Adventures in Summoning

Chapter 37

I vaguely remembered the last time we had gone through the gate, that there would be a momentary feeling of disorientation, but even remembering the experience didn't help the slight bit of nausea that surfaced. I staggered a bit when my feet hit the purple floor of the nexus, and I had no time to take in my surroundings before the gun was ripped from my grasp along with Helen's. I stepped back and looked up to see and gigantic horned creature with blood red skin and jutting black horns snarling down at us.

"Ahh, my doting grandchildren, how nice of you to come visit." Talkorn was standing safely behind the creature, a demon I assumed, and took possession of our guns, tossing them behind him as if they were of no use to him. "Where is your dragon friend? And the other human?" He inquired with a smile.

"Dead!" Helen blurted out. "Our dragon friend was banished for consorting with humans once they found out our relation to you. You must have made quite the impression. The dragons killed her and Dee when we couldn't get here in time."

Talkorn didn't look moved by her story, not that there was a heart in his miserable body anyway. "You'll forgive me if I don't believe you," he drawled.

It really didn't matter of he believed us, there wasn't much we could do with this demon guarding him. I had seen Quin rip the succubus apart in seconds, but this was a demon seemingly bred for war, and would tower over Quin if they had been standing together.

"So, what now? Do you really think we'll work for you after all we've seen?" I spit out. It still sickened me that he was related to me. "How many more worlds do you need to do this to?"

"It is true that I wish you would work for me, you're all I have left since my children seem to have disappeared," I smirked at that, knowing exactly where those hideous lawn ornaments were. "It seems you have some talents as well. That was your electric bomb, yes?"

"Yes, it seemed like the best way to even the playing field," I admitted.

"Oh yes, dragons fighting humans with no technology is much more even," he barked out a bitter laugh. "It will take weeks to build up another force, but even so I know where their main base is now, and many dragons fell in this battle. It is just a matter of time."

"And you don't care about enslaving all of these people? Or slaughtering another entire planet?" Helen glared at him.

"My planet has needs, I supply them. The people of these other planets weren't strong enough to hold their riches, so they didn't deserve them," he gloated. Damn he sounded like a rich frat boy, no wonder my parents were so fucked up.

"You're a monster. You know that, right?" I just shook my head at him.

"Oh, that reminds me!" he leaned down and picked up one of the pistols he had dropped. "Urgun, go kill the dragon and any other human with it," he said to the demon as he looked over the gun.

The creature bowed to him and lumbered through the gate that led to Quin and Dee. I felt my nausea return, and looked over at Helen, who had her head hanging down, her hands on her hips. "So, what, your demon returns and we're next?" I asked.

"Oh no! You'll be returning with me to my world. Perhaps a few years there, reveling in the glory of what true wealth can acquire will change your view of what the universe can hold," he smiled, waving the gun around.

My heart sunk, a new world filled by people who thought the rape of another planet was justified, and me with no Quin? With Helen having no Dee? We'd be miserable pampered prisoners expected to take over this horrid enterprise.

"What if we say no?" Helen asked stubbornly.

"Well, I would prefer you said yes, obviously. But if not, Urgun does get hungry," he smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest.