Demonsong: Part Three

by dragonsfang

The Great Beasts

Incubus glared at the Demons passing overhead from her hiding place in the brush; the two Lupes growled and lashed their tails angrily, cleary not enjoying having to constantly go into hiding whenever Demons passed.

"I do not like hiding whenever one of those beasts passes, Incubus. I would rather bite off their heads," one of the Lupes growled.

"I know, my friend. But we cannot attack them just yet," she replied, rising to her feet and shifting her grip on her spear. She looked skyward and saw a fair of multicolored Dragonets chittering and swooping helplessly in the sky, their keening cries causing Incubus and the Lupes to cover their ears to try and block out the shrieks.

"Their owners are gone," Incubus murmured. "The Demons destroyed them."

The Dragonets keened once more and settled into the trees, suddenly silent and watchful. Looking up, Incubus and the white Lupes saw another horde of black Demons soar serenely overheard; they were acting as if they had already taken over Neopia, but the war had just begun. Leaping onto one of the Lupe's back, she pointed her spear toward home, and the Lupes leaped forward, followed by the fair of Dragonets.

The Dragonet fair swooped into the cave before Incubus and the Lupes, but, instead of their usual aerial antics, they merely perched on the ground and rocks and regarded the Lupe Tribe solemnly and silently.

"This war has changed everyone," Incubus said as she slid off the Lupe's back. "We have to find some way to stop this Arising!" To emphasize her point, Incubus slammed the butt of her spear into the stone ground, and the Dragonets echoed her cry with shrill bugles and keens.

"How do we do that? There are far more of them than us," one of the Lupes said, growling and bringing his jaws together with a click.

"Then we find a way to defeat them," Incubus replied. Her greying eyes swept over the walls of the cavern, across the racks of weapons, pelts of animals, and boxes of spells. No ordinary spell would vanquish a Demon, for only the spells from the Plane of Ultimate Good could destroy a being of Darkness. But the bearer of the spell had to be as powerful or more powerful than a Demon, and the creatures that once were the mightiest beings on Neopia were long gone.

"If only the beasts of Old Neopia were still alive…" Incubus suddenly slammed the butt of her spear into the stone of the floor, startling both Dragonet and Lupe. "That's it! Where are the Resurrection Spells?"

One of the Lupes walked to the back wall and lifted a leather box from its perch on a shelf. It carefully placed the box in front of Incubus, who picked it up just as carefully and studied the gleaming gold padlock that held it shut. She took the key from the other Lupe, fingers shaking slightly. The Dragonets chattered uneasily and quietly, disturbed by the fear-tinged thoughts coming from both human and Neopets.

"Outside, so that there is enough room," Incubus said, turning and sweeping out of the cave with the Lupes and Dragonets following her closely.

Incubus placed the leather box upon a flat-faced rock and inserted the key into the lock, then, after a deep breath, twisted it. The top flung open as the lock slipped aside and a cloud of silver mist rose from its interior to take the form of a pair of swords with blades overlapping.

Raising her spear, Incubus began the spells. "In the days of Old, there lived great and god-like beasts that could destroy the Demons, or so I have been told. I call upon thee, great beasts of Old, to return to this time and join me." An explosion of white light blinded the girl for a moment, but when it cleared, she saw that her spell had worked.

A giant fiery bird with spectacular plumage and long tail feathers floated in the air above them: the Phoenix. A beast with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of serpent stood crouched before them, smoke trailing from his nostrils: the Chimera. A giant black wolf with gleaming red eyes stood beyond the Chimera: Fenrir. Pegasus hovered next to the Phoenix, and the Griffin was perched upon a giant tree stump. The Centaur and the Unicorn stood off to the side, and the Hydra towered over them all, eight heads cocked and all eyes focused upon Incubus.

Fenrir stalked up to the girl, eyes gleaming redder than before. Why have you called upon us, girl? We were enjoying things in the Afterlife. Fenrir, stop pestering the girl! She must have a good reason for summoning us, the Griffin bellowed. She opened her golden wings and glided over to Incubus, neatly landing in front of her with cat-like grace. Tell us, child, what is your name?

"I am Incubus, and I have called you here for a reason of great importance. The Demons have returned to this world, and are trying to take over Neopia again," Incubus said without hesitation.

The Griffin's reared back onto her back paws, talons spread wide and wings flared. The Hydra bellowed from all eight heads; the Chimera trumpeted, and the Unicorn and Pegasus let out terrified screams. Fenrir howled, Phoenix shrieked, and the Centaur was the only one that remained silent.

"It had to happen sooner or later; the ending of the Period of Peace. We enjoyed a time when we didn't have to fight Demons, but now our legacy to protect this world has once more arisen with the Demons. We must fight," he said, looking at each of the Great Beasts in turn.

The Phoenix nodded her great plumed head. We vowed to protect this earth long ago, and we are bound to our vow by Blood. We cannot break a Blooded Vow.

"Then so mote it be," the Hydra said from one of its heads. "We return to fight the Demons, and not stop until every last one of them is eradicated!" Its wings opened to their full eighty-foot span, and it keened to the skies with all eight heads. Its brassy voices were joined by the calls of the other Great Beasts, along with the great white Lupes howling and Dragonets adding their tenor voices.

Incubus sat on Fenrir's back, spear in hand and white Lupes bounding on either side of the great black wolf. The Chimera, Centaur, and Unicorn kept paced ranged out around them, while the Phoenix, Pegasus, Hydra, and Griffin soared overhead, along with the giant fair of Dragonets flitting between them.

"There! That's where we last saw them!" Incubus said. She pointed with her spear, and Fenrir leaped forward, far faster than either of her Lupes. He sniffed the great fissures in the ground carefully, lips tugging back from his fangs with inhalation.

Yes, and they headed westbound, as they always do. We need to intercept them before they wreak more havoc among this world, the giant black wolf growled.

"Then we must hurry if we are to catch them," the Centaur said. The Great Beasts began racing westward, with the two white Lupes trailing behind them, straining to catch up. Incubus swung her spear back toward them, and Fenrir, having learned to follow her spear, turned and crouched down to allow the two Neopets to leap onto his back. Then he wheeled and in three bounds was once more in the lead of the Great Beasts.

There they are! the Phoenix shouted.

Looks like it's time for some Demon flaming, the Chimera said, gouts of flame already expelling from his open mouth.

The Great Beasts emerged in silence from the forest, and all motion stopped. The Demons turned and faced the Great Beasts, while the Great Beasts regarded them in silence. The final battle was about to begin…

To be continued...