Slyn gritted his teeth, struggling against the urge to cover his ears. Slowly he rose to his feet.

"The whore fled us." He spat. "So did a few of the others. My men are chasing them. They—"

"Did you slay their king?" Raem stretched out his tentacle and grabbed Slyn's arm. "Did you slay King Aeternum?"

The demon's tentacle dug into Slyn's arm, tearing the skin, sucking up blood. Slyn could see the crimson liquid flowing through the tentacle's veins.

"The king escaped into a labyrinth of stone," Slyn said. "Five hundred of my sphinxes are besieging him. Laira is lost. I have three hundred sphinxes scouring the forests for—"

"You will find them!" Raem shouted. "You will find the king and shatter him. You will find Laira and bring her to me. You will not sit here, drinking and feasting, while weredragons still live. You will not keep weredragons as slaves for your base pleasures."

The demon turned toward the weredragon women who cowered on the floor, chained and beaten. Raem sniffed and his face reddened.

"Those slaves are mine!" Slyn said, stepped forward. "I captured them in battle. I—"

Raem grabbed one woman in his tentacle, closed his lobster claw around her neck, and severed her head.

Slyn hissed and froze. The other women screamed and tried to flee, but their chains only let them run for several feet. Raem moved between them methodically, decapitating one after another. One of the women shifted into a dragon. Her chain tore through her ankle, ripping off her foot. The dragon beat her wings, rose several feet in the air, and wailed as Raem's tentacle grabbed her tail and yanked her down. The demon thrust his claw through the beast's back, and the dragon returned to human form and twitched on the floor, then fell still.

Covered in blood, Raem turned back toward Slyn. "You will keep only Laira alive," he said. "And she will be mine, Slyn. Do you understand? I gave you your magic. I gave you your kingdom. I can take both away. I give you one more chance. Next time I return, if you've not accomplished your mission, it will be your flesh roasting upon these fires."

With that, the demon stretched out his wings and soared. Within an instant, Raem vanished into the clouds, leaving only the stench of sulfur and acid.

Slyn remained standing at the base of his throne. He fumed. His men all stared at him, awaiting his reaction.

How dare he enter this hall? How dare the demon humiliate me in front of my men? The fires blazed through Slyn, and he ground his teeth. He tossed his meat aside.

"You heard him!" Slyn shouted. "Why are you lounging here like useless lumps? Charan, gather your men, fly out, tear up every tree until you find the missing girl. Herosh! Join the others at the mountain. Shatter the entire mountain if you must, but bring me the king's body. Go! Fly!"