(TFT) SOLO III, 020

["David Michael Grouchy II" <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

Solo III
Demon World
Part 020

    The eating hall is empty except for you and Rebecca.  "The boy was 
clearly possessed."  She takes a step back as though he is still in front of 
her spewing curses.  "I imagine everyone up there is."
    You hang you head a bit.  "I could see the kid still trapped inside his 
own eyes."  You look right at Rebecca.  "He did want to be rescued."  You 
shake you head.  "But I imagine the demons can see what he sees.  So 
bringing him here would be a mistake."
    Gail, Ada, and the girls haven't made it back yet.  They still have 
most of an hours walk along the underground river.  Rebecca makes a couple 
of cups of water and sits at one of the tables.  The two of you talk.
    "Is there some way to de-possess him up there, before bringing him 
down?  Like cleansing."
    Rebecca shakes her head.  "There are a number of spells missing from 
your library.  Disolve enchantment is one of them.  We need a copy of the 
spell before any of us can learn it."
    She gives a sad kind of smile.  "I asked you that once.  You also said 
that disolve takes almost three times as much strength as cleansing."  She 
sighs.  "So even if we had it, we would need a room full of people just to 
cast it once."
    "How did I get here."  Rebecca furrows her eyebrows at this.  So you 
rephrase "I mean this place, hidden on the island.  How could I set all this 
up without the demons catching me?"
    "Oooh."  She smiles faintly.  "The demons were not always here.  You 
don't look it because of all the elixers of youth, but you are very old."  
She takes a deep breath.  "The demons arrived eleven years, three months, 
four days ago.  They quickly took over the island, and in the subsequent 
years the oceans."
    "You saw the road of fire that runs away from the island over the sea.  
With those they cut up the sea so no ships could pass without bursting into 
flames.  Unless it was one of the Demon's own iron ships."
    "Cutting off the mainlands from each other, the cities were next.  Over 
the past ten years they have been subjugating the larger cities on the 
different main lands.  They force rulers and kings to surrender their own 
children or the children of their subjects, and ship them back here.  Thats 
where you found me."
    "But you were here before all that started.  This island was a mining 
concern and you were an independant consultant.  One of many actually.  You 
told me the day the demons came up out of the mines, you lost many friends 
and some family.  But we are your family now, and one day you want to drive 
all the demons.."  Suddenly Rebecca's voice makes a decent impersination of 
your own "back down into hell."
    "So you see the demons have never known where you were.  But they would 
love to find out.  And they all know who you are."
    Gail, Ada, and the girls come walking in.  They are carring candles and 
look resplendent in their formal evening wear.  You ask one last question.
    "Why don't the run aways just lead them down here?"
    Gail answers this one.  "Because the labrynth is confusing and it is 
easy to get lost.  And there are enchantment on many intersections to make 
people even more confused.  Many of the run aways don't even make it to the 
surface.  But none ever finds their way back once they leave."
    There is a hard heavy feeling in the air.  But there is hope yet.  The 
children are learning.  And they are growing stronger.

David Michael Grouchy II
p.s. next week... taking the kids astral, and killin more demons.

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