When a demon is summoned to the mortal realm, it is always for a reason. It can sense the sinful hearts that called upon it and infer their intentions, responding with grace and cunning.
Most of the time.
When the minor demon Duarechlizen awoke within a summoning circle, all he could do was look around with huge, baffled eyes. What in the seventh circle of Hell happened here?
Scattered around the dark basement were several dead cultists, victims of what could only be described as a Rube Goldberg-esque disaster. Items were knocked over, candles were thrown out of their intended positions, and the summoning circle itself was smudged in a way reminiscent of someone slipping on wet paint. It was also on fire, alongside a good chunk of the floor and one of the cultists.
As the scene sunk in, so did the rest of Duarechlizenâs circumstances. For starters, he realized that he was far shorter than his natural form, and shorter than any human would be. And he was standing on all fours? Looking down at his front legs, the demon saw nothing but thick dark-yellow fur and plush legs.
A doll, he thought. An animal one if his stance was any indication. Being summoned into the body of a doll was far from ideal, and the lopsided weight rendered walking on two feet impossible, but he could manage. It at least meant he was mobile.
As he inspected the rest of the room, Duarechlizen grew fairly sure the summoning ritual wasnât even for him. The symbols on the summoning circle didnât quite match, and the summoning book was open to the page of a demon whose name held only two letters in common with his own. This was not a cult hoping to bind a minor demon to a doll. This was ⌠supposed to be a ritual for someone else, something else.
Something that had gone incredibly, horrifically wrong.
Also, more of the room was catching fire.
Duarechlizen wasnât certain just how fireproof his new body would be, nor was he particularly keen on staying in a burning basement, so he quietly left through a passage made specifically for the doll (for some reason?) and soon emerged into what looked like a simple human house. Clean, colorful, with no hints of the basementâs cruel intentions.
The way his energy started to drain, like he was dragging an unseen weight, baffled him. Demons possessing an object were not meant to feel that kind of drain. It was only when possessing a living being, when another soul was vying for control, that it should take energy to move or act in a possessed body.
It was a mystery that got its answer when a baby-like female voice rang through his thoughts. Ooh, datâs new! Cheesecake nevah wawk wiffout thinking of wawking befowe!
Duarechlizen stopped dead in his tracks, staring blankly at the hallway in front of him. The tug of someone else trying to move his limbs was clear as day; this supposed âdollâ held a soul. It was an animal, a living creature so bereft of cruel nor noble intent that he had not even registered its presence.
Aww, Cheesecake bwoke it. Thought too hawd about wawking, lamented the baby voice.
Several thoughts at once ran through Duarechlizenâs mind. One was to conserve strength; as a creature that fed on sin, being bound to such an innocent host meant he had little in the ways of replenishing lost energy. Another was the realization that his essence may be bound to this creature, and questioning what would happen should it expire. A third asked exactly what manner of creature he was inhabiting, for no animal looked and spoke this way.
It was for the sake of this last thought that Duarechlizen sought out a hallway mirror, and as he got a proper look at his new host he could do nothing but gape.
It really did resemble some kind of doll. Thickly furred with a nearly horse-like snout, with big ears and a mane tied into ponytails via pink bands. Its pony-like tail was ⌠also tied into a ponytail.
The only hints of his presence were black sclera, long horns and a small pair of demonic wings. What in Hellâs depths is this being?
Siwwy Cheesecake, giggled the voice in his head. Datâs a fwuffy!
As the doll (fluffy?) bodyâs true owner tried to move, a gentle tug at Duarechlizenâs essence taking yet another sliver of energy away, the demon made a decision. He relinquished control of the body for now, watching as the horns and wings retreated into the fur and his dark colors receded into nothingness. Soon all that was left was a pale cream and deep blue little being he supposed was a fluffy.
âOh!â gasped Cheesecake as she recovered control, smushing a hoof-tipped foreleg into her cheek and watching the mirror. âDatâs Cheesecake! Dawkie aiw in daddehâs secwet woomie mustâa had Cheesecakeâs eyesies go weiwd.â
She spoke like a toddler. She acted like a toddler. Although the babbling, childish way of speaking made it difficult for Duarechlizen to make out exactly what she said, he was enveloped by a sinking feeling as he realized just what he had been bound to; a toddler in the shape of an animal, so young it still could not speak properly and too naive to even parse the thought of sins.
So you are a fluffy, are you? he asked, deciding to make the best of a bad situation.
âYus! Cheesecake am Cheesecake, anâ Cheesecake am fwuffy!â declared Cheesecake, whose name was already growing grating. âSiwwy Cheesecake, yu know dat!â
I am not you, Duarechlizen corrected her with just a tinge of exasperation. He could have asked for more details on what a fluffy was, but there was a very real risk doing so would only net him another roundabout of âfwuffy am Cheesecakeâ, so he just tried to move on. You do not know what I am, do you?
âHuh?â Cheesecake tilted her head and half her torso to the side, puzzled. âYu mean yu nu am Cheesecake? Buâ den why yu in Cheesecake thoughts? Dat nu make sense.â
I see, the demon noted with a bitter taste to his thoughts. He expected nothing more. I am a demon. I presume your owner has told you of such creatures?
He was answered with another headtilt and a clumsy sit. âDee-mun? Um, nu⌠Daddeh nu say anyfinâ about dee-muns.â
Really? Then how is it that you have become my host? Has your owner told you anything of what he was doing?
âUm, nu, daddeh jusâ say tu⌠wesseâŚâ Cheesecake tapped a hoof at her snout, furrowing her brow in evident thought. âDaddeh say tu stay faw away fwom secwet woom anâ tu pway in safewoom. Buâ den Cheesecake wanted tu pway wif Daddeh cuz Daddeh bwought wooots of fwiends tu haf big pawty in secwet woom! Su Cheesecake snuck down anâ um, bumped into a big taww candwe thingy, anâ then âŚâ
For a moment the fluffy fell silent, her short-term memory coming to an abrupt halt like a casette player getting stuck. Duarechlizen thought over her words, beginning to understand what had taken place. âWots of stuff happened at once, anâ Cheesecake just wemembews being scawed anâ cwying anâ wunning awound a wot.â
What an utter disaster. How could something like this happen? In what circle of Hellâs ancient pits did fate twist itself into this kind of outcome?
The scent of smoke at first seemed like a result of the fluffy frying her brain by thinking too much, and Duarechlizen came to remember the fire below them. You must leave this building at once.
âOh, otay,â Cheesecake accepted blithely without even asking why, standing and starting to walk at a far too leisurely pace. âSo if Cheesecake thoughts nu am Cheesecake, then who am?â
I am what your kind would call a daemon. My name is Duarechlizen.
âDuahw,â repeated Cheesecake, or at least tried to. âDuahweh. Duwhehw. Duhw⌠daeh?â ⌠Giving up in record time, she shook her head and pushed through what appeared to be a cat flap to reach the houseâs yard. âDatâs tuu hawd! Am gun caww yu⌠Heady-fwen!â
Heady friend? asked Duarechlizen, surprised and baffled in equal amounts.
âYus! Cuz yu am in Cheesecake head, anâ yu am fwen, so yu am Heady-fwen!â
Cheesecake was beaming with pride at her own deduction, and the demon within her decided enough was enough. He could not leave this body of his own volition, direct control was a dangerous gamble, and this creature was too baby-like to commit sins without a lot of careful guidance.
Go and search out a priest, he urged his host. I need you to get me exorcised, right now.
Though she did her best to do what he had asked, it didnât take long for Cheesecake to grow hesitant. âNevah been dis faw fwom housie befowe⌠Daddeh wiww wowwy, su Cheesecake shud go home. Sowwy, head fwen.â
Do not go home, protested Duarechlizen. What did she have to go home to? The house would be engulfed in flame by now, and her owner was long dead. There is nothing left there.
âDun be siwwy! Daddeh am home, anâ so am Cheesecake foodies anâ toys.â
Those things are gone. Your fath-- owner is dead!
âSiwwy head fwen,â giggled Cheesecake. âDaddehs nu can die!â
Duarechlizen bit back a sharp retort; the insufferable fluffy would find out soon enough. Unless she was dumb enough to wander into a burning house without noticing, which he honestly did not consider an impossibility. After turning and walking a few steps, though, Cheesecakeâs pace slowed to a stop.
â⌠Um⌠Head fwen?â
What?
âWhat way am home?â
Ah. Of course a creature this helpless would not have a sense of directions. He could have told her the truth, but as doing so would only drag out this distraction, he instead made the mental version of a shrug. I do not know. Perhaps after the exorcism, a priest can help you.
âYu think pwiesty fwen can hewp Cheesecake go home?â Cheesecake tapped a hoof at her cheek, puzzling over this idea. âOtay⌠Then Cheesecake wiww finâ pwiesty fwen wight away, anâ get essosisemed, anâ go home!â
Duarechlizen watched as his host began to search the street blindly, as though a priest would spawn out of thin air, and wondered just how these pitiful creatures could survive in the wild. Perhaps they couldnât? It would not be the first creature mankind had domesticated and bred into uselessness.
âHewwo mistah!â called Cheesecake at the first person she saw. âAm yu a pwiest? Can yu hewp Cheesecake?â
Her words went ignored, of course, so she went to another person and asked again; a ridiculously inefficient process that nevertheless proved useful enough for one of her targets to stop and crouch. âOf course I can help.â
Hunger and shock swirled together into a pit in Duarechlizenâs heart, sprinkled with a thin sheet of fear. The manâs soul was steeped in sin, dripping with everything from animal abuse to tax evasion, and the sharp smile on his face radiated cruel intention. Had this man been the demonâs host, he would not want for anything - but right now, the man provided too serious a danger. You have to-
âDatâs gweat!â Cheesecake cut him off, somehow unaware of the palpable evil in front of her. âDo yu know whewe tu find a pwiest? Cheesecakeâs head fwen wants an essosim!â
No, boomed Duarechlizen with enough force to make the fluffy cringe. Leave, NOW. Do not go with him!
âWhatâs wrong?â the sinful man asked, pretending not to understand. âI can help you with the ⌠essay ⌠sim.â
âOwwie⌠Sowwy, head fwen nu wikes yu,â whined Cheesecake, rubbing her head.
âWell thatâs just silly.â The man chuckled, bundling Cheesecake in his arms and standing. âLetâs go home, and Iâll show your âhead friendâ thereâs nothing to be afraid of.â
Oh, no. The cruel air was overpowering now; it made it hard to focus, having this taste so close yet out of reach, and the demon could only watch as the host he was trapped within was carried to places unknown.
âOoph!â yelped Cheesecake as, instead of being taken to the priest she had expected, she was unceremoniously hurled into a rusty cage on her captorâs living room table. Unlike her ownerâs house, this one did not even pretend to be normal; the iron stench of blood was buried among that of rot and trash, the lights dim from covered windows and a broken lamp. âOwwies⌠Why huwt Cheesecake? Jusâ wanted tu go home!â
âWell, didnât you want a priest?â asked the man with a cruel grin. âIâve got something better. You just wait here, and Iâll give you a direct link up to Heaven.â
His sinful air faded as he walked away to collect tools, finally allowing Duarechlizen to breathe once more. Thankfully even Cheesecake could not deny the dangers around her, sniffling and sobbing as she curled up in fear.
Can you get out? the demon asked, not because he doubted her abilities, but because she had yet to even try. Still sniffling, Cheesecake tried tapping and then pushing at the rusty bars, but they did not budge.
âNu⌠Am su sowwy, head fwen, nu know what tu do nowâŚ!â the fluffy cried. âCheesecake nu wan get owwies! Nu wan see heaven, just wanâ gu home to daddeh!â
In the silence that followed, Duarechlizen exhaled. He did not know what a violent death would do to their bond; a death of old age or slow illness was a soft release, allowing the bound souls to unravel from each other, but a death by murder or poison? It was taking a cleaver to a ball of yarn, rendering it impossible to sort what went where. Whether it would injure him or permanently blend his essence with that of this toy creature, he could not allow it to happen.
I will take care of it.
âThank-yuâŚâ sniffled Cheesecake, wiping her eyes dejectedly. âBuâ what can head fwen do? Am onwy Cheesecakeâs thoughts⌠Anâ if Cheesecake nu can escape, then head fwen nu can eithew-!â
I will take care of it, Duarechlizen repeated as patiently as he could. Just relax. Close your eyes and withdraw; do not think about moving or taking in what is around you. It will make this easier for me.
It took a few tries and some extra corralling, but soon he got the fluffy to understand and relinquish control at least a little. It wasnât necessary - Duarechlizen could have torn control from her with ease - but having her cooperation meant less drain of his limited energy.
And as he took control of the body, feeling his horns and wings bloom as his essence dyed Cheesecakeâs fur with darkness, the demon knew he needed all the energy he could get.
Step one was escaping the cage. He placed a hoof against the bars and easily confirmed what Cheesecake had shown; they were too solid for the body of a mere fluffy to break down. However they were thin and cheap, not made to hold anything stronger than a cat. Duarechlizen focused and let his energy escape through the hooves, the rusted gray metal shifting to orange as the heat of the demonâs emerging flames engulfed them, turning the once-solid metal into molten sludge.
Duarechlizen leapt out of the prison and onto the floor, a web of crackling flames spreading from his hooves. Unlike the cultistâs house, the front door to this building did not have a cat flap, and thus he required a better entry.
Wooow! Head fwen am so coow!! cheered Cheesecake from within his head.
âMah name is Dwawesh-â began Duarechlizen before catching himself. Was that a lisp? He tried again. âDuaweshi⌠dwaweshwitzkk-!â He stopped with a cringe as he bit his tongue. Seriously?! He had thought Cheesecake too young or too stupid to understand his name, but this body was actively unable to pronounce it. â⌠Head fwen it is.â
âWhat the fuck?!â came a horrified, yet familiar voice, and the demon turned to face the sinful man who had taken them here. He was standing in the kitchen doorway, mouth agape and eyes wide, sharp kitchen tools in his hands.
Eeep! Wun, head fwen! cried Cheesecake, but Duarechlizen just glared at the man in an unspoken challenge as the flames around him grew brighter.
When one of the pink bands around the fluffyâs tail burned and broke with a loud snap, the cruel human flinched out of his shock and ran. Whether he wanted to leave or find a fire extinguisher, Duarechlizen did not know nor care about - but he had chosen to flee instead of fight, and that allowed the demon to leave unhindered. The front door was as flimsy as the cage, easily breaking apart against burning hooves and a good full-body shove, and then Duarechlizen was outside.
He let his burning energy fade and hurried down the street until he was certain they were outside the reach of the sinful man or his flame-filled house, and only then did the demon relinquish control once more. Cheesecake plopped to a sit, dazed and looking herself over as though checking for burns.
âAaa⌠Meanie! Head fwen am meanie!â she suddenly complained, kicking her hind legs. Duarechlizenâs mind blanked.
What?
âYu bwoke Cheesecakeâs pwetty taiw wibbon!â whined Cheesecake and indicated her frazzled tail. âWook! Nu know how tu find new wibbon, onwy daddeh knows!â
Ah. What a whiny, pitifully annoying creature. The demon did not even try to keep the disdain from his voice as he replied. You are welcome.
Perhaps it was his tone, or her brain taking a moment to catch up, but Cheesecakeâs little tantrum quickly turned to bashfulness. âOh⌠Sowwy, head fwen. Nu mean tu be unhappy⌠Cheesecake wuvs head fwen! Yu saved Cheesecake fwom bad, scawy thingies!â Unable to hug a voice in her head, Cheesecake compensated by wrapping her hooves around herself and rocking back and forth in a tight self-hug. âNu wowwy, head fwen⌠Cheesecake wiww hewp yu a wot, anâ find a pwiest, anâ get dat essosim!â
All Duarechlizen could think to do was accept. As stupid and helpless and naive as this creature was, it was at least trying to be good. Of course. However, do not approach more humans unless I consider them safe. I can tell how much sin stains oneâs soul; and those who have sin are too dangerous.
âOtay. Nu wowwy, head fwen! Cheesecake wiww wisten tu yu, pwomise!â
It was easier said than done, of course. Priests were in short supply and there was no church in the vicinity, which was perhaps the reason why a cultist had felt comfortable living there to begin with. Duarechlizen was, for now, trapped with this wandering fluffy.
At least they did find a new band for her tail, lying stashed away with the other belongings of a hoarding feral. At first Cheesecake didnât want to take it - but she DID want it, and the demon in her head urged her on. After all, it clearly wasnât being used by the feral if it was lying there. And after all, that fluffy had a lot of other trinkets so it wouldnât at all miss one little band, and the band was even pink just like her other bands so it would match her so well!
So Cheesecake gave in, stealing the little item and using it to replace the band that had broken. It was a tiny, insignificant thing, but it was nevertheless a simple, clear act of sin which provided just a speck of energy for Duarechlizen, so that he could replace a sliver of what he had spent rescuing her.
âŚ
He had the sinking feeling that they were going to be stuck like this for a long, long time.
