Chapter 8

Sheldor felt a weightlessness surrounding him as he tightened Penelope in his grip. They slowly fell down like a gentle feather descending to the ground. He dared not open his eyes for fear… fear that she wouldn't be in his arms… that he would be all alone within the darkness. When his feet hit the ground first, he felt the body in his arms shift down as it touched down, too. Curiosity finally got the better of him and he opened one of his eyes and was relieved to see the golden hair of his friend but then he got a glimpse of his surroundings and both of his eyes flew open.

They were standing in the center of nothing but whiteness. He spun with the woman still in his arms with his jaw loose in awe. He finally pushed her away, gently, and tried to move around… he didn't move anywhere… no matter how fast his legs moved. He was still only a few feet from Penelope and was running in place, madly. He roared in frustration and looked around the edgeless, borderless space with contempt. They had no shadows… it was just a blank surface of blaring white. He swallowed and looked down at the bow gun on his hip then turned back to look at Penelope. She looked positively perturbed and nervous,, "Penelope… what… what is it?"

She shook her head and looked up at him, "We… we're in a lot of trouble, Sheldor…"

He furrowed his brows and was able to move towards her. He got right in front of her and looked down, "Why? Where are we?"

She looked up at him with saddened eyes, "Galehus."

He shook his head. The name didn't ring a bell, but the fear in her eyes DID. It was the same look she had when she tried to kiss him in the canyon. He reached down and gripped the bow gun and tried to hear Wolowix and his opinion… but there was nothing. Matter-of-fact, he just noticed that his hat and jacket were gone. He swallowed deeply and felt oddly, in danger, "What, pray tell, is Galehus?"

She bowed her head and her blonde locks flowed over her shoulder like a waterfall.

Sheldor narrowed his eyes as he watched her. Something was wrong, but he couldn't feel anything… his magical instinct was as blank as the space they occupied. It was HER behavior; however, that was putting him deep on edge. She raised her head slowly and her eyes met his. He twitched a little at the dead; frightened look that was on her face, "Galehus is known as the Chaotic Realm but some know it as the Disavowal Dimension. Where magic has no logic or power… Where the most logical man could be devoured by his own mind… Lose his memories… Lose his everything." Her voice was small, now, and her words hit him hard.

He had no time to question her… no time to even ponder her words… she started to cry, heavily. He was going to reach out to her, but her swift movement nullified his attempts. She crushed her body against his and kissed him with more passion than he had ever felt. It almost pulsed within his chest. He went to wrap his arms around her, but she pushed off him, still crying, and she whispered a desperate whisper, "Sheldor… I… I'm so so sorry…"

Sheldor began to mouth 'For What', but before his teeth could form the 'F'… a striking pain erupted from his back as the sound of flesh and bone being ripped and broken filled the negative space. Penelope's wail was muffled by her hands as her face twisted in anguish. It was painful… so so painful… seeing her face like that… seeing her tears bleed down her cheeks… all her fears, regret, and anguish… because of him. So much emotion because of her… something he'd never felt for anyone… he wanted to tell her that his heart belonged to her, but it was now in the grip of someone else. A yanking pulled him backwards and he fell like a statue. Penelope's pleas and sobs filled his ears as his eyes were focused on the masked witch with a bloodied, wiggling ball in her hands. As he descended into darkness and his eyes blurred behind his lashes… a bright blue light flared and the heart in her hands were gone… and he drifts into oblivion.

Sheldor felt like his body was full of electricity… a static-filled energy that danced within each fiber of his being. He could feel the incessant stinging upon his back and it made him nauseous and dizzy even as he lay with his eyes closed. Then… the memories drowned him like a downpour. She… she had tricked him… she… she was the bait the whole time… and he… he had fallen for her and it was all just some plot to bring him to the witch. He flung his arm over his face and began to cry lightly. He… he loved her… but it was in vain. This was why he had never sought out 'romance'… this right here. The throbbing ache of betrayal… the pain that can even overthrows true physical pain of the gaping hole in his back that sizzled harshly against his flesh. Every moment they had together… Every word they shared… Every touch they engaged… it was all a LIE!

He opened his eyes and his arm shielded him from the brightness of the white around him. He turned his head and his eyes went wide. His bow gun lay shattered in splinters. Sheldor groaned and grunted as he tried to roll over. He got to his belly and crawled to the remains and touched the chunk of the trigger and his head fell into his hands. He whispered through his sobs, "I'm so sorry… I'm sorry Wolowix."

"Why are you talking to a pile of wood?"

Sheldor's head shot up and he looked around and saw nothing. It pained him, but he pushed himself up and continued to spin knowing that he heard a voice loud and clear. He gave up and relaxed and turned his head and came face to face with female head that was upside down. Sheldor squealed and jumped back and regretted it, immediately as it made his wound hurt. The woman smiled a regular smile until sharpened canines began to grow and the top had another set of canines behind the first set. She had long, rabbit-like ears with midnight blue fur with silver dipped on the tips blossomed from the ends of each ear. Her eyes were blacked out and had white slits for pupils. She had long, silver hair with dark blue roots that draped below her hovering body like a curtain. It was the tattoo upon her left cheek, just below her eye, that threw the witch hunter off. It was an hourglass with the wings of a dragon that had a wooden frame around it in the background and two scythes almost making a circle around it. The top blade curved left and the bottom blade curved right He knew that symbol…

The woman flipped around in mid air and sat Indian style while still hovering above him… a body long lion tail was hanging down and twitching underneath her. It was the same color of her skin except for the fur down the base and the end of the tail… same color as the tips of her ears. Her legs resembled that of a Friesian horse, but they were slim and long. The fur of the legs were short and black but with tints of blue in it. There was excess fur feathering from where her smooth hooves were. She wore some intriguing clothing. The shirt underneath was tight and gray with a baffling image on it. There was a square that was wearing tight white pants and a yellow jacket with a bunch of buckles. The block had an 'Hg' in the center with an '80' in its top right corner. It had eyes that seemed to be shut with a thick mustache and two buck teeth. The block had one of its fists in the air while the other held a black cylinder shaped object with a black sphere on top and a string attached to the bottom of the cylinder. To top off this woman-thing's outfit was a short vest of shaggy, white fur.

The woman tilted her head and finally came down to the ground. The moment her hooves touched… the white room exploded in a ripple of color and they were standing on an island rock in the middle of an endless, calm water and Sheldor looked around in bewilderment, "Don't bother trying to figure it out… it will only drive you crazier than you already are."

Sheldor scowled through his confusion, "I assure you that I am not crazy… I have been thoroughly tested by Pasadenia's top philosophers."

The woman snorted as the white slits of her eyes morphed into a ball in the center of the blackness, "Philosophers are like the bedpan cleaners of the scientific world. They see a lot of shit and all they can do is discuss why it exists. Useless title if you ask me."

Sheldor, still quite not used to the abrupt change in scenery, looked around before speaking, "Madam… who exactly are you and… what… what is going on?"

The woman's round pupils shot into a slit again as she growled a very deep and guttural snarl, "Enough of that MADAM crap… Shelly. My name is Chrsnyght and I'm the Demon of Chaos." She circled around him as her hooves crunched against the rock and she kept speaking, "I am the daughter of Vaxt, Demon of Time, and a human female whose name I never knew. My father created this place… this Chaotic zone. He called it the Disavowal Dimension and he made it just for me. It was supposed to be a sanctum from the human world, but… much like everything else… you humans found a way to ruin that, too." She circled his back and finally stopped and squared herself in front of him. Her eyes were livid and the tattoo on her cheek seemed to be burning for the black edges of the ink were now encased in a glow of red, "You want to know why I haven't ripped off your skin and made you a sock puppet, yet? Because you and I have a common enemy. A common denominator so to speak… WITCHES."

She pushed off the ground and floated in the air as she looked to be swimming within the air, "Witches have ruined our lives… They've taken your life… your family… your friends… and even your love… and I... I lost EVERYTHING to them. My father, my mother… but most importantly, my FREEDOM!" She stopped and sat Indian style again and sighed, "You won't defeat Lady Fowler like you are. Your magic… it has order… it has purpose... it is predictable and easily tossed aside. When you create a potion… that potion is meant for what it was made for. Now, Demonic magic, on the other hand, has no logic… it is unforgiving… incalculable… and frenzied. It doesn't have to take to give… it just gives… that's why the witches have kept me around... that's why the witches fear me. My magic has no limitations… it can't be blocked or countered by simple magic… only a DEMON can fight against a demon. That is why Lady Fowler is using my father's bones as a mask. It is a shield… a conductor… a comfort for the shattered face of that useless witch. They are after your pure heart… and with it; they will tear the fabric of magic apart like a wet tissue. The only thing standing in their way is a bunch of sandwyrms, an old ass Dragon of Life, and the fact that they can't find where your heart teleported to. So… what's going on is… you have been left for dead by Lady Fowler and she hopes that I eat you like a burrito… that was until you got up without a heart in your chest. You, m'friend, are what we demons call 'Faustum Unum', but you don't believe in luck."

Sheldor grasped at his chest and the pain in his back lurched barely hearing the woman-thing speak. What was he supposed to do now?

Chrsnyght laid on her side while still hovering and smiled, "I can help you… I can help you get out of here and get your revenge."

Sheldor furrowed his brow, "And how are you going to do that? You are just as stuck as I am."

Chrsnyght smiled and her tattoo began to burn blue instead of red, "Who said YOU were stuck here?"

Sheldor swallowed, "Very well… how do I return?"

Chrsnyght floated back down and when her feet hit the rock, the colors rippled again, and they were back into the white space, "You like playing games, don't you Sir Sheldor?"

Sheldor cringed uncomfortably from the pain of his back and shook his head, "Yes, but… playing a game with a demon does not seem to be a smart thing to do being that your kind is not known for their trust and integrity. Not to mention the fact that you're evil…"

She feigned shock, "Evil? Ouch… you hit me real low, there, Shelly. Be that as it may… you have no choice… either you play my game… or… you and I get to get… perrrrsonal." She purred in his ear and he froze solid.

He shuddered and flinched away from her and shouted, "Fine! What… what are the consequences for the failure of said game?"

She didn't even bat an eyelash, "An Eternity… with lil' ol Me."

He swallowed but somewhere deep inside, he found courage… he needed it because he WANTED revenge… for Penelope… for his family… for HIM. He furrowed his brow and gave the demon a nod, "I am ready to play."

The half-demon gave a smirk and clapped her hands together, "Fantastic! All you have to do… is answer this riddle."

Sheldor suppressed the moan, but not the wide eyes of knowing how horrible he was at riddles. He dove into his sodden mind and found confidence. He took a deep breath and nodded for her to continue.

Chrsnyght ran her tongue over the two canines of her upper left side and began to float again.

"Alrighty…

I am just one and one
I am warm and cold
I am wet and dry
I am lawful and unlawful
A duty and a fault
I am often sold dear
Good for nothing when bought
An extraordinary boon
And a matter of education
But suspended from pleasure
When taken by force
What am I?"

Sheldor allowed the clues to rush over his mind, but… all he could think about was… her. Her apple-scented hair… her long, wavy hay colored hair… her heart shattering smile… her passionate, silky… … …

"You… you are a kiss."

The demon's hooves came back down and the room went haywire, it shifted into elongated mirrors that distorted their images from all sides. Sheldor looked all around to confirm and saw that there were color coordinated circles where he stood (blue), where she stood (red), and around the heap of splintered mess (purple). He couldn't figure out why this was and didn't have much time as the demon's hooves clicked as she walked towards him. She stopped only a few feet away, she was only a few inches shorter than him, but her stare down made her seem a whole lot taller. The white slits opened just a little as she tilted her head then back with a smile.

"I AM a demon, Sir Sheldor… but I am also human. Never forget that… Aww… who am I kidding… we both know you can't forget. Cursed with the Eidittik and all. I'm going to keep my promise to you… BUT… you have to take me with you."

Sheldor felt skeptical and narrowed his eyes, "How? You are unable to leave."

Chrsnyght gave a grin, "But you can. If I were to bind myself with your tattered body… I could leave as a part of you. Not to mention that I could make one HELL of a weapon. A whole lot better than THAT thing." She looked down at the bow gun's remains and waved her hand across her body towards them and the shards of wood morphed quickly into the form of Wolowix, but… human. Wolowix took an exaggerated inhale and began coughing as if brought back to life from CPR, "I want my vengeance… We make a deal… right now… I will help find your lost heart and save your 'Bonny Lass' all for the simply price of Lady Fowler's LIFE."

Wolowix stood up and took in the surroundings as Sheldor stood up straight and looked into the blackened eyes of the demon, "You will need this deal in contract form and notarized by counseled officials?"

The demon gave another smile and stepped closer to the man, holding up his jacket that his Memaw gave him and it melted into her hand as she spoke ominously, "Oh Moonpie… that's not how we demons roll."

Before he could question her term of endearment for him, she leaned forward and kissed him soundly on the lips. In a violent rush of blackened ribbon, she forced herself into him through his mouth and nostrils, causing Sheldor stumbled backwards. His body was leaned forward for a long time and Wolowix approached him slowly, "Hey… Shelly… are you alright?" He reached out to touch his shoulder, but his fingers never made it as Sheldor leaned back up, straightened back, and floated in the air as a demonic screamed roared in the mirrored space. Wolowix fell back on his tush and looked up at the blackened eyes, mouth wide open in a scream, and body twisted in the scarecrow position in mid air… then… he fell to the ground and both he and Wolowix were in the middle of Galstire right beside the skeleton of the old hay barn.

Wolowix ran to Sheldor's limp body and touched his shoulder again, but he leapt back and yelped in pain when a bolt of black lightning zapped his hand. Wolowix shook the zapped hand and just knelt down where he was lying, "Sheldor… C'mon man… get up! C'mon… SHELLY!"

The yelling must have reached him because Sheldor grunted and pushed himself up with his arms and shook his head like a dog. Wolowix stood as he did and looked impressively at his left arm. Sheldor furrowed his brow and followed his eyes. He nearly jumped out of his skin as he raised his left arm to reveal a midnight blue arm-armor that spanned across the left side of his chest and back and even up his neck almost like the armor were in his veins and arteries. The sleeves of his undershirt and minotaur hide were almost burned off where the armor touched, but on the rest of his body were just a normal fit. The finger tips of the clawed gauntlet were silver and it reminded him of the fur on the demon's ears and tail. He flexed his arm to note the flexibility of this newly developed monstrosity and found that there was no pain radiating from his back. Wolowix looked at Sheldor's face and squinted his eyes as he stared at his left cheek, "Hey, Shelly, when did you get a branded?"

Sheldor looked at the short man with the bowl hair cut and shook his head, "I did not."

Wolowix bent down and took a rock in his hand and mumbled something and the rock shifted to a hand held mirror and he flashed it before his face. Sheldor's eyes went wide at the hourglass tattoo from Chrsnyght's cheek was now etched into his skin. Before Sheldor could yell at the unnecessary blemish, the demon sung in his head, "Before you get all crazy on me know that that is my bonding spell that I need to draw my powers to use for you. It's my signature upon your contract, so to speak. Don't worry… it'll be gone when I leave."

Sheldor sighed and looked at Wolowix with one brow up. Wolowix was grinning and was just staring at him when Sheldor snapped, "What?" Wolowix just grinned and shrugged, "Feels fantastic to finally get to see your face as you're chatting with someone inside your head. I'm just glad it isn't me for once, is all!"

Sheldor nodded in approval and looked around. They were back right where they started. They needed a plan… a proper form of action. He knew he needed to find the witch, but the problem was the 'HOW'. Wolowix's voice cut into his thoughts and he turned around to see the blue aura that was shared with his arrows surrounding the short man. His arms were extended towards the ruins of the barn and Sheldor's eyes went wide as the barn was seemingly fixing itself. Fresh wood began to cover the charred remains and eventually… the hay barn was back in all its polished oak glory and Sheldor stepped beside the man. They both looked over Wolowix's masterpiece and with a grin on Sheldor's face, he took a shot at sarcasm, "You really are rusty… the barn was made of mahogany."

Wolowix turned his head quickly to look over at Sheldor with an impressed look, then back at the barn and they both shared a small laugh.