Chapter 325: The Kryptonite That Definitely Didn’t Belong in This Realm
Chapter 325: The Kryptonite That Definitely Didn’t Belong in This Realm
Elyn’s POV
I blinked rapidly.
"He is a Dracolthar demon and you named him Dracolthar?"
I stared at Zorathys, waiting for him to explain, to offer some reason that would make this make sense. But he just stood there, his expression calm and unbothered, his shadows curling lazily around his feet like they had all the time in the world.
"I was too tired to think of another name," he said, his voice carrying that familiar lazy drawl. "And besides, he likes it."
I turned to Dracolthar.
"You like the name?" I asked.
"I do," the creature replied, his voice echoing in my mind.
I shook my head at that. There was nothing I could do and there was nothing to be done. He liked the name. He liked being referred to as Dracolthar. This was like calling Seraphielle "Succubus" because she was a succubus demon, or calling Aurelixa "Fox Demon" because she was a fox demon. And honestly, if Zorathys had been the one to name the demons in the realm, then I was sure there would be "Stone Demon 1," "Stone Demon 2," and so on because he would be too lazy to think of a better name. And would said demons like the name? Oh, absolutely. Just like this one in front of me did.
Anyway, that was a matter I wasn’t going to focus on at all because the mere thought of it already exhausted me. I had bigger concerns right now. The wind was still whipping around us on the rooftop, and Dracolthar’s massive form blocked out a significant portion of the night sky. His four eyes continued to blink at me, patient and unblinking, waiting for my next question.
"Tell me, Dracolthar," I said, turning my attention back to the enormous creature hovering before me. "Did you see Zorathys earlier?"
"I did," he said immediately.
I could not place it, but something about the way he answered me so quickly made me suspicious. There was no hesitation, no pause for thought. Just an immediate, almost rehearsed response. His four eyes didn’t even flicker.
"You saw Zorathys?" I asked him again, trying to read his expression.
"I did, Your Majesty, when the other demons attempted to kidnap me," he told me.
I was getting even more suspicious. Something about this story wasn’t adding up. The timing felt too convenient, the answers too quick. It was like he had been waiting for me to ask these exact questions.
"But you are strong enough to defeat the demons that attacked you, right?" I asked him.
"Not if they come with a weakening spell," he replied. "It makes me lose all my power and strength. I become weak, unable to defend myself, unable to fly. I become completely helpless."
"And what spell is this?" I asked him.
"It’s less a spell and more an item, to be honest," he said. "Though sometimes spells are cast on stones to make them look like it and get its properties. The item itself is rare, difficult to find, and even more difficult to use effectively."
"Okay, what is it?"
"A kryptonite. A green kryptonite."
I paused because surely I had heard him wrongly. I moved closer, then folded my lips as I asked him.
"You said?"
"A green kryptonite, Your Majesty."
I almost laughed. Okay, I was done. First it was flop-flips, then Cron’s Pops, then pick tooths, and now I was hearing about a green kryptonite. What in the Superman universe was that even doing here? This was the demon realm, not a DC comic. But here I was, standing on the rooftop of a demon palace, having a conversation with a dragon-like creature named Dracolthar about a green kryptonite weakening spell. The absurdity of it all was almost too much to process.
"A green kryptonite?" I asked again because for some reason I had to hear him say it again. It made very little sense to me that something from a fictional superhero universe was here.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Dracolthar replied. "It’s quite dangerous. It can render even the most powerful demons helpless for hours. Even someone as strong as Zorathys would be affected."
Before I could say anything more, Zorathys spoke up.
"You have confirmation I’m not lying, Firefly," he said, his voice carrying that lazy drawl. "So can we go? I’m feeling sleepy." He punctuated the statement with a loud yawn.
I rolled my eyes.
"You are always sleepy," I said.
"Sleep is good for the body," he replied. "You humans value it."
"You are a demon," I pointed out.
"Who is now following human rules. It is very essential for one to get a good sleep," he drawled, his eyes half-lidded.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You know... for some reason I don’t trust this story you and Dracolthar have cooked up."
"Firefly," he said, his voice carrying a note of exhaustion, "it would take more energy from me to cook up a lie with Dracolthar, and I’m too tired to do so."
Well... that wasn’t a lie. Zorathys was too tired to do anything. So if I followed his logic, making plans with Dracolthar was too much work, which now that I thought about it was actually too much work. Planning required energy, and Zorathys had none to spare. The effort of coordinating a story with Dracolthar, of making sure their stories matched, of remembering all the details—that would be exhausting for someone like him.
Perhaps I was just being paranoid. Maybe Zorathys really hadn’t just gone to find someplace to sleep. Maybe the story was true. Maybe the green kryptonite was real. Maybe the attempted kidnapping had actually happened.
I nodded.
"Okay then," I said. "I’ll believe you this time. But for the sake of my sanity, Zorathys, tell me before you leave next time."
His eyes lit up a bit.
"So... we can go again next time?" he asked.
"Of course the outing isn’t done. I’ve yet to see the other territories, and you did say you would show me around."
"The pests will come too?" he asked me.
If it were anyone else, I would think they were asking because they wanted the children to come. But this was Zorathys, and he was not asking because he wanted them to come at all. His tone made that very clear.
Which reminded me of something else I needed to ask him.