The Mage of Stonewall

Chapter 4: Crippled

How does one etch time onto an invisible wall? Nothing to scratch, means nothing to see, nothing to keep track of.
Much harder to see out of one eye.
I subconsciously rubbed the black leather patch over my right socket. Strange, to know the eye is gone and still have itches in the back.
The door to the grand hallway opened, and Wistcoin strode in. I looked up from my position on the floor of my display through a half slitted eye.
The devil of a woman smiled as she approached my pedestal. She had her "specimens" on pedestals with invisible walls, for maximum viewing from every angle.
"And how is my favourite demon doing today?" she asked in a high tone.
I snarled at her with sharp incisors.
She feigned surprise. "Why, Razeal," she exclaimed, using the name she had given me, "how rude of you!"
She reached towards me, unaffected by the fake walls. "I think you need to be punished again."
With a quick motion, she grabbed one of my horns and broke off a third of the tip. I gritted my teeth, but I did not allow her the satisfaction of my cry of pain.
She twirled my horn tip between her fingers, laughing. "You look battle-worn without this horn tip. It makes you even more valuable! Maybe we should go see your wife, hm?"
I growled in a low tone, refusing to speak yet making my feelings perfectly clear. If this woman even went near Rikati, I would send her to the deepest of pits imaginable.
I was lost so deep in my thoughts I didn't notice Wistcoin had left the room. I scratched my wing, more out of boredom than anything else. I didn't even know how long I'd been here, but it was too long for me. My mind felt sluggish, yet I couldn't tell if I was drugged or the boredom was making me tired.
I yawned widely, my mouth gaping open to reveal my sharp teeth. Those were a new development. However much time has passed, it was enough for these sharp little incisors to push out my normal teeth and poke out from my upper lip. The two molars still lay at the bottom of my invisible cage.
My mind wandered again, this time to Rikati. I didn't know where her cage was, and Wistcoin didn't seem inclined to let me know anytime soon.
I was startled out of my thoughts again as the floor rumbled slightly, and a familiar, brutish face peered into my display.
"Demon boy, what happen to you?" asked Choga the ogre.
I spoke in a rasping tone, as I had little reason to talk in here. "Your master broke off my horn for looking at her funny. A real saint, that one." I let a small bit of a grudging tone into my voice as I spoke.
"Choga is sorry," the ogre said, "that master is so mean to demon boy. Choga really likes you, you is kind to Choga."
It was true. Whenever Choga walked by, I would engage him in pleasant conversation. He always seemed happy for the distraction from endlessly patrolling the hallways, filled to the brim with Wistcoin's 'collections'.
"Choga," I asked, "does anyone actually get out of here? Does Wistcoin get bored and let some of these creatures go?" I was hoping that if I was boring enough, I could get out of here and break out Rikati.
Choga shook his head. "Nope. Master never lets anyone leave, not even Choga. If she gets bored with thems, theys left to stinky-stink and Goombada's hug."
I shuddered. I had very little knowledge of ogres, but I knew enough to know that Goombada was their Goddess of Death. Choga was essentially telling me I'd be here until I died. Not a happy thought.
I massaged my broken horn, where a small itch was making itself known. "Choga, would you help me escape?"
He stared at me, his face hard to read, but the reaction of bewilderment was easily readable. "Es-cape?"
I rolled my eye and made a little motion with my hands, like a shadow puppet of a bird flying to freedom. Understanding dawned on the ogre's face, and after looking around hurriedly for eavesdroppers, he nodded.
I broke into a devious grin. "Okay, I need you to convince her to let me out of here, even for a few minutes. Can you do that?"
Choga nodded again, then lumbered away. I stood up and kept myself alert for either Choga or Wistcoin's return. The only thing to do now was to wait, and hope for the best.

Way too much time had passed for my liking. I had to sit and wait, listening to the collective groans of the other creatures on the pedestals. The boredom of it all was mind-numbing, and I was afraid that if Choga did come back, I would be asleep. If that happened, I swore that I would break off my other horn for being so dumb.
Creeeeeeeak....
I looked up from my boredom at the noise. It was the door opening. Hope fluttered in my chest. My chance to escape!
My heart fell instantly as I realized it wasn't Wistcoin or Choga, but a Silver Bladesman. He had a broadsword strapped to his back alongside two miniature crossbows at his belt. The sword - which looked more like a cleaver - was made of solid silver, and resembled a sharpened cross.
The warrior looked around cautiously, golden eyes peering out from beneath his conical helmet. No wings in sight. Great, I thought, a greenie. He must be some poor farm boy that got talked into a line of "noble work". It was all a load of demon dung.
The boy's eyes suddenly focused on my, and he started striding towards me confidently. "Well well, what have we here?" he asked in a singsong voice. I gritted my teeth at the sound.
"None of your business, shiner," I growled, using the underworld slang for his organization. "Leave me be."
I caught the glint of way too bright teeth from behind the helmet. "But then I'd be deserting my duty to destroy all unholy beings!" He drew one of the crossbows and levelled it at my face. "Pray tell, before I kill you, do you have a name? I need bragging rights for the tavern."
I smiled evilly. I could humour the kid, I guess. "The Demon of Stonewall," I replied in a low, mocking tone.
The grin grew wider at the name. "Good. Those gleaming pricks will take me a little more seriously if I kill you. Prepare to die, monster!"
He squeezed the crossbow trigger, and I waited.
Nothing happened.
Gleaming beads of sweat shone from underneath that silver helmet. "I...uh...any second now...." he stammered. A second later, the crossbows string snapped with a twang!, sending the arrow spiralling out of the nock onto the floor. I couldn't stop myself from letting loose a low chuckle.
"Real scary demon hunter, aren't you?" I mocked. I felt no guilt at the man's increasingly red face. He intended to kill me, so failing and being teased is the least of his worries.
He drew his sword. "I didn't need that crossbow anyway! I'll kill you with good old fashioned silver to the heart!"
He swung angrily, yelling at the top of his lungs. I watched the glittering silver blade descend on me. I counted down in my head.
Three...
Two...
One...
Clang!
The sword reverberated as it hit the invisible wall of my cage. The vibrations went all the way up the Bladesman's arm and up to his helmet, making a noise like a child banging on pots. I could see his golden eyes rattling around in his head. I clutched my stomach in uncontrollable laughter.
"You are....the worst....Bladesmen I've seen!" I cried out between fits of laughter. "Tell me, did Wistcoin send you here to get a reaction out of me? It sure has worked!" I broke down into more giggles and guffaws. A little part of me was complaining about Crowley dignity, but this Bladesman was too funny for me to listen to it.
I was rolling around on the floor of my cage, still laughing. The Bladesman looked indignant, which only made me laugh harder.
"I..um...ah....oh, damn it," he stammered. "Look, can you just cut yourself and say I did it? I don't want to fail another mission."
I stood up and wiped the tears from my eye. "Another? You mean you're this funny all the time?" I let loose a small chuckle, but I was now intently listening.
The man's cheeks flushed red. "No! I hunt those in the night, not make them laugh!"
I spread my palms in a gesture of helplessness. "Well, sorry pal, but I'm stuck in here. Until I get out, you'll have to postpone your little crusade. Capishe?" I cross my arms and stare at him.
The Bladesman retreated slightly under my red-eyed gaze. "Fine," he muttered, "but as soon as you're out, I'm killing you. Impaled on a cross."
I chuckled at the irony and sank back down. "Now get out of here, you'll ruin my escape. Scram!" I suddenly burst out, scaring the Bladesman into motion. He was suddenly out the door in no time, the polished wood slamming behind him.
Well, that certainly was interesting, I thought. I leaned my head back against the invisible walls and sighed. At least if my plan failed I would have gotten a good laugh out of it.
Time passed by at a snails pace, or maybe it just seemed like that. Either way, when Wistcoin walked through the door, my heart lifted in joy for once at the sight of her. Had Choga done it?
She walked over to my display case, her long skinny legs making her look like a flamingo that had learned to grow arms. Wait, that made no sense. Never mind.
Wistcoin looked down her beak of a nose at me. "You're lucky, Razeal. Choga has given me a guilty conscience for keeping you in here, and I'm going to let you out for some fresh air." She glared at me and took a puff from her cigar. "Be warned, the second you try and leave, Choga will knock you out and put you back in here. Got it?"
I nodded, smiling inwardly.
She poked the air, and I saw a shimmer like a mirage on all four sides of me. The shimmer disappeared as fast as it had appeared. Hesitantly I thrust my hand forward, expecting it to smash against the wall. Instead, my fingers soared through empty space. My euphoria went to cosmic levels. I leaped down from the pedestal and landed on the floor in a crouched position.
Wistcoin looked down at me. "Well? Satisfied?"
I forced my grin away as I looked up at her, dressed her in furry pink coat and floppy hat.
"Very," I murmured.