demons and sense their positions. They’re stumbling around, lashing out at one another,
wild with blind panic. No threat as long as I remain up here. But others are coming. They swarm over the ruins of the chamber,
knocking each other aside in their eagerness to tear into me, the echo of their hooves ringing louder as they draw closer.
There’s strong magic in the air. I let a ball of power build in my fists and wait until the monsters are several feet away,
packed tight, focused on me. Then I let them have it, a blast straight down the middle, scattering them, ripping open stomachs
and heads, incinerating eyes, faces, and internal organs.
The demons screech with pain and anger, falling beneath the hooves of those behind them. One of the Sligstata hurls itself
at me, both sets of mouths gnashing, fingernails twitching. I pirouette away from it like a ballet dancer and land on the
opposite side of the chamber. My eyes have almost completed the healing process but I still can’t see.
“Protect yourself,” Art hisses. I was letting another ball of magic build in my hands, but now I divert the power to my eyes
and erect a wall of blackness. I see nothing but I know when the light flashes by the screams of the Sligstata.
One of the beasts must have expected the flash and guarded its eyes, because while the others thrash around and topple into
the chamber, it makes a beeline for me. No time to dance aside. Planting my feet firmly, I grab the monster by its neck and
hold its spitting mouths a few inches from my throat. The stench of its breath would floor a lesser mortal.
As I’m struggling with the demon, my eyes connect with my brain and the world swims back into sight. The Sligstata’s mouths
are closer than I thought. Gritting my teeth, I push hard and its jaws slide back. But it’s tenacious and my fingers are damp
with sweat and blood. In a few seconds it will wriggle forward and finish me off.
When I first tried to fight in the Demonata’s universe, I was so scared I threw up. I was ashamed at the time, but since then
I’ve learned the value of a good stream of vomit. I send a magical buzz down my throat and a wave of digested food rises.
I spray the demon with hot, thick puke. It gurgles happily, then screeches as I turn the liquid to acid. As the Sligstata
burns and writhes, I drop it and look around.
Dozens of fresh demons are racing towards the chamber. Too many to fight. Some of those beneath me have grown new eyes and
are knocking aside the blind Sligstata, zoning in on me, hell-bent on making me pay for their torment.
“It’s looking bad,” I yell at Art, firing a magical bolt at a demon as it tops the chamber wall, driving it back.
“A few more seconds,” Art says calmly, pulsing steadily, hovering in the air above my head.
“We don’t have that long.”
“Just keep them busy a couple more…”
A blue window blinks into life. I don’t wait for Art to give the order. With a yell of fear and triumph, I throw myself at
it, linking my hands like a person diving into a swimming pool. The Sligstata snap at me with their nightmarish mouths, but
miss, and a second later I’m flying through the panel of light. I start to cheer but the sound catches in my throat as fingernails
bite into my left leg. I kick but the beast holds firm and drags me back. The patches of light are twinkling seductively,
but I’m being hauled away from them, back into the chamber of death.
I try summoning magic to fry the Sligstata, but I’m temporarily drained. This looks like the end of Cornelius Fleck. I just
hope they kill me quickly. Some demons can keep their victims alive for thousands of—
A crackle of electricity shoots through my leg. It sets my skin tingling but hurts the demon more. It starts to lose its grip.
I glance back and see that the Old Creature has once again taken on the shape of Artery. The fire in the green-skinned demon’s
right eye socket
wild with blind panic. No threat as long as I remain up here. But others are coming. They swarm over the ruins of the chamber,
knocking each other aside in their eagerness to tear into me, the echo of their hooves ringing louder as they draw closer.
There’s strong magic in the air. I let a ball of power build in my fists and wait until the monsters are several feet away,
packed tight, focused on me. Then I let them have it, a blast straight down the middle, scattering them, ripping open stomachs
and heads, incinerating eyes, faces, and internal organs.
The demons screech with pain and anger, falling beneath the hooves of those behind them. One of the Sligstata hurls itself
at me, both sets of mouths gnashing, fingernails twitching. I pirouette away from it like a ballet dancer and land on the
opposite side of the chamber. My eyes have almost completed the healing process but I still can’t see.
“Protect yourself,” Art hisses. I was letting another ball of magic build in my hands, but now I divert the power to my eyes
and erect a wall of blackness. I see nothing but I know when the light flashes by the screams of the Sligstata.
One of the beasts must have expected the flash and guarded its eyes, because while the others thrash around and topple into
the chamber, it makes a beeline for me. No time to dance aside. Planting my feet firmly, I grab the monster by its neck and
hold its spitting mouths a few inches from my throat. The stench of its breath would floor a lesser mortal.
As I’m struggling with the demon, my eyes connect with my brain and the world swims back into sight. The Sligstata’s mouths
are closer than I thought. Gritting my teeth, I push hard and its jaws slide back. But it’s tenacious and my fingers are damp
with sweat and blood. In a few seconds it will wriggle forward and finish me off.
When I first tried to fight in the Demonata’s universe, I was so scared I threw up. I was ashamed at the time, but since then
I’ve learned the value of a good stream of vomit. I send a magical buzz down my throat and a wave of digested food rises.
I spray the demon with hot, thick puke. It gurgles happily, then screeches as I turn the liquid to acid. As the Sligstata
burns and writhes, I drop it and look around.
Dozens of fresh demons are racing towards the chamber. Too many to fight. Some of those beneath me have grown new eyes and
are knocking aside the blind Sligstata, zoning in on me, hell-bent on making me pay for their torment.
“It’s looking bad,” I yell at Art, firing a magical bolt at a demon as it tops the chamber wall, driving it back.
“A few more seconds,” Art says calmly, pulsing steadily, hovering in the air above my head.
“We don’t have that long.”
“Just keep them busy a couple more…”
A blue window blinks into life. I don’t wait for Art to give the order. With a yell of fear and triumph, I throw myself at
it, linking my hands like a person diving into a swimming pool. The Sligstata snap at me with their nightmarish mouths, but
miss, and a second later I’m flying through the panel of light. I start to cheer but the sound catches in my throat as fingernails
bite into my left leg. I kick but the beast holds firm and drags me back. The patches of light are twinkling seductively,
but I’m being hauled away from them, back into the chamber of death.
I try summoning magic to fry the Sligstata, but I’m temporarily drained. This looks like the end of Cornelius Fleck. I just
hope they kill me quickly. Some demons can keep their victims alive for thousands of—
A crackle of electricity shoots through my leg. It sets my skin tingling but hurts the demon more. It starts to lose its grip.
I glance back and see that the Old Creature has once again taken on the shape of Artery. The fire in the green-skinned demon’s
right eye socket
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