Well I've finally gathered enough courage to start up another story! Although this one isn't nearly done, I thought it'd be nice to start posting it so that y'all won't soon forget me! And I really appreciate all the reviews I got for the last story, so let's try and top them this time 'round, okay?


An unsettling aura filled the air as a demon, in the disguise of a human man, approached an unearthly figure sitting in a very ornate chair. His cold, steel gray eyes accentuated his otherwise mundane face. A long ponytail of jet black hair wagged gently behind his head. The fifteen or so other minions watched him as he slowly progressed along the corridor, not daring to look up at the one with whom he wished to speak. An eerie darkness covered the entire chamber; only faint flames on the walls provided any source of light. He stepped slowly, not wanting to make any mistakes.

Finally, he reached his destination, the being in the chair. He quickly lowered his head to the dusty ground, avoiding the pale eyes of his master. He knew better than to initiate the conversation. He knew his place as the subordinate. He waited for his superior to address him, desperately hoping that his good news might trump the bad news and keep him alive for another day.

"Report," the pale-eyed being commanded.

"Master," the demon began with a large gulp, still keeping his eyes fixed on the ground, "three more have perished in the caves, but…"

"Three?" his master asked impatiently. "Three?"

"But, master," the demon quickly added, "we have taken two more captive, two who are much stronger than the three we've lost."

"How much stronger?" the master hastily asked.

"One has the power to move earth," the demon described, "and the other has superhuman strength. They will be valuable in our…your… quest to find the Gem."

"Quite," the master responded, apparently placated. "You will continue recruitment. The sooner the Gem is in my possession, the better. Now, have you found them?"

"Not yet," the lower demon answered. "They've not used magic enough in the recent past for us to track them, but rest assured, we will deliver them to you as soon as we can."

"That will be all," the master replied simply. "Now, go."

"Thank you, master," the demon said, bowing deeply as he began to slowly retreat from his master's presence. He continued inching backwards until enough distance separated him from his superior before he turned on his heels and stalked off into the darkness, relieved that he managed to escape death.

The master, upon seeing one of his minions leave, snapped his fingers at once. The court of demons lining the pathway to him all knew at once to leave immediately. One by one, the low-level demons vanished by rippling into thin air until only he remained.

"Worry not, brother," he spoke out. "Your defeat will not go unavenged."


James blindly held out his hands and Wesley gave him another bunch of Christmas lights. He scrambled up the ladder to the roof of his and his brothers' house for the sixth time. Slowly tiptoeing across the roof, he spread the newest bunch of lights around the edges, continuing the trail he started five bunches ago. As he positioned the lights, Wesley occupied his time sitting in the middle of their rather large lawn, sorting out the seventh bunch of lights, all tangled up in a large box labeled "X-MAS STUFF." He struggled with this bunch, considerably more tangled than any of the others. Matthew laughed at him as he stuck Christmas decorations on the front windows and doors. While they presented themselves as cheesy, Matthew really couldn't be bothered to go out and find more modern decorations, especially given the short amount of time until Christmas.

"Shut up," Wesley said to Matthew. "I'm doing the best I can."

"If that's your best, homeboy," Matthew joked, "then I'd hate to see your worst."

"If you think you can do better," Wesley challenged, "be my guest."

"No thanks," Matthew said. "That's your job and I wouldn't want to deprive you of it."