Read Devil Ash Disarray (Devil Ash Saga Book 3) Online
Authors: Mitchell Olson
Devil Ash Disarray (Devil Ash Saga Book 3)
Also available as ebooks from Mitchell Olson
The Devil Ash Saga
Book 1: Devil Ash Days
Book 2: Devil Ash Deceit
Book 3: Devil Ash Disarray
The Devil Aster Days [Prequel Series]
01: Devil’s Workday
02: In the Den of the Demon
03: Cowboys & Devils
04: Demon City Escape Plan
[Coming Soon]
Track Listing
PROLOGUE: Prince Otozek's Plight
PART 1 - Dawn of the Devil’s Demise
PART 2 - Festival of Disarray
PART 3 - Prepare for Departure
35: Declaration of Complication
For my wife and family. I love you guys.
Devil Ash Disarray
By Mitchell Olson
Copyright 2015 Mitchell Olson
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Thank you for buying this book. Although this is a self-published book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to buy their own copy at Amazon.com or DevilAshDays.com where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.
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Prologue: Prince Otozek’s Plight
Ages ago, an immensely powerful and terrifying creature rampaged across Hell, gaining notoriety among the demons as it left nothing but death and destruction in its wake. Those who challenged this strong young demon were laid to waste by the creature’s seemingly endless power. Greater demons of such caliber were rare in Hell, but not unheard of. The demon came to be known by many names and titles, but the name that eventually stuck and spread throughout those dark ages was Jirosek.
After eons of roaming and rampaging, Jirosek had gained a following. Lesser demons that had once been considered prey to Jirosek trailed him, picking scraps off the carcasses he left behind. Soon the migration became large enough to attract the attention of other greater demons. Many times Jirosek was challenged for dominance, but he never met a greater demon that posed a threat to him.
When Jirosek found a hunting ground he liked, he settled down among the ruins of an ancient civilization, now swarming with demons. The scores of greater demons that had been following him settled there as well, and after some more time an understanding formed between the demons. They respected the hierarchy and never challenged Jirosek, even going so far as to bestow a worthy title to the greater demon, and acknowledging the beast as their ruler.
They called him Demon King Jirosek.
Thunder and lightning crashed, illuminating the grand chamber at the ruined remains of the once-prosperous demon kingdom. The creature inside stirred at his resting place, but not because of the storm. He unconsciously gripped his chest and kicked his legs dreaming of a bitter memory of a lost fight years ago.
He awoke in a coughing fit, wads of coagulated blood spraying across the room. “
Ooo-…ooo-…otozek
!” he called between coughs. The thunder almost drowned out his weakening voice as he screamed and coughed himself hoarse. “
Otozek
…”
“
Here, father
.” The voice of Otozek as he appeared at his father’s side. The Demon Prince was never far from Lord Jirosek’s bedside. “Was it that dream again?”
“Otozek, my son!” said Jirosek, squinting his tired eyes to verify his son’s face. “No matter how many times I relive it I can never win! Not even in my dreams can I conquer the devil scum! Oh how I’ve wasted my life!” Jirosek started coughing again with tears streaming down his face.
Long ago, when he was a darker shade of purple, this demon was a powerful ruler of a widespread kingdom of greater demons. The Demon Lord commanded the largest army of demons known to history, proving that it just may be possible for a demon society to actually work. But it was not meant to be. As his army grew, Jirosek eventually drew the attention of, and then clashed with, the devils.
“That damn
Satan
!” he growled under his fading breath. “If it weren’t for him and that
other
devil… if not for them we would have… feasted on the humans for generations to come… Now I lie here succumbing to old age, accomplishing nothing!”
“That’s not true father,” said Otozek. “We are still recruiting. As soon as we raise a big enough army we can invade the devil kingdom and eradicate their kind once and for all.”
“Is that right?” Jirosek said as his coughing fit came to an end. Otozek reached out with a scrap of cloth and wiped his father’s face. The old demon Lord laid back and tried to get comfortable. “Seems like we’ve been recruiting for some time now…”
“We are almost ready,” Otozek said reassuringly. “It won’t be long now. Soon you will be standing atop a mountain of devil bones, devouring their remains as you did in your prime.”
“I do love devil bones…” Jirosek smiled, his gunk-crusted black eyelids fluttering shut. “Oh it has been too long since I last tasted devil flesh.”
“Rest now,” said Otozek. “Rest and dream of the day you are recognized by all of Hell as King. Dream of your long-awaited feast.”
“If only, oh if only… I could feast on a
human
one more time…
“It’s alright,” Otozek said softly. “After we conquer the devils we will see about getting you a human. You will not die without tasting human flesh. I can promise you that.”
Otozek wasn’t sure if his father heard his promise or not. The ancient demon fell back into his tormented slumber, snoring like a lawnmower between gasps. Without a moment’s hesitation, the demon Prince stuck the pointed end of his tail into a throbbing vein on the Demon King’s arm and drew blood. Prince Otozek lifted his tail to his face and squeezed a few drops of his father’s blood onto his tongue.
His features sagged at the taste. He examined his father’s face, already twisting at the formation of what was sure to be another nightmare. The prince lifted his hand to his mouth and sank his teeth into it. Blood poured like wine as he held it over his father’s face. The younger, healthier blood dripped between the former demon Lord’s pursed lips.
Jirosek gagged it all down without waking up. Years ago that much blood would have invigorated him, to the point of getting up and leaving his chamber to hunt. Now there was no visible effect. Time was limited. He could wait no longer. The demon prince left his father’s chamber with a grave understanding coming over him.
As Otozek paced the cavernous halls of the ruined palace with his mind stirring more than it ever had before, another creature made its presence known. The greater demon, a long and wiry looking bug man with a long pointy spear for a nose, appeared walking one pace behind the prince.
“What is the King’s condition, my Prince?” the creature asked.
“It’s getting worse Moskazek. See for yourself,” said Otozek. He lifted the tip of his tail to his follower’s mouth and squirted a few drops of his father’s blood out.
The mosquito man Moskazek paused a moment, savoring the taste of his Lord’s blood before showing any signs of distaste. “It
is
dire, my Prince.”
“We cannot wait any longer Moskazek,” said Otozek. “My father is dying. His blood has gone bad, and soon my blood will do nothing to help him. The only thing that can breath life back into him now is devil.”
“The devils still outnumber us, my Prince,” said Moskazek. “We’ve gathered many strong warriors, but the odds of a full-out attack on the devils succeeding with an army of our current size are not so favorable for us...”
“Then we must try something else,” said Otozek. The demon Prince continued his silent reflection, wandering the enormous underground walkways that connected the various structures that made up the demon palace. As they moved silently about the darkness Otozek remained locked in his current dilemma, unable to think of anything but his poor dying father.
His pacing led him to a small antechamber between rooms, nowhere special really, except that this particular room was in a state of rapid deterioration and disrepair when compared to the rest of the demon’s palace. Through a massive hole in the ceiling the darkened sky could be seen, far off stars twinkling millions of miles away, a giant red moon hanging overhead like the face of God watching over Hell.
And across the sky from that moon a bright-yet-faint light shone, only detectable to the demon’s perfectly evolved eyes. The glimmer in the sky caught the demon Prince’s attention.
“Is that what I think it is?” Otozek asked.
“Yes, my Prince,” his companion confirmed. “It appeared this morning. This will be your first Great Calm, yes?”
Otozek ignored the question. After a moment of intense contemplation, a new look came over the Prince.
A look of hope.
“Gather everyone that matters in the chamber of conference,” he ordered his minion. The demon Prince tore his attention away from the extra light in the sky and took off moving once again.
“At once my Prince,” Moskazek replied, fading away into the darkness.
By the time Otozek entered the chamber of conference it was filled with dark, twisted, shapes. Dangerous, ghastly figures of the greater demons that served the Jirosek lineage. They spent their days awaiting news of Lord Jirosek’s fading health, waiting for their chance to strike and conquer the devils.
Otozek walked to the edge of a rocky balcony and addressed his loyal followers. “The time to act is now. Father will not last much longer. We can waste no more time on recruiting; we will begin the invasion with the forces we’ve gathered here now.”
Those of the amassed demons that had the facial features to smile did so.
“We cannot risk an open attack,” Otozek continued. “The devils would defeat us with their numbers alone. But there is hope for us. The Great Calm will be coming soon. We will use this opportunity to do something that the devils will not expect. We will launch a
secret
invasion during their time of supposed calm. I will lead a small team into devil territory. There we will possess devil bodies and move amongst the devils in secrecy. There we will observe the current state of the devil’s army, pick off their strongest fighters one by one, and topple the Satan family from within.” The ruthless crowd of demon spectators cheered bloodthirsty war cries.
“Moskazek, Gnusek, Orkazek, Goblotek, Podavek: You five will join me first. Everyone else will remain here to look after my father and await further orders.”
Those he named howled with ecstatic delight and moved to meet their master outside. Those who would have to wait growled with disappointment as they slunk back into whatever dark crevices they crawled out of.
After seeing to it that his father would be watched over and guarded in his absence, the Demon Prince prepared to set foot outside of his ruined kingdom for the first time. Other than the short hunting trips he used to take with his father, so long ago. Better days. Days that would never repeat, unless Otozek succeeded in bringing the devils to their knees.
Prince Otozek guessed, based on how rapidly his father’s blood was turning sour, that he wouldn’t be able to stay long in the devil’s kingdom. The mission could only be for a few days at most, before he’d have to return to his father’s side and revive him with whatever
devil-based
resources they could bring back.
The squad of greater demons helmed by their prince left the remote ruined kingdom. Traveling on foot was no problem, their journey would take a day at most. Along the way, Otozek informed his fellowship of demons what their true objectives were.
“Our first test is entering the devil kingdom undetected. Let us hope we find suitable host bodies outside of their gates. We’ll take new bodies as we work our way through their kingdom and into their army, and eventually right into their castle. It would be best if we evade detection long enough to get next to a Satan. I believe… the flesh and blood of a Satan is what would best revive my father from his current state.
No one questioned the Prince’s motives.
“Once we’re inside the castle we must find one of their primitive gate keys to the human world. I
must
succeed in finding a human for my father!”
The squad of greater demons moved across the deadly Hell landscape with frightening speed, and in a matter of hours they would arrive safely outside the gates of the Kingdom of Devils.