Inside, the cave was damp. The prince wrinkled his nose at the smell of the moss and fungus that clung to the walls. The ceilings were low and the daylight began to fade as he moved deeper into the cave. Ahead, however, the prince saw the light beginning to grow again. He moved on, stepping cautiously on the slick floor. Rounding a bend he came into a huge cavern. The walls were covered in a strange glowing fungus the like of which the prince had not seen before. Nonetheless the light was more than enough for the Prince to see. He still could not see the entire cave as the walls curved around a bend far ahead of him. Suddenly he heard a strange high pitched laughter. He warily drew his longsword from its scabbard.
“So,” came a voice, echoing through the chamber. “Another seeks my treasure.”
“Show thyself, in the name of the crown prince!” he bellowed.
“A prince, you say? How delectable. Still, if you demand I show myself, then I suppose I shall.”
The prince heard a flapping of wings and, from ahead of him around the bend in the cave, a creature no bigger than an owl flew into view. It was red-skinned, vaguely shaped like a man but with small horns on its forehead and bat-like wings protruding from its shoulder blades. Its hands ended in claws that seemed razor sharp. This was neither man nor beast, but something unholy.
“What sort of creature be thee?” demanded the prince, with the slightest quiver in his voice.
“They call me The Red Devil,” it replied with a grin of evil pride. “And I have been the end of every treasure-seeker who has dared to enter my cave. You shall be no different.”
“So thou sayeth, but know thee I am the greatest swordsman of this age, and if thou dost not surrender your treasure thou shalt find your end on my cold steel blade.”
The devil laughed a sinister laugh. “You are welcome to try.”
“Thou seem little more than a nuisance. What danger can thou possibly present?”
“Well,” the creature replied with confidence, “let us begin with this.”
Alighting on the ground the creature began to blur, its features becoming indistinct. It also began to grow much larger until it finally resolved into a new form. Where once had been a mere imp now stood a huge black bear.
“What foul magic is this?” wondered the prince, aloud. Steeling his nerve he shouted at the beast. “No living thing can stand before me, not even a creature of the wild.”
“We shall see,” came the devil’s voice from the mouth of the bear, as it began to close the distance between them.
The prince swung his sword in a tight circle, limbering his wrist. Still the bear came. The prince moved to his side, into more open space. Suddenly, the bear burst forward with surprising speed. The prince was ready and, as the bear charged, he leapt to the side. Despite his chain armor the prince was agile; he had trained to move quickly on the battleground. The bear moved past him and the prince swung down at it as it did. His sword cut into the bear’s side and the strange beast grunted in what could have been pain, or simply anger. The prince cast a glance at his sword, then the bear’s side. There was not a trace of blood to be seen. The bear slowed its movement and turned to face the prince once more.
“I know not how thou does not bleed, but I will find a way to slay thee.”
“I am full of surprises,” the devil-bear flippantly replied. It circled back towards him, taking a wide berth. The prince stayed at the ready, wondering how to kill the strange creature.
Suddenly, the bear charged once again. The prince weaved to the side as it came at him, yet the monster’s slashing claw sliced across the prince’s abdomen. Only the fine chain that guarded his torso saved him from being gutted. Still, the considerable impact knocked him back and off-balance. The bear reared up on its hind legs and laughed a sick laugh before it threw itself forward. Even while wobbling, the prince’s finely honed instincts kicked in and he dropped to his knees, driving upward. The bear came down with incredible force – straight onto the prince’s outstretched blade. It pierced deep into the beast, the prince could only presume into its heart, then it slumped sideways.
“Thou art vanquished,” said the prince in a smug tone.
Then, before his very eyes, the body of the bear began to shimmer, becoming fuzzy and impossible to focus on. Moments later, it dissolved into smoke.
“Is this how devils die?” the prince thought to himself.
The smoke swirled up and into a cloud. From within came the laugh of the devil, then words “You’ll not be rid of me that easily.”
