Just Checking Up! Part Thirty-Four: Cal and a Side Quest!

Rip:

Hanging back, the crown had never been my goal. A knock had me rushing over to the door, Cal letting himself in. Running his hand through his hair, relief showed in his features. Glancing over at the hooded figures chatting with Silks, his haggard eyes flitted over to me. Shaking my shoulders, both of our fathers made their way to the final landing of our stairs. A long sigh drew from my lips, bewilderment mixing with an earned fear at the sight of Dade. Raising my hand, Silks motioned for me to go chat with Cal. Waving for him to follow me, stairs creaked as we made our way into the twins' room. Locking the door behind me, Cal pinned Dade to the wall. Pressing one of Silks’ newest designs into his temple, the poor fellow made no attempt to shut it down. Please don't do something stupid!

“Maybe put that down. Despite what the files say, those idiots were evil twins.” I pleaded nicely, his pistol lowering. “I know, it sounds like science fiction but here we stand. Besides, the guy saved our skin down in Hell. By the way, Silks is the new queen of that place. Not that I wanted to be its damn king. Her heart would be the one to explode, not mine. Cal, the other demon is Shal. He also happens to be my birth father. Hooray for a family reunion!” Releasing Dade, a shiver cleared off his navy suit.

“Demons sure bring drama, don’t they?" He joked jovially, his fingers smoothing out wrinkles in Dade’s shirt. “How is it going, man? Welcome to the crew! We may seem odd but being weird is more fun. Perhaps, you could use some of my old suits.” Mulling in an awkward silence, his busted expression matched Silks’ to a tee. Mumbling out a whispered thank you, years in a cage had mentally destroyed him. Scratching at his neck, no words escaped his lips as he figured out how to respond to Cal.

“Are you always this friendly?” He choked out nervously, his extended claw lingering on his bottom lip. “Sorry for scaring you. My ex-mate incarcerated me for what seemed like a century. Give me a second when it comes to socializing.” Snapping his fingers, an idea smacked Cal in the face.

“Take your time!” He comforted him warmly, Dade relaxing a tiny bit. “How about we go for a walk with the kiddos and give that council an empty house? I bet it will open up your eyes. Borrow one of your son-in-law’s outfits.” Digging through the closet next to me, a simple black sweater and jeans would have to suffice. Passing it over to him, a simple point to the bathroom down the hall had Dade excusing himself to get cleaned up. Cal cleared his throat, Shal preparing the twins for a walk.

“No offense, you are king by proxy.” He laughed before sighing deeply, his smirk meeting mine. “Avery, can you prepare some clean water bottles and some form of protection? Lord knows that we don’t need to run into that monster or any for that matter.” Bouncing off with a thumbs up, a pair of fangs captured my attention. Furrowing my brow, a shake of my shoulders snapped me back into reality. Cal focused on my lack of responsibility, his brow cocking in disbelief.

“Where did you go?” He interrogated in a brotherly tone, Shal’s eyes glancing over to me. “That crackling told me that you were somewhere in Hell. Why did you send off such frightened vibrations?” Dusting off my shirt, his concern came from good intentions.

“Musette dragged me into some sort of hotel hell. The bitch threw me into some sort of pool. Poof, Silks showed up and fought her off.” I explained calmly, our eyes refusing to meet. “First off, I hate having to let her keep fighting for me. Escape led to her becoming the queen of Hell, and the brutal assassination of a corrupt council via my magic skills. Damn, her father ripped them shreds alongside me. Fuck, they were going to kill us. Hopefully, I can find their files or something.” Rolling his eyes, a tug had his simple black winter coat over his shoulders. Kicking over a pair of winter boots, his arms folded across his chest. Sliding them on, the need for them didn’t even register.

“Sure and I am Santa Claus. Doubt lies in them keeping track of their own shit.” He returned sarcastically, his fingers drumming on his arms. “Make me a demon when I eventually kick the bucket from this bullshit. Did those fuckers at least do it for something worthy? Musette is sure to split up Hell.” A dull thump interrupted the chat, Silks crossing into the bedroom with eight bloody contracts underneath her arms. Smiling genuinely in Cal’s direction, no energy of the cloaked figures swirled in our home. Scooping up the twins, a spin brought pure bliss to her eyes.

“While you are out, I am going back to the council room with Linz to search for any clues. I was thinking of taking Avery with me. The new council offered to protect me.” She informed me gently, Avery smashing into her legs. “Don’t worry about any issues. They all bear the royal mark. One attempt to harm me forces their body to go up in flames. Something smells fishy and I need to go back. Have fun with our dads and the twins, okay!” Sliding a fresh borrowed sweater over her head, another tug resulted in her sliding on a pair of textured tights. Kicking on a pair of boots, her bright smile was the last thing I saw before she tucked them into the crook of my elbows. Standing numbly in my spot, Dade coming in all freshened in whipped me back into reality.

“Did I just miss her?” He asked timidly, a soaked towel hanging off of his arm. “Whatever business she is attending to, I am most certain that it won’t end in tragedy. Musette took a hit with my copies and council getting cut down. Besides, that level of celebration would most likely lead to a damn parade. Did she not have that cute little Linz by her side? Not to mention those spirit guides. Such loyalty is a prize to be cherished. Where is Avery?” Cal laid out the situation, his lips pressing with worry. Shoving that down, he seemed to be thinking about something. Choosing to let him mull in whatever stew he was cooking, Cal nodded towards the door. Understanding the message, Dade slipped on a pair of borrowed dress boots. Hiking downstairs, the lack of Bookworth comforted any stress. Knowing that he was most likely by Avery’s side, his adoration of him would always draw him to protect the young demon.

Locking the door behind us, a drop over my shoulder had the twins in sling. Melted snow sloshed with every footfall, trees thickening. Eerie silence hung in the air, a necessity coming from getting out.

“Nice getting out, Rip?” Cal inquired casually, his hands sliding into his pockets. “You seem to be running ragged lately. I remembered that our walks used to cure some of that stress. A cool place made itself known. Do you care to see it?” Curiosity peaked in my mind, a matching smirk twitching on Shal’s and my lips. Was danger involved? Hiking through the trees, the direction wasn’t far off from the homes along the docks. Coming upon a smaller navy log cabin, his hands rested on his hips. Grinning with pride, his wife’s red car being parked outside dawned a great joy within my soul.

“No way in hell you moved down the street from me!” I roared triumphantly, the black metal roof showing off his style. “Hell yeah!” Sniffing the air, human blood tainted the air. Brushing past him, a horrid sight greeted me the moment I burst in. His wife shivered next to his severely injured daughter, Cal sobbing in complete terror upon seeing his family edging near death. A reaper hovered in the corner, Silks stumbling in from a closet. Smashing into a cloaked demon, the face of Deathos sent chills up my spine. Shoving Cal onto the blood soaked wooden floor, Deathos popped up behind us. Throwing us into the air, his claws sank into Cal’s stomach. Scarlet poured from the corner of his lips, Dade beginning to summon his vines. One furious look from Silks shut him down, her revenge waiting for her. Summoning her carved wooden stakes, a fresh cut woke up the glowing symbols.

“Get them to safety, Rip!” She commanded hotly, orange flames shifting into dual scythes. “Deathos, I condemn thee to death for your foul crimes. How about a taste of your own medicine.” Orange and scarlet fire lilies blossomed in front of us, the biggest ones blocking any exit. Shal understood, his attention shifting to the victims. Biting off the claws on her left hands, they bounced off my head. What she was suggesting could royally fuck up their lives!

“Ask them if they want to join our team or Heaven. Stab them in their hearts and they should be under my demonic contract. Thus allowing them to thrive.” She spoke concisely, her loving wet gaze meeting mine. “If they don’t, you will always have my shoulder to cry on.” Donning a new style of sword in his hands6, sparks danced in the air. Dragging Cal over to his family, his clammy hand snatched mine. Blood stained their hair, guilt eating at me. Avery scurried over to my side, his healing powers failing to undo the damage. The claws clattered to my knees, Cal grabbing one off the floor. Pressing it into my quaking palm, his usual smirk never left his space.

“Do it.” Cal wheezed between coughing fit, Maddy nodding while clinging to their daughter. “Please. We don’t want to leave yet. Besides, you need someone to freaking torture you for an eternity.” Bringing it behind my head, a wet splash announced to the world that I stabbed his slowing heart. Shifting my attention to Maddy, her kind ocean blue eyes darted over to mine. Nodding once, another splash became a nightmare to my mental health. Avery plucked a claw from the floor, his free hand cupping mine. Shaking his head, his quaking hand pierced the heart of Cal’s daughter. Glancing over at the battle, the open door spoke of them bringing it outside. Passing the twins to our birth fathers, Avery promised to keep an eye on them for me. Apologizing before running off, Cal waved before curling his body around his family. Fighting another wave of tears, a trail of ash and ice had me crunching through the forest. Skidding to a rough stop, a chaotic scene greeted me. Deathos whistled past my head, Silks appearing over my head. Scooping him up by the collar, a slam into a thick tree trunk shattered his bones. Smashing her fist into his chest, his soul throbbed in her hands. Crushing it to nothing, it became a simple pile of ash. Landing clumsily, another dark energy gave her little time to relax. Musette rode in on a wave of orange water, a wave of matching orange preventing us from getting struck. Why, just why?

“Not now!” She cursed bitterly, her eyes rolling. “Must you be a thorn in my fucking side!” Stepping back, steam curled into the air with every violent clash of their blades. Musette flipped her orange water scythes over her fingers, her speed doubling. Pinning Silks to a tree, Dade’s voice gave them both pause. The look of sheer panic contrasted Musette’s look of pure hatred, Silks pleading away underneath her increasing grasp. Struggling to soak in the presence of both parents, her own mental spiral was fast approaching.

“Enough, Musette! No one hurts my daughter!” He warned her coolly, black flame vines whipping to life. “No longer am I your caged animal!” Knocking her through several trees, Silks collapsed into a heap. Popping to her feet, Dade and I splashed up to her side. Waiting with bated breath, anger would be sure to increase the danger of it all.

“Thank you for saving me, Dad.” She uttered in a numb tone, inky blood staining her cheeks along with his. “How do we injure her enough to get her out of here? I am not in the mood today to deal with this bullshit.” Noting the steam, an idea came to mind. Musette wasn’t immune to bad vision, her strikes lacking when the steam twirled a bit too thickly. Clapping my hands together, all eyes darted to me.

“How about we use your vines and a bit of my normal Hell water to level the playing field?” I suggested with a shrug, a single okay leaving their lips. “She can cut off an arm or something. That should force her to heal or something, right?” Taking off to hide behind a tree, several vines crackled to life. Summoning a basic amount of jet black Hell water, one touch created a foggy battlefield. His calmness in a fight was commendable, his nerves dissolving in a matter of seconds. Branches creaked overhead, Musette swinging down. Silks glided down a vine, her elbow jamming into her throat. Flying into the sky, a couple of flips over her hands picked up speed. Tossing both scythes into the air, a powerful kick to a hilt sent it slicing through one of her arms. Unsure of which one, a push off of the vines sent her spinning up to her weapons. Swinging way too fast to track, water whisked Musette away. Crashing onto a bed of vines, her tired smile met her matching father’s smile. Rolling onto her back, the corner of her lips twitched between weeps.

“Why is it that you had to fight your ex? An easier life was supposed to be your reward, not this madness.” She sniffled sincerely, his vines bringing her closer to us. “Forgive my appearance. She landed a few blows on me.” Looking past the cuts and the bruises, her beauty had no bounds. Crouching down to her level, their conversation was drowned out by Cal and his family hiking towards us with Avery leading the way. Maddy waved at me, her freshly cleaned strawberry hair now twisted into a bun. Ruby eyes twinkled fondly in our direction, black fingernails and lips waking that damn guilt from its nap. Her long ivory snow jacket graced her petite five foot three frame, her fangs throwing me off. Their daughter Rory smashed into my legs, her golden blonde waves floating up. Inky tears of joy dribbled off of her chin, her embrace stifling the guilt down to nothing.

“Uncle Rip, I, Rory, get to be home schooled with Avery!” She announced while spinning around, her own unicorn covered winter coat hovering for a moment. “Look at my fingernails and lips. I get to be cool and Gothic like you!” Ruffling her hair, Cal smooched his wife feverishly, not one heartbeat remaining in the circle of acquaintances. Avery bounced over to Silks, both Dade and her accepting him into a bear hug. Assuming Shal was back with the twins, such a fine moment had me haunting some sort of mental limbo.

“Thank you for turning us into a demon.” Cal effused gleefully, his black fingernails upsetting me visibly. “Calm your horses, buddy! You brought us back and I can’t thank you enough! Now we can dick around for God knows how long.” Soaking in his words, Silks chatting with his wife stole my breath away. Treating her with the utmost gentleness, Rory glued herself to her side along with Avery. Answering her questions with grace, Dade took my side. Folding his arms across his chest, pride glistened in his eyes.

“Wow, she really is a lovely queen. Hell is fortunate to have her.” He gushed freely, his fingers scratching at the back of his neck. “Thank you for taking care of her when I couldn’t. Lord knows I don’t deserve her love.” Bowing his head in shame, the happy scene spoke well of her guiding nature. Nudging his shoulder, inky streams greeted me upon our eyes snapping in each other’s direction.

“How does being trapped in a cage rest in your fault?” I inquired serenely, a bit of his anxiety melting away. “My birth father was in a similar position, my own mother keeping me from him. So if anyone gets it, I do. She also murdered children as well. The way the mirror of our lives match is getting a little too creepy in my opinion. Hold on strong and don’t forget that we are your family. Now Cal is one of them. Trust me, that bastard always has your back.” Cal shook his shoulder, both of them having a nice moment.

“Dude, becoming a demon was bound to happen. The way life keeps trying to murder me is quite alarming. Don’t worry about it. Besides, all of my family is dead.” He confessed sadly, all of me remembering why he glued himself to my side originally. “This dude has been my brother from day one, so this is nothing to little old me. Sucks that my wife and kid had to join. Musette is going down one way or another.” Cracking his knuckles, fury seethed in his eyes. All of us had a bone to pick with her, an awkward pause coming over the three of us. Hoping for a proper amount of grace next time, our ruby eyes swam with fresh inky blood tears at the thought of potentially losing it all to a damn psychopath. No, not with Silks at the helm. Whomever is listening, luck needs to be on our side. Please protect us all!