Hell of Earth

Chapter TWENTY-FIVE

The wagon bounced awkwardly over the uneven ground the next morning as they trudged along in complete silence. They'd left as soon as a strip of sun appeared. Whether it was because Spark and Kait had been healthy enough to move or because they wanted to put as much distance between them and the dead demon they left behind, Opal wasn't sure.

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Opal hadn't screamed. She stumbled back to the group, trying to keep the contents of her stomach in place. The plate was in her hand. He wouldn't need it, after all. Proga was the first to notice her hovering. The expression on her face had him on his feet.

"Opal? What's wrong? Did he hurt you?"

"No. He died."

"Reugu's dead?" Gabbro pulled himself to his feet. She'd nodded and watched as he, Kait, and Yue went to investigate.

She'd allowed Proga to take the plate away and gently push her to the ground. She was thankful for that because it occurred to her she'd been swaying a little while standing up.

They retuned with grim expressions.

"What happened?" Opal asked.

"He was sicker than he wanted to admit." Gabbro said. "It was probably one of the flying demon's poison or..." he cut off, looking at and quickly away from the sleeping Spark.

"It was the poison." Kait said firmly. "It must have been." She glared daring someone to disagree.

"Kait's right. You got burned, and Yue did once too." Opal nodded her head repeatedly.

Yue frowned. "Not that extensively... but," he added quickly seeing Kait's expression and Opal's fearful eyes. "It doesn't matter now anyway. We need to return him. Gabbro- did he following any Earth spirits customs?"

"Not that I know of."

"I'd be shocked if he did." Proga sighed, head bowed. "I don't know any shifter that does."

"So, we don't know what to do."

"I do." Proga took a steadying breath. "If Kait brought any iron with her?"

"No."

"I did." Gabbro went to the wagon and returned with his bag.

"Should... we wake him up?" Opal eyed Spark. "He already almost ran off twice when he woke up confused."

Kait frowned. "Obsidian, brother, can you stay with Spark? We... have something to do."

Obsidian jerked his head twice. "He was a monster. May his energy awaken in a gentler demon. Yes, I will stay with his murderer."

"Obsidian." Gabbro warned.

"Yes big brother. I will watch my tongue. Please bring me the best rock you see by him."

After everyone had knelt around the corpse, Proga had laid the iron bar across the dead demon. To Opal's shock his body began to shrink until he was a small, gray brown creature with a fluffed tail. A squirrel.

Kait was the first to put her palms on the ground. Yue and Gabbro followed suit. Opal, not knowing what else to do, did the same.

Proga took a deep breath, chanted something in a language Opal, and it seemed Gabbro and Yue as well, didn't recognize. Only Kait joined in for the last part. The tiny body began to shine, silver as the markings had been on Reugu in life and then spread along the ground like thick, snaking veins, pulsing like they were slurping the blood from him. Opal almost pulled her hand up as one approached her but it slid past, lighting up the earth as it went and dimming into regular soil a moment later. She watched it go and when she turned back the body was gone.