Chapter 12 - Setting the Escape

Derrek woke up in the guest room within Drago's castle.

He got up and put on his clothes while changing the bandages on his ruined wing.

"That damn rodent."

He finished dressing the wound.

"I'll kill that thing before we leave."

He got ready with his and Drago's luggage, then opened the door to his room and went to the main lobby of the castle.

A soldier was on standby at the entrance.

Derrek ordered him,

"Bring these to the carriages, and make haste."

The soldier stared at the scar over Derrek's eye.

Derrek said,

"Something catch your attention?"

The soldier shook his head, then grabbed the luggage.

Derrek started to pack other important things, then handed the bags to the soldiers.

As the soldiers filled the carriages, the sun started to rise.

A soldier ran into the castle in a panic.

"Sir Derrek, I have an urgent message."

Derrek sighed while stuffing another suitcase.

"Out with it then."

The soldier spoke clearly.

"There were Hell soldiers spotted in one of Prince Drago's hideouts."

Derrek dropped the suitcase in his hands.

He started to panic.

"How long ago was this?"

The soldier answered,

"Last night."

Derrek kicked a suitcase into the soldier's hands.

"Hurry up. NOW!"

The soldier ran out and ordered the others to pick up the pace.

Derrek walked up the stairs while mumbling under his breath.

"Demon King Ash is already on the move?"

He paused in the middle of the staircase.

"Does he know about Luna and me?"

Derrek heard Drago calling for him.

"DERREK!"

He ran up the stairs and met Drago as he came down, fixing his clothes.

Derrek followed him.

"Are the carriages ready?"

Derrek and Drago reached the main floor.

"Just about, Your Highness."

Drago came outside and stood on his lawn.

"Hurry it up. I don't want to see my father."

Derrek and the soldiers started running, filling up the carriages as Drago entered his own.

He waited for everything to be done.

A moment later, Derrek sat next to Drago inside the carriage.

Drago spoke to the driver.

"Go to the train station."

The driver cracked the reins, and the horses started pulling the carriage.

"Our next location is to meet up with the Hero."

He paused, then said,

"And that's the Kingdom of Humans."

Back at Exe's safe house, there was a knock at the front door.

Aries grabbed the door with his ear and opened it.

He saw a demon in a black cloak.

"Is Princess Luna here?"

Aries snarled at the demon.

"Danger?"

The hooded demon took off his hood, then said,

"My name is Dante. I'm a friend of Princess Luna's father."

Aries growled as if he didn't care who Dante had just brought up.

I came down the stairs.

"Aries, let him in."

Aries hopped to the side.

Dante entered the house and stood in the middle of the lobby.

"Good morning, Princess."

I walked downstairs, yawning.

"What brings you here so early in the morning?"

Dante pulled out a black document, then read from it.

"My daughter, Luna."

Aries hopped next to me.

Dante continued reading.

"You and Exe are to meet Drago at the Demon Train Station."

Dante read the final message in the document.

"Drago is now marked for death. Either kill him or make him submit. His actions will be judged within Hell."

"Is that all?"

Dante answered,

"Princess, we must make haste."

"I need to wait for Exe to wake up."

Exe's voice came from upstairs.

"No need."

He came downstairs wearing Tenka, Ren, and Fubuki's jumpers.

"I heard everything."

He reached the main lobby while carrying a moving bag.

"Let's go."

As if we weren't going to ask him what was in the bag.

I stepped up to him.

"What's in the bag, Exe?"

He removed the big bag from his shoulder and opened it.

There were over one hundred baby rabbits inside, eating carrots and fighting each other.

I backed up.

"What are you going to do with that?"

Fubuki and Tenka went into the bag, then Exe closed it.

"Demon Lord Axel wants me to show them the world."

He continued, staring at the bag and smiling.

"It's my first duty as a prince."

Aries hopped to the kitchen, then grabbed two big sacks of food with his ears.

I looked at him while he carried the bags.

Dante said,

"I'll be your escort until we get to the train."

Exe put the bag on his shoulder, then started walking outside.

"Make sure you close the door."

He stopped to look at me.

"Don't let Aries eat my key."

Aries growled at Exe.

"Easy, Aries. I was just making a joke."

Exe put the bag in the carriage, then jumped into the driver's seat.

I closed the door and locked it.

Then I closed the gate behind me and entered the carriage.

I sat next to Aries as Dante sat across from us, beside the bag of baby rabbits.

Exe cracked the reins, then said,

"Next stop, the Demon Empire Train Station."

The carriage started moving forward, pulled by the ghost horses.

Dante explained the meaning behind the baby rabbits' rite.

"Don't think of this as Demon Lord Axel being cruel."

He continued,

"Remember when you had to be strong during the Demon Trials?"

I looked at him, then said,

"Only the strong shall survive."

My eyes shifted to the bag of demon baby rabbits.

"Why so early though?"

Dante looked at Aries and asked,

"Aries… right?"

Aries looked at him.

"Aries."

Dante said,

"Remember when you were this small?"

I looked at Aries as if realizing he had gone through this same trial.

Aries nodded and said,

"Yes."

Dante praised him.

"Aries here is one of the few rabbits who could kill a low-ranking adventurer by himself."

Dante laughed.

"I can't believe you sacrificed your own life."

He continued while putting his hood up.

"I am one jealous demon in Hell."

I grabbed Aries close.

"What do you mean by that?"

Dante held his hands out.

"Everyone in Hell wants to know how you made Aries into a hare."

Aries growled while trying to attack Dante.

I kept him locked down in my lap.

Then Exe spoke from the driver's seat.

"Demon Lord Axel told me what happened to Aries is an anomaly."

He continued as he steered the carriage to the next intersection.

"It was Luna's blood and the moon."

I looked at the bag full of baby rabbits.

"Well… I hope they all survive."

Exe came to a complete stop.

"There's traffic."

I looked out the window.

"Looks like Drago prepared this."

Exe got out of the driver's seat.

"Since we are stuck in gridlock right now…"

He opened my door, then grabbed the bag of baby rabbits.

"What are you doing, Exe?"

I looked at him, confused.

He said,

"It's time."

Dante nodded.

"Very well, Prince Exe."

Exe jumped onto the roof of the carriage.

He opened the bag full of demon baby rabbits.

"Now, as your prince…"

He continued,

"Make your way back home."

He spilled the bag over.

Baby demon rabbits started to run out.

Too many to count.

Exe watched as the baby rabbits caused chaos. They forced drivers to either abandon their carriages or turn back.

We all looked at the mess they made.

Then there was space for our carriage to move through.

Exe grabbed the reins and whipped the horses.

They charged forward, pulling the carriage down the road.

As we passed through the demons, they were screaming and trying to control the situation.

"Where the hell did these rabbits come from?!"

Another voice cried out,

"GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!"

One baby demon rabbit was giving a demon hell.

It climbed up his foot, then up his pants.

The demon started shaking his body wildly.

The baby rabbit climbed onto his back, then chewed on the demon's horn.

"AHHHHH! GET OFF ME!"

The baby rabbit broke off the horn, then rolled down the demon's back with it.

The demon ran away.

The baby rabbit scurried off, following a bunch of rabbits down a hole.

As we finished going through the traffic, Exe said,

"That one that took the horn…"

He continued,

"Demon Lord Axel will praise it when it shows up in Hell."

We passed another bridge.

I held onto Aries and asked Exe,

"How long until we reach the train station?"

He said,

"We'll arrive there at noon."

I got annoyed.

"Drago planned this, right?"

Dante looked out the window and said,

"For the most part, yes."

He continued,

"Your older brother was always like this."

Exe cut him off.

"He is not a brother to me."

I didn't reprimand Exe for his choice of words.

I actually wanted to say the same thing.

"So what are you going to do, Dante?"

I continued,

"Once we get to the train station?"

Dante fixed his cloak.

"Your father should be there when we arrive."

He continued,

"Hopefully, he will already have Drago in custody."

Exe let out a laugh as he steered the carriage.

"Custody?"

Exe continued,

"That man took my mother, and you expect me to let him live?"

Dante reached out and grabbed Exe by the shoulder.

"She is alive."

He continued,

"Drago won't do anything crazy."

Exe shrugged his shoulder, forcing Dante's hand off him.

"Even if Drago killed her or not…"

Exe continued while his eyes shone gold.

"He already laid a finger on my mother."

Dante sighed and said,

"As you wish, Prince Exe."

I lay back while staring at Aries.

"I hope Mom is okay."