Jeremy Chikalto and Leviathan Island (Book II of The Hazy Souls)

  Chapter 3

  Tally

  Several galaxies away, on a blue planet orbiting a medium-sized star, underneath the surface, in a realm known to very few, two dumpy creatures resembling capibaras, the largest hamsters on the planet, walked down a dank tunnel in Mantel's Maze.

  "I've been working for Mantel for two centuries, and he still has me doing this grunt work. When is he going to recognize my potential?" The creatures waddled on their hind legs and carried crude notebooks.

  "What potential?" asked the other.

  "Oh, I've got plenty of skills that nobody knows about."

  "Such as?"

  "Such as in the martial arts. You see, true power is soft, not hard. True fighting ability flows from a peaceful mind and a supple body. It's all yin and yang. I should be training for the front lines in the upcoming battle, not counting Goddamned demons! I have massive leadership potential as well."

  The two waddled in silence for a minute.

  "Here's the rooms," whispered one. They had come to a t-shaped formation in the tunnel with two caverns on either end. There were two tunnels, one in each room, that spit out fresh soul traces collected from beacons on the surface. The business end of the tunnels had recently been drawing demons into Mantel's Maze like blood draws sharks. The minions each poked their head in the rooms, scratched a note in their books, and crept away.

  "How many did you get?" said one when they were out of demon earshot.

  "Three. How many did you get?"

  "Twenty-seven," said the ambitious capibara.

  "What? That's preposterous. I know you hate this job and want to be promoted, but you're liable to get us both consumed. I've been counting demons for three-hundred years, and there has never been over ten demons in one chamber. Mantel's been on edge as it is with all the recent demon sitings, and you want to submit a fraudulent report? Not on my watch."

  "Fine, count them for yourself and see."

  They turned around and waddled back to the room. As they approached, they could hear soft chanting in an alien tongue emanating from one of the rooms. The room had gone dark, but something in the center of the room was glowing. They poked their heads in and saw thirty demons gathered around a stone altar in the center of the room, chanting in black hoods. Startled, the hamsters began to retreat, but bumped into a bony mass that had appeared behind them.

  The demon grabbed the ambitious capibara by the scruff of his neck and carried him squealing to the altar. Others bound him with crude ropes as he struggled. A tall demon came forward and pulled back his hood, revealing the skeletal head of a cow. He drew a large dagger from inside his cloak. “Jeremy Chikalto,” he whispered, and the chanting stopped. He plunged the dagger into the animal's heart. They ignored Mantel's other minion, who was scurrying back to his master.