Arthur held a new mug of coffee in his hands as he watched Richard stand next to the pillar of smoke.
The man looked professional as he rehashed the previous deal, and most of the room watched him speak, aside from two sets of eyes. Neither the red eyes in the pillar of smoke nor Dr. Lisa Moore so much as glanced the man’s way.
It took effort not to stare into those red eyes. His mind felt as though he was about to drift off each time he did, even as the heat filled him. He took a sip, feeling the heat of the coffee mix with the heat already in him.
With every sip, it felt like flames seared up his throat to sit at the tip of his tongue, ready to be unleashed.
From beside him, Theobold shuffled under Dr. Lisa’s scrutiny. The woman alternated between looking at her tablet and staring at Theobold with an intensity that felt palatable. Arthur half expected her to call out to them, but she remained quiet.
However, that didn’t mean everyone did. The woman with the blonde curls spoke, drawing his attention away. From the look on Richard’s face, he didn’t appreciate the interruption.
“For goodness’s sake, Richard.” Her voice was breathy and girlish. “We’ve told him all of this. Can’t we get to the interesting part? My personal trainer will skin me if I’m late again.”
“Clarissa. We agreed to make sure he understood—”
This time Arthur interrupted, his words coming out heated, almost a growl. He attempted to ignore the concerned look Leo gave him. Even if it was the first time he’d looked away from Carina since she’d returned to the room.
“I do. You want me to leave and I’ve already said no. Is there a point to be made here that isn’t a repeat?”
Richard cleared his throat, looking almost flustered for the first time. A dark chuckle came from the pillar of smoke, but it said nothing.
“Arthur. We aren’t doing this for our benefit.”
“Bullshit.”
The word came out loud, and he took a step forward. “I’m here because I discovered your counterfeiting operations. That was why you wanted me gone in the first place, wasn’t it? Now you’re trying to show off to get me to leave again before I figure out how to get a message to anyone myself. I know you’re blocking Pydes’ messages somehow.”
His eyes moved to the pillar of smoke. The purple clouds appeared calm, and the eyes held something akin to boredom. It didn’t so much as glance at Richard, who twitched beside it.
“I’ll ask again. Why am I here?”
“So that you can see that we are as capable, if not more so, of looking after the city. They don’t need you.” Richard smiled and looked about to say more when Dr. Lisa let out a loud cry of protest.
“I need them! The things I could learn...”
Clarissa let out a tittering laugh. "Oh, you and your silly experiments. You built what we needed. I don’t see—"
“—Ladies please!” Richard said as he raised a hand. “This is not the time.”
Arthur stared as the three devolved into bickering. None of the rest so much as looked his way while watching the argument. The smoke pillar shifted, then swirled. It rose towards the ceiling, and he was sure he glimpsed a dark shape inside.
“ENOUGH!”
Everyone stopped talking, and even the silent board members looked slightly shaken.
“You will cease this pointlessness. Arthur, have you ever wondered why I don’t simply kill you and be done with it? You’ve seen my power. Know of my devastation at your associate’s home.”
“It’s crossed my mind.”
“You are still alive because She would know if you died and come to see why. Her interference would bring trouble I am not ready for. However, if you go bankrupt? Fail the mission she has given you? Do you know what happens then?”
“What’s that?” Arthur asked, his cane digging into his palm.
“You stop being a problem. So, you now have two choices. Reject my offer to leave, and we will harass and destroy you. Steal your customers, take your store, and make you suffer.”
“Or I leave, and she tracks me down, anyway. You didn’t think this through?” His words had bite, and he resisted the urge to chuckle after speaking them. “I can’t escape her, but I can beat you.”
“You think so?” Richard asked as he stepped forward. “You’ve seen what we offer. Face it, Arthur, you don’t know how business works or the resources we have at our disposal.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but Richard kept going.
“We have the head of the old Heady organization working for us as a lowly secretary who brings us drinks.”
Beside him, Leo stiffened and looked as though he was about to rush across the room. Theobold grabbed his shoulder, and Arthur took his own step forward to lay a hand on the desk. His fingers brushed against the dent Rab had left.
“Speaking of the Heady organization. They were the last ones to come for me. Shall I remind you what happened to Riccardo?”
The room went quiet before the demon chuckled. Across the room, he could see Carina flinch. Guilt welled up before the heat coursing through him burned it away. She and her brother had tried to take what was his. To mess with his hoard.
They got what was coming to them, even if he wouldn’t wish her fate on anyone.
“Are you threatening us?”
“Explicitly.”
To his surprise, Richard laughed. Chuckles rose from the rest of the group, alongside a high-pitched giggle from Clarissa. Dr. Lisa was the sole person not to make a sound; she’d leaned back into her chair and watched Theobold. A curious look on her face.
She didn’t even move when Richard walked past her and around the table. He ignored both Leo and Theobold as he stopped in front of Arthur. His smile showed off his perfect teeth. He stood so close that Arthur could smell his cologne—a strange sandalwood smell.
“You are nothing but a store clerk. I am Richard Greenwine. Son of Brian Greenwine, one of the greatest CEOs this city has ever seen. Do you know what happens to people like you? Those pathetic pawns that run the counter?”
“Well, I don’t have a bat,” Arthur said as he looked at Richard and flashed a smile of his own. Though he could tell from the look in the man’s eyes, it wasn’t as pleasant.
“What does a bat have to do with—”
A pipe smacking him hard on the side of the head cut off his words.
***
Clarissa was the first to scream as the body hit the floor.
To Arthur’s surprise, the demon next to the chair didn’t so much as twitch. All the members of the board were shouting; even Dr. Lisa was moving to check on Richard. Arthur stepped back as she approached, as did Theobold.
“You killed him, you monster!” Clarissa shrieked as she turned toward the cloud of roiling smoke. “Sir! Why aren’t you calling in the demons? He needs to be punished.”
“Is this all you wanted to discuss?” Arthur asked, feeling empty as he stared at the crumpled man on the ground.
He knew he should be experiencing guilt, disgust, and shock. However, none of them came. Worry and fear crossed Theobold’s face, and Leo stopped to stare at him. Heat filled him, and he had a sudden urge to take the man’s watch.
“I believe so,” the voice said. “Also, I believe you’ve earned yourself a ban.”
Notice!
You have been banned from Diaboli Theatrum.
Reason: Attacking an employee.
Consequences: You will be attacked on site if found within the premises.
The pop of the notification startled him, but he managed not to jump. Instead, he looked over at the smoke and nodded.
“In that case, I’ll take my leave.”
“Carina will show you the way out. Goodbye.”
Only then did the demon move toward him, with Carina following on its heels. They found themselves ushered into an elevator, and Arthur endured a silent ride to the top. No one seemed willing to speak; even the Imp with them didn’t so much as breathe.
He found himself escorted across the first floor, the lanky demon mannequins all turning to watch him go. A few shoppers yelled in alarm, but none moved to attack. Both of his escorts stopped before they reached the door.
“Thank you for shopping at Diaboli Theatrum.” Carina said. “Please, do not come again.”
“Miss Heady, please.” Leo turned to her now and reached out a hand, which the demon slapped away. “Would you not come with us?”
“I’m sorry, I have employment here.”
With that, she turned, but not before Arthur saw the frustration on her face. The demon above her danced and laughed as she made her way back to the elevator. That left them alone with the bigger demon, who grunted at them.
Theobold snorted back but backed down when Arthur put a hand on his arm. “Come on. Let’s get Rab and go home.”
Outside, it was impossible to miss where their companion was. Gang Members, scavengers, and Demons all stood around watching the display under working streetlights. People moved through the crowd, and he could see coins exchanging hands.
“DIE DEMON SCUM!” Rab roared from somewhere in the middle, and blood sprayed up alongside a bestial roar.
The crowd cheered. It took both Leo and Theobold working together for Arthur to push his way to the front. The heat in his locket burned brighter as he watched Rab pummel the demon into submission.
A smile filled his face as he watched Rab smash the demon in the chest with his mace. With a roar, the demon fell back, its large body smashing into the ground. Dust and debris flew up as the knight moved forward, not giving the creature time to regain its balance.
“This is for my home, monster! For all of you watching, take note. I am of The Watchdog Knights, and we are not to be trifled with.”
Several people shouted encouragement as he slammed a foot against the demon’s face. It raised muscular arms to grab them, but the mace swung around to beat them away. With relentless force, Rab continued to beat the creature down.
As Arthur watched, he saw the flaw in the monster. While strong, it wasn’t smart. Any other opponent might have tried to grab a piece of rubble or some other tool. All the demon did was to attempt the same move over and over until it became nothing but a corpse.
Once it stopped moving, Rab took his foot away from the small head and raised his weapon in victory.
“For the knights!” He roared, and the crowd cheered back in a mix of excitement and despair.
As everyone focused on the victor, Arthur moved forward and placed a hand on the downed opponent. The pop-up appeared almost instantly. He examined it, interested in finding he had something new along with another demonic core.
Product Acquired
Kill: Demon Type 3
Killer: Rab The Mighty, Human
Product Held:
Name: Demonic Teeth
Amount: 24
Item Description: An individual set of sharp teeth that are capable of easily piercing metal.
Product Held:
Name: Demonic Core
Amount: One
Item Description: A pulsing stone that held the essence of this demon. Can be used in various applicable projects, or crushed to create a small amount of hallucinogenic mist. Has mysterious effects if consumed.
Would you like to send these items to your personal storage device?
Yes
No
The sounds of the crowd turned to shocked murmurs as the demons’ corpses exploded into light. Arthur ignored them as he stood up and turned to Rab.
“Are you ready to go?”
The knight nodded, returning his mace to his side. “I believe so. Enough people saw the fight that they will talk.”
Even as they spoke, he could see people darting off down the street. Though none of the demons watching so much as moved an inch, soon they were all that remained. A shiver ran through him at the display. They all stood silently, staring at the spot where the demon’s corpse had lain.
“We should go. I need to talk to Nyssa about what happened.”
“Of course, The Knight Captain will also need a report. Come then! Let us ride home victorious!”
Arthur walked beside Rab, who marched towards the rickshaw with his head held high. Once Leo had joined them, Theobold got on the bike and started moving them back home.
As they traveled the streets, Arthur couldn’t help but look at the way the people moved into the abandoned homes. Most climbed through broken walls to get there.
“I wonder if Pydes would know of a way to unseal the doors on our street,” he thought as he watched the world go by.
The closer they got to home, the more the locket’s heat faded away. Emotions hit Arthur all at once. Fear, exhaustion, and disgust all demanded to be noticed at once. His hands shook as he gripped the pipe, still stained with Richard’s blood.
He hadn’t checked to see if the man had gotten up. A small part of him hoped he hadn’t.
“Hey Theobold, can you speed us up? I want to get back to the store.”
“Got it, boss.”
As they picked up speed, he allowed his eyes to close before he drifted off to a pleasant dream filled with gold.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzihkMtkVim
