Demoness 2 - Chapter 77 - Demons and Traps (Patreon)

The chicken demons all laid down, their feathers ruffling as they settled into the muck. The command worked better than Elania had imagined it would.

They all seemed calm, and much less murderous. She didn’t even need to keep pressing [Power] into her [Demonic Aura] to maintain it.

“Well, that’s great and all,” Yolani said, her voice echoing off the narrow walls, “but now we’ve got an additional problem. The path’s blocked, and I don’t think anyone’s keen on walking through that mess, behaving or not.”

Elania nodded, her brow furrowed. The soldiers shifted uneasily, their eyes darting between the demons and the darkened tunnel ahead.

“Why are they listening so well?” Yolani asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elania shook her head, just as perplexed. Even after she let up on her [Demonic Aura], the creatures maintained their docile behavior. It made little sense.

“Maybe...” Elania hesitated, the words feeling strange on her tongue, “maybe they were trained?”

Yolani raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on her face.

Suddenly, a prick at the edge of her [Demonic Aura] set Elania on high alert. She squeezed Yolani’s arm lightly in warning. “Something is coming.”

At the intersection behind the chickens, a figure emerged from the shadows.

Elania squinted, barely recognizing the filth-covered demon. Tessa’s red eyes glowed in the darkness, her maid outfit completely missing, replaced by nothing but a layer of grime.

“Leave my babies alone!” Tessa screeched, her voice reverberating through the sewers.

Elania and Yolani shared a confused glance, their eyebrows raised in unison.

The chicken demons, as if on cue, began to screech and run back to Tessa, their little feet pattering against the damp stone. They danced around her, huddling close as if seeking comfort.

Tessa’s arms wrapped around as many as she could reach, her eyes never leaving Elania and Yolani.

“Your babies?” Elania asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

Tessa nodded vigorously, her matted hair bouncing with the motion. “Yes, my babies. I found them, lost and alone.”

Elania’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation.

She glanced at Yolani, who seemed just as perplexed.

Taking a deep breath, Elania stepped forward, her hands raised in a placating gesture. “We didn’t hurt your babies... much. They were just a little too eager to greet us, and we had to discipline them.”

Tessa hissed, her arms tightening around the demons as she stroked their feathers. The chickens cooed, nuzzling into her touch.

Yolani opened her mouth to speak, but another sharp hiss silenced her. Elania’s eyes narrowed, and she flexed her [Demonic Aura] heavily, the power rippling through the air.

Tessa flinched, her eyes widening as she sensed the shift in Elania’s demeanor. The chicken demons scattered, their feathers ruffling as they darted behind Tessa’s legs.

“If you threaten my human again,” Elania said, her voice low and dangerous, “I’ll end you and your chickens without hesitation.”

Yolani tensed at Elania’s side, her cheeks heating in the dim light at the mention of ‘her human.’ She glanced at Elania, a mix of surprise and something else flickering in her eyes.

Tessa’s gaze darted between Elania and Yolani. “You should be free,” she said, her voice rough. “Not tied to a human.”

Elania shook her head. “I’m not chained by my contract. It’s a mutual one of friendship.”

Tessa didn’t respond, her eyes narrowing as she studied the guards behind Elania and Yolani. “Too many humans in the sewers now,” she said, her voice echoing off the damp walls. “You should go.”

With a final hiss, Tessa and the chicken demons bolted down another corridor of the intersection, their footsteps fading into the darkness.

Elania turned to Yolani. “Please tell me that’s not the way we have to go.”

Yolani shook her head, relief washing over her face. “No, we’re good. We need to go the other way.”

Elania nodded, her shoulders relaxing. She glanced back at the guards, their faces a mix of confusion and unease.

“Let’s move,” she said, her voice echoing through the tunnels. “We’ve got a job to do.”

With a final look at the corridor where Tessa had disappeared, Elania turned and led the group deeper into the Slum district sewers.

It wasn’t that much longer before they found their destination and prize.

Something bothered her, though. Tessa’s parting words echoed in her mind. The mention of other humans in the sewers set her on edge, a nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“Yolani,” Elania said, her voice low as they approached the final cache, “Tessa mentioned ‘too many humans,’ but we haven’t seen any at all. And we’ve been down here for hours.”

Yolani nodded, her hand moving to rest on one of her wands. “Agreed. It’s been too quiet. I expected to see a slum-dweller or two, at least.”

The men gathered the ammunition, their movements efficient and practiced. Elania and Yolani kept watch, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of trouble.

This cache, the furthest they’d ventured from the Magistry, lay on the far side of the slums, bordering the Syndicate district. Hours had passed since they’d entered the sewers, and hours more stretched ahead for the return journey.

Yet, not a single human had crossed their path.

Elania’s instincts screamed, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She snagged a bag of shock crystals from the cache, hooking it to her belt.

Yolani raised an eyebrow, her gaze questioning. “Why those?”

Elania shrugged, her fingers brushing the rough fabric of the bag. “They could be useful in a fight.”

A smirk tugged at Yolani’s lips as she opened a box from the cache. She plucked out a half dozen fully charged mana shards; the crystals glinting in the dim light.

“Wouldn’t these be better?” she asked, holding them out to Elania.

Elania grinned. “I’ll take all the pretty gifts from you I can get.”

Yolani rolled her eyes, but a smile played at the corners of her mouth as she handed over the shards.

With everything packed, they prepared to leave; the men shouldering their loads. But as they turned to go, Elania’s intuition proved correct.

A paladin emerged from the shadows, his armor glinting in the faint light. He stood before them, blocking their path, a short sword and shield drawn and ready.

“Behind us!” one of the guards shouted, his voice echoing off the damp walls.

Elania spun, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. More figures appeared, their weapons glinting menacingly. They were surrounded, the realization hitting her like a punch to the gut.

It had been a trap, and they’d walked right into it.