Unique wildlife fills the young princess' ears. Birds call out around her, leaves rustling from trees in the sky. She opens her eyes to see an ocean of leaves through her blurry vision. The branches rock back and forth like a hypnotic rhythm. Two familiar voices speak beside her, reassuring her that she is not alone.
"She's coming to."
"Have her sit up. She most likely has a headache."
Gentle hands push the young princess off of the cold, hard ground. Zassul and Amrita kneel down before her in the foggy forest. Besides a few small scrapes on her arms, she seems to be alright.
Amrita humphs mockingly at Zassul. "You were too lucky, Zassul."
He responds with a scowl before firing back. "Will you shut up?"
"Get mad at me all you want but I'm not the one who screwed up."
Zassul ignores her and brings his focus back onto the young princess. Concern and guilt fill his eyes. "Are you alright?"
The young princess places a gentle hand against her throbbing forehead as she responds. "What on earth happened to me? I don't remember anything."
Amrita crosses her arms and glares at Zassul. "Well done, Assface. Now she has amnesia."
Zassul turns to her one last time. "Shut up!" He crosses his arms and looks back at the young princess who stares puzzledly at the two.
"What's going on?" She asks, not really wanting to know. She may not remember what happened, but she does remember quite well the situation she is stuck in now. She knows that the strange atmosphere she is in does not connect to the world she was residing in before.
Amrita decides to go first and explains the situation. "Zassul does not know how to aim and hit you with a ball of magic trying to get you here. We're in the Demon World. 'Twas according to plan but we are far from safe."
Zassul rolls his eyes at Amrita's insults. "Now that you're awake, we need to get moving before we're found." He tells the young princess. "Can you walk?"
The young princess looks down at her trembling legs. She can still feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins, even though she has been unconscious for a while. "I-I think so..." She responds with uncertainty. Her legs shake violently as she applies weight to them, but they do not give out on her and support her as she stands.
Amrita nods approvingly. "Good. Now that you're up, we should get going immediately." Her piercing red eyes fall onto Zassul in disgust. "What's the next move, Assface."
"Why are you asking me? You think you're the smartest and wisest one here. You figure it out."
The young princess begins to lose her patience. All three of their lives are in danger and all they can think about is bickering. "Stop it!" She demands from the both of them. She places her hand to her forehead again, the mere effort of yelling at them causing her jaw to grow numb from pain.
"Lovely." Amrita continues to speak to Zassul in a derisive tone. "You hit her so hard in the head that you badly injured her. Some guard dog you are."
Zassul's magenta eyes begin to glow from agitation. "You'll be next if you don't shut the hell up!"
The young princess fights through her pain to scold them again. "Would you two stop!? You think this is how we're going to evade Iblīs!?" She points an accusing finger at both of them. "Zassul, you wanted her to come with us! And Amrita! Stop being so damn arrogant! We may need you but you were the one who insisted on coming with us! So that means you have to listen to us!"
Amrita snobbily crosses her arms and rolls her eyes to look up at the sky. "Fine. If it will make you happy, then I will restrain myself from pointing out your dog's incompetence."
Both Zassul and the young princess sigh at her response. However, Zassul abides by the young princess' wishes and focuses on what is next. "Alright, let's get moving. We've already stayed here for too long. ______, there's a river in this area. You should bathe in the water to neutralise your scent."
The young princess follows her two companions into the dark, foggy forest. An ominous, eerie aura floats around with the fog, any sign of life tucked away where it cannot be detected. The trees are lifeless with little leaves growing on them. It's as if the aura itself is sucking the life out of everything it touches. And the deeper they go, the worse it becomes. The two figures of her companions fade into dark silhouettes, their radiant eyes the only thing she can see. Zassul stays beside her so she does not lose her way while Amrita takes the lead.
"Are you sure we're safe travelling through here?" The young princess quietly whispers to Zassul, afraid if she speaks too loudly, then they will be heard by something monstrous that lurks in the dark.
"As safe as we can be."
His response does anything but calm her. She can tell that even though the surroundings seem lifeless, they are clearly being watched from the shadows. "We're being watched..."
"Yes, we know, Darling." Amrita responds as she continues to lead them through the darkness. "Until we neutralise your scent, every creature will be watching you. In this forest, they're just simple demons. Nothing more than a demon squirrel and your typical woodland vermin. If they attack, Zassul and I will be able to handle them."
After a tense walk through the dark, abysmal forest, light begins to peek through an opening in the distance. Relief washes over the young princess as they step into a grassy terrain filled with light. The viscous aura that was once there eases.
The young princess takes a deep breath in, feeling as though she can finally breathe again. She can hear the unique wildlife return, the singing of birds letting her know that they are safe for now. Mist hits her skin as water cuts through the grassy terrain, creating slopes and mini cliffs.
"Alright, I'm going to find you some new clothes." Amrita tells her.
"Just summon me when you're done bathing." Zassul speaks to her next, implying that they're going to be leaving her alone here.
She quickly shakes her head at him. "Don't leave me here by myself."
"You don't want me to watch you bathe."
"Well, of course not!" Her face grows hot from embarrassment. She places a timid hand against her chest before she continues. "But don't disappear. Can you at least stay close by where I can hear you? What if something attacks me while you're gone?"
"Alright, I'll stay."
The young princess feels a bit better as she walks towards a small shore near the running water. It moves more calmly, allowing her to step in. Shock creeps up her skin as the water running along her bare toes reminds her of clouds. It's very thin in density, and when she gathers it up in her palms, it slips through her fingers like the mist surrounding her.
A towel appears before her as she steps out. As she wraps it around her, she can't help but stare at her clothes on the ground. She feels almost sentimental leaving them there. It's the only thing she has left that connects her to the Human World. And now she knows that they will need to be destroyed so no trace of her can be found.
She takes a deep breath in and begins to make her way back to Zassul. The human clothes he wore to disguise himself as a guard have been replaced by a fancy black suit that is combined with a luxurious purple jacket.
"Okay..." The young princess speaks awkwardly as she stands before him with nothing but a towel. "So I washed up. What's next?"
"Amrita is picking out some clothes for you to wear. We're going to disguise you as a demon." A sly, mischievous smirk creeps along his face. "Of course, you can always walk around in that towel." He's met with a vicious scowl from his mistress. "Sorry..."
A flash of red interrupts the awkwardness and Amrita appears beside Zassul's side, dressed in revealing, fancy black and red clothes. She hands the young princess a small folded pile. "I wasn't sure what you would like so try them on."
As they step away to give her privacy, she automatically feels uncomfortable as she slips on the tight, revealing, black, laced romper Amrita picked out for her. The shirt area zips up, however, its see-through lace reveals her entire upper body, including her bra. Her face burns like fire as the two return to her.
"You look stunning." Amrita happily compliments her.
"B-but...it's so revealing. If my mother saw me like this, she'd hit me and my father would have a heart-attack." The young princess falls silent, regretting bringing her parents up in the first place. It's now a lovely reminder that they're still trapped in the castle with demons.
"You blend in." Zassul tells her. "This is what everyone wears."
"Except, you're missing one more thing." Amrita says, raising her hand. She snaps her fingers together, creating red sparks. The top of the young princess' head begins to glow and she feels a tingling sensation. Ears grow out of her head, along with a long furry tail from her behind.
"What is this?" She questions in shock, grabbing at the soft fur that now grows out of her head and bottom.
"Just a disguise." Zassul answers. "Now we can enter the city. Zefari is our first stop. You can rest there while Amrita and I look for clues."
The young princess hesitantly follows them along the trail that cuts through the grassy terrain. In the far distance, she can see the peak of several buildings. Dark clouds cover them, like a viscous storm is about to reign down on it.
"What is Zefari?" She asks Zassul.
"It's a popular gambling city. It's anything but safe with the black market and casinos. But in a place like that, we're going to find demons that are from every part of this world. There's bound to be some information we can find about Ethereal."
Their surroundings grow dark once more as they hit the brick roads of the city. A wall surrounds it. The only opening is a large gate where guards patrol. Zassul pulls the young princess closer to him as they approach the gates. She begins to break into a cold sweat as the guards appear as shadowy silhouettes with blood red, glowing eyes and pointy horns. She keeps her eyes ahead, knowing that if she makes eye contact then she'll break.
They make it inside the walls of the city. As soon as they do, the young princess begins to feel weak from the immense demon aura that takes over the air. Amrita and Zassul move quickly and get her inside of a hotel where they secure a room for her.
It comes off as a regular hotel room, except that everything is shrouded in shadows. Amrita lights a fire in the fireplace. Most of the light is swallowed up by darkness, but it grants enough for the princess to feel her way around. She collapses into a chair and tries to catch her breath.
"I don't know if she'll be able to last long here." Zassul says to Amrita. "The aura is sapping her energy." He kneels down to the young princess' level and grabs onto her hands. He frowns at how cold and pale her skin has become.
"Alright, I'll make this quick then." Amrita responds as she approaches the door. "Stay with her. I'll be back soon."
The young princess watches Amrita disappear in her red light. "Where...?" She gasps for air as she tries to speak. "Is she going...?"
"To gather information. This is one of the locations Ethereal passed through. She's going to go ask around."
"Who is she, Ethereal?"
"A very powerful spirit. She is far from a demon, but she will still help us. She's wiser than even Iblīs himself. She is someone very valuable to him. If he were to ever lay his hands on her, it could be disastrous for the world. It's the same for you. Since you're a gifted maiden, he could use your powers to destroy the world as well."
"My powers...I still don't understand."
"Ethereal is all knowing. She can answer all of your questions."
"And help my parents? I fear I won't ever see them again. Can she tell me if I even have a chance of saving them?" Looking into Zassul's eyes causes a heavy weight to press against her chest. "Why did I even come here if that isn't the case?" Tears begin to burn her eyes, causing her headache to return.
"We still have a chance to save them. But it can't be with just the three of us. We're not strong enough."
Red light engulfs the room and Amrita appears before them. "Well, it appears we're at a dead end."
"There's nothing at all?" The young princess asks, ready to break down any second.
"Nothing here, at least. But I'm not giving up yet. There's an interesting rumour about a demon who claims that they were the last one who spoke to Ethereal. However, the location of this demon is unknown. I was told they were last seen heading towards Death River."
"That's a risky trip." Zassul states unhappily to Amrita.
She scowls at him. "Yes, well, being here puts us at risk every second, Assface."
"Stop it!" The young princess fights through her breaking voice to yell at them. They both quickly understand her troubled state and give up on each other.
"I'll head down to Death River." Amrita tells them. "It could be too dangerous for our Gifted Maiden so you two stay here until I return. I'll be back in a couple of hours." She disappears within her red light.
"You should try to rest." Zassul tells the young princess. He helps her out of the chair and into the bedroom where she can lie down. Zassul sits down on the ground beside her and listens for any intruders.
"You're worried, aren't you?" The young princess asks him. Studying his blank expression, she can see the tenseness in his brows. And the constant pulsing of his aura lets her know that he's feuling as much magic as he can to prepare for any upcoming ambushes.
"Yeah, a bit..." Zassul responds nonchalantly. Even if he is worried, emotions aren't something he's really accustomed to showing.
"What happens when we find Ethereal? What will the plan be next? We can't just charge in there."
"If she agrees to help us, she'll be able to teach you how to use your magic. Then you'll be able to fight back."
"If she helps us?"
Zassul sighs at his choice of words. But he knows he can't convince her not to worry. "Spirits prefer to keep to themselves, no matter how serious the situation is. It's possible she might not want to go through all the trouble. Bringing you to her puts her in danger as well."
The young princess begins to feel sick. She realises that her situation seems to be much worse than she thought. She can't help but think of when the time comes and they finally find Ethereal, they will just get rejected by them. Or even worse, Iblīs finds them before they find Ethereal.
"Just try and rest." Zassul tries to calm her. "Amrita and I will sort this out."
"But–"
He cuts her off before she can worry anymore. "Dwelling over it will just make you feel worse. We need you to be able to function when we get moving again. Amrita and I don't need to rest. You do."
The young princess sighs and brings her attention to the ceiling. It's impossible for her not to worry. She didn't have the most perfect life, but she wishes she could go back to it. Anything has to be better than this.
Looking at Zassul again, she quickly sits up and backs up against the bed frame in fear. "What is it?"
Zassul's eyes grow radiantly as he stares at a spot in the dark bedroom. He quickly rises from his spot. "Stay behind me." He orders the young princess. She quickly slips out of the bed and grabs onto the back of his jacket.
A pink light nearly blinds her as it engulfs the dark room. A slender, unnaturally pale woman appears before them, her vibrant pink eyes and long fangs giving her away as an unfriendly demon.
"Akilah." Zassul grumbles her name as he stares daggers into her.
She snobbily flicks a long, curly strand of hair out of her eyes. "Nice to see you again, Zassul." She mockingly responds.
"What do you want?"
She rocks back and forth on her heels as she sarcastically flirts with the djinn. "Aren't you happy to see me?" She is met with a silent glare which causes her to roll her eyes in response. "Alright, alright. I'll get to the point. Amrita was taken at Death River."
Zassul lets out an aggravated sigh. "Perfect."
"Lord Iblīs is willing to give her back in exchange for a moment to speak with the Gifted Maiden."
Zassul scoffs. "Does he think I'm an idiot? Absolutely not."
"But what about Amrita?" The young princess asks him.
"That's her problem. She should have been more careful."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Akilah begins to taunt him. "Lord Iblīs is the master of interrogation. He'll be able to get her to talk, and he'll find out everything you've been planning."
Zassul remains unbothered. "We'll take our chances."
"Then I suppose he'll just have to come himself."
"We'll be long gone before he gets here."
"But Zassul." The young princess tugs at the back of his jacket. "What about Ether–"
He swiftly cuts her off. "Don't say her name!"
"Okay, but Amrita is our only hope of finding her."
"You'll be playing right into his hands if you agree to this!"
Akilah obnoxiously yawns to try and get their attention. "Are you two done? My Lord is not a patient man. Either you go to him or he will come to you."
"Fine." Zassul begrudgingly says. "But I'm speaking with the Gifted Maiden first."
"Brewing up an escape plan, are we?"
"Shut up and leave!"
"Alright, alright. No need to get all hormonal." Pink light engulfs the room and Akilah disappears within it.
Zassul sighs as he faces the young princess. "This whole situation is asinine. I know we need Amrita, but going down to that river will get you captured."
"Then what are we going to do?"
Zassul falls silent for a moment and the scowl on his face eases. "We don't have a choice. I won't go with you. You'll have to show up alone. When you see Iblīs, you negotiate. Tell him to release Amrita and you will go with him. If he agrees, as soon as Amrita is released, I will create a flash bomb. Amrita will catch on quickly. I'll grab you and we'll make our escape. That's the only plan I've got. Of course, it might work if Iblīs actually intends on speaking with you."
The young princess takes a deep breath in. If she wants to save her parents, she's going to have to overcome her fears. She's just terrified to meet the overlord of the Underworld in person. "I can do it." She tells Zassul. She tries to muster as much strength as she can. Even though she's severely weakened, she will do her best.
He nods and slips his hand around her shoulder. "Then let's go." He raises his other hand and purple light engulfs the room.
As the light disperses, a heavy wave of heated wind slams into the young princess' face. She stands on ashy ground at the top of a cliff that overlooks a red lake that cuts through dead plains. The water moves like a river of blood. However, if it's called Death River, it most likely is blood. The thought makes her feel nauseous and even weaker than she already is.
"It's alright." Zassul reassures her as he stands close beside her. "I'm always with you. If things take a turn for the worse, I'll step in and get you out of here." He places a hand on her shoulder before disappearing in his purple light.
She looks along the river and spots two massive shadowy silhouettes. They stand like humans, blood covering their black bodies and red horns sticking out of their heads. She swallows down a heavy block in her throat as she witnesses how tall they are. They're the size of trees, casting long shadows along the blood filled river.
The young princess slowly makes her way down a steep slope of the cliff. She moves on shaky legs. She feels better now that she is out of that city, but she can already sense the aura of these two demons. It is far more overwhelming than Amrita's. The closer she gets, the weaker she begins to feel again.
Two pairs of massive red eyes set on her as she stands several feet away from the massive silhouettes. They tower over her like two buildings, their shadows leaving her in a foggy, dark room. They say nothing to her as they stare down at her. Seeing them up close, they don't even have mouths or noses. All that can be seen on their faces are a pair of bloodshot, red eyes.
Black light flashes before the young princess' eyes. As it disperses, a tall woman with unnaturally pale skin stands before her. She stands almost as tall as the two demons, but her face and body are clearly visible. Two black ram-like horns curve out of the top of her head. She looks down at the tiny princess and smiles condescendingly at her. "Lord Iblīs is ready to see you."
The young princess breathes in, trying to gather her courage. "I want to see Amrita first."
The she-demon glares down at her in disgust. "You are in no position to make demands, little lady."
A heavy voice cuts through the air, causing the three demons before the young princess to shudder. "It's alright." A man speaks but he is nowhere to be seen. "Stand down." All three demons immediately get on their knees and bow.
A powerful aura cuts through Death River, leaving the princess paralysed. It overwhelms the three demons, leaving them on their knees with their heads down. A massively tall man appears before them, standing taller than the three shadow demons. His skin is a pale, ashy tone, like he is a corpse. But he is clearly alive, dressed in a fancy black and red tux. Long, black, ox horns stick out of his head, their tips sharp enough to cut anyone from just touching them.
The young princess finds herself trembling as she falls victim to his immense aura. She continuously sends signals to her legs to move but they remain paralysed. He steps past the three demons who refuse to make eye contact with him. As his back is to them, they rise from the ground and stand behind him. His shadow engulfs the young princess as he stands before her, red eyes piercing into her.
"Does this form frighten you?" He asks the young princess, his deep voice rumbling in her chest like thunder. Blood red flames engulf his entire body and shrinks it. As it disperses, he appears before the young princess as a normal man. He still holds the appearance as his demon self, but his eyes have shifted to a normal grey tone and his horns have disappeared. Life returns to his skin colour and it shifts into a more sun-kissed tone. As he stands before her in a human form, she feels his aura lift from her shoulders, allowing her to move and breathe again.
"You don't have to be afraid of me." He tells the young princess. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"What about my friend?" She timidly asks him.
As he turns to his demons, they look away from him and bow their heads. "Bring her here." He orders them.
The she-demon curtseys. "As you wish." She raises her hand and snaps her fingers, black sparks sizzling from them. Within a flash of light, Amrita appears before them, a black mist surrounding her body.
Iblīs turns back to the young princess. "There. I'll let her go when we've spoken. You know why I'm here."
"You tore me away from my family." The young princess speaks irritably to him. "I have no desire to speak with you."
"I got you away from Abdelus." His lips curve into a condescending smile. "You should be thanking me. He's after you for the same reason I am, along with your two little friends. You want the truth. I can tell you everything you want to know. You just have to come with me."
Before the young princess can respond, a flash of Zassul's purple light cuts off their surroundings. A loud explosion follows it and red swallows up his purple light. Within the blink of an eye, the young princess finds herself floating in the air beside Iblīs. Zassul and Amrita stand across from them in fighting stances.
Iblīs scoffs. "Nice try but that won't work."
The young princess struggles as she floats in the air. She can feel his magic gripping onto her body, not allowing her to move.
"Any ideas, Assface?" Amrita asks Zassul.
"We fight!" He responds.
Iblīs rolls his eyes. "Enjoy your worthless lives in the Oblivion." He snaps his finger, sending a heavy dose of magic towards the two. It cuts through their defences and slams into their bodies, leaving them weakened.
The young princess begins to panic. "Stop!" She cries out in desperation.
"Quiet, Maiden." Iblīs orders her.
Heat begins to engulf the young princess' body. It builds up in her veins until it's too painful to bear. She cries out and finds the power to release it out of her body. Golden light engulfs the area and a heavy force slams into Iblīs and his three demons. The force holding her in the air disperses and Iblīs and his demons disappear. She hits the ground and gasps for her. The burning sensation leaves her body and she feels free again. She looks up at Zassul and Amrita who are about to collapse.
"Are you guys alright?" She asks them. She runs to them and places a hand on Zassul's arm. "What did he do to you?"
Amrita loses her strength and hits the ground.
"So you're the one who's responsible for all of this chaos." An unknown woman speaks to the three. The young princess looks around but can't seem to find who it is. However, she notices golden flames eating away at where Iblīs and his demons once were.
Before she can question what it is, a large orb of magic appears before her and her companions. The voice speaks from within it. "I will not harm you. Step through my portal and you will be safe."
"Do...as she says." Zassul speaks to the young princess through heavy breaths. "That's Ethereal."