9 The Demon Within: The Flying Mountain

Lindsey and the strange aliens ran from the pit. They didn't even know where they were going, but at the very least they all agreed it would be better to go out fighting above than to die in that wretched hole.

Several Asikori Demons however instantly emerged from behind the rocks above, hissing and screeching at the aliens.

"DON'T LET THE SPECIAL MEAT ESCAPE!" One of the demons shouted whilst pointing at Lindsey. The aliens were not able to stand against the Asikori in one on one fights. The winged beasts were simply so fast that they were never on the ground long enough for the aliens to fight them properly.

The demons would swoop down in a flash and lift the aliens into the sky, where they'd either tear their throats out or throw them back into the pit.

Lindsey was at the front of the fleeing mob of prisoners. As she was a lot smaller than the aliens, she could run a lot faster. All of the aliens at the back were picked off first. Within a few minutes only Lindsey and seven others remained. The alien straight behind Lindsey was ensnared by an Asikori, but this time Lindsey came to its aid. There was nothing she could have done for the others, but this alien was right behind her and she couldn't leave it to the mercy of those horrors.

Lindsey grabbed the alien by its feet as it was pulled into the sky. She only held it down for a few seconds before the demon started to pull her off the ground too. Still it was a long enough delay for two more aliens to join in and together with Lindsey's help they pulled the demon to the ground. The three aliens then jumped on the Demon and tore it apart. Two of the aliens ripped its wings off which they then used as weapons to bat other Asikori away. Nevertheless two more aliens were soon carried away back to the pit as more and more Asikori caught up with them.

The alien that Lindsey had saved was shocked at her actions. "We're all in this together." She said to the alien before they were forced to flee from more Asikori's. Lindsey and the few surviving aliens managed to make their way to the edge of a cliff that led to a valley below filled with thousands of Asikori.

They couldn't go back the way as not only were there hundreds of Asikori, but it simply led back to the pit and a dead end beyond that.

"Out of the frying pan" Lindsey said to herself as she struggled to think of a way out. She wouldn't have time to recant the ritual now. It also had to be done when near the animals, with the power of alien technology to blast it over a planet like the Professor had done. Two of the aliens just simply ran into the valley, where one of them was picked up and then tossed hundreds of feet into the air, whilst the other was jumped by three of the demons who tore him to pieces.

Lindsey and two more aliens (who were all that was left of the refugees from the pit.) Huddled together in fear, lashing out at any demon that came close. They knew they couldn't hold on for long and so Lindsey decided to act.

"Follow my lead. When one of them grabs me. You jump on him. We can maybe use one of those freaks to fly over this valley."

Lindsey didn't give the aliens time to disagree and she ran down the valley. Sure enough one of the demons flew down and picked her up in its claws. The two aliens then jumped on top of the Asikori, carrying Lindsey as it tried to fly back to the pit, but the aliens punched and kicked the demon causing it to fly off course over the valley. In the ensuing struggle, the demon let go of Lindsey. She still tried to hold on, but the monster kicked her off and Lindsey fell from over 80 feet in the air. Fortunately a tree broke her fall. One of the aliens then jumped after Lindsey, whilst the other alien still tried to fight the demon. The two spun through the air for a few minutes, until the Asikori, whilst still carrying the alien flew into a flock of Asikori who together ripped the alien apart.

Lindsey and the sole surviving alien jumped down from the tree. They had landed near the middle of the valley in a small forest area. The cover of the trees made it somewhat easier to hide from the demons. On the ground the alien was more of a match for the demons, though they were obviously greatly outnumbered.

The alien used its strength to rip a giant piece of wood from a nearby tree to use as a weapon against the demons. He managed to impale one of the monsters in the chest when it swooped down on him, and then broke the arm of another when it tried to attack him from behind.

Whilst the alien fought with the demons, Lindsey went behind a tree to try and chant the ritual, but one of the demons however spotted her and flew towards the time traveller. The alien however threw the piece of wood through the demons chest before it reached Lindsey, killing it stone dead.

Lindsey was able to finish the ritual knocking five of demons near the ground out. The alien and Lindsey then ran through the forest searching for anywhere they could hide. Several more demons started to circle the area, though they kept their distance for a short while as they were not sure how Lindsey had been able to knock the other members of their kind out.

The alien spotted a small cave at the edge of the forest, but as he and Lindsey ran there a particularly bold demon swooped down through the trees and grabbed onto the alien. Lindsey however reached into the earth and threw dirt into the monsters eyes, temporarily blinding it, which allowed Lindsey and the alien to make their way into the cave.

Though more demons had spotted the two fleeing prisoners, they didn't pursue them.

"Fools" said one of the Demons. "When they see what's in that cave. They'll have wished they died in the pit."

"What? You can't be serious? They've surrendered? The Maliaks do not surrender." The leader of the Asikori said.

"It's true my lord. The last platoon in this area are at the bottom of the mountain waiting for us. They claimed to have captured two strange aliens that they want to hand over as a show of good faith. They also claim to be willing to hand over their supposed father."

"Well" the Demon smiled. "It seems they've finally realised what a liar and fool that so called God of theirs is." "Still" he continued. "I better check this out for myself. Maliaks are such slimy, treacherous devils."

The Maliak troop along with the Professor and Kirsteen had been brought to the foot of the mountain after seemingly surrendering. A large green magical ray pulled them right to the top of the mountain right before the Asikori leader and 20 other elite Demons.

"Well I never thought I'd see the day." The leader of the demons taunted the Maliak's.

"Our father is no better than you." The leader of the Maliak's said back. "I refuse to die for him. We will hand over his location as well as these whatever they are." He said whilst pointing at the Professor and Kirsteen. "As long as you let the last of us live and rebuild."

"I can't promise that." The leader of the demons laughed.

The Maliak leader smirked. "And here I was feeling bad that we'd tricked you. NOW" He shouted as the Professor finished the same chant as Lindsey that similarly knocked out all of the demons, except for the leader. Being stronger than the rest he was thrown back, and greatly weakened by the spell but it didn't knock him out.

"Clever. You must be from our world to know those magics? Are you a demon of some kind? Why side with these monsters! They'll kill us all." The Asikori leader said to the Professor. Three Maliak soldiers however jumped the leader and started to beat it. The demon with its last ounce of strength thrust its hand through the chest of one of the Maliak soldiers. The leader of the Maliak's however managed to hold the demon in place and prepared to snap its neck.

"NO" The Professor shouted. "We need him alive as leverage." After a few seconds hesitations, the Maliak commander was forced to agree.

"Well it seems my spell still works." The Professor said smugly, before waking one of the fallen lackeys.

"Tell them I have your leader. I know what you Asikori's are like. You may be demons but you have an undying loyalty to your King or Queen. If you don't release all of your prisoners then I'll tear his head off."

The lackey however simply laughed. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" Suddenly an alarm system went off and the ground began to shake.

"What the hell is going on?" Kirsteen said as she was thrown off her feet.

"Your little magic tricks won't work on him." The beast taunted before flying towards the leader who he carried away after the Professor had fallen to the ground. Some of the aliens tried to stop him, but the ground was shaking so hard that they could barely stand.

Suddenly the ground began to disappear and one by one the aliens fell into a black abyss. Grabbing Kirsteen, the Professor jumped over twenty feet to the edge of the cliff , but it too began to crumble.

"Please" Kirsteen begged as the Professor held her over abyss. "I don't want to die."

"I'm sorry Kirsteen I" the Professor said with genuine fear in his voice, but before he could finish the entire structure crumbled and they both went tumbling into the seemingly endless darkness below.

"I don't like this." Lindsey said as she and the Maliak wandered through the dark tunnels.

"Why aren't they chasing us? Those things really wanted to eat me." Lindsey asked.

"Clearly there's something down here that they think will do the job." The Maliak said with regret. "We have to keep moving forward though. I'd rather deal with one monster than 1000." He continued.

As Lindsey and the Maliak made their way deeper into the cave suddenly it began to shake again.

"What's going on?" Lindsey asked.

"The mountain. It's flying!" The Maliak said.

"What?"

"These mountains are ships constructed through magic. The Demons use them to travel through space. I'm sorry Lindsey but there's no hope for us now. They'll take us back to their HQ or let god knows whatever's down here deal with us."

"Don't give up. My friends will find us. I'm sure of it. They have a ship that can get us all out of here. I just hope they get to us first."

"I'm sorry my liege. Our armies have been beaten back."

"That is not possible. I chose the Maliaks because I saw a strength in you, of all my creations to cleanse the universe of my mistakes."

The cloaked figure stood out of its chair and began to conjure up a fire ball in its hand.

"Tell me why I shouldn't destroy you and your miserable race now? Rob those disgusting winged creatures of the satisfaction at least?" It said as the fire ball grew larger.

"We have a report of several strange aliens on the surface of the planet, who have reportedly aided some of our soldiers."

"That's not possible. Those demons have this entire solar system cornered off. Also why would any intelligent life form want to help us?"

"I have no idea, but they found a way through the demon blockade. Sadly according to our latest communication they are the prisoners in a mountain that was last seen fleeing the planet."

"Find them now. I want to know who these aliens are. That mountain must not be allowed to leave this planet!"