Chapter 57: Demon

Kira

I finished drawing the circle in blood. I added a delta for the power transference then placed the rune for connecting to the demon realm. I didn't have a specific demon in mind, but most of the demons had a square in their rune, so I just drew a square. The whole thing looked very empty, but I was getting a little woozy from lack of blood.

I set some beers in the circle then stood at the circle's edge. "I, Kira Hatfield, summon a demon." I paused. It sounded so absurd, but that is exactly what I wanted. "Any demon. I can give you a bit of my energy and free rein on the Earth for..." I paused in thought. "Ten minutes. I offer up alcohol for your delight. Please, I beg you, grant me your presence. I will let you drink beer and wreak havoc on this bar."

For a moment, nothing happened then the drying brown blood flared green. Yellow smoke billowed up from the floor. The smoke formed a figure then it popped into existence as a solid form. The demon was huge. His skin was orange with giant grey horns and spikes sticking out of all over. He held a giant maul.

"I heard there was a party!" the demon's voice boomed.

I nodded. I couldn't quite find my voice. A part of me was shocked this even worked, the other part was half terrified he'd kill me on the spot.

He looked around. "Ah, let me do a little pre-gamming. He stepped out of the circle. With one clawed hand he poked a hole in the top of a full sized keg, With the other, he lifted it in the air and drank. The beer flowed into his mouth like a waterfall as his throat opened wide.

I finally found my voice. "Umm... excuse me. Aren't we supposed to make a deal?"

When the keg emptied, he smashed like an empty solo cup and threw it to the side. "You offered beer. That is all I need." He bent down for the next keg and ran through three more of these in a similar manner. When he was finished, he wiped the foam from his lips with the back of his scaled arm.

"Where's the party at?!" He bellowed.

I clasped my hands to my ears. When he looked at me for the answer, I pointed to the door. "Through there."

"Awesome!" He drew back his heavy maul and smashed the door open. "Bros! Let's party!"

I stood behind the smashed door and the gaping hole in the wall. The demon stomped forward swinging his hammer back and forth at everything.

I saw Matei look up from across the room from a table. He held the book in his hand. His face went from horror at the demon to pure rage when he looked at me. "Fuckin' witches," he yelled, "Kill the demon!"

Wooden splinters of chairs and tables flew through the air. The pool table was cleaved in half. Men and creatures of all sorts scurried about trying to jump on him and hold him down. I scooted around the edge of the destruction, trying to avoid the collateral damage of the battle as I crept towards my real father.

Matei saw me coming. He shoved the book in my bag, hoisted it over his shoulder, and darted up the stairs.

I took cover under the bar as I waited out the fight. Some strange looking creatures with blue grey skin and pointed tusks coming out of their mouths seemed to be holding their own against the demon. It was like they didn't feel his punches, or at least weren't hurt by them. The demon flung them against the walls. They slid down then got up and ran at him again. Six of them clung to the spikes and horns as they smashed their fists into his scaled hide. The demon screeched and bellowed as he spun, trying to fling them off.

I took this chance to jump out from my hiding hole behind the bar. I went for the stairs. Just as I took the first step, the stairs in front of me splintered into pieces. A giant maul lay in the middle of the staircase.

The demon looked down at me. "Where are you going little lady? The party is just getting started."

I grimaced. "You just keep on having fun! I just need to go to the ladies room."

"I don't think so. Every party needs some dames. Get up there and sing!" He scooped me up in one arm. Three of the blue grey creatures still clung to him, trying to make their blows do some damage. The demon deposited me on the counter of the bar with more gentleness than I expected. "Sing!" He bellowed.

"Umm... I don't know how to sing..."



Lanie

I skirted the edges of the parking lot to the bar. A row of motorcycles filled the parking spots. Several leather clad giants guarded the exit. A few were humans, but one actually was a giant. Another was an orc. His tusked teeth protruded from his lower jaw. I still wasn't used to seeing that in real life. I slipped through the bushes and around the side of the building. There didn't seem to be any windows. All the openings I did find were closed over with grates and bars.

I returned to see a bald man with a backpack revving up the engine on a motorcycle. Five men hopped on motorcycles and did the same. They took off down the highway. Something loud and deep was screaming from deep inside the bar. The men, orcs, and giant had all disappeared.

I crept closer. I poked my head in the entrance. The bar on the main floor was full of the usual crowd. They had drinks in hand and were talking while listening to what I guess could be called the most current music. I'd never heard it before. I walked down the hall towards the bathroom. Thumps and booms sounded. The floor vibrated. I came up to an open door with stairs leading down.

"Get up there and sing!" a deep voice came from down the stairs. "Sing!"

Then a familiar frail voice hit my ears. "Umm... I don't know how to sing..."

I sprinted down the stairs. A huge hammer lay in the middle of bits and pieces of wood which, I assumed, used to be the rest of the staircase. I saw the Horage Demon. I slapped my hand to my forehead. She was resourceful, I'd give her that much.

Kira was standing on the bar. The Horage Demon was fending of two giants while three orcs held on to his back. They were stabbing his with knives, kicking, hitting, and pounding him with wood. None of that was going to work. The demon was clearly drunk, which meant he was practically invincible and didn't feel a thing. He was about to turn on Kira though if she did start meeting his demands.

"I don't know what to sing. I can't really," she was mumbling. Her eyes never left the demon.

The demon's eyes never left Kira, even as the other creatures wailed on him. "What do you mean? It's a party! Music! You must sing!" He bellowed.

Somewhere deep inside I summoned up some fitting lyrics to a song that used to play on the radio. My voice came out quiet at first, then started to find the rhythm and became clearer. "I'm comin' up so you better... you better get this party started. I'm comin' up so you better you better get this party started."

Kira's panic eyes found mine. I nodded, trying to encourage her to sing. Maybe she didn't know the words.

"Get this party started on a Saturday night, Everybody's waitin' for me to arrive..."

Kira's lips moved along with mine.

"Yes! Yes! That's it! Music!" the demon bellowed.

He surged forward, knocking two giants to the floor. He picked me up off the stairs with his demon claws and set me down on the counter next to Kira. I gave her a wink as I continued on with the upbeat song.

"Sendin' out the message to all of my friends, we'll be lookin' flashy in my Mercedes Benz." I started clapping to the beat and dancing on the counter.

Kira tried to mimic me, but had no rhythm and no moves. I couldn't help but laugh. My lips kept singing the song as the demon smashed around with his retrieved hammer. One by one, the orcs, giants, and humans fell. By the end of the song, the Horage demon stood in the middle of the bar area surrounded by his destruction.

"More! More!" He turned raging yellow eyes on us.

"What does he want?" Kira asked as she jumped out of the way.

I danced off the counter as the hammer came down in the middle it leaving a body sized hole where I had just been standing. "To party!"

"How do we get him to stop?" Kira said from across the room while she dodged a body slam.

"Did you give it a time limit?"

"Ten minutes."

"Then we have to wait it out!" I spun and darted to the left as I stayed of the demon's radar. He was going straight for Kira. She tried to move, but her body was so slow. It was painful to watch.

The demon smashed a table. The leg of it spun in her direction, knocking her to the floor. He stomped forward raising his hammer to smash her. She looked up at him with frightened eyes. Those grey eyes, my eyes, frantically searched for me.

I had to do something before my twin was smashed. A song popped into my head from earlier today. I just hoped it would work.

"I met you in the dark, you lit me up," I sang. "You made me feel as though I was enough. We danced the night away, we drank too much..."

The demon swayed. He forgot his target.

I stepped forward continuing the song. "When you looked over your shoulder, for a minute, I forget that I'm older."

I closed the distance between me and the demon. His eyes were fluttering.

"I wanna dance with you right now."

I held my hands up to dance with the demon as he swayed. I held his claws.

"Oh, and you look as beautiful as ever, I swear that everyday'll get better."

The demon drifted and tilted as we swayed back and forth. His hulking form collapsed as his knees buckled. A loud roaring breath escaped his nose and then another. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.

Kira picked herself up off the floor. "What is that?" She whispered as she approached.

I removed my hand. "I think he's snoring."

Her mouth quirked to the side in amusement. "What do we do with him now?"

I shook my head. "He'll go back on his own. I think we need to get out of here right now."