by T5
The Grey Waste: a place of dust-covered plains, where resided the souls of the angst-ridden, suicidal beings that had decided on hot sweaty nights that life was no longer worth it.
Very little disturbed the tranquility of the dust-laden air, and no visitors from other domains ever came here: too gray and dreary. Even demons who fed on the misery sweat glands never came here: too boring.
A small soul drifted apart from the others, mentally wailing over its plight. Feeling sorry for oneself was the main cause of membership in this domain of Hell. Eternal angst combined with an repeating score akin to the music of Klaus Schulze was what kept this place in motion.
The vortex that appeared sent panic among the souls. Change. Change could be dangerous. Change brought new decisions, and those could be fatal if you chose the wrong one.
The souls scattered like herrings, so they missed the fiery entrance of Ma Kalunga, Mr. Smith, Zveidi, and Naecken, who was now transformed into his red incarnation, signifying hellfire and light. His demon self had awoken in the torturous moments on the trident Kalunga had made.
The screams from Smith and Kalunga matched the forceful crash into the dust-laden ground. Naecken was laughing at their anguish, while Zveidi quickly focused on where they were.
From afar, giant footsteps could be heard, drumming the ground like pistons. Whoever or whatever it was, it was running toward them, and it was huge.
The misty clouds of drifting dust made it impossible to see further than a mile, but a dark shape over sixty feet tall was coming toward them.
It was the huge body of a Tauromorph that appeared before them, and a growling sound from its deep chest made the travelers look at each other in surprise.
Naecken said, "He must think we are simple mortals that have just arrived here after our deaths."
Zveidi replied, "Hmmm... yes. I will teach it some manners." Zveidi prepared a rather nasty spell, when suddenly the host of the Grey Waste appeared.
"That is not the way to treat my loyal subjects, dear Zveidi. You know that. And who are these companions of yours?"
"Lord Milan, we mean no disrespect. I didn't know you were awake at this time of the day," answered Zveidi with a smile, simultaneously sending the spell forward so that thousands of spiders emerged from the ground to eat the colossal Tauromorph.
Lord Milan watched as his loyal subject was eaten by the spiders. "You know that loyal subjects are rare, my dear Zveidi. That was not a necessary thing to do, was it, hmm?" His gray skin and tired eyes made him look old. But his sharklike teeth showed them that he was no one to be trifled with.
Zveidi walked toward him and said, "I have a gift for you." She winked her right eye and pushed Naecken forward. The demon who was now in control of the composite being known as Naecken pretended to be a little scared.
"Aha... an ambitious aspirant." He smiled, showing his razor sharp teeth to Naecken, who recoiled at the sight.
Naecken said, "Please, my lord, I will be your humble servant. Don't harm me, and I will give you a gift as well."
"A gift from a lower-caste demon?" Milan's white eyebrow arched in surprise.
"Yes... a secret, the secret that all demons desire." Naecken managed to give him a conspiratorial look, as if the others were not worthy of listening to this conversation.
"Very well, little demon. But remember, if I know the secret or find it uninteresting, I will kill you for wasting my time." He leaned closer to Naecken, who came closer and prepared to whisper in his ear.
Naecken cupped his hands and whispered, "Die, loser..."
A jet of piercing hellfire shot through the demon-lord's head, splitting it in two, with both parts sizzling while the fire consumed the flesh.
Zveidi prepared to defend herself by morphing a poisonous tail like that of a scorpion.
Naecken said, "I finally return, and this is the welcome I get. Hmm... It's time I reintroduced myself to our Master." And with that, he flew off into the horizon, leaving the now-shocked Kalunga and Mr. Smith with Zveidi.
"Okay, time to go home," said Zveidi. "You can come with me and prove your worth."
Ma Kalunga bowed. "As you wish, Mistress. I am yours."
Zveidi turned toward Mr. Smith. "Well?"
"I suppose it's better than to drift out here alone, with no way of getting home," he said, shrugging.
"Your siphoning powers could be very useful to me," Zveidi said with an encouraging smile.
"They could?"
"Yes... much more than in your wildest dreams."