Dusty The Demon Hunter 6 - Six Tasks - Sharing My Stories on Steemit - Part 4

The Devil didn’t seem upset or annoyed by their humour; in fact, he seemed to join in with it.

Dusty had been brought up to be respectful and well-mannered and the Devil smiled as she initiated conversation. “Sir, I believe you know who we are and I have made an assumption as to who you are, but if I’m wrong in that assumption, I would appreciate it if you would let me know.”

“You are not wrong, Dusty. I am as you first thought, the Prince of Lies, the Devil, Belial, Satan, Lucifer, Abaddon, Apollyon, the tempter and son of perdition.” His mouth twisted itself into such an evil leer at Dusty and Hunter’s worried expressions that they both took a step back and gripped each other’s hand tighter.

The evil leer disappeared and he waved a hand to calm their fears. “No, Dusty, don’t worry. I am not trying to harm you. I have a question to ask you, nothing more.”

Dusty didn’t let go of Hunter’s hand but she did relax a little at those assurances. “If you aren’t trying to harm me, what was the reason behind those tests? They were tests, weren’t they?”

He grinned again, but it was a more laid-back kind of grin without evil intent. “You are quite right, they were tests and you passed them all with flying colours, even the ones that I hadn’t intended for you. You managed to free Hunter, then you escaped the testing room before I had chance to begin to shrink it. You decapitated the Doppelganger in less time than I would have given you credit for and you have shown him such loyalty that I am almost sickened by it all.” He didn’t seem sickened; he seemed amused.

“Ah, you did skip one of the tests though; you didn’t wait around to see what the maggots turned into. I’m afraid that they escaped into your world and they wreak havoc as we speak.” He folded his arms and smiled in delight at the panic-stricken expression that arrived on Hunter’s face at the suggestion.

Dusty wasn’t fooled however. “Don’t give me that. The maggots couldn’t escape the room. There was an added membrane that we had to break through before we could get out. They wouldn’t have been able to break through it. Stop scaring Hunter, there’s no need. Just ask me the question and let’s get it over with.”

The Devil glared at Dusty’s impatience and she thought that he seemed petulant at her attitude but she had had enough of his games and his lies.

“I want to make you an offer. Your father has requested that I make you an apprentice to him. I have agreed but I cannot interfere with free will, I have to ask you if you would become his apprentice. I can show you the benefits that come with the position and hope to persuade you to join my legion.”

“The answer is no,” Dusty said without hesitation. “Now, how do we get out of here?”

The Devil seemed amused at her response, he grinned at her and she saw a twinkle in his eyes. Despite knowing how evil he could be, Dusty believed that when he was like this, she could get to like this fallen angel.

“To be fair to your father, I have to show you the benefits you stand to gain.”

“To be fair to me, I would also need to see the disadvantages too.”

The Devil’s grin broadened and he seemed genuinely delighted. He nodded and raised his arms. Dusty and Hunter grabbed for each other as their balance was challenged. The ground beneath them shifted and shook in an alarming manner. Then even as they watched, the Devil grew. He expanded and stretched until he towered above them and loomed ominously.

Dusty squeezed Hunter’s hand as much to reassure him that she was all right as to remind him to remain calm.

By the time the ground had stopped shaking and the Devil had ceased expanding, they could feel the difference in the atmosphere. Although they still sensed they were underground – as in Hell – they also felt that they were extremely high up, almost as though they were stood atop a mountain. Dusty clung to Hunter’s hand as she stepped forward through the dust clouds that were just beginning to settle after the great disturbance. It was perhaps very fortunate that she had a firm grip on Hunter’s hand because as she stepped forward, there was a distinct lack of solid ground beneath her foot and she stepped off into nothingness. She dangled from Hunter’s grip but he had the presence of mind to steady his stance and he pulled her back from the brink, her feet scrambling on the loose stones, sending them clattering down, down into the unknown.

She grasped hold of both his hands as he pulled and she didn’t let go even when she was back safe on the solid mountain top. Hunter pulled his hands from her grip and took her in an embrace. She was shaking and he held her tight.

The Devil had been watching their struggle in what seemed to be amusement but as Dusty was now safe again, he continued.

He waved his arms and cleared the dust. They could see clouds dotted about beneath their vantage point and as they looked around, the view seemed enhanced somehow. They could see things that should not have been visible at the distance.

Villages and towns, people and animals many miles below them drew their attention and the half-demons found it all fascinating.

“The view is wonderful, isn’t it?” the Devil asked in a quiet voice.

Dusty and Hunter glanced back at him, although their full attention was not on him, but on the scenery, below.

“You would be let loose amongst the humans and you’d have so much fun. You would also become all but immortal.”

“I live amongst the humans and I already have fun. As for being all but immortal, I’m eighteen and every teenager is immortal in their own mind.”

The Devil laughed again. He seemed to be easily amused, Dusty thought, and she studied him.

Her brow furrowed as she scrutinised the Devil, her lips pursed as she concentrated.

“What are you up to really? Why would you do something for the demon that spawned me? What has he done to deserve your help?” she asked in such a tone, suspicious and wary, that the Devil stopped his laughter and became serious.

“He has promised me many things, including his undying devotion.” The Devil paused as Dusty snorted her derision. He looked at her in curiosity but he wasn’t laughing any more. “As I said, he promised his undying devotion, loyalty, a few souls that he manages to pick up on his way.” The Devil waited to see what Dusty would say next and he wasn’t disappointed.

“That doesn’t seem such a great price. What else?”

“What else, what?”

“What else has he promised if I join him in his infernal apprentice scheme?” Then Dusty stopped talking, her eyes grew wide and her mouth hung slack.

Hunter waited for her to finish, she was never one to be lost for words and he wanted to hear the next scathing comments that were to come out of her mouth, but she couldn’t speak.

Hunter shook her hand to prompt her to continue but she looked at him with terror in her eyes.

“Not, what but who.”

Hunter was puzzled. He glanced from Dusty to the Devil and back again. He couldn’t understand what she was saying, what she meant. He couldn’t comprehend what she knew.

The Devil folded his arms across his chest and waited for Dusty to continue.

“Hunter, the price that my father has promised, it’s a life.” Dusty whispered the sentence and looked from Hunter to the Devil, accusing him silently. She glared at him and dared him to deny it.

The Devil was shocked. His arms unfolded and he did a little jump in his astonishment. The movement would have been amusing if the situation wasn’t so deadly serious.

“What do you mean, a life?” Hunter asked.

“I’m not sure,” she started to speak but her words dwindled off as she again scrutinised the Devil, Prince of all Demons, before her. “Who has he promised you? What life did he vow to hand over to you? Mine?”

“No Dusty, not yours.” The Devil had regained his composure and was confident once again, though he was no longer quite as jovial as he had been.

Dusty’s face went deathly pale. Her expression closed down from horror-stricken to pure fury. Her lips were pressed together so hard that they were two slim lines of bloodless flesh on her face and she said through clenched teeth: “Show me. Show me what benefits I stand to gain as an apprentice to that demon.”

Catch up with Part 1 of the story Here
Part 2 Here
Part 3 Here