Rey could make out a camp in the distance by the Hypresal river. Even at his brisk pace, it had been nearly a half-day trek. Well, that was to be expected since these Tigermen were like real tigers and loved bodies of water. There were no trees about or any other vegetation, so they must've made their camp in the coolest spot, which was still warmer than the ass crack of a dragon.

  "Hey, Tigey." Rey lifted the severed head he'd been carrying. "You're about to be reunited with your people again."

  Like the stoic tiger, he'd been the whole journey; he didn't reply. If Rey weren't such a kind and considerate person, he might've taken offense at that.

  So, they went on their merry adventure, cutting any demons down that had the misfortune of coming in their path. Rey was actually enjoying having someone to talk to. Even if that certain someone didn't reply. Rey wondered if that was what had made him go insane.

  His gait slowed as he remembered what he was like five years ago, before Zalathar chose him and thrust him in the worst vacation spot in all of creation. Before everyone died, he was left alone to deal with the horrors of Hell.

  He sighed. "You know, Wilson, I used to be pretty normal. Had a pretty normal life…"

  The rest he spoke without words because the demon that pimped out his own mother on the regular might be listening in.

  Hell, I even reacted to the horrors of this lovely place like you would expect a sane person to react. Then Hell took me and made me into this. You know when all my friends died. Yes, the same ones you tried to off, by the way. It got a little too depressing, especially when Kassandra went the way she did. Well, let's just say my Willpower to live plummeted to zero. The loneliness was too much to bear, so I almost let the demons take a bite out of my tasty ass. You know, the only reason I kept pushing…it was to spite God or whoever had caused me so much misery. So, did I lose my mind? That's debatable.

  He paused in contemplation. Or did I turn myself into this so I could survive the horrors? Is that why I still retain vestiges of my demon self? Wait, is Demon Rey just me?

  Fuck no! I ain't some pussy like you. Snapped Demon Rey.

  Rey chuckled. "Well, Wilson, when I have to give you back to your brethren, don't you worry, I will still have someone to keep me company."

  Thank God, Hell is running low on psychiatrists, or they would've had me committed a long time ago.

  With those happy thoughts, he moved for the Tigerman's camp. He couldn't delay the slaughter any longer. He was sure this was the peace before the storm—a shit storm, which would be of his making.

  "It's not like I want to kill your friends, Wilson?" Rey said to his friend. "But like I told you, when you still had a body, they hurt my friends, and for that, they must pay. You Baaghrors have gone on for too long, thinking you're on top of the food chain."

  Rey was close enough that he could make out the tigers' camp quite clearly. There wasn't much in the form of fortifications, aside from the guards that stood on watch. Given that these were nature's killing machines, given a superior mind, they didn't really need anything else. The one on the left squinted as he saw Rey.

  Rey squinted at them and used Identify.

  [Baaghror (Exiled) – E+6]

  [Baaghror (Exiled) – E+6]

  Most sane people and demons would be running away from a clan of Baaghror, but as Rey had recently made clear, he wasn't quite sane. So, he walked directly to them. After all, it looked like a barbecue, and Rey made it a point never to miss a good old barbecue. Though he doubted they had any beers.

  "Halt!" The Tigerman snapped.

  Rey waved. "I come in peace, and look, I brought a friend."

  He raised the severed head, which, in hindsight, was the wrong move. They immediately got ready for a fight. Their claws snapped out of their hands, and they fell into a battle stance. Rey didn't want to start the massacre this early in the day or night.

  "Did I mention Wilson, how much I hate this Kingdom?" Rey said to the severed head.

  The two guards circled him and looked like they were going to jump on him.

  "Now, before you do anything drastic, please know that it wasn't me who did him and his friends in," Rey said. "It was this trio of Sniffers. No, not panty sniffers but these demons that sniff out anyone alive, so they can have first dibs on their souls."

  "We know what Sniffers are?" Snapped the one to Rey's right, who kept circling him.

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  The two of them looked at each other, their whiskers twirling, but they said nothing. Rey figured that must've been a sign or something, as the one on Rey's right left to talk with the broader group.

  "By the way, whatever you're cooking smells great," Rey commented. "Mind if I get a bite?"

  The Tigerman bared his teeth and made a guttural sound that was an affirmative no. So, Rey just waited until the other one returned with orders, which everyone knew would be to bring Rey to their leader.

  "Bring him," ordered the guard.

  Rey followed the guards into their camp, and it was practically bare-bones. There was hardly anything to see here. Even if they had evolved to look like humanoids, they were still quite catlike. Some were sleeping on the ground, belly-down, quite like how you would expect a tiger to sleep. Some woke from their naps upon hearing the commotion, or their fellows nudged them awake. As soon as they got sight of the human walking in with the head of their friend, they jumped to their feet, wide awake. Most were growling like a tiger that should've made Rey shit his pants, but it was a good thing, his clothes were so filthy that no one could tell the difference.

  Finally, he arrived at a big bonfire. How they got the wood to create such a bonfire, Rey did not know, as there were no trees, dead or alive, anywhere within eyesight on these blasted plains.

  Only one tiger was seated by the bonfire, looking into the flames, while everyone else towered over Rey like seven-foot behemoths, making him question his decision to come here. It was like he had walked into a death trap and one of his own making.

  Hey Wilson, can you please tell your friends to stop looking at me like I'm dinner?

  But the severed head very rudely stayed quiet, which was putting their friendship in question.

  Finally, the guards stopped before the leader and spoke.

  "This is the human," the guard said.

  Now, the leader looked at Rey, and it took everything he had not to wet his pants. To say the man or tiger was intimidating was to say that a volcano was slightly temperamental. His face was battle-scarred, making him even more fearsome.

  [Baaghror (Exiled) – E+8]

  Rey gulped at seeing the Tigerman's rank. Rey had definitely bitten more than he could chew, but if he stuck to his plan, then he could still get out of this alive. After all, they hadn't attacked him yet.

  Just stick to the plan, and you'll be fine.

  If I die, I'm going to kill you, dumbass. Added Demon Rey.

  Rey promptly held up the head of Wilson. "Now, before you decide to eat me, please listen to what I have to say. I'm just the messenger. No one eats the messenger."

  "Then speak." The leader ordered.

  "You see, these Sniffers that sauntered into town found your friends and well, did this." He dangled Wilson's head, which some of the others did not like, and almost slashed his face. "Okay, I'll just set him down before you jump on me and I end up being extra roasted in your nice bonfire." Then he lowered his voice and added. "Though, why you need such a big bonfire in this hot-as-balls kingdom is beyond me."

  Once he had set the head down and made sure that no one was coming for him, he continued. "Yes, so these Sniffers and your friends happened to come to my Master's shop at relatively the same time. Well, you can imagine what happened next. Lots of blood and mayhem, followed by enough real estate demolition that the poor town will not recover for a few years. After all, what is to be expected? These dumbass demons make mud huts that aren't sturdy enough to withstand an elephant's fart, let alone a battle of epic proportions. Anyways, once the fighting was over, the Sniffers were victorious, obviously. Your friends boasted that you lot would come to avenge them, and so the Sniffers boasted that they would kill them as well. So, they sent me here to invite you to their fight club. Just be aware that they are super strong, and ask that you send five this time so they can have a proper fight. I think that about covers it."

  The leader made a guttural sound as he tried to stare into Rey's soul.

  "I'm telling the truth. I swear it on Tia's life. Tia's the girl I love, and if I'm lying, may she burn in Hellfire for eternity, before being chewed to near death by Vorclaws."

  The leader kept staring some more, and Rey wondered if the leader had lost his voice from the death of his friends. Then he finally spoke, and his voice was so deep that it was like the earth itself was talking. If mountains could talk, they would sound like him.

  "Why did they leave you alive, human?" He asked.

  So it was either that these Tigers had the Identify skill or that their sniffing abilities were stronger than the Sniffers'. Both of which were concerning. He tossed that aside and gave the answer he had prepared for this very question.

  "Well, they could never sniff me out," Rey replied. "As you can see, I'm covered in demon blood. I regularly bathed in the stuff to keep myself hidden."

  "Why?"

  "I was, or I am, training to be a blacksmith at the blacksmith where the fateful clash went down between your friends and the Sniffers. After the battle, they thought I was just another demon as a lot of them gathered in the street, because, well, their souls had emerged out of their bodies, so in a way, someone had rung the dinner bell for them."

  Some growled at that analogy, but growl all they liked; it was the truth, and they knew that as well.

  Once again, the leader grew quiet in contemplation, and no one said anything. Their discipline and respect for their leader were pretty tight. If this had happened to his group, they would've thrown every suggestion in the book and some that didn't make any sense at all, before Rey finally shut them up.

  After a few minutes, the leader finally stood. Rey had to crane his neck up so high that he was practically looking at the sky. The Tigerman was nearly nine feet tall or close enough to it.

  "These Sniffers wanted a challenge, and so they will get a challenge," he said. "They will face the might of the Baaghrors of Hynrva'n. Men, prepare for a hunt. We're going to wipe the town of Terga off the face of Hell, and any demon who dared lay their hands on our brothers will embrace the darkness that awaits them."

  Everyone roared, and Rey, along with them, even if internally, he was anything but excited.

  "March to Terga and leave none alive!" The leader roared.

  He had hoped to whittle them down five at a time. He hadn't expected this. This was the mother of plans that hadn't gone his way.

  He chuckled nervously. I'm in danger.