THIRD STAGE (3)

"There's another entrance to this cave," Gi Gaia explained on the way, her voice reverberating. "Demons like dark places, so they crawl in here during daytime. Some get lost and stay here, wandering around."

Their steps made sloshing sounds, the ground was damp. An earthy, humid and stale air swirled around them. There was a faint, green orb of spiritual energy in Gi Gaia's hand, serving as a weak torch. 

She kept going, her abrupt switch to excitement baffling Marshall. "Your task is to find a demon and seize its mind. Command it to obey you the same way you did with the loose demonic energy, yeah?"

"The exact same way?" Marshall questioned.

"Well, it might be a bit different, but you'll get the hang of it," Gi Gaia nudged him deeper inside. "Alright, you're on your own from here!"

"Wait, what about the light?" Marshall reached to stop her from leaving. The last thing he wanted was to be left in the middle of a pitch black place without a source of light.

Gi Gaia paused, tapping her chin. "Light… just take mine then," she bounced the orb of spiritual energy in her hand before throwing it to Marshall.

Only once he caught it, did he realize that it was just another crystal sphere. Smooth and glowing green, it was filled with Gi Gaia's spiritual energy.

"Get the demons under your control and tell them to show you the way out. I'll wait for you on the other side. But I beg of you, don't take all night!" she gave him a pat on the shoulder on the way.

Marshall watched her figure disappear into the darkness, along with the sound of her steps. The disciple was left standing alone in the humid, dim cave. He shivered in the chilling silence, the only sound coming from the drips of water coming from who-knows-where.

For a while, he just stared into the shadows, feeling rather lost. How was he supposed to find a demon in this vast cave? He had lost his ability to sense demonic presence. Perhaps it was because he was now filled with demonic energy himself. After all, a pile of compost can't smell a rotten apple.

Yet, before he could walk further, a distant cackling echoed through the cave, surrounding him like an illusion. It was hard to tell where it was coming from.

The disciple spun around, trying to catch any sign of movement, but he could barely see past his nose. The orb of spiritual energy wasn't bright enough. Sinister cheers repeated, triggering his fight or flight. It took a lot of effort to stay still. 

Only devious sounds traveled through the air for a few minutes, coming from every angle. Then the ground suddenly vibrated with a rapid patter of multiple footsteps. The disciple quietly ran up to a wall and slipped into a crevice to observe. He glanced down at the green orb, then shoved it into his pocket, hiding the light.

A group of four demons entered his line of sight, carrying torches. Marshall exhaled slowly to prepare. He channeled his demonic energy, projecting it forwards like a shadow. When it reached one of the demons, he whispered, "Stop."

The demon stopped as it was told. It blankly glanced around with one eye reflecting the orange of the torch flames. The rest of demons continued walking, oblivious to their buddy staying back.

Once the other three demons turned a corner, Marshall cautiously stepped out from the crevice. He moved closer to study the demon. There was an eye-patch on one of its eyes. The disciple walked behind its back, then gave another command to check.

"Turn around."

The demon obeyed, turning to face him. A wave of relief washed down Marshall's back. It had worked. He had managed to take control over it.

"Follow me," Marshall directed, walking away. As expected, the demon obediently trailed behind with clumsy steps.

A confused shout echoed, "Aye! One Eye! Where did ye go?"

He glanced at the demon under his control. Its fleshy face twitched, and it opened its mouth to respond, but Marshall hurriedly gave another order.

"Do not speak. Look straight."

But frantic footsteps boomed through the cave as the three demons returned, shadows of torch flames flickering over the walls. Marshall was forced to leave One Eye behind and return to his hiding spot.

The fleshy figures emerged from the shadows, one shouting at the still demon, "Ye meathead! What yer doing, mulling around?"

Another demon slapped the fleshy head of the demon who had spoken. "Keep yer darn voice down! Are ye tryin' to bust us?!"

Marshall focused, attempting to get all the demons under his control before they noticed his presence. Yet, all he managed to do was break into a sweat.

He decided it was best to release One Eye to avoid raising any suspicion, then try again later. However, the moment he withdrew his energy, One Eye turned right to him, pointing a crooked finger at Marshall.

"Aye, there! Fresh blood!"

The disciple's heart sank. For some reason, he had assumed the demon wouldn't remember anything that happened while being controlled. It was a grave mistake on his part, but there was no time to agonize over it.

The four menacing figures moved swiftly, closing in on him from all sides.

"Damn, damn, damn," Marshall bolted, a string of curses following him.

He didn't get far. Claws tore into his arms and legs. He was lifted into the air. A chorus of cackles and cheers rung out from below as they carried him away. No matter how hard he kicked, they held him tight.

Fear overwhelmed him, making it impossible to control his demonic energy. The disciple tried to calm down, steadying his breathing. Shudders ran down his spine as he heard the wicked sneers around him.

One of the demons hummed, "A pretty boy! I call dibs on his skin! I'll pull it off and grill it crisp!"

"Look at his cheeks, there won't be enough meat!" the demon holding onto his right arm reached out, clutching Marshall's face with its clawed fingers.

"Aye! Be grateful! When else would prey walk right into yer cave like this?" yapped the demon who held Marshall's left leg, a single horn in the middle of its head.

"Ye fool! Don't ye sense it?" One Eye yelled back. "This is the impure child! Ye can't eat him!"

"Hush! If the Overlord hears ye, ye will be the skinned one tonight. Kill the impure child, long reign the Overlord!" the fourth demon exclaimed.

Marshall bit into his lower lip, trying to think of a way out. If he couldn't find a solution fast, he was going to become their dinner. And by the next day, all that would be left of him, would be the demon's foul breaths.

"That's right, aye! I don't care who he is, we will feast tonight!" the single-horned demon chortled, drooling with a smile that could only be described as revolting.