A Weapon’s Serenade

Melody carefully lifted the raptor kitten trying to climb onto her face up and put on the pile of others beside the bench.

Raptor kittens were hell-native cats, small and as the name implied raptor-shaped. These adorable little fluffballs travelled in large packs between the demonic settlements and brought happiness wherever they went.

“You go there, I still need to breathe you know.”

The raptor kitten climbed up to find a different spot, but still close to Melody. It let out a very cute meow and settled down.

“I guess it’s just telling me the same thing again?”

The demon that had invited Anne, Melody and Kuria to enjoy an afternoon with the kittens nodded. “Yes, like the others it’s just proclaiming ‘Friend!’ again in a happy tone.”

Nirrti was a librarian and a Nightmare, capable of reading minds. That ability wasn’t limited to only humans and demons, she could read the minds of pretty much anything that could form a thought. The intentions of the raptor kittens were simple and easy to read.

“Friend indeed. They are so cute. Anne?”

Anne only responded by raising her arm from under a pile of kittens and giving a thumbs-up.  

Melody chuckled. “Yup, fair. Kuria?”

“Yes?”

“You enjoying our new friends?”

“I can’t claim that they are the best, Tiny is buried somewhere under here too, but they are amazing. And so cuddly!”

“They sure are. How much longer until we need to leave for dinner?”

Nirrti tilted her head slightly. “Three hours and twenty-six minutes. You can have a nap if you want. I will wake you when it’s time.”

“Nice, thank you.”

How the raptor kittens managed to get to Tehom, and island in the middle of nowhere, was a mystery. How they even learned about it was a mystery too. The only thing Nirrti could answer was the simple fact that having Fury’s famous food cart and the raptor kittens in one spot was not a common occurrence and that it would be a very good time.

It took a while and bribes with food to dig the two humans, two demons and hell cat out from the piles of raptor kittens, but they all needed to eat something. Eventually, the group had managed to reach Fury’s cart, order food and find a place to sit and eat without being besieges by raptor kittens who were still lying around the place in every corner imaginable.

“They really take over a town, huh.” Anne took a bite from her kebab.

“They sure do. A few years ago, a group of them came by my hometown of Gehenna. They don’t stay for more than a few weeks but it is always a special event.” Nirrti nodded.

“I can imagine. This is great, thank you for taking us here.”

“Couldn’t keep something fun like this from my friends. Honestly, I wasn’t very keen on the raptor kittens before another friend showed me how relaxing they can be. I always just put them off as cute noise. Fun for a little bit but somewhat bothersome after a while. I was wrong though, getting ‘Friend!’ shouted at you doesn’t get old, it will always make you feel better.”

“If you had told me four years ago, when I met Melody and Kuria for the first time, that I would one day eat doner kebab in Hell surrounded by a herd of cats, enjoying a fun afternoon with my mind reading friend, I wouldn’t have believed you. About a week later I would have.” Anne laughed.

“I was never really sure why Kate kept human friends around. Even before she became one of us and head librarian, she was a bit of a loner but kept some specific people around. The more people I witnessed being turned, the clearer it became that there is something about humans that makes them unique and they carry that into demonhood for a while. Not sure if it ever goes away, but I hope it doesn’t.”

Melody swallowed her large bite of kebab. “So, it wasn’t just academic curiosity?”

Nirrti, despite being an old demon, had joined the university as a new student at the same as the girls three year ago. As a thanatologist, a researcher of death, Nirrti was interested in human philosophies and bumped in Kuria in those courses. Being overachievers as usual, everyone here had graduated with their bachelor’s degrees in a short time and were now working towards their masters. Having access to some special resources through some friendly demonic librarians might have given them an extra edge as well.

Nirrti shrugged. “I considered the possibility of befriending some humans but I never wanted to push for it. Not sure how human you still count as though.”

“That’s one compliment I will happily take.”

“Very good. I’m almost sad I missed out on the fun Apollyon had showing Kate around Hell, you have gotten around quite a bit on your own."

"But there still so much stuff to see that we haven't yet."

"True. Anyway, you have like lab work tomorrow, right?”

Melody nodded. “Yea, but in the afternoon. No need to rush home for sleep. Professor Benteen wanted me on this stuff after my thesis, can’t say I don’t understand. You don’t get a lot of students throwing around working theories about generating proton beams in workable manner for under twenty pounds that fits on a desk. Have I thanked you for showing me the chariot blueprints?”

“You have, multiple times.”

“And I will keep thanking you. Benteen was rather impressed by it all, he’s asked me personally to assist with some doctorate's laser project. Didn’t tell me what it’s about though, guess he doesn’t want me to steal that guy's thunder.”

“A fair fear. We all have been a bit too disruptive, might want to not push too much further.”

“It is fun though, but I agree. Too much and they might grow suspicious.”

“Potentially, but never underestimate how unobservant humans can be.”

“Also true. Still, better safe than sorry.”

Nirrti nodded. “Agreed.”

A night with the raptor kittens would have been fun, but with everyone having stuff to do tomorrow it was decided that having a restful night was a better idea. Kuria had returned them to a side alley outside the apartment to get some fresh air before heading back inside.

Anne took a deep breath. “Never thought air could be too fresh but that island is crisp to the point of crunchy.”

“I liked it.”

“It was great but there is something nice about the air you’re used to.”

Kuria simply nodded as the three girls made their way around the corner towards home. This late at night, it was usually very quiet but today, someone was here. Sitting on a bench on the other side of the street was a younger student, staring into a bottle of orange juice. She didn’t seem notice three people appearing out of thin air in an alley right in her line of sight.

Melody raised an eyebrow at her. “Perhaps Nirrti was right.”

“Likely, yea.”

“Am I imagining things or… does she look like she needs a friend. You guys head inside, I’ll be there in a moment.”

Kuria looked at Anne, both returning a nod and letting Melody go check in on the girl.

With her demonic friend and girlfriend vanishing into the building, Melody made her way to the girl on the bench.

“Hey.”

“Hm? Oh. Hi.”

“It’s almost midnight, you alright?”

The girl lifted her bottle of orange juice. “Now matter how many bottles I buy, it keeps staying orange juice. Can’t get drunk with that. I mean, I could just buy alcohol but no… I’m a good girl and the doctor says no.”

“Why would you want to get drunk? You don’t seem the type to drown yourself in the stuff.”

“I’m not usually. I’ve seen you around, you’re one of the physics students. You got labs this summer, right?”

Melody nodded and sat down on the bench. “Yea, starting tomorrow.”

“Lucky you. Well, mine got cancelled. Not cancelled, but I wasn’t allowed to come. The boat was leaving earlier, a month on the ocean looking at cute little deep-sea animals, well, not so little but still cute. With a fancy robot and all. But no. What if something happens? What if frail little Serena falls over in the middle of the fucking Atlantic, what if her heart finally gives out and we can finally get rid of her at sea?” Serena emptied her bottle, crunched it up, lifted her arm to throw and stopped herself with a sigh.

“Heart failure, right?”

“Yea. The list of shit I need to avoid is long and apparently going on the best trip of my life is on that.”

Melody put her arm around Serena and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry. Want to come inside and have a nice tea, maybe a little snack?”

“Who am I to say no to the girl who popped out of thin air with her roommates and confidently claimed that humans are so unobservant. Alright, I’ll let you take me home, magic woman.”

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