(first released on scribblehub by author Nanayamichan.

21st July 2021, 13:00 cet)

Chapter 33 - Unusual life of a Demon

---Nana's perspective---

"Well, where are we then?" I asked as I looked around, still being grumpy as i stood before someone who claimed to be my father. He was most likely my father but, I just… well, need to accept it. 

he coughed. 

"Well, my dear, w-Welcome to P-purgatory!" he held up his arms gesturing as to indicate that this all was in fact what he said. Wait. Purgatory?.. 

I looked around and it seems like a lot is… off… a skeleton dragon was flying in the horizon, disappearing through what looked like a portal. Clouds were coming out of the ground at seemingly random spots. Floating up. It gave an impression that the sky was like a damn wall as the sky looked like it was literally sideways. A wall of clouds, as the clouds mostly seemed to be on one side. I turned around 180 degrees. And in the horizon on the other side, I think… yeah, it looks like that's a gigantic wall made of water. There's a sideways sea adjacent to the sideways sky…

"This is fucked…" I mumbled as I lifted my eyebrows. It was still quite the sight to behold. And I gazed a while in all angles as the terrain was indeed very interesting. Floating stones a little here and there too. I staggered back a bit, as the portal opened again by the sea and the dragon came out of it and dove in, making a huge splash. It was hard to see details as it was quite far away, but it made say a quiet "woaw". 

The terrain below had been mostly rocks in purple colors and some black. But then again I hadn't focused on it too much. 

I saw what looked like a forest made of mushroom a bit away in the horizon when I turned my head 90 degrees to the right side of the sea wall. Then behind me in the horizon was mountains. And adjacent to the seawall was a wall ot clouds. I feel like I'm standing sideways now… Surrounded by a surreal world. 

After I'd gazed in all directions a moment, he laughed. Clearly and visibly nervous as his head looked a bit sweaty and he was laughing just as nervously. He dried of his head. Takes a fox person to spot a sweaty fox person… Even though I'm just a halfling, I'd seen my dad be nervous loads of times with mom as a kid. I knew that look. Well, I guess we're fox-demons, but we got some fur, the tails and ears so. Well, I only have the tail and ears but you get what I'm getting at. 

"I've been waiting" he said, snapping me out of my thoughts. He turned to me, smiling, looking a tad like he was terrified and felt awkward at the same time. He seems like the top guy.. Or king apparently. But I guess he must be my dad. That's the only logical reason he'd be this nervous and sort of afraid of me. I mean, he is powerful obviously. He sat on the damn throne. 

That alone maybe doesn't mean power, but the huge shape and shape shift… And all the other signs. Anyway, my dad is insanely powerful. 

And anyhow, only dad's are afraid of how to deal with a daughter's tantrums. He'd have no reason to fear me power wise… I already knew it was my dad but I needed to process it...

"so I'm fucking dead...?" I glared at him, and as I did for some reason my eyes lit on fire and a faint glow appeared around my head, bit more intense at the crown of the head.  

 

"Ummh.. Yes? I mean" he coughed. "Yes you are dead right now." he swapped from looking terrified to dead serious after coughing. 

Then he lifted his eyebrow and gave me a bit of a questioning look. 

"I tried to send a messenger to tell you I'm proud of your growth! And…" he stroked his beard. 

"And I told him to get you to stop hiding and come home and see me." he looked down while stroking his beard, as if deep in thought.

Wait, did that fucker… I mean, dad… send that insane… guy? That, Thing? 

It has to have been the suicide in the bathroom that caused the curse. That's the only explanation. Well, I might have other enemies of course but… Pretty sure you can't send a That powerful curse from across countries! Well maybe someone can…  But anyway, It's a whole thing! Closer to the target, stronger curse… I'll explain another time… 

He staggered back as he looked up at me, frightened by my aura. I got more and more pissed off each passing second while I thought about it. 

"did… you send the guy that freaking KILLED ME?!" It looked like steam oozed off all of me as I yelled it out loud at him, and my hair slowly turned into fire. 

It didn't fall off or burn up, it shifted shape to a fire that had the same colour as my hair with the length of my hair. So a black and white fire. It's sort of like it restructured itself. I got a bit shocked by it too as I didn't think I could do that, but I ignored it for now. "what the…" I mumbled. I think dad didn't hear the mumble, doesn't matter much though. I kept my gaze on him. 

The hair Sort of looked like… If you'd placed a strong wind magic spell from underneath you, was how it looked! Just that it's also hot and spewing ash and smoke… Yeah. 

"Well, he w-wasn't supposed to send you h-here t-t-hat way…" he stuttered, sounding pretty frightened and sorry...I mean wings 

"didn't he open a rift for you?.." he raised his brow, still shivering, covering his head with both arms now. 

Good, you better be scared you dumb fucking shit of a dad. Gawd. 

"Well, he freaking all out ATTACKED ME and put my FRIEND in DANGEER! And then he put a death-curse on me!" I gestured wildly with my hands, taking some swings after my dad, but he jumped back and dodged me, covering his face as I yelled. 

"So yea good freaking job with that you fucking shithead!" I took a last swing after him, and he caught my arm. I tried to struggle to get free. 

"What the fucking fuck of fucks were you fucking thinking if you even fucking thought at fucking all?!?!?!?!" he let go of me and jumped back, sat down covering his head. I sighed deeply. 

Is he crying? Really?.. 

I looked at my hands, claws.. I had been swiping after him with my claws. Burning claws had grown out. Oops. I guess that just happens now when I get mad. Oh well, good thing he can deal with it. 

I clenched my fists and took a deep breath..

"sorry. I didn't mean to…" I walked up to him. "You get why I'm upset right? You better... I mean, I didn't mean to make you cry dad." I bit myself. 

I kept focusing on deep breaths. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. 

The claws faded away, the energy disappeared into me again. I put my hand on his shoulder. 

I felt my hair fall down, covering my chest again. Like I had headbanged back, then forth so the hair kinda swings through the air and hits your belly. 

What, I didn't notice that.. My hair starts floating up? Okay, that's new… I think... I badly need to keep notes about my body… kinda awkward I don't know everything about myself… 

"dad, don't.. Its okay, I'm okay." Right..? Wait.. Am I even okay? Can you even call being dead, being okay?! Last time I check Death and Okay aren't even close to each other! 

I leaned over and gave him a hug. Well, it doesn't matter for now, I'll notice eventually if I'm okay… I guess… 

"there there.." I patted him on his back. I'm the one consoling him? C'mon, big bad demon and I'm comforting him. He acted pretty pitiful. 

He hugged me. 

"bwaah, I didn-nt meean f-for him to.. *snort* kill youuu… bwaaah" he was wailing as he stuttered out his apology. 

"eeh… what did you tell him exactly?..." I asked sort of confused. 

He snorted. 

"Well, I told him to go to the living and bring you to me as quickly as he could..." he looked at me, stood up and grabbed my shoulders with his hands. 

"he's a bit bad at communicating. He's shy you know." he dried his eyes and nose with his sleeve.

.. "shy?".. I have him a serious look and raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, shy, he's a bit antisocial sort of, eheh" He smiled as he let out a really reeeaaally awkward chuckle. 

Shy. He's shy and antisocial… what the… FUCK. I clenched my fists together hard. 

"he sent a full on curse-demon that ate my freaking heart!?" I yelled. He staggered back covering his face again. 

"Well, he must have interpreted me wrong.. I thought he'd posses a human and open a rift for you…" okay.. Yeah I guess it might've been a misunderstanding… but c'mon, be clearer with these things you dumb fucking… GAAAH! So frustrating how dumb my dad can be. 

"why in the world would he choose to kill me instead?" I sighed. 

"he.. He.. He's shy. It's easier for a demon to just kill you know…" he chuckled really awkward again. "It probably means he likes you if he attacked you!" he looked up and sounded serious as he explained. A demon? He got demons working for him? Well, I guess that explains it a bit...

"still. What the Fuck… dad… What do I do now? Am I doomed?" I asked in a little angry tone. He shone up a bit as I called him dad. 

"no no, probably just awakened your demonic side a tad!" he smiled and put his hand on my shoulder. "It tends to be dormant unless you visit an afterlife dimension as we call them" He coughed. Pointing at my wings. 

Right.. "oh, right.." hum. They won't retract.. Ah, that's a problem for future Nana…

He cleared his throat before explaining. 

"I mean, no biggie, we can send you back easy!" he smiled. He clapped his hands and a shape appeared and took form. Human looking. It was the guy I'd fought against who killed me... I'm certain of it, that smell he's giving off… It's not the same body, but the smell and aura he's giving off is identical… 

"What the, what is he doing here... I mean... Why the fuck did you kill me you bastard?!" i dashed up to him and grabbed his throat, my hand instantly turned into a really big claw, and the darkness energy sent tendrils climbing up my arm like vines as it latched onto me, my eyes lit up as if on fire and my hair started fluttering up uncontrollable in the air all the while, It looked like smoke and ash oozed off me as if I were on fire. 

"h-hi.. I just wanted to say hi, but I didn't know…" he mumbled, looking down at the ground to the side avoiding eye contact at all cost. He kept explaining quietly… "know how to start.." he said then blushed, sort of... Really?!

What kind of psychopathic creature would think attacking and killing would be better than an awkward hello.

I sighed. I let go. 

My hand turned normal. Everything else too. Well, the wings stayed put. My new color scheme also stayed, which I'm still blissfully unaware of so far. 

"oh, well, you know. He was probably trying to say he likes you." Dad spouted out a bit jokingly. The demon blushed even more, trying to hide his face. 

Really...?... Really… really. I just can't wrap my head around it…

"what the.." I looked back and forth at them. That's when dad asked about her. 

"oh.. You haven't seen your mom at all by any chance?" I looked up at him. Mom? Hope lit up in my eyes as I froze for a moment, after which I got up close to dad and gazed up at his face with a curious look. 

"wait." I said, then waited for him to lock eyes with me. Then I said "You disappeared at the same time…" we both raised our eyebrows. I take it he didn't know she disappeared too. 

"Don't you know where she is? She isn't dead?" I looked at him, a slight hope shone in my eyes, I sort of had this gut feeling that she was alive. 

"Well, as far as I know she's alive, I've sensed her lifeforce sort of…" he explained as he stroked his beard. I backed up a bit as it felt like I was a bit close. I hadn't noticed just how close I walked up to him, but it could've looked like we were hugging.  

"Elves give of a strong one, demons has a talent for knowing who's alive and not you know." he blinked at me. She's alive? She's alive! I knew it! Wait. A talent? 

"Ah, that's great, she's alive!.. Wait. Elf? Sense?" 

"Yes, you're half elf?" he looked at me as if he didn't know if I was joking or not. 

"haven't you.. Known? I mean, people have joked about it wildly.. I assumed you knew.." he chuckled as he shook his head then ended in a sigh. 

Well… now that I think about it, it does make sense and explain like... Everything… 

"and yes, sense!" he glanced at me and turned, then walked slowly in a circular pattern while explaining. "You can probably also do it, just, imagine someone and your gut sort of tells you if they're alive or not." he coughed. "Yeah, imagine the person along with the need to know if they're alive and, a feeling with tell you!" he smiled at me and stopped moving. 

"Ah, so, it's not just me hoping, mom really is alive??" I followed him with my gaze ss he explained earlier. That's a relief to hear. That's actually really handy too. 

"Yes, she is. Where she is, that's the mystery." 

I just learned one parent is a demon, and that I've had a demonic power all along telling me mom's alive without me knowing. Mom being an elf suddenly wasn't a big deal. 

"Well. No but, that's good news and all… but how would we, or I, get back?" I shook my head, holding my hand over my forehead rubbing it with my fingers. 

Dad laughed. He put his hand on my shoulder. 

"Don't worry, Gaddrevon here will show you!" he smiled. Then looked at.. Gaddrevon.. as his name apparently was with a dead serious look on his face. "with a Rift this time, right." Gaddrevon staggered back, nodding. 

"Right, right. Sorry, I won't take the shortcut again." he bowed deep. 

"Good" dad chuckled and brightened up and started walking off. Then he stopped. 

"And then, I want you to be by her side from now on and guard her with your life, got that?" he glanced at him. Gaddrevon bowed deep again. "As you wish, your majesty!" 

I had been trying to focus on Emilia. Yes, good, she's alive too. Waait what did they say?! 

"Wait, wha.. I.. I can't have a demon by my side at work.. Up on earth?!" I pointed at him and looked at dad who had started to walk off. He stopped again. 

"he'll fill you in on magic you might need to learn, he's quite the expert! Oh, and follow her every command, unless it prevents you from guarding her. That is a priority." he glanced at him again. 

Gaddrevon bowed once more. "as you wish your majesty!" 

But but.. "hey, I don't need no guarding!" I pouted and crossed my arms. 

Dad turned around.

"Well, you did lose to him didn't you?" he raised an eyebrow. Well, I did… but only because he sacrificed his human vessel… I think... 

"And not even get him near a loss I heard?" 

"hmph.." I turned around and sat down, arms crossed. "You damn tattletale" I mumbled. 

"haha, good, then it's settled. Abbsechxt Gaddrevon is your new guard and teacher!" he clapped his hands together. "I have some work, take care of her." he said to the demon with the long dumb name. Then he turned to me. "Forgive me for wanting you to be safe my dear." Dad blinked at me and smiled really wide, then walked off. 

"Hey, where are you going? And c'mon..." and damn, that's a weird name… he stopped in his tracks, turned to me magically. One second he was facing away, then a bit of, what looked like, black smoke appeared all around him and he was facing me. What an unbelievable unnecessary use of magic I thought. 

"sorry, I got some business to attend to! Abbsechxt will guide you around and teach you about rifts!" he said to me. Then he turned towards Abbsechxt Gaddrevon and said "And work towards learning her rifts!" back to me. "We can chat a bit before you're heading back!" he nodded at me then disappeared with a smile on his face. 

He turned to smoke rapidly, starting at his toes going up. 

Gaddrevon bowed at the smoke. 

I saw the thick smoke fly away quickly. Now that's good use of magic. I didn't know you could turn to smoke. Well, I did, that guy with the mask did it… But I wasn't sure he was human. Wait. I'm not human… Does that mean he's a demon? If it's a demonic spell? Well, that's a problem for when I get out of here… 

Fucking dad. As casual, dumb and hypocritical as ever. Hmph. But I have to learn that spell then, to get back… using rifts. 

oh right. I shook my head quickly then followed up with two quick slaps on my cheeks to focus up. 

I looked over at the demon babysitter he'd left me with. He looked quite gloomy. 

"oh well. Do you have a nickname? That name is way too.. Weird.. For the living.." I glanced at him. "umh, no offence meant of course, but you need to.. Fit in a bit.. More..?" I gestured as I tried explaining in a kind way. 

"me. Me? Aargj, who the fuck else is she speaking to you rude fucker, She's speaking to you! man up!." he hit himself in his face, with what looked like, quite some insane freaking power… I yelled out a sound ill never admit came out of my mouth in surprise and held my hands all girly on my cheeks in shock. 

His teeth flew out and half-pulverised, his skin cracked up, bone shards poked out, blood splattered out everywhere and his whole skull caved! Warped by the power of his punch so it got crooked. Blood kept spewing out as well.

I noticed my jaw had sunk down, so I closed my mouth again.  

But it was short lasting, both my jaw being closed and the damage he did to himself.

Since just as quick as the damage happened, as soon as the blood and teeth hit the ground they just flew back, teeth in place one by one. Well, not one by one, but they fell in place really quick. Maybe it was one by one but too quick to tell... Also, blood seeped into the wounds that had opened and it closed up as the blood had all come back.

It happened way to fast to be real, was what I had time to almost think before it was over. The skull warped back into shape as he removed his hand. 

His face was in the exact same condition it was before he hit it… my jaw dropped again. 

What is this power?... He just reconstructed, well, repaired I mean. And it all healed up. Did any dirt get inside him? Some blood had been on the ground to be fair! So many questions… it seems I face these question walls often, and by question wall I mean something that makes me ask so many questions I don't have time to deal with them all. Anyhow… 

This demon, Gaddrevon, was about 180cm tall in his current shape. He looked like he would be a human in his 30s, very very fit looking. As if he'd lived at the gym. Face looked nice, but harsh. He looked like he missed shaving a few days in a row and hadn't slept for a month but even taking that into account his almost perfectly symmetrical face looked really. Well, hot. He had a few scars here and there that had faded, probably with time. Wonder who gave this monster a scar? Not even a bruise from that hit earlier. Or does he keep them by choice? 

He had black and purple hair, color looked divided randomly in spots. His hair reached to his shoulders. Sideways bangs that covered one eye, looked like he didn't really cut his hair or think his hairstyle through, sort of looked like it all happened by accident. Horns, black with a purple shine to them.. Plus cat ears? Yeah, black cat ears. My eyes aren't deceiving me? I blinked a few times. Nope, cat ears. Oh well. Dad has foxears… 

One eyebrow has its middle part missing, and what looks like a burn in the form of a small line going through it. His eyes were shining in purple, what an unnatural look.