Under the watchful guard of the operative from the West, Seth embarked on his journey home, blissfully unaware that his city of Gath had been thoroughly upended by Murphy.
---
Rewinding time by a fortnight, it was just after Murphy had sent a message to the distant Sleepy Hollow, addressed to Tyre, that he received two crystals in response.
Due to the limited literacy among demons, letter-writing was practically taboo. In an effort to facilitate better communication, Tyre's chief crystal researcher developed a lower-quality crystal with a catch—after five plays, it self-destructs.
Initially considered defective, these new crystal devices rapidly became a crucial communication tool for the demons. After Murphy used his magic to repair the long-neglected transport arrays throughout the territories, a group of power-wielding demons, prompted by their lords, established an interdimensional courier service dedicated to delivering these specialized crystals.
Murphy infuses magic into the devices, steeling himself for whatever fresh disaster his underlings may have conjured.
Tyre's response was straightforward: he'd anticipated Murphy's plans to launch another succubus dance troupe and wholeheartedly supported it. Though Sleepy Hollow had long adopted an eight-hour workday, the recent surge in crystal production had pushed the young succubi from Warm Glow Hot Springs to their limits. With waistlines and stamina straining, delegation seemed not just necessary, but urgent.
The other crystal bore a message from an unexpected source—Lord Greyrock, ruler of the gargoyles.
With the characteristic austerity of his barren lands reflected in his expression, Greyrock took a surprisingly long time to clarify one thing: two of his minions had issues.
Gargoyles assimilate properties of stones and minerals they consume, which makes the daily contest of 'who is the hardest' a popular pastime. Greyrock revealed that one of his subordinates turned yellow and brittle, showing an unusual fear of fire, after consuming a strange yellow mineral unearthed during an excavation.
Amidst plans to report this incident, a fight broke out between the two gargoyles during their hardness trial. It resulted in sparks and a mini-explosion upon impact, igniting another fire-fearing gargoyle nearby.
Fortunately, both gargoyles were rescued and have since stepped back from the brink of death.
Murphy, contemplating the long educational road ahead for his race, was reassured that at least the items on his wish list were in place.
"Mischievous pupil, how about I take you out for some fun?" Murphy discovered Pepe practicing skeleton summoning in the basement.
"Where to?" The girl continued drawing her arcane diagrams, her voice betraying her distraction.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Home," said Murphy.
"Little River Village?" puzzled.jpg from the little girl.
"To the depths of demonkind."
With the long-distance teleportation circle activated by Murphy, he and his mischievous pupil were enveloped in a bright light and transported to Sleepy Hollow.
Time had brought changes to the home of the succubi. No longer idle, they actively participated in the production of magical crystals. In return, they enjoyed slowly increasing ranks and higher quality food.
Murphy was met by Tyre and Neil. "Ready?" he inquired.
"All set," the young succubus saluted before responding, "They’re waiting in the parlor over there."
"Then off I go for the interview. Show her around," directed Murphy, leaving Pepe in the care of his demonic subjects as he headed toward the distant parlor.
Along the way, every succubus warmly greeted their sovereign with undivided attention—not at all objectionable to Murphy, who bore his regal status with the expectation of such warm receptions.
"Hello, I'm Pepe," the little girl cheerfully introduced herself to the two succubi before her.
Tyre and Neil exchanged a look of disbelief, confirming a suspicion with a subtle sniff of the air. "Human?"
"Of course," declared the unabashed human girl.
Confusion reigned among the succubi: Was this a delicacy sent by His Majesty? Too small to feast on, and besides, they'd forgotten how to indulge in such 'meals.'
Neil ventured, "Little sister, what’s your relation to His Majesty?"
"I'm his magical apprentice," said Pepe earnestly.
The succubi sighed in relief. Not a meal, then. Thank goodness; that would have been awkward.
"So, His Majesty is your master, hmm?" Tyre confirmed.
"Yes," Pepe responded, "Why do you ask?"
"His Majesty asked us to show you around; there's a place you simply must see," Tyre informed her, tinged with reverence.
"Please, right this way," Neil echoed, motioning enthusiastically.
Their pilgrimage-like eagerness confused Pepe; succubi didn't worship goddesses, did they? What was all this about?
They entered a large steppes chamber with a strange device at its heart—resembling a massive box, unlike any magical tool Pepe had heard of from Murphy.
Tyre fiddled with the machine as Neil locked the door behind them.
"Brother, sister, what is this for?" Pepe queried, curiosity piqued.
"You’ll see," was the cryptic response.
Click. Whirring noises suggested impending action. As the succubi flanked Pepe eagerly staring at a blank wall, a familiar figure was projected upon it: Murphy.
"It's starting, it's starting," Neil buzzed excitedly. "Do we still have 'that'? Give some to Pepe."
"Certainly," Tyre sprung up, fetching a small barrel of white chunks from a box.
Handing the tub to Pepe, Tyre introduced, "We stumbled upon this snack while experimenting with cooking—scrumptiously crispy, we call it 'popcorn'. It pairs splendidly with this viewing, you'll never forget it."
"What effect is that?" inquired Pepe, intrigued.
"It’ll stitch this viewing forever in your memory~," Neil revealed with a smirk.
Chomping on a piece of fragrant popcorn, the motion on the wall began, and Pepe felt less like a viewer and more a vessel being filled with the moving images.
Her formidable demon master, all seriousness shed, donned in finery, twirling and swaying to music onstage—his gestures almost mirroring those of the succubi etched within the crystals.
Ten minutes never seemed so fleeting to Pepe, who remained seated long after the scene faded.
"Give her a moment," Neil counseled. "It's always like that after the first watch."
The succubi waited patiently for Pepe to collect herself. Eventually, popping the last popcorn piece into her mouth, she asked, "Have all the succubi seen this?"
"What a question!" Tyre almost preened proudly, "Who hasn't seen it? It's a Sleepy Hollow communal activity, once every seven days, mandatory attendance for all succubi."