Love Conquers All Pt. 02

She held her child against her bosom and as the baby roused from its sleep, she offered the baby one of her nipples. But the baby refused to latch on. Nakushi rocked the infant gently and squeezed her nipple to squirt some of the milk on the baby's mouth. She tried offering the baby her nipple once more but to no avail.

"Maybe that baby is less than half human." The dai's tone was biting. She turned to the prince, "May I?"

She was requesting permission to approach the mother and baby. Wisely so, considering how the immortal demon loomed protectively over the two- any sudden moves would be perceived as a threat.

The dai knelt before the human and before anyone could react with a flick of her fingernail she nicked the woman's breast along one of the milk ducts. The wound wasn't very deep and stung a little but there was a small trickle of blood flowing from it. The baby's nostrils visibly flared and it eagerly tried to reach for the source. Soon, the baby was sucking on the wound drawing both milk and blood.

"There, now everyone's happy." The dai said sounding pleased with herself.

"We thank you for your services crone. Ask what you will as your payment." The demon offered generously.

The crone had already decided what she would take from there.

"May I have the sac and the waste that lies there?" She knew the magical properties likely to be present in the sac of a baby as rare as the yellow creature with feathers she had just helped deliver.

He nodded and the human watched in disgust as the crone immediately fell to the ground and devoured the birthing sludge off the floor.

The dai took her leave as soon as she was done eating the delicious sac. She could taste the baby's powers and feel them course through her veins, if only for a short while. She predicted that the child who was the source of the powers would one day be a real force in hell.

*****

The rakshasa was overjoyed to be holding his precious family though he had not forgotten about the sword hanging over his neck. He was aware that in that very moment the council was most likely alerting his father of the unaccounted new soul in hell. Demon births were rare and female ones rarer still- the keeper of the books would've immediately noted the anomaly and notified the council. He needed to prepare for the battle that was coming to him. He wondered if the manjhi had made any progress with his inquiries as he had yet to hear from him.

The human was tired from the exertions of birth and the baby appeared to be contentedly resting. The demon carried both to the stone bed, lay them down and sat beside them keeping watch. He wished he could do more than just wait. His thoughts were interrupted by his daughter's wail. She was awake and unmistakably hungry. He did not wish to disturb his little human who looked exhausted. He reminded himself that she had not eaten anything in a while and would need to do so first thing when she woke up. Meanwhile he needed to attend to his daughter's needs.

The demon picked his daughter up and held her close. She clawed at his chest expressing her hunger. The demon bit the tip of his index finger and offered it to his daughter to suckle. The hungry demon-child enthusiastically fed on her father's immortal blood. She looked like she had grown a little, a normal thing for demons as they reached maturity in comparatively shorter periods of time. The feathers felt soft and were a spotless shade of white. He knew they would eventually grow into wings. The few demons in hell possessed wings were amongst the first inhabitants of hell. And each and every one of them had beautiful pitch black feathers. His father was one such demon.

"Skeeeeeeerrrrrrrackt"

The horrid screech was heard all the way inside the cave in limbo. The demon recognized it as the sound of the manjhi's pet, a giant bird of death; he was finally being summoned. He didn't wish to leave his dear ones unprotected but at the same time he couldn't risk taking them with him. And not going was not an option; he desperately needed to find out what the manjhi had learnt. He weighed his options and decided to leave. He was certain of his daughter's safety but worried about her mother.

"My precious one, I must go, but I need you to keep a watch on your mother for me. Don't let them separate you."

He placed his daughter on his human and took off to meet with the manjhi.

*****

The demon followed the big bird of death to a place beyond the Skull Mountains. Usually the still beauty of the pristine white mountains, formed by the bleached bones of humans, would've calmed him, but now they only served as a reminder of what could happen to his human if he didn't make haste.

He stopped, finally, when he saw the bird halt and perch upon the branches of The Tree. Technically it wasn't a branch, rather the roots of the tree that grew upwards while its branches went downwards. The Tree remained suspended anchored to nothing. It didn't grow or rot. It remained there suspended in time. The Tree was a part of the original creation. It possessed the source of all knowledge and was revered for it, but, a time came when it became the cause of bitter conflict between the worlds. Since it could not be destroyed it was uprooted and bound by a spell that ensured it was neither living nor dead. The Tree was trapped in its own limbo for eternity.

Few bothered coming to this cursed section of hell. But this wasn't the demon prince's first trip to The Tree. He had come here once before seeking knowledge on how to obtain the power that would help him kill his brother and make him an immortal. But power is an act of balance, if somewhere the scales tipped high they had to dip elsewhere. He rubbed the bumps on his head, a reminder of the bargain he had struck with the creatures who lived around The Tree.

The Tree dwellers were vile outcasts of hell who refused to recognise any authority. They made their dwelling within the branches of the tree and dedicated their lives to tap into the knowledge trapped in The Tree. The demons considered them to be charlatans but kept away from them because they feared their sorcery. The rakshasa knew firsthand of the power some of the dwellers possessed.

They had given him the knowledge that he sought but there was a price to be paid and what you got was never worth what you gave up. They told him the only price he need pay was his horns- his hardy, terror-striking, whetted horns, his winning edge in any battle, his source of pride. He would not have agreed to sacrifice them for anything less than a chance at immortality. And yet by the time he got what he desired he had lost everything else. He knew better than to ever deal with them again.

The demon saw the manjhi standing a little away from the tree and approached him.

"Is this the only way?"

"I'm afraid so."

"The child is born."

"Things have certainly progressed more rapidly than I would've expected."

"Yes. I must act quickly. If this is the only way," he sighed, "then so be it. Only-" he paused, "I no longer have anything to barter."

"You have a live human that willingly joined you in hell, and," said the manjhi, "... you have your female child."

"I will not sacrifice my family for my freedom."

"You once sacrificed your family for less."

The demon closed his eyes in silent acknowledgement of his crime.

"Come, no point in lingering now. Let's hear their terms."

The manjhi walked towards the tree with the demon closely following him. They both knew everything was going to change soon.

*****

Nakushi awoke with a start to find a small yellow creature hovering protectively over her. If not for the distinct features she would've failed to recognise her daughter who was still a new born when she went to sleep. Now her daughter appeared as old as a three to four year old human child.

"Come here my darling -" The woman realised they had yet to name their daughter. With all the joy and happiness she had brought to her parents it was only natural that she be called Khushi.

"Khushi," she said testing it out. The name sat well on the little creature with skin a sunny shade of yellow- too cheery for hell's bleak surroundings.

"My dear Khushi, I am your mama," she said while wondering where her demon had gone.

"Mama!" the child replied.

"Yes- yes! I'm your mama." She said clapping and hugging the child.

"And you are Khushi. Khu-shi."

"Khoo-shee." The child repeated the sounds.

"Yes."

Nakushi observed how her half-human child was easily picking up whatever she said. She named everything within sight and was surprised to hear her daughter repeat everything accurately. The pupil was quick and never faltered or tired. Was this how it was with all demon children, the woman wondered, or was this yet another unusual thing about Khushi?

While they awaited the return of the rakshasa Nakushi continued to tutor her daughter. Something struck her for the very first time and she made a mental note to ask Raku how everyone from hell spoke in the same language as her.

The unusual child followed its mother around the cave repeating not just her words but actions as well. With the passage of time- the human wasn't whether it was just minutes or years- the child was able to run faster than her mother. They were running around laughing, trying to catch each other. Khushi was still on the bed when her mother raced away yelling that it Khushi's turn to catch her mother. The child jumped off the bed in an attempt to grab her mother and flapped her arms like wings before landing with a thud.

The image of the attempted flight stuck in Nakushi's head. For the first time it dawned on her that her daughter would someday fly. Her heart sank. She knew there was no way her daughter could ever come visit her on earth, not without putting herself at risk. And as her mother there was no way she would stand for it. She would just have to make the most of her time now with her loved ones; once they were separated she would never get to see her family again.

The continued to play for some time till the human declared she was too tired to continue and needed a break. She remembered that she had not eaten anything in quite a while. She took the last of the nuts and sat down on the big chair. As she began to eat she recalled that her daughter not eaten anything in quite some time too, not since the first time she nursed her.

She set her meal aside and asked her daughter to rest awhile in her lap. Since her nails weren't sharp enough for the job, she used her daughter's fingernails to reopen the wound on her breast and allowed her daughter to nurse once more. The child fed till she was full, grew drowsy and fell asleep, content against her mother.

*****

"Your majesty, we have double checked and there is no mistake."

"How could something like this take place?" The demon king asked of his council members.

He was a beautiful creature to behold- tall and muscular, with silver coloured hair flowing down his back between his wings of black feathers that shone like pitch. His eyes were a clear shade of blue- unlike any of the other demons in hell- reminding one of a clear summer sky on earth. But when angry, the pupils of his eyes turned into a blazing red. According to legends it was believed that a long time ago the demon king was furious after suffering defeat in the great battle. They said that the fires of hell had literally poured out of his rage filled eyes and consumed the landscape when he claimed hell for himself. The council members tried not to tremble as they saw the king's eyes turn red.

"There have been rumours," said one of the king's counsellors finally breaking the silence, "that your son has returned and that he is responsible for this."

"My son," said the king not naming the demon he had cast out and commanded that his name never be spoken again, "was banished and made a prisoner on earth. He could not have broken free from the spell I cast."

"There was also a sighting when the prince visited his old dai."

The king turned towards the voice of his eldest son. He knew in the absence of his banished brother he was the one most likely to succeed him to the throne. Perhaps it was time to make him prove his worth.

"Go and question the dai and find out if the rumour is true. If it is take your brother captive and bring him to me."

"Yes, my king." His son bowed low and took off immediately eager to prove himself to his father. As a first born he believed himself to be the rightful heir to the throne, but his father had refused to recognise his claim. Now finally he would prove to the king and all of hell why he was destined to rule them.

"My king," said a council member, "what of this new soul?"

"I will get to the root of this mystery myself."

The demon king left his courtroom with great flourish followed by an entourage of his council members. The bookkeeper had said the new soul was most likely female. The demon king was eager to find out how a demon birth had taken place without his prior knowledge more importantly why the parents had not brought the child to his palace for the ritual feeding.

It was an established custom in hell that every new born demon was offered to the king. The ceremony began with the newborn being named by the king and concluded with the king drawing some of the child's blood to taste its powers before it was returned to the parents. Female children were considered a privilege and were allowed to feed on the king's blood as part of the ritual.

The king proceeded to limbo eager for answers.

*****

"My prince, I swear I do not know where he is."

The dai fell prostrate before the eldest demon prince. He had arrived with two of his younger brother who had arrived at the conclusion that the eldest would make king and it was best to be in his good graces.

"You old toad, did you think you could fool us?" One of the younger princes taunted as he kicked her in the stomach.

"The maids have already confessed to seeing you leave with him." The youngest lifted the dai's face from the floor only to bash it on the ground. Demons were blessed with eternal lives, but they could be killed and they certainly could feel pain. Some like the dai felt it more than others. The demons believed this was because the nature of their work required them to care more than any demon should.

The eldest prince watched his brothers and smiled- this was almost as good as the old days when all seven brothers would get together and made mischief throughout hell, he thought. But as much as he was enjoying watching the toad bleed around the place he had a task he needed to complete.

"Enough." He ordered his brothers before addressing the dai, "Just tell us where he took you and we'll be on our way."

So far the princes had only toyed with her she did not wish to risk their wrath by withholding the information. She told them that she had accompanied the prince to his current dwelling in limbo but she didn't reveal the nature of her visit.

Having obtained what they had come for the brothers tossed the dai aside and rushed to limbo to capture their brother.

*****

While the baby slept Nakushi ate the last of the nuts from earth. She didn't know how much longer she would have in hell now that she was out of food. She watched her daughter grow from a child of less than four years to one of around the same age as she was when she first went to live in Raku's temple. She was beginning to grow worried over the amount of time her demon was taking to return to her. Had he been found out and cast into a stone already, she wondered. The idea of being separated from him without getting the chance to say goodbye made her miserable. Helplessly, she sat watching her child rest and hoping her demon would return.

*****

"This is it." The king had identified the location of the soul. He reached into the flames and drew a portal for him to enter the cave cell.

Nakushi watched a portal appear on the wall opposite her. She rushed towards it expecting her demon but was taken aback by the radiance of the majestic looking creature that stepped through instead. Despite the flawless beauty of the being in front of her she could sense something sinister about its presence. She rushed to where her child lay and protectively stood before her. She knew her daughter had no need to fear any of the creatures in hell, but, she wasn't ready for them to take her away just yet.

The king was not surprised to see a human in limbo, what he was surprised about, was the soul he could smell on it. He knew the other demons wouldn't pick up on the scent of her soul as they would be too distracted by her delicious scent, not understanding that it was the presence of her soul that made it so. He watched in mild amusement the puny human guard a divine being that looked like it was in the process of waking from deep slumber.

A few of the council members followed the king into the cave cell and watched a tiny human standing in front of the bed. The human smelled teased and tantalised their senses. Each of them imagined taking her back with them and using her to please them in a manner suiting their individual proclivities; some fantasized about tasting her and others fantasized about torturing her. All, but the king, were visibly excited and they grew restless as they waited for the king to conclude his business so that they may begin theirs.

Khushi was roused from her sleep by a foul stench. She couldn't understand what it was till she awoke and saw her mother covering her while a host of strange beings threateningly stood around their little home. She correctly identified the stench as her mother's fear. The child had a vague memory of a nice demon that held her and fed her and asked her to protect her mother in his absence. She jumped off the bed and landed in front of her mother, her arms folded behind her back so that her budding wings were tucked away, hidden from view.

"Who are you and why do you seek to disturb us in this manner?" The child asked fearlessly looking the demon king in the eye.

The demons were shocked at the audacity of the young demon to address their king in this manner. Whether they were introduced or not every demon shared a kind of bond with the king and recognized him as their lord and master. Their king had made it so when he first settled in hell to ensure that there would never be an uprising in his kingdom.

The king observed the new demon who was observing him just as keenly.

"I am the ruler of hell and all the demons. And you are one of my subjects by the natural order of things."

He wondered about the absence of parents and the presence of a human. Was the human meant to serve as food? It didn't make sense. The young demon and the human appeared too protective of each other for that. There was something more at play here. He considered the pieces of the puzzle- a human with a soul in limbo and a young demon that didn't feel the innate fealty to him, each trying to protect the other. There was something odd even in the manner the child stood- body poised to fight while the arms were tucked behind in submission. No, not submission, he corrected himself.

"What is it that you hide behind you? Show me your hands." His tone was unmistakeable- it was an order. Khushi considered her options and decided it was best not to provoke the demons, especially since she was outnumbered and the safety of her mother was at stake. Slowly she brought her hands forward eliciting a gasp from all the demons present as her little wings opened behind her.

"You have wings," the king stated without giving away his sense of awe at the discovery. Just like me, he thought to himself. Throughout his reign he had yet to see a new demon with wings and he had never seen a demon with wings as white as his former brethren, like his own once used to be.