First Encounter part 1

Hellscape, Land of the Devils. The air was thick with sulfur, and the ground trembled with every roar from the lava pits. Shadows danced across the cavernous walls as demons mocked and taunted Drake for his failure.

Drake slouched, dragging his feet as he approached the Boss's chamber. His wings drooped, and his eyes avoided the piercing gaze of his superior. "Dammit! You were supposed to lure her into our world!" The Boss's voice echoed, filled with fury. His fists landed on Drake, each punch reverberating through the cavern.

"Stop hitting me! I did all I could, but her will was too strong," Drake pleaded, wincing with each blow.

"Like hell you did!" The Boss raised his fist again, but Darren intervened.

"Boss, no need for that. Let me retrieve Coalstead and bring her here myself," Darren suggested, his voice calm yet assertive.

Heck snorted. "Ha! Like hell you can. I'm nimbler, and she's just a child—weak and pathetic."

Darren winced in annoyance, "Like hell you can, you can barely lift up my balls, let alone a lowly child."

Heck, annoyed by that statement, got up and rushed towards Darren, "Look here..."

"Shut it!" The Boss's eyes glowed with anger. "That's enough out of both of you. Darren, I need you for a more important task. As for you, Heck..." He grabbed Heck's collar, lifting him off the ground. "If you fail me, don't come back, or I'll kill you myself."

Heck trembled as the cavern shook. "Yes, Boss. I won't fail you. I'll get Coalstead to open the portal," he stammered, rushing out of the room.

Darren smirked, muttering, "Pathetic." He turned to the Boss. "So, what's my task?"

"I need you to find out who's been into our human breeding ground. We are short by two people," the Boss said in anger.

"Consider it done."

At the portal room, Heck burst in. "Coalstead! Open the portal, now!" he barked.

Coalstead stumbled, knocking over piles of wood. "My liege, why should I?" he asked, trembling.

Heck grabbed Coalstead by the collar, baring his fangs. "Because if you don't, I'll have you for breakfast. And if the Boss hears about this, he'll tear you limb from limb. Got it?"

Coalstead, terrified, quickly activated the portal. Heck pushed him aside and jumped in, not caring if it was daytime.

He fell a thousand feet from the sky. "Damn Coalstead, once I get back, I'm gonna have you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," he muttered, realizing the portal had been opened high above on purpose. He spread his wings and soared towards Elena's location.

In the mountains, Dexter lay awake, his mind on the tender moment he shared with Elena. He touched his lips, the memory making his stomach churn. "I'm not sure if it was right, or if we've just been alone too long," he thought.

Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted outside. Elena woke up and stared at Dexter, both realizing it wasn't his doing. They ran out, seeing a demonic being rushing towards them. Elena pushed Dexter out of his stupor, grabbing hold of the demonic being. Dexter soon got up and punched the demon as hard as he could.

The air was thin and cold up in the mountains. Dexter's initial punch had momentarily stunned Heck, but the demon quickly recovered, a malicious grin spreading across his face.

As he towered above the two, his grin grew wider, revealing his fangs. "Is that all you've got?" Heck taunted, his voice echoing off the rocky cliffs. He took in the smell of fear that shrouded Dexter. "Ah, you smell delicious."

Dexter staggered backward, falling to the ground, but Elena stood tall, trying to intimidate the demon. "I'm your foe!" she screamed, swinging at Heck multiple times. Each strike was powerful, but Heck deftly dodged or blocked, his movements almost effortless.

Dexter, remembering a past trauma, couldn't stop his arms from shaking. 'I can't do it. I can't,' he thought, panic seizing him.

In a moment of distraction, Heck got the better of Elena, grabbing her arm and throwing her away with a force that sent her crashing into a boulder. She groaned in pain but forced herself to stand. Heck laughed, turning his attention to Dexter, his eyes gleaming with hunger. "Dinner is served."

Dexter's heart pounded. He looked around frantically, searching for anything that could help. He spotted a massive boulder, easily weighing several tons. Summoning all his strength, he lifted it, his muscles straining under the weight.

Heck's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly recovered, lunging at Dexter. With a primal scream, Dexter hurled the boulder at Heck, who barely managed to dodge. The rock shattered upon impact with the ground, debris flying everywhere and momentarily obscuring the demon's view.

Seizing the opportunity, Elena charged at Heck, her hesitation gone. She grabbed a large piece of debris and swung it at Heck's head, landing a solid hit that sent him staggering. Heck roared in anger, swiping at Elena with his claws and knocking her down again.

"Stay down, pathetic human!" Heck growled, but Elena refused to yield. She rose to her feet once more, determination burning in her eyes.

Dexter, emboldened by Elena's resilience, grabbed another massive rock and launched it at Heck. This time, the demon wasn't quick enough to dodge entirely, and the rock clipped his shoulder, causing him to snarl in pain.

"You'll pay for that!" Heck bellowed, his anger boiling over. He charged at Dexter, who braced himself, his eyes flickering with an intense blue light—a sign of his rising emotions, a sign of his fear to overcome. Heck tackled Dexter to the ground, but Dexter twisted and managed to throw him off, his eyes now glowing brighter.

Heck's surprise was evident. "What's this? You're also one of the ten," he smiled, thinking about the promotion he'd receive.

Dexter stood, fearful and rageful, his eye color shifting from its usual hue to a vivid blue and red. He grabbed a large piece of rock and swung it like a club, smashing it against Heck's side. The demon stumbled but quickly retaliated with a swipe of his claws, leaving deep gashes on Dexter's arm.

Ignoring the pain, Dexter fought back with renewed vigor. He delivered a flurry of powerful punches, each blow driving Heck back. But the demon was relentless, his strikes growing more vicious. He landed a heavy blow to Dexter's chest, sending him crashing into a rock wall.

Elena, seeing Dexter in danger, screamed and charged again, only to be met with another brutal hit that knocked her down. Bloodied and battered, she struggled to rise, determination etched on her face.

Dexter, panting and injured, pushed himself up, his glowing eyes locking onto Heck. "You won't win," he growled, lifting another boulder and hurling it with all his might. It collided with Heck, causing the demon to roar in pain and fury.