Mother and Monsters

6

Hissing, Imp felt his magic ready to burst from his claws, his presence now completely exposed. But he knew if he fought, he’d lose. Desperately he sent illusions of himself to attack the fifth pup. Who attacked them with all their might not sensing which were real and which were fake. Imp tried to make a mad dash for the nearest exit, but the pup's mother was already in the doorway.

“Enough playing,” she sighed, walking over Imp and grabbing her pup by its scruff. The mother was mutated with the body of a wolf, and the torso of a woman sprouting from its neck. She had the face of a wolf, with blackish red fur covering her body. 

“Eat now, play later.” She scolded the child, gently tossing them out of the house toward the corpses of the men. In her other arm she held her injured pup close to her chest.

“You’re welcome to their souls, the kids won’t touch them.” She said, glancing back at Imp. Then went to work dressing her injured pups wounds. Easily sniffing out any herbs and medicines she wanted from the surviving cabinets. Before tucking the pitiful creature into Imp’s half destroyed nest. 

Still on edge, but not afraid anymore, Imp hopped into his nest with the monster mother and pup. Puffing out his cheeks. 

“This is my nest though.” 

“We’ll be borrowing it.” She replied smoothly. 

“And you promise your pups don’t eat souls?”

She nodded, and he squinted his eyes holding the family tighter to his chest. 

“What about you?”

She barked a laugh and shook her head. “You’re much more appetizing than a soul.”

“Why's that?” 

She laughed again, amused by his boldness. 

“What good are souls to monsters? They’re what demon’s eat, or what they’re supposed to eat.” She cocked her head at Imp clearly recognizing him as a contradiction. 

“Monsters and demons are different?” He asked. Manuel had said they were all the same. 

“Monsters are of man, demons are of malice. Like the fairies born of a child's first laugh. Demons are born from malicious acts against children.” She explained, bringing a crock of meat up from the cellar. Removing the lid she started to eat but Imp stopped her. 

“You’re supposed to soak it first.” Imp explained and pointed to the large vessel of water in the corner. “Soak all the salt out, then eat it. That’s what Manuel said.” 

Before Imp could ask more questions about souls, monsters, and demons, she left the nest. Grabbing a bowl from the floor she filled it with water and put an ample amount of meat into it to soak, before continuing to eat directly from the crock. The little pup beside him stirred. 

“Does it hurt terribly?” She asked, looking at his mangled wing. 

“Probably not as much as that,” he nodded to the nasty gash in her midsection. “I can still fly, at least a little.” 

“Do you have a name?” She asked and Imp shook his head. “I’m Cannis,” The humanoid mutated pup introduced herself. 

“Cannis, how did you get a name? Manuel asked if I had one too, and said he wouldn’t give me one.” 

“I gave it to her,” her mother reappeared with a bowl of chewed meat for her child. “Whoever this Manuel is, he sounds wise. No sane person gives a demon a name. That makes them summonable.” Her mother happily watched Cannis eat heartily. 

“Do you have a name?” Imp asked, staring up at her wide eyed. 

“I did, when I was human. But monsters have no use for human names. What are you doing with those human souls?” She asked while at the same time looking over his hurt wing. He winced but didn’t shy away from her gentle but firm touch. 

“I’m going to resurrect them.” Imp declared. “Once spring comes, I’m going to go to Conrede to work. I heard there’s a priest there who can perform resurrections.” 

“Why would a demon go to such lengths for humans?” She asked using a balm she found, slathering a generous amount on his hurt wing. 

“Because I want to see a resurrection!” He explained excitedly. “Doesn’t it sound amazing? Manuel said they’ll even get new bodies.” 

“Yes, and return into whatever bodies they have at the morgue.” Mother shook herself out. 

“Oh, not the bodies they had before?” Imp asked cocking his head, that didn’t make sense to him. 

“Not unless you’ve managed to preserve them, or can hire the highest ranking paladin in all the lands. Do you have any of their previous bodies?” 

“Hmm, well I helped Manuel bury Tollin, and we scraped together what we could of Revira. I think he kept a few of their teeth, and locks of hair. But all I had left of Manuel was a foot and his soul. The rest got pulverized by the giant.”

“So if you worked for a few decades you’d perhaps save enough money to hire the paladin. But who's to say they’d resurrect anyone for a demon? And where would a demon find work? No human would hire you as you are now.” She yawned and stretched, laying her human torso onto the nest. Just as the rest of the pups were coming in. They jostled for positions latching onto one of her open teets. Suckling warm milk after their hearty knighlty meal. 

“If that’s the case then what if I resurrect them?” He asked. 

And with a wolfish grin, the mother wolf chuckled softly. 

“Such a strange little demon you are.” She cooed, “one who protects his food and wishes for the powers of a goddess. What a poor demon you are.” She patted his head and fell asleep. 

That night was the first night Imp was able to sleep soundly and warm. His nest was full of mutated wolf pups, who stank of blood, and mud. But were still warm and soft.