Chapter 18: Dungeons and Demons

Friday, July 17, 2009, 11:00 AM

The tunnel reverberated with the screaming.

Tricia, Annie, and Joey were shrieking and crying as they plummeted through the fiery shaft. The walls were covered in flames, and they could see faces formed in the flames, faces screaming in their own agonies. The solid fire whip that wrapped around Tricia’s and Annie’s bodies cut hard into Tricia’s stomach, and she clawed at the mystical bonds, trying to free herself.

She couldn’t find a break in the whip. All sense of up and down was lost. There was only forward and backward. Tricia looked ahead to see Joey still fighting Desdemona’s grasp. Her wings were spread wide as she glided through the tunnel of fire. An opening appeared in the distance, and the demoness beat her wings as she approached the exit.

They emerged in a cavern, flying straight up out of the floor. Desdemona hovered in the air and waited as the girls’ momentum carried them up into the cavern. The tunnel vanished underneath them, and the girls landed hard against the cold rocky floor. Tricia was momentarily stunned as she hit the ground, her breath knocked out of her, and she rolled in pain as the fire whip dissolved from around her waist.

Desdemona landed gracefully while carrying the struggling boy. Joey kicked and fought against her. The demoness gestured upward, and a large iron cage supported by four long chains dropped down from the ceiling, its door open wide like a gaping mouth.

She loosened her grip on the boy and turned him to face her. “Right now I have other matters to attend to,” she hissed at the boy. “But I will return to you soon enough.” Desdemona then casually tossed Joey into the cage. He hit the far metal wall with a hard and loud thud, and the cage closed and locked itself as it swung wildly on its supporting chains.

Tricia’s heart jumped as she saw him hit the back of the cage and fall limp. “JOEY!” she cried out. Her blood raged, and she narrowed her attention on the demon. A mania possessed her, and she balled her fists and ran to the monster, yelling a battle-cry. Desdemona turned to see her, and Tricia punched her hard in the face.

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!” she screamed, and she spun and kicked the her in the side.

Desdemona hissed at her, and struck back. It was fast and brutal, and Tricia was slammed in the face with a simple backhanded slap that sent her flying. She landed and rolled on the ground, dazed. The demoness walked slowly towards Tricia. “Just what do you think you are?” she asked amusedly. A flame ignited in her hand, and grew into the fire whip again. She lashed the whip at Tricia, and it wrapped around her midsection again. The rope burned into her, and Tricia desperately pulled at the hard flames.

A second cage dropped from the ceiling, and with a simple flick of her arm, Desdemona yanked Tricia off the ground and threw her into her cage. The fire whip lurched hard into Tricia’s stomach, and she hit the back wall of the cage hard, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped and rolled in the cold iron cage as it closed and locked around her. The whip evaporated.

Annie crawled and pulled herself on the floor away from Desdemona, cowering and crying. She shrieked as the demoness turned and considered her.

Desdemona gestured to the ceiling, then took a second look at the paralyzed girl, and waved it off. “Oh, what’s the point? You’re already caged,” she said dismissively.

The demoness strolled over to Joey’s cage and peered at him through the bars. Joey crawled to the back of the cage and cowered, shaking in terror. “I will be back for you. I am looking forward to seeing what surprises you have for me.”

Desdemona then casually sauntered over to Tricia’s cage. Tricia glared at her with a fury. The demoness licked her lips and smiled. “It will be fun breaking your spirit. Soon you will call me your mistress.”

She turned back and considered Annie again. “And you?” she scoffed. “Hardly worth breaking. You would be worthless as a serving girl. I shall leave you to whichever of my pets find you first.” She stepped over the cowering girl and walked away towards a nearby tunnel. “Goodbye, half-Jewish, half-Japanese ... half-woman.”

She left them, and the cavern was silent except for the shaking sobs from Annie which echoed against the rock walls, and the creaking chains from the swinging cages. Tricia scrambled up to the door of her cage and pushed against it. It was solid. She shook the bars. The door rattled, but held.

“Annie! Joey! Are you hurt?”

Annie shook, crying. “I ... I don’t know.”

Joey screamed and slammed his body into the bars. His cage shook and rocked on the chains, and he fell over. “YAAARRGHHH!” Like a wild animal he ran to the back of his cage and then threw himself into the bars again.

“JOEY! STOP!” Tricia called out.

“YEAARRRGGGHHH!!” He fell on his back and started repeatedly kicking the bars. BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

Annie screamed in terror. Tricia saw her looking at something that just crawled into the cavern. “JOEY! STOP! YOU’RE ATTRACTING SOMETHING!”

Joey stopped and looked out the bars. He gasped. “Oh no!” he cried out.

Annie rolled on the ground and started to pull herself away from the thing that slipped in from the darkness. It crawled into the light from the flood lamps attached to the cavern ceiling. It was some creature that Tricia had never seen before. Part wolf, part lizard, it was about the size of a big dog, with patches of black fur and red scales covering its hide. It peered at Annie with far too many eyes and opened its maw. Several rows of pointed teeth gleamed in its mouth, and two streams of drool dripped out. A long forked tongue whipped out and tested the air.

“Oh no...” Annie gasped.

Tricia’s heart pounded. She was crying and shaking in fear. “Oh god, no...” She reached out of the cage towards Annie. “Annie! I...” She saw the creature stalking her, and growled at it. “HEY! YOU! GET OVER HERE!” She slapped her cage, trying to catch the creature’s attention. “GET AWAY FROM HER! SEE IF YOU CAN EAT ME! COME ON!”

The creature looked up at Tricia, considered her for a second, and then returned its gaze on Annie. It crawled closer.

“Oh god ... Annie ... I’m so sorry...” Tricia was crying. Joey shook in his cage.

Annie fixed her eyes on the thing stalking her, gritted her jaw and breathed heavily through her teeth. “Think! Think!...” she chanted. She watched the creature coming towards her, and saw it staring at her legs. “Wounded animal ... yeah ... that’s what you see ... you still need to kill...”

She rolled on her side, freeing her right arm, and tensed her right hand. “HEY!” she shouted at the creature. “Up here!” she commanded, and she lifted her head and bared her throat.

“ANNIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” screamed Tricia.

“Can’t defend my legs,” she said trembling through her gritted teeth. “Up here ... Go for the throat.”

The creature turned its head towards her bare throat. She swallowed, shaking. It hissed and growled, and a fresh stream of drool dripped out of its maw. It crouched, ready to strike.

Annie stared at the thing, breathing heavily and quivering. She clenched her hand into a fist.

The creature roared and pounced. Annie screamed back and slammed her fist into the thing’s head, knocking it to the ground. She grabbed its neck and wrapped her arm around it, holding it fast in a strangling grip and roared at the thing as it struggled and clawed, trying to free itself. Sharp claws scratched her arms, drawing blood. Annie howled, squeezed harder, and grabbed its maw and held it shut with her strong hands. She pulled, twisted, and stretched its neck, and the thing gasped and rasped in her grip.

There was a horrid cracking sound, and the creature went limp. Annie shrieked and threw the thing off her. “YEEAAUUGH!!” she yelled in disgust and fury. It rolled away and twitched.

“UGH!” she bellowed. “YEAH! THAT’S RIGHT! I’M STRONG! THAT’S ‘CAUSE I DON’T USE A MOTORIZED CHAIR!” She wiped the drool and blood off her arms, and shook in disgust. “Ugh! You fuck with ME? I’m from NEW YORK!” She broke down and sobbed, and dragged herself away from the carcass.

Tricia was crying and she leaned her head against the cold bars of the cage. Annie started dragging herself towards the exit of the cavern.

“Annie! Where are you going?”

Annie looked back. Tears rolled down her face. “I’m going for help. I can’t stay here.” She was sobbing.

“You’ll get killed out there.”

“I’ll get killed in here.”

Tricia reached out to her. “Annie. Please. Maybe you can reach us. Or reach Joey!”

Annie shook her head. “You’re too high up.” She looked at the two cages. “And you’re too far apart. Even if you got the cages swinging, you’ll never reach each other.” She wiped her nose on her arm. “I don’t know what else to do.”

Tricia sobbed and grabbed her crucifix. She prayed, rattling off the Lords Prayer quickly. “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” She broke down, crying, and resumed. “Gives us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil.” She sobbed again. “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.”

She looked out the cage. Annie was dragging herself towards the exit. Joey was watching her, crying.

She clutched her crucifix again. “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come ... Thy ... Thy...”

She stopped, and stared at her crucifix. Her voice echoed in her head. Keep your friends close. Keep your faith close.

Her heart pounded as she remembered.

“ANNIE! WAIT!” she screamed, and she pulled her crucifix off.

“What?” Annie sobbed.

Tricia waved her crucifix. Her cage swung in reaction, sending her off balance. “God damn it!” she cursed, and she held onto the bars. She looked down at Annie as she lay still on the ground. The voice echoed again in her head. Everyone in your life now is in it for a reason.

“Come back! I have an idea! Here!” She threw her crucifix down to the ground. “Take my crucifix.”

Annie shook her head. “That won’t help. I’m not Catholic, and I don’t think demons are afraid of crosses.”

“No! Quantum Knight! She’s entangled with my crucifix!”

Annie blinked in confusion. “What? What does that mean?”

“It means she always knows where it is! And how it’s moving! She knows where we are!”

Annie nodded quickly and started dragging herself towards Tricia’s crucifix. “How did that happen?” she yelled.

“We went bra-shopping, and we had lunch!”

Annie stopped and stared at Tricia. She looked angry. “Well, when were you going to tell me about this?”

“I ... I didn’t know if I should! She told me her secret identity!”

“Well, fuck the lease agreement! From now on you tell me if you know super-heroes! Any others you know?” She resumed dragging herself.

“No. I ... Just get the crucifix!”

Annie managed to crawl up to Tricia’s crucifix, and she snatched it up. “What do I do with it? Can she hear us through this?”

Tricia thought. “No. Just ... write to her! Write big letters in the air! She’ll feel the letters. I can’t do it in the cage.”

Annie rolled on her back and started waving the crucifix in the air. “Q-U-A-N-T-U-M, K-N-I-G-H-T” She chanted letters as she wrote in the air. “H-E-L-P” She drew an exclamation point. “C-O-M-E, N-O-W, P-L-E-A-S-E, H-E-L-P”

She lay still for a moment and waited several seconds. “Why is she not coming? Are you sure this works?”

Tricia racked her brain. “I don’t know ... I hope it does...”

“Well, maybe she’s too far away! Maybe she can’t come this far!” Annie cried.

Tricia shook her head. “Distance doesn’t matter. She said she can teleport any distance. I don’t know why she ... WAIT! I know!”

“What?”

“It’s a blind teleport! She can’t see that it’s safe. She needs to know that there is a safe place for her to teleport into.” She looked down at Annie and gestured to the floor. “Let her know this area is clear.”

Annie nodded and crawled to a spot. She wrote in the air. “C-L-E-A-R” She crawled to another spot. “T-E-L-E-P-O-R-T” She made a right turn and dragged herself to another spot. “A-R-E-A” She made another right turn and dragged over to another spot. “H-E-R-E”

Then she dragged herself into the center of the four spots and slapped the crucifix against the floor a couple times. She rolled on her back and tossed the crucifix up in the air as high as she could. It fell back in her hands. She rolled back and drew a big “X” on the floor and slapped the crucifix in the center of the “X”. Leaving it there, she quickly rolled aside.

They waited and watched. Annie was breathing heavily. Several seconds passed in silence.

“Why isn’t she coming?” she asked.

“I ... I don’t know.”

“Maybe we’re not on Earth anymore! Maybe we’re in Hell, or another dimension! Maybe she just can’t get to us! What if we’re...”

VRUMMM – Thump – thump – thump - VRAMMM. A rubber ball appeared in the room. It bounced a couple times, and vanished. Everyone jolted.

“What was that?” asked Joey.

“It looked like a superball!” said Annie.

“She’s testing the area!” said Tricia. “She can reach us!”

VRUMMM – VRAMMM ... VRUMMM – VRAMMM ... The ball reappeared and disappeared a couple times in different places. VRCRAKKKK! The ball appeared and exploded out of the floor, sending a shower of debris from the section of floor it materialized inside.

“What was that?” shrieked Annie.

Tricia winced. “She tested wrong. She teleported something into the floor. That ... probably hurt her.” Tricia closed her eyes and prayed. That might have killed her. Please, be all right!

There was silence for an entire minute, and Annie started crying. “What’s wrong? Why did she stop? What’s happening?”

Tricia leaned her head against the bars. She prayed silently.

VRUMMM! A helium balloon appeared in the room. It floated up to the rocky ceiling, popped as it hit something sharp, and fell back to the ground. Tricia breathed a sigh of relief.

Please! Please come quickly!

VRUMMM! Clink – clink – clink ... It was a grenade.

Annie screamed “WHAT THE FUCK?!” and rolled away as fast as possible. Tricia yelled and ducked her head. Joey watched in terror.

VVRRUUUMMMM!! A figure in white and red appeared in the air above the crucifix, tucked into a fetal position. She landed on her hands and feet in a crouched position. She spun, her long blond ponytail whipped about her. “One – Two – Three – Four!” she counted as she looked at Annie, Joey, Tricia, and a dark corner. She glanced at the dead demon, and looked back at the shadows. VRUMM! A throwing star appeared in her hand, and she whipped it towards the dark corner. The spinning blade dissolved in a sine-wave pattern of multiple blades, and struck something soft hidden in the shadows. The thing in the shadows screeched and died.

Quantum Knight stood up and looked around the room. “Sorry about the dummy grenade,” she said. “I’ve been fooled before.” She approached Annie. “Are you okay?”

Annie was breathing heavily in relief. “I ... I think so.”

“I’m Quantum Knight.”

“I know. I’m Annie. A groysn dank! Thank you!”

Quantum Knight looked up at the two cages. She teleported up to Tricia’s cage and hung onto the bars. “Hey friend! Let me help you.”

“Oh, thank god!” Tricia sighed. Quantum Knight reached into the bars, and Tricia took her hand. A moment later they appeared on the floor of the cavern. Tricia startled, and ran to Annie. They embraced.

The superhero teleported up to Joey’s cage and held onto the bars. “Hi there. I’m Quantum Knight,” she said warmly. She reached into the cage.

“I’m Joey.”

“Hi Joey. Give me your hand.”

He hesitated, and then took her hand. “Is this going to hurt?”

Quantum Knight shook her head. “No. Just bend your knees a bit. We’re going to land on the floor. Ready?”

He was outside the cage and on the floor before he could answer. Joey jumped, and got his bearings, and ran to Tricia and Annie. They all hugged each other.

Quantum Knight gave them a moment. “Okay, we need to get out of here. What happened, and do you know where we are? All I know is you just shot out down through the ground at about ten times escape velocity.”

Annie blinked. “So, we’re still on Earth? We’re not in Hell?”

The hero looked around and nodded. “Yes. I don’t think they use florescent lights in Hell.”

Tricia stood up. “I don’t know where we are. I thought you would know.”

The superhero shook her head. “No. All I know is home is that way.” She pointed to a wall. “And it’s VERY far away. I’ve never jumped this far before.”

“How far away are we?” asked Tricia.

She shrugged and pointed. “Don’t know. All I can tell you is at home, ‘up’ is THIS direction.” She was pointing nearly horizontal. “I’d say about eight-five degrees from here.”

Annie thought for a second. “Five thousand, nine hundred and fifty miles.”

Everyone stared at her.

“What?” She looked at them all. “Eighty-five degrees, seventy miles per degree curvature of the Earth. Eighty times seventy is five thousand six hundred. Five times seventy is three hundred fifty. Five thousand, nine hundred and fifty miles.”

Everyone continued to stare at her.

“Well ... okay! So I rounded up! It’s closer to sixty-nine and a half miles per degree. So I may be off by thirty or forty miles!”

Everyone still stared at her.

“Am I the only one who knows these things?” she asked exasperatedly.

Tricia nodded. “Yes, Annie, you are.” She picked up her crucifix and put it on.

Quantum Knight spoke up. “How did you get here?”

“Desdemona,” said Tricia.

The superhero shook her head. “You’re sure? She’s dead.”

“Not any more.”

“Oh fu...” She looked at Joey and controlled her language. She sighed. “This is not good. She’s a Hyperion class villain.”

“Hyperion class? What does that mean?”

Quantum Knight walked over to Annie and extended her hand. “It means you call Hyperion and get the hell out of the way. Come on. Get up.”

“I can’t walk,” said Annie.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m paraplegic.”

“Oh, great!” she cursed.

“Hey!” Annie responded, insulted.

Quantum Knight shook her head. “Sorry. Nothing personal. I’m just assessing our situation. Tricia! You’ll need to carry her.”

Tricia came and leaned down to pick Annie up. “Aren’t you stronger than me? Maybe you should carry her.”

The superhero leaned down and helped lift Annie. “You want to do the fighting?”

Tricia thought for two seconds. “I’ll carry her,” she decided.

Together they lifted Annie and Tricia groaned as she carried the girl. “Damn it girl, you need to lay off the Ding-Dongs!” she complained.

“Hey, at least MY pants size is still in single-digits!”

“Quiet, you two,” Quantum Knight concentrated, and a katana appeared in her hand. “Let’s go.” She took point and silently moved towards the exit tunnel.

“Can’t you just teleport us home?” asked Annie.

“No. It’s too far and you’re all too heavy. I can get that far alone, but carrying other weight limits my distance. I barely got here with the weight of this costume. I might be able to carry one of you about a mile, but there’s no way I can push you all six thousand miles. We need to find another way out of here.”

Joey reached over and gently touched Tricia’s arm. Annie suddenly felt very light in her arms. Tricia looked at him. “Thanks,” she whispered. He nodded, and stuck close to her.

The tunnels were dark and dry, and foul alien stenches wafted through the passageway. Quantum Knight summoned a flashlight which she kept at a dim setting. The floor was rocky and uneven, and Tricia tripped and slipped on them more than once. Sounds of scuttling feet and hissing echoed through the tunnels, but it was hard to determine if they came from in front or behind them.

“So, what is Desdemona?” asked Joey.

“She claims to be an eighth-circle demon,” said Quantum Knight. “ ... summoned to Earth three thousand years ago by a seriously insane sorceress. She, the sorceress, was immensely powerful, and she sacrificed herself to open a doorway to summon a demon. Powerful people can be used to open doorways to bring in powerful demons.” She sighed as she walked. “But I don’t see how she can be the same one, unless she was summoned again. Desdemona was killed over five years ago by Omega Man.”

Joey was quiet. Tricia noticed his discomfort, and changed the subject. “So, what do you think it is with the electric lighting?” She nodded towards the lines of power cables that stretched through the tunnel. “Wouldn’t a sorceress be using, I don’t know ... magic torches or glowing crystals for lights?”

“Actually, it makes perfect sense to me,” said Quantum Knight. “Snow Angel explained it to me once. She said that technology still works for mages, and if technology can do something that magic can do, it’s usually easier to use technology. For magic torches you would need a staff of servants to continuously adjust the spells, which means magical training for the staff. For electric lights all you need is one qualified electrician.”

The passageway widened into a larger cavern lit by a single floodlight attached to the ceiling. Long, deep shadows were cast in all directions. Quantum Knight moved silently, sword extended, and Tricia and Joey followed closely. The superhero stopped, raised her hand, and summoned a throwing star.

She held her pose for a moment, and then suddenly threw the star. It split into the sine-wave pattern and flew into a dark corner. Something in the shadows gasped and screeched as she hit her mark.

“How are you seeing these things?” asked Joey.

“I can’t. They can see me, and I can sense that.”

They continued on. The cavern turned, and they could see a flickering light illuminating the walls. Quantum Knight cautiously peered around the rock wall. “Shit!” she whispered.

“What is it?” asked Tricia.

“It’s her,” Quantum Knight pulled back and leaned against the wall. “She’s got a boy tied to an altar. Looks like a sacrifice.” She carefully put her sword down on the ground.

“We’re ... we’re not going to just leave him there, are we?” asked Joey.

The superhero shook her head. “We can’t. And yet, if I go in and engage her, and she’s who she says she is, I can’t stop her.” She looked at Tricia. “There’s no easy way out of this. You’re going to have to rescue that boy. I’ll distract her, and lead her back down the tunnels. You get everyone else out, and I’ll catch up to you. I saw another exit on the far side of the altar.”

Tricia’s heart caught in her chest. “O ... okay!” She put Annie down.

Quantum Knight concentrated, and a small bracelet appeared in her hand. She gave it to Annie. “Here. Put this on. I’ll know where you are. Tricia, if you can’t get back to Annie, get the kids out. I’ll get Annie.”

Annie gasped in surprise, and then nodded. She turned to Tricia. “You do as she says. Leave me if you have to.”

Tricia shook her head. “I can’t...” Joey took her hand and squeezed it.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll get back to her.”

Tricia nodded.

Quantum Knight stepped back and clenched her fists and jaw. She concentrated. Her arms shook with tension. She seemed to be pulling something.

“What are you doing?” asked Annie.

“Bringing ... in ... the big ... gun!” With a final pull, a massive gun appeared in her arms out of nowhere. The others all flinched.

“Shma-yisrooel! What is that?” asked Annie. “A BFG 9000?”

“Yep.” Quantum Knight lifted the heavy weapon and turned on a motor. It whined softly as it warmed up. “A magnetic acceleration nail-gun. Fires nine-hundred nails at high velocity in sixty seconds. Takes three hours to reload.” She held the gun up high. “I’ve got friends in high-paying jobs.” She turned to Tricia. “You ready?”

“Don’t I get a gun?”

“I don’t want you fighting, or even tempted to. Get the kid off the table, and then get Annie and Joey out of here. You see something, you run from it. Got it?”

Tricia nodded.

Quantum Knight took a deep breath, and nodded. “I’m going in.” She looked around the corner and vanished with a loud VVRAMMM!

As soon as she was gone, sparks flowed out of Joey’s hand. Tricia felt the presence of power in her body. “Strength and Invulnerability,” he said, and he let go of her.

“Thanks!” She turned the corner and started running.

The altar was not far away from her, and she saw three people there. The young boy was tied to the table, struggling to free himself. Small bursts of lightning rippled over his body. Desdemona stood next to a huge pot of some boiling liquid, and Quantum Knight had teleported directly behind her. With a kick, the superhero knocked the demon into the boiling pot, lowered her gun towards the villain, and started firing point-blank. The nail-gun sprayed its payload out into the villain, and Tricia could hear the demon screaming in pain as the nails ripped through her body.

Tricia ran to the boy, climbed the altar, and grabbed the ropes that held him down. “Don’t worry. We’re getting you out of here!” she said to the boy. He looked at her pleadingly. He was middle-eastern, dressed in robes and a turban. He spoke to her in a language she didn’t understand. But she knew what he was saying.

The rope ripped easily in her hand. She grabbed another rope and pulled on it.

Quantum Knight was perforating Desdemona in her cauldron, and the cauldron suddenly shattered as the nails passed through her ripped and torn body. The contents of the pot spilled out, and Desdemona rolled out onto the ground, gasping and screaming.

A wrenching sound came from the gun, and the motor stopped. “Damn it! Jammed!” cursed the hero, and she tossed the gun aside and summoned two katanas.

Tricia reached for a third rope when a wave of green energy rolled over the boy. He screamed and thrashed, and his body was suddenly consumed in flames. Tricia screamed and jumped back, and watched in horror as the boy’s body changed into a void, a hole ripped in space that expelled a hot stinking sulfur air.

“NO!” she yelled. Tricia stared at the empty hole. It was still shaped like a boy, but the boy was gone. A horrid sinking feeling entered the pit of her stomach. “I was too late ... I’m sorry...”

Desdemona crawled up and roared. Tricia could see her ripped body mending itself, flowing together like clay under an invisible sculptor’s hands. Long, sharp talons extended from her fingers. She turned on the hero and screeched. “WHO DARES?”

Quantum Knight leaped onto the demon, slashing twin blades and slicing into her flesh. “GET OUT! GO!” she ordered Tricia.

Tricia looked back at the void where the boy once was, and saw two monstrous hands reaching out of the hole. She screamed, tripped, and fell onto the rocky ground. As she scrambled to get up she could see the massive long arms reaching through the hole in space, and she started running.

The thing caught her by the legs and snatched her into the air. She twisted and screamed and saw the demon as it dangled her over the ground. It was still crawling out of the hole in space, and it crushed the table as it stepped down. It was huge troll-like creature, bigger than an elephant, with long arms, a piggish snout, and green scales.

It grabbed her with both hands, lifted her to its mouth, and bit down hard on her. Tricia screamed. The jagged teeth ripped her clothes, and pushed into her skin.

The teeth felt soft.

Tricia looked and saw they hadn’t broken her skin. I’m invulnerable! she remembered. And strong! She gritted her teeth and shrugged, pushing its claws off of her. “GET OFF OF ME!” she yelled and she punched its face hard. She could feel its bones breaking under her fist, and the recoil loosened its grip on her body.

The thing spat her out, and she dangled from its long arm, and it whipped her around and threw her across the cavern. Tricia screamed as the world tumbled around her violently and she smashed into a far wall. The rocks were soft and yielding, and she fell onto the soft cavern floor.

Quantum Knight gasped as she saw Tricia attacked and thrown. “No!” she cried, but Desdemona pounced on her. She teleported a couple feet around her and slashed at the demon again.

Tricia got up. “I’m all right!” she called out. She turned and saw Annie and Joey hiding behind the cavern wall. She turned her attention back to the big demon. It took a few lumbering steps towards her.