Chapter Fifteen: Infernal Winds

My fiery minions turned their heads to a loud screech from the south. My blood chilled at the sound. They were gellecros, fierce flying bird demons that could split my minions into bite-sized pieces. I took Tark's hand and commanded everyone to move fast. We had to reach their queen and kill her to stop them. The rhinos charged ahead first, while my sentient gorillas threw fireballs at the gellecros ahead. I was glad Tark had enough stamina for the uphill sprint. Once the queen was in sight, I threw him at her. She was the biggest and baddest of the gellecros. It would take three Tarks to reach her head which sported a sharp beak large enough to peck a human in half.

Tark's shrill scream echoed.

"Use Penny Lee!" I hollered. "Use Penny Lee!!!"

Tark landed on his bum on the queen's violet-feathered back. He bounced and almost fell off the side. He clung onto a feather with one hand, keeping the egg in the other.

The queen rose from her nest, revealing ten golden eggs, each the size of an adult human. Tark fell down on one of them and cracked it as he tumbled to the nest filled with human remains.

"You are so dead!" Tark shouted as he pulled a rotting hand from his neck. He kicked an egg, and it splattered green yolk on the queen's hooked beak. Her crimson eyes flashed with pure hatred as she tried to stomp Tark into mush with powerful talons.

My rhinos and gorillas weren't holding out very well. The thirty gellecros scattered them and inhaled the energy of the defeated. I had to do this the old-fashioned way.

My body burst into flames as I charged and set fire to the surrounding grasses. The high winds the birds made as they flew above sucked the blazes towards them. Once the queen moved her wings to lift off, I threw twenty fireballs to surround her. She screeched as the dry nest caught fire like kindling. Her golden eggs popped like fireworks, unleashing green goo that splashed on Tark.

Something with dark green wings picked Tark up and carried him out of the inferno.

I gazed in awe at her bare breasts that had Tark's head wedged between them. "Master!" she cried. "That was a close one!" She giggled as Tark pushed against her to free himself.

He screamed in horror at her hungry flower head, and I couldn't help but laugh.

The queen gellecros' feathers were on fire as she swooped towards us. I lashed a lava whip at her, and it wrapped around her body. She shrieked as the whip burned into her flesh. Her wings were the first to be sliced off, followed by her legs. Green blood gushed from her stumps and burned black with my flames.

By this point, Tark had covered his eyes while his new minion held him close.

I surveyed the horizon to make sure there were no more gellecros. I stared at the golden egg that had survived. It was the same one Tark had cracked when he landed on it. Curiosity got the best of me, and I wisped the blazes away to investigate.

Something was pecking its way out of the egg. Dark blue feathers covered in a film of green goo erupted from the carnage. Instead of a gellecros demon bird head, she had long dark hair and a beautiful, flawless human face. Violet eyes took in her surroundings, and I couldn't help but hold out my hand to her. She scowled at me, baring her sharp teeth until Tark approached.

"It's okay," he assured. "We won't hurt you." He glanced at me with a bewildered expression.

"She could be another minion born from Penny Lee's powers," I hypothesized. "She is close to Master's true form."

"What should I call them?" Tark wondered.

"Keep their true names to yourself," I reminded. "You can call that one Chichi, and the other Sketta."

Tark smiled as he nodded. "Nicknames! I like it!"

Sketta glared at me as she spread her wings to discard the green goo. She gasped as she stumbled on her shaky legs out of the shell.

I took her hand and held her close. She was a bit cold without any clothes. Besides, her soft breasts pressing on me felt nice. I was a head taller than her, and I placed my winter coat of black dire wolf fur over her shoulders to warm her up. She grunted her distaste until Tark beamed at us.

I had always loved Master's true form, and Sketta seemed to be a dream come true. I lamented the fact that she didn't like me. She would rather be in Tark's company. Every minion was the same way, except Jopp. Everything about him was against the norm.

A demon of nature against nature.

Sketta squirmed in my grip and bit my arm. Her sharp teeth drew crimson blood that pulsed in my veins. Her purple tongue lapped the blood that flowed, and I couldn't help but feel aroused at such a display.

"Hekin!" Tark exclaimed. "Watch out!"

The gellecros king attacked us with his talons outstretched. Sketta flew straight up with me in her arms. Her powerful wings flapped fast as she gained altitude. The gellecros king wasn't far behind.

She changed direction and plummeted towards him with a complex magic barrier. It shimmered like golden rays of sunshine after a torrential storm.

After blasting through the gellecros king, the body parts and feathers thumped to the ground.

I found myself kissing her soft lips until she bit my tongue. She drew blood and began to drink as she held me close and landed us near the edge of the cliff.

"Are you all right?" Tark queried as he ran towards us with Chichi in tow.

"Hell her hoo hop!" I pleaded. "He onna ill ee!"

"Sketta, stop!" Tark warned.

Sketta glanced at him with sad eyes before releasing me.

"He's my friend," Tark explained. "Please don't hurt him."

I was his friend?

I gazed at my human hands that had done many terrible things. I closed my eyes and sighed as I realized things could be different this time. I was still a demon, but now, I could love.

Ever since Master took me under her dark blue wings, I felt as if nothing else mattered. I was drawn to her indomitable spirit and her fierce violet eyes. She taught me how to control the fire spirits to bring back her glory. Then, one day, she was gone. Rumors of the death of the last angel spread, and many demons decided to make a place for themselves. She had three students: Jopp, Gez, and myself. Jopp and Gez were more interested in world domination. I was still searching for Master's love.

Master eventually revealed herself as Penny Lee, and the many questions I had had been answered. She was determined to have Tark survive and procreate. Her wish is my command.

Despite all this, Sketta seemed irresistible. It was as if I was being torn between two completely different entities: solemn, wise Master, or unpredictable and sadistic Sketta.

Tark stared at me and patted my shoulder. "Are you all right, Hekin? Should I punish her?"

I couldn't bear to see Sketta suffer because of me. I shook my head. "She's hungry, though. Let's get something to eat."

"Should we wait for Jopp?"

"No." The flat denial felt good. Jopp had better have a good reason for avoiding this confrontation.