Kril POV

  “So… what exactly are we looking for?” The tiny Imp questioned aloud, aiming his words towards the angel and Ashmane following beside him.

  “Lizards, I guess?” Atea responded, although her answer felt more like a question.

  “Do not be so loud,” Lioren grumbled. “They could be listening even now.”

  “I’m quivering at the thought!” Kril replied in jest. They had been traveling through the swamp for what felt like ages, and the sun was beginning to get low on the horizon. The murky water and muddy ground smelled of rotting flesh, squishing disgustingly every time the large beast took a step.

  I can fly, though. Sucks to suck! Kril thought to himself. Atea rode on Lioren’s back, managing to avoid splashing any mud on her pristine robes while she kept a lookout for any approaching creatures.

  They had been searching for signs of the lizardmen that the humans had apparently shown Lucivar back at Mount Boom. The mission was to make contact if possible, and hopefully create peaceful relations between.

  Who better to accomplish such a task? The Imp thought triumphantly.

  A sudden movement gave the trio pause.

  Kril stopped, hovering mid-air as his tiny wings flapped furiously. Atea’s eyes squinted as she peered through the heavy bushery, but it was impossible to see through. Lioren sniffed at the air, using his heightened senses to attempt to figure out what was happening.

  “There is someone close. Stay quiet,” The Ashmane whispered with his deep, regal voice.

  “Who goes there?!” Kril shouted to the Ashmane’s dismay.

  A jagged spear suddenly shot out, narrowly passing by the Imp’s head as he quickly shifted his body to the side. “We come in peace! Please do not attack again, or I will have to kill you!”

  Lioren sighed heavily, stepping forward before speaking. “Are you the lizardmen of the south? We have come to introduce ourselves.”

  “Lizardmen?! We hate those bast— Ouch!” A voice began, interrupted by a heavy smack.

  “You idiot! Why are you revealing—” A second voice interjected, trailing off as they transitioned into quiet whispers.

  “Are they not the lizards then?” Kril mumbled in confusion, but he was answered by a plume of golden fire.

  [Golden Inferno]

  Lioren’s jaw was open, and from it came a mass of bright fire that splashed a wave of heat against the Imp’s face. The foliage immediately before the trio disappeared instantly, burning to ash and revealing a pair of interesting creatures recoiling from the intense heat.

  They were insects, although they stood on two thin, sleek legs. They had shiny, hard, black exoskeletons, with single protruding horns on each of their sharp and angular heads. Spiky formations jutted out from their shoulders, elbows, and knees, each one formed from a bone-like substance. One of the creature’s arms was formed into a long, razor-sharp blade, while the other held a spear similar to the one that had whizzed by Kril’s head only a moment ago.

  “Those are not lizards…” Atea said, dumbfounded.

  “Correct!” The arm-bladed insectoid shouted. The second insect smacked him across the head with a simple backhand as the first creature protested with a cry. Their twin mandibles moved each time they spoke, causing Kril to squirm slightly as he watched the pair intently.

  “So… who the hell are you guys?” The Imp asked slowly.

  Both of the insects focused their beady eyes on the small demon, dropping low and raising their weapons. “You should tell us that first,” the spear-wielding one spat.

  “Now, now, we are not here for a fight,” Lioren said soothingly. “My name is Lioren, and the angel upon my back is named Atea. The irritating one beside me is known as Kril—”

  “Hey!”

  The Ashmane continued without skipping a beat. “We are here to establish goodwill with our neighbors, so to speak.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have tried to burn us to a crisp!” The blade for an arm insect exclaimed.

  “You shouldn’t have thrown a spear at my head,” Kril shot back. “Let’s start over, shall we? My name is Kril.”

  The massive lion-like creature beside the Imp went next. “Lioren.”

  “Atea.”

  The pair of insectoids regarded the trio warily, then finally relaxed when they realized that there was no hostility being threatened. “I am Zevar,” the spear wielder began, then gestured to his companion. “This idiot here is my brother, Dravik.”

  “It's nice to meet you!” Kril replied cheerfully.

  “What business do you lot have with the lizardmen?” Zevar began carefully.

  Should we be honest, or should we tell a little fib? Kril contemplated to himself. Let’s be honest.

  Lioren attempted to speak, but the Imp cut him off with a flurry of words. “We heard the lizards had something called ‘The Hollow Flame’. Do ya’ll have any idea about that thing?”

  Lioren grunted his disapproval at the Imp’s words, but it was too late to do anything about them. Zevar’s eyes narrowed, and he shifted closer to his brother, whispering softly into his ear, if they could even whisper… or had ears for that matter. The trio could only make out snippets of the conversation.

  “The… Flame? Demons… trust?”

  “You idiot,” Lioren muttered.

  “This has been foretold by the great bug sage! The coming of the Primordial Crimson in search of his most prized possession! We have awaited your arrival for many moons! Are you perhaps the henchman of that great demon?” Dravik suddenly exclaimed.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Yes,” Kril lied without missing a beat. Atea let out a tiny whimper while Lioren seemed like he wanted to bury his head deep into the mud beneath his mighty paws. “However, it seems you are mistaken. I am no henchman of Soltheron,” he paused dramatically, puffing his chest outwards like a balloon. “I am the Primordial Crimson in the flesh, although I go by Kril now, for reasons I cannot yet reveal to mortals such as you.”

  “My lord!” Dravik prostrated himself, allowing his bladed arm to dig deep into the muddy ground below him. “Please forgive me and my brother’s insolence, we were unable to recognize you in your… diminished form.”

  “Dravik!” Zevar shouted in fear. “Please excuse his lack of manners, my lord.”

  Kril waved a hand dismissively. “Rise, my subjects.”

  “And these must be your servants? You even managed to subjugate an angel!” Dravik said in awe as he rose from the ground.

  “Correct,” Kril replied smugly.

  The pair of insects stared with wide eyes, darting their gazes between the blushing angel and the tiny Imp before them. Finally, Zevar began to speak. “We have been at war with the Lizardmen for ages, attempting to reclaim the Hollow Flame, but alas, our numbers have only dwindled since you last walked this realm. My ancestors foretold of your return, but it has been many generations since the time of demons and angels.”

  “A worthy endeavor! I give you praise,” Kril complimented grandly, eliciting adoring gazes from his newly acquired subjects. “I would have you show me to my relic, I… I have lost track of where it last was, considering how long it has been.”

  “Of course, my lord!” The pair shouted in unison, scrambling to their feet and beginning to make their way deeper into the swamp.

  “Is this really gonna work?” Atea whispered nervously from atop Lioren’s back. “What happens if they find out you’re lying?”

  “Who says I’m lying?” Kril challenged confidently.

  “Why did Lucivar have to send this idiot with us?” the Ashmane complained under his breath.

  “It’s not like you to be this grumpy, Lioren!”

  “Correct,” The beast deadpanned. Reluctantly, Lioren began to follow behind the happily buzzing Imp as they made their way deep into uncharted territory.

  “It should be right around… ha! See, I told you, brother, I know my way around!” Dravik exclaimed proudly.

  “Yes, yes, I never doubted you once,” Zevar replied sarcastically.

  “This… this is the Hollow Flame?” Kril gasped breathlessly. The trio from Mount Boom stared in shock at the massive fortress before them. It was a sprawling castle, embedded deep into the swamp as if it had been swallowed whole. Towering stone walls sprang up from the ground, marked by deep crenelations every few feet along the top edge. Circular towers marked the entryway as the wall spread outwards in a semicircle, coming to a stop at a massive mountain behind the fortress. A huge keep was carved into the rocky face, half jutting out of the mountain itself, and through the iron bars of the massive gateway, Kril spotted several wooden houses guarded by the massive walls. The fortress itself seemed to be lit ablaze, and at the center of the keep was a massive flame, tinged with a dark aura, as if it had been corrupted by some sort of evil entity.

  Outside of the main stone wall was a secondary wooden one, formed from fence-like spikes planted deep into the ground. The bulk of the residential area seemed to be contained to this portion of land, and milling around outside within the wooden wall were countless lizardmen, each one appearing like a version of the Draksil from the swamp who stood upright, wearing brown loinclothes and leather shoulder guards. They were tall, muscular creatures, with long and powerful tails that nearly dragged against the ground as they walked.

  “Is this not your creation, Soltheron…? Excuse me, Kril, right?” Dravik stumbled over his words. Zevar shot his brother a deathly look.

  Kril cleared his throat. “Correct, excuse me, my memory is rather foggy after so much time.”

  The pair of insects only stared expectantly at the small Imp.

  “Do I have something in my teeth?” Kril questioned honestly.

  “It is prophesied that you would return from the Underworld and reclaim the Hollow Flame with a brutal showcasing of your powers,” Zevar began slowly.

  “Ah, right. Well, that will have to wait for a bit, considering I was only recently reborn! I need some time to regain my powers after all!” Kril explained hurriedly.

  “It would not be wise to begin an assault against the… Hollow Flame, without proper preparations after all,” Lioren added.

  The insect duo nodded their agreement. “Would you like us to gather the insect army for you? We can begin our march by tomorrow!” Dravik offered, but Kril had no time to answer.

  “So that is your plan,” A menacing voice interrupted. “Too bad you will all die here.”

  Those in attendance whirled around simultaneously, catching sight of a large, muscled lizardman standing alone on a small hill above them. He was wearing a white loincloth around his waist, as well as a pair of white fur-covered shoulder guards. In one hand was a large, silver glaive, while the other held a small round shield.

  Even Lioren couldn’t sense him approaching… we should be careful. Kril thought to himself, regarding the Lizard with narrowed eyes.

  “And you are?” The Imp challenged, but it was not the lizardman who answered.

  “S-Sovekar?!” Dravik shouted fearfully.

  “We were just on our way…” Zevar continued, voice shaking as he slowly stepped backwards.

  “As if I would allow such a thing,” Sovekar, the intimidating lizard spat. “Who are these… creatures, you have brought along with you?”

  “What should we do?” Kril whispered to his companions.

  “Run, or fight,” Lioren muttered gravely.

  “I’d rather not fight…” Atea commented, “But I’m willing to if we must.”

  “My lord! Save us!” Dravik wailed.

  Zevar added to his brother’s sentiment. “Even we are unable to defeat the warrior general!”

  Warrior general? Doesn’t sound too bad… Kril thought. He brandished his pitchfork, activating Chaos Imbue and cladding the weapon in dark magic. Then, the pitchfork glowed purple, the new effect from upgrading Chaos Imbue into Chaos Veil a few levels back.

  “You shouldn’t underestimate me, lizard. I am Kril, Imp Duke of Hell!”

  “I don’t care,” Sovekar spat.

  The lizard suddenly disappeared, and Kril felt himself flying off to the side with a splash as he plunged deep into the swamp water.

  What just happened? He thought to himself in a daze, slowly regaining his bearings and bursting out of the water.

  Then his jaw dropped as he observed the sight before him.

  His companions, including the pair of insect brothers, were all crumpled to the ground, nearly motionless.

  I may be strong, but without Assault Mode, I’m not sure if I can beat this guy… Kril realized.

  An angry roar interrupted the Imp’s thoughts, and Sovekar came tearing through the swamp with his weapon outstretched. Kril threw his pitchfork, but it was deflected easily by the lizardman's small shield.

  The Imp clad his fists with his Chaos Gauntlets skill, then flew forward in a rage. “You will pay for what you did to my friends!”

  “Pathetic,” Sovekar patronized calmly. His shield flung forward, slamming into Kril and knocking the small Imp back a few feet, then the point of the lizardman’s glaive thrusted forward, narrowly stabbing the air directly beside Kril’s head.

  Then it exploded.

  The Imp careened into a bush, then zipped outwards with renewed fury. “You’ll need more than that to defeat me!” His pitchfork magically returned to his hand, and he exchanged blows with the lizard with a flurry of motion. Each blow was parried by a deft movement from Sovekar, and it was clear even to the relatively young Imp that the opponent before him was highly skilled, perhaps even stronger than the elven prince.

  [Chaos Blast]

  A blackened torrent of power tore from the Imp’s palm, tearing the surrounding landscape apart and leaving the lizardman in a cloud of dust and mud.

  Did I get him? Kril wondered, but he was answered by a cocky chuckle.

  “Is that truly the best you can do, demon?”

  “Shit,” Kril muttered under his breath, sweeping his head and taking in his fallen companions. “Brother, help a brother out, will ya?”

  [Shadow Mark]