Leofwynn's bravery ignited her frightened heart, pulsing with magma and lava, hardening and melting the blood in her luminescent veins.
The vulcan leapt against the Demon King, wielding her sword aimed at the powerful foe.
With a single finger, his pinky, the legendary Demon King, before even being struck, created the invisible shield that shattered Leofwynn's blade.
In mid-air, the vulcan was hit by the invisible barrier and was sent flying a great distance without touching the ground, falling far away, into water.
The water magic came from the conjured staff of the unicorn girl, protecting her friend from crashing into the bushes, as if she were falling into a pleasant lake.
Leofwynn's vision, a blur of walls and ruins among the branches, transformed into deep blue within the waters her body plunged into.
For a few seconds, there was peace.
Until the water left the vulcan's body, and she fell on her back onto the ground, seeing the world upside down, and the torrent conjured by Cwenburg crashing against the imposing Demon King.
In the water, the new alchemy left the alchemist Æthelflæd's little dress, blackening the water around the legendary being.
In the meantime, with her sword broken, Leofwynn stood up and looked at the wall.
If she ran, she could escape, but there was no possibility of abandoning Cwenburg.
Thus, the vulcan focused on the new attack, watching the surrounding landscape distort.
The broken sword was a third of its original size, and as Leofwynn began striking the enormous being, she heard Æthelflæd's voice:
— Burn!
And so it was. Her skin burned, uncontrollably, and the heat distorted the vision of the three around her, burning the alchemist's concoction, transforming the water from the unicorn's conjuration into a tornado of black flames.
VISITING HALL
Exhausted, the three fell to the ground, watching the fire die out. At the center, the bored Demon King informed them:
— My race is also immune to fire, electricity, light, darkness, all elements on the periodic table, bladed weapons, firearms, magic, and physical attacks, to save you three the trouble. Nevertheless, it was a good attempt, I must confess. — The Demon King spoke with a poetic air, like someone trying to impress but not knowing many words. — You are like… like…
— Like? — Cwenburg wanted to know, her diamond-like horn glowing on her forehead pointed at the monster.
— Like ignoble ones. Introduce yourselves.
— What?
— Who are you? And what are you doing here. — Realizing they were not only weak but also had done no kind of study on him, the Demon King doubted if they had truly come there to fight him.
Or were they even dumber than they looked?
And they looked like the lowest intellect beings he had ever encountered, which was saying a lot, considering he had lived for millennia.
— Sorry, Demon King. I am Cwenburg, a water and ice mage, still without ice magics. Of the unicorn lineage.
— How can you be an ice mage if you don't have any ice magics yet?
— I believe I am an ice mage, therefore, I already am.
— No, you're not. If you don't know any ice magic, you are not one yet. Perhaps, if you study, one day you will be, but, you are not yet.
— Yes, I am. — Cwenburg insisted, sitting down, still lacking the strength to stand up.
— And the other two?
— Leofwynn, of the southern vulcans. — The redhead smiled, showing her teeth at the Demon King, who immediately retorted:
— Never heard of it. And the last one?
— Human. Æthelflæd. I came to kill the Demon King! — she admitted smiling, taking off the lid to drink more of the intoxicating alchemy that cheered her up, reddening her flushed face.
— And how would you do that?
— She wanted to poison you. — the vulcan said mockingly.
— That's impossible, I already explained.
— Well, there was no way to know. — the human's voice sounded slurred.
— Of course there was! — the Demon King's objection raised his voice as he remembered. — Blith! Where are you?
— Here, Lordship. — It was an immortal, so ancient his eyes were full of wrinkles, something extremely rare for their lineage.
He appeared so stealthily that the Demon King himself was startled, losing his composure for a few seconds.
They heard from Leofwynn:
— They will destroy our youth! Your demonic assistant will do the heavy lifting, and he will just have fun at the end! Yes, demons eat little children… behold our end…
— Wait! What kind of story is that? — The Demon King felt offended, but before he could react, he noticed the unicorn girl was sleeping while sitting, and the human was getting up:
— You can start with me. — A long string of saliva left the human's face as she walked, her face even redder, not taking her eyes off the monster's bare, muscular chest.
— Blith! Save me from them!
Everyone went inside and drank tea, served by the butler Blith.
Since there were no cups, Blith used the water, made by the mage, in his own old hands, using Leofwynn's hot-head to warm it up.
Then he served, from hand to hand, a handful of tea to each one.
Leofwynn and the Demon King threw away the tea they received.
Æthelflæd saved hers in a canteen.
And Cwenburg drank hers, letting out a small burp, which was followed by a lot of blood vomit.
In the vomit, like letters, could be read:
Lolis Minions Of The Demon King Exude With Endearing Annihilation!
The unicorn rubbed her eyes, and the words disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.
Sitting on the floor in the Visiting Hall of the Black Castle, the Demon King organized his thoughts and came to an unexpected conclusion:
— Yes, that's it. This place needs staff. You three will travel and bring me good servants. Since slavery isn't so well accepted anymore, I will pay a salary to the chosen ones.
IN THE SKIES
Before leaving with their new mission, each of the three asked a question.
Leofwynn:
— And if we refuse?
— I'll kill all three. — The bodies of the three lolis received marks of curses, in hidden places.
Thus, the Demon King could communicate with them, know where they were, and, in the worst case, carry out his gravest threat.
Cwenburg:
— Can you repeat that? I wasn't paying attention…
— Gather staff for my castle! All positions, gardeners, artisans, weavers, carpenters. I don't have furniture anymore! Everything, except guards and armed people. I can take care of this place's security, in fact, no one could be better at that than me. Maids, don't forget the maids! Dozens of them! Handmaidens! Bards! And whatever else is needed…
Finally, Æthelflæd's question:
— How much is the salary?
— What salary? — The Demon King himself got lost, irritated that the unicorn had fallen asleep again, missing half of his previous explanation once more.
— The maid's salary.
— Why do you want to know that? — Leofwynn questioned Æthelflæd.
The vulcan was holding Cwenburg by the shoulders. She wanted to get out of that castle as soon as possible.
— Depending on the amount…
— Depending on the amount, what? — The vulcan's veins lit up again.
— Maybe I'll stay here, it doesn't seem so bad, and the Demon King… — more saliva dripped from Æthelflæd's lips as she observed the extremely muscular body beside her, the one who was moving away:
— I don't want you here. — The Demon King kicked them out of the castle.
And on the serpent-dragon, the three lolis flew, hearing:
— A cook! Start with a damn cook! — The whole scenery trembled again with the power of his voice.
Cwenburg wrote "cook" in a little notebook.
The serpent-dragon's wings lifted them from the ground.
And in no time, the three lolis were flying among the clouds.