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Palan collapsed the strange cylinder that Pyre called a telescope and stuffed it into the bag by his waist. “What the hell happened to a week or two? It hasn’t even been a few hours,” he said as he looked at the half-angel. “The battle’s already over.”
Pyre raised his hand and scratched his head. “Yeah…,” he said as he put away the telescope in his hand as well. “I guess I was wrong.” He shrugged and pulled out his pipe. “Well, it looks like they buried the dead. You can just dig them up and eat them as long as you don’t mind a little bit of dirt. I think one of the council members died. Poor bastard.”
“As long as I can become an archdemon,” Palan said as he sat down on top of the grassy hill. He pulled out the telescope again and began to peer through it, looking in every direction. He had a feeling Andrea would love something like this to play with. She’d be able to see as far as she could hear.
“I thought you were going to be brave and enter the battle,” Pyre said, taking a drag on his pipe.
“That wasn’t a battle,” Palan said and snorted as he watched the rebel army leave, bringing along the few angels who had survived. Michael had survived, causing Palan’s eyes to narrow. “It was a slaughter. There wasn’t any opportunity for me to strike. I thought the council members would’ve been more useful.”
Pyre shrugged. “People deteriorate as they get older,” he said. “In mind and body. Let’s be honest though; if they really were smart, they would’ve been working at the academies instead of the council. Anyone can be on the council as long as they’re an archangel.” He exhaled a cloud of purple smoke and offered the pipe to Palan. “Want some?”
“No.”
“Suit yourself,” Pyre said as he retracted his hand. “So what happens after you become an archdemon? What’s the plan?”
“Retrieve Raea,” Palan said. “I think she’s being held at Hailing Academy.”
“Eh?” Pyre raised an eyebrow. “You know I worked there, right?” Palan stayed silent. “I guess her parents wanted to try conversion therapy. I don’t know how successful it’d be on someone of her caliber.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Palan asked.
“Well, parents send their brats to academies to teach them, but there are also times where they want their kids to have a certain virtue,” Pyre said. “So the headmaster created methods to impart virtues on people and called it conversion therapy. It’s very basic though, and I don’t think he’s ever tried it on a greater angel or above.”
“Raea won’t be killed, right?”
“Depends on the results,” Pyre said and shrugged. “But the headmaster loves a challenge, so he’ll definitely keep her around until he makes a breakthrough. She might not be the same person after the therapy though, just warning you.”
“As long as she’s alive,” Palan said and furrowed his brow.
“If you want to go to Hailing, you better eat the bodies tonight,” Pyre said as he tapped the ashes out of his pipe. “I don’t know how long a demon evolution takes, but it should be around a week or so. Solra’s army is definitely going to target Hailing once they break through to the first sector. Their goal is the capital, and Hailing is the biggest obstacle now that the army’s gone.”
“By a week or so, do you mean a few hours?” Palan asked and narrowed his eyes. After one failed prediction, his faith in Pyre had diminished.
“I’m smart, but I’m not omniscient,” Pyre said and sighed. “There are times where I’ll be wrong. I’m not giving you incorrect information on purpose. If I was always right, do you think I’d be forced to run away from the rebel army?”
Palan shrugged. “You’re still alive,” he said as he stood up and placed the telescope away. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“Dig up the bodies,” Palan said as he stared at Pyre. “Didn’t you say I had to hurry?”
“I said tonight,” Pyre said as he stood up and dusted off his pants. “Shouldn’t Raea have imparted some patience on you? What if they come back to the burial site because they forgot something?”
“What if one of those halflings plan to eat the body as well?” Palan asked. “I’m not letting anyone else have it. I need to become an archdemon.” He licked his lips as he walked down the hill, taking large strides but not before wrapping his tail around Pyre’s waist.
“Couldn’t you leave me behind?” Pyre asked with a frown. “I didn’t escape from Solra just to get caught by him again.”
“I won’t be able to recognize the archangels,” Palan said. “And I don’t want to carry all of them back. It’d take too long to digest everyone.”
Pyre sighed and reached into his bag, taking out an orb of diligence. He could at least expedite the digging process. The duo arrived at the freshly created graveyard, and Pyre began to unearth the corpses by manipulating the dirt while Palan kept watch with his telescope. If any halflings did have plans of digging up the corpses, they didn’t plan on doing it so soon. Pyre was able to find Andrew’s and the gluttony goblin’s body without a hitch, and the duo fled with Palan carrying them by using his powers.
They retreated a decent distance away, and Pyre dug out a makeshift cave in the ground. Palan placed the two corpses down and stared at them. With this, he would finally become an archdemon. His heart thumped harder, and he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. He wet his lips with his tongue as he knelt next to the bodies and began to feast. Pyre’s expression didn’t change as he watched Palan devour the two bodies—he had seen halflings eat all one thousand of Akurel’s soldiers. “How do you feel?” Pyre asked after Palan finished consuming them.
Palan burped and leaned back, propping himself up with his arms. “Sleepy,” he said. “Keep watch.”
Pyre nodded. “Of course,” he said. How could he miss the opportunity to see a demon evolve for himself?
Black liquid began to ooze out of Palan’s pores, forming a puddle on the ground. Viscous strands rose out of the liquid and wrapped around Palan’s body. More and more strands rose from the puddle until his skin could no longer be seen. Pyre watched as the material thickened around Palan’s body, forming a black egg. There was a smile on his face as he sat down. He couldn’t wait to see an archdemon wreak havoc on the capital.
Meanwhile, did Raea’s body also go into a cocoon? She did last time. How will the chains impact her if she also evolves? Will they be incorporated into a new body? Will she break through them? Well the headmaster or others block or stop her transformation early?