ic The Desert Calls Its Own (IC)

[Tiffany Korta]

WIth Nikki seeming unbothered by the church influence stood boldly in the doorway whilst Pitch and her colleagues was cunningly hidden nearby. It was hard to fault the accuracy of the magic’s that brought them back to this place.

“Trust me I know what i doing. S/he has a massive ego and also wouldn’t dare get to close to this little church.â€

And indeed Tadyofyla stop at a little fence that surrounded the church.

“So you finally decided to return to face the consequences Roseus. My Lord will be pleased when I bring you back home.†the voice has a strange harmonic’s as if it was a male and female voice fed through a vocoder.

“There no need to do this the portal’s sealed permanently and even I can’t reopen it. And I won’t let myself be taken. You don’t need to risk any off these humans.â€

“Why would I care about these mortal? I pay them handsomely enough for there services.â€

A few casual glances by some of the mercenaries suggested that they didn't quite agree with that assessment.

 

“Beside there only yourself and you’ve always been my lesser Roseus.â€

[Supercape]

"Roseus?"

 

"Now I get the pink thing" said Pitch, almost smiling through black and red teeth. 

 

A demon gone rogue? Nothing against it, you can't define the undefinable...if anything was true about demons it was that their nature was mecurial and unbound. 

 

That wouldn't mean that she trusted Nikki, yet. But it was a step closer away from mistrust. And after all, an enemy of my enemy...

 

She stepped forward boldly to address Tadyofyla. 

 

"Nothing here for you" she said firmly. "Only defeat. You can go back to whence you came with your head hung between your legs, or you can go home with your head and legs ripped off" she said, smoking away. 

 

"As for your mercenaries" she said addressing them directly. 

 

"Whatever you are being paid, it isn't enough. Cannon fodder is cannon fodder, and all the gold in the world is of no value to worm-meat..."

[Tiffany Korta]

It wasn’t like tall the mercenaries threw down their guns and scattered to the four wind, they were much too professional for that, instead they all seemed to melt away into the night until Tadyofyla was left alone. Nikki for her part didn’t gloat but instead said quietly.

“It’s the one gift that we don’t have free will. It seems the desert has claimed it own this night. I don’t wish to fight you we can part this night peacefully if not amicably. There will be other times and other places where you might gain the upper hand.â€

The other demon was having none of it yelling to the desert in it’s strange voice.

 

“I will not be denied by such a lesser demon weakened by their disgusting ways. Step out of that holy place and face me give me that satisfaction at least.â€

[Supercape]

Pitch could not resist noticing the comment. 

 

"Lesser demon are you? Well, figures there is a social ladder wherever you go huh?"

 

The deception of demons was unlimited, and could play in the most elaborate of schemes. But the other words sank home. 

 

Disgusting ways?

 

If Nikki really was viewed as disgusting, then...

 

Perhaps the enemy of my enemy is...

 

...well, not my friend, but not my enemy either!

 

"Well, what say we take this Tadyofyla bitch down a rung or two, huh? I could sure do with jamming those words down here throat hard and heavy!" she suggested, clenching her fists in anticipation. She wouldn't underestimate the thing outside, but on the other hand, satisfaction was to be harvested from taking a demon down. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Carmen had a strange feeling in her head as if she’d suddenly decrease in pressure. THen she had the feeling that someone else was with her.

Don’t worry I’m only touching the edge of your mind, I can’t read any of your thoughts.

What is she doing here with us, banish her from your thoughts right now.

Oh Tazel you haven’t changed a bit. Remember I know more about you than you master.

She then whispered something just below Carmen’s level if “hearing†a string of words that must have been Tazel’s True Name. And indeed the imp seemed to go deathly quiet, almost as if it was sulking.

 

When you feel you’re in total control of Tazel come find me and I’ll teach you his true name. Though you’re father seemed to have done an excellent job. If he could choose he would side with Tadyofyla you know. And no I wouldn’t tell you Tadyofyla’s true name even if I did know it, having a demon of that level under your control would be far too dangerous.

[Tiffany Korta]

In the real world Nikki pressed a piece of paper as subtly into pitch’s hand as she could.

If she defeats me she will betray you, I have no doubt, it’s in her nature. If it looks like I’m about to loose cast this it will teleport all of you to safety. The second word reveals documents hidden under the altar, they reveal the location of all the portals and document’s transferring control of the sites to the owner. I only ask you preserve the sites until the time is right, my company will provide you with the resources necessary to do the job.

In the “real†world she pressed a small piece of paper, or parchment, into Carmen’s hand. She then walked over until  she was nearly face to face with the other demon.

“Right let’s do this.â€

 

Tadyofyla gave an evil grin and stood back allowing access to a cleared area just beyond the churches protection.

[Supercape]

Pitch crumped the piece of paper into her hand. She had no intention of letting Nikki fall. 

 

Better the Devil you know...

 

She wasn't about to make friends with any Demon - to slippery by nature for that, and she was to wise to their nature to ever trust. But she was also aware that some were more malign than others. All were wrong, not belonging in this dimension, this world, but quite in what way, was a different matter. 

 

And she was pretty sure that Tadyofyla was a much worse bet that Nikki, however you looked at it. 

 

"More Portals?" she asked. "Well, we will have some work cut out for us, wont we?" she said. "And you won't be facing this beast alone..."

[Tiffany Korta]

Nikki gave a grin showing a lot more sharp teeth than she had a few minutes before.

“Well let’s focus on one issue at a time shall we. Tadyofyla your old skool demon so fire right out.â€

She began to grow her skin going bright shade of pink, whilst a pair of magnificent horm curled around her head. Unlike Tadyofyla Nikki was most definitely a female demon, though she choose to cover herself to provide some decency. Carmen had seen Nikki do this before but this seemed to have more energy around it.

Springing up as she transformed Nikki, or more correctly Roseus, propelled herself towards the other demon whilst Tadyofyla prepared to block the blow.

 

Whilst it had been a while the two demon obviously knew each others moves and they seemed to be equally match. Lucky Roseus has a trump card in her ally.

[Supercape]

Pitch watched the epic battle in front of her. For all her intimate knowledge and experience of demons, seeing two of them, of such calibre, slugging out, was a sight to behold and inspire even for her. 

 

A great part of her wanted to watch them beat each other to a pulp. A turning of the tables, a reversal of cackling demons watching humans succumb to fear and hatred and savage each other. 

 

But this was not a matter to be left to chance. 

 

She held both hands in front of her, calling forth the power of the infernal forge, and filled them with darkest, thickest soot and smoke, hurling it in a trail of blackened ember into the maw of Tadyofyla. 

 

Better the devil you know...

[Tiffany Korta]

The two gigantic demon’s continued to fight each other hand-to-hand, or claw-to-claw in this case, seeming unworried about the smoke swirling dramatically around them both. With the dramatic vista of the desert around them it was hard to think that this was a movie laying out, or an incredibly surreal metal video.

 

Nikki must have still been unsure in her gigantic demon form , having been in human form for some long, for her attack’s were still going wild of the mark. Tadyofyla who had never abandon the demon form was having better luck and manage to strike Nikki, though the claws failed to piece the vivid pink hide.

[Supercape]

Grabbing her cane firmly in hand, Pitch blazed a way to a nearby four by four, left by the departing mercenaries. At least they were out of the equation.

 

Nikki looked like she was coming out the worst in the battle of the titans before her, which was probably the first, and maybe the last time that Pitch did not Revel in a demon getting pounded in front of her. 

 

She would do what she could to even the odds. Damn, that's a new one...she conceded. Helping a demon...

 

She crouched over the bonnet of the vehicle, and, summoning up the power of the infernal forge, threw a bolt of black, smouldering steel at the demon. 

 

Tazel, where are you? whats happening! she yelled psychically through her head. 

 

"Come and get some, sucker!" she yelled at Tadyofyla. 

[Tiffany Korta]

For a second the two demon’s pause neither seeming to be able harm each other, Tadyofyla sneering at her opponent. To this Nikki just smiled and spoke for the first time since this epic fight had begun.

“You know your problem you reject human’s out of hand. Now I’d like to give the whole what a piece of work is man speech, but honestly I’m just going to point out how they know all these cool fighting moves.â€

 

 

To demonstrate this she puts her fists together and struck upwards catching the other demon almost totally unaware.

[Supercape]

"Kiss that!" yelled Pitch, like a cheerleader, as Nikki struck true. Not that she ever liked cheerleaders. She hated them, in fact. When she did bother to turn up to school, she had got into plenty of fights with them. 

 

She pulled back her hand, feeling her rage power smoke and ember, and steel, the clanging of irons and metals. 

 

The frantic melee was spinning in front of her, with fists and other things flying this way and that. As they moved, it was hard to keep track of  who to impale. The dust getting kicked around didn't help much other. She didn't want to hit Nikki - a first for everything, she conceded, trying not to strike a demon. 

 

"To hell with it!" she yelled, literally as well as metaphorically, and through a spear of metal at the demon. 

[Tiffany Korta]

With all the dust kicked up by the two giant demons fighting it was difficult to tell who was winning this titanic conflict. For what seemed to be for ever the two titanic hellspawn faught and all that Pitch and her friends could do was watch on at the struggle continued. Unfortunately it didn’t last that much longer.

“It seems that despite living among these humans you are still a competent fighter, you might even best me in a fair fight. You should know by now however that I don’t fight fair.â€

 

With almost no warning there was the sound of flapping wings and the air was filled with tiny demons, mini versions of Tadyofyla, all swarming around trying to scratch and bite anyone within range. No it was impossible to see anything but these tiny biting creatures.

[Supercape]

"Wow!"

 

Pitch had seem some crazy stuff in her time. Short as her life had been (by infernal standards), it had been packed with wildness. But she had never seen a demon explode into a swarm of hellish bats. 

 

Spectacle aside, it still posed a problem. She could barely see for the horrible flapping of leathery wings. 

 

"What's the matter, honey? Are you falling apart? Going batty?" she shouted back, as full of defiance as ever. 

 

I hope these things aren't flameproof. Probably are. But I hope they ain't anyway!

 

...I hope Nikki is flame proof too...

 

She took a mighty lungful of dusty desert air, feeling the heat, feeling the sand, feeling a burning fire. And then she exhaled, a massive wave of flame from her mouth. She turned her head this way and that, her lungs acting like a human flamethrower, spraying the horrors in the air with brimstone and burns. 

[Tiffany Korta]

It was lucky for Pitch that the little demons that Tadyofyla had summoned seemed to be less fireproof than their master/mistress. The air was filled with an unfortunate mix of burnt flesh and sulphur and unfortunately for all of them it was still full of tiny demons.

 

“We ain’t got much chance against all these little devils girl, we going to need some cover and soon.†Axel punctuated his statement with another blast from his shotgun sending demon guts all other the place.

[Supercape]

Carmen breathed out another massive burst of fire in angry defiance. But it was futile. Axel was right. For every burnt and toasted demon she crisped, there where ten others popping up. Axel was fairing no better with his shotgun. 

 

"Screw it!" she shouted, almost screamed."Back to the Church!" she suggested, backing off and breathing fire with every breath. 

 

She wrenched her heart over Nikki. The demon was still a demon...but still...

 

Never trust a demon...

 

"Screw it!" she repeated, angry with herself this time. 

 

"Nikki, you can't win! Run!" she shouted through the flames and the beating wings. 

 

And with that, she pushed Axel back into the Church, and dived in herself. 

 

She could only hope that, like Tazel, the swarmed beast outside could not enter either. 

[Tiffany Korta]

The combination of dust and demon’s swirled around the church, though there was a gap around the church were the little demon’s wouldn’t enter.

 

The church was comfortingly quiet though it seemed to lack something now that the portal were sealed, though there was a hint that something still remained. The darkness was temporary lite up buy Axel’s lighter as he lit his cigar.

“Well this is I can say one of the weirdest day I’ve ever seen. And that’s saying something. So what’s the plan girl?â€

[Supercape]

"Beats me" said Carmen, angrily. 

 

"We got a demon who helped us finding a demon who is trying to kill everyone, but has turned into a cloud of damn flying insects from hell. It ain't pretty.." she explained. 

 

The sounds from outside were unnerving to say the least. Carmen didn't know how the hell to fight this kind of demon. The more she fried under her breath, the more there were of them. It was like a hydra. 

 

"Tell me you guys found another way out? Don't old Churches have bolt holes, or something? For Priests hiding from the Inquisition?" she could swear she could have read something about that somewhere. It certainly wasn't at school. Because she played truant most of the time. 

 

"And I suppose a nuclear weapon is too much to ask for...huh?"

[Tiffany Korta]

“Good job I’m here then isn’t it.†came a voice from behind the altar. The source of the voice soon revealed himself by hopping onto the altar itself.

 

It was a rather large Raven who looked at the little group with surprising intelligent eyes.

 

“That cunning old demon, if you excuse my language, has a contingency plan for just about everything. She has a emergency teleport back to Freedom City.†it hopped off the altar and made it’s way toward a corner of the church, looked back to see if you would follow.

 

“If you’d like to follow me, I promise you it completely safe.â€

[Supercape]

Pitch paused, waiting, and listening to the sounds of fire and wings outside. 

 

Can't say I would ever have guessed I would do this...

 

"Cunning is a double edged sword, bird. And much as I would like to flee..."

 

She actually gulped the words...

 

"...I can't leave her out there...with that..." she thumbed out of the old Church at the sounds of demons. 

 

She nodded to Axel and Rachael. "You guys, go" she said, both kindly and snappy, to them both. She didn't expect either of them to like fleeing either. She knew she didn't. 

[Tiffany Korta]

The raven apparently rolled it eye, an unusual effect on a bird of any kind.

 

“I hate this bit, hold on this might tickle.â€

 

The was the same feeling that Pitch got when Tazel was communicating, but on a much bigger scale, the smell of burning tin and some kind of whine like power rapidly building to a point.

 

Poe I’m kind of a little busy here. Are you in Freedom yet? the voice of Nikki filled Carmen’s, and from there reactions everyone elses based on their reactions, head.Oh I see stubborn like always. I like that in humanity. It why you not a few sat sulking arounf the Garden..

 

This area is a nexus and right now iI’m building a charge large enough to flatten the whole area. It’ll stop Tadyofyla. And also anything else in the area. So leave NOW!

[Supercape]

That settles it!

 

Sparing a thought for Tazel, commanding him to Run, fly, as fast as he could, she spun round the Raven. 

 

"Axel, Rachael...time to go. For us all to go!" she said, limping across the Church to the spooky bird. "Our friend out there is about to unleash a hellfire atom bomb. Something that's going to flatten this church, and us in it. Probably carve out a crater in the desert too..."

 

She virtually pushed the two infront of her. 

 

"So lets leave the demons to tear each other asunder, and lets make sure we get out still breathing, huh?"

 

"Lead on, Raven!" she called to the bird as they moved, all three, to the Altar...and dived into whatever the Raven had conjured up...

[Tiffany Korta]

The Raven hopped to what appeared to be a simple recess in the far end of the church, where a statue of some sort might have stood.

“It easier if you close your eyes, it feels a little weird. I know it helps me.â€

WIth that it apparently hopped through the wall disappearing to another portal.

[Supercape]

"Sounds like a blast" replied Pitch. 

 

She could only imagine that if the bird - whatever it was - found it uncomfortable, then she would do. And perhaps more so. After all, the bird was an old hat at it. 

 

"You heard the wings, ladies and gents. Time for a step through time and space. And who knows what else" she said, clenching her teeth, gripping her cane...

 

"Au Revior!" she called to the church. 

 

...and stepping through, her nervous system on standby for some major complaints.