That's So Wizard

Chapter 69 - Monster Party

Far from the prying eyes of man, lost in the never-ending wilds of Canada's outskirts, in a place animals dare not even roam, was a single cave among the rocks. It was an ordinary cave, but the contents within were what brought danger. Past the entrance, a tunnel descended, and then opened into a large expanse within, but it was far from vacant. Basic furnishings were set, from chairs to tables, and upon the walls were sconces that held eerie blue flames which emitted no heat.

Skello, as mostly skinless as he was, clicked along the stone with his skeletal feet, following along with a tap from the bottom of his scythe as a walking stick. The woman he was following, the one with purple hair, horns, and the rest, introduced herself as a demon. He pondered. Had he seen a demon before? He wasn't sure. All he knew for certain was she must be really partial to purple, though he didn't argue, as he felt the same.

"Not the most glamourous base, I admit. But you make sacrifices to get what you want. At least it's bigger on the inside," she said.

They weren't alone. First, there was a black-haired, scantily clad woman with dark grey skin. Next, a tiny black creature with clawed fingers, horns, and teeth like daggers. It glared at Skello with cat-like eyes. There were noises from deeper on, like monsters lurking in the depths of the Earth, but somehow it was the demons uncomfortable with Skello's presence instead.

"You found another one?" Rend, the smallest creature, asked with an idle lashing out of his tongue. "I thought everybody who escaped came straight here with you."

The woman's violet lips turned to frown. "I thought you stopped questioning me."

"It was just a question," he mumbled.

"The more we have on our side, the better chance we stand. This is Skello. Truthfully, I don't know if he's a demon or not, but his talent for killing is impressive. He's just a little odd. So unless he turns against us, and this goes for any of you, he's with us."

Skello bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I like taking kidneys, eating babies, and long walks on the beach. I hope we can get along this year~!"

Zayna, the succubus, exchanged glances with Rend. All demons were chaotic, and strange in their own ways, but something was off about this zombie. Though what the woman said was true. They did need the numbers.

"What a freak," Rend muttered under his breath, and then proceeded to flick his tongue up to touch his own eyeball.

With a boney finger, Skello scratched down over the front of his skull. "So, what are you all doing in here? Some kind of party?"

The woman crossed her arms. "Demons can't exist on Earth. We're all escapees from the Demon World, and we don't want to get dragged back. So, we've banded together here. My idea. In numbers, demons are ultimately powerful." She clapped her hands. "Ivar! I need your help testing our new recruit."

"Testing?"

"I don't know what you are. I don't know what you can do. It's time to fix that problem."

Slow, reverberating thuds echoed up from deeper in the cave. With each step, it became louder, as the creature came closer. Soon it came into view. The beast was nine feet tall, wide, and looked to be made of a pale material similar to stone. Two beady red eyes shone in the dimly lit cave. As it approached, it clenched its fists, and stared down at the robed skeleton.

"This is Ivar," the woman continued as she moved to the wall. "He's one of our physically strongest members. If you can't survive a few moments with him, you're useless to us anyway. If you are a demon, let's see if you're as sly as one."

Skello offered out his hand. "Hello. I'm—"

But his introduction was cut short. The beast slowly brought back his fist, and before he knew it, the fist was firing itself down towards him his a stone from a catapult, a meteor falling from the sky, or... a fist coming from a really big guy.