Chapter 30 – Ice Cream Social

“WHAT did you do!” roared Vorathrex. He stood, muscled torso trembling and arms taut with rage. The same rage that had been building up over the last several days of walking through forest and woodlands, seething about Kairon’s actions.

In response, the city lord gave his frozen foot a wiggle and looked up. “Actually, I didn’t do anything. I found something I suspected may have value, and paid for it with what was required.”

“You meddled with things you should not! Do you understand what you’ve done?!” shouted Vorathrex, voice booming in the tower. The echoes alone made the room tremble, its orange gemstone throwing dazzling stars of light on the wall as the pedestal vibrated.

“Listen, I’m not going to repeat myself. And will you please keep your voice down. The imps have been very productive this week and are trying to rest. Not to mention Veron, who I’m sure you’ve already woken up over there.”

In the corner, the ranger groaned. He yanked his cloak over his head, turning away from the duo.

Vorathrex pointed a meaty finger at Kairon. “You are lucky that your foot is all you lost. Everything could have been gone. No. More than gone. Fractured. Consumed. Do you understand how foolish this was?”

Yawning, the black-scaled demon looked at his friend and thought about it. Truly. He did.

“My friend. I don’t know what to tell you. There was an opportunity, and I invested.”

“He wouldn’t stop poking it,” came a muffled Veron.

Vorathrex looked horrified. “You poked it? What does he mean?”

“Nothing, nothing. The musings of a worn mind. He’s delirious and sick. Let him be.”

Vorathrex was about to berate him more when another figure entered the tower.

“My oh my!” Shadows spilled in from the night, crawling into the room. At their center, Sythara approached.

“This is the other named one? Big… Quite Big. But…” she trailed off. Skulking inside, the demoness let her black tendrils of darkness flick and prod, exploring the mighty demon in front of her.

“Tsk. You are strong for this realm. But weak for mine.”

Growling, Vorathrex turned and looked down. Sythara was small. Half the larger demon’s height. Yet, when their eyes met, something new reflected in Vorathrex’s gaze. Something Kairon hadn’t seen before.

Is that… Fear. No. It seems like something else. A primal, instinctive recognition of another predator.

“Who is this?” he demanded.

“This,” Kairon cut in from his prone position, “is Sythara. I have recruited her to join our city. She comes to us with expertise in research.”

A soft snort emanated from the dark cloud.

Turning, the towering general shifted his full attention to the demoness. Kairon was curious how he’d react. This was the first time he was witnessing two powerful demons meet, after all.

Vorathrex’s expression shifted. The instinctive expression from before was gone. In its place, a newfound fire blazed to life.

“My elder once called me weak,” he growled.

“Intelligent demon. Maybe someday I’ll meet him.”

“That would be difficult.” A light snarl touched his lips. “I consumed him.”

Sythara’s sapphire pupils glowed with surprise, and then speculation. “Really now? My child, you find the most interesting creatures. One that consumed their forefather. This is prophetic.”

Shadow met brute strength, and two pressures ballooned throughout the room.

Kairon’s eyebrows went up. “Everybody calm down. This is getting out of hand. Please!”

Neither were listening. Instead, a meaty fist shot out, air whooshing as it flung towards Sythara. In response, scripts and symbols glowed a deep blue, shifting to motion on her skin.

“Vorathrex stop! She is a member of our council and important for keeping this city alive!”

Right before impact, the massive knuckles halted. The giant’s arm was nearly fully extended. Veins and muscle flexed. But no contact came. Vorathrex just waited, locked in place.

“You fool!” hissed Sythara. “Clearly this maddening realm has rubbed off on you. Already coming to blows over this?”

Both demons stood, auras pressed together. The tension was like a bubble. One poke, and it would pop.

Very delicately, Kairon spoke up. “Vorathrex. Lower your arm.”

Nothing happened.

“Please,” he added, as gently and sincerely as he could manage.

This is all I need. My two most powerful underlings coming to violence before Sythara has even completed her onboarding. If nothing else, this has taught me about introductions with my kind. I need to evaluate how I allow major demons to interact going forward.

For a moment, Kairon feared another blow was coming. That his analysis, while helpful, was far too late.

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The two just stared, wills locked in a stalemate.

Then, as if nothing had happened, the bubble popped. Sythara’s skin calmed. Vorathrex’s muscles relaxed. Slowly, ever so slowly, the hulking arm dropped.

“I do not like you. And you do not know as much about me as you think,” he said, before turning and making to leave.

Sythara, it seemed, just couldn’t help herself. “What happened to your other arms? Two are missing,” the demoness asked curiously.

Without even turning around, Vorathrex pointed back at Kairon. “Humans. Ask the fledgling.”

Moments later, the giant disappeared into the night.

“Well? I would very much like to learn how humans took those arms.”

“Eh. They met Vorathrex, much like you. Only the meeting didn’t go nearly as well. Not for them, at least.”

“Fascinating. But he still was injured.”

Kairon shrugged, recalling what the big demon had told him. “His arms grow back fast enough. Other things, however, take much longer to heal.”

There was a quiet after that. Both reflecting on what happened. Kairon, on how to cultivate a proper working relationship between the two demons. Sythara, on just what that hulking demon had been up to. And what he had planned.

Finally, the demoness huffed. “I suppose maybe he’s not that bad. Your city will need protection, and brutes like him are forged in the fighting pits. The fact he consumed an elder and still lives says more than I’d like to admit.”

Fighting pits? Vorathrex had never mentioned that before.

Kairon got the feeling this was more of a test than anything else.

“Vorathrex may be a brute. But that doesn’t mean he is stupid. Rather, I believe he has a different kind of intelligence.”

“Mmm.”

“Oh, come now. I think you might actually like him, if you learn to stay out of each other’s way.”

“Perhaps. This reminds me,” she said.

Uh oh. Kairon recognized that tone.