So.. This is it! This better work!

Pia rose from her crouching position, watching her handiwork. On the floor was a circle, about as perfect as she could make it on such short notice. Inside was a pentagram. Both had been made using chalk on the tiled floor, while she had been muttering arcane words of power. Pia was by no means a master of the occult, and she was not sure this little trap would work, but it was the best she could do.

For a little while now, someone or something had been stalking Pia. It was not for the first time, monsters preying on innocent girls happening with frightening regularity here. But this time her pursuer had been foolish, made mistakes, and let Pia know it was after her. It had even tried to make its way into her bedroom at night, having managed to get the window open, but Pia's scream had driven it away.

At first she had been close to panic. She had been close to just locking herself in the bathroom. But that would not help. In fact, it would just neatly put her in a spot for the enemy to find her. So she had gone proactive instead. So she had been pretending she knew nothing, and instead prepared her defences. Looking up some tomes on demonology, she had found this ward. She could not be sure the creature was demonic, and if it was not, she would be screwed. She did not think it was a very strong ward either, if it was a big demon, it would probably break free. But since it had relied upon stealth rather than force or magic, at least so far, it might be weak enough to be trapped.

She had chosen the public showers at the end of the hall as her site. The white tiles would make the chalk she had used hard to see. The spell was almost complete, she just had to say the final words. Of course, she had get the creature to step inside it for it to work.

Pia turned on one shower. She then tiptoed to another booth, crouching down. Was her stalker listening? She hoped so.
"Oooops! I spilled shampoo all over my breasts! I am so clumsy!", she called out, hoping that would entice the creature she was certain was following her.

" Where's Ardruus?" came the booming voice of the demon from within his cave-dwelling.

Ever since the demon Lilitu came to this island, he found this cave to his liking. It was a simple, subterranean cave on the outside, with its mouth opening near the dorm section of the island. But one who would explore the cave would find that a few pockets and veins of it would lead to an underground section, which leads to an open pocket of geothermal activity. This place, the demon had coralled as 'home', since it was the closest thing he could find to familiarity.

Right now, he was doing an 'inventory', that is, taking a look as to who his demons are who were trapped with him in this realm. There was a myriad of activity, and demons of different sizes were perched all around the cave. Not as many as he would expect, but enough for him to have it easy.

Now, the subject turned to Ardruus, his second-in-command who was a bit dim in the head, but a hundred times strong, fifty times stealthy, and a thousand times hornier than the next available demon...

---

The demon, though it could not speak, could not help but follow the girl. Upon his master's orders he would never ever let go of a target once it was marked, and he had marked this particular girl, whom he had cornered inside her bathroom. Unknowingly she seems to be giving him a free show, and he himself was delighted. He would taste this dish before his master could.

Yes, master, she seems nice, indeed, oh yes, ever so nice...he thought, repeating it again and again as if it were a mantra.

Oh yes, look at those mounds, yes, they look nice indeed...

Smear some more of that, yes, so fresh, so young, my master will be pleased, oh yes indeed...

Not knowing the trap she had laid out for him, and driven all the more stupid by his own incessant lust, the demon continues his so-called 'stake-out', waiting for the supposed perfect time to spring out and catch her unawares...at least, in his own mindset.

Apparently, her little trap did not work, Pia noticed with annoyance. Well, maybe it would have, but that depended on the creture walking into her circle so she could activate it. Either she had completely missunderstood, and no one was following her, or whatever creature stalking her was too clever for her trap.

This left her with a bit of a dilemma. She could abandon the whole project, but if the creature still was there, she would just then have bresenbted herself as prime bait, just without the hook.

Hmmm.. I may have to get a bit more proactive on this one.. OK! One more try! If this one does not work, back to plan B. Whatever that is.

"Mmmmm.. The hot water on my skin.. so lovely.."
Pia cast a sly glance againt the doorway.
"Ooooohhh.. it has a mode for water massage.. I wonder.. does the showerhead have any other uses.. Ohhh.. the hot water gainst my little blossom, just like a lover.."

Come on! This better work! What is this, a celibate sex demon or something?

"I better not do this.. if someone where to walk in on me, they would see everything.. but it is soooo good.. just one more second.."

" Where in tarnation..." came the impatient comment. " ARDRUUS!!!"

The cave were full of cackling, shouting, cursing demons, though they filled only half or a third of the cave. Their lord was pacing back and forth, back and forth, trying to search for a scout that had gone missing.

Most demons were only half-a foot tall, while some were two feet tall. Others still were close to three feet, yet only a few reached four feet...and these were mostly the ones who were his top scouts. Ardruus, the second-in-command, was tallest at 4'2", but he was nowhere to be found.

" If I find that..."

-------------------------------------

Ardruus, meanwhile, was caught in a bit of predicament. It looked like a trap, felt like a trap...heck, it even smelled like one...but would he tell his master, or would he risk being caught?

He looked at his body, a visage of muscles rippling, covered by blue skin, raw energy coursing throughout. Next to Lilitu, he was the one strongest among the demons in his disposal, easily besting all others and could even best his master if he put his mind into it...only his master was too smart and powerful, even for him...

He thought, damn the consequences.

He waited a bit more, until the sound got a bit interesting with a little 'ooh' here and an 'ahh' there. He peeked inside, and his stupid mind can only process that the girl was putting herself out for him willingly. And she wasn't just some girl, as he looked inside...she was someone he would enjoy greatly, one his master would not share to them how much they begged.

Damnitall!!!

He barged straightforward into the room, towards the naked, showering figure in the bath, aiming to grab those mounds she so wanted to be grabbed...he was going to help her reach her goal, whatever it was, whether she liked it or not.

Finally!

It was here! Something blue came running into the room, moving straight towards her. For a split second, it was as if the world stood still, a rush of adrenaline making everything happen in slow motion. For a split second, Pia regretted her little plan. Sheer animal panic almost gripped her, triggered her reflexes to fight and flee. She almost forgot the most important part of the plan. Almost..

"laqueum diaboli"

Pia yelled the command, making a gesture with one hand, triggering the magic circle. If it worked, the creature would find itself unable to leave, a force field manifesting and making movement near impossible if it tried to move outside the confines of the circle.

Pia's other hand covered her chest. She also wore a bikini bottom, not wanting to display all her good to the demon spying on her.

The demon was quick to move, and also, quick to misjudge the strength of his opponent. All he knew was that the opportunity to one-up his master and have first dibs on a girl was here, and what he needed was that. He wanted this, and so he will get this, no matter the danger nor the dire consequences he finds himself in...he will HAVE this girl.

He moved quicker than normal, his senses attuned, his muscles flexed. He had never moved like this before, and he was on overdrive right now. His senses were more attuned than normal, and he was as alert as ever before.

But that did not exactly mean that his mind was attuned.



At first, it seemed that sheer panic gripped the girl, in her half-naked state, now that he could see her clearly. She wasn't all naked, and he was about to move in to fix that problem, when all of a sudden he slammed into something solid, making his eyes water and pushing him down on the floor. It was only then that he noticed that right there, on the floor, was a glowing symbol, a pentagram. Not that he knew what a pentagram was, nor did he know that this symbol was supposed to be attributed to them. All he knew was that it was glowing, and that there was something very, very wrong.

Lust was powering him and he tried to bash out of the circle with brute force. He got knocked down, stood up, tried again. But the circle doesn't seem to budge.

He glared at the girl, his black eyes focused on those things she was hiding from him, drool dripping from his mouth in sheer lust.

As the demon charged, Pia had to force herself to not crouch and look away, anticipating the creature pouncing upon her, slamming her into the ground. For a split second, it was like one of those moments watching a horror movie, where you instinctively reach for the pillow, wanting to cover your face as the monster suddenly fills the screen, yet you know closing you eyes will only make it worse.

During the same split second, Pia considered what a fool she had been. There was no way her petty spell was going to work, no way a simple protective circle and a tiny cantrip would stand up to a real monster. She had taken a risk, and she would pay for it.

But nothing slammed into her. A wall of transparent force seemed to stop the demon mid-lunge. It held up! The trapped creature made a new attempt. Would it break now? Had she just bought her self a few seconds, before it would break itself free, no doubt more angry now than lustful?

But it held. It worked perfectly!

"YAY! I did it! It worked! It holds!"

Pia squealed and giggled, a high-pitched, girlish noise, full of joy. She made a little jump of excitement, and clapped her hands together, a happy and almost childish pleasure. But Pia was not a child in other ways, some of her manners and her soft features to the contrary, and for a tiny couple of seconds, the trapped demon was rewarded a glimpse of a rather womanly, bouncing chest.

Then Pia recovered her modesty, briefly forgotten in her victory. She blushed, a touch of sunset coloring her face, and grabbed a nearby towel. She quickly wrapped it around herself, tying it in place, so it concealed her body from upper chest to upper thighs.

"Ahem.. uh.. I mean.." Pia struggled a little to find the correct tone for dealing with demons. Actually, she did not know what the correct tone for dealing with captured fiends was. This was new to her. Whatever. She had things in her favor for once, so she would use it for what it was worth.

"Demon. You are bound by my circle, and you will remain there until I dispel it. That means you are at my disposal. Uh.. I suppose you figured that out already, being a demon and all. Uh.. Anyway. First off, I start by demanding your name, I believe."

"Yeah.", she continued, looking a bit more commanding. "I demand your name, demon!"

Ardruus was a bit irked by the orders the human was giving him. After what he had seen, he was clearly motivated to break out of this circle, but it seemed that she was not about to give in to him. Suddenly, he felt a pressure push him down, like a blast of wild air coming from above. The resulting blast made him take a knee, much to his chagrin. It was humiliating, to say the least. And here he thought he was made of stronger stuff than his master.

He glared at the girl some more, his lust ebbing away, replaced by genuine anger. He was thinking about what torture he might do to the girl once he got out...that is, if he can get out.

Her jubilation, the cries of joy which the girl let out, irritated him further. It was as if she was mocking him.



Ah, naivete. This was what human girls were abundant of, but the girl had off-set hers by this power which the demon never thought she had. Count that as a minus against him, his dim mind had won over strength again.



How dare she order him around? Why he oughta...

It seemed the circle worked according to her wishes. Every evil thought the demon could muster was met by a force pushing him down to a knee, or to both knees. He was growing angrier and angrier by the minute.

Finally, when he could no longer take everything, he looked at the girl, a long, hard look.

" Move closer..." he said, " And I'll tell you."

Pia almost took a small step towards the circle, but she stopped herself.

"OK, I know I am blond!", she said. "But seriously, I am not born yesterday. you want me to break the circle, so you can grab me, and free yourself. Sorry. It is not going to be that easy."

Not that Pia had ever bound a demon before. Most of the field of demonology was more theory that practice for her, even though she had a few direct encounters under her belt. This one was new to her, though. Still, she knew the basics. Once bound, the demon was pretty helpless. It could threaten, it could cajole or cheat, but it was little it could do as long as it was trapped. So the power was hers, at least for now.

But what to do with it? Pia had never had any real power over another before, and never really wanted it. Still, a trapped demon could be useful.
Hands akimbo, she addressed the demon once again.
"Your name, please? Otherwise, I will just have to leave you here. That will be a bit embarrassing for you, would it not, once the other demons find out?"

This was kind of humiliating in a sense...but then, in that dark, dank corner of his mind, something awoken. After all, he was a demon...a minion, to be exact, but still, he was the head minion. His more brawn-oriented mind worked for the first time, and there was going to be something here...

He looked at the girl...she was fine, indeed, in his blank state of mind, all he could think of was that his master would be very, very please, but should he get the spoils? No, he thought, maybe this time he would get first dibs on her.

He smiled, trying to look cute.

" My name...Ardruus is what Master calls me..." he spoke in his usual, stupid way.

" What name...my master?"

--------------------------------

Lilitu was beginning to get annoyed.

" This is not happening." he spoke among the throng. " I shall find him myself. You lot stay here."

Lilitu rose from his throne, amidst cries of the demons who were close to worshipping the old demon.