Eons Later - Part 2

With the arrival of the night, the homes of Caldette turned into dark silhouettes, their roofs like the peak of a mountain range below the starry sky. The only thing that broke the jagged line of their roofs was the clock tower in the center of the city, its pointed roof cutting into the biggest of the three moons like a knife. Framed by the circle of blue light, a sinister shape could be seen standing, smoldering red eyes trained on a building below. It was the inn his summoner had mentioned, and as the demon studied the bright and cheery hubbub taking place inside, the last of his doubts that this was more than a small-town squabble fell away. Had he really been called just for this?

With a shrug, the demon jumped off the roof and down to the light-filled inn, landing with such grace on top of its small chimney that it belied his size. Steam and smoke billowed out from below and up to his sensitive nose, and the smell he caught made him pause for a moment. It was the smell of the handiwork of his people.

Surprised to find the signs of another demon in this little town, the demon made double sure that no dangers awaited him here. But except for the familiar smell, this building was just an ordinary inn. Along with the fact that no warning had been put out for this world, it couldn't be the scheme of some high-ranking demon either... Thinking so, the demon figured there was no reason to be careful. As far as his peers were concerned, he was confident that he could get away without angering anyone.

Stepping down from the chimney and onto the roof, the demon pushed the matter to the back of his mind and lifted his arms, where a flash of crimson symbols raced from his claws and through the night. This job was as good as done already...

The taproom of the inn 'To the Favored Cup' was jam-packed. Waitresses circled around the tables filled with customers, constantly ready to take up orders, to serve meals, and to hand out drinks. Farmers, merchants, and their wives cheerily sat together, disregarding the usual social boundaries of rank and status. It was quite an unusual sight, especially for a wealthy human village like Caldette.

At the far end of the brimming room stood a counter, and the portly, middle-aged woman behind it was currently preparing another round for her customers. A broad smile graced her lips as she took one bottle after another from the shelf behind her, humming a merry tune.

Autumn was always a good time for her and her business. With the harvest season over and the winter crops out on the field, there was little to do for the farmers but to find their way into her establishment. And before the harsh winter came and froze over their pockets, there was always enough money for her to take with her services.

Putting down the bottle she was holding, the woman looked upon her regulars. There was something to this night, a special quality that made her feel nostalgic. Things hadn't always been this rosy. When she just opened up, she had been young and hopeful and full of dreams, thinking that she would make it easily if she could just scrape together enough money to set up shop. But competing with the inn on the other side had been harder than she thought, and her dreams quickly soured into envy. That was when she realized that she had to do something, anything to search for a way to change that.

A grin sneaked onto her lips at that thought. Nowadays, there was nothing a few secret ingredients couldn't fix. She still remembered the expression of the old fool across the marketplace when more and more customers decided to visit her bar instead of his filthy shack.

After he had so thoroughly tried to make life hard for her, she had been eager to return the favor in kind and do everything to bring him down – and with success. It didn't take long until no one wanted to set foot over his doorstep again, not in small part due to the rumors she had spread, and her smile got broader. Remembering that part of the past always improved her mood.

The woman was just about to pick up the bottle again when she heard a loud noise from above. Looking up to the ceiling with a frown, everything around her turned crimson.

She came to a moment after, an eternity later, sprawled on the ground in the center of a bloody mess of wooden splinters. The cheery atmosphere that had enveloped her just seconds ago had been mercilessly ripped away, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the dead bodies of her customers strewn about, the clear night's sky stretching out above her. The ceiling of her inn was completely gone, together with her guest rooms, the guests themselves, and, most importantly, her private room. All her money. When she realized that, she giggled until her back hurt from the wood burrowing into it, but for some reason, she couldn't even try to pull them out. Her limbs refused to budge a single inch.

Completely helpless, she lay there like a broken doll and stared up at the sky until it filled her whole being, even louder than the agitated calls in the distance. To her, in her last moments, there was only the clear and silent night, and the sound of the crackling flames feasting on the remnants of her life's work. Although the autumn wind was chilly, the fires warmed her, and then she realized everything was gone. A tear escaped her eyes. Had she not done everything imaginable, within and beyond the boundaries of morality and immorality? She had just wanted to be successful, but now, nothing was left.

Suddenly, someone clapped to her performance on this stage, a slow, sarcastic sound that grated in her ears like a saw. A demon came into sight, his jagged grin and gray-violet scales stirring up old memories. The monster stopped right in front of her, towering over her head and looking down at her with eyes squinted in delight.

[Hello, hello, little bird! Your despair is truly wonderful, but– oh? Could it be that you are hurt? How clumsy of you!]

The droning voice of the demon continued to mock her, so similar to the one in her memories – but not quite. She tried to answer, to plead for her life a final time, but she couldn't. Her mouth wouldn't move no matter how hard she tried.

[Why are you so afraid?]

Suddenly, a dented kettle was held into her field of view. It was the remains of the stew they had served today, seasoned with a special ingredient.

[I can tell that this is not the first time you have seen one of us.]

Of course it wasn't! How else could she have beaten that filthy innkeeper on the other side of the square!? But back then, she hadn't been lying on the floor without control of her body! She struggled to express her thoughts and scream and shout at the damned demon who had ruined her life, but it was in vain. The kettle hurtled into a burning corner before the demon lifted her by the throat and closer to his stinking grin. Couldn't anyone... save her?

[No. This is a fitting end for a sinner like you who doesn't know when to make up. I'm sure that whoever you made a contract with will have plenty of fun with your soul.]

She trembled weakly in the demon's hand as she realized he was right, throwing her into deepest despair. There always was a price for dealing with demons. How could she have forgotten?

Suddenly, the scaly hand of the demon clenched tight, and a crunching sound rang through the night, the woman unable to understand what had happened. Just like that, her head separated from her shoulders, the last thing saw the demon holding her headless torso and the stars happily twinkling in the background. And the last thing she heard before everything went black was a voice.

[This is the end. May the Purpose bring you peace.]

***

Dropping the empty shell he was holding, the demon looked on as the woman's soul left her body and floated up into the sky. The translucent being somewhat resembled a mix of jellyfish and octopus, the red color of its cute, round head fading as it swam up and towards the Den. Looking down, the demon saw the other souls on the ground, still latched onto the heads of the customers of this inn. For such an easy mission, it was an unexpectedly fruitful harvest, all because of the poison the dead innkeeper had handed to the people here, tormenting them until their souls became a clear red. Silently thanking the unknown demon who had set up this little gift, he moved from corpse to corpse, hurriedly collecting the cute little lights before they had the chance to fade away. While most of them vanished with a squeak as he pressed them into his chest, stored to die at a later date, a few went straight to his mouth although he wasn't even hungry. It really was a taste too heavenly to resist.

Licking his lips as he collected the last soul, the demon finished his work and looked around the devastation he had wrought. By now, most of the inn was burning, and two of its walls were on the verge of collapse. Its customers, killed by the explosion, were strewn about, but their bodies now appeared dull and soulless to his eyes. Satisfied, he grinned at the sight, deciding to leave before the rest of this ruin came down on his head. A snapping sound spread through the night in response, the demon calling his bat-like wings which opened wide over the flames. Sparks sprayed as he flapped once and shot into the air just as the first people arrived to put out the fires. The gasps trailing after him were like music to his ears, and he laughed at the sign of a job well done, looking forward to his break once he returned. But before that, he still had to take care of his reward, and so, he quickly left to claim it.