I woke up my mind was fuzzy like a particularly restful sleep slowly struggling to remember where I was my breath felt stained my eyes burned and blurred but otherwise, I felt good better than good great in fact I was used to long hours at the factory and rough nights of stress-induced nightmares for the first time in a long time it felt like all the tension was just gone now if only I could get my baring's why was it so hard to think my thoughts felt as hazy as my vision sluggishly I felt around the comfortable fluff I was wrapped in it all seemed unfamiliar then without warning something cold brushed across my skin sending shivers up my spine I looked around startled trying to find what had pulled me from my groggy relative peace and froze at the enormous hand pulling a blanket tighter around me no that wasn't right... I was tiny my vision cleared somewhat everything looked off the colors just felt wrong everything did, but I couldn't quite place how every time I tried to follow the line of thought it'd just slip from me.

I looked at the giant figure before me my vision cleared just enough to make out a woman, she was carrying me like some sort of baby wait... I was a baby why? how? I tried to remember but my mind just couldn't figure out why that was wrong I wasn't a baby but obviously I was panicking I fussed I tried to shout but all that came out was a gurgled shrill cry. what happened to me I knew I was an adult but what was my name the woman brushed my face with a damp cloth my vision cleared just as my heart froze two crimson eyes surrounded in inky black stared down at me red skinned with two massive curved horns atop their head the woman cradling me in their arms gave a small sinister smile full of razor-sharp teeth. that was a demon I could even see what looked like two massive bat wings peaking over their shoulders past their long black hair the sting of my eyes let me know I wasn't dreaming was this hell did I die the second I asked I felt a cold sensation wash over me my cry silenced in my throat, yes.

My mind briefly unclouded hazy memory's filled the brain fog i remembered there was pain my chest felt strained a pinching sensation in my side as my body numbed then nothing instinctively I knew that void it was death Un-life and the more I let my thoughts linger on it the more I felt like invisible tendrils were moving along my skin like death was coming to swallow me whole and finish the job tears filled my eyes Murkey grey over taking my vision as I quietly wept was this hell was I being punished I could tell I hadn't lived a virtues life but I hadn't done anything to heinous struggling to remember what my life had been like but all I could really remember was my work like it was all I really had hanging metal parts on hooks for a conveyer it wasn't glorious working weekends I didn't exactly have time for church but the pay was good and I made it a point to donate to charity when I could so why was I being punished the demon wiped my eyes again that haunting smile on their lips everything shifting as she moved

the world shook with every step id never ridden a horse before but I imagine the shift was similar if I wasn't so scared I probably find that funny here I was unable to remember my own name but I was certain id never ridden a horse and I can't ever remember being carried distorted images of people I couldn't really recall filled my mind humans my friends I think I was a human I tried to see my hands to check if I still was but the demoness's hand curled there long clawed fingers around me my heart pounded in my chest as the cold claws brushed against me even through the blanket the icy hard razors felt sharp against my comparatively frail form suddenly the jostling stopped I tried to look around without alerting her when she began to speak to another woman out of my sight at first I couldn't understand her she wasn't speaking English but with each sentence spoken the words started to make sense "-Lady Qyress sill resting?" said the unseen voice "yes the birth was a difficult one" the demoness responded in a hissing crackle that reminded me of popping fire wood

"H-has the child been named yet" the first voice asked with a slight quiver "No she is yet to be judged no point in naming a corpse" the demon looked at me smile spreading wider in a chilling display of teeth i tried to look past the predatory grin to the arched stone ceiling above trying not to panic again but still shivered uncontrollably this elicited a chuckle from the demoness and a smaller forced one from the other voice "ri-right should i let the h-head Matron know the ch-child is-" "yes-yes go" the demoness said loosening their grip on me to wave away the other woman with a gesture I shifted enough to see the other woman now she wore a long tattered apron and was thankfully human with long brown hair and large hazel eyes she looked skinny with sunken cheeks my eyes focused on her neck and the joy at seeing another human was short lived locked around her throat was a small dog collar the skin looked red and blistered beneath it no doubt from having worn it an extended period she looked at the demon with fear her slouched posture worsening as she bowed and rushed past

"so little corpse-" the demoness spoke to me causing me to quickly look at them they paused as they brushed their thumb against my cheek hooked claws startling close to my eye "Are you ready to meet lord Roggal" Their blood red eyes looked wistfully into the distance before they readjusted me and continued there track into the stone halls I managed a brief glances around during the trip the halls were lit with shaded wall lamps paintings of battels lining the gaps between we passed a large number of collared humans they all wore what seemed to be tattered maid outfits with large aprons I was increasingly sure they were slaves even spotted a few more demons despite vastly outnumbering the demons the maids seemed terrified of them I couldn't blame them though the demons were easily seven feet tall hulks with red blue or grey skin. sharp spines on their back goat like lower halves covered by surprisingly fashionable skirt-like loincloths their clothes tended to be pretty threadbare to allow their wings which were far larger than they first appeared room to move the wings had three fingers on them and bent in odd ways like extra arms.

Stolen story; please report.

as we passed through the more crowded areas I watched maids flitting about everyone seemed busy like they had someplace to be even the demons. it took me a moment to realize I hadn't seen any men it took longer to realize that every were the demoness who carried me went we attracted not-so-subtle glances or in the other demon's case outright staring we were stopped by a demoness shouting across from the hall startling several maids "Arroth! who's the kid?" the blue demoness with a muscular figure and silver loops woven through her top walked toward us animatedly waving her wing arms her voice sounding like hissing air "this little cadaver is Xylsea's firstborn" Arroth the red demoness holding me bounced my bundle as I let out another shiver the blue demon hissed loudly followed by several louder pops I soon realized was there laughing as they flashed pearly white fangs at me and Arroth "taking them to get judged I imagine" there it was again judgment I didn't know what fate awaited me but the powerlessness against their iron grip was its own kind of hell the whole corpse thing didn't help

"Indeed, Sozonath this one shows promise" the blue demon Sozonath nodded sagely I let out a giggle eliciting stares from both of them my laugh died on my lips I couldn't help it though their names were just so... dumb. for a long uncomfortable moment, they both looked at me almost pityingly "Perhaps they'll grow into it" Sozonath- I'm sorry no, NO!, JUST NO! If I'm going to be damned to hell they could at least give the demons a name that made some damn sense instead of this gobbety goop maybe I was going crazy maybe I was finally coming to terms with my situation but if I was destined to die again as some baby powerless unable to even talk I was going to at least think of them with proper names. For now, Arroth will be Aerith and Sozowhatever will be Nat not particularly demonic but it made me feel better "I hope this one passes Lord Roggal's (Roger's) scales" Nat hissed chewing their claw "They will pass there's fear in their eyes good instinct for a dead girl" Aerith said I suppressed another shiver as they cackled a laugh

Aerith and Nat exchanged curt goodbyes before we started moving again along the stone corridors until we reached a long empty hallway with a red carpet walking through a set of massive doors Aerith carried me to the center of a large circular room surrounded by 10 bust most looked more like monsters then people behind each was a picture of who the bust depicted one that stood out was a set of back to back portraits one side was a horrifying chimera monster of scorpion prey mantis and bat with hints of a humanish form twisting through it the other was of a beautiful woman who if not for the fangs and obvious vampire features could have passed as human the other portraits were of a single person alternating from woman to man or in most cases from monster to monster Aerith set me down on some sort of pedestal basket in the center of the room and with one last haunting smile she left there steps echoing across the stone floor before fading away completely I sat anxiously for a moment before attempting to squirm free of my confining Bundel I managed to free my arm just as the sounds of distant steps started

My panic returned the sudden urge to run overwhelmed me I'd gotten my hand free maybe I could get out of this after all I hadn't really felt any sense of Controle until now and I didn't want to give it up. I was high up, too high up to jump down I observed peering over the side of the pedestal with fumbling hands I tried to extricate myself from the blanket and looked for something to tie it to. the steps were growing closer and more numerous there was nothing just as I was contemplating trying to cushion my fall with the blanket when I looked at my hand porcelain white with faint black veins my fingertips had yellowed curved nails each ending in sharp points examining my skin I saw more of the same free of my bundle I could now feel small nubs on my back and with some trepidation I realized I could move them not much just a little looking down I saw... that's not right... I-is that a tail! Wait am I a Demon!?! My heart raced as I reached to the top of my forehead finding two little spiked horns... I'm a demon.