Chapter 22: The oubliette

Some amount of time elapsed. It could have been five minutes, or five hours. Time seemed morphed now. Seconds were minutes, minutes hours. There had been chaos around me, chaos within me. We would have died here, of this I was sure, had not the gargoyle changed and disrupted the devils.  The powerful premature had knocked Lucifer to the ground. I had been bathed in the premature’s shadow as he stood over me, growling at the hurt creature. Blood streamed from a deep gash on Lucifer’s face.
The gargoyle roared fiercely. Lucifer could either fight him, or use a different form of action. With a beaten wave of his claw we were somewhere else, in a darker room, laced with chains and corpses. I saw no door.
Broken and exhausted, I succumbed.

Dirty dirty demon… the blood runs thin…scum…
Serenity? The taunting words that rang through my semi-conscious head were finally interrupted by something less terrible. I ignored this insult; it was the lesser of two evils at this point.
Draak?
It’s me… hey, um, there was this skeleton down here who still had some clothes on… I hope you didn’t mind that they were on a dead person (it creeped me out!) but Chi said it was better than nothing. Draak explained.
Oh god… No, this was not much better, but it WAS better. Still, clothes or no clothes, I felt terrible. I was covered in filth I couldn’t see, ached in places I didn’t know existed, and was terrified of a man I’d taken to be a joke.
The images flashed in my memory. The dark silhouette bathed in shadows, far too close for comfort. Over and over the memories played. My mind was a broken record. Why couldn’t I switch to something else? I didn’t want to watch this, to relive this.
I was shivering, holding my knees tightly to my chest. I wanted to be smaller, to hide in myself. This new wave of vulnerability had come over me too quickly, gripping me like the tentacles of an all-powerful beast.
But I wasn’t alone! The two guys were here with me, probably staring, gawking at a broken queen. It was hard to tell; darkness was thick here. I could see nothing beyond my own dirty skin. My legs were tainted with purplish splotches, bruises that couldn’t go away soon enough. The taste of blood that was not my own was stuck on my tongue. I needed to rinse it away, suffocate myself with cleansing meat.
They would think so little of me now. My First Servant has seen weakness. How can I expect him to be loyal to me now? I was nothing but a dirty, disgusting demon…
I was back in that room again. I was a monster, wearing the clothes of the inmates I’d killed, spotted with month-old blood, made to be an animal in a zoo for others to gawk and laugh at. It had happened again! Only this time I had spectators worse than just a few humans to see me in this mediocre state.
What would Draak think? Would he deem me unworthy?
No… none of that’s true. I nearly screamed when I heard Draak’s voice. He hadn’t disconnected yet. Had he heard all of my self-pitying woes?
Serenity. You’re not… unworthy. None of what happened was your fault. We don’t think any lesser of you. Well, I don’t. You’d have to ask Chi.
Has he… Has he said anything? I asked. Never before had I worried so much about what he thought of me. But I’d never had a reason to! Before, I was something to be admired and respected. But now…
Chi was vocal when we first arrived. Angered… nearly enraged by what was done to you. Now he is silent… he’s said nothing about belittling his thoughts of you, though. I wouldn’t worry.
It’s hard not to! I snapped. Lucifer made a fool of me… and the things he said… they may just be petty insults, but they’re driving me mad. I explain. Why is everyone claiming that I’m not worthy of the royal title, that there are others that are better… why?? If so many people seem to think it, people of higher authority, than it must be true, mustn’t it!? I’m just a filthy demon, bred from humans. A genetic mistake! I’m not what they make me out to be…
That isn’t true, Serenity. Royalty seeps off of you. Demons can feel it. It has to be true. Draak assured. But I found it hard to believe him.
I have to find out. I need to know if these terrible things they say about me are just hateful lies… or terrible truths. I think… I think it’s the only way I’ll feel worthy again. Or if what they say is true… I’m not sure what I’ll do. I sighed. I would have to find somewhere to hide… I could never show my face to my demons again if they knew of the lies I’d told them.  
I would stay with you. Draak murmured softly. I don’t care whether you’re a Queen or not. It makes no difference to me.
You’re just saying that to lighten my mood. I accused.
No, it’s the truth. I already know you’re a strong person, whether you’re the most royal of all demons or just a human with a strange genetic problem that’s given you horns. I don’t care what you are, just who you are. he finished. Draak had moved closer to me, his stony silhouette just visible in this inky gloom.
You really mean that? You’re not just trying to manipulate my emotions?
Of course not! Draak growled, offended by my accusation. I’m not a demon! There are such things as good intentions, you know? he snapped, turning away. An awkward, tense moment passed between us.
Draak, I’m sorry. I finally mumbled. But you have to admit, your kind is a rarity. I’m not used to… people caring about me. As melodramatic as it sounds, is it not true? Since birth I’ve been neglected, tormented… for a moment after I had defeated the Bringer I was hailed as a victorious warrior, but when the famine began demons had made me their scapegoat. It was my fault there wasn’t enough food. And now… if I wasn’t the submissive pawn Lucifer wanted me to be… he still had other uses. I shuddered.  
Believe it or not, Serenity, there are people who care about you, and I’m one of them. Draak sighed. More quietly he murmured, I’m not the only one, either. Before Draak could finish his thought, Chi made himself known.
“Guys. I think I might’ve found a way out. Come here.” he said. His voice didn’t carry well in this oubliette, but we heard him all the same. Chi was crouched in a corner, his glowing tattoo illuminating his silhouette. He was staring down what looked like a makeshift tunnel, only a few feet wide.
“Looks like someone made their way out.” He mumbled.
“But it’s so small.” Draak lamented. “None of us can fit through… whatever demon managed to scrape their way out before must have been smaller. We could spend the rest of our lives trying to make it bigger. I’m sure some have wasted their lives on such a goal.”
“Wait though, it might not be useless.” Even in the dark I could feel Chi’s gaze on me. I cringed away. “Axis has a smaller form. I bet she could fit… could get out and figure out another way out of here. There’s gotta be some way out. I mean, the King’s strong, but could he build a place like this without a door, or an exit?”
“Probably not. Is it true, Axis? Do you have a form that could work?” Draak asked. I noticed he still called me Axis around other people. If he must call me Serenity, at least he had the decency to call me by the atrocious name in private.
“It’s true… but it might be a tight fit.” I admitted, staring at the hole. “Are you sure this’ll hold? That it won’t collapse?”
“It hasn’t collapsed yet, and who knows when it was first burrowed.” said Chi.
“I… guess that’s a good point.” I sighed. “Alright, fine.” Soon after I changed my dirty, beaten body into the prehistoric, spiked quadruped. It was definitely going to be a tight fit, leaving me an inch or two of leeway.
“Okay… I’ll see what I can do.” I murmured.
“Be careful. Come back if something bad happens.” Draak offered.
“If you can come back at all.” Chi added dryly.
“Not helping.” Draak snapped.
“I’m just gonna go now.” I sighed, slowly crawling into the tunnel.
It was dark and tight even after just a few feet in. The tunnel had a slow, upward incline that was difficult to traverse. The fact that I could barely see only made the tunnel worse.  It was unevenly carved: at some points I had room to spare, but more often than not it was a tight squeeze. I had to crawl with my belly dragging against the ground while my spikes scraped against the ceiling. Every time they did, little bits of dirt would fall on my back. I would freeze, wait a few seconds, and tentatively continue.
No more than an hour had passed, yet it felt like I’d been crawling all day. Just how far down were we? Was I even going the right way? There was no possible way to identify up from down in these tight quarters. I noticed with uneasiness that the tunnel was getting tighter, leaving barely any room to move. My spikes were now making trails above, causing a constant rain of dirt that still unnerved me. But what was even more unsettling was that I could no longer move backwards. If I tried, my spikes would get stuck, like the quills of certain demons. They drove themselves into their prey, and only stuck tighter when you tried pulling them out.
Despite the fact that my goal was to get through the tunnel, the fact that I had no way of going back if I had to made me all the more nervous.
When things began to crunch underfoot I only became more tense. The smell of decaying flesh, of rotting bones, filled my nostrils. A quick glance downward proved my fears: whatever had initially dug this tunnel had died in the process. This would not have been so bad if it didn’t mean I was faced with a wall and no way out.
Would I die here with my skeletal companion?
Who knew how far I was from the surface? It could take me days to claw my way out, and with no food or blood to drink, I would surely starve before then. This was the death I had always predicted for myself: to starve under captivity. I would die here, skin hanging over my ribs, matted with dirt.
I would die dirty.
No! I didn’t die the last time I was stuck in such a dire state I managed to get out then too! I can’t die here! I refuse to fall… to fall when I’m not sure of myself. I need to know first whether or not I truly am dirty on the inside, or if all of the things told to me are lies. Only a weak, dirty-blooded demon would give up now!
Soon my claws were scraping through the ground, dirt pelting me from above. I scraped blindly, eyes firmly closed to not get any debris in my eyes. I had to squirm like a worm to get through, in too much of a hurry to make an adequate tunnel. I kept up my ragged pace for another half hour, clawing at the rocks that were becoming looser and looser. Then instead of rocks and dirt I was digging through sand. The sand was actually harder to dig through than the rocks: it seemed like every claw of sand I pushed away, more sand had easily replaced it. I had to really push my way through, but soon enough I could make out the dim light of Amailia. Further fueled by this sight, I lunged through the remaining sand, pulling myself out of the barren hell.
I was even more lost above ground than I was below. Though I knew I was in Amailia by the illuminating firelight, I had no idea where. The devil city was clearly to the west of me, and not too far away were hazy structures that seemed to shift often. Whether they were mirages or truly shape shifting, I was unsure. Then to the east was  a long, wall-like castle that stretched from one end of Amailia to the other like a giant barricade. Judging by the sheer size, I had reason to believe this was where we had been previously taken.
But what caught my eye the most was not the massive castle or the morphing structures, but the blazing Lavafall just a short walk away. The blazing lava fell from the land above, splashing into a lake full of the molten liquid. From there, a river flowed, creating a nice mote before the long castle. But who cares about the river when, if I squinted, I could see the skies over Demos from here? We’d finally made it!
Wait. I’d finally made it. My two companions were still below my feet somewhere, slowly rotting in the hidden dungeon. I could leave them if I so wanted, and they would never even know. They could assume I’d died while trying to tunnel out, and they wouldn’t blame me.
I could start fresh, without the burdens of the two demons who knew of the dirt under my skin. I’ll find another demon to help me out of this mess, one who will be loyal to me without question.
But…
I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. Draak cared about me… and I think… I cared about him too. After all he had done for me, and for me to abandon him for the sake of my own pride?
How could I forget Chi either? My faithful First Servant for many years now! I even had an inkling he didn’t mind me either.
What kind of terrible person would I be to leave them behind? After all they’ve done?
With a sigh of guilt I began to backtrack my path from the surface, searching for the familiar minds of my companions. My path took me back towards the fearsome castle and close to the hazy structures that I realized really were changing. The structures turned out to be walls creating what I only imagined was a massive labyrinth. It would be impossible to find the exact location of the underground dungeon’s entrance if it was within the labyrinth.
Luckily just as I was approaching the walls, I sensed the minds of my friends below. With the relief of a starving demon falling upon a half-eaten corpse and the excitement of a treasure found I connected minds to the nearest, which happened to be Chi this time.
Huh? Who the hell…?
It’s me, Chi. Thank the gods I’ve found you! I was nearly laughing with joy.
Where are you? Above?
Yes… There has to be a way for you to get out somewhere… I’ll keep you posted, though it’s hard to stay connected through this distance. I admitted.
okay, I’ll tell Draak. Typical of Chi, he disconnected soon after.
I began my search of the premises, hunting the sands for clues. I didn’t stray too far from the two minds below, afraid to lose my spot. I checked the walls for secret levers or buttons, sniffed out anything suspicious. In the end, I found nothing obvious, and was left with only one option: to dig. If I was at all lucky, this would lead me to a door, a key, anything!
So I began. I briefly explained the situation to Chi while I began the difficult task of digging through the sand. It was one thing to dig up through the sand, it was another to dig down. I had to made a wide hole just so the sand would stop refilling, taunting my hard work. It was easiest when the sand became dirt. It gave way to my claws with ease and did not dare refill like the meddlesome sand. But the dirt soon became dense and difficult.
My arms were getting tired from all the digging, and my back desperately needed a break. But my friends needed me! I couldn’t rest now… not knowing they could starve, or even suffocate.
Both Chi and Draak were constantly checking up with me, almost sporadically as time ticked on. They were anxious to be free, just as I was anxious to save them. But it was impossible to tell just how close I was to their cell. Chi told me he could hear me, but with his sensitive hearing he had been able to hear me even before I had started digging, and therefore his methods were not a good judge of distance.
Eventually, just as I thought my arms would fall out of their sockets from the effort, I felt something much harder than dirt strike my claws. After trying a few more times and failing to move this tough object, I looked more closely. Whatever I was striking, it was metallic.
More carefully now, I dug around the metal object. It was soon apparent the metal was part of a long, thick chain. I assumed (and hoped) the chain was somehow connected to the oubliette, and continued to dig carefully around the chain. The long lifeline must have been at least six feet long, which meant I had to dig more or less six feet more. Finally, I found that the chain was connected to a hatched door of some sorts, shut tight from the compacted dirt and rust. I imagined that the only way to open the door was to pull on the heavy chain somehow, a task I did not take on willingly.
Be strong, Serenity. Your task is almost done. Draak assured.
I sure as hell hope so. I sighed, gripping the chain in my powerful jaw. Slowly I began to walk backwards, trying to get my footing on the narrow hole I’d crafted. But it would be impossible: too fascinated with the chain, I had forgotten to widen my hole. I would have to jump just to get out, with or without the heavy chain.
We have a slight delay on my part… I sighed. <Architectural flaws… this’ll take some time. Just hang in there guys.
Chi says to hurry up, and that’s he’s hungry. Draak reported, somewhat bemused.
He’ll have to hang in a bit longer, I’m afraid. I cut the connection from there, getting to work on making an easier slope. It wasn’t as hard as I had imagined, though it did take another half hour. But I had been thorough in my work: the slope of my makeshift ramp was easy and forgiving. The guys wouldn’t have to do much work in getting out either.
I didn’t bother in alerting the men when I first began to tug on the chain again. If there was another wall that I had failed to see, I didn’t want to get their hopes up first.
The chain was just as heavy as I had feared. Every muscle in my body ached as I forced it higher, away from the rusty resting point. The dirt that clotted the links made for an even more difficult challenge, and by the time I was half-way out of the hole my muscles were screaming with pain. After that half-way mark, every step felt like another mile. Though I was awarded with the wonderful sound of metal being moved: the hatch was beginning to open!
Soon after, I saw a white, dusty bone stick between the opening of the hatch, prying it open. Next a swirl of grayish-green shot out of the oubliette like a bullet. In shock I let go of the chain, which hastily closed the hatch. It snapped the bone holding the hatch open like straw. But that didn’t matter anymore.
Draak landed smoothly before me, Chi sitting comfortably on his back.
“Thank… the gods…” I murmured. My voice was dry, coated with dust and dirt. I collapsed to the ground, tumbling slightly back into the hole before a rugged claw grabbed my tail and yanked me back out. Draak stared at me for a moment, taking in my poor condition: there wasn’t an inch of my white fur left: all of it was covered and clotted with dirt. My claws were cracked and also needed cleaning. Draak grunted, perhaps out of pity, maybe even anger, and lightly placed me on his back as well. Chi looked down at the mess I’d become and frowned shortly.  
“You need a bath, Axis.” He grinned, and wrapped an arm around my dirty waist as Draak took off.
“Where…?” I asked quietly.
“To get food.” he said simply. This response was good enough for me: exhausted beyond the point of explanation, I slept deeply in Chi’s cool arms.


Several hours passed while I slept, maybe even a full day. Much to my discomfort my muscles ached even more now than they did before, as is customary with aches and pains. But one pain I did not suffer from was hunger. Where Draak had managed to find humans in this desolate place was beyond me, but I did not question the hand that fed (though later I found out Draak knew of a small group of humans that had managed to escape Demos far before I had come into power. They’d found a way to thrive here, near the premature valley. Draak had once stumbled upon them when he was exploring. He promised not to tell his ‘premature friends’ if they allowed for a sacrifice every now and then. This promise was actually suggested by the humans, not Draak. Reluctantly he had accepted it, thinking it could come in handy in times like this. It was the first time he had come to claim a sacrifice.)
While I slept, Draak had taken the liberty of cleaning some of the dirt out of my fur. It was a useless, futile task considering the dirt would have been much easier to remove had he just waited for me to shift back. When I had changed back, I felt even more dirty than before. The dirt had stained my skin an ugly brown, had made my hair greasy and knotted. Embarrassed, I found a secluded spot to cleanse myself of all the grime that had accumulated on my once perfect skin.
With no use for water, demons cleansed themselves with liquefied demi, just another skill I had up my sleeve. The liquid-cool substance burned away the dirt and germs, revitalized my dry skin. The cracks and cuts that had formed melted away.
But even after the demi had done it’s job, had washed me clean, I still felt the dirt under my nails, the bruises on my skin… and the dirty blood flowing through my veins.
I walked back to the guys, currently speaking of different mythical beasts and if they believed they existed.
“Okay, I know dragon’s exist. That one’s a given. But unicorns?” Draak asked.
“Oh fuck no. But I think the Pegasus exists…” Chi shrugged. “But a horse with a horn? Come on now, that’s almost as stupid as a three-headed dog.”
“But okay. You’re a demon. I’ve heard tale of a strange chimera-like beast with the head of a man, a cat, and a frog, but the legs of a spider…”
“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never seen anythin’ like that.” He grunted.
“Fine, fine… but what about the elusive Sea Dragon Spirits?” Draak asked.
“What’s that?” I asked, entering the conversation and sitting down.
“They don’t exist.” Chi grunted.
“Fine, but what are they?” I asked, curious.
“Supposedly, Sea Dragon Spirits, or S.D.S.s are beings that look like humans on land, but when they enter the water they turn into sea dragons. It’s even said if you kill one, you’re granted eternal power.” Draak mused.
“Really? They sound interesting… if I ever met one, and killed it…” I grinned at the promise of eternal power.
“Don’t get too excited. I hear they’re incredibly rare, and only found on Earth anyway.” said Draak.
“Oh… not worth the conquest.” I said firmly.
“It doesn’t matter. They don’t exist.” Chi assured. “Look, now that Axis is back, can we just go back home already? I kinda miss it.” He sighed, looking up longingly. “Plus they must really need us up there. So let’s go already, okay?”
I cleared my throat anxiously.
“Yeah, about that…”