The Bubbleship Series; The First Heroes

A Demon Dies

The umber mountain rose into the sky before them until it is flat top or maybe just its lack of a peak distinguished itself from the others surrounding it. They had found it after days of searching. Screams came to them from the top and echoed through the valley, bouncing from mountain to mountain.

"We must hurry," Kontessa said, dismounting. "The sun is ready to set."

“Kontessa.” The voice came to her again. She put her hand to her temple but continued to march toward the stairs encircling the ancient place.

The Stairs were made of a different rock than that of the mountain, of rock older than time. Every tenth step held a terracotta statue of either a dragon or a lion.

Up the stairs they ran, the demon in front and Taylenel just behind and above her shoulder until they reached the top. At the top, they were met by a blast of lightning that almost sent them off the stairs.

"Damn it," yelled the demon girl. "Are you alright, Taylenel?"

“Yeah, my armor saved me.”

“Stay here,” she said as she rose to her feet.

Laughter came from the top, as well as the sobs of a young elf. The sky began to turn dark blue in the east as the sun set behind Kontessa.

“Kontessa,” the turquoise-colored demon's voice was not in her head this time. He laughed at the appearance of the child, now turned woman, and it rang from the mountain top. "How I longed to see you. I saw you coming all your life. Are you well?"

Kontessa drew her long sword and threw the scabbard behind her, barely missing the green fairy. Barely she noticed the glyphs and ruins carved in the flat top, and a sense of old magic came to her like a tingling.

"Please help me," pleaded the elvish girl. Her clothes had been torn from her body, and her lithe form lay bare. Whip stripes covered her legs, belly, and small breasts.

"Come to me, my child. I shall enjoy ravaging your body again."

Taylenel peered over the lip of the mountain top, then after checking the whereabouts, he took off to circle the top.

Kontessa raised her cold iron sword in both hands and charged forward.

Taylenel came about halfway and peered over the top again to see where the demon was.

Lightning blasted Kontessa back several feet, but she did not fall this time.

Taylenel reached the opposite side of the mountain behind the turquoise-colored demon, and he took off in a blur. A foot off the ground, he flew until he sliced the skin at mid-calf.

The demon fell.

“Kill him,” the elf screamed.

Kontessa stood and looked at the girl while she rested from the blasts. Then, slowly and purposefully, she carried that iron blade over and raised it. One downward thrust ended it.