Are there other demonic creatures up here?

  Dreu wanted to use Brornun’s knowledge of the mountain to take advantage of other opportunities. His roster was growing and he saw no reason to not grow it further. Nothing in his window prompt suggested there was a limit. If his ancestor commanded over a million soldiers, then he could certainly have a few hundred demonic creatures under his command.

  Along the mountain path, there aren’t any worthwhile creatures. The caves are options but even I hesitate to enter those. The inhabitants of the cave can fight far better in the dark and tight spaces.

  Dreu couldn’t argue against the sound logic and it dampened his mood. The recent additions of the Fel Spiders and the direwolf felt incredible but, when he looked at his squad, none of the members were suited for combat inside a cave. With a sigh, he turned around.

  Let’s go back for now, everyone. I’ll check with Ragellon if we have anything that can help us with the caves.

  The group returned to the training grounds where the demonic children and Zog continued their training. The demon butterfly was trying new things like zigzagging in the air while delivering shots at the magic dummy. The first few attempts saw the shots go way off target but Zog improved after a dozen tries. After Zog succeeded in hitting all of his fireballs, the demon butterfly noticed the return of Dreu and flew over to land on his head.

  Did you see that?

  Dreu smiled at the excitement that Zog couldn’t contain.

  I saw that last attempt! You are improving very quickly.

  Dreu wasn’t sure if it was his imagination but Zog’s face turned a shade of red. He then introduced Brornun to the other members who happily greeted the direwolf. Following the introduction, Dreu’s group got themselves some lunch. The young man hadn’t figured out how the small portals worked but he could access standard food like bread and meat or fish by simply reaching inside. He asked Ragellon but the demonic child said the mechanics behind the portals were unknown to her as well. The entire city was created through extremely complicated magic and she didn’t come close to possessing the knowledge to even scratch the surface of its secrets. While his curiosity lingered, Dreu didn’t let it stop him from focusing on getting stronger.

  Do you get hungry?

  Dreu directed his question at Zog. He recalled Bayard not needing food and, if he did eat, he gained buffs if the food was above a certain quality. The demon butterfly shook his head claiming that, since he joined Dreu, he never once felt hungry. He enjoyed eating but it never felt necessary. When asked about buffs, Zog answered that he hadn’t gotten stronger from eating. Dreu then turned to Brornun who stared at the meat before him.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  It doesn’t look appetizing when my stomach isn’t growling. I cannot complain about not needing to worry about my stomach though.

  Dreu then asked everyone else if they were fine with no food. They didn’t need it and he was unsure how much was stocked in the city. There were no objections from any of his summoned creatures, including Ror who, despite carrying eggs, had no appetite for food. From a logistics standpoint, the lower demand for food meant more focus could be placed on other resources. He could only imagine his ancestor commanding a million strong but he only needed enough food for himself.

  “Why do you keep adopting weak demonic creatures?” asked Ragellon as soon as she spotted Brornun. “I would like to think even your companions would warn you against taking in lesser fel wolves.”

  “Brornun is a lesser demon direwolf,” replied Dreu.

  “Lesser…” Ragellon studied the direwolf for a full minute and shook her head. “I’ll trust you on that. Doesn’t look like a demon direwolf to me.”

  “Brornun also mentioned caves in the mountains. Do we have anything that can aid us in exploring the caves?”

  “Spelunking?” Ragellon walked over to another small portal. “Let’s see what’s inside.”

  To Dreu’s surprise, the demonic child simply poked half of her body into the portal. After a few minutes, Ragellon pulled herself out with two staff and five small orbs in her hands.

  “Here,” she said as she handed over the items to Dreu. “You have illumination staff that will illuminate the caves. The orbs are called flash bangs and are extremely bright. If you encounter any dangerous creatures, the flash bangs will effectively blind those creatures for a very long time. Be warned that you’ll be blinded too. Use them in an emergency only. Given how the cave demonic creatures tend to stick in small groups, they aren't very dangerous.”

  “Thanks!”

  Dreu stared down at the items. The orbs could fit into his pocket easily. As for the staff, he needed one hand for his blade while the other carried the staff like a torch. Times like these made him wish he had a buckler that he could use with whatever he held in his hand.

  “I’m coming too!” said Ragellon excitedly. “My father promised to take me spelunking before he left for your capital. I won’t miss this opportunity.”

  The demonic child then helped herself to some food. In the meantime, Dreu studied his companions, deciding who to bring with him. While wings offered a lot of flexibility above ground, they had limitations within the narrow spaces underground. Bats existed but those creatures adapted to caves and could better navigate underground. If there were demonic versions of bats, they would certainly defeat his flying companions.

  “Alright, let’s go!”

  Dreu was shocked how quickly Ragellon finished her meal. She took one of the staff from Dreu and led the way outside.

  Ilveroz, Aggich and Brornun will join me on the ground. Zog and Dar can cover the ceiling. The rest of you can go and rest.

  Keth asked Dreu to reconsider him but the young man stood by his decision. The demon beetle relied on charging enemies and the cave interior was unsuitable for his companion. Keth looked deflated so Dreu promised to give the demon beetle a chance to shine in the future.