Chapter 56 - A True Demon

Back in the maintenance room, Violetta, Raeyn and Cake had three doorless corridors to choose from. The one on the right side led to a simple stone staircase descending downwards into the darkness while the other two branched off into their own chambers. The choice was obvious, and Cake motioned for Violetta to lead the way.

“Should you tell Sig that we are looking for a way to reach them?” Raeyn asked.

“No. I trust that they are well enough. I really cannot strain my body too much more without good reason. You will be feeling it yourselves soon enough.” Cake rubbed her belly, “I hope the two of you aren’t planning on having children.”

“What do you mean by that?” Violetta asked.

“Teleportation magic does a lot of damage to the body, but once or twice should not make your wombs barren. Perhaps maybe a 5% chance the two of you are infertile now, but if I teleported us back over to the other side and had to return us all then I think it would be closer to 25% chance. Why both Cookie and I have teleported dozens of times out of situations; not every mark on our bodies comes from natural wounds.”

Violetta’s eyes widened with rage, “What kind of sick joke is that!? Magic that has consequences like that? We could have gotten out of there on our own!”

“You are only alive because of me.” Cake stared directly at Violetta, “Look at your clothing, the acid had already started to eat it away. My skin has already reacted from just a splash. The moment Raeyn boiled and burst the slime, your swimming enveloped you in its acidic mucus. If it wasn’t for Raeyn healing and dragging you into the tub, then I think your legs would have melted by now. You owe her your life.”

Raeyn shifted her gaze from Violetta to Cake and back to Violetta before speaking, “She is saying that a risk is better than death-”

“I know what she is saying, but it is not right! What of Sig and Locke?” Violetta asked.

“That was accounted for-” Cake nodded.

“You… that’s why we brought them along?!” Violetta dropped to her knees and stared face to face with Cake, “Was this your doing or Lady Hilda’s idea?”

“Mine.” Cake leaned her forward and pressed her forehead against Violetta’s, “Magic is not without flaws. Breaking the laws of this world does not come for free. Raeyn’s fire has a cost, your healing has a cost. The only thing is what you have to pay for it. Belos is unusually kind, but he poisons the mind of his priestesses with demands. Maelyn is a prude. Terrati and Dyjun priestesses have their own flaws to deal with.”

“Like what?” Violetta pressed back, “Out with it already."

“Cookie,” Cake grinded her forehead back, “Has immense strength, but it makes her more and more brittle each time. She takes a lot of internal damage by acting as a conduit. She knows the risks and yet she has been by my side for three decades!”

“Oh! And what about an actual demonic being like Dyjun!” Violetta pressed forward and fell forward, falling on Cake, pushing the other woman down on her back.

Staring up at the stone ceiling, Cake said, “Considering that I carry the crystalized essence… I risk becoming Dyjun. Kithe are very weak, weaker than Gobbos. If I complete the ritual and give myself over, I’d become nothing less than a true demon. No distinction between friend and foe, washing the land in blood, my intelligence is the only thing that holds back the madness of Dyjun.”

“What exactly is a demon to you?” Raeyn asked.

“One who defies the natural order and challenges the divines. Dyjun wants nothing more than to slaughter the faithful and purge the new gods from this world. Like Maelyn, who does not belong here.” Cake licked her lips, “Such a naive and compassionate goddess.”

Violetta pushed herself off Cake and pulled back onto her knees, but her hands loomed over the small Kithe, “Is this why I want to squeeze the life out of you? Why I hate everything about you? Do you have any idea how terrified I am of you? You slaughtered so many people. You are a monster!”

Cake smiled and closed her eyes, “The moment you do, I’ll rip your head off your body. We are all priestesses of rival divines. We are pooling our collective strength for a reason greater than any one of us, but it does not mean I’d let you kill me. It is normal to be afraid, to fear another priestess fo a different god. Though you seem to be comfortable with Raeyn, even though she is the High Priestess of Belos now.”

“She’s nothing like you.” Violetta pulled her hands away and tilted her head back, “She’s nothing like you!”

“Violetta…” Raeyn moved forward and reached out her hand, “Do you still?”

“No!” Violetta shook her head, “Maelyn help me… but I owe you my life and I want to help you. Yes, I wanted to use you as a pet. Yes, I wanted to kill you before, but now… I… I…”

“The mark corrupts your senses,” Cake stood up and wiped the dust off her robe, “We cannot give in. Not me to Dyjun, not you to your bloodlust. Raeyn’s strength has become considerable, but I need both of you in order to find Magnesia. It makes no sense to go off and kill you.”

“Not until it is in hand?” Violetta smirked.

“Right,” Cake nodded, “Then it would be easy to pop your heads off and take Sig and Locke back with a sizable chunk. Lady Hightower would be pleased, and General Stronghold would use his men to secure the stores. Cookie and I will then retire for good. Except… for one thing which bothers me.”

“That Raeyn is a demon.” Violetta answered.

“Correct.” Cake turned to Raeyn, “You are needed alive. So, I suppose I’ll have to threaten Violetta’s life when the time comes. After that little display at the warren, I know you don’t trust me. While we all want to kill one another, remember that half of it is the will of our divine patrons. If we all make it out of this and return to Lady Hilda… I’ll be glad to make amends for the damage imposed on your bodies with my teleporting you out of certain death.”

“And if I am…” Violetta did not want to finish the sentence.

“Oh, so you really are not into women?” Cake smirked, “Well, Maelyn might bless you with restoration as she removes her blessing. The Blind Goddess can do everything except bring back the dead after all.”

Violetta scoffed, “I hate people like you. You are making excuses for saving my life. You do not want me to complain, but you have no intention of ever being honest.”

“And do you?”

“Yes,” Violetta looked to Raeyn, “Especially to Raeyn. I do not like those who live through deception. Raeyn was to be my tool and she knew most of what that entailed. Now that she is marked by Maelyn, she is like a Sister to me. We are a dyad.”

“Good.” Cake brushed past Violetta, “The sooner you realize that you are my Raeyn the better. If you do well and do not betray me, then you will live. So many of us here are hoping this will be our final or only challenge in life; our fortunes staked on a life-or-death mission. Those who fail will die. Many more will be sacrificed to pave the path to establish ourselves in this land. Four priestesses after Magnesia; it is ridiculous, but Lady Hilda really does expect us all to come back alive.”

“That dumb big-breasted Astra priestess expects us to survive together? So much for divining magic.” Violetta followed Cake as they began to descend the stairs.

“Wouldn’t be the first time she was wrong. These useless cards suggested you were sapphic, particularly towards her. Though I suppose it is possible to care about having children. Duty and love are often separated.”

“I really hate people like you. Testing your ill-gotten knowledge and pushing us. Was any of our conversation true or was it all a sick game for you?” Violetta grumbled.

“It was all true.” Cake nodded, “I have no need to lie. It is important we understand one another. Though seeing as this dungeon is lethal, make sure that Raeyn takes Dyjun if something happens to me. Even if you were to kill me, do not let that infernal crystal out of your hands.”

“Why…” Raeyn asked as she followed behind the two of them.

“Simple.” Cake pulled her staff from her pack, “Dyjun and Belos are old gods. If Violetta tries to take this, she’ll probably die. And if it falls into the wrong hands, like the Dwellin, then you will all probably die.”

They reached the bottom of the stairs and found the maintenance room lined with eight replacement stone statues and a mechanism to open the door to the room. Cake headed over to the lever and prepared to throw the switch, “I will make one promise: I will give my life to protect the two of you. Raeyn, the kindest Demon I’ve ever heard of; you are important for reasons I do not understand. Violetta, you do not care about species and genuinely care about those who perished under your command. Both of you are too kind for this world. Let a true monster protect you. Just as I did by sacrificing twenty soldiers back at the warren.”

“You killed them to save us?” Violetta let the question slip from her mouth.

“They were prepared to kill us all except Raeyn, but more importantly, they were cowards who tried to murder children. That Chieftainess, was no more than six or seven years of age. How many dozens of children did they knowingly try to kill? I watched them set the fires, prepare to slaughter those who would exit, not one expressed any shame for what they were doing!”

“It is their way…” Violetta did not want to defend it.

“They did such throughout the southern lands. Burning the fields and slaughtering Kithe villages one after another. Impaled our men, women and children on spears and carried them as a banner of death throughout the land. I cannot even tell you of the horrors I witnessed when they came to Goldfield when I was but a little girl. Dyjun answered my prayers and saved me from my anguish, my terror, and crystallized all what they had stolen from me in this dark crystal. One by one they became smears of blood, and I gained the power to protect people.”

“I am a Demon. For every murdered Kithe. For every defiled Kithe. For every village they burned. I drank deep into the darkness of Dyjun. I’ve killed thousands throughout my decades wandering the lands. Few survive to know my deeds and now, I ask you to keep my secrets so that I can return home and live out my remaining years in peace. The Dwellin killed Wekts and the rest of them. We were too late, and it was over before we arrived. That is all you need to agree to. Will you?”

“Yes.” Raeyn agreed without hesitation, “Mahn are terrifying. Sorry Violetta, but your kind scares me.”

“I’ll keep it safe, but only if you do not kill Sig and Locke. Even if they fail to convince you.” Violetta said.

“Heh.” Cake placed her hand on the lever, “Accepted. I’ll figure something out if it comes to that. I think they’ve waited long enough for us. Look good, and no tears Raeyn.”

Raeyn wiped her eyes not even aware she had been on the verge of crying, “Right! Let’s keep going. We have opened the way forward.”

Cake threw the lever, and the floor shuddered as a thick section of the wall suddenly descended and dropped away, the mechanism breaking that controlled the stone with a loud metallic ping. The section of the wall collapsed and caught on the shattered internal mechanisms in its slot, leaving a small hurdle between the two rooms. On the other side was Sig, Locke and Cookie huddled together around a dying torch.

“Cake…” Cookie said weakly, “I am glad you are safe.”

“She’s got a severe head injury.” Locke explained, “It is good to see you, but please. Help her before the swelling gets any worse.”

“You are up, Violetta.” Cake crossed her arms, “It was you who pulled the lever after all.”

“Right.” Violetta let it go and jumped into the room, “It might hurt a bit, but I’ll fix you up.”

“What happened to your clothes?” Sig asked as the light caught the three of them, “It looks like you were attacked by ravenous moths?"

“Oh, just a little slime acid.” Violetta kneeled before Cookie, “Nothing we couldn’t handle, together.”