A Love In Dark Times

“This is the next stop, we must liberate another demon army.

“What is this, it's just a big desert?

Yes, of course, it was once a beautiful green landscape, only its inhabitants decided to act badly, that's why they were punished by burying them, their wickedness rotted the roots of the plants, eroded the soil, leaving this place cursed through no fault of their own for harbouring such pernicious beings, this will be beneficial for you, you will restore this place to its original glory by retrieving those soldiers.

-All right, 1 will try.

Luisa concentrated again, feeling the desert sands, the dusty warmth, she felt the roots coming out of her and multiplyin through the place and greening it, she opened her eyes, seeing how confused, disoriented zombies were rising from the ground, until Lucifer gathered them together to order them to serve him, Because of the time they were punished he mac them valuable as soldiers or else he would send them to Tartarus, they all accepted, they were tired of the inactivity of their prison, Luisa was happy to contemplate how the earth was greening, she had been a purgative, and that meant that now she would be set free.

-Lord Lucifer, I think I've done my work.

You're wrong, there's one task left.

No, sir, you told me on the bridge that there were only two more to go.

“That's why Luisa, this one and another one.

No, it's supposed to be the one on the bridge and the other one.

-Luisa, you misunderstood, that's the problem with humans who take things for granted no matter how badly they understand them, I told you that there were two more missing without counting the one we were executing, you see.

-I consider that you are cheating me, although your tasks have helped me to learn how to use my powers, it's ok one and you let me free.

-Of course my child, I give you my word as a man, come on, let's go somewhere else.

And with a blow with his wings he took her to another place, to a high mountain, but where you could feel the sea breeze next to a swamp, where there was a stone with several carved symbols.

-Look Luisa, this rock was placed to imprison a demon called La Tarasca, a holy woman defeated him, she alone, despite the pessimism of her people, she achieved it with her great courage and determination that prevented me from getting involved, I could only observe how she could dodge the flames and defeat my dragon general, that is why this place is called after that woman and she is also worshipped in several religions, but you better hurry and free her, I don't like to talk much about my defeats.

Luisa concentrated and felt in the rock the inscriptions of love and protection, inside the stone she felt evi, besides som flames that exploded against the walls, little by little she erased the symbols with her erasing light and the rock explodec in pieces; out of it came a kind of dragon with six short bear-like legs, an ox-like torso with a tortoise shell on its back an a scaly tail ending in the sting of a scorpion, its head was like that of a lion with horse ears and a nasty expression, the fi thing it tried to do was devour Luisa, but it was frozen by Lucifer,

-quiet general, behave yourself, save your fury for the war that is coming.

1d better go, please take me home, I've already fulfilled your demands, we'll meet again.

-Of course, Luisa go, you're free.

Wait, Mr. Lucifer, the deal was that you would leave me at my house.

Luisa, this is your home, your world, again you misunderstand things and being fair, you don't have a fixed home, neithe at your stepfather, nor at the barracks, much less at the mother-mountain's, you should reconsider serving me as my apprentice.

-All right, I'll g0 alone, I'd like to go and feel the warmth of home at my brothers’ or Luis’ place.

No, don't worry, let me take you, I'l only ask a small favour in return.

-1 don't want your favours, they are very expensive and they multiply.

-Luisa, analyse everything you've learned, I promise I'l deliver.

-All right, all right.

I grab Luisa and mount her on the scaly back of La Tarasca, taking her to a nearby village, where there was a statue of a man on a rock.

~Girl, this is a great musician, very cunning, he defeated one of my generals who thought he was the best singer, one nigh he challenged him, making the mistake of putting himself on his level using his own genre of music to prove his superiority, ending up imprisoned on that rock by the cunning of the now famous composer, please free him, it will be ea for you.

Luisa concentrated on melting the statue where the being known as El Patas came out; he looked moribund, in a deplorable state, he reminded her of an uncle of hers who spent two months lost in the jungle feeding on roots, worms and his own urine:

My love, you finally deigned to rescue me,

I couldn't even scratch myself.

“1 didn’t have the means, now I have her, come on, come with me to free all those who are still missing.

Luisa, furious, intervened, shouting at him:

~You gave me your word as a man that you would take me home.

“You are quite right, Luisa, let's go.

And he took her to the bottom of a volcano, placing her on a hot stone.

“This is what you wanted, a warm home, I already fulfilled you and I am not a man and I have never been one, it's not my fault that your super masters didn't teach you how to open portals, if you want I'l leave you here or I'll take you whereve you want in exchange for another favour, do you agree?

“No, I don’t trust you anymore, I'm sure I'll find a way to free myself.

Please Luisa, just one more, I need to free the four horsemen of the apocalypse, I should have started with them, but fir needed my army builder, my pet general and of course El Patas, since his music helped me pass the time in hell, come on help me my dear Luisa.

All right, I promise you that if you take me to my brothers and give me a lot of money for them, I assure you that tomorr I will help you with that.

-Of course, Luisa, that's a good trick, only I already know it, when tomorrow I claim what you owe me, you'll say tomorrow and that day will never come, because tomorrow will be another today with another tomorrow.