight had started, she immediately attacked the one to her right. Hoping to take him down and clear herself an avenue of escape. But the brute of a demon was much tougher than he looked. They blocked her at every turn from getting away and boxed her in. Zula knew it was only a matter of time before one of them got a good hold on her. Then, it would be over.
They would capture and bring her back to her father. The worthless evil bastard. And she was so close to freedom, so close to a new life. But making her way through the Badlands was a risk. It could not be helped, every other road leading out of the Courts was watched. And here are the results, all that time planning to escape was for not. But Zula would not go down without a fight. She continued to struggle, thrash, and curse her captors.
“Bind her wrists and ankles. We’ll take her back to the Courts and get our reward.”
Said the leader of the trio.
“I’ll be more than glad to get this job do—”
He was cut off at the sound of a crash and debris of sand and dust billowing from the impact zone right behind them. All three male demons stopped what they were doing releasing Zula. Who took the opportunity to back pedal away from the males with her hands and feet? Her back met the wall of the hill they had been fighting above in the air, and Zula stopped. Her eyes on the spot of the impact and waited for the sand and smoke to clear. When it did, her mouth dropped in shared shock and amazement with the other demons. Standing just 10 yards away was a 15-foot-tall red and blue greater she-devil.
In her 100 years of life, Zula had only seen two devils on two different occasions and both of those encounters were at a distance. Even then, she remembered feeling their auras. Their unmatched might and majesty, they were a force to be reckoned with. If demons had any gods, the devils were it. Even though demons far outnumbered the devils, the devils made up for it with share unbridled power and ferocity. But Zula had never seen a female devil before, the she-devil was completely naked. Showing off her muscular toned and fit body. She did not have abs, but her stomach was slender and washboard flat. Her hair was long, black, and shined in the gloom.
But it was her eyes that attracted Zula, the pupil of her irises were vertical slits like a serpent or feline. However, both eyes were different in color. The right one is bright shiny gold, and the left a lustrous silver. It was like looking at the sun and moon on the same day. They were both different but equally beautiful. All the demons could not help but admire the body, strength, and beauty of the she-devil.
“I will say this only once.”
The she-devil’s words were a growl, her white fangs gleaming with long sharp pointed teeth.
“Leave.”
The three male demons nodded and moved towards Zula. She was about to make her own move when the she-devil spoke again.
“Without her.”
Her tone broke no arguments, but the leader of the trio placed his hands up in a sign of surrender and approached the she-devil slowly. The male was small, around 5 feet 10 inches or 5 feet 11 inches. The she-devil towered over him and his buddies.
“Listen milady, I would love to do as you say. But the thing is this succubus is wanted in the Courts. There is a huge price on her head and I and my pals here have worked hard tracking her. We need the reward, and we can split it with you no problem. What do yah say…deal?”
The she-devil cocked her head to one side as if thinking it over. Then she said.
“Last chance…go.”
In response, the male demon who was slowly moving closer towards the she-devil did not say a word. Instead, the male demon attacked. Moving so fast, he was a blur. But the she-devil was faster, she moved like lightning. Zula could barely track her, she moved so fast. The male demon did not have a chance to avoid the she-devil. With just her long black talons and pure strength, the she-devil took the male’s head off with one swipe. Then, proceeded to rip apart the male’s body. Zula heard the cracking and breaking of bones, the tearing, and spilling of flesh and blood. In seconds, all that was left of the male demon were pieces of body parts and spilled blood.
It was over, but the male demon’s partners did not hesitate. Both summoned flames in their hands, one threw fireballs at the she-devil. The other created a stream of fire and shot it at her. Zula shook her head at the stupidity of the males, they had to know that fire was not going to do anything to a she-devil of such power. It did not matter if it was two against one, even if it was two hundred against one. The power of a devil cannot be matched by just any demon.
The she-devil’s entire body was covered in demonic fire, but she didn’t scream or cry out in pain. Instead, she stood there for a few more seconds. Then, she raised both her arms. Immediately, the flames moved from the she-devil’s body and gathered in both of her hands. Zula watched, mouth a gape as the she-devil shaped the demonic fire to her will. She shaped the flames into a pair of samurai swords. Realizing their mistake, the demons canceled their spells, but it was too late.
The she-devil moved once again at lightning speed. She was in front of one of the demons in a millisecond. The male did not even have time to be surprised, the she-devil’s fire swords slashed half a dozen times. When she was done, the demon’s head, arms, torso, and legs were in several pieces. There was no blood this time, the fire swords had cauterized the wounds. The last male standing just had enough time to let out a girly squeak of fear before the she-devil gave him the same treatment. The fight must have taken 45 seconds, not even close to a minute. Zula was amazed at the short fight; the demons did not have a chance. She was too aware that she was alone with this being of raw power.