Moxxie walked ahead with his full basket of vegetables in absolute shock, making occasional glances backwards to see if wings hand returned. He felt himself tremble.
That couldn't have just happened. Moxxie couldn't have sprung wings on his back. That had to be an illusion. Of course, it wasn't, but he wished it was.
Moxxie's thoughts were running a mile a minute as he walked back to the house in a complete gaze, actually praying that the wings weren't real or that they would stay invisible until they reached the house if they were. Then he'd hide in his room with his vegetables and wait for Stolas to help him.
Oh, crumbs. This day couldn't get any worse.
Moxxie was lost in thought as he crossed the garden and didn't notice the group of goetic demons walking in his direction.
The party chatted merrily, completely oblivious to the expressions on Octavia and Stolas's faces. The pair were just waiting for the party to end so they could go to Stylish Occult.
The other imps were standing on the sides, waiting for orders.
"And that's how President Barbas and I invented the coronavirus!" one of the other owl demons said out loud to the amusement of everyone else in the small party.
Stolas and Octavia sighed in unison and mentally continued counting the minutes until the party was over. They weren't paying attention at all until…
"Prince Stolas, is that a new servant?" asked a black owl demon, gesturing to Moxxie carrying the heavy basket of vegetables in his arm with a blank, shocked expression on his face.
Stolas perked up in surprise. Stella tensed up.
Octavia looked confused as well, having barely seen Moxxie that much as he usually kept to himself around the mansion.
Stolas felt his stomach drop as the other owl demon noticed the basket of vegetables and called Moxxie over.
"Hey, you!" the owl demon said.
Moxxie immediately awoke from his reverie and looked up for the source of the voice.
"Over here," the well-dressed owl demon replied.
Without another thought, Moxxie made his way over to the party.
Upon seeing Stolas, Moxxie stood up straighter and asked him meekly, "Uh…yes, your highness? Is there something you need?"
"No, but there is something I need," the black owl demon said, rather rudely. "I wanted to try one of those vegetables from your basket…"
"Wouldn't you rather have them washed first?" Moxxie asked, eyeing the dirty vegetables in the basket in front of him. "I was just about to wash them if you'd like to…"
"Did you just interrupt me?" the black owl demon interrupted with a scowl.
Moxxie flinched but nodded and said, "Yes, sir."
The owl demon's voice grew deeper and more demonic as he said, "You should know your place, little imp…"
"But he's right you know," interrupted Octavia.
The elder demons all turned towards Octavia.
"Excuse me?" the owl demon asked.
"Octavia…" Stella began to chide.
"What?" Octavia asked. "Do you want to eat dirty vegetables? Why not let Moxxie wash them first?"
Stolas gave her a grateful look before turning back to Moxxie and said, "A fair point, dear. Moxxie, why don't you go take those vegetables inside? We'll have a talk about your attitude later."
"Yes, your highness," Moxxie said a bow. "I apologize."
Stolas winked his eye as Moxxie gratefully turned and started heading back to the house.
Stella sighed in relief and said, "Now, everyone, why don't we get something to eat? I'm famished."
The other goetic demons voiced their agreements, allowing Stolas to relax for a moment.
But unfortunately, before Moxxie could get too far, the black owl demon noticed the bracelet on Moxxie's foot.
"Stolas, why does this imp have an ankle bracelet?" asked the black owl demon.
Stolas froze in place and tried to search for an answer to protect Moxxie.
"Wait," another goetic demon said. "Isn't he that imp you were on TV with? He's the traitor."
"Yes, and one of my punishments involves me cooking food for the other imps and watch them eat since I am now under a food ban. I'm not to eat anything more than the smallest scraps left behind," Moxxie said dramatically, playing the act up.
Andras chuckled maliciously while lifting Moxxie telekinetically off the ground causing the latter to drop his basket and sneered, "And that's more than you deserve, you traitorous little imp."
Moxxie's legs hung in the air, and he let out a frightened whimper.
"Andras, put him down!" ordered Stolas.
"Oh, I won't hurt your prisoner, Stolas," replied Andras with an annoyed eye roll as he pushed Moxxie higher into the air. "Just rough him up a little."
"Exactly," Stolas said, getting into Andras's face. "Torturing him is my job, not yours! Now, stop this right now before you break Moxxie's bones! It took me hours to heal the bones I broke this morning! Are you really about to make me do it again?!"
Moxxie made a grimace and looked frightened at that idea.
Andras sighed and said, "You're always so greedy, keeping all your slaves to yourself. Fine, I'll let him go."
But instead of lowering Moxxie to the ground, Andras dropped him mid-air.
Moxxie screamed in fear and braced himself for the fall.
"Andras!" Stolas snapped, preparing to telekinetically catch Moxxie. "What did I...?"
Stolas froze in absolute shock.
All the other goetic demons froze with their mouths hanging open.
Moxxie was flying before them with his cherubic wings that spawned on his back.
Moxxie looked back at his back more surprised than the goetic demons were that the wings spawned again. They were flapping and holding him up in mid-air almost too fast to see.
Octavia was the first to speak, "Holy shit..."
"He's turning to a cherub," Andras said in shock.
"Moxxie! Inside now! You will be severely punished for this!" Stolas yelled, feigning anger as convincingly as he could.
"But, your highness, I don't know how to get down!" Moxxie yelled in a panic.
Moxxie looked at his still fluttering wings and tried to stop them from flapping, but he couldn't make them stop.
Stolas dramatically rolled his eyes, walked under Moxxie, and telekinetically pulled Moxxie straight into his arms.
Moxxie began to tremble and whimper convincingly.
Stolas leered at the winged imp with a horrifyingly convincing wicked smile and said, "I'll be back later, everyone. I need to get Moxxie here back to his cell for some serious punishment."
All the other goetic demons except for Stella and Octavia laughed maliciously as Stolas telekinetically lifted the basket of vegetables.
Stolas put Moxxie on the ground and summoned shackles with a long chain that wrapped around Moxxie's wrists. The end of the chain then formed in his hand, and Stolas began leading Moxxie away.
Moxxie followed along without complaint.
"Enjoy the rest of your day, cherub!" Andras mocked as the pair walked across the garden.
Soon enough, Stolas and Moxxie reached the courtyard where Petruchio and the other servants were waiting.
"What's the matter, cherub?" asked Petruchio mockingly as his friends snickered in the background. "Did you get in trouble with his majesty?"
"Petruchio, did you ask Moxxie to pick all those vegetables?" asked Stolas, pausing in his tracks.
The servants stopped suddenly and looked down at the floor.
"Well, your highness, he was going into the garden anyways…" Petruchio said.
Stolas's stare made Petruchio pause and the goetic prince asked, "Petruchio, didn't I tell you that I was Moxxie's warden and that he was only to answer to me?"
"Y-yes, your highness," Petruchio stammered.
"So, why were you trying to haze him?" asked Stolas, crossing his arms.
The imp shrank down more and looked to the floor.
"Petruchio, you've done a good job up till now, so I'd hate to punish you. But if you try something like this again…" Stolas warned.
"I understand, your highness," Petruchio interrupted politely.
"Good. Now, I'm giving these vegetables to Moxxie, so you had better go pick some more," ordered Stolas as he walked away leading Moxxie away on his chain. "Come along, Moxxie."
"Yes, your highness," Moxxie answered, keeping up with Stolas's pace.
Once the two of them were inside and out of sight of the party outside, Stolas snapped his fingers and freed Moxxie from the chains.
"Oh crumbs, what am I going to do!? I have wings! I have wings!" cried Moxxie in a panic.
"It's expected at this point," Stolas said with a shrug.
"What?" Moxxie asked confusedly.
"God grants reformed imps the ability to revert to being cherubs," explained Stolas. "That comes with physical changes that eventually appear. Why do you think the cherubs came to get you? You wouldn't have been able to hide any longer."
Moxxie panicked even more, "But I can't! I have to stay here! For Millie! For Blitzo and for Loona even!"
"Calm down, little Moxxie," reassured Stolas. "I'm not letting you leave yet. Though, I do apologize for how you were treated today. I'll make sure that won't happen again."
"But what if one of the other imps tells the elder demons?" Moxxie asked in concern.
"If the imps know what's good for them, they won't," replied Stolas before he beckoned him to follow him. "Now, come along. I need you to spend a few hours in your room until our guests leave. But don't worry. There's a surprise for you once you get there."
"Yes, your majesty," Moxxie said dejectedly as he followed behind him.