I'll be honest guys, I was trying to see how long I could wait to post this. But since I started working on chapter 2 already, I figured, why not? Plus I'm about to buckle down for assignments and papers, so... yeah. Anyway, I'm honestly so amazed that we made it this far into a series of stories and I appreciate all the support and feedback you guys have given.
For newcomers, this is the third installment of a series. So, while not required, it is highly recommended you go and read arcs 1 and 2 before starting this. I will not be answering stupid questions that can be answered in arcs 1 and 2.
"So whad'ya guys think?" Drago asked.
"Uh, I dunno. I mean, I may not know much about human stuff, but doesn't the flame decal seem a bit cliche?" Liam asked.
"Yeah, I gotta go with Liam on this one," Remy agreed.
"What are you guys talking about? The flame decal is cool! And it's perfect for me!" Drago argued as he climbed off the black motorcycle with orange and yellow flame decal.
"Perfect or not, can you even afford it?" Remy asked.
"Well… no."
"Yeah and I don't think Mala would be cool with you renewing your membership to the five finger discount. Mavis told me about that, I still don't get what it means!" Liam exclaimed.
"I guess I'll need to get a job then. But think about it! How cool would having a motorcycle be? Chicks dig guys on motorcycles," Drago said.
"They do? Maybe I should get one…" Liam pondered. "Whad'ya say, Remy? Why don't you get one too? You could get a nice black and green one. Eh? I know you love black and green," Liam suggested, playfully elbowing Remy in his side.
"Yeah, ok having a motorcycle would be pretty cool. And fairly efficient too if we ever got in a road chase. I doubt Tim will be willing to let us use the car his parents are buying him. Oh, why not?" Remy conceded.
"Yes!" Liam exclaimed.
"But there is still the issue of how to pay for them," Remy added.
"Hey, why don't you ask Mala? She makes a ton of money selling all that jewelry she makes. Makes me wish I had a Demon Chi like that. What can I make money with off Shadow and Sound Demon Chi?" Liam asked.
"Nah, I can't ask her for the money. I'm almost nineteen and I need to be able to pay for my own things. It'd be embarrassing to get money from my girlfriend. Plus, Mala's birthday's coming up next month anyway, so yeah."
"Well, I guess that means we're going to need to find jobs," Liam sighed.
As the three of them strolled down the street, they met up with Mala and Tim.
"Where's Mavis?" Liam asked.
"In there," Tim pointed to the restaurant they were standing outside of.
"What's this?" Remy asked.
"It's some new breakfast buffet place that just opened up over the weekend," Mala explained. "Mavis ran right inside the minute she saw it."
"I'm not surprised. It's a combination of two of her favorite things: breakfast foods and all you can eat buffets," Liam commented.
"Well, in her defence, who doesn't love all you can eat buffets?" Mala asked.
"Not to mention the ability to eat breakfast foods during every other time besides breakfast. The hours say it's open all day," Tim added.
"Well, I'm starving. Let's get something to eat," Drago said, opening the door for them all to go in. The five went in and found Mavis sitting alone at a large table that she saved for the rest of them. Apparently by the time they got her, she had already finished her second helping of pancakes and was back to the buffet line for her third. By the time they finished, Mavis alone went through two whole cans of whipped cream. On their way out, she paid for a third one, which she casually ate by spraying the whipped cream right in her mouth as they made their way to Kuang's store.
"What is with you and the whipped cream?" Remy asked.
"It's the best thing ever! I go through a can in like a minute! Sadly, that's why whipped cream isn't allowed in the house anymore. Whenever we have strawberries or pie, there's never any whipped cream because of the dreaded whipped cream bandit," Mavis explained.
"Right, and would this whipped cream bandit have long reddish-brown hair in pigtails and be wearing a black cat-eared hat?" Liam asked.
"Maaaaaybe," Mavis sang. When they turned the corner to Kuang's store, all six of them gasped in surprise at the piled up boxes and moving van parked outside the entrance. "What the hell?" Mavis exclaimed.
"Kuang, what's going on?" Mala asked as they made their way inside past the boxes and movers to Kuang at the back of the shop.
"Yeah, what's with the movers and boxes?" Liam added.
"Oh, it's nothing kids. I'm just retiring!" he replied happily.
"Retiring? How come?" Tim asked.
"Well kids, I'm pretty old and honestly between surviving an attack on my shop by a Dark Chi Wizard and nearly having the city overrun with Demon Sorcerers, I think it's high time I just sit back, relax and just enjoy the rest of my life."
"But then what's going to happen to the store?" Remy asked.
"And the workshop?" Tim added.
"And spell ingredients?" Mala added.
"Now, now, now," Kuang said, waving his hands to quiet them down. "I'll still be around. I am your landlord after all," he added, looking at Liam, Drago and Remy. "So I'll still be able to privately order you whatever ingredients you need. And you can always just prepare the spells in your apartment, I'll allow it. Just, you know, open some windows when you do. As for the store, I'm selling the space."
"Selling? To who?" Drago asked.
"Me." The six of them turned to see a tall, well-built young man with long golden hair tied in a low, loose braid. He wore a dark blue sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, white pants and black dress shoes. But the most eye catching detail about him was the beautiful star-shaped, yellow amulet around his neck.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my son, Arran," Kuang said.
"Your son?" they exclaimed in surprise.
"No offence, but you two don't look much alike," Mala pointed out.
"Haha, I get that a lot. It's because I get my looks from my mother," Arran replied. "Anyway, my dad's told me a lot about you guys. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Let me guess. Liam, Tim, Mavis, Mala, Drago and… Remington, was it?" Arran asked, pointing at each of them as he flawlessly to match got their names correct.
"Yeah, but you can just call me Remy for short," Remy replied.
"Ah, will do."
"So if you don't mind us asking, why did you buy the store?" Mala asked.
"Well, when dad decided to retire, he was looking for someone to buy the store from him. I was just finishing up my degree in Greek history and mythology and thought, why don't I buy it? I'm going to turn it into a little restaurant; I've always wanted to own one. And it'll be nice to keep the space in the family."
"A restaurant? Awesome! What kind of cuisine? When are you opening?" Mavis asked.
"Well, there's still a lot of renovations to be done, so it might be a while before I can open for business. Plus, I need to hire some staff. Any of you interested in a job?" Arran asked.
"Oh, oh! We are!" Liam exclaimed, pointing to himself, Drago and Remy, who nodded in agreement.
"Great!"
"Oh, are you gonna have a bar? If so, can I be the bartender?" Mavis asked.
"Mavis the drinking age is twenty one. You're still only seventeen," Tim pointed out.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't mix drinks!" she protested.
"Haha, I'm sure I can find something for you to do around here," Arran said.
Deep in the Demon Netherworld, Hei Gou sat obediently waiting for his master as two demons stood nearby him. The first was a humanoid demon with a long jacket, light armor and a long, thin black blade strapped to his back. The other was a gigantic titan made of dark stones and swirling shadows oozing from parts of the golem. In the distance coming towards them was An Gou, Hei's other half. The pair of demon dogs were twins with Hei being the larger, stronger male and An being the thinner, faster female. Following her was a similarly humanoid demon dressed head to toe in light armor with a tattered cloak and hood. Across her back she had a quiver and a black bow in her hand. When she arrived to the other two demons, the golem demon spoke.
"About time, Hou Yi! Do you realize how long we've been waiting!" the golem growled.
"Oh shut your overgrown gullet, Wei Gong. The mutt couldn't have had worse timing!" Hou Yi bit back while throwing a glare at An Gou.
"Psh, busy with Tso Lan again?" the sword wielding demon asked. "I have to ask, how freaky does it get with him with those four arms and that tongue?"
"What I do with my time is my business, Jun Bing! Why have we been summoned?"
"Isn't it obvious? Our master has called us. As his loyal Demon Commanders, it is our duty to him to answer," Wei simply replied.
"But that is impossible. Our master is dead! The Shadow Legion disbanded!" Hou Yi protested.
"Don't believe everything you hear, Hou Yi." The three demons turned to the source of the voice as a large, shadow formed over them. A pair of bright red eyes opened in the shadows and glared at them below as Hou Yi gasped in surprise.
"M-master! Y-you live?" she exclaimed in pure shock.
"The crystal wench may have destroyed my body, but with her death, I was freed from the prison she left me in," the shadow spoke.
"We knew you would return, master," Wei said faithfully.
"What do you command of us?" Jun asked.
"I have waited long enough for what is rightfully mine. I may be trapped in this form, but I know of a way to get my body back."
"How?" Hou Yi asked.
"You all remember my dear twin sister, yes?" the shadow asked.
"Shuo Guang," Wei muttered, "A disgrace to all Demon Sorcerers!"
"Before her… expiration, she crafted twelve signs of extraordinary power, much like Shen Du's talismans. I know that one in particular will grant me the power to restore my body."
"How do we find them?" Jun asked.
"Long ago, Shuo Guang and I were once a single entity, one of light and dark, female and male, good and evil. As her twin, I am able to sense the Signs and use them to their full power in a way that no other could. But in this form, my power is greatly diminished. I can only focus on one at a time and I cannot determine which Sign it is from a distance. I will require you three to acquire these Signs for me until we find the one I need."
"Yes, master," the three demons said in unison.
"But how will we get to the human world, master? Your son banished you to this place," Wei Gong started saying.
"Silence! Do not dare mention my son to me! Test my patience once more Wei Gong, and I will send you right back to being the snivelling little scout you once were. Once I've reclaimed my body, I will finish what I started years ago. But before I put an end to his existence, I will make him watch as I plunder and burn the world he loves so much," the shadow declared.
"Haha, I'm loving the sound of this already!" Hou Yi grinned. "But how will we get to the human world?"
"I may have lost much of my power being in this form, but I still retain some of them. No matter what, there is darkness everywhere. Where there exists a shadow, I will be able to open a path from here to it. Even the tiniest shadow will be sufficient. Wei, you will remain here. I do not want to attract… unwanted attention, at least not yet. The last thing I want is for my son and his friends," the shadow sneered, "to become aware of my plans. Remember the powers I bestowed upon you all: fire, wind and earth," he said, looking at the twin hounds, Hou Yi and Wei Gong in succession. "Jun, are you sure you do not want a shadow element?"
"I appreciate the offer, my lord," Jun said with a noble bow, "but my sword is my power. A true swordsman need not rely on powers stolen from another."
"Very well, Jun, but I'm sure you will change your mind. When offered a chance to embrace the darkness, they always come around eventually. Hou Yi, as my scout commander, you will be the first to go. Bring me the Signs and do not fail me," he warned maliciously.
"Yes sir!" she bowed.
"Already I can feel the presence of one… no, three! How convenient that three would be together in one place? One of them must be the one I seek! Go, Hou Yi, and bring me my Signs! Hei Gou and An Gou will accompany you. They are, after all, my eyes," the shadow declared. In front of them, a large shadowy portal formed. Hou Yi and the twin demon dogs jumped and it closed after them.
Those of you that read Kingdom Shadows, the AU spin-off of this story, may remember the mention of two demons, Hou Yi and Jun Bing. Well, they weren't exclusively for that story, not one bit! Followers on deviantart can expect images of the Shadow Legion some time within... maybe the next month. Depends how my work load goes.
Did you guys pick up on all my hints? I write in a very specific way that if you're smart and read carefully, you'll get them ;)