186 Heart of the Demon

Li stood outside the cottage, by the fields, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked westward, past the rolling meadows and slopes of Riviera's outlands, past the line of the forest, and into the depths of the dark distance. Beside him, Zagan also sat, facing the same way, the demon's eyes gleaming a bright red.

Between them, the still corpse of an insect lay. It looked to be a hybrid between a wasp and a spider with eight carapaced legs, an abdomen that ended in a curved stinger, and shredded insectoid wings. It was the size of a small child, and it was a wonder it could fit so easily into the body of the orc warchief. 

"Tell me, Zagan, do you recognize this being?" said Li.

Zagan bared a few of his fangs. "This personage does. It is Zerzal, demon general and herald of Gluttony."