Information
Enoki the Matrimonial Spirit
Evalys
The
Common DonadakOwner:
JokerAge: 3 years, 1 month, 2 weeks
Born: March 29th, 2021
Adopted: 3 years, 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Adopted: March 29th, 2021
Statistics
- Level: 1
- Strength: 10
- Defense: 10
- Speed: 10
- Health: 10
- HP: 10/10
- Intelligence: 0
- Books Read: 0
- Food Eaten: 0
- Job: Unemployed
You'd never mistake it for a mortal's bedroom though some of the furnishings are similar. A four-poster canopy bed with dusty spiderweb curtains imported from the sixth level of hell. A smoking mirror that gives the viewer either a distorted reflection or a view into parallel realms. A desk scattered not with cosmetics but with the ingredients for spell work.
Evalys sits in a chair carved from the bones of a giant. She gazes into the mirror not seeking anything in particular but open to the possibility of a viewing. She is never one to turn down potential prey. Mortals are always catching glances at the other realms though most are unaware of what they are seeing. The more ignorant they are, the easier the prey. A great hunter can sustain themselves on easy targets but a skilled predator always prefers a genuine hunt. Her preference is a mortal that dares to look back. They may be magically gifted or only vaguely versed in the ways of the realms. All will be lured by her powers of seduction but susceptibility greatly varies from person to person. She is a seductress but she is not a mindless sex machine. The feeding she has to earn increase her power tenfold. This is the way of the Enoki. Her people. Denizens of the fifth circle of hell.
Clouding on the surface of the mirror. A summoner stretching their mental muscles. A novice in the ways of magic and the many beings capable of tapping into this great force.
She smiles, the purple flames that serve her for hair flaring in excitement. This will be fun.
Sweat pours from the face of a young mage. His eyes light up in excitement as he realizes his success. Evalys' voice is a purr when she speaks the traditional words of greeting.
"Thy will is strong and thy circle well formed. How may I serve you?"
His chest pops out, his self-importance sickly strong. "Tell me shade, how may I obtain the key to the silver gate of the third circle?"
A slow smile spreads. Already, there is a mark on his soul which she will be able to exploit as she aids him on a quest that is doomed for failure. It is the usual way with mortals. They truly believe they can obtain great power without consequence. He may learn the error of his ways but it will be too late. It's already too late. He is hers. He just doesn't know it yet.
"I know the way, master. It will not be an easy journey. I can give you a map that resides in your mind. You only need invite me in."
He hesitates, as all mortals do. This one has no strength of will. There is only greed and lust for power. The first payment is a sliver of his soul. He'll hardly miss it. He is dazzled by the image she paints in his mind. The treasures he dreams of, they do exist. Not even a wizard of the highest order has a hope of achieving them without a guide capable of moving through every circle of hell. Weariness forces him to end the spell but he will return.
The weak minded always do.
The Scarlet Skeleton
Her first encounter with Avantika was purely coincidental, though it led to an adventure she would not soon forget.
She did not often travel by ocean, but when she did she like to find the most luxurious vessel available. In the waters of the Pearl Coast, that vessel was The Scarlet Skeleton. It was a large merchant vessel that did not skimp on creature comforts. True to its name, the decor was done in bold shades of red and gold. The crew slept in true bunks, not the usual hammocks seen on lesser ships. Meals were cooked by a fully trained gourmet chef. The ship had an atmosphere of wealthy youths enjoying all the best features of a summer night.
Evalys approached the young Ifrit captain warily. She could pass for a tiefling readily enough on the surface world but was always cautious in the presence of other wielders of magic familiar with the circles. Her people typically worked well with the ifrit but when any two cultures clash, there are bound to be feuds. Always better to err on the side of caution.
The price was reasonable enough. She might have been satisfied to simply reach her destination and go her separate way had she not overheard the first mate bragging about just what it was the ship was seeking.
The Frostlight Gemstone. An artifact of great magical power that could give a ship the advantage in Arctic waters. Not even a demigod with dominion over winter could stand up to the artifact. Evalys had no interest in the gem itself but was well aware of its potential value. This crew would pay handsomely to possess something that gave them such an advantage in a part of the world where trade routes could mean life or death.
She asked for a private word with the captain. Avantika didn't need much convincing when Evalys came clean about who she was and what she could do. It was a secret that would not be shared with the rest of the crew. Their pact was sealed with blood and magic.
The path to the gem was laid out in an old manuscript that had to be kept within a preservation bubble, lest it crumble and fall apart. There were three challenges facing would be adventurers who sought the gem. The Breath of Winter. The Ice Maze. The White Desert. All were contained within the land of Frysteja, a frigid white wasteland where only the most tenacious forms of life survived. It was a suicide mission for any mortal, and even immortals had been known to be caught in the ice traps laid all over the bitterly cold landscape. Lesser deities and demons were into in great chunks of ice that even dragon fire would struggle to melt.
They crossed the jade channel, stocking up on tropical fruits and salted fish for the long journey ahead. Most of their journey would be on open ocean, full of monsters nearly as old as the realms themselves. Among these was the titanic iliann, similar in appearance to an eel with venomous spit that could be projected up to 60 feet and eat through the hull of a ship in mere minutes.
Avantika had not reached her station by letting such threats frighten her. The ship was fitted with devices part mechanical and part magical that emitted a horrible sound too high for most ears. It was the only thing known to stop the attack of the iliann.
That was only the first day of their journey.
They crossed swords with Anadius pirates that could slip into suits made of sharkskin that repelled all magical means of attack. They slunk past the nests of the great Mujinni flock with a wingspan so large it could blot out the light of the sun. They even crossed the Dead Channel where thousand ships had sunk in one battle. The superstitious members of the crew held lit candles until the dark waters of the channel were no longer in sight. They would later swear they could hear the weeping ghosts in the far distance.
Frysteja proved as formidable as stories portrayed. Even with the best tundra close money could buy and spells toward against the cold two crew members were lost when the vicious Breath of Winter drove them from the correct path and into the gaping maw of an enormous ijesaur, a prehistoric monster that looks something like a cross between a dragon and a rhinoceros.
Evalys took the lead in the Ice Maze. Among her magical abilities was an uncanny talent for always selecting the right path. She had studied long and hard to perfect her navigation spell. It was gratifying to see that hard work pay off.
The White Desert with a seemingly endless stretch of snowbanks through which prowled ice demons that could take the shape of anything from a great cat to a swarm of tiny stinging insects. Whatever the form, they were ruthless and lethal. They fed on life force, making immortals a particularly valuable form of prey. Members of the crew began to disappear one by one until it was only Evalys, Avantika, the first mate and two ifrit with fire magic strong enough to make the ice demons wary.
The cave containing the gem was a giant ice slide. The sudden drop in ground sent the greatly reduced crew flying down a sharp decline with snarls of surprise. Holding the gem between frozen fingers was a frost giant so full of malevolent energy that even Evalys shuddered. The creature looked solidly trapped but the explorers were taking no chances. The fire mages took up protective stances on either side of their captain. Avantika, whose own talents were considerable, coded her blade in glowing red flames that seem to reflect in the Giant's dull eyes.
The gem came free with a crack that sounded like the breaking of the world.
Ice began to run down the Giant's body in rivulets. An unearthly moan shattered a thin layer of ice laying over the ceiling and walls of the cave. Stalactites long as daggers plunged down from the ceiling, impaling the icy floor. The mages didn't hesitate, throwing their full power directly at the giant as they retreated hastily toward the mouth of the cave.
Giants are naturally resistant to magic. This one was no different. He bellowed a challenge, tugging impatiently at the ice that still in case his feet. Evalys hit him with a confusion spell that bought them time enough to reach the border of the White Desert. They could hear the pounding of giant feet as they returned to the maze. Evalys' guidance spell was still running, giving them easy markers that kept them well ahead of the giant. Despite his massive size, he had a brain roughly the size of a pea. While he could step over the walls of the maze with the ease of a child picking his way through scattered toys, he brought his feet down on jagged chunks of ice as often as smooth ground.
He stood on the shore and bellowed a challenge as the Scarlet Skeleton made a hasty retreat through the frozen water. The gem cast a blue light that melted just enough of a pathway for the ship to get through. Avantika saw to it that her weary mages were well fed and ordered them to bed. She paid Evalys from her own private stash of treasure, giving her a cursed necklace that would allow the bearer to see through any enchantment. Such curses were meant for mortals. To Evalys, the curse was no more than an annoying tingle on her skin. It was a worthy reward, one that convinced her she would be happy to lend aid to the Scarlet Skeleton should her services ever be required again.
Hell's Library
Rellholdt had numerous locations for the study of magic, but none was more valued or impressive than the Great Library.
Tomes penned by the first of the enoki were among the rarest and most valuable books in the collection to be found among the polished onyx shelves. Magic topics ranging from alchemy to zoological morphing were housed in a great dome of a room that put all mortal temples to shame.
Evalys was seated in the alcove she favored, a stack of books within easy reach. She was intent on learning all that she could about the spell she intended to perform. It was a higher level of difficulty than she had yet tried, one that would require a complicated assortment of ingredients. Success could mean gaining a level and improving her status. Failure could be catastrophic. The punishment would not be trifling. She would most likely face amputation, reducing her magical abilities and forcing her to focus on regaining the lost part of herself or learning to live with a prosthetic if she could not. It would not be the death of her magic, but it would be a frustrating setback. She was not one to submit patiently to setbacks.
The spell in which she bent her full focus was a disintegration spell that would allow her to eliminate any enemies within a 20 mile radius. She had been gathering the ingredients for months. These were not your garden-variety Dragon heartstrings or bits of enchanted dust. They were ingredients that had sent her to the remotest corners of the realms at great personal risk. Each component of the spell had to be completed at a specific time, under a particular phase of the moon or within an exact time range. One mistake - one tiny error - would render the whole thing useless and bring down punishment most severe.
She was coming into the final stages of the working but there was one final element she would not attempt without being completely confident that all her preparations, measurements and translations had been accurately done.
Hence, the library.
Demitrius had helped with some of the initial research. An enoki librarian with centuries of knowledge and a photographic memory of every bookshelf in the place, he was an invaluable resource. She was always bringing him rare books and tomes from her many adventures, a way of thanking him for the many tips that had led her to just the right passage to complete her latest magic working.
The final details had to be worked out by the producer of the spell. It was a law of magic, the ultimate anti-cheating measure. Relying on another's interpretation of the final instructions on a spell would at best cause it to fail.
At worst, it would cause some very interesting side effects, few of them pleasant for the victim.
For three hours, she had picked her way through dusty leather volumes that likely had not been opened in 100 years. A small sound of satisfaction escaped her when she found the passage she was searching for at last.
Everything was a line just as it should be. Her spell would be a success.
A gentle tug on her skin was the appearance of a seventh eye, this one just above her navel. Eyes and wings could be gained through successful study. Such was the magical nature of enoki anatomy.
Her new eye ignored the slender layer of cloth that covered her body. The power it contained allowed her to clearly see to the other end of Rellholdt. A useful new tool. A mark of success.
She read the passage three times until she was sure she had it memorized word for word. She rose to her full length in a luxurious stretch, smiling and baring her teeth in a grin.
In that moment, past failures were forgotten and she truly felt invincible.
The spell concluded without a hitch. She gained two levels.
She no longer felt invincible.
She felt godly.
The Monster
She like to frequent Cyan's bar on those rare quiet days when no summoners came calling. It was the kind of place where old magic had settled into the very beams holding up the walls. It was also a place where brawlers learned why it's a very bad idea to annoy a dragonborn. Cyan was tolerant of a lot but she would not have destruction to her carefully tended bar.
Evalys was enjoying one of the dark brews popular with denizens of Rellholdt. It had a certain smoky kick that no one in the upper realms could truly appreciate. She sipped and listened casually to the conversations around her.
It was how she overheard a discussion that would lead to an epic adventure among the five best of her life.
Monsters aren't exactly a rarity in the lower realms. You've got your run-of-the-mill mythical beasts, your fairy born constructs and even the occasional demon spawn. Then there are the creatures you will not find even in the oldest tomes.
It was one of these awe-inspiring beasts that brought Shina to the bar that day. Her classic good looks and feline figure marked her as one of the Fae while the curling horns on her head bespoke a forbidden union between fairy and fiend. She moved with the sort of grace found only in dancers and warriors of great skill. There was no hesitance when she moved into claim the table she wanted. It would be available. She was simply incapable of doubting her abilities.
The trio of imps who had occupied the space cleared out, muttering under their breath. They did not offer a more obvious complaint. They were only imps after all.
Shina called up a communication spell, a small blue orb that hovered above the palm of her hand.
I've been on the trail of this monster for two weeks now. It leaves devastation and destruction in its wake. My supplies are low and every weapon at my disposal has failed to do more than annoyed this thing. I think it may be an Other. It is not of this world."
Evalys had heard of the Others but she had never hope to see one. It was said that even a flake of their skin had significant magical properties.
It was an opportunity she could not pass up.
She sauntered over to the stranger, wearing her most confident smile. "I'm in the business of hunting monsters myself. It sounds to me like you could use all the help you can get."
Shina looked her up and down. While Evalys was no bulging sack of muscles, she had a feline grace all her own and her weapons were well used. "What do you know of hunting Others?"
A male voice on the other end of her spell spoke a question. "Shina? Who is that?"
"A tiefling, by the look of it. She's in the business."
"Let me consult my Peoples of the Realm Guide."
Shina sighed. "Never mind, Adrion. They're a people with some magical skill. They're particularly resistant to fire."
"Well that would be useful."
"She can't be any worse than that braggart satyr who didn't know a lyre from a longsword. I'll be in touch."
"Alright Rookie. Here's what I've got so far. This thing has the size of a prehistoric creature, it can shoot flame from the horns on its head, the center of its throat and its four front legs. It has 12 legs in total. Its skin is tougher than the armor of most elf lords. The surface is also coated in an acidic slime that makes it more resistant to magic. It has the attention span of a flea but the temper of a dwarf with bees in his beard. It doesn't seem to have a purpose other than killing everything that moves. So far, it has wiped out three entire cities, without leaving a single survivor. I'm tired of digging mass graves. I don't just want this thing dead. I wanted reduced to a pile of ash in a smoking crater."
"Surely you can leave one of the horns intact. That's my asking price."
Shina thought it over for a moment. "Very well. We have a bargain."
The monster was not exactly a master of stealth. It left a wide swath of smashed trees and torn up ground. Despite its clumsy walk, it was surprisingly fast for its size. For three nights, they followed the trail by the light of day and strong hammocks in whatever trees they could find at night. The creature was nearsighted and too concerned with whatever lay in front of it to pay attention to any threats from above. Considering the thickness of the plates on its back, it hardly need concern itself with airborne enemies.
Evalys had seen bigger creatures, but the dillopede as they had come to call it was impressive.
"As you can see, this thing was formed to be almost impossible to kill. Adrion is probably the greatest expert in Others this side of the Aegion Pass. He tells me there should be a vulnerable spot somewhere between the ear holes in the joints of the neck but even with the thickest armor piercing arrows in the steady hand of a demigod it will take a lot of lock to make the strike."
Evalys was no archer but she could certainly serve as a distraction. The two ladies had gotten to know each other in their time together. Evalys had seen Shina shoot a pesky fly from the air from the far end of a common room. Shina had witnessed Evalys swinging her warhammer with all the fury of a tighten of old. They were a formidable duo and they knew it.
Evalys made every strike count, hitting the creature as close to its eyes as she could reach while avoiding the acidic backwash that sprang from its skin with every hit. The dillopede bellowed its rage. While the strikes did not do any lasting damage to its armor, blows of that magnitude had to hurt. The end of Evalys' hammer sizzled with a sound of raw bacon hitting a hot skillet. The protective spells on the head held but just barely.
Shina's first shot hit armor and alerted the creature to her presence. It talked its legs into its body and covered the vulnerable sides of its head with bony flaps that turned it into a massive wrecking ball that came barreling at the half elf with all the fury of a descending storm.
Shina leapt aside as Evalys came down with every ounce of strength in her body. She struck one of the flaps directly with her hammer. The creature was momentarily stunned, giving Shina the clear shot she needed.
It took Evalys nearly an hour to carve through the diamond-hard bony ridge that held the head horn in place. She burned her way through six pairs of dragon skin gloves and had to wrap her prize in an enchanted sack in order to neutralize the effects of the acid. For the first time since her earliest years of youth, she would have bruises to show for battle. Despite the victory, it was her sincerest hope that she would never encounter such a creature again.
As for Shina, the half-elf ranger's patience and persistence in the face of overwhelming danger had impressed her. The two would hunt together again.
Human Folly
The summoning was a gentle tickle in her mind, one impossible to ignore. She stretched luxuriously and rose to her full length, passing through the shimmering curtain portal as if stepping through a thin curtain of water.
The wizard on the surface plane was sweating profusely as his lips worked to form each hard-edged consonant. From the tattered state of his robe and the line of second-hand spell books on a nearby shelf, she gathered that he wasn’t very experienced. She spotted the error in his summoning circle almost immediately, a wicked smile spreading across her luscious lips.
She could have broken through with barely a whisper of thought but like a great cat, she preferred to play with her prey before consuming him.
“Evalys. Dweller of the lower realms and traveler in the nine circles of hell. I bid thee, do as I command.”
She inclined her head, ever so slightly, the picture of subservience. “How may I serve, O Master?”
The wizard’s young face lit with self-importance. He rattled off the list of goals he had been building in his mind since discovering his moderate skills. It was the usual lot. More gold than most dragons. Key spell components only the mightiest magic wielders could hope to acquire. The love of a beautiful sultan’s daughter.
He sank into the pit of her smoldering eyes with every word spoken, oblivious to his danger. The end of the witching hour was fast approaching when she made the suggestion that would seal his fate.
"Let me see your thoughts, my master. Such a mighty wielder need fear no danger from such a lowly one as me. I can find your strengths and shore up those places where your natural talents are not as strong. I can make you mighty as the White Wizard of Alcaron. I need only view the surface thoughts that any fool elf could glimpse, if she so desired. Give me permission, my master."
Her seductive voice was a drug, one that much stronger minds had failed to withstand. Her mind touch was gentle as a caress, yet it left a mark on the fool that he could not sense.
Even in sleep, his mind would subconsciously dwell on that invisible mark, keeping her in his thoughts though he was physically present only on the surface plane.
He summoned her weekly at first, his ego buttered by her honey-coated promises of wealth and fame. Then daily. Then twice a day.
He was too far gone to object when she did cross the line, fully materializing in his shabby workshop. Her smooth hands on his skin were as addictive as her sultry voice. They made love on the floor, scattering dust and cheap components from half a dozen failed spells.
He woke some hours later with a head of blue flame and fuzzy memories of cheap tallow candles, an Enoki fully realized, for she had consumed his entire soul.
First Seduction
They say you never forget your first.
That's especially true when you're an immortal.
Evalys could not love as mortal creatures do but her time spent winning the heart of Lilliver was probably the closest she had ever come to feeling something heartfelt. The young summoner had been neither male nor female and their fluid nature allowed them to take on pretty much any physical characteristic available to particularly skilled mages. Lill's semi-immunity to the enoki aura, the force that made them unbearably attractive to human beings, had made the summoner a welcome challenge for Evalys to overcome.
Lill was intriguing not only because she had a soul to be won, though. She offered something the young enoki had never yet encountered.
Curiosity.
Evalys had heard tales of the world above Hell but this was her first time actually seeing and hearing and feeling the many wonders of a plane inhabited by mortals.
Lill's workshop was neatly organized. Everything in its place. From some distant room came the tempting scent of freshly baked bread. Soft music was playing from the village square, a melody old as human speech, a lively tune that made one wish to get up and dance. Every object in sight was something new to categorize and question.
She had learned from enoki of great knowledge and talent. She knew how important her first seduction and devouring were.
Still, there was no need to be hasty. What is time to a being with all the time in eternity? She would enjoy herself. She would learn all she could gather from the mortal realm. Such knowledge could only make her better, stronger, more likely to succeed in future endeavors.
She asked for the names of things without even trying to brush the surface of Lill's mind. They would sense such obvious deception in a heartbeat. Gaining access had to be a game of mental chess, a slow process that was never heavy-handed but always subtle, tendrils of cobweb so fine as to be undetectable even by an aura-resistant mortal.
When she did get a taste of Lill's thoughts, it was sweet ambrosia that would make the drinks of the demigods taste like so much sewage and swill.
It was almost a shame Lilliver was fated to be devoured.
So gradual. So careful. Each feeding no more than a nibble of that life force that burns so briefly within a mortal vessel.
Yet the inevitable could not be postponed forever. The day came when Lilliver came to her willingly, accepted her embrace with a sigh full of passion and resignation.
Many millennia have passed and still Evalys longs for an opponent as worthy as her first.
The Scarlet Sails Again
The Frostlight Gemstone had given Avantika a distinct advantage over other merchants in her class. She had no shortage of business, nor a lack of crew despite the perils her ship seemed to face on a daily basis.
She hadn't forgotten how well Evalys had handled herself in the search for the ancient artifact. When she got her hands on a map of uncharted waters said to lead to new lands with plenty of trading opportunities, she could think of no one she would prefer to be watching her back.
Evalys, for her part, was having a slow week. The prospect of going anywhere that wasn't the same old underground view held great appeal.
The fact that one of the uncharted islands was supposed to be a gold mine of rare magical ingredients was an added bonus.
They started out on rough seas and all were abundantly glad they had a crew well accustomed to the moods of the ocean. There are few things in life more miserable than sharing a bunk in a tiny cabin with someone who is frequently seasick.
The first land they came to was too big to really be called an island. The people were wary of visitors but not unfriendly by any means. They shared a banquet with great platters of dates stuffed with strangely colored berries and meats heightened in flavor by exotic spices. Music proved to be made from great pipes in fantastic shapes that could wail and moan and whisper a haunting string of notes that stuck with the travelers through the night so they could not be entirely sure they had not dreamed the whole thing.
Like the shifting desert sands, their hosts proved to be unpredictable. They woke in a vast stretch of desert without so much as a single tent in sight. Their food and weapons had not been touched...but every last article of clothing except those needed for basic modesty were gone.
It took them the rest of the day to trudge back to the ship, rapidly burning through the sun protection potion that Avantika insisted they carry. Evalys gave the astonished guards aboard the ship a look that could crush a mountain to pebbles. They wisely chose to say nothing as the annoyed exploration party whisked aboard and sought their traveling trunks.
Smaller islands provided food and the occasional cluster of natives who would trade precious stones or hand-worked armor for rare finds from the material plane. Evalys was always within range when these transactions took place. She could smell a fake a mile away and Avantika knew by the narrowing of her eyebrows or the slight curve of her lips when she was being lied to.
A dormant volcano gave them a much-needed adrenaline boost when they stumbled on an ancient race that looked like a cross between baboons and warthogs. The underworld demi-demons were guarding a powerful ruby that gave off faint pulses of power. Evalys sensed it even before they had landed and convinced Avantika that where there was one powerful magical artifact, there were bound to be treasures worthy of a dragon's hoard.
Everyone came away from that encounter happy.
Except the monkey-hogs, of course. Their challenge screams could be heard for two full days after the Scarlet had abandoned the crescent-shaped island for the next unnamed cluster on the map.
When they finally came to journey's end, the ship was nearly filled to capacity but as Avantika boldly proclaimed:
"There's always room for one more bit of treasure."
Evalys placed a temporary charm on a simple burlap sack so that it could hold ten times the number of items typical for such an object.
It was a good thing, too. The island at the end of the ocean didn't contain a gold mine of magical artifacts as she had hoped.
It contained enough treasures to keep ten dragons happy.
The Scarlet groaned with the additional weight. Avantika's crew roared out victory songs well into the night, Evalys' voice among them. Some of the components she had found would earn her enough to buy a private library, if she so chose.
Even in a moment of absolute victory, an enoki's senses never completely relax. Evalys was the first to sense the presence of something...wrong.
Her quick reflexes were what kept the ship from being torn in half the first time the creature breached the water. To call it a kraken would be inaccurate, though there was certainly a great deal of squid blood in its ancestry. It could also boast features of a stingray, a killer whale and one of the giant sharks that were said to inhabit the oceans around the Gates of the Gods.
It was a creature pieced together not with the slow-moving tides of evolution but with a quick and careless stream of magic.
The creature had been made for the purpose of never letting anyone leave the great island alive.
The battle was long and bitter. Every wound by sword or spear would reseal itself within a few minutes of being made. Even Evalys' mighty hammer couldn't make a dent on that unnatural hide. Tentacles with fangs sprang out of the water faster than even an enoki's eyes could follow to gouge great chunks of wood from the ship.
In desperation, Avantika called on the power of the Frostlight Gemstone not to clear the ocean, but to freeze it solid in their wake. It slowed the creature but they could all hear a thousand hungry mouths crunching chunks of ice. Even the gemstone's power had a limit and this thing was a set of ever-hungry mouths.
Scowling, Avantika gave the order to dump their treasures overboard. At least the ones acquired on that island. No sense in throwing all their lives away. You can't spend riches when you're dead.
Evalys was glad to lend a hand...though she said not one word about the enchanted bag. It was heavily spelled against detection. The thing wouldn't outsmart enoki magic. She was confident of that.
She refused to take more than half of her share when the final haul was counted out. If Avantika had any suspicions on the true reason, she said nothing. Her crew was safe, the haul richer than any they'd ever known and the demon had been appeased. It was more than she had hoped to gain.
The two parted on good terms with mutual promises to join forces again when the opportunity arose.
The Hammer
One never knows when a small act of kindness to one of the Little Folk may lead to a repayment worthy of a demigod.
As a denizen of the circles of hell, Evalys wasn't known for her sweet temper and do-unto-others attitude but there are certain things that even she won't stand for. She hates traps in particular. She has been known to thwart the efforts of random hunters who leave their prey to linger in suffering hours after the capture.
So it was with the brownie. He'd been lured into a cage baited with wild honey, his shrill cries doing little more than angering the hounds of his captor. They could be heard in the distance, baying and scratching at the walls of their kennels.
The brownie cowered at the sight of a huge demon who could crush him, cage and all, with one swat of her hand.
"How came you to be trapped, small one?"
His wings fluttered uncertainly. "If I tell my tale, will ye let me free?"
"I pledge it on my magic."
It was about the only pledge one could trust when dealing with a demon. Even masters of deceit wouldn't mess around with their power, lest some more powerful spirit decided to punish them for an oath breaker and drain some of their magical knowledge.
"It were like this. I was on the lookout for a new home. Me old one did me great offense, you see. Tried to give me clothes of all things. I wouldn't stand for it! I was closing in on this lovely colonial place when I saw a flash of light that quite drew me eye. A tiny dwelling, it were. Filthy but full of potential. How was I to know a trap had been laid by a great slob? He's trying to find a wife, he says to me. If I tidy his hovel, he'll let me go right fast. Only when the work was done, he tossed me back in this vile cage and left me for whatever hungry fox might happen along. Scoundrel! May he never know the embrace of any but an ogress with a temper!" The brownie spat on the ground to seal the curse.
Evalys tried her best to keep the amusement from her face as she snapped the door free with the barest effort of will.
I shan't forget your kindness, Dark One. It will be repaid to you tenfold."
He zipped away in a flash of light, wings moving too fast for even her eyes to follow.
She thought nothing more of the incident until a mysterious messenger showed up on her doorstep a few weeks later.
He was a goblin stooped with age and decked out in a master blacksmith's rich purple robes. He bowed so low, his nose almost touched the ground.
"For your kindness to the least of my subjects, a weapon worthy of a warrior of skills both physical and magical."
The brown paper fell away to reveal the most beautiful war hammer she had ever seen.
She took it up in delight, giving it a few practice swings. It was an extension of her arm that seemed to know her thoughts before they had registered in her mind. It would become a symbol of her legacy and save her life many times.
No act of kindness is wasted. Even the least of the fae can bestow a gift befitting a king to show gratitude to those that pluck them from the path of danger rather than merely stepping over them.
The Call
Immortal summoners were on a whole other playing field from mortals who were potential prey. When a Devil Lord calls your name, you answer that call no matter what you're in the middle of doing.
Evalys still had her mortar and pestle in hand when the summons came. Lord Vyriel's flaming eyes passed over the objects in her hands and dismissed them as insignificant.
"Enoki...you will serve my purpose and be amply rewarded."
She bowed until the flickering tips of her flaming hair were nearly touching the ground, waiting for him to continue.
"I seek the Stone of Souls from the Vault of Five Thousand Deaths. You will help me acquire it."
"Yes, my lord."
A creature with that much magical gusto needed no paltry laws of physics when he traveled. He simply willed them to the ninth level of hell and they were there.
A vast portion of his considerable powers were seized when they passed through the gate. The entity that oversaw the gate didn't bother to take such precautions with Evalys...her magical knowledge was nowhere near strong enough to pose a threat to the highest ranks of demons.
The bridge was a narrow ledge of brimstone with sixty-foot flames framing either side. Though the path was barely wider than her feet, Evalys never hesitated or took her gaze from the distant platform. Foul winged creatures rose from the flames with shrieks of challenge. Those stupid enough to get too close plummeted back to the depths with crushed skulls or broken wings. Evalys struck with the instinctual knowledge of a warrior well versed in the use of her weapon. Lord Vyriel flicked a contemptuous finger when a creature was fool enough to get within a few feet of his person. Though his magic was reduced by half, there were still few opponents that could withstand a direct magical assault of his caliber.
When they came to the first obstacle, Vyriel was the knowledge base and Evalys was the willing pair of hands that shaped a spell capable of subduing the powerful stone guardian set to prevent the passage of all but the most powerful mages. Malevolent green eyes tracked their progress as they continued down a hallway that was dark but for the light of a thousand candles.
A troll the size of a stunted giant bellowed a challenge. His thick hide was nearly immune to magical attacks and only the strongest physical blows would capture his attention.
The strike of Evalys' hammer had him roaring in hatred. Vyriel dazzled the brute with a light show that had him swinging at the empty air.
The second portal required a depth of attention even denizens of hell found challenging. There was a pattern on the door, a sort of maze that had to be manipulated both physically and magically. It took Evalys two tries even with guidance from the Devil Lord. They passed through just as a club the size of a castle tower came crashing down behind them.
The final room was small and poorly lit. Only one candle illuminated the door to the Vault. It was a simple stone door that might have been carved from the bedrock of the first planet ever created. A single ruin was painted in what looked like dried blood.
Blood magic.
The most difficult type, more likely to end in the death of the practitoner than in success. Evalys knew the theories but had not yet attempted a spell that required its use.
However, she had never been one to back down from a challenge.
The incantation began as a low murmur, with Vyriel's whispered comments on the lowest levels of her thoughts, guiding her and adding strength at any point when her voice faltered. The chant went on for hours, sometimes rising in pitch, sometimes seeming to break off as Evalys' voice fell to a pitch too low for even immortal ears to pick up on. Her flaming hair was burning low, her body covered in sweat as she shouted the last three syllables in a commanding tone that resembled thunder from a thousand sources.
A knife flashed. Her blood struck the ancient stone with a sizzle. Each droplet was greedily devoured by the entity that was older than the time stream.
The door glided open silently, allowing Vyriel to step forward.
Evalys was too weak to follow. She could only wait in nervous anticipation as Vyriel collected the artifact he had long coveted. When he emerged, his eyes gleamed in triumph.
The passage back to the third level was shorter. The lower circles had much-reduced security...and none of their defenses could touch the full powers of a Demon Lord.
Evalys was just grateful she hadn't been forced to find her own way back. High-ranking denizens could be forgetful like that.
Vyriel bestowed a tome of rarest magical incantations, a gift well worthy of the dangers she had faced. She couldn't wait to share it with Demitrius.
After she'd mastered the spells herself, of course.
Story by Pureflower