Pandemonium

Summary: After a tragic event leaves all of Enchancia shaken, in the midst of overwhelming devastation and despair, an unexpected ally lends a hand to restore balance to the realm once more. (Collab with Mr. Shortman92; editing assistance by MarionetteJ2X)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Daemno, Alamea, and Corban. Nana and Tanya belong to MarionetteJ2X. Daemno's wife Daluzia belongs to Mr. Shortman92. Also, this is his idea. 😊

Chapter 6: A Deal with a Deity

Right after Minimus and Skye appeared, James ran off to get one of his knight swords (deciding to leave his family sword behind, just in case), leaving Cedric alone with the flying horse and unicorn, who were very confused to see him instead of Sofia. Since he couldn't understand Minimus, Skye decided it was best to communicate with the sorcerer instead.

"Might I ask what is going on?" he asked politely.

Cedric explained to them all that happened five days ago, about how their beloved princess had been murdered during a siege on the castle. The tragic news saddened them, but they were filled with hope after learning it might be possible to save her. "And that's where you two come in." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the prince, just as he was rushing out the door with his sword in hand. "Sofia's brother and I need a ride somewhere. Do you think you can help us out?"

James stood next to the sorcerer, panting after having run all the way to his room and back. "Hey, Skye and Minimus!"

"Good day, Prince James," Skye greeted, bowing to the young knight before returning his attention to Cedric. "For Princess Sofia, we would be happy to help! Climb aboard, good sirs, and we will fly you wherever you need to go."

Once they were on their 'noble steeds,' James taking Minimus, and Cedric taking Skye, the sorcerer lifted his right arm into the air, calling out, "Which-Way Bow, show us the way to the Underworld and the soul of Princess Sofia of Enchancia!" With that he pulled back and released the bow, watching as its arrow soared ahead of them. "Follow that arrow!" And they took off.

As they flew through the air, Cedric felt the Enchantlet tightening on his wrist, and he had a feeling he knew what that meant. "Oh, great. Now I have to deal with her." He lifted his arm as Chrysta appeared before him.

"Hey, Sofia! I was just calling to ask if-Cedric?!" She just gaped at the sorcerer. "You're not Sofia. What are you doing with her Enchantlet? And are you also wearing her amulet?" Seeing the sheepish smile on the sorcerer's face, she started to draw her own conclusion. Too bad it was way off. She smiled knowingly at Cedric, confusing him. "Sofia, I know you love Cedric, to the point where you even wore his clothes once (according to your sister), but don't you think you're taking this 'couple' thing a bit too far now?"

Cedric blushed. "She wore my clothes? When did that happen?"

"Ooh, is that really you, Cedric?" She grinned as he just nodded, still in shock. "Disregard what I just said then. Where's Sofia? And again, why are you wearing her Enchantlet?"

Cedric shook his head to clear it before answering. "Five days ago, our castle was attacked by a gang of magical and powerful miscreants. Sofia…didn't make it."

Chrysta gasped as tears began to well up in her eyes, but then she frowned and wiped the tears away. "Tell me who did this, Cedric."

He frowned heavily, remembering the moment very vividly. "Oh, don't worry, Chrysta… That coward already got what he deserved, as did all the other intruders. I made certain of that."

Chrysta nodded in satisfaction. "G-Good… But…you still didn't answer my-"

"I'm on my way with Prince James to the Underworld."

Chrysta was shocked. "I'm sorry… Did you say that you're going to the Underworld?" Seeing him nod, she asked, "But Cedric, why would you-?" Then it hit her. "Cedric… Will that even work?"

Cedric sighed. "It has to. Because I'm not sure what I'm going to do if it doesn't."

Chrysta nodded, smiling softly. "Good luck then, Cedric. Just…be careful, okay?" She even allowed a cheeky expression to shine through before adding, "And don't come back dead." With that she was gone.

"That doesn't make sense, but all right," Cedric murmured to himself.

"So," James began a few minutes later, "Sofia apparently likes trying on men's clothing." He laughed awkwardly. "I mean, she's always been into things that weren't exactly 'normal.' Talking to animals, participating in the flying derby, practicing magic..." He smiled sheepishly as Cedric sent him a quick glare. "No offense, Cedric. I guess what I'm saying is... Sofia prancing around in your clothes doesn't surprise me at all." He shrugged. "After all, it's always the quiet ones, am I right? Hey, uh, you don't do that with her clothes, right?"

"James!" Cedric blushed and looked toward the younger man, a slightly annoyed look on his face, though he was trying not to smile. He actually enjoyed the banter with the prince. "Are you going to be like this the entire trip?"

James grinned. "Why, Cedric? Is it bothering you?"

Cedric finally smiled, shaking his head. "Not really. If anything, I find your sense of humor strangely uplifting right now. It's a good distraction anyway. Plus, I suppose you actually made a good point about Sofia. In all the years I've spent with her, I've come to notice a few odd habits she has, like..."

As Cedric began listing off all of Sofia's little quirks, some of which James didn't even know about, the sorcerer almost seemed as if he were in another world, which the prince took notice of. He smiled, thinking to himself, 'Wow. He really is in love with her…'

Hours later, when the entrance to the Underworld finally came into view, they were surprised to find that it looked very different from what they were expecting. It appeared to be a simple, small cave entrance leading into the ground, with a surprisingly nice wooden door over it, and the outside was surrounded by all kinds of beautiful flowers (mostly marigolds and chrysanthemums).

"Wow, not what I was expecting at all," James said, looking at Cedric who nodded, both puzzled over the fact that the entrance to the Underworld looked so...not scary.

Still, despite its welcoming appearance, they landed Skye and Minimus a safe distance from the cave, dismounted, and continued on foot. Just as they reached the door, it began to shake before being torn apart and sucked into a swirling vortex just inside the cave's entrance. Then, the vortex instantly vanished as the mouth of the cave expanded, now large enough to sail a ship into. Suddenly a strong stench began to emanate from the cave, causing the two to cover their noses as all the flowers around them wilted to nothing.

"Ooh, that stinks!" James exclaimed, waving his hand in front of his face to ward off the stench. "Smells like rotting flesh and sulfur."

Cedric nodded, also waving a hand in front of his face. "Smells like Cordelia's cooking." They both laughed briefly before making their way inside.

Only a few steps in, they saw a sign on the wall that read, "You are now in the Underworld! But it's not too late to leave and avoid unspeakable horrors. If you choose to continue, we will not be held liable for any emotional trauma or dismemberment that befalls you. You have been warned." The friends rolled their eyes and continued, seeing several more signs.

"Did you not read the first sign?"

"Turn back now!"

"Are you still here?"

"All hope for you is lost!"

James scoffed after the last one. "This Draco guy seems to have an 'interesting' sense of humor."

Cedric rolled his eyes. "This coming from the guy who's been cracking inappropriate jokes the entire trip. And it's 'Daemno.'" He shook his head. "I swear, you butchered his name worse than Nigel did."

James frowned, striking at the air in front of him with his sword. "Yeah? Well, if he doesn't give my little sister back, I'm gonna butcher his face too!"

Cedric paused, turning to James and resting a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention. "About that, James… We don't fully know what we're up against here, and so, while I'd love nothing more than to Interficio this guy, grab Sofia's soul, and rush back to Enchancia, we have to play it smart. After all, if either of us dies, Sofia won't be happy, and keeping her happy is one of my top priorities."

James smiled. "You're right. I mean, an unhappy Sofia just isn't a pretty sight." Cedric laughed as James continued, thoughtfully, "You know, Cedric, Sofia's been really happy ever since you turned over a new leaf, and so have you. Especially recently when you guys started courting. I don't know what you guys are doing, but you're doing it right." He then turned to Cedric, smiling. "And I don't say this much, but thanks for taking care of her for me." Seeing Cedric's baffled expression, he explained, "It's supposed to be my responsibility to keep her safe, but I haven't been doing that. The whole reason I became a knight was to protect not only my kingdom but also the people in it, including my family. But it's kind of hard to protect Sofia when she's always off on another adventure, and I'm stuck at home, wondering if she's safe. I guess that's why I wanted to help you save her. You've saved her life so many times. This time, I wanted to at least be there to help."

Cedric didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything as they ventured deeper into the Underworld.

Soon, though, they stopped in a large open area, and James asked, holding a hand to his nose, "Is it just me, or does this area smell even worse?"

"No, it definitely smells worse." Cedric also covered his nose. But then his eyes widened as he saw something horrifying. He pointed towards the cave wall, and whispered, "James, look."

James looked in the direction Cedric was pointing, and his eyes widened as well as he saw a decomposing hand reaching through the wall, which appeared to be made of dried mud. Then they both noticed several other arms and even heads emerging from the walls around them. "Oh, great; zombies," James muttered sarcastically, holding out his sword as Cedric produced a magical blade from the tip of his wand. "Whoa! I didn't know you could do that!"

Cedric smirked. "There are many things you don't know about me…"

The two then stood back-to-back as the zombies began closing in on them. Within seconds, the first zombie lunged at them and the fight began.

As the fight progressed, with both Cedric and James cutting down hordes of zombies, James exclaimed, "These things just keep coming! How many are there?!"

Cedric swung his wand/sword, taking off a head of one of the zombies before casting a destruction spell on it. "Have you noticed how the ones with no heads are still fighting?" He repeated the same actions on another one, looking to James, who had just nodded after cutting one's head off, kicking its body into a few others, throwing them off balance. Suddenly, realization dawned on him as he observed the other zombies carefully, noting the glowing yellow orbs of their eyes. "It's the eyes, James! Try to destroy their eyes, or even just destroy their whole head if you have to!" He then repeated the actions a third time.

Following his lead, James began kicking the zombies in the face while fending off reinforcements with his sword. At one point, his sword got caught halfway through one zombie's midsection (obviously the blade was beginning to dull, or was just getting a little too dirty), and upon freeing it, he was disgusted by the odd yellow-green gunk that now coated his blade. "Eww, blood isn't supposed to be that color…" He finished the zombie off with a swift kick to the face. "How long was that guy dead?!"

Cedric took out two more zombies (no longer using his sword, and instead simply blasting their heads with magic) before looking towards James's blade, grimacing at how disgusting it looked. "Um, that's not blood. I think you might have hit his stomach." He destroyed another one.

James gagged after obliterating another zombie. "Oh, that is so not right."

They continued fighting for a few more minutes before realizing that it was useless as another wave of zombies showed up.

Standing back-to-back once again, James asked, panting, "Any ideas on what we can do about these things? They still keep coming. Is there a spell that can just freeze them all?"

Cedric immediately remembered that there was such a spell, and he groaned. "Yes, but you must take my hand, or the spell will freeze you as well." He did, and waving his wand, Cedric called out, "Somnibus Populi Celae!" Suddenly, all the zombies froze in their tracks, unable to move, but then the friends heard laughter followed by clapping as a shadowy figure stepped into the room.

Daemno, the entity from MÃ¥ngata and Reimagia, stopped before them. Unlike his previous form with the transparent body and faceless features, he seemed a bit more solid now. The being was coated in a dark robe with lengthy sleeves that covered both hands, a hood over his head and a cloak that trailed down to his 'knees' perhaps, and off-white bandages covering his eyes (though it was evident, given the sunken nature, that there very well may only be sockets beneath those bandages). What he did have this time was a smirk on his face, a few razor-sharp teeth peeking out from pale lips when he finally spoke. "Bravo, Cedric. You managed to stop my guards. Now, why have you come here? You remember how things almost ended the last time you and Princess Sofia trespassed on my collection pool in MÃ¥ngata. So, either you took a very wrong turn somewhere, or you're dumber than I initially thought." He smirked as the other two just continued to glare at him.

Cedric stepped forward. "Where is Sofia's soul?!"

"Oh, that's right. Your princess died recently, didn't she?" He laughed softly, which angered both Enchancians, though they held their ground. "I'd almost forgotten, what with the thousands of souls pouring in here every day. We've had a massive influx of entries, especially ever since that Never Realm fiasco… Your princess is indeed here; she came in just the other day. But what makes you think I'll give her back to you?"

James held out his sword threateningly towards Daemno. "Listen here, creep! I came here for my sister, and I will end you if you do not tell us where she is, now!"

"Is that a threat?" Daemno asked in amusement.

Cedric, meanwhile, was very worried for the prince's safety right now. "James…"

James wasn't afraid though. "It's a promise."

Daemno laughed. "Is that so? You know, Prince James, you remind me a lot of your sister, except that you're still alive."

James growled and plunged his sword into the creature's chest.

Cedric gasped. "James!"

Daemno suddenly began laughing loudly, shocking the other two as James's sword turned to ashes before their eyes. "You see, boy, I cannot be killed by ordinary means." He then raised his gnarled and sharp hands in the air, causing all of the zombies to rise into the air as well, before throwing them back into the walls, the eerie yellow glow in their eyes fading as they were absorbed back into the mud. "Look, I'm going to level with you both. I'm not going to kill you today. If I did, my wife would be furious with me. Especially since we already have more souls than we know what to do with right now." Seeing that Cedric was about to say something, he held up his hand. "And before you even ask, yes, I am married. As for your princess... I suppose giving her back would make one fewer soul to deal with, and my wife did always like her, and she was very torn up over her death. So, she'd probably be pleased if I gave you Princess Sofia's soul." Noting the two friends looking hopeful, he declared, "But I'm not my wife! I will not just hand over such a powerful soul! Here's the deal." He gestured vaguely. "Since I'm in a good mood, and we have too many souls anyway, I won't ask that you trade your life for hers. Instead, we'll play some games. If you win, she's yours. If I win, you two leave here empty handed."

"Not a chance!" James said, not liking that plan at all.

Cedric placed a hand on the prince's shoulder, looking him in the eye as he told him, "James, we don't have any other options." He then turned back to Daemno. "We accept your challenge, Daemno!"

"Good. Follow me." And with that, he led the friends deeper into his dark dwelling.

Daemno guided them to a large dungeon-like room, with iron cages hanging from the high ceiling, some with skeletons in them, and three large eerily glowing pools along the back wall. Aside from that, though, the rest of the room was pretty bare: no cells, shackles, or torture devices to be seen. There were a few torches on the walls and a large framed painting that looked very out of place. It depicted the image of a young woman dressed in a white gown, with fair skin, brown eyes, and light blonde hair. Still, despite the different color scheme, Cedric couldn't help but think she looked a lot like his partner, though he chose not to say anything just yet.

They stopped at a table in the middle of the room as Daemno turned to them. "All right, first thing's first," he said as he levitated the prince into the air. "Two against one? Those odds hardly seem fair, wouldn't you agree?" He chuckled as the prince gasped.

"Hey, what's the deal?! I thought you said you wouldn't kill us!"

"I'm not. You'll simply be sitting this one out, Prince James." He then tossed the prince into one of the cages, the door closing and locking behind him. "Don't worry, at least you have someone to talk to up there." He laughed.

James turned around and noticed that, sitting across from him, was the corpse of a young woman. She appeared to have been in there for quite some time as she was reduced to literally just bones, and her tattered dress seemed to be fused to the rusted iron bars. "Oh, wow…"

Down below, Daemno sat at the table, which had a built-in chess board, gesturing for Cedric to take the seat across from him. "I was thinking we could play a game of chess to start off."

Cedric nodded. Chess was a game he was very familiar with, so he felt like he would at least stand a chance of winning. "So, how is this going to go? We play one match, and if I win, you'll give us Sofia's soul, right?"

"Hmm, yes, that works for me. However, I'm not unreasonable." He waved one hand, the chess pieces appearing on the board. "To make things fair, I'll allow one rematch: me versus both of you, in a game of your choosing."

Cedric was surprised, though a bit suspicious; however, given the circumstances, it wasn't hard to see why. "That's...remarkably generous of you. Shall we begin our match now?"

Daemno nodded, and the two began to play.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Waiting Game