INFERNO

  Azrath moved steadily across the barren lands toward the unclaimed kingdom he had been promised. Along the way, he passed a small village that immediately caught his attention. Smoke curled into the sky, and the scent of burning wood stung his nose. Several of the small huts were already in flames, while others had collapsed under piles of rubble.

  He hurried forward, spotting a figure desperately throwing buckets of water onto one of the fires.

  "What happened here? Do you need help?" Azrath called out urgently.

  The villager turned to him, panting heavily. He or she had the slender body of a bat, with thin leathery wings, long curved horns, and sharp claws. Others of the same kind clustered around, their wings arched protectively over the younger and weaker among them.

  "It was hellhounds," the bat-like villager explained quickly. "They attacked during our nightly communion. We tried flying to the rooftops to escape, but they shot fireballs at us and set the huts on fire. We’re doing what we can, but without the Queen, we wouldn’t have survived at all."

  Azrath froze. "What Queen?"

  "They call her the Spider Queen," another villager said. "But Palplians aren’t her only subject. She controls hellhounds and hellcats, too. I don’t know how these got loose."

  "Palplians?" Azrath asked.

  "Humanoid spider demons," the first villager said. "Illusionists, web weavers. Dangerous if you’re on the wrong side of them."

  Azrath thought back to the strange woman he had glimpsed once before. Could she be the Spider Queen? And could someone with power over beasts have spared a village like this?

  He stayed long enough to help put out the worst of the fires, then continued his journey. As he left the village, he noticed something unusual: thin silver webs glinting across the entrance of the nearby canyon. The threads stretched lazily across the rocks, almost inviting. Azrath shivered. Thankfully, the unmarked kingdom wasn’t much farther.

  —

  When he reached the rocky plain that marked his destination, Azrath was tired and ready to settle matters. He stood surveying the rough and empty land.

  He tried brainstorming names for his future kingdom but quickly grew frustrated. Every idea sounded silly or weak.

  As he muttered to himself, a small voice called out from nearby.

  "Infernalia!"

  Azrath blinked and looked down. A tiny, black imp-like creature stood by his feet. It was barely a foot tall, with a head shaped like an upside-down teardrop, two large oval-shaped red eyes, and a pair of slender white-lined horns curving straight upward. Its tail curled in the shape of an "S," ending in a heart-shaped point.

  "Infernalia is an excellent name!" the creature said brightly.

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  Azrath knelt carefully. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice soft not to startle it.

  The creature’s big red eyes widened nervously, and it backed away, vanishing behind a nearby rock. Azrath frowned and called out, "Come on! I’m not going to hurt you!"

  After a few tense moments, a taller, humanoid figure stepped out from the shadows. It was woman-shaped, with wide hips and large curled ram horns. Like the little creature, she had no mouth. Her bright red eyes gleamed under heavy, fiery lashes that curled upward from her lower eyelids. Behind her, several more of the smaller black creatures peeked out.

  The tall figure spoke first. "Back away. We can’t trust you."

  Azrath stood his ground. "Who is 'we'? Why are you all gathered here alone?"

  "We are the Dritz," the figure said. "Servants to the realm. I’m Zel, and these are my children. We've been waiting in this rocky plain for our divine purpose."

  Azrath nodded slowly. "I’m Azrath. Soon, I’ll be crowned king of this realm. This will be my kingdom."

  Zel’s eyes widened slightly. A small Dritz scurried forward and planted itself at Zel’s feet. This one was rounder, shaped like a black bean, with a single large red eye and a single horn sprouting from the center of its head. Its stubby little legs ended in three toes.

  "The King! The King! You’re the one we’ve been waiting for!" the little Dritz cheered, bouncing in place.

  "Not now, Dot," another Dritz said, nudging him. "That's up to Zel to decide."

  This Dritz had a slightly larger build and two horns. He spoke with the apparent authority of an older sibling.

  "I’m Zoc," he said proudly. "I’m the boss whenever Zel isn’t around."

  Zel patted Zoc and Dot on the head, a silent approval.

  "If you truly are the king," Zel said, "then by the Oath of Ash, we are bound to you. We must pledge loyalty to you, and to any you deem part of your court."

  Azrath looked around at the small creatures, his heart sinking a little. They seemed so fragile.

  "A vow to me? Are you supposed to be my army?" he asked quietly.

  Zel shook her head. "No. We serve. You may assign the Dritz wherever you see fit. As advisors, caretakers, record keepers, or scouts."

  Azrath smiled slightly. "You’ll all have a place within my castle once it's built."

  The Dritz broke into a chorus of tiny cheers.

  Before Azrath continued, he asked, "If you had a say, what would you imagine my kingdom looking like?"

  Zoc stepped forward eagerly and described it: high protective walls, an enormous towering castle, streets paved with polished stone, a realm kept clean and orderly, filled with the most elite demons. His words painted a vision of prestige and power.

  "I like that very much," Azrath said, chuckling. He reached down and patted Zoc on the head.

  "You might just be my favorite."

  Dot, still sitting beside his mother, looked visibly downcast.

  Trying to redeem himself, Dot scrambled into the shadows and started digging feverishly. After a moment, he returned, shyly offering something wrapped in dirty cloth.

  "I found this buried in the land of shadows," Dot said nervously. "I can’t read it... But maybe you can use it?"

  Azrath unwrapped the bundle carefully. Inside was an old, cracked scroll, the writing ancient but still legible. It was a spell, a teleportation charm, allowing travel between locations across the realm.

  Azrath’s eyes lit up. "Dot, this is incredible!" he said, lifting the small Dritz into his arms briefly in thanks.

  Zoc shot his brother a mildly irritated look but said nothing.

  "You have wonderful children, Zel," Azrath said warmly.

  Zel didn’t reply, but her crimson eyes narrowed slightly. It was the closest thing to a smile Azrath figured he would get.

  After studying the spell carefully, Azrath activated the enchantment. With a final glance at the rocky plain, he vanished, teleporting to the next destination marked on his map, the land of “strong demons”.