The Unholy 12, Gather

I was a Tough Lady Killer Mobster, But Now I am a Klutzy Maid Girl, That will take Down a Demon Lord!

Chapter 12 – The Unholy 12, Gather

While the band of eight heroes ventured forth a few weeks ago another group gathered for a meeting as well. This one was far off in a kingdom ravaged and devoid of life built on the crumbling rocks of a vast wasteland. Where The land is dotted with vast pits from debris that continues to fall from the broken sky with asteroids. One can only get an odd sense of unworldliness by looking to the sky at the view of the second half of the world a world of races and monsters full of life.

Eons ago the world was once whole and demons lived amongst the other races. Demons were said to be the original race of the monsters while the elves were the origin of the humanoid races. A great battle of magic and might took place and the demon’s domain was ripped right from the world as the world split into vast pieces forming a strange archipelago of floating worlds. But mainly two pieces filled the sky both spinning through space circling three stars. Demons were left with the raw end of the deal their world had little life to feed their numbers. What was once tribes combined under four clans, And in turn, those clans joined to form one kingdom!

Three of the clans had two generals each and in today’s case, one such general was lamenting her return after her defeat ten years ago. That general was the doppelgänger Envy, the former queen Jelizza, the very mother of the so-called Hero born to defeat their kind.

“And so you bothered to come and show off your scaly face, Envy. I figured you wouldn’t dare show up around here any time soon.” Stated a powerful-looking man with huge bat-like wings.

“Pride, you know nothing of all that I did to put a stop to this day. I was doing so well to turn him to our side. I stole the girl's right and gave it to one of our kind’s blood. But that maid girl got in my way!”

“A maid defeated you. A demon general! How have you fallen? And that was a decade ago. Why have you bothered to slither out of your hiding?”

“Because I ordered her, Pride. Just as your master orders you about.” Stands a heavily build giant suit of armor.

“Lord War.” Pride chuckles but bows before one of higher standing than himself. “I meant no harm in it. I merely question the actions so that should I come across the foolish hero’s party. I know just how powerful little kids could be.” Envy bites down and begins to ready herself to lash out but her master halts her from moving forward. And she watches as Pride laughs and moves on down the massive decorative hallway.

“You know better of that. You are walking on thin ice Envy. You have already failed partly in your task. You let your anger show too much and let the true hero live.”

“How was I to know some old freak would save her at the last minute.”

“There is always a last-minute with heroes. Its part of the way destiny grants them power. But now is your chance to redeem yourself. This is the first time in decades all twelve have come together. Be mindful of things and accept whatever orders the great lord asks of you. Understand?” War scratches their armored chin. As the voice inside echoes about the request of its general.

“Yes, lord War.”

“Now that is settled do me a favor and track down your brother in arms. Surely he is lost again?”

For one to be lost one would surely need to know where they are going to and do not arrive at that local. Such was not the case of War’s second general Wrath. For the furious feline form of Wrath is never lost. He is simply where his rage often puts him. Which in this case it’s trying to pick a fight with another general that of the massive mimic Sloth. “Seriously fight me already. I want to see how you stack up you lazy piece of crap!”

“It’s too much. I am so tired of traveling all the way here. Let’s call it a day.”

“You had the shortest of all our travels and you do nothing but lay about wherever you go but still you somehow have taken down armies so I want to see how.”

“It’s too troublesome, let’s call it a day.”

“It’s a day you shifting pile of shit!” Wrath goes to punch Sloth but finds his punch bounces back and somehow hits himself. “What the hell!” Wrath throws a few more this time the hits bust back in one powerful blow flinging back the feline figure deep into a table of food. Which causes another general to get angry.

“How dare you ruin my food with your disgusting body Wrath!” Shouts an insect-looking monster disguised up in a chef’s outfit. “Now all my children and I will starve... that is unless you offer up your body to my children so they can eat.”

“Please Gluttony, everyone knows your kind will eat the food even if it was rolled in a dragon's turd! I am not giving you a damn thing unless you want to fight me that is.”

“Why must you bother my general's Wrath. Surely War is looking for you.” Stands a man that looks almost skeletal but is still very much human-like in his features.

“That is right Wrath go back to your own lord. Leave your bothering lord famine. Can’t you see how your presence is causing his stomach to turn?” Gluttony replies.

“Not till this lazy piece of crap fights me!” Wrath shouts. The building shakes and the four individuals all go from stern faces to ones of disappointment. “No doubt about it that jerk is here.”

“Of course, The grandmaster wishes all of us to appear, still this meeting would be a lot better without that jerk around.” Gluttony responds tearing into a haunch of meat. “Being around him almost makes me lose my appetite.

“Damn Greed I will kick his ass this time!”

“You will do no such thing Wrath Lord War sent me to drag you back, and I would suggest the rest of you get a move on as well. Now that Greed and Lust have arrived the meeting will begin.” Envy states.

“You’re the last one to be giving anyone orders, if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this mess now. But then you were always, the weak one of our team. Not even worth my time fighting you.” Wrath states gripping Sloth’s makeshift skin.

“No, Envy is right. Sloth, Gluttony we are going to the meeting room.”

“But I was comfortable here, why can’t we have the meeting here?” Sloth asks. “This whole thing is so troublesome.”

“All right my children gather as much as you can carry who knows when we can eat again.” A swarm of bugs floods the table. Famine tries to grab a bit to eat himself but the bugs eat away the food before he can have a single morsel.

Envy grabs Wrath’s shoulder and pulls him away from sloth. “It's an order Wrath now let's go!”

“Don’t you dare to touch me with your loser hands Envy? When I get my chance with the hero I can assure you I won't lose to a mere servant girl. But fine I will go. But this isn’t over Sloth! I will fight you when this is all done! You hear me!”

“Why bother, you can win I don’t care fighting would just be an annoyance anyway.”

The five walk down the hall soon joined by the Giant suit of armor that is War, followed by the bat-winged Pride and a skeletal figure wrapped in cloaks. The figures gathered in a large room with five sectioned tables. As the groups enter, they come across three figures already seated. “Last ones here yet the first ones seated, I am honored with what pride you show in your work.” Pride grins looking over the three, the most human-looking being the beautiful creature whose body seems to wisp about she gives a glint of a smile but is quickly blocked from Pride’s view by the half-human half-dragon form of a man who moves into greet Pride.

“Well, well, well, pride it's far too long. Tell me those men of yours are you stuck with. I have been looking for more to add to my collection and I am sure a man of your stature doesn’t need them.” The dragon-like being says.

“Come now Greed my dear, you surely don’t need more men on your side. If you do, I am sure our dear Lust will be happy to gather more.” Decries the last figure which is nothing more than a giant slime that has the form of a large woman. “After all Pride’s followers are so full of themselves.

“Awe But I want his lord Pestilence. It will help me add more to my collection! I almost have a full set!”

“Don’t worry we will get you that full set soon enough my sweet little dragon boy!”

The other groups all look disgusted at the relationship of the spoiling mother and children, roles of Pestilence’s team. But it isn’t long before the conversations from before carrying over onto disagreements and arguments. Mostly aimed at Envy for her failure from 10 years earlier.

“It's her damn fault we are where we are all here. If she had done her job, we would be planning our celebration on taking over the kingdoms those damn elves created eons ago. I could just taste the feast that we would have had!” Gluttony shouts.

“Agree this all falls on War’s failures as a leader. I say we crack all that damn armor and see what lies beneath!” Pride adds.

“I would rather collect it, so please don’t damage the armor.”

“All this is such a pain. Can’t we just give up and sleep.”

“No, Now fight me you, lazy puss-filled simpleton!”

The shouting starts to get louder and louder, eventually, Wrath loses it and starts to throw items from his table at the others. Greed proceeds though to move quickly and gather and collect everything thrown.

“Quit getting in my way, you damn collector!”

Suddenly a shout reams out across the room. “Damn you blasted children need to shut the hell up!” The high pitch scream comes from the previously empty table. Causing the room to quiet down and turn to face the small child with horns and a tail sitting on the table and behind him is none other than the god Isea. “I created the lot of you and you all act worse than the piece of shit that sticks and won’t come off till you bleed from wiping. Now sit down and shut up. You all are equally disappointing to me.”

“But my lord, my forces have been gathering weapons and soldiers how to have we…” Pestilence decries but is interrupted by the young demon lord.

“But my lord…. But demon lord..! Shut your fat slimly mouth, Pee-stain! I didn’t bring you all here because of how much of a disappointment you all are! Before I go into things any more of you have a thing to say to me! Wrath, you want to fight me! Gluttony, you are so hungry you want to demand food. What of you Death nothing to say?”

The room looks at the skeletal figure but nothing is said.

“Oh yeah I never gave you a way to talk did I. Sorry, I guess. Now to deal with the damn argument from you all of, Envy.” Envy clinches her teeth from the focus brought on her from the Demon Lord. “She did what she could and because of it, our targets are weakened. More to that matter while he puts on a brave face the false hero prince is plagued with doubt. Something I am sure we can use to drive a spike in the little group of would-be heroes. Still, she failed to defeat or break the spirit of that damn maid girl.
So we will need to deal with that problem. So who will it be….” The demon lord looks around and grins when he comes to Lust. “Very well if the trickery of Envy failed maybe a different touch will help divide their numbers early on. I guess that is where you specialize Lust. I will trust in your skills to sever the strings of hope that maid girl has.”

“Of course, my precious little lord. I will get to work at once. I will twist their hormonal-filled little minds and they abandon any hopes of continuing their quest.”

“Pardon me, my lord….” Pestilence halts thinking back to her already being scorned by the lord, but she sees a need and a possible favor for him selecting one of her children. “My… lord.. with you taking my ward Lust, surely we will be limiting our forces recruitment for more supplies and soldiers. Surely one of the others can spare…”

“Fine… Famine. You have a knack for creating soldiers. Help Piss stain here with the numbers that lust would gather.”

“Umm not to bother more… but my name isn’t…”

“From now on it is! What does it matter what I call you!”

“Yes sir.” States the now renamed Piss Stain.

“Now listen up low-lives! Each of you will have new goals and tasks. The top of which is to halt the damn maid girl and her friends. Because if she succeeds in getting her of all places. Then our already depleted forces will only be harmed more. And if there is one thing, I hate in this or any world it losing to some cheating no good freak! So, from now on you all will answer my friend here. After all, he helped make this world for us to play in. And I am not about to stop playing any time soon.” Isea grins and leans into the Demon Lords' ear.

“Oh, there is more of a reason for you to hate that maid girl, my lord. After all, she is like you all. A soul from earth. One you may remember. Hideo Eito.” The demon lord’s face turns to shock and then fury.

“She will suffer when I get my claws on her. So where are they headed, Isea.”

While the demons of the shattered lands continue their debate. So too a debate occurs to the hero’s party.

“I still say it would be better to take a boat!” Cabbage states riding on the back of the Navem.

“Sorry but idiots that get their legs broken showing off get no say in things. We agreed to follow the path the queen took.” Azulle states.

“This is the way right Kawa?” Ori asks.

“Um well, Master said while she flew off out to sea that night. It looked like she followed the shore to the north. And the rumors we have heard several incidents of demon attacks have come from this direction.”

“The mountains provide great hiding sights if I am right following this path we will reach we should reach the seaside village of Kakiu.

“Kakiu? Word was the land around that town is plagued with monsters.” Eve states. “The bar was full of many adventures telling stories of the overflow of creatures around there.”

“I have been there myself. Despite all the adventures headed there to protect the small town. No one knows where the source of the monsters that keep coming from. Worse just outside there are mines that used to be the source of great materials for craftsmen. Some sort of magically infuse metals come from there. But last time I was passing through I heard that all that goes into the mine are never heard from again.” Cabbage sighs. “I would have gone before, but without skilled magic users I feared my sword wouldn’t be much good against much of the undead said to inhabit the mine now.”

“Any plan Gil?” Azulle asks her brother.

“We will deal with monsters outside the mine and establish a base of operations before we move into the mines. Since people don’t return, I am sure the source is the mine.”

“Very well then. Let’s go kick some monster’s asses!” Azulle proudly states.