The Blue Devils: A Complete and Utter… IDIOT.
"And furthermore…" the speaker was some sort of… whatever it was. A Hound Saurian (Zuum/Tiger) or some irritating monster like that. Jen let her head drop. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't make a difference… right?
Wrong.
"Jen, could you give uss an opinion on the current ssituation?" Lucifer gave her a cool smile from his seat. "I believe that ssince you wear the Gray, you sshould contribute to thesse meetss. What can you tell uss?"
"Nothing," Jen muttered. "I have no active opinion on the matter at this moment." She sat, sweat pouring down her forehead and stinging her eyes.
"Nice ssave," Lucifer whispered in her ear. "What do you think the outcome will be of appealss from non-Devilss?"
"How did you get over here so fast?" Jen asked him, deliberately avoiding the question.
"I'll explain later. But now, my dear Jen… pay attention to the speakerss and bore yoursself sstiff. Ssuch iss life."
"I don't want to admit that, you know." Jen smiled coolly.
"Of coursse you don't… you like to believe in being in control, my dear Jen." He smiled at her and dissappeared.
Jen rolled her eyes. "Men," she muttered under her breath.
"I heard that, you know," Lucifer's voice whispered in her head. "I'm not one to agree, necesssarily. Esspecially since you yoursself are not one to be sso agreeable."
"I still stand by my opinion," Jen snapped.
"That'ss why we like you." Lucifer's smile appeared in Jen's head as he made himself semi-comfortable in his seat.
Jen sighed. "I suppose I have to take the bad with the good," she muttered. "Over all he's a good guy… I even like him a little. I suppose even I'm going all soft." She shuddered. "I sure as hell hope not. I hate softness."
"Don't be afraid of being ssoft," Lucifer told her. "Ssoftnesss can help uss all at ssome point in each of our misserable livess… heh heh… you will undersstand ssoner or later."
"Oh, shut up," Jen grumbled. "You make too damned much sense."
**********
"REX! HURRY UP WITH THE SANDWICHES!!" Ahriman shouted. "Dhakkan, I must say, I expected better of you… you haven't trained your Rex very well." He smiled with the air of someone with too much self-granted superiority.
"Rex doesn't respond very well to being trained, I'm afraid," Dhakkan said with what he hoped was a sad smile. "Don't think I haven't tried. He's very troublesome." He smiled inwardly. Rex was his *friend*, not a servant.
"You're too soft!" Ahriman spat. "That's your problem. You have to teach these humans who's boss around here. I've been quite successful back home, even though it's human territory. Or should I say, *was* human territory." He laughed unpleasantly. "It's *mine* now… hee hee… all mine…" he grinned unpleasantly. "Mineminemine… hee hee…"
"You're acting stupid," Dhakkan pointed out. "You look and sound like the local fool, Ahriman. Get a bit of a grip on yourself." He sighed. This was the most insanity he'd endured since the last time Ahriman had visited him.
"Of course. I understand." Ahriman straightened up. "But the land is mine, you know. You should come and see me some time." He grinned.
"Great," Dhakkan muttered. "That sounds just great. I'd move in with ya, but it's too long a trip for these old bones."
"What old bones? You're only six years older'n me!" Ahriman's horrible grin widened. "Does it really make that much of a difference?"
"Absolutely. It makes all the difference in the world, little bro. And it ain't just funny that everyone thinks you're older?"
"Nah, that's just dumb logic. I'm more impressive than you… in just about every way. I don't blame 'em really."
"Shut up, Ahriman."
"No, *you* shut up, Dhakkan." Ahriman stood up. "Thanks for the meal. I think I'll be leaving now." He fluttered out the door.
A minute later Rex was back with the sandwiches. "Am I late again?"
Dhakkan grinned. "I don't believe so. My dear brother has decided to vacate the premises."
"Cool!" Rex smiled. "Since he's gone, can I have a sandwich?" without waiting for Dhakkan's reply, he tore into the plate he'd been carrying. Dhakkan just smiled sadly.
**********
"So tell me Fang, how do you deal with Jen?" neither Æseri nor Fang were out of the infirmary. "I don't want to get thrown into any more trees. Not that she'd do that to you, but…"
Fang shrugged. "She did once."
"You're kidding!"
"Why would I?" Fang shrugged again. "She pulled a muscle in her shoulder when she did it, but she was younger and not quite so tough back then."
"Compared to what?" Æseri laughed. "She scares me. To think that throwing a dragon into a tree can be done when you're 'not so tough'!"
"Æseri, all you have to do is be a little polite. Then you'll go through your life with less pain. She only attacks people she doesn't like or when she's on business. She only dislikes people who are arrogant, rude or stupid. Though knowing you, you've probably struck her as all three."
"Hey!" Æseri glared. "I'm not stupid!"
"You sure act stupid, kid, and that's all she cares about." Fang grinned. "Get over it, okay?"
"I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"That's the spirit!" Fang laughed. "You've got to be resigned to your fate if you want to last long. You'll be fine, kid. I believe in you."
"Thanks, Fang."
"Being bitter doesn't hurt either."
"That doesn't help me much."
"I think you're adjusting already. What you *really* want to do is get Lucifer to like you, that way you'll be able to get away with anything… that's why Jen can beat up on the boyos."
"Lucifer likes her?"
"Better than sliced bread, Æseri. I'd say he likes her plenty."
"What does that have to do with sliced bread?"
"It's a stupid twist on a stupid saying."
"Oh. I see." Æseri lay back down. "I figure I'll just sleep the whole thing off."
"Don't be so sure about living it down though…" Fang sighed. "Jen has a lot of things going for her… one of them being a *very* good memory."
"I'll remember," Æseri told him sleepily. "Thanks Fang… you've been a lot of help…" his head hit the pillow and he was asleep in a minute.
"Such a foolish boy…" Fang smiled sadly. "He doesn't stand a chance. I almost wish I could help him."
**********
"So let me get this straight… you want to get Ahriman out of the way for good? Not possible." Dhakkan glared at Rex. "If you want him dead you can kill him yourself. I'm not going to soil my hands with my brother's blood."
"Or, more to the point, you're afraid to try?" Rex snapped. "You're afraid of Ahriman and you hate him as much as I do. I can help you get rid of him. You trust me, right?"
"Rex, trusting you isn't going to improve our situation. I'm not going to ask anyone for help."
"Dhakkan, the Devils are here to wipe out people like Ahriman. He makes the human race look superior. I may be human, but from what I *have* seen of humans they aren't as great as they'd like to think.
"No, don't tell me that it's not going to work. I hate Ahriman with a regular passion, and if you won't let me kill him for you I'll do it for me." Rex opened his eyes, as they'd been closed the whole time, and looked at Dhakkan.
He was a wreck. Sweat poured down his face, drenching it as though somebody had just dumped a bucket of water over his head. "We can't," he said harshly. "We can't do it."
"Why not?" Rex hissed. "I'm starting to lose my temper, Dhakkan, what's standing in the way? Spit it out!"
"I can't say," Dhakkan growled. "I can't tell anyone, least of all a human. You wouldn't get it."
"You'd be surprised at how much I *do* get. May I be dismissed now?"
"Yes. Go away."
Rex left, and returned to the room.
"Go AWAY, Rex."
"All right, all right… I'm going."
"Now!"
Rex scurried out of the room with no more dignity than a cockroach who had just wandered into a very well-lit room.
Dhakkan poured himself a tall glass of brandy and chugged it down. When the glass was empty, he poured another. And another one after that…
He couldn't tell Rex anything… he couldn't…
"And furthermore…" the speaker was some sort of… whatever it was. A Hound Saurian (Zuum/Tiger) or some irritating monster like that. Jen let her head drop. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't make a difference… right?
Wrong.
"Jen, could you give uss an opinion on the current ssituation?" Lucifer gave her a cool smile from his seat. "I believe that ssince you wear the Gray, you sshould contribute to thesse meetss. What can you tell uss?"
"Nothing," Jen muttered. "I have no active opinion on the matter at this moment." She sat, sweat pouring down her forehead and stinging her eyes.
"Nice ssave," Lucifer whispered in her ear. "What do you think the outcome will be of appealss from non-Devilss?"
"How did you get over here so fast?" Jen asked him, deliberately avoiding the question.
"I'll explain later. But now, my dear Jen… pay attention to the speakerss and bore yoursself sstiff. Ssuch iss life."
"I don't want to admit that, you know." Jen smiled coolly.
"Of coursse you don't… you like to believe in being in control, my dear Jen." He smiled at her and dissappeared.
Jen rolled her eyes. "Men," she muttered under her breath.
"I heard that, you know," Lucifer's voice whispered in her head. "I'm not one to agree, necesssarily. Esspecially since you yoursself are not one to be sso agreeable."
"I still stand by my opinion," Jen snapped.
"That'ss why we like you." Lucifer's smile appeared in Jen's head as he made himself semi-comfortable in his seat.
Jen sighed. "I suppose I have to take the bad with the good," she muttered. "Over all he's a good guy… I even like him a little. I suppose even I'm going all soft." She shuddered. "I sure as hell hope not. I hate softness."
"Don't be afraid of being ssoft," Lucifer told her. "Ssoftnesss can help uss all at ssome point in each of our misserable livess… heh heh… you will undersstand ssoner or later."
"Oh, shut up," Jen grumbled. "You make too damned much sense."
**********
"REX! HURRY UP WITH THE SANDWICHES!!" Ahriman shouted. "Dhakkan, I must say, I expected better of you… you haven't trained your Rex very well." He smiled with the air of someone with too much self-granted superiority.
"Rex doesn't respond very well to being trained, I'm afraid," Dhakkan said with what he hoped was a sad smile. "Don't think I haven't tried. He's very troublesome." He smiled inwardly. Rex was his *friend*, not a servant.
"You're too soft!" Ahriman spat. "That's your problem. You have to teach these humans who's boss around here. I've been quite successful back home, even though it's human territory. Or should I say, *was* human territory." He laughed unpleasantly. "It's *mine* now… hee hee… all mine…" he grinned unpleasantly. "Mineminemine… hee hee…"
"You're acting stupid," Dhakkan pointed out. "You look and sound like the local fool, Ahriman. Get a bit of a grip on yourself." He sighed. This was the most insanity he'd endured since the last time Ahriman had visited him.
"Of course. I understand." Ahriman straightened up. "But the land is mine, you know. You should come and see me some time." He grinned.
"Great," Dhakkan muttered. "That sounds just great. I'd move in with ya, but it's too long a trip for these old bones."
"What old bones? You're only six years older'n me!" Ahriman's horrible grin widened. "Does it really make that much of a difference?"
"Absolutely. It makes all the difference in the world, little bro. And it ain't just funny that everyone thinks you're older?"
"Nah, that's just dumb logic. I'm more impressive than you… in just about every way. I don't blame 'em really."
"Shut up, Ahriman."
"No, *you* shut up, Dhakkan." Ahriman stood up. "Thanks for the meal. I think I'll be leaving now." He fluttered out the door.
A minute later Rex was back with the sandwiches. "Am I late again?"
Dhakkan grinned. "I don't believe so. My dear brother has decided to vacate the premises."
"Cool!" Rex smiled. "Since he's gone, can I have a sandwich?" without waiting for Dhakkan's reply, he tore into the plate he'd been carrying. Dhakkan just smiled sadly.
**********
"So tell me Fang, how do you deal with Jen?" neither Æseri nor Fang were out of the infirmary. "I don't want to get thrown into any more trees. Not that she'd do that to you, but…"
Fang shrugged. "She did once."
"You're kidding!"
"Why would I?" Fang shrugged again. "She pulled a muscle in her shoulder when she did it, but she was younger and not quite so tough back then."
"Compared to what?" Æseri laughed. "She scares me. To think that throwing a dragon into a tree can be done when you're 'not so tough'!"
"Æseri, all you have to do is be a little polite. Then you'll go through your life with less pain. She only attacks people she doesn't like or when she's on business. She only dislikes people who are arrogant, rude or stupid. Though knowing you, you've probably struck her as all three."
"Hey!" Æseri glared. "I'm not stupid!"
"You sure act stupid, kid, and that's all she cares about." Fang grinned. "Get over it, okay?"
"I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"That's the spirit!" Fang laughed. "You've got to be resigned to your fate if you want to last long. You'll be fine, kid. I believe in you."
"Thanks, Fang."
"Being bitter doesn't hurt either."
"That doesn't help me much."
"I think you're adjusting already. What you *really* want to do is get Lucifer to like you, that way you'll be able to get away with anything… that's why Jen can beat up on the boyos."
"Lucifer likes her?"
"Better than sliced bread, Æseri. I'd say he likes her plenty."
"What does that have to do with sliced bread?"
"It's a stupid twist on a stupid saying."
"Oh. I see." Æseri lay back down. "I figure I'll just sleep the whole thing off."
"Don't be so sure about living it down though…" Fang sighed. "Jen has a lot of things going for her… one of them being a *very* good memory."
"I'll remember," Æseri told him sleepily. "Thanks Fang… you've been a lot of help…" his head hit the pillow and he was asleep in a minute.
"Such a foolish boy…" Fang smiled sadly. "He doesn't stand a chance. I almost wish I could help him."
**********
"So let me get this straight… you want to get Ahriman out of the way for good? Not possible." Dhakkan glared at Rex. "If you want him dead you can kill him yourself. I'm not going to soil my hands with my brother's blood."
"Or, more to the point, you're afraid to try?" Rex snapped. "You're afraid of Ahriman and you hate him as much as I do. I can help you get rid of him. You trust me, right?"
"Rex, trusting you isn't going to improve our situation. I'm not going to ask anyone for help."
"Dhakkan, the Devils are here to wipe out people like Ahriman. He makes the human race look superior. I may be human, but from what I *have* seen of humans they aren't as great as they'd like to think.
"No, don't tell me that it's not going to work. I hate Ahriman with a regular passion, and if you won't let me kill him for you I'll do it for me." Rex opened his eyes, as they'd been closed the whole time, and looked at Dhakkan.
He was a wreck. Sweat poured down his face, drenching it as though somebody had just dumped a bucket of water over his head. "We can't," he said harshly. "We can't do it."
"Why not?" Rex hissed. "I'm starting to lose my temper, Dhakkan, what's standing in the way? Spit it out!"
"I can't say," Dhakkan growled. "I can't tell anyone, least of all a human. You wouldn't get it."
"You'd be surprised at how much I *do* get. May I be dismissed now?"
"Yes. Go away."
Rex left, and returned to the room.
"Go AWAY, Rex."
"All right, all right… I'm going."
"Now!"
Rex scurried out of the room with no more dignity than a cockroach who had just wandered into a very well-lit room.
Dhakkan poured himself a tall glass of brandy and chugged it down. When the glass was empty, he poured another. And another one after that…
He couldn't tell Rex anything… he couldn't…