Chapter Thirty-eight: Thorn and Chichi

"So, what about this dead flower right here?" Thorn asked as they surveyed the damage. Most of Penny Lee's Fort was in ruins since Mayzel had died. Jopp and Hekin had been purified, the remaining demonic energy displaced.

Chichi snapped her fingers, and the dead flower vanished.

"What did you do?" Thorn started.

"I absorbed it," Chichi notified. "It doesn't feel great but it's better than leaving it to rot."

Thorn stared at her in disbelief. "Oh, that's right. You're part of Jopp and Tark's energy."

Chichi growled at him. "I'm my own person, thank you very much!"

"Whatever you say," Thorn mumbled.

"I heard that!" she barked.

"Well, since they want to buff up the defenses, why not some dragons? With shadow riders? Oh! And spinning blades of death!"

"Done, done, and done!" Chichi chirped.

Ten dragons the size of the tallest trees lumbered around the fort. Their peridot scales shimmered in the sunlight. They roared and belched fire into the open fields that were overgrown with weeds. Shadowy figures slithered across the ground and seemed to lament over the abandoned fields.

"Fix this place up and plant life into these lands," Chichi commanded. "The influx of people will need sustenance." The shadow riders emerged from the ground, their bodies warbling with wavering shadows.

They began to tear out the weeds and plow the fields.

Spinning blades of death lined the border of the fort's land. Chichi smiled as a boar was sucked through one and it landed in a pot of boiling water, skinned and cut into pieces for a stew.

"Leave it whole and gutted next time for a great roast," Thorn suggested as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Haven't had one of those for years."

"All right," she agreed. "Get your chops ready for this one!"

A giant boar the size of a bus roared as it plowed through the trees with its huge tusks. Chichi scowled as a spinning blade grew in size to contest it, but it broke apart with the giant boar's charge. Chichi summoned her greatsword and stood in a defensive stance with Tark's house behind her.

Thorn sent a tornado to throw the boar off the fort, but it hunkered down through the high winds.

"Smart bastard," Thorn blurted.

After the tornado dissipated, Chichi leapt towards it and swept downwards with the heavy blade.

The giant boar was fast as it evaded her slash and kept aiming for Tark's house.

Thorn lifted the house and let it spin in the air while the giant boar squealed in anger.

"Not today, buddy!" Chichi spat as she slashed horizontally. The slicing arc cut through one of the giant boar's back legs. It roared before charging at her. It was much slower with three legs, and Chichi slashed diagonally. The slicing arc cut through its snout, revealing the dangling tongue and molars. The giant boar didn't stop until Thorn whacked it with the tail of a dragon, sending it crashing into the ground. The giant boar's broken ribs stuck out of its side as it tried to get back on its feet. It roared in pain before gurgling and coughing up black blood.

Thorn and Chichi glanced at each other. That hadn't been an ordinary demon.

"Where did it come from?" Chichi mumbled. "It's like Noforl is still alive, but we all saw Tark destroy him."

"What if it isn't Noforl?" Thorn suggested. They stared at each other in horror for a second. "It could be King Ozzim is already here," Thorn muttered.

"Tark and Jopp should know about this," Chichi insisted. "Come on. Let's go."